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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

Lasers sizzle the water to steam all around us. We’ll be vaporized any second. Fried like fish and chips. Or, rather, like dog and boy and chips.

Would you mind sharing it with me? What’s our one good way out of this mess?

Down.

8

8

Gisco, what do you mean “down”? They’re going to laser us into subatomic particles at any second. If you have a plan, this would be a good time to …

Hold on.

Hold on to what?

A red button flashes on the small control panel. Gisco punches it decisively with his snout. Voilà!

And nothing happens.

Button keeps flashing.

Dog punches it again, with less certainty. Showtime!

No show. Nothing at all happens.

Gisco? We only have a few seconds … !

Strange. It must be low on power. a Either that or it doesn’t like dogs. Third time’s the charm. He hits it a final time. Tries to sound confident, but he’s not fooling anyone. Let ’er rip!

Nothing rips. Nothing even frays. There’s a slight reddish glow, but that’s it. My hopes sink with every second. Dog has trapped us in floating frying pan with a glass lid, and we’re about to be put on laser burner.

Wait a minute, hold on a second, it’s not my hopes that are sinking, it’s our dinghy!

Now the water is up to the oarlocks, now it’s above the sides of the boat but it’s not splashing in, it’s washing against the transparent bubble as we slowly descend.

Our pursuers in the speedboat figure out what’s happening. Fire a desperate fusillade at us.

Orange-yellow laser beams fork down through the water like the tentacles of a giant jellyfish. They stab all around us. But they don’t score a direct hit.

And then it’s too late.

Because the water lapping at the top of the bubble comes together to form a liquid ceiling above our heads, and the stars disappear.

We’re under the dark surface of the Hudson River. Sinking into an inky abyss.

Gisco, what the hell are you up to?

Weren’t you complaining a few seconds ago about my pathetic little wreck of a boat? It just saved your life.

Okay. I admit it’s a doozy of a dinghy. But what exactly is it and where did you get it? Did you bring it from the future?

No, I bought it at Kmart.

Spare me the canine sarcasm.

Spare me the human third degree. Enough questions. We got away.

That’s the good news.

What’s the bad news?

They saw how we gave them the slip. They’ll start sweeping the river bottom for us, with every surveillance technique at their disposal. And …

And?

We’re low on power.

Great. Can’t we recharge?

I don’t know. I’m not an engineer.

How far can we go with what we have?

Hopefully, far enough to get away.