Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland 2)

?Maybe it?s the smart move.?

?In what way??

?He and Hugo always get the high end on payday. Why should a guy get extra pay because he?s crazy??

?Preacher is smart in a different way. That doesn?t mean he?s crazy,? Bobby Lee said.

?Having second thoughts??

?We?re soldiers. We do what we?re told,? Bobby Lee said, picking up the salt shaker and looking at it.

?You?re lots of things, Bobby Lee, but soldier isn?t one of them.?

?Want to explain that??

?What did you say you?re studying? Interior design? I bet you?ll be good at it.?

Bobby Lee put a matchstick in his mouth. ?I got to take a drain,? he said. He went into the restroom and soaped his hands and forearms and rinsed his skin clean and cupped cold water into his face with both hands. He had to swallow when he looked into the mirror. His bald spot seemed to be spreading outward. His eyebrows formed a single black line across his brow, giving his face a crunched look, as though a great weight were pressing down on his head. His throat was starting to sag under his chin; his unshaved jaw had specks of gray. He was twenty-eight years old.

This whole gig stank. Worse, he?d allied himself with Liam Eriksson, who had just mocked him to his face. Bobby Lee sat on the stool inside the toilet stall and checked the bars on his cell phone, then punched in Preacher?s number.

?Yeah?? Jack?s voice said.

?Jack, glad you?re there, man.?

?What?s going on, Bobby Lee??

?Where are you??

?Like the Beach Boys say, ?I get???

?Yeah, I know, you get around.?

?Got some news for me?? Jack said, undisturbed by Bobby Lee?s impatience.

?Not exactly.?

?What did you call me for??

?Just checking in.?

?Having trouble with Liam??

?How?d you know??

?You got a lot of talent, Bobby Lee. Of the seven deadly sins, envy is the only one that doesn?t have a trade-off.?

?You lost me.?

?Lust, hate, covetousness, pride, sloth, greed, and gluttony bring with them an appreciable degree of pleasure. But an envious man gets no relief. It?s like a guy drinking liquid Drano because another guy has wine on his table. One thing you can be sure about, though. The man who envies you will eventually blindside you proper.?

?Liam envies me??

?What does a fellow like me know??

?A lot. You know a lot, Jack.?

?Something going on, boy??