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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

The neighbors found Lyle in shock on the grass, his arms and back smoking. They covered him with a blanket as he lay there, staring up into the stars. When the fire trucks and ambulance arrived, the reflected red and blue of their sirens mixed with the firelight.

He thought of nothing.

60

Mike is all the way uptown, across the street from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

He is in a coffee shop, buying a blueberry muffin on his way to class at Columbia, where he transferred to after Bangkok. The guy behind the counter turns up the sound and everyone in the place is quiet. The footage is running over and over on the news. No one can believe it. They say it’s like an awful movie, and they are together in a rapport of horror and international policy analysis. Mike remains silent. He is thinking, as the footage is replayed, that he has to go down there to get his brother. He hopes Lyle hasn’t gone in for a closer look or to try to help. Both would be Lyle’s way.

Outside the coffee shop, Mike looks downtown into the sky. He saw an oil-thick plume of smoke on the TV, but outside he sees only clear blue. He pictures Lyle watching the news in his apartment and deciding to walk the few blocks to the World Trade Center. This is how Mike thinks now. He can often see things when he thinks them. Especially on this clear morning when he thinks of his brother, spacey and irresponsible, all the way downtown.

A year ago, during his time in Bangkok, someone told Mike, “It’s always too early for dread.” Mike remembers this and it calms him a little as he considers how he will get to his brother. It looks like the smoke is directly above Lyle’s apartment, but he’s several blocks from the towers and the plane didn’t hit his building. But then Mike thinks maybe it would be for the best if it had. Blow Lyle into sleep. Me, too.

Mike and Lyle are orphans. A little over a year ago, their parents died in a house fire and Lyle lost his mind. Mike was in Hong Kong at the time, just returned from Bangkok. Elliot Analect broke the news and flew him home first-class.