Lance let out a long sigh. Her words were bothering him. He was used to people giving him their two cents. Everyone in the military knew what that was like. You came back and people didn’t understand. There’d been times in his life when he felt he couldn’t walk into a bar without someone getting in his face. He’d learned a long time ago to tune it out.

People’s opinions didn’t matter. He knew that. The problem was, he felt he’d lost track of what did matter.

“I told you I signed up as soon as I could,” he said.

She nodded. “You told me.”

“Well, the truth is, I never signed up to fight for my country.”

“You needed a job?”

“I needed to get out of here. The army was just my ticket.”

“Well, I don’t think they’d hold that against you. They pretty much say that much in the recruitment commercials.”

“I know,” he said. “And when I got there, when I actually saw action, felt the heat of battle, saw the face of the enemy, I didn’t fight for my country then either.”

Sam looked at him.

“I fought to save my own skin. And I fought for the guy standing next to me. For the guys in my unit. We had each other’s backs.”

“I think that’s normal,” Sam said.

“It is,” Lance said. “You fight for the man next to you. They tell us that too.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem?”

“Why don’t you go do that again?”

“Because all my friends are dead, Sam. There’s no one left for me to fight for.”

“All of them are dead?”

“Every last one of them.”

Sam sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Lance nodded.

“That’s war, I guess.”

“Sam,” Lance said, and he put down his beer and looked at her. “War is something I understand. What I don’t understand is killing completely innocent people.”

“What are you saying?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No. I want to know.”

“I can’t get into it.”

“Was that how my father died?”

“No, your father died taking a bullet for me. He saved my life.”

“And that’s why you came for me?”

Lance didn’t say anything.

“Who were they?” Sam said. “The two people who came?”

“That man you met. He and I were friends, once. We’ve been through more shit together than you’d believe.”

“But he let you down?”

“He did more than that.”

“You don’t trust him?”

“That would be an understatement.”

“He hurt you, didn’t he? Something personal.”

Lance looked at her, then looked away.

Sam nodded. She finished her drink and stood up.

“You’re not staying for another one?”

“I’m going to call it a night,” she said.

“All right.”

“Just one last question,” she said.

He looked at her.