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Back Whirlwind Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Title Page
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. Also by DAVID KLASS
  95. Copyright Page

Is it my imagination or is the smooth beam beneath me narrowing? Either that or my feet are growing larger. I take a small step, now moving much more slowly and carefully. The colonel’s voice pierces my concentration.

“Experts on vampire bats like to claim that they are the only animals that feed exclusively on blood,” he says. “They’re almost right. In the entire world, there is only one other such creature. Westerners dubbed it the vampire fish. But the natives here call it the candirú.”

The water beneath me swirls as if someone is twirling a straw through it. Suddenly the lights in the room start to dim. The bridge under my feet continues narrowing. When I started walking across, it was more than a foot wide. Now it can’t be more than six inches. I feel myself start to tremble, and fight against the panic.

“Where is Kidah?” the colonel demands. “Tell me all that you know and I promise I will spare you. Deny me, and you will learn why the candirú is the most dreaded creature in this vast feeding ground known as the Amazon.”

I look back at him, and at P.J. standing beside him, and I try to keep the terror from my voice. “If I knew, I would tell you. I have no reason to protect him. I came here to save P.J. All I know is that Kidah’s supposed to be here, somewhere, hiding. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you will be,” the colonel promises. “Just as the loggers can’t cut down mahogany trees until I reveal their exact locations, I can’t destroy Kidah unless you tell me where he’s hiding. I know he’s here. That’s hardly new information. But where, Jack? Perhaps if I tell you a bit more about my spiny friends it may loosen your tongue. Their scientific name is Vandellia cirrhosa. But ‘candirú’ has a much more dramatic ring, don’t you agree? They’re about an inch long. Translucent. Their fins and spines are white, so they can’t be seen in the water. But they’re down there. Thousands of them. I breed them.”

He pushes P.J. forward, until her toes touch the edge of the pit. “We’ve reached the point of no return—the sheer precipice of the moment of truth. Walk to me, Jack. Or I shove her in.”

49

49

The light in the room is almost gone. The bridge has narrowed to less than five inches. It shimmers beneath me like an ebony ribbon tapering into gloom.

I stop walking, stop moving, stop breathing. The room goes totally dark. I remember running through pitch-black marsh channels with Eko on the Outer Banks, and I use the sixth sense I developed there to keep from falling.