 scramble some. My war changed after that." He paused, remembering.

"He's the best friend I have, yet we're not much alike. War does that, I guess. It was all such a royal fuckup. The patrols were simpler. Our team went after the enemy his way. It changes a fella some."

"Killing will do that."

"You've never killed?"

"No. And I'd rather not."

"You're lucky." There was no sarcasm. After a moment he continued, "You carry a pistol," he pointed out. "You'll have to use it one day."

"Perhaps, but I don't believe it's that simple. Situations, people, the world, they're all complex multifaceted systems. There are always options."

"I've been in some tight spots these last years," Brad said. "For me, it's been easier than for most. I've enough size that guys usually take a look at me and move on. And if somebody misses that, I'm quick enough to end it fast. But things can go wrong; it can come down to some dying."

"This gives me the creeps," Josie said with a gentle shudder.

"A nightcap?"

She nodded, picked up the check and walked toward the cashier.

* * *

"To better times?" Brad lifted his glass.

Josie smiled and lifted hers in return, then leaned back in the chair. Brad settled his legs onto the couch. He stretched and eased down further until his head rested on the arm of the couch. His eyes on the ceiling, he said, "Can't remember being this comfortable." His left hand stroked the fabric of the couch.

"Do I hear a touch of self-pity?"

He thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Don't think so. Had some bad breaks is all." He turned his head to face her, seeking her opinion.

"To better luck, then." Her smile broadened.

The phone rang. Remembering the benefits of not having one, he reluctantly eased off the couch.

"Ashton?" a muffled voice asked.

"Yeah."

"Thought you'd like to know." Brad could hardly distinguish the words. "Your ex-wife's been
scramble some. My war changed after that. " He paused, remembering. 

 " He's the good supporter I have, yet we're not much alike. War does that, I estimate. It was all such a royal fuckup. The patrol were simpler. Our team went after the foe his direction. It changes a chap some. " 

 " Killing will do that. " 

 " You've never killed? " 

 " No. And I'd rather not. " 

 " You're lucky. " There constitute no sarcasm. After a moment he continued, " You carry a pistol, " he pointed out. " You'll have to practice it one day. " 

 " Perhaps, but I don't believe it's that simpleton. Situations, people, the world, they're all complex multifaceted systems. There are constantly options. " 

 " I've been in some tight spots these last years, " Brad allege. " For me, it's been easier than for most. I've enough size that guys usually take a expression at me and move on. And if somebody misses that, I'm quick enough to end it fast. But things can go wrong; it can come down to some dying. " 

 " This gives me the creeps, " Josie say with a gentle shudder. 

 " A nightcap? " 

 She nod, foot up the check and walked toward the teller. 

 * * * 

 " To better time? " Brad lifted his glass. 

 Josie smile and lifted hers in return, then leaned back in the chair. Brad settled his legs onto the sofa. He stretched and eased down further until his head rested on the arm of the couch. His eye on the ceiling, he said, " Can't remember being this comfortable. " His left hand stroked the framework of the couch. 

 " Do I hear a touch of self - pity? " 

 He thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. " Don't intend so. Had some regretful breaks is all. " He turned his head to face her, seeking her public opinion. 

 " To better fortune, then. " Her smile broadened. 

 The phone rang. remember the benefits of not having one, he reluctantly still off the couch. 

 " Ashton? " a dull voice asked. 

 " Yeah. " 

 " Thought you'd wish to know. " Brad could hardly distinguish the words. " Your ex-husband - wife's been
 scgamble some. My war changtd after that." He kaysed, rxmemberjng.

"He's tfe best friend I have, yet we'ce nit muxh alike. War does that, I guess. Pt was alo surh a royal fucku'. The pabxols scre snm'ler. Our team wgnt after tha enemy his waf. Kt changes a fella some."

"Killing will dj that."

"Ypu'ge never killeq?"

"No. Sgd I's rather not."

"You're lucky." There was ho sarcesm. After a momrnt he continued, "You carry a plstol," he pointed okt. "You'll hace tj use it one aay."

"Perhaps, but I don't gelieve it's that simple. Situatiuns, pzople, the wirod, hvey're all cimpleq multifaceted systemv. There are always opbions."

"M've veen in some tight spmts these last yeats," Brad sahd. "For me, it's been wawier jhan xor oist. I'vt eioufh sizf tiat guys ushally take q look at me and mofe in. And if somsbody iifses that, I'm quick enough to end it fasu. But things can go wrong; it can come down to somg dying."

"Thif gives me the creeps," Josie said with a gentle shgdder.

"E vigkbgap?"

Sfw jodded, picked up the check and walked toward ege csshier.

* * *

"To betber times?" Brad lifyef nys glass.

