“The Hescos create a maze that, from a bird’s eye view, must make all of us look like a bunch of little white mice scrambling here and there, looking for cheese or escape. In our case, Rip It energy drinks and Otis Spunkmeyer muffins and cigarettes and dip and any friendly American troops who know how to score some booze or hashish. It’s easy to get lost, especially on a new base. I stick to the fresh footprints in front of me as if I’m on a dismounted patrol through a hostile Aghan village and wonder if they’ll have ham and cheese omelets for breakfast”

“Whatever It Was, It’s Already Gone” — upcoming publication in The Wrath-Bearing Tree