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Back Sea of Fire Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Title Page
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. ONE - The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:19 A.M.
  4. TWO - Washington, D.C. Monday, 7:45 P.M.
  5. THREE - The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:34 A.M.
  6. FOUR - Sydney, Australia Thursday, 8:30 A.M.
  7. FIVE - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 8:42 A.M.
  8. SIX - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 7:33 P.M.
  9. SEVEN - Sydney, Australia Thursday, 10:01 A.M.
  10. EIGHT - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 12:12 P.M.
  11. NINE - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 12:33 P.M.
  12. TEN - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 12:05 P.M.
  13. ELEVEN - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 12:17 P.M.
  14. TWELVE - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 1:08 P.M.
  15. THIRTEEN - Washington, D.C. Thursday, 11:09 P.M.
  16. FOURTEEN - Darwin, Australia Friday, 12:47 P.M.
  17. FIFTEEN - Darwin, Australia Friday, 12:59 P.M.
  18. SIXTEEN - Washington, D.C. Thursday, 11:55 P.M.
  19. SEVENTEEN - Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:00 P.M.
  20. EIGHTEEN - The Celebes Sea Friday, 7:33 P.M.
  21. NINETEEN - Over the Pacific Ocean Friday, 2:57 A.M.
  22. TWENTY - Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:58 P.M.
  23. TWENTY-ONE - The Celebes Sea Friday, 9:44 P.M.
  24. TWENTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Friday, 9:45 P.M.
  25. TWENTY-THREE - Washington, D.C. Friday, 7:17 A.M.
  26. TWENTY-FOUR - The Celebes Sea Friday, 10:33 P.M.
  27. TWENTY-FIVE - Tokyo, Japan Friday, 9:34 P.M.
  28. TWENTY-SIX - Washington, D.C. Friday, 8:57 A.M.
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN - The Celebes Sea Friday, 11:09 P.M.
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT - Over the Pacific Ocean Saturday, 2:22 A.M.
  31. TWENTY-NINE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 12:04 A.M.
  32. THIRTY - Washington, D.C. Friday, 10:07 A.M.
  33. THIRTY-ONE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 12:36 A.M.
  34. THIRTY-TWO - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 1:00 A.M.
  35. THIRTY-THREE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 1:01 A.M.
  36. THIRTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Friday, 12:31 P.M.
  37. THIRTY-FIVE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 2:02 A.M.
  38. THIRTY-SIX - The South Pacific Saturday, 7:44 A.M.
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN - Washington, D.C. Friday, 7:44 P.M.
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 9:45 A.M.
  41. THIRTY-NINE - Darwin, Australia Saturday, 12:08 P.M.
  42. FORTY - Darwin, Australia Saturday, 12:31 P.M.
  43. FORTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 12:23 A.M.
  44. FORTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 5:57 P.M.
  45. FORTY-THREE - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 6:22 P.M.
  46. FORTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 7:31 A.M.
  47. FORTY-FIVE - The Great Barrier Reef Saturday, 10:03 P.M.
  48. FORTY-SIX - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 10:04 P.M.
  49. FORTY-SEVEN - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 8:47 A.M.
  50. FORTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 10:49 P.M.
  51. FORTY-NINE - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 11:12 P.M.
  52. FIFTY - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 11:27 P.M.
  53. FIFTY-ONE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 12:00 A.M.
  54. FIFTY-TWO - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 11:00 A.M.
  55. FIFTY-THREE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 1:21 A.M.
  56. FIFTY-FOUR - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 1:42 A.M.
  57. FIFTY-FIVE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 1:55 A.M.
  58. FIFTY-SIX - The Great Barrier Reef Sunday, 2:09 A.M.
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN - The Coral Sea Sunday, 2:09 A.M.
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 12:38 P.M.
  61. FIFTY-NINE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 2:39 A.M.
  62. SIXTY - Osprey Reef Sunday, 2:46 A.M.
  63. SIXTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 1:00 P.M.
  64. SIXTY-TWO - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:01 A.M.
  65. SIXTY-THREE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:08 A.M.
  66. SIXTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 1:24 P.M.
  67. SIXTY-FIVE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:33 A.M.
  68. SIXTY-SIX - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 3:56 A.M.
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN - The Coral Sea Sunday, 4:01 A.M.
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 4:45 A.M.
  71. SIXTY-NINE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 4:59 A.M.
  72. SEVENTY - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 3:06 P.M.
  73. SEVENTY-ONE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:07 A.M.
  74. SEVENTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:16 A.M.
  75. SEVENTY-THREE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:24 A.M.
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:30 A.M.
  77. SEVENTY-FIVE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:38 A.M.
  78. SEVENTY-SIX - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 4:00 P.M.
  79. SEVENTY-SEVEN - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 7:10 A.M.
  80. SEVENTY-EIGHT - Darwin, Australia Sunday, 7:13 A.M.
  81. SEVENTY-NINE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 7:45 A.M.
  82. EIGHTY - Darwin, Australia Sunday, 7:46 A.M.
  83. EIGHTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 6:29 P.M.
  84. Other titles by Steve Pieczenik

Now Hood thought, too. He could never have spent a day in a sandbox with Sharon. He could not imagine himself playing in a sandbox with former Op-Center press liaison Ann Farris. After his separation, he had a fling with her. But Hood could have spent a day in a sandbox with the woman he was dating before, Nancy Jo Bosworth. The love of his life. A woman who walked out on him and shattered his heart. Hood thought about the way Bob Herbert talked about his wife, a fellow CIA operative who was killed in the Beirut embassy blast in 1983. He could imagine them playing together in a sandbox. Hell, that was essentially what they were doing together in Lebanon when she died and Herbert lost the use of his legs.

“It works with most of the ladies I’ve known,” Hood told the woman. “But it sounds as if your former husband would have been a great one for playing in the sandbox.”

“He would have been,” Daphne agreed. “If it were a really big sandbox and he was with a Thoroughbred. Gregory would have felt self-conscious, uptight, and bored with just me. Like Lawrence of Arabia without a camel. That’s the key, Paul. Would you enjoy a silly experience like that together? Is the idea of being together more important than where you are?”

“I get it,” Hood said.

The sandbox test was an absolute. Daphne was obviously a woman of extremes, and life demanded more compromise than she seemed willing to allow. Yet it was sad to think that very few people Paul Hood knew could pass the test. Especially himself and Sharon.

Hood did not know whether he and Daphne Connors would enjoy a day in a sandbox. And it was much too early to worry about that. Still, they had spent an agreeable time having dinner and discussing very different philosophies of life.

They had not come to blows.

That was a good start.

THREE - The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:34 A.M.

THREE

The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:34 A.M.

The sampan rocked vigorously from side to side as it neared the yacht from the stern. Lee Tong had moved aft. Clark Shunga had passed out plastique to Lee and one of the other men. Koh Yu continued to monitor the radio while the men silently oared the sampan closer.