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EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK |
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The fog had grown thick and gray, outside the breakwater; I felt I was approaching a solid wall. This caused me to throttle back even more, though I knew from my instruments and experience there was nothing but water ahead. Nonetheless, I came to a dead stop in the water and glanced at the radar once more. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
I picked up my tattered copy of “Patton’s Quotes” and began to read and relax. I enjoy Patton’s philosophy, and reading keeps me from getting too lonely and thinking too much. It is times like these I miss my wife, a great deal. Sometimes the solitude was welcome and peaceful, other times it caused me pain. Today was the latter.
Though I didn’t suspect it at the time, I wouldn’t be this relaxed for some time to come. Circumstances beyond my control were about to insert me back into a world I thought I left far behind . ____________________________________________________________________________________________
I’ve always wanted a library. The kind of room that's well…male. Dark wood paneling, floor to ceiling mahogany book shelves, a fireplace, comfortable chairs with dark burgundy leather and brass accoutrements. The hard reddish-brown wood of the mahogany tree, used in the construction industry and for making furniture, gives a sense of elegance to any room, even the oldest of rooms. This room actually had a ‘feel’ to it. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
I was awakened by the rocking and pitching of the boat, a loud noise, and a bright light coming thru the small windows of the boat. For some unknown reason, I just lie there, not fully aware of what was going on. Once I had a little more of my cognitive ability, I went topside to see a boat in flames at the end of the A dock. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911. The marina was deserted. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
I saw muzzle flashes and several small splashes in the water around the boat. Kincaid picked up a shield and propped it on the seat behind me so that my back held it against the seat, putting the shield into the line of fire, as long as we kept the boat directly behind us. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
I turned the boat around and went to full throttle. We approached their boat directly amidships looking like we were going to ram it.
Feeling like Robert Mitchum in ‘The Enemy Below’, about to ram the enemy ship, I kept the throttle wide open. |