Tom McCabe knows the recent string of executions across campus is his fault. He and two friends accidentally killed Nico Ruiz, a fellow college student. It's a clear case of self-defense, except Nico was running drugs for the region's largest gang, the Black Thorns. Rather than take their chances with small town police and risk brutal retribution at the hands of the gang, they bury Nico's body, destroy the drugs, and let the rain wash away the evidence. For all intents and purposes, Nico has completely disappeared. And that's a problem. To the small town of Pendra, Virginia, a missing college student is big news. Big enough to launch a national media frenzy and a citywide manhunt. As Tom tries to misguide the police, the Black Thorns begin a manhunt of their own. They're executing anyone connected to Nico, searching for their drugs. And that search has led them to Tom. Just as his accomplices start to crack up. THUS TO INNOCENCE is about shame, revenge, and what it means to be innocent.
Tom McCabe knows the recent string of executions across campus is his fault. He and two friends accidentally killed Nico Ruiz, a fellow college student. It's a clear case of self-defense, except Nico was running drugs for the region's largest gang, the Black Thorns. Rather than take their chances with small town police and risk brutal retribution at the hands of the gang, they bury Nico's body, destroy the drugs, and let the rain wash away the evidence. For all intents and purposes, Nico has completely disappeared. And that's a problem. To the small town of Pendra, Virginia, a missing college student is big news. Big enough to launch a national media frenzy and a citywide manhunt. As Tom tries to misguide the police, the Black Thorns begin a manhunt of their own. They're executing anyone connected to Nico, searching for their drugs. And that search has led them to Tom. Just as his accomplices start to crack up. THUS TO INNOCENCE is about shame, revenge, and what it means to be innocent.