“No Witness Protection Program or assumed name (Davis Grahame) could hide that fact after five years he bolted from the constraints of federal protection.”

seems like you’re missing a word. Maybe “could hide that fact, so after five years he…”

The looping, e.g. his being gunned down and a couple other things being mentioned twice, threw me off a bit, but I caught on when I thought about the situation, e.g. reading clippings. Could definetely just be me.

Liked this one a lot, once I got it straight. Trace is hanging with some creepy folks. This had a very classical/epic feel to it… for the life of me, I can’t think of anything specific, but the man falling from the heights of society and forever marked by his altered face and now living alone and isolated might just be archetypal.

Much fun.