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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

Dense black smoke billows out from the dinghy’s motor and enfolds us in an inky cloud that screens us till we’re safely out of laser range.

But there’s nowhere to go on a river, and no place to hide.

The mini-tank rumbles to the bank and quickly converts to a combination gunship and amphibious transport vehicle. A few Dark Army motorcycles roll onto it, and then it sails out into the river after us at a surprisingly fast clip. Its big gun swivels in our direction.

Meanwhile, the speedboats close in for the kill.

13

13

As the speedboats get close, they let loose a colorful futuristic fusillade. Blue plasma nets, red paralysis darts, and white-hot laser beams streak across the water toward us.

The dinghy tries its one trick. The transparent bubble rises, and we start to submerge.

This worked before and I have high hopes that it will work again. But as we sink, the mini-tank belches something toward us that is not a torpedo. It’s a nasty ball of black energy that reforms and reshapes as it crawls toward us like a giant spider.

Water covers the top of our bubble. We’re down, but we’re not safe yet. Because the pulsing energy blob has reached us! It hovers, inches above the surface.

And then it dives down after us! I press the blinking red button on the controls. Jam my palm against it. Need to warn the boat that the monster is still chasing us.

Now that I know how to merge with the dinghy, I can do it much faster. It’s aware of our pursuer. We’re aware. Working together. We take evasive action as the jellyfish of energy points tentacles at us that break off and zap down like dark thunderbolts.

I’m Jack Danielson standing in the dinghy. But I’m also the dinghy, darting back and forth.

Unfortunately, dodging isn’t enough. One of the energy blasts strikes us a glancing blow. We need to fight back or we’ll be shredded. Can we? Do we have any firepower?

Oh yes we do! I can feel the coldness of the river on the hull. I tingle at the energy blasts all around us. And I sense a small shutter opening in our hull. Fire in our belly. I help direct it, spew it out.

The jellyfish of dark energy dives right into our weapon’s path. It flails its tentacles, turns from black to glowing red to radiant orange, and disintegrates.

For a moment I share a powerful feeling with the dinghy. Joy? Can a machine feel joy? Achievement? Victory? Definitely a kind of comradeship.

Then I feel the wound. The blast that hit us punctured our bubble. Water is pouring in. Too big a hole to fix. We have to go back up.