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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

“You may have another American here,” I tell him. “A girl, with brown hair, about my age. Her name is P.J.” I describe her to him in detail. Ernesto shares my description with the other men in the cell. Two or three say they think a young woman who fits P.J.’s description was spotted being transported at night through the corridors, always under heavy guard.

When I hear this, I can’t contain my excitement. So she is here, possibly even in this very wing of the prison! There must be a way for me to locate her and break her out. “Has anyone ever escaped from this place?” I ask Ernesto.

“Several have tried, and they have died in highly unpleasant ways,” he tells me. “Colonel Aranha is a meticulous man. He couldn’t do what he is doing if he weren’t.”

“And what exactly is he doing?” I ask. “It sounds like many different people are involved in destroying the rain forest. Europeans, Asians, and Americans. But also Brazilians. Even Caboclos and Indians.”

“Absolutely,” Ernesto agrees. “And there have always been corrupt government officials who bent the rules in exchange for bribes, but never on the scale of what this colonel is doing. He’s using his powerful connections to help loggers, miners, and foreign companies gain access and break laws. In the last few years, with his influence rising, the destruction of the Amazon has proceeded at an ever-increasing pace. And we who tried to stop it are rotting here, with nothing to do but watch it vanish out our one window.”

I look around at my cell mates—Indians, Caboclos, settlers, all wasting away. Skeletal bodies. Toothless gums. Hopeless eyes. “Why doesn’t he just kill you?”

Ernesto shrugs. “Maybe it is his sense of humor. He makes us work, destroying what we love the most.”

“And what is that?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Ernesto opens his mouth to answer, and then closes it quickly as thudding footsteps approach. Guards open the door and I follow the lead of my cell mates and hurry to the back wall of the cell.

The guards enter with guns drawn and point quickly to ten men. Ernesto is chosen, and one of the Indians. I am the last one they single out.

I follow the others to the front of the cell with my arms raised, and then hold out my wrists to be handcuffed. As the cuffs are locked on, Ernesto whispers to me, “You are about to find out about the colonel’s sense of humor for yourself.”

41

41

It’s a small, shabby plane that looks like it dates from the Cold War. I just hope its engine is better than its paint job. As we are prodded toward it at gunpoint, I see that it’s equipped with floats for a water landing.