Dedications by Andrew Vachss : The Zero 5.0laf - The Official Website of Andrew Vachss

Dedications
by Andrew Vachss

	A Bomb Built in Hell for... Victor Chapin It's been a long wait, old friend. You went all-in and never got to cash the ticket, but I know you were never in it for the money. Not any of it. I'll tell you all about it, soon enough. For now, I'll have to settle for telling the truth: if it wasn't for you, none of this would have happened.
	The Life-Style Violent Juvenile To Richard Soney Allen, the best face-to-face professional in the field of juvenile violence I have ever known, and to the residents and staff of Andros II (1972).
	Flood For Victor Chapin Yale Lee Mandel Iberus Hacker (a.ka. Dan Marcum) Wesley Everest very different actors who all left this junkyard of a planet to work a better room
	Strega For Doc, who heard it all while he was down here. For Mary Lou, who can hear it all now. For Sam, who finally gave up his part–time job. And for Bobby, who died trying. Different paths to the same door.
	Blue Belle For Abe, who I never met but have always known. And for Nathan, who I knew. Two pieces of the root. Watching me from someplace above the junkyard.
	Hard Candy They don't give medals on this planet for courage in urban combat. But there are silver stars shining in the sky that the astronomers can't explain. ALMA HENRY BESSIE MYRICK MARY SPENCER
	Blossom FOR ANDREW MITCHELL born: October 19, 1985 unearthed: September 6, 1989 you never had a good day on this earth sleep now, child
	Sacrifice for SHEBA a warrior who fought blindness until the last battle closed her eyes if love would die along with death, this life wouldn't be so hard
	Shella for: Doc Pomus and Iceberg Slim truth, still shining down
	Another Chance to Get it Right Claire Elise McSorley August 7, 2002 pure summer blossom tiny life-spark, sudden frost waiting for full bloom
	Born Bad Tortured far apart Children of the Secret are Alone until love
	Down in the Zero When winter vanished I searched, only to find you Missing and presumed
	Batman: The Ultimate Evil this is for all the Children of the Secret
	Footsteps of the Hawk for Baby Boy E… You took Death all the way through the last round. And got jobbed by the judges. Again. No more fixed fights for you, little warrior. Now it's—finally—time to play.
	False Allegations for Ken Saro–Wiwa a warrior, murdered by jackals whose voice, unstilled scars their dishonor into our souls marking our path
	Hard Looks For the indomitable Jack Olsen (July 7, 1925 - July 16, 2002), who spent his life taking long, hard looks ... and reporting back to the rest of us. I'll see you soon enough, old friend.
	Safe House for the grief we have harvested from the evil you have sown jackals will forever call you coward and vultures refuse your bones —family curse
	Choice of Evil for Richard Soney Allen uncaged, finally and for Leslie Haines who hauled the weight until she saw the sun, finally
	Everybody Pays CCU/1
	Dead and Gone for Alicia Jimenez: jibara, abused child, migrant laborer, garment-district worker, defender of her family, protector of her neighborhood, savior of damaged creatures, nurturer of a revolution, mother to my brother . . . heroine. all your days on this earth were without rest. always you waited for it to be your time. always waited in vain. and now you wait for us. en nuestros corazones nada ha cambiado. serás adorada y respetada para siempre. trabajaremos sin descanso para que te sientas orgullosa de nosotros. espera pacientemente, Mamá. pronto será como antes fue, todos juntos. pero sin dolor.
	Pain Management for Skot Travis defender of every child but himself. manager of everyone's pain but his own. a warrior who finally fell. down in the Zero, still searching. give Pansy a marrow bone for me, partner.
	Only Child Jennifer Lynne Conti Dermody 4/7/76–4/7/02 loved always, loved forever
	The Getaway Man for . . . Cammi, Jessie Lee, Johnny the Gambler, Detroit B., Bust-Out Victor, Iberus, J.R., Everett, Water Street, the East Gary Express, the Uptown Community Organization, a whole lot of back roads, and some wrong turns. and for . . . Jim Procter, who drove the car.
	Down Here for . . . Michael E. Kotler who rules, finally.
	Two Trains Running For my mother and my father who are as one always
	Mask Market for . . . Eddie Adams, who risked his life to show us the truth; Joe LaMonte, who finally found his way to the door; Eddie Little, who fell off the Horse no man can ride forever; Rex Miller, who told it big; Son Seals, who left to work a better room; and for . . . Steve: childhood pal, crime partner, lover of science, doomed boy.
	Terminal for . . . Judith Moore, who used her sweet, soft heart to break the cruelest of all chains. You were never a fat girl to me, beautiful.
	Another Life for Pam
	Haiku for... Anna Politkovskaya Born: August 30, 1958 Profession: Investigative Journalist Assassinated: October 7, 2006 Legacy: The Immortality of Truth
	The Weight Mom: I know you couldn't wait any longer to be with Dad, but don't fret—I'll be with you both soon enough. I've got a few things to take care of first. Yeah, I know . . . I always did. And you know . . . I always will.
	That's How I Roll my beloved brother Olaf 29 December 2010 @ 11:30 p.m. he chose the night to depart bringing a new star to the sky a warrior's star, casting its own light a guidepost to the path of righteousness a warning to predators and now the True North for all our tribe my brother: welcomed by Odin waiting for us and always, always watching
	Blackjack: A Cross Novel for Georg Schmidt husband to the lovely Sibylle, sire of The Mighty Nicolas the first (and finest) translator of my books into German You went out on your shield a warrior to the end I expected nothing less And I'll see you soon enough, old friend
	Mortal Lock for Sonny... You left too quick for us to say goodbye, brother. Hell, you left too quick, period. But you also left a stunning legacy. I'm still listening and learning. And always will be. Next time we meet, we'll both be able to smoke. And maybe even roll down 104, in that Police Auction Special.
	Aftershock for... Gale, who battled incoming her entire life, never took a backward step, and was cut down way too soon. When I came to the place we always meet, you were already gone. I miss you, girl. You always knew I understood, without a word exchanged. Keep watch, now!
	Urban Renewal for Grizzly... I wish I had known sooner I wish I could have done something By the time I did, already too late, I know But I can still hear you, brother Breathing out that gasoline mist That always awaits my flamethrower For structures that should have been condemned
	Shockwave for Maggie Patience wasn't your specialty—you never could wait; not for anything. Always driving so hard on teardrop– slicked roads, keeping your eyes closed so you couldn't see what was coming. Until you ran off the edge. Now we'll never get that chance for me to show you how real horses—not those stick–legged Thoroughbreds you gave your heart to—duke it out. The next one Big Syd wins at Cal–X, that's for you. We'll watch that together...both of us long–distance.
	Signwave for... DETECTIVE TOM WOODS Who walked his last Vertical Patrol to the topmost floor
	Drawing Dead for... T.T. who beats the odds to death
	Carbon For my brothers Ramón and Olaf Once blazing on two different sides of our earth, now suns together in the same sky.