Page 5 (1/2)

Chapter One

It’s fucking hot

Even though I’m naked, I’ve kicked all the blankets off in the ht

The sun isn’t even up yet, and it’s still blisteringly hot in the middle of the desert, somewhere west of Pinon, Arizona I roll over onthe sweat there mix with my breath to cool

The bed squeaks as I drop s to the side and hope I don’t end up with another fucking splinter fro barreled rifle with an elaborate scope, which is propped up in the corner of the room, next to the bed It is my constant reminder of how I ended up here I stretch andaround for a clean pair of boxer shorts, my jeans, and a faded Jesus and Mary Chain concert T-shirt Once I’asoline I still have for the generator If I don’t run a fan and only use the electricity for cooking and checkinganother week or so

Internally I hope that will be enough, but I know in the back of my head that it probably won’t be I will have to as station where I have yet to be seen Lots of people pass through the area on the highway several miles from here, but they don’t ever stop twice in the same place Even if they did, chances are no one would notice, but I’m not one to take chances

Before I can head back through the door of the snificent sneeze followed by the thuround

“Come ‘ere, Odin,” I say with a yawn, and the Great Pyrenees lopes over to get his head scratched Though his white coat is still pretty close to his skin, in this heat he needs another haircut I wonder if I have enough juice to charge up the electric tri to have to do it by hand with a pair of scissors Odin isn’t going to like itlike shit, but it’s better than overheating

I fill his water dish from the pump outside and wipe ht to see by as it streaks across the barren landscape while the sun decides to make an appearance I do a quick look around, check the wires hooked up to the battery of the old Chevy truck in the back of the house, and verify they’re still connected The wire runs the perimeter of the two acre property and would set off the vehicle’s horn if breached

It’s not the best security around, but I’m supposed to be dead anyway

I stretch out, do a few pushups and sit ups, then jog around the shack a few times before I head back in Odin follows me back inside, and I take quick inventory of the place out of habit, not because I don’t knohat I will find There isn’t o over – a bathrooe full of room temperature – that is, warm – bottles of water, and a small electric stove The main room is mostly occupied by my twin-sized bed with a cast-iron fra apart Pushed against the wall is a card table with two folding chairs There isn’t even roo, so the s I do have is folded up in the drawer of a short nightstand I showed up here with a single duffle bag, so I don’t have that much, anyway

“Fucking paradise,” I grunt to myself

Odin looks up at me and snuffs He hardly ever barks but seeh his nose and occasionally whine at h he is ht years old, and I’ve had hih his first year I don’t knohy I decided to walk into the county animal shelter that day, but he ith me when I left, and he’s been by my side just about constantly since then

Aftermyself a peanut butter sandwich, I pull one of the ware and drink it down I stretch again, rub Odin’s wooly head, and grab the rifle before I go out to the front porch to sit in the rocking chair and watch

It’s not like I really think I’ to be found at this point – I’ve been out here in this Godforsaken place for a quarter of a year – but I don’t have et the go-ahead to do so Watching at least givesbecause I find it difficult to do nothing at all I wish I could read, but I tend to get very lost in a good book, and that would drop my defenses to a completely unacceptable level

Just because I haven’t been found doesn’t mean I won’t be I know this from experience

I pick up one of Odin’s rubber bones from the corner of the porch and toss it out into the dust He stands and looks out at it, wags his tail a few times, and then drops back down at my feet

“You used to want to play fetch, you lazy thing”

Another huff through his nose is all I get in return I’m fairly certain what he means to say is it’s too damn hot for that shit I sit and tap the run-down front porch with the toe of my boot as I rock back and forth with the sniper rifle across my lap and Odin at my feet The heat continues to be oppressive, but there is at least the hint of a breeze in the air today It’s still unbearable, but it’s a slightly better version of unbearable than it was yesterday It’s a hell of a lot better than a bunker in the Middle East even without the breeze