Chapter 1

Rain was coming down in sheets making it difficult for Cordell Jonathon Miller to see where he was going. Which was bad since he was currently driving a stolen truck. He quickly veered into the left lane to avoid a slow moving vehicle but by doing so almost clipped a gray pickup.

Strobe lights began to flash causing CJ's shoulders to slump forward. Apparently the truck behind him belonged to an undercover officer that now wanted to pull him over. Not a chance. CJ pressed harder on the gas causing the car to fishtail on the slick pavement.

CJ took the first exit to a small business distract hoping to lose the officer. He took a right turn too quickly causing the truck's rear tires to loose traction. He spun the steering wheel but over corrected and bumped into a retaining wall. The car did a complete 180, hit a tree then stalled out.

"Shit!" CJ was attempting to restart the engine when a pair of hands violently pulled him out through the door. "Hey, take it easy!"

"You could have killed someone out there!" Shouted a man, his voice eerily similar to CJ's fathers. "Come on, there's a unit coming to pick you up!"

After CJ was read his rights, patted down and put in handcuffs the man, who turned out to be Texas Ranger Walker had him sit on a curb. Though Walker was of average height, with a black Stetson and a rain slicker on the man was menacing. Didn't help that the cowboy hat completely hid his face so CJ could only see a black void.

"Look, I'm getting really wet and really cold! Anyway I can wait in your vehicle?"

Walker squatted so he was eye level with CJ, the brim of his hat still obscuring his face. "You're pretty far from home. Why is that?"

CJ shook his head. "It's raining! I'm wet!"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Ran away from home, all right! Now, can I get some shelter?"

The Ranger shook his head. "Here in Texas, seventeen is considered an adult. You're facing at least five years, at most ten."

CJ's shoulders dropped in despair. "Shit."

Another Ranger, this one a black man with a cowboy hat stepped up and gave Walker a pat on the shoulder. "Walker, we found something you might want to see."

Walker nodded. "Sure." He turned to a police officer standing nearby. "Get him a blanket and inside a unit before he catches something."

As the kid was led to a waiting unit Walker followed Trivette to the wrecked truck. Here, Trivette pointed to a backpack sitting on the front passenger seat then took a step back. Expecting drugs or some other illegal item Walker wasn't at all surprised to see a small wooden box. But when he opened it, his heart skipped into his throat. There, staring at him was a photo of a man who could be his son.

"What do you think?" Asked Trivette.

"Not sure…." Walker began to flip through the papers inside the box until another much smaller photo got him to stop. "How many have seen this?"

"Only you and me. Why? What else is in there?" Walker took a deep breath before showing Trivette the picture he found. "Is that…." He snapped a glance behind him then moved in closer. "Why does the kid have a picture of you?"

Walker shook his head. "Wish I knew."