Orinoco

Excerpt from "Orinoco."

Nick's eyes spewed fire as he stared at the man he had come to hate profoundly in the few hours since they first met.

"Turn around, you prick," the police officer screamed, his dark, devilish eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Nick felt the spit mist and instinctively wanted to wipe his face clean, but he could only sway his head away from the officer's nauseating cigar breath. Then, he turned and stretched his hand backward so that the officer could unlock his handcuffs.

Nick felt relieved when the tightly fitted shackles came off.

Contemptuously, the office shouted. "Enter the damn cell, now!"

With his handcuff removed, Nick faced the officer while rubbing his blotchy, hurting wrist, gazing broodingly at his captor. Although desperately seeking one, Nick could not see any alternative as he stared down the double barrel of a shotgun. Reluctantly, he turned around, wavering toward the cell.

The officer made an unintelligible sound of gratification and stuck his shotgun into Nick's back, pushing him towards the cell door. He grinned derisively, twisting the barrels on Nick's back, ripping his wet shirt until blood trickled down, mingling with his sweat.

Excerpt from "Orinoco."

As Nick emerged between the coconut palm trees, stepping down onto the embankment, he stopped abruptly. He was surprised to see Lee Ann standing in the river, washing her long black hair. She lifted her head and shook it, spiraling her hair around the neck. Then, she dove in, taking a few elegant strokes, showcasing her slender natural beauty.

Nick contemplated her as she stood up again, waist-deep ten meters from the shore, shaking the water off. She looked gorgeous with a fantastic figure hugged tightly by a designer swimsuit. She was slim yet shapely, with just enough padding in the right places, almost as if Michelangelo himself had sculptured her. At least, that was the thought that instantly popped up in his mind.

Nick gulped in awe, then got a grip on himself. He suddenly felt embarrassed standing in the shadows under the trees, observing her, although it had only been a few seconds. "Hi, Lee Ann," he called out, blushing.

"Nick, you woke up," she answered with a smile any man would kill for.