With the law, a bloodthirsty ex-wife, and a hired killer on his heels, Woodrow Salmon, a desperate corporate executive turned fugitive, embarks on a strange and harrowing journey, one that will lead him through the minefields of his past and change his life forever.
Woodrow Salmon has it all--a great career, money, a beautiful wife. Yet inside his gut burns like a warehouse fire. But that's all about to change. Wading into the cool Pacific, he has now idea what awaits him--a scuba diver hired by his wife, his assignment murder. But a violent wave rips the victim from his attacker's grip, leaving Woodrow without a swimsuit. Dazed and naked, he stumbles up the crowded beach, only to be arrested for indecent exposure. The terrifying incident launches Woodrow from the familiar to the uncertain, robbing him of all he knows, from his wife to his three-year-old twins. Alone and on the run, he embarks on a fateful quest of self-discovery, crossing paths with a string of memorable characters, each propelling him one step closer to the truth. Woodrow's journey unfolds like the layers of the human heart, leading him back to the dreams he'd long forgotten, the life he'd once abandoned, and the person he believed he'd lost forever. Are there really second chances in life? Only if we take them.
Excerpt
“It's a jellyfish, mister…RUN!”
Running wasn’t an option. As Woodrow searched the water, he noticed a harmless ‘bag’ floating near his crotch. Relieved, he reached for it, but the translucent blob pulsed forward, revealing a mop of diaphanous projections. Gasping in horror, he shot to his feet and sprinted for land, skidding to a stop three feet from shore. But it was too late. His fears were now a reality. Woodrow stood in ankle-deep water—naked—on a crowded southern California beach.
Something struck his hip—a Frisbee. He reached down and grabbed it, covering himself. But a drooling Labrador shot out of nowhere, sinking its teeth in the toy.
“Give me that goddamn thing!” Woodrow pulled, the determined pet doing the same, forward, back, the impromptu tug of war a warped ballet.
“What do you think you’re…hey, you’re nude!” the dog’s owner yelled as he jogged up on the scene. Woodrow turned to face his accuser. He wanted to respond, to somehow dismiss his plight with eloquence and grace, but his tongue wouldn’t move.
He could think of but one thing to do—RUN!
Dropping the disk, he darted left, the now-completed sandcastle lying directly in front of him. As he dashed toward it, a thought flashed. Could he take refuge in the structure? Not literally, of course, but by throwing himself on it and rolling around till sand covered his body? The plan was shaky at best, but right now he’d try anything.
As the young architects watched in horror, Woodrow hurled himself at the castle, thrashing about like a fish out of water. Turrets disintegrated. Moist sand flew everywhere. The demolition was total.
As Woodrow rose to his knees, the youngest child began to cry, the oldest running for help. “Wait…” He wiped sand from his eyes. “…it’s okay!” When he could focus, he looked down.
To his amazement, the plan had worked. The caked-on residue masked him, not well but enough. Woodrow smiled, looking more like a deteriorating statue than a man.
“What in the world’s going on here?” the boys’s mother screamed. Woodrow’s head snapped to the voice, crumbs tumbling to the ground between them. “Just look what you’ve done!” She glared at the filthy stranger, eyes red as her fiery locks. “I oughta have you arrested!”
Woodrow studied the woman. She was seething—but that was all. “I…uh…I’m sorry.” Holding his breath, he rose to his feet. A few particles fell away, but the disguise held. “Look…if you’ll just let me go—”
“You’re not going anywhere, bozo! My kids worked all day on that thing!” As she moved in, Woodrow backed off, inching closer and closer to the waves. “What gives you the right —”
Before she could finish, a shore-breaker slammed against his calves, knocking him off-balance. He threw out his hands to break the fall, but it was hopeless. Cleansing water rushed over his body, immersing him in seconds. As he scrambled to his feet, he knew he was in trouble. The woman’s stare was no longer one of anger but of shock and repulsion.
Woodrow shoved the kids aside, sprinting away in terror. “You sick bastard! You touched my kids! YOU TOUCHED MY KIDS!”
As he bounded forward, the crowd reacted. He ignored their cries, their animated laughter, his only thought—escape.
