<I>Somewhere in the distance, behind him, Marc heard a hound baying. He hesitated, breathing hard, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, straining to hear better. The hound bayed again, a lonely, fearsome sound.</I> <BR> Marc Solie is on the run. He has been for what seems like forever, though it's been less than two years since his little sister died and his family fell apart, since he started running from his pain and despair and pure, desperate loneliness. <BR> This time it's different. Marc's not just running from himself this time; he's running from the cops. Marc's done something bad. He's not sure how bad -- maybe as bad as murder. <BR> Marc's only chance is to get to his father. His father will know what to do, how to get him out of this mess. But Marc hasn't seen or talked to his father for months, and he's not really sure where he is. So Marc keeps running -- following Interstate 5 north from northern California to Washington, hoping to find him. <BR> With only a runt dog named Rat for companionship, Marc has time to reflect on the last two years and come to grips with how his life has changed. For the first time, Marc begins to see how he's responsible for his own actions, and despite any wrongdoings to him, ultimately he's accountable for his life. As Marc sees this truth, he's finally able to stop running and face up to what he's done. <BR> Blood on His Hands is a gripping, taut novel about one boy's journey to manhood.