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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

Hideous to think of a fine young fellow like this left to the mercies of criminals and brutes in the Andes. Of course we had to save him! And he’s repaid the favor with interest. He fed me, he looked after me, he somehow got us away when the colonel’s men tracked us down and attacked us from helicopter gunships …

Gisco stops in mid-thought when he sees the horrified look on my face.

I force myself to ask him: Was P.J. with you when you were attacked?

The dog nods. She was in a canoe behind us.

What happened to her?

It was chaos, Jack, so it’s hard to say for sure. I wasn’t in my proper mind yet, but even if I had been, there was nothing to be done. They shot her canoe apart.

I feel mounting dread, and can barely bring myself to whisper telepathically, Gisco, is she dead?

I don’t know, he admits. The chief was with her. They shot him in the back. He made it to shore and lived long enough to lead us to this tribe and convince them to take us in. None of us saw what happened to P.J. Sorry, old fellow. They may have captured her …

Or they may have blown her away! For a second I’m flooded with rage. How could you leave her like that?

Dear boy, I hate to point out that you left her under rather similar circumstances.

I was washed away down a waterfall!

And we were trying to survive a helicopter attack.

I look back at him and see great sympathy in his big dog eyes. Okay. You’re right. I can’t blame you.

Your feelings are quite understandable. But there’s only one person to blame and we’re headed in his direction. She’s a survivor, Jack. Maybe we’ll find her there.

Maybe we will, I agree, and walk off. I stand alone for several minutes, watching the river flow by. Gisco, Mudinho, and Eko throw glances at me but don’t disturb me.

I can’t stop picturing P.J. being gunned down from above. She’s a strong swimmer and I’m sure she would have made it to shore if given the chance. But they killed the chief, who was in her canoe, and was good at surviving, too. I force myself to confront a bitter reality: now, when I’m finally in a position to fight the colonel, P.J.’s probably lying at the bottom of a muddy Amazon river.

A gentle hand taps me on the shoulder. I turn, expecting Eko or Mudinho, but it’s Kidah. He reaches out and touches my cheek, and for a second it’s like a small door has opened and I’m inside his mind.