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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

Hands grab me. Strong legs kick us to the surface.

Eko tows me to the bank. She opens my mouth, turns my head to the side, and tries to breathe life into me.

I flash in and out as she pinches my nose closed and gives me mouth-to-mouth. It’s no use. I can’t breathe the oxygen she’s trying to give me.

Suddenly I go into spasm, kicking and gagging.

Eko turns me on my side as water streams out my mouth. Finally it’s all gone, and I can gasp in air again.

She looks down at me, hands on her hips. “What did you think you were doing?”

“P.J.,” I gasp.

“Even if she survived the falls, how could you ever hope to find her? You could never make it back that far upriver in your condition. You barely made it fifty feet.”

I nod and gasp out, “Had to try. Would have gone farther. Hit a whale. Do better next time.”

Eko’s eyes remain furious, but something else kindles in them. Grudging admiration. “It was a pirarucu,” she says softly. “The largest freshwater fish in the world. They breathe air, but they’re not whales. They’re almost extinct, but you managed to find a pretty good specimen.”

I look right back into those angry black eyes. “P.J.,” I whisper. “The truth.”

Eko nods slowly. “Okay. I believe your girlfriend is still alive. But you can’t go back and try to save her. The more you search for her, Jack, the more you will make her death a certainty. In fact, the only way you can possibly help her is to come with me.”

63

63

In Eko’s canoe, drifting downriver, listening to explanations I don’t want to believe.

“The only reason the Dark Lord let you go is because he was hoping you’d lead him to Kidah,” she tells me. “When you turned toward the city, and he saw that you were heading out of the forest, he immediately ordered your death. His men are scouring the rain forest now, searching for you. It was their mistake that you survived the ambush. The colonel is not tolerant of mistakes.”

“If they don’t find me, he’ll kill them?”

“Without a doubt,” Eko agrees. “That’s why the search for you has become so intense.” She has a talent for matter-of-factly breaking bad news. “They’re scanning the forest with low-flying drones, and they’re paying thousands of natives to fan out in canoes. Of course, they’re also searching for the other members of your party who survived the ambush, and they’re always on the lookout for Kidah, but the primary focus now is you.”

“So if I go back and search for P.J., I’ll be sailing right into their hands?”

“And if you should find her, or even come close, you’ll just be drawing more danger upon her.”