Jack T. Reynolds

Last mechanic standing. Expert in bad ideas.

Background

Jack didn’t ask to lead a group of survivors out of the apocalypse, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let someone else screw it up. Haunted by the people he couldn’t save and the father who broke him, Jack fights with sarcasm, loyalty, and a shotgun named Beatrice. He doesn’t flinch, because if he does, someone else dies.

Survival Stats

Series: Salt & Bone
Age: 35
Alignment: Chaotic Good (begrudgingly)
Occupation: Auto mechanic, reluctant protector
Injuries: Gunshot wound, left leg
Weapon of choice: 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun (“Beatrice”)
Fight / Flight Response: Fight
Communication style: Grunt, glare, profanity

Jesus Christ on a smoked salmon and cream cheese crudité.

Key Connections – File Notes [Redacted]

Raymond “Ray” Reynolds

Father

A ghost of the past, or so he thought. Some shadows stretch longer than they should.

Family

Antagonist

Silas Grady

Boss/best friend

Tough as nails. Jack’s compass, even when they’re not facing the same direction.

Friend

Mentor

Dr. Lisa Calloway, MD-PhD

Main character

The one person Jack trusts. Mostly. When he’s not trying to push her away to protect her.

Family

Protagonist

Calvin Calloway

Lisa’s son

Pretends he doesn’t care. Carries a dinosaur. Jack would haul him through fire.

Family

Dependent

Sylvia Torres

Lisa’s best friend

Doesn’t trust Jack. That’s mutual. He respects her more than he’ll admit.

Friend

Dependent

Alexandra “Lexi” Torres

Sylvia’s daughter

Smart, sarcastic, and sees straight through him. He’d die for her. She’d kill for him. It’s complicated.

Family

Dependent

Ashlee “Ash” Reynolds

Jack’s baby sister

Still sees the good in everyone, even when she shouldn’t. Jack would burn the world to protect her.

Family

Diva

Mason Whitlow

Ashlee’s other half

Smokes menthols, cracks jokes under pressure, and always manages to find the bright side, until Jack needs him serious.

Family

Dependent

Classified Excerpts – Access Required

EXCERPT A – CAPACITY CHECK

Ray, with his bullshit wilderness metaphors. His perfect working compass, but a gut that always pointed him the wrong way.
[LINE REDACTED]
I’d spent my whole life trying to unlearn him. And here I was. Twenty years out. Still counting windows and drawing lines of fire in my head.

EXCERPT B – INCIDENT LOG

The thing was tearing into him. Teeth grinding into muscle. Blood spraying in hot bursts across the concrete. Silas’s hands were slipping. Scrabbling for a wrench. For leverage. For anything. His face was twisted. Tight with pain. Eyes wide. Whites showing.
[LINE REDACTED]
But I still didn’t pull the trigger.

EXCERPT C – SKILLS TEST

Every step across the bridge was a fight. Dragging an anchor behind me.
Water lapped under the bridge. It was inside my chest. Filling me up. Drowning me where I stood.
[LINE REDACTED]
A Biter grabbed my shirt. Yanked hard. Panic took over action. I spun. Shoved the shotgun up. Fired.

Survival Gear

Beatrice, Jack’s shotgun

Beatrice

Capacity | 2

Range | Short to mid

Condition | Cleaned daily

Notes | 12-gauge, double barrel.

Crowbar

Crowbar

Weight | 5.3 lbs

Range | Close

Condition | Rusted

Notes | Unclaimed.

Wrench

Wrench

Weight | 2.5 lbs

Range | Close

Condition | Rusted

Notes | Silas used it first.

Knife

Pocket Knife

Weight | 1 lb

Range | Close

Condition | Good

Notes | Found at the school.

Duct Tape

Makeshift repairs and first aid
Weight: 0.5 lbs
Condition: Good
Notes: Taken from shop

Flashlight

Night recons, interior sweeps
Weight: 0.5 lbs
Condition: Good
Notes: Found at school

Work Gloves

Repairs and cleaning
Weight: 0.2 lbs
Condition: Used
Notes: Taken from shop

Multitool

Cutting, miscellaneous
Weight: 0.5 lbs
Condition: New
Notes: Never used

Torx Wrench

Adjusts brakes and engine
Weight: 3.2 lbs
Condition: Clean
Notes: Found in Vegas

Binoculars

Scouting from a distance
Weight: 3.2 lbs
Condition: Maintained
Notes: Used to be Ray’s

Carabiners

Attaching tools
Weight: 0.1 lbs
Condition: Rusted
Notes: Used to be Silas’s

Atlas

Navigation
Weight: 2.3 lbs
Condition: Tattered
Notes: Had since a childhood

Siphon Hose

Extract fuel
Weight: 0.3 lbs
Condition: Used
Notes: Taken from shop

Backpack

Carries supplies
Weight: 12 lbs
Condition: Heavily used
Notes: Had since high school

Notebook

Recording notes, recon
Weight: 0.2 lbs
Condition: Tattered, used
Notes: Internal thoughts

Medkit

Shared with Lisa
Weight: 2 lbs
Condition: Used
Notes: Stay safe!

Lighter

Used for | Visibility, warmth

Weight | 0.025 lbs

Condition | Heavily used

Notes | Belonged to Silas.

Medical bracelet

Medical Alert bracelet

Used for | PEN allergy

Weight | 0.025 lbs

Condition | Broken, unusable

Notes | Belongs to Jack.