She left him there. Stone sat down on a low brick wall. An hour later he was still there, trying desperately to make sense of what he should do.

As he watched, the miner brigade began pulling in for their methadone pop. He checked his watch. Not even five in the morning yet. He continued to watch as the bone-thin men climbed out of their rides and straggled into the clinic before leaving to pull twelve hours in the pits of hell, contorting their bodies way past all sane levels. That only led to more pain, and more painkillers, and the cycle just kept on spinning.

All so the lights remain on in this country.

He looked on a few minutes later as the zombie-eyed men headed out in their dusty Chevys and Fords.

I’m going to start using candles and cook my food over a fire.

He was still sitting there when Tyree came out and reported that Danny had refused to say anything about who had attacked him.

“Sheriff, I think I’ve seen one of the men before. But I just can’t remember where.”

“Soon as you do remember, call me.”

An hour after Tyree left, Abby finally came out, bleary-eyed and hunched over.

“Danny’s going to be fine. They’re moving him to a room pretty soon. I think the one next to Willie’s.”

“That’s great, Abby.”

“He said you beat those men up pretty good.”

“I got lucky.”

“Lucky once, maybe. Lucky twice, I don’t think so.”

“I guess the army did teach me a thing or two. Do you want me to drive you home?”

“No, but you can follow me there. I’ll make us both some breakfast.”

“Abby, you’ve been up all night. You don’t have to do that.”

“Just follow me home, Ben, unless you want to head on out of town right now.”

They eyed one another.

Stone finally said, “I’ll be staying, at least for now.”

Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37

AFTER HE FINISHED UP in Charlottesville Knox made a quick trip to downtown D.C., his mind spinning from all that he’d learned. John Carr had been a member of Triple Six. Three members of his team had been killed about six months ago. The case had not only remained unsolved but apparently abandoned too. Knox wondered if Harry Finn’s immunity was connected to that outcome somehow. However, he didn’t wonder about that for long. It was not his problem. He had enough of his own.