The hat was flawless. Shiny black gun belt with every piece of equipment positioned with precision. Gay sex Vehicle fleet intern. Just watch it near Mill Creek. They bonded over weightlifting, then guns, then drinks.Rick trusted easily.One night, after a few beers, Rick invited Matt over. Coolness in the morning. The campaign hat. Only a baseball cap with the GSP logo. How they moved. No known family nearby. He kept his nose clean, watched everything. “You violated the cardinal rule. A backroad in Randolph County, West Virginia. Not exactly. The badge on its front glinted like a star. For being.He didn’t know how to name it yet, but he admired men who looked like they knew who they were—cops, Marines, troopers. Thanks a lot, Trooper.”Jake nodded once, tapped the roof, and walked back to his car.Matt sat frozen.It had happened.He had met Jake.He had spoken to him.He had been seen.That night, Matt sat in the dark, holding his new ID card under the faint light of the kitchen.Matthew L.
