Back Waters Paperback - Book 4: A Rick Waters Novel (Caribbean Adventure Series)

Book Four in the Rick Waters Series. Read by thousands of readers, from over 17 countries. 

#1 Best seller by Eric Chance Stone.

This is a premium PAPERBACK. 

★★★★★ "The descriptions of the Florida panhandle were spot on." - Reader Review. 

After saving Jules and her roommate from certain peril in the deep rainforest of the Amazon, Rick Waters and the crew head to Rio for some badly needed R&R. As soon as they arrive they find out Rick's first mate Johnie. is framed for burglary and murder in Destin Florida.

Rick and the gang must prove Johnie’s innocence. The proof they need may be hidden in the grass flats on the backwaters of Choctawhatchee Bay.

Will Rick find the proof he needs to set Johnie free in time?

"Wow, just wow!" 

"If you've ever been to the Emerald Coast, you must read this!"

"Rick returns home to help his Johnie. Great character development."

"My favorites so far. Can't wait to visit Destin FLorida now."

"Edge of my seat? Hell, I fell off of it. Clever twists as always."

This product is a premium PAPERBACK.

Enjoy an excerpt from Back Waters.

The beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor machine faded in the background as Rick tried to hear the voices outside his door in room 332 at the Hospital e Maternidade Cataratas. It was futile, as they were speaking Portuguese. He had lost track of how long he had been inside recovering. Daily visits from Rick’s girlfriend Jules and his best friend Possum helped with the monotony, and occasionally, Possum would sneak Rick’s cockatoo, Chief in under his shirt for a quick snuggle. 

Rick’s kayak had gone over one of the highest waterfalls in the world, and somehow, he’d survived. It was partly a miracle, but mostly because Jules had found him and resuscitated him. Wearing a shoulder brace, a full leg cast, and wrapped up like a mummy, he couldn’t get around much and was tired of being in the hospital bed. It hurt to breathe due to his punctured lung, and his clavicle had poked through the skin when he hit the sharp rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. 

The odds were against Jules finding him, yet she had, alive and in one piece. She had

never given up; her love and commitment to him had given her the strength to persevere. She would’ve slept in the hospital room in a chair next to his bed if he’d let her, but he always insisted she get her rest at the nearby hotel, where Gary had booked two rooms for her and Possum. Gary was one of Rick’s closest friends from back in high school. He won Powerball a couple years back and loved to help Rick finance his adventures and treasure hunts. He had flown back to Brazil to prove to the Yanomami that Rick and the crew had indeed recovered the Sacred Jewel of Orinoco and would be transporting it to the Smithsonian Institution to aid the tribe in their fight against the building of a dam that would destroy their homeland. The Yanomami had originally believed that the Kayapo stole the jewel, and they’d intended to commit genocide against the smaller tribe, but Rick and his crew had recovered the jewel from the late Nate Armstrong, who had acquired it in a double cross from the now also late Gina Russo. 

Gina had created an escrow account in the bank of Brazil, into which she had deposited the funds from both the Smithsonian and the Museum of Natural History in New York. Both museums believed they would be the sole keepers of the stone because of Gina’s scam. Gina had originally been a part of Rick’s crew and a valuable asset to the Yanomami’s effort, but greed had turned her and she’d had every intention of keeping all the museum money for herself and also selling the jewel to Armstrong. Armstrong was a snake, though, and Gina got bit—actually, shot through the eye on the deck of his yacht, minutes before he accidentally blew it up and killed himself and the entire crew. 

Now Gary’s plan was to take Davi Kopenawa, the leader of the Yanomami, to the States and convince both museums to share the jewel in dual exhibits biannually. It was the most valuable star sapphire in the world and worth well over four hundred million dollars. If Davi would agree to present the jewel in person, Gary was sure each museum would agree to the terms of two million each to continue the tribe’s fight. The Museum of Natural History had already paid one million and the Smithsonian had paid two. If he could convince the famous New York museum to match it, the deal would be a win-win for everyone, especially the Yanomami. 

Rick heard a familiar voice outside his door. 

“Quanto tempo mais ele tem que ficar?”

It was Jules. She had been honing up on her Portuguese and helping Rick the entire time with the doctors and nurses. The door slowly opened, and Jules peeked in.

“Hola, mi amor,” she said.

“Hey, baby, how are you?” replied Rick.

“I’m good. I just spoke to the doctor and he said you should be able to go home soon. Normally, you would’ve only been in here for five to seven days then home to recuperate. But whatever punctured your lung caused an infection. You had a pneumothorax, which is basically a fancy word for a collapsed lung, and they were able to reinflate it with a tube, but the infection caused problems and they had to go back in and clean the wound. That’s what caused the setback. He thinks you can get out of here in a few days, though. Unless you are still enjoying the pampering.” She smirked at him.

“Haha, no! I want out of here. You can pamper me poolside. I’m not really up to flying all the way back to Destin, but I think a few weeks back in Rio will be good for my mental and physical well-being.”

“I spoke with Gary this morning, and he told me to just let him know what you need and he’s got you covered. He’s in Brazil meeting with Davi Kopenawa, and he thinks they both are flying to DC tomorrow. A truce has been called with the Kayapo and there is peace amongst the tribes. You did a good thing, Rick, rescuing the sacred jewel.”

“I did? We did. It was a team effort.”

“I guess that’s true. Do you need anything? I need to go back to the hotel and make arrangements for our resort in Rio. Do you want to stay at the same one as before?”

“I’m good here, Jules. The food isn’t half bad. Maybe you can sneak me in a beer or two when you come back? And how about we stay at the Copacabana Palace instead this time? The spa there is world class and every muscle in my body is sore. Even though I’m in a cast, I think they can find some spots to massage on me, haha.”

“Okay, I’ll head back to the hotel and book our rooms. Possum said he’s coming by later and needs to discuss something with you. He wants us all here, so I’ll come back with him.”

Jules kissed Rick goodbye and left. Even seeing her for just a few minutes always brightened up his day. A nurse came in and took his vitals, and another man came in and set his lunch on the tray by the bed. He slowly ate, daydreaming of being outside in the sun by the pool with Jules. 

After lunch, he drifted off to sleep with the TV on, causing him to dream about being on a talk show. He was awakened a few hours later by a doctor, who spoke fairly good

English. 

“Mr. Waters, how are you feeling?”

“I’m pretty good. I’m sore all over and it hurts to breathe deeply, but I’d say overall I’m better.”

“Well, that’s good. I have some good news for you. Your blood work is almost back to normal, so it looks like we’ve got that lung infection under control. I think you can go home in a few days.” 

“How long have I been here? I lost count.”

“Let me see…”

The rounds doctor looked tired. He had dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. After a yawn, he opened a chart and scrolled down with his fingers. 

“You have been here twenty-two days, Mr. Waters.”

“Oh my God, are you serious?” 

“Yes, you could’ve left sooner, but whatever poked your lung caused a nasty infection. I’m guessing it was a branch or something with a lot of algae on it. But we’ve got it taken care of now and you are on your way to a full recovery. You need about three to four more weeks in the leg cast and clavicle brace, but your X-rays look good and the bones are healing properly. Are you going to be returning to Florida?”

“Not right away. I’m gonna take some time to recover in Rio. It’ll be good for me.”

“I agree. A little vitamin D can do wonders.” 

The doctor patted Rick on his good leg and stepped out of the room.