Read Riverboat Blaze Online

Authors: J. R. Roberts

Riverboat Blaze

BOOK: Riverboat Blaze
12.06Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
Table of Contents
 
 
Mayday Mania!
Clint and Angela were flattened against a wall on the second deck as people ran by. The majority of the passengers did not seem to have grasped the gravity of the situation. They were still running to and fro rather than abandoning ship. People were being knocked off their feet and trampled.
Clint helped an older woman to her feet before she got trampled and said to her, “You have to jump overboard.”
She stared at him as if he was crazy, shook loose, and started running.
“You can’t help everyone, Clint,” Angela said. “We have to save ourselves.”
“All right,” he said. “Let’s get off this thing.”
They had to push through a wave of people in order to get to the rail.
“Can you swim?” he asked her.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
DON’T MISS THESE ALL-ACTION WESTERN SERIES FROM THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
THE GUNSMITH by J. R. Roberts
Clint Adams was a legend among lawmen, outlaws, and ladies. They called him . . . the Gunsmith.
LONGARM by Tabor Evans
The popular long-running series about Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long—his life, his loves, his fight for justice.
SLOCUM by Jake Logan
Today’s longest-running action Western. John Slocum rides a deadly trail of hot blood and cold steel.
BUSHWHACKERS by B. J. Lanagan
An action-packed series by the creators of Longarm! The rousing adventures of the most brutal gang of cutthroats ever assembled—Quantrill’s Raiders.
DIAMONDBACK by Guy Brewer
Dex Yancey is Diamondback, a Southern gentleman turned con man when his brother cheats him out of the family fortune. Ladies love him. Gamblers hate him. But nobody pulls one over on Dex . . .
WILDGUN by Jack Hanson
The blazing adventures of mountain man Will Barlow—from the creators of Longarm!
TEXAS TRACKER by Tom Calhoun
J.T. Law: the most relentless—and dangerous—manhunter in all Texas. Where sheriffs and posses fail, he’s the best man to bring in the most vicious outlaws—for a price.
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa
 
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 
RIVERBOAT BLAZE
 
A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author
 
PRINTING HISTORY
Jove edition / January 2011
 
Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Randisi.
 
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
 
eISBN : 978-1-101-44602-7
 
JOVE
®
Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
JOVE
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “J” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
 
 
 

http://us.penguingroup.com

ONE
THE PRESENT
The
Dolly Madison
was the biggest, most well-built riverboat Clint Adams had ever been on. That’s why it was such a shock when it started sinking.
But that came later . . .
TEN DAYS EARLIER . . .
“It’s called the
Dolly Madison
,” Dean Dillon said. “It’s the biggest stern wheeler ever made, over seven hundred feet long.”
“I thought the
Great Eastern
was the biggest,” Clint said.
“It was,” Dillon said, “or rather, it is, until we take our maiden voyage. Our paddle wheel is sixty feet in diameter. The
Great Eastern
is only fifty-seven. We weigh thirty-three thousand tons!”
“When is the big day?”
“A week,” Dillon said.
“From where?”
“New Orleans,” Dillon said. “And I want you to be on it.”
“Oh, uh, Dean—”
“On the house!” Dillon hurriedly added. “You’re my friend, Clint, I want you to share this with me.”
Clint thought it was more likely Dean was trying to get some big names lined up for his boat’s maiden voyage. Not that he could blame him. If Dean had the largest paddle wheeler on the Mississippi, it was going to be a major accomplishment.
“You got anything better to do?” Dillon asked.
Clint studied his friend’s face. Dillon had come all the way to Labyrinth, Texas, to invite Clint in person. Maybe the friend in him did want to share the experience with Clint, but the businessman wanted the Gunsmith on that boat.
“Whataya say, Clint?” Dillon asked.
“When are you leaving?” Clint asked.
“Tomorrow morning.” Dillon had only arrived that morning. “I’m heading right back.”
“Okay,” Clint said. “Before you leave, I’ll let you know if I can make it.”
“Okay,” Dillon said. “I’ll accept that.”
He finished his beer and put the empty mug down on the table.
“See you in the morning,” he said. “Stage leaves at nine.”
He turned and left Rick’s Place, the batwings swinging in his wake.
Rick Hartman came over and sat in the chair Dillon had just vacated.
“So, what did he want?” he asked Clint. “He came running in here like his ass was on fire.”
“I’m invited to be on the maiden voyage of the
Dolly Madison
, the largest paddle wheeler ever to hit the Mississippi.”
“He owns it?”
“Apparently.”
“Then it’ll probably sink.”
“Well,” Clint said, frowning, “did you know that a paddle wheeler can weigh as much as thirty-three thousand tons? How the hell does something that big manage to stay afloat?”
“You got me,” Rick said. “I’ve never liked boats, myself. Trains, yeah, but boats?”
“I do like them,” Clint said. “At least, I did until I learned how much they weigh.”
“So, are you gonna go?” Hartman asked, sitting back in his chair.
“I don’t know,” Clint said. “I like New Orleans, I like the Mississippi, I
liked
riverboats—maybe I still do, despite their weight.”
“When is this historical voyage supposed to take place?”
“In a week.”
“And do you have any other plans?”
“No.”
“Then why wouldn’t you go?”
“Well,” Clint said, “it is Dean Dillon.”
“There you go!” Hartman said, with a smile. “It’s a scam. It’s got to be.”
Dean Dillon had been—in no particular order—a gambler, a con man, a thief, a liar, and a businessman. Whichever one he put his mind to at any given moment, he was a damned good one.
The question was—which one was he being now?
TWO
THE PRESENT
The deck pitched and Angela DuBois, standing next to him, almost fell, and would have if he hadn’t caught her.
“Jesus,” she said, eyes wide with fright, “we’re really going down?”
“Looks like it,” Clint said.
People were running back and forth on the deck. Crew members were trying to shout instructions to the passengers, but they were panicked and weren’t having any of it. And then, suddenly, there was fire.
“W-what do we do?” she asked.
Clint took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Can you swim?”
FIVE DAYS EARLIER . . .
When Clint arrived in New Orleans, he breathed in its scent. New Orleans was a special place, unlike any other city in the United States. The architecture was French, the population was cross-cultural and multilingual. He loved the people and the food.
He stopped at the Jean Lafitte Hotel, put Eclipse up at the hotel’s livery, and got himself a room.
“Ah, Mr. Adams,” the clerk said, “we’ve been expectin’ you, suh.”
BOOK: Riverboat Blaze
12.06Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Annie's Adventures by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
The Grand Ballast by J.A. Rock
All About Charming Alice by J. Arlene Culiner
Death's Last Run by Robin Spano
Growing Girls by Jeanne Marie Laskas