A whistle split the hysteria. Woodrow flinched but kept moving, the sound growing louder, the anxious cadence of a school fire alarm. Then it ceased. “Nude man!” the lifeguard hollered. Woodrow staggered to a halt, peering up at tower thirteen. “NUDE MAN!” he bellowed again.
New levels of panic racked Woodrow’s body. He tore off in the opposite direction, arms pumping, legs burning. Behind him, the lifeguard leaped from his perch, pursuing the exhibitionist with smooth, athletic grace, a cheetah on the heels of a wounded wildebeest.
“HE GROPED MY CHILDREN!” the incensed mother screamed. In the distance, a police van roared to a stop.
“Oh, God!” Woodrow changed directions again, spotting the brunette in the string bikini. She was drying her hair with a giant towel. Diving for it, he grabbed a handful of terrycloth, the woman screaming in horror.
As he grappled with the thing, he felt the shadow of the body builder move over him, looking up in time to see him swing. An instant later, Woodrow felt the detonation, a high-frequency hiss filling his ears. He stared at the behemoth, swaying as if on marionette strings, then lowered his gaze.
A flash of brilliant light followed.
Then pure darkness.
Professional Reviews
ReaderViews
Salmon Run: A Novel
S.W. Capps
Inkwater Press (2007)
ISBN 9781592993055
Reviewed by Dr. Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (1/08)
“Salmon Run” has you intrigued from the first page. It is an easy-to-read novel, with vivid descriptions that make one feel like they are right there.
What happens to a man who has it all? He had a good job, beautiful and rich wife and two great daughters. Little did he know that his world would fall apart one day at the beach and he would be on the run-- from what, he didn’t know. But he did know he needed to get away from the ghost that was following him and, along the way, he discovers who he really is and what life has in store for him.
Capps’ book has so many twists and turns that you cannot put it down. It will make you angry, sad and almost yelling as the main character Woodrow Salmon finds himself in so many high-risk situations and his loving wife is behind it all.
“Salmon Run” is Capps’ first novel and he has done an excellent job in pulling in the reader to this hair-raising plot. His writing flows easily, and his descriptions of places and events are such that you can identify with them. We all know people like those in the book.
RebeccasReads
Salmon Run
S.W. Capps
Inkwater Press (2007)
ISBN 9781592993055
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (4/08)
Woodrow Salmon was a man that had it all. He held a high position at Titan Toys, had a beautiful, rich wife, and two perfect twin daughters. His life was turned upside down following a simple family outing to the beach, which once you cracked the surface was not so simple after all. Woodrow’s wife Claire had put a hit out on her husband. After repeatedly encouraging Woodrow to go into the water to swim, Woodrow finally heeded to her wishes and went to cool off in the ocean. Little did he know that lurking under the water was a man who was poised and ready to kill. When attacked Woodrow was rescued by a giant wave which separated him from the hit man. Thinking it was just a creature of the sea that had attacked him, Woodrow tried to make his way to shore but realized that he had lost his swimming trunks in the struggle. As the beach was jam packed with people he tried calling his wife from the shallow water but she did not respond to him. A jellyfish forced him to run ashore where he was subsequently arrested for a string of charges including indecent exposure.
Not knowing that his wife had put a hit out on him, he tried calling to her once again as he was being taken away and was ignored. His phone call from the police station also went unanswered. When he got out of jail he found that his wife had gotten a restraining order and had cleared out the accounts. To make matters worse, after reporting to work he found out that he had been fired. Further events cause him to go on the run and change his identity in order to survive. The remainder of the book follows Woodrow as he tries to keep one step ahead of those pursuing him.
“Salmon Run” is full of twists and turns and is a true page turner! You can’t help to feel for poor Woodrow who seems to have the worst luck on the planet. Following him as he tries to escape is definitely an adventure worth reading. The characters whom he meets along the way are very memorable and well constructed. Although the book is 350-pages long it flies by and is a very easy read.
“Salmon Run” is S.W. Capps’ first novel and it is a very impressive debut. Capps has a true talent for reeling the reader in and keeping them hooked until the final page is read. The “About the Author” section on the back cover states that he is working on his second novel and I definitely will be looking for that book once it is released. I am confident that anyone who enjoys reading suspense novels will enjoy “Salmon Run” and I highly recommend it.
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