I didn’t sleep that night. Every so often I jolted awake to noises outside or Smith mumbling in his sleep. At some point I gave up trying and decided to stay on guard — I was afraid the thief...

His name, Lester "Less" Hope. The coffee was black as crude oil, and just as bitter. He drank it without flinching, eyes fixed on the crow out the window. Its lips parched from the asphalt, so hot that you...