Carlos Hazday

Yeah, Colombia's not my idea of a safe vacation. Last year, my niece and her boyfriend spent time in Cartagena which is a popular tourist destination. They screwed up several times, but after going to multiple ATMs to withdraw cash and finally not being allowed to take more out, they were able to talk with police. They were immediately accused of trying to buy drugs. The bank refunded their money since they were coerced into the withdrawals, but I don't think anyone in my family wants to visit the country.

The thought crossed my mind... LOL But considering I made readers wait forever to find out what Liz wrote in her deathbed note and 3 years to find out what happened in Mexico, I decided to be kind. Not sure if those are records, but I figured the wait was as long as between Harry Potter books. That drove me nuts.

Still haven't decided if we hear where Northman lands after Mexico. Probably Washington for a bit where he'll have the chance to visit CJ at Everhope. NOT!

Thanks, Dave. This poor chapter was plotted long ago and subsequently revised multiple times. It started with the kidnapping dragging out over multiple days, but I'm glad I condensed it all into some 12 hours. You're right, the waiting was excrutiating, and writing it was too. I did start off with a little recap to lull readers into complacency, and I'm glad it worked. I usually like to start chapters with dialogue and maybe something shocking, but decided a slow boil to begin would work better here. The Epilogue will be up sooner than later.

The neck and the head are the most vulnerable. Even while wearing a vest and a helmet.

Thanks, Theo. I don't know about forever, but I have two completed stories waiting in the wings and a couple others in process. I think we're good for the rest of the year at least.

I have some violence and a couple of deaths penciled in for the summer once they're back in Washington.

Yep. The survived all the lawsuits filed when they wouldn't serve black Secret Service agents.

Four shots of chilled Clase Azul and a bottle of Cristal, please... Oh, wait, that's what CJ orders in a future story.

I'm riding to South Beach Sunday morning and meeting a friend for brunch down there. I like Denny's but my friend's too much of a snob to eat at such places.

That may be a problem. GA will not allow me to post another chapter for at least 24 hours.

LMAO- CJ's in a class by himself. If I had read Circumnavigation while it was being posted instead of after it was done, I would have hunted him down. Way too many cliffies. At least I space them out. We'll hear about Northman, but not from him. I kinda like his last words being silly because he didn't know what was happening.

See? Even Kitt knows about it. I replied to Tony's comment before reading yours! LOL

@Mann Ramblings keeps whispering in my ear I have to kill someone. I'm thinking once Ritch becomes a pilot and has to patrol the skies above Easter Europe or South Korea, I could bring in a couple of Migs...

Nah... you're confusing me with C James. He's the cliffie king.

Very good, Kitt. Elpidio was a familiar face. We'll get to hear more about him in the next chapter. Also, this is obviously something that will reverberate with them for a while, so the story chronologically following this one will tackle how CJ, Owen, and Liebe feel. Considering it was Mexican police running the show behind the scenes, I figured their training might not be as exhaustive as an FBI agent's.

CJ, Owen, Brett, and Cesar will be in Linc's debt for as long as they all live.

Let's remember a vest will only protect the wearer's torso. A bullet hitting a major vein or artery could cause someone to bleed to death,

Thanks, 1810. I did enjoy surprising you. A long time ago, someone commented how much they enjoyed CJ discovering steel-cut oats in Summer. And Daddydavek has complained I don't provide those little details often enough these days. Been trying to do it a bit more, Dave. Still, those are the chapters I love writing. The slice of life stuff. But I tried the intrigue route in this book and I'm happy it worked. Readers jumped all over the chapters involving the Russian and now they've rewarded me with such a great reaction to this one. I'm grinning.

Lincoln's the size of a LARGE football player. Do they make vest that big? As an aside, did you know there's a tailor in Bogota who's world famous for making armored business suits? One of the things I discovered while researching.

@Clancy59 Great commentary, but you left me a lot to unpack, and I'm not ready to reveal everything just yet. Easy one. Owen will be an American citizen soon, but he'll retain his Australian citizenship. hell Liebe and CJ would both qualify to become Aussies. The embassy wasn't involved. Northman was in his rights to reprimand CJ, but he did it at the wrong time. Liebe and Owen most definitely take priority over Northman or the job. If CJ retracts his resignation and gets fired instead he might be able to collect unemployment compensation. That could help them make ends meet until he finds a new job. What? He doesn't need the money you say? Maybe, but imagining CJ having to report on his job search is hilarious. Yes, Ma'am, I applied to Amazon, but Jeff said they already had a chairman of the board." Yeah, about that idiot who alerted Elpidio...

Thank, Frank. Let me see how the rest of today goes. The better my mood the more likely I am to post early. Maybe a couple of cocktails or a doobie would help relax me...

Writing something where readers know the general outcome isn't easy. Not when I'm trying to build tension and make it interesting. Glad it worked.

@astone2292 And you said you were unfamiliar with the baby Jesus comment Ha! We now return to our response. Thanks, Rob. I'm glad I was able to get the adrenaline pumping. It's one of the things I love about writing, surprising readers and getting them emotionally involved in the tale.

But, but, but... putting kids and animals in peril will always raise heart rates. I think I accomplished my goal.