Jobs for Angels: Veterans’ Nightmare Realities

Author(s): Blair London

Location(s): Hawai'i

Genre(s): Crime, Suspense

Era(s): Modern Day

Both Trevor and Ashley are sleeping together in bed. While sleeping, Trevor has a dream where an enemy from his time at war goads him to attack. Trevor attacks with a knife, killing the enemy. After murdering his enemy, Trevor sees, to his horror, the man change into Ashley. Trevor wakes up confused and upset, deciding he cannot tell Ashley about the dream.
As the novel opens, we see Ashley and Taylor meet for the first time in a meeting for girls seeking to be Angels in the AVRO program. The two hit it off and are instant friends. After becoming acquainted, Ashley invites Taylor for coffee, which Taylor accepts. Over coffee, the topic of past love pops up and it becomes apparent to Ashley that Taylor—10 years her senior–has been through some very interesting relationships. During this talk, Taylor describes her time with Gene, and the issues he had from his time at war. Ashley, due to her partner’s similar past, becomes interested in the veterans Taylor has dated.
Ashley, who is intrigued by Taylor, invites her shopping. While there, the two continue to discuss Taylor’s past relationships. Taylor’s time with David is the focus this time. As Taylor describes him, it becomes evident that she has a deep-seated anger for war and what it does to those who live through it.
Ashley and Taylor are now close friends and decide to go out together. While they drink alcohol in a pub, Taylor starts to open up about her hatred of war and frustration toward the military’s failure to help PTSD sufferers. Her time with Brady becomes a point of contention; his emotional distance, blind love of country and how men like him cause the military to abandon the psychologically wounded soldiers. Brady was a Major in the Army; once holding a senior position in the office of veteran affairs. As the two become increasingly drunk, they head to a club where, while dancing, they meet two of Taylor’s friends. Together the four women get quite intoxicated. Ashley returns home where Trevor, obviously angry, is sitting on her front porch.
A few days after their night out, Taylor and Ashley meet at the coffee shoppe. While there, Ashley tells Taylor about her boyfriend, Trevor. Taylor, after hearing the angry manner Trevor treats Ashley, expresses worry. The two become embroiled in an emotional argument about whether Trevor is a danger to Ashley. Taylor thinks he is and backs this up with her past experiences. Ashley does not, defending the love she feels for him as real, and accuses Taylor of being heartless. In the midst of the conflagrations, Trevor arrives, putting an end to the fight. Ashley leaves with Trevor; his final words to Taylor are hurtful and appear to have ended their friendship.
Taylor, not having heard from Ashley for two weeks, visits the AVRO head office in search of her. Once there, she is informed of Ashley’s murder two days before. Immediately suspecting Trevor, Taylor calls the police to report him. She is told to come to the police station so she can fill a statement out. After doing this she sees that Trevor is also there, causing her to confront him. Trevor denies murdering Ashley, stating that he was out of state when it happened. Not satisfied with this, Taylor attacks Trevor, but is quickly restrained, and escorted out of the station. The next day Taylor attends Ashley’s funeral, again seeing Trevor. As the funeral ends, Taylor corners Trevor, telling him she knows what he did and threatens his life if she ever sees him again. Trevor only smiles at this and exits the cemetery not saying a word.
Three months later, as Taylor heads for work, she passes the coffee shoppe. To her horror, she witnesses Trevor and a girl who looks similar to Ashley, enter the coffee shoppe. Trevor, noticing her, looks directly at her with the same smile he wore at Ashley’s funeral.

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