Shrouds Have No Pockets

Crossing the bleak, empty wasteland of the Arizona desert, three figures are driven by greed and the promise of a fortune in stolen Army gold. Years ago, the mysterious Liv Clark hid the treasure after the heist, but her plans unraveled when the Army caught her and locked her away. Then there's Juan Díaz, a man addicted to violence, who reluctantly broke Liv out of prison—not out of loyalty, but because he needs her to find the gold. Finally, there's Peccary, a reclusive hermit driven by selfishness and contempt for the human race. Liv, desperate to escape both the prison and Díaz, finds herself at the mercy of this enigmatic outsider, uncertain whether he even understood what mercy meant. Shaped by the unforgiving wilderness of a desolate West, and consumed by their own greed, the three trek through blistering heat and barren rock formations. Suspicion and tension simmer beneath the surface as they close in on their prize—until it all comes to a head on a nameless plain in the middle of nowhere, where fate delivers its final blow. In his trademark lean and clear style, Kelleen brings to life all the dust, sweat, heat, greed, and hatred in this gripping short story. If you like your westerns set in the blistering desert sun, but served cold, this one is for you.