Cpl Thomas Tweed's War

A silence settled in the darkness as Tyler slowed his breath. In that silence, Thomas heard words infiltrate his thoughts and struggle to find purchase in his mind. He knew the words, and odd as they were, he knew there was meaning in them. Like so many other things, however—so many other thoughts that bubbled up like dying fish in a pond—that meaning seemed impossible to grasp.

"I wanted to tell you something," Tyler said. His eyes never left the far distance of the end of the alley. "I can't stay long. I just wanted to let you know that . . ."

Tyler's words trailed off. Thomas squinted again and waited for the rest of the sentence.

"They're after you."

Thomas swallowed a sudden lump in his throat that threatened to choke him. His hands felt clammy. He opened and closed them in a futile effort to disperse the feeling. "Who?"

Tyler didn't answer right away. He pulled his gaze from the distance and settled it on Thomas. After a moment, he smiled sympathetically. "And they're out to kill you."

--From Cpl Thomas Tweed's War

Thomas Tweed is paranoid and lost. In an alley in the cold February air, he is given a warning: someone wants him dead. Unsure of what to do or where to go, Thomas finds himself on an adventure far greater than he ever imagined but in a town and surrounded by people he should have remembered.