In a future where outposts swelter beneath a nuclear sun and run-gunners patrol dusty wastelands to protect against winged creatures known as devlars, Trin is the mech at the waystation in Arens. He has a thing for the gunners: rough men with strong hands and hard bodies, who roll through his garage like the hot desert wind. Gerrick’s the best gunner around, a quick draw with a deadly aim and a penchant for sharing his pallet with young men. He has a roving eye and roaming hands, and has left a string of broken hearts in his wake. Having heard the tales of Gerrick's bravery and seen the man in action for himself, Trin has fallen in love with the man he believes Gerrick to be, and he’s sure he can change the gunner’s mind if given the chance. Gerrick’s all he wants out of this blasted world, and he tells anyone who will listen. Then Gerrick rides through Arens. He’s heard the rumors of what Trin will do for a gunner who only mentions his name. What he wants to know is, what will Trin do for him?

Trin

As the light outside fades, Trin closes the bay doors and locks them shut. The trashcan he leaves to the flies, still tracing lazy circles in the late afternoon sun. His shirt hangs from one of the side mirrors of Gerrick’s truck, where he tied it to keep it from getting dirty, but now he uses the clean material to wipe the sweat and grease from his chest. On his way towards the back door he glances at the pump and almost stops. Blain put the pump there specifically so he wouldn’t clog the drains in the waystation with filth from the garage. But Trin’s blood hums with the thought of hot water beating down on him, and what if Gerrick’s back? It’s later than when he finished up yesterday…he can imagine the gunner sidling up behind him in the shower, hair and moustache slicked down, hands lathering soap onto Trin’s body. “I’ll wash up in the shower,” he says to no one in particular. In the empty garage, his voice has a hollow ring to it that makes him wish he hadn’t spoken out loud.


Chapter 26