
The main character's name is Clay Rhett, but he's usually referred to by other characters and by the author , as TMWTS--the man with the scar. As a young soldier in Vietnam during the '60's, he signed that document. His answer to the old woman was that he was in 'Nam seeking adventure. A moment later, he was grazed by a bullet that scarred him from his forehead, down his entire body, to bury itself in the dirt next to his foot. From then on, his life has been one adventure after another. If he is around, there will be a disaster, either natural or man-made, and he will survive it. It will be exciting, making your heart pound in your throat. Sticking close to him will ensure that you survive, since he always does. But moving away from him very quickly, and staying away, will allow for some peace and quiet--which TMWTS will never find.
The characters whose lives are touched by him in these adventures are almost all reprehensible. There isn't an innocent among them--except for maybe his son, Hector, whom he sired in-between tours of duty during the war, then didn't even know about for years afterward. But all of the assorted characters are out for adventure, which is perhaps why they're drawn into the world of TMWTS--repeatedly. All of them own guns and know how to use them. And no one suffers from their misadventures more than they themselves do. Everyone suffers, except for TMWTS, although in an existential way, he's somewhat tired of his life of constant adventure. It's been about 40 years of perpetual motion, and in his own way, he's trying to figure out of he can somehow change his fate. But at the same time, he's never been bored. Read this book and you won't be either!