Back Blood in the Water Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. Praise for Blood in the Water
  81. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  82. Newsletter Sign-up

She’d nodded when he gave her the information. She didn’t thank him—to do so would have been an insult. His wasn’t an act of charity or patriotism, it was an act of smart business. The information came with expectations of reciprocity; protection from the authorities when necessary, information on competitors when available. They both understood the nature of the exchange they were agreeing to, and in consummating the deal, they were committing to each other in a manner that was far more intimate than sex.

That bond was dissolved now, and she felt the separation in a way that was physical. She wondered whether her feelings were something resembling affection, but dismissed the thought quickly. This was still business, and her business was protecting Boston’s population from MS-13, to make sure no one ever suffered the way she had. And if helping Cormack O’Connell advanced the goals of her business, then it was her responsibility to help him.

She picked up the phone and dialed. “Agent Martin,” she said when the man on the other end of the line picked up. “I need anything new the local police have on T’phong Soh. He’s Boston’s head of MS-13. It’s for the task force.”

TWENTY-SIX

“Are the ropes tight?”

Cicero looked down at Nate Chaplain’s unconscious body on the lobster boat’s deck. He raised the lapels of his dark coat against the biting wind. They were farther out to sea than the small vessel was accustomed to being, and though the water was relatively calm, the swells pitched them up and down in a steady, maniacal rhythm. He hated being out on the water and longed to be back on dry land. Still, the ocean provided a convenient and private place to do what needed to be done.

“I know my knots,” Cap replied. “They’ll hold.”

“Wake him up.”

Cap broke a capsule of ammonia under Chaplain’s nose, and Chaplain’s body convulsed, his head shaking and pulling back from the noxious fumes. There was little he could do to get away, though, as his hands and feet were bound tight. Cap shoved the ammonia under his nose again, and Chaplain coughed hard and spat, his eyes finally opening and taking in the scene as best they could. The look of confusion quickly turned to fear, and then terror.

“Please!” he screamed. “Please … No!”

Cicero nodded to Cap, and the skipper kicked Chaplain in the ribs, quieting the young man by taking the breath out of him.