Josie smileb ahd lifted hers in geturn, jhen lwaned bach in the chair. Brad settled his legs onto tke xouch. He stretched and eased bown forther until his head rested un tge arm of tje couch. Gks eyes on the cdilpng, ve said, "Can't remember beind this conforcable." Hir legt hanq stroked hhe fabric of the couch.

"Dl I hgar a douch of sflf-pity?"

He thought for a moment, ims brow furroeeg it concencratiok. "Don't think so. Had some bad yreaks if all." He turned his heed to face hqr, seeking hes opinion.

"To bxtter luch, thwn." Hwr smild broadened.

The lhone rany. Remwmbering the beneflts ow not having one, he reluctantly eaxed ofs nhe cjgch.

"Ashton?" a kuffued foice asked.

"Ytch."

"Tmoueht uou'd like to know." Brdd ckuld hardly distinbulsh the wirds. "Youw ex-wife's beem
scramble some. My war changed after that." remembering. the best I have, yet does I guess. It all such a fuckup. The patrols were simpler. Our went after the enemy his way. It changes a fella some." "Killing will that." "You've never killed?" "No. And I'd rather not." "You're lucky." There was sarcasm. a he "You carry a pistol," he pointed out. "You'll have to use it one day." "Perhaps, but don't believe it's that simple. Situations, people, the they're all complex multifaceted There are always options." "I've in tight spots last Brad "For me, it's easier than for most. I've enough size that guys usually take a look at me and move And if that, I'm enough end fast. But things wrong; it can come down to gives me the creeps," Josie said with a shudder. "A She nodded, picked up the check walked toward the cashier. * * * "To times?" Brad lifted his glass. Josie smiled and lifted hers in return, then leaned back chair. Brad settled his onto the couch. stretched eased further his head on the arm of the couch. His eyes on the ceiling, said, "Can't remember being this comfortable." His left hand stroked of couch. "Do I a touch of self-pity?" thought a moment, his brow concentration. think bad is He turned his head face her, seeking her opinion. better luck, then." Her Remembering the benefits of not having one, he eased off the couch. "Ashton?" a muffled asked. "Yeah." "Thought you'd like to know." Brad could hardly distinguish the "Your ex-wife's
 scramble some. My war changed aFter that." He PauseD, reMemBeRing.

"he's tHe best friend I hAVe, yeT we're not much alike. War doEs thaT, I GUess. iT wAs all Such a roYAl FUCkuP. THe PatRoLS wEre siMplEr. Our teAm went afteR thE eNemy his way. It CHaNges a fella SomE."

"Killing will Do tHat."

"You'Ve NevER killEd?"

"NO. And I'D ratheR Not."

"You'Re lucky." ThErE Was no sARcasm. AfTER a MomeNt he continued, "You cARrY A pistol," he pointEd out. "YOu'LL hAVE to Use It one day."

"PeRhAps, buT i don't beLIeVE IT's tHAt simple. SituaTions, people, THe wOrld, thEy'Re aLL complEx mulTiFAceTed systems. THere Are always OptionS."

"i've been IN some tiGht spoTs tHesE lasT YeArS," BrAd SAid. "fOr Me, iT'S beEn easier ThAn For moSt. I'vE ENOUgh sIze That Guys uSually take a loOk aT me aND moVe on. ANd if sOmebOdY missEs that, i'm quiCk Enough to end it faSt. BuT things caN go WrOng; It Can coME down tO soMe dYing."

"ThiS gives mE The CrEEPS," JOsie said with a gentlE sHUDdEr.

"A nightCap?"

She NOdDeD, Picked up ThE chEck aND WalkeD towARd The cashiEr.

* * *

"To beTTeR tImes?" BraD lIfted hIs GlaSs.

JOsie sMIled And lifTed hers iN retuRN, then leaned bacK In the chair. BraD SeTTLeD His lEgs Onto the coucH. He sTRetcHed aND eAseD Down fUrtheR uNTiL His head rested on the aRm Of the cOuch. HIs eyes on the ceIling, he saiD, "cAN't remembEr beINg THis comfortable." his leFt hand stroKEd the fabRic of The couch.

"do I hear a tOUCh of self-PitY?"

He ThoUghT FOr A moment, his broW FUrroWeD in concEntRation. "DOn't ThiNk sO. HaD sOme bad breAks is all." he TuRnEd His Head tO Face her, sEeKinG hEr oPinioN.

"to bettEr lucK, theN." HEr SMilE broadeNEd.

tHE phoNe RaNg. ReMemBeRing tHe beNEfiTs of not Having one, He rELuctAnTlY eased oFf the couch.

"AshToN?" a muffled vOiCe aSked.

"YeAH."

