BoneMan's Daughters Read Free Page A

off.
    “Where are we?” Tony had come to.
    “We were hit,” Ryan whispered, scanning the desert for any sign of the enemy. Unlikely. They’d perfected the art of hitting
     and running, knowing that when the Apaches showed up, any attempt at fight or flight was doomed to failure. Insurgents with
     the skill to remain hidden in a flat desert (likely under the sand) and take out three Humvees definitely had the brains to
     bug out so they could fight another day.
    “We have support coming,” he said, turning back.
    Something black, like a sledgehammer or a rifle butt, slammed into Ryan’s forehead. Pain shot down his spine and he fought
     to hang on to something, anything.
    Another blow landed, and only now did his calculating mind wonder if it was a bullet rather than a sledgehammer or a rifle
     butt that had struck his head.

2
    BETHANY EVANS SCANNED through her Hotmail account, looking for a callback from her agent at Tripton, the modeling agency she’d
     signed with three months earlier. The jobs had been fairly small—mostly clothing catalogs, everything from StyleWear to Sears.
     Two television spots, including working as an extra: toning her body for a Gold’s Gym ad and one of three high school babes
     to kiss a guy in the lip gloss piece for Severe Lip Service—a rather funky brand name, if anyone was asking her.
    This time it was a
cover
. A clothing catalog cover for
Youth Nation
. Assuming that she got it, which her agent, Stevie Barton, had all but guaranteed, over five million buyers who received
     the fall catalog would see
her
face.
    “Is it there?” Patty asked.
    Bethany shifted her cell to the other ear. “Hold on. Good
night
, can you believe the junk that gets through these days?”
    “Whatever. It’s probably all the huge fashion magazines throwing free products at you to get you into their stuff.”
    “Gimme a break.”
    “Seriously, you know that’s what happens. You make it and they start to send you free stuff. Like football players getting
     free shoes, that kind of thing.”
    “I’m a model, Patty. One in a thousand faces in a million magazines. We’re not talking Angelina Jolie here.”
    “Where do you think she started? I swear, Beth, you gotta get me in there. I still can’t believe all this is happening to
     you. You’re going to be freaking famous!”
    Bethany’s hand paused over the mouse. Famous? The word had an odd ring to it. She’d never agreed to her mother’s urging to
     take a few modeling classes and build her portfolio out of any desire to be famous. She was only sixteen years old, for heaven’s
     sake!
    Famous
.
    She wasn’t even sure what that word meant anymore. It wasn’t like she was going to Hollywood or taking up singing lessons
     any time soon. She was simply making her way on her own, as her mother put it. Making good on what was given her. Which just
     happened to be decent looks, a pretty smile on a body that looked eighteen, albeit a
short
eighteen.
    “Don’t say that,” she said.
    “Whatever. You’re gonna be freaking famous and everyone knows it.”
    “Shut up! I’m serious, Patty. I’m going to be a doctor, not some face everyone can…”
    She caught her breath as the email scrolled into view.
From the desk of Stevie Barton. The Tripton Agency. Austin, Texas
.
    Patty noted her pause. “What? You got it, didn’t you?”
    “Hold on.”
    She double-clicked on the email and read it quickly.
    Bethany—
    Congratulations, sweetie! You got it. They want you in New York in three weeks for the photo shoot. One week, $20,000 as discussed.
     You’re going to be the poster child for
Youth Nation
this fall. This is just the beginning. Call me.
    Stevie.
    Bethany blinked. Heat drained from her face as the realization of what this could mean settled over her. Perhaps she’d been
     just a tad too quick to dismiss a life of stardom. She nearly dropped her cell phone.
    “You got it?” Patty demanded.
    “I…” Bethany couldn’t help herself