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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

“Down the falls!” I shout to the Korubo chief, pointing with my arm. “It’s the only way!”

He doesn’t speak a word of English, but we exchange one desperate look and he understands.

We turn the canoe and head straight for the cataracts. I see the other canoes follow us toward the hissing and steaming entrance to a watery hell.

59

59

We paddle for the abyss. It’s strange to be racing toward almost certain death, straining for it, as if it also represents the only possible chance at salvation.

Bullets hiss around us. Three more canoes are hit. Pieces of splintered wood flap by like flying fish. Horrific screams ring out so sharply that they pierce even the thunder of the falls. Patches of white water churn scarlet. I see men and women bobbing desperately in the river, their eyes wild with the fear of drowning.

I want to try to rescue them, but there’s nothing we can do. The crossfire is too intense, and the current is sweeping us along too quickly. If we did succeed in slowing down, we’d be machine-gunned in seconds.

I have to save P.J. That’s all I’m thinking. You got her into this. Do whatever it takes. Get her out.

A bullet rips through the prow of our canoe. Knocks us off line. The chief straightens us. A second bullet smashes in. A third! They’ve found our range.

I dive forward and cover P.J. with my body. She cringes. I hold her tight. Wait to be shredded. Hope the first bullet is a head shot that kills me. But just before that happens, the bottom drops out of the world.

We tilt so far forward it seems like we will spin end over end. Instead, we plunge. Down, down, down, with the roaring all around us and the spray in our eyes. Blinded. Deafened. Holding P.J. and waiting for it to end.

Surely we’re going to hit a boulder and crack apart. Certainly we’re going to get sucked up in a whirlpool and drown. Positively we must roll upside down and be flayed alive against the rocky bottom.

But we don’t founder or roll or crack apart.

I glance back. The Korubo chief is sitting proudly in his place, somehow keeping us on a relatively safe course. He doesn’t look scared at all. In fact, he’s smiling. I understand that he’s doing what he was born to do, and that he’d much rather die this way than in the colonel’s foul prison. His bravery gives me the strength to help.

I let go of P.J., sit back up, and begin to paddle. We’re almost through the first section of falls. We barely avoid a giant boulder, and veer away from the dangerous clutches of a dead tree.