In the year 2184, the US is divided. Half the country has moved on with the rest of the world, while in middle America, the survivors of the terrorist biological attack that split the country struggle just to stay alive. Though a century has passed, few people brave going behind the borders meant to contain the danger. Even the privatized military is reluctant to do so.<br><br>But that doesn’t stop recently discharged Sullivan Eberle. Only one thing drives him anymore -- the need to find Raphael Hamada. He doesn’t know why. He only knows he must. If that means a lifetime behind the borders, then so be it.<br><br>Rafe Hamada ran away from the real world when he was still a kid. The last thing he wants is to be found, especially by a soldier who can’t even tell him why it was so important to locate him in the first place. He’d like nothing more than for Sullivan to leave, but turning his back on a man alone and friendless is against everything Rafe stands for ...

Penny Candles

“There’s a good water line set up.” They stared at the display across the street, side by side, untouching, though Sullivan felt him more acutely than he could the fire. “There’s no telling whether the structural integrity will hold until they get it completely out, though.”


Rafe glanced up at him with a frown. “Yours is gone, though.”


“I’m more worried about Belle.” She was a pale shadow against the more vivid flames, directing everyone to various jobs. “Is there some kind of construction team around here? I’d like to get started on rebuilding as soon as we can.”


“The community will come together.”


Like they were now. And Sullivan was again on the outside.


It didn’t escape his notice that Rafe was, too, if he was being literal about it.


Chapter 42