Chapters (110)
- Cover
- ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- PROLOGUE
- I
- II
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- PART TWO
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- PART THREE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- PART FOUR
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- VII
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Excerpt from LOST RIVER
- LITTLE PARIS
- DILLON
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
Danny laughed and pushed West back into his seat. Last time they’d seen each other in person they’d been kids, razor-thin and feral and dangerous. For a while they’d believed they were immortal, until Afghanistan taught them differently. West had filled out since then, gotten thicker in the face and neck, but the arms he’d crushed Danny with were still strong . . . still dangerous.
West looked closely at the scars around Danny’s left eye. “Jesus, you didn’t get that back in the shit. As I recall, you mustered out healthy and whole.” But the way he said it wasn’t entirely convincing. No one came out of Afghanistan completely healthy or whole.
“Well, Staff Sergeant, I’ve learned that you can get yourself pretty fucked up even when you’re not in a war zone.”
West raised his Lone Star in a toast, and Danny joined him. “Amen to that, brother.”
Danny said, “You shouldn’t have gotten these, everything’s on me tonight. I’m going to owe you plenty before we’re done.”
West laughed and drained half his beer. “Hell, I just ordered ’em. I didn’t say I was paying for them.” He waved at a petite blonde working the bar. “Ma’am, we’re going to need another round over here. Actually, we’re going to need a lot of ’em. It’s going to be an expensive night for my friend.”
—
THEY SPENT THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS catching each other up. Danny talked some about joining DPS, and then coming over to work for Sheriff Cherry. He left out some things, including his time with the Earls, and West didn’t press.
For his part, West had stayed in the army, slowly moving up the ranks. He’d gotten married to a young Hispanic girl and had two sons: Micah and Jonah. They lived off-base in a small house a few miles from Fort Bliss. He had endless complaints about the military life, but didn’t want to do much else with his own. His wife, Letty, was pushing him to get out, take advantage of the GI Bill and get some classes under his belt at UTEP, but he sounded content. He appeared happy.
He was happiest talking about his sons.
Micah was playing peewee football, and West was sure he was the next big college quarterback. Jonah was younger, smaller, but West figured he’d be a hell of a soccer player. West only needed to learn the rules.
“I watch that shit with Letty’s wetback brothers all the time, and I still don’t understand it, not at all. All that fucking running around. I just yell when everyone else does.” And when he said it, Danny caught something in his eye, something sharp and hard, something there and gone again.
I just yell when everyone else does.
He might as well have been talking about Afghanistan.
—