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Back This Side of Night Save as PDF
Chapters (110)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. I
  7. II
  8. PART ONE
  9. ONE
  10. TWO
  11. THREE
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. SEVEN
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. PART TWO
  22. THIRTEEN
  23. FOURTEEN
  24. FIFTEEN
  25. SIXTEEN
  26. SEVENTEEN
  27. EIGHTEEN
  28. NINETEEN
  29. TWENTY
  30. TWENTY-ONE
  31. TWENTY-TWO
  32. TWENTY-THREE
  33. TWENTY-FOUR
  34. TWENTY-FIVE
  35. TWENTY-SIX
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. PART THREE
  50. FORTY
  51. FORTY-ONE
  52. FORTY-TWO
  53. FORTY-THREE
  54. FORTY-FOUR
  55. FORTY-FIVE
  56. FORTY-SIX
  57. FORTY-SEVEN
  58. FORTY-EIGHT
  59. FORTY-NINE
  60. FIFTY
  61. FIFTY-ONE
  62. FIFTY-TWO
  63. FIFTY-THREE
  64. FIFTY-FOUR
  65. FIFTY-FIVE
  66. FIFTY-SIX
  67. FIFTY-SEVEN
  68. FIFTY-EIGHT
  69. FIFTY-NINE
  70. SIXTY
  71. SIXTY-ONE
  72. PART FOUR
  73. SIXTY-TWO
  74. SIXTY-THREE
  75. SIXTY-FOUR
  76. SIXTY-FIVE
  77. SIXTY-SIX
  78. SIXTY-SEVEN
  79. SIXTY-EIGHT
  80. SIXTY-NINE
  81. SEVENTY
  82. SEVENTY-ONE
  83. SEVENTY-TWO
  84. SEVENTY-THREE
  85. SEVENTY-FOUR
  86. SEVENTY-FIVE
  87. SEVENTY-SIX
  88. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  89. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  90. SEVENTY-NINE
  91. EIGHTY
  92. EIGHTY-ONE
  93. EIGHTY-TWO
  94. EIGHTY-THREE
  95. EIGHTY-FOUR
  96. EPILOGUE
  97. I
  98. II
  99. III
  100. IV
  101. V
  102. VI
  103. VII
  104. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  105. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  106. Excerpt from LOST RIVER
  107. LITTLE PARIS
  108. DILLON
  109. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  110. What’s next onyour reading list?

He might have wanted to tell them to get back in the trunk so he could drive them back to the city, but after clutching his veined and gnarled hands together—embarrassed—he settled for hugging them both and then getting inside his car alone.

He waited for a few minutes to see if they changed their minds, and Chayo stood aside, letting Neva decide for them both.

When she didn’t move, Chayo waved at Amador to go on, as Neva continued to watch the stars.

—

AMADOR HAD DRIVEN SOUTH away from Ojinaga, dropping Chayo and Neva off in the Parque Nacional Cañón de Santa Elena. From there, Chayo planned on hiking them back north again, through the wilds of the park, crossing the river somewhere east near the U.S. border at Lajitas, before finally curving west toward Murfee. This kept them moving through state and national parks, away from towns and ranches, and hopefully, clear of the most heavily used smuggling areas.

But it would be rugged, and in truth, he just didn’t know.

Watching the trees and the darkness circling them, he had to admit he had no idea what they would find.

He adjusted Neva’s pack for her—he’d secured it with some extra rope so it would ride high on her shoulders and not put so much pressure on her back. Then he checked his own heavy bag, and the water he was carrying. The two jugs were cool to the touch and heavy now, but as they gulped each precious mouthful they’d need to stay alive, those jugs would lighten and lighten until they weighed next to nothing at all.

Lighter than air.

Chayo could only pray that by the time they’d run out of water, they’d be near this place: Murfee.

Something flapped in a nearby tree, taking flight into the night. It made no sound, uttered no call, and other than the whispered movement of feathers beating against the wind, it might not have existed.

They needed to go.

He took Neva’s hand for what seemed to be the thousandth time since that night on the bus, and followed that graceful sound of wings . . .

THIRTY

Johnnie Macho was willing to bet that Roman was fucking Rae.