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

After the onion is reduced to a small stack of rings, he slathers mayonnaise on a few slices of bread. Adds tomatoes, lettuce, some kind of white meat that might be chicken, might not. Adds the onions, his eyes watering. Not from tears, though. He’s not crying over this.


He makes two sandwiches and cuts them both in half diagonally. When he reaches for a plate, though, his brother is there beside him, blocking his way. Blain gives him an unreadable look. “So where’s this gunner now?” he wants to know.


The first thing that pops into Trin’s mind is, he’s upstairs.Between his sheets or at the window maybe, waiting for dinner. But that’s a different man and he bites back the reply before he can let it slip. “He left,” he says simply. He doesn’t look at Blain.


Chapter 44