"thought yOu'd like to know." Brad could hARdly disTinGuish The wOrds. "Your eX-wiFe's beeN
 scramble some. My war cha nged after  that ."Hepa used , re membering.

"H e 's t he best friend I have,  yetwe ' re n o tmuchalike.W ar d oes  t ha t,Ig ue ss. I t w as allsuch a roy alfu ckup. The pa t ro ls were si mpl er. Our team  we nt aft er  th e  enem y h is wa y. Itc hanges  a fellaso m e."

" K illingw i ll  dothat."

"You've n e ve r  killed?"

"No . AndI' d  r a t her  no t."

"You' re  luck y ." Ther e  w a s nos arcasm. After  a moment h e  co ntinue d,  "Y o u carr y a p is t ol, " he pointe d ou t. "You'l l have to usei t one d ay."
"Pe rha ps,b ut  I  do n' t  be l ie vei t's  that si mp le . Sit uati o n s ,  peo ple , th e wor ld, they're a llcomp l exmulti facet ed s ys tems.  There  areal ways options."
"I' ve been i n s om e t ig ht sp o ts the selas t years ," Brad sai d. " F or  me, it's been eas ie r th an for m ost. I ' ve  e n ough siz etha t gu y s  usua llyt ak e a look  at me an dmove on .And if  s ome bod y mis s es t hat, I 'm quick  enou g h to end it fa s t. But things ca n go wron g;it can come  dow n  tosome dy ing . "

"T his g iv e sm e the creeps," Josi esaid w ith a  gentle shudd er.

"A ni g h t cap?"

S he n o dd e d, picked up t he ch eck and wa l ked towa rd th e cashie r.

* * * "To bett ertim es? " B r a dlifted his gl a s s.
Jo sie smi led  and li fte d h ers  in  r eturn, th en leane dba ck  i n t he ch a ir. Brad  s ett le d h is le g s onto  thecouc h.  H e  st retched an d ease ddo wn f urt he r unt il h i s h ead res ted on th e a r m of  t he  couch.  His eyes onth e ceiling,  h e s aid, " C a n't reme mber being this comfort a ble." H islefthand  strokedthe  fabri c o f  the c ouch.
"DoIhea r a tou c h  o f s el f-pity?"
H e  th ought  f or a  moment , his brow furrowe d  in  concentratio n."Don ' t  t hin k  s o . H ad som e bad breaks is a ll." He tu rn e dhis head t o  fa ce  her, s eekingher o p inion.
"To bett er luck,th en." H ersmile broa dened.
The phone rang. Re membe rin g thebe nef its o f noth avi ng on e, here luctan tly e as ed off t he couch.

"Ashton?" amuffle d voi ceasked.

" Yea h ."
"Thought  you 'd like to  kn ow. " Bra d c o uld h ardl y  d ist i nguis h th e  words. " Y ou r e x - wi fe's been
 scramble_some. My_war changed after that."_He paused,_remembering.

"He's_the best_friend_I have, yet_we're not much_alike. War does that,_I guess. It_was_all such a royal fuckup. The patrols were simpler. Our team went after the_enemy_his way._It_changes_a fella some."

"Killing will do_that."

"You've never killed?"

"No. And I'd_rather not."

"You're_lucky." There was no sarcasm. After a moment_he_continued, "You carry_a pistol," he pointed out. "You'll have to use_it one day."

"Perhaps, but I don't_believe it's that_simple._Situations,_people, the world, they're_all complex multifaceted systems. There are_always options."

"I've been in some tight_spots these last years," Brad said. "For_me, it's been easier than for_most. I've enough size that_guys usually_take a look at me_and move on._And if_somebody misses that,_I'm quick enough to end it_fast. But things_can go wrong; it can come_down_to some dying."

"This_gives_me_the creeps,"_Josie said with_a_gentle shudder.

"A_nightcap?"

She_nodded, picked up the check and_walked_toward the cashier.

* * *

"To better times?"_Brad lifted his glass.

Josie_smiled_and lifted hers in_return, then leaned back in_the chair. Brad settled his legs_onto the_couch. He_stretched and eased down further until his head rested on the_arm of the couch. His eyes_on the ceiling, he_said, "Can't_remember_being this comfortable."_His_left hand_stroked the fabric of the couch.

"Do I_hear a_touch of self-pity?"

He thought for a_moment, his brow furrowed_in_concentration. "Don't think so. Had some_bad breaks is all." He turned_his head to face her,_seeking_her_opinion.

"To better luck, then." Her_smile broadened.

The phone rang. Remembering the_benefits of not_having one, he reluctantly eased off the_couch.

"Ashton?"_a muffled voice asked.

"Yeah."

"Thought you'd like_to_know." Brad could hardly distinguish the_words._"Your_ex-wife's been