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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

I look back into those glittering, soulless eyes. “You know exactly why I’m here. You arranged it so that door would swing open and I would see P.J. It’s probably a negotiating trick—you want me to know that she’s at your mercy. Well, get this—if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t ever threaten me,” he responds quickly. “I have already hurt her, and I will again if I so please …”

I jump at him and throw the best kick of my life. Eko, who taught me martial arts on the Outer Banks, would be proud of this kick. It comes at lightning speed, snapped out straight from a horizontal position, the ball of my foot rocketing toward his chin.

He reacts with a level of speed beyond what humans are capable of. Catches my ankle in midair. Holds it there, in a viselike grip, so that I’m doing a standing split.

His head flashes forward, to my sandaled foot, held immobile. I see the glint of white teeth, or are they a spider’s fangs? Then I feel a hot flash of pain that makes me cry out. As I twist and turn to try to end the agony I hear bones crunching.

Then he releases me and I fall to the floor and stare uncomprehendingly at my right foot. It’s not just bloody, it looks different. Slowly I realize that he’s just gnawed off my little toe.

46

46

I roll around on the floor in agony, blood flowing. It feels like my whole leg is on fire. The pain almost makes me pass out.

Colonel Aranha watches me writhe. A spot of my blood gleams on his right cheek, and he wipes it off with a white handkerchief. “We’ll have to try again,” he says finally. “It’s imperative that we talk. Let me give you something for the pain.”

He walks to what looks like a fisherman’s tackle box, and returns with a bottle of bright green liquid. When he bends toward me I pull back and clench my fists. “Don’t be a fool,” he says. “If I wanted to harm you further, you must know now that you couldn’t stop me.”

I let him squirt some of the green liquid on me. The blood immediately clots and the painful throbbing lessens. In seconds my whole foot goes completely numb. “Better?” he asks.

I nod.

“Shall we try again? Perhaps we jumped into things too quickly the first time around. Let’s go a little slower. If I’m not mistaken, this is your first visit to the Amazon. Impressive, isn’t it?”

I can’t believe a man who just bit off one of my toes wants to exchange polite banter. I look up at him and demand through gritted teeth, “If you find it so damn impressive, why are you destroying it?”