by Nelson, Resa
The helicopters landed close to the border patrol. Rick ducked reflexively, even though the blades were nowhere near his head. The sound of chopping air filled his ears and stung his eyes.
Rick stared at the lines painted in black and yellow on the pavement. The countries were enormous, and yet this one thin line separated them. Mexico was where the gene tattoos could be removed from their faces without a trace. It was where they could wipe the slate clean and start over again. It was the first step toward a bigger and brighter future.
But his son was screaming.
Footsteps pounded on the pavement behind him. He thought he heard the click of guns. Poise and cock firelock.
Rick pushed past the United States officer who sprang from his booth. Rick ran across the black-and-yellow lines, past everything he’d ever known, and pulled the baby from Shelly’s arms.
Rick turned his back to her, and held his son toward the silhouettes charging out of the blue searchlights.
“You idiot!” Shelly screamed behind him. “You Goddamn idiot!” But she ran to the Mexican border where no one could touch her.
As the men from the helicopters took the baby away from him, Rick waited to be handcuffed.
Everything looked unusually beautiful to Rick. The pinkish glow of dawn. The piercing blue searchlights. The uniformed men and their guns.
And the baby, safely guarded by them.
He was glad he’d left the tin soldier on the nightstand next to Abby’s hospital bed. He wanted his son to know about Finneas Brown and why he returned from the war.
Rick was blinded by the searchlights. All he could see was light. Sweat beaded on his forehead and ran into his eyes. As Rick wiped the sweat away, he felt as if he were melting in the heat of the light. He’d heard a story once, long ago, of a tin soldier thrown into a fire, and now he felt like that soldier, melting into a lump of metal when the fire was through with him.
Rick couldn’t remember exactly, but he thought it was a story of a toy soldier who loved a paper doll. When the soldier melted, it was in the shape of a heart.
Just the thought of it was enough to make Rick feel brave and strong and true. He hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
In the midst of the deafening roar of the helicopter blades and the shouting of the men and Shelly’s wails and his son’s cries, growing more distant by the moment, Rick stood erect and still. He was ready to take responsibility for everything he had said and done. It was worth it, knowing his son would have a better life.
At last, Rick stood steadfast.
The End
Find out more…
Books in the Dragonslayer Series
The Dragonslayer’s Sword (Book 1)
The Iron Maiden (Book 2)
The Stone of Darkness (Book 3)
The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4)
SF/F Mystery/Thrillers
All of Us Were Sophie
Our Lady of the Absolute
More Stories:
Dragonslayer Stories: Two Short Stories
Astrid, The Dragonslayer’s Blacksmith: a mini novel
The Key to Bluebeard’s Heart: a short story
A Winter of Rolling Thunder: a short story
Trees, Like Candles, Dripping Wax: a short story
Rebecca’s Hell: a short story
Resa Nelson’s Website:
http://www.resanelson.com
Amazon Author Page:
Click here to go to Resa’s author page on Amazon.
Follow her on Twitter @ResaNelson to find out about new releases, many of which will be free either at the time of publication or soon after.
If you’re willing to take a few moments and write a review of this ebook, it would mean the world to me. Your thoughts and opinions matter!
What reviewers say about the Dragonslayer series:
“The Dragonslayer series is a must read for any fantasy lover.” – Delia, Wolf Majick blog
“I can’t stress enough how much I appreciated having such a great main character – the book is worth reading for her alone.” – Kate, Epic Chocolate Factory blog
“This was a captivating story with an imaginative world full of interesting characters and a unique plotline that made it difficult to put this book down.” – Michelle, Beagle Book Space blog
“This medieval fantasy novel knocked my socks off – seriously! Resa Nelson is an amazingly talented author.” – Alexia, Alexia’s Chronicles blog
“The Dragonslayer’s Sword is a unique and very thought-provoking novel. Resa Nelson focuses one young woman’s journey to empowerment while fully entertaining fantasy fans with dragons and danger.” – Candace, Lovey Dovey Books blog
“Different, original, complex but easy to read, with lots of action and a really great world to spend some days in!” – Yiota, Splash of Our Worlds blog
“It’s so unlike any other fantasy novel I’ve read, it’s different and new.” – Ruby, Ruby’s Books blog
“With relatable, flawed characters, enigmatic dragons, a rich tale full of sword and sorcery, Resa Nelson has created a gripping tale that will hook you from the beginning.” – Yaz, Yaz’s Books ‘N Stuff blog
“This book wasn’t just about dragons and shape shifters [but also] about a young woman who rises above her circumstances and becomes her own strong independent woman.” – Tana, Passionate Book Divas blog
“One of the things that I liked best about The Dragonslayer’s Sword was the plot … mainly because Nelson incorporates a lot of fantasy that I’ve never seen before!” – Katie, Katie’s Amazing Book Reviews blog
About Tin Soldier
I have a soft spot for characters that come across as unlikable at first. In real life, when I meet someone and initially dislike that person only to come around and like that person in the long run, I find my feelings are stronger than normal. This is when I love being wrong.
I love characters that have some kind of hidden potential that eventually comes to light. That’s why I wrote Tin Soldier.
Something surprising happened when I re-read this story for the first time in many years. Tin Soldier was originally published in 2003. I discovered that one of the main characters shares the same last name with the main character from one of my novels: All of Us Were Sophie, which was published in 2013. Not only that, but I mentioned the theme of Tin Soldier briefly at an important moment in All of Us Were Sophie. Although I didn’t consciously plan these things, I don’t believe in coincidences. Because All of Us Were Sophie takes place in the present day (it’s a murder mystery with a science fiction premise), I think one of the characters in Tin Soldier is the great-grandchild of the main character in All of Us Were Sophie. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me, and I love seeing that kind of connection between my characters.
Resa Nelson
http://www.resanelson.com
Follow Resa on Twitter @ResaNelson
