Music City Macabre: The Low Lying Lands Saga: Vol. 1 by Bob Williams Page A
Authors: Bob Williams
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Like he said, the roads ahead looked good and there was promise in the air. Making friends already.
WELCOME TO NASHVILLE
Cole sent me from Interstate 24, which I was already on, and told me to hook up with 44 and then to get off at 21st Avenue. There I took a left and followed it for a short distance until I saw the Carrabba’s and the camo Dodge Ram. I’m going to mention one last time how amazed I was about the debris-less streets. Driving in the state of Tennessee today has been some of the easiest, trouble free driving I’ve done in years.
I pulled into the parking lot and stopped about twenty yards from the Ram. “What do ya think Lexi? It didn’t even occur to me until right now this might be a trap. I’m really fucking up aren’t I? Well, let’s do this. Watch my back?”
I got out of the Comanche and whistled for Lexi to follow. I drew both holstered Glocks in a ready-to-fire grip, but held them outstretched in a friendly gesture. I waited for them to make their opening salvo. This was going to be like dancing. A couple of minutes later both doors of the Dodge opened simultaneously and they got out.
Cole, I assume, looked about 30 and had a rifle slung over his back, courtesy of a leather strap. He also had a handgun he was holding in plain sight for me to see. He was a muscular dude who probably prided himself on a single digit body fat number and kept his head shaved constantly just for effect. He wore camouflage pants, black combat boots, and a solid black t-shirt. He sorta reminded me of the Punisher. Well, even Frank Castle had a few friends.
The woman, a blonde, looked a tad older but equally as tough. She had a fucking sword in a sheath poking out over her right shoulder and two holstered guns on her hips, old west style. If the situation wasn’t what it was, it might have been love at first sight, but she looked at me like all she needed was a reason to blow my ass away. She walked in stride with Cole and held her palms at her hips as she walked.
We came to a stop about ten feet apart The strangers both seemed to be sizing up Lexi and not worrying about me.
“What’s with the dog, Prescott? The Network didn’t say anything about a dog,” said Cole
“Well hello to you, too. First of all the dog is Lexi. She was bequeathed to me by a dead guy named Cory Stalker in in a bathroom in Paducah. We’re still getting to know each other but I feel like we’ve come a long way in twenty-four hours. Right Lexi? Secondly, what the hell is The Network?”
“The fact that you don’t know makes us nervous, to be honest,” said Cole.
“Super. We can play this game all day, or you guys can piss off.”
“Calm down, Prescott. You’ll be told everything in short order. First things first. Nobody comes back to or into the Murfreesboro Safe Zone without taking a Freak Test. No exceptions.”
He drew a rather impressive blade from a sheath at the small of his back. He flipped it around and handed me the knife by the blade.
“Squeeze one of your hands into a fist a couple of times, then open your hand and cut your palm.”
“What?” I say, but almost as quickly see the logic. Once I cut my hand and it starts to bleed, it wouldn’t be long before a break occurred if I was a Freak.
“Just do it, Prescott, and we can be on our way,” Cole said annoyed.
“OK, OK.” I quickly ran the blade across my hand and winced at the pain. Lexi took notice and whined her disapproval. “I’m fine, girl.” To Cole and his partner: “We good now?”
“Yes. I’m sure you understand the gravity of the...situation,” said the woman. “Let’s go. We have a mid range location up the road where we can talk before we head back to Murfreesboro.”
“Listen, I didn’t come here to go to Murfreesboro. Doctor Midnite said there was a guy named Kade here in Nashville that needed to die. I hope to help him do that very soon.”
“Shit.” Cole shook his head. “You heard that broadcast in
WELCOME TO NASHVILLE
Cole sent me from Interstate 24, which I was already on, and told me to hook up with 44 and then to get off at 21st Avenue. There I took a left and followed it for a short distance until I saw the Carrabba’s and the camo Dodge Ram. I’m going to mention one last time how amazed I was about the debris-less streets. Driving in the state of Tennessee today has been some of the easiest, trouble free driving I’ve done in years.
I pulled into the parking lot and stopped about twenty yards from the Ram. “What do ya think Lexi? It didn’t even occur to me until right now this might be a trap. I’m really fucking up aren’t I? Well, let’s do this. Watch my back?”
I got out of the Comanche and whistled for Lexi to follow. I drew both holstered Glocks in a ready-to-fire grip, but held them outstretched in a friendly gesture. I waited for them to make their opening salvo. This was going to be like dancing. A couple of minutes later both doors of the Dodge opened simultaneously and they got out.
Cole, I assume, looked about 30 and had a rifle slung over his back, courtesy of a leather strap. He also had a handgun he was holding in plain sight for me to see. He was a muscular dude who probably prided himself on a single digit body fat number and kept his head shaved constantly just for effect. He wore camouflage pants, black combat boots, and a solid black t-shirt. He sorta reminded me of the Punisher. Well, even Frank Castle had a few friends.
The woman, a blonde, looked a tad older but equally as tough. She had a fucking sword in a sheath poking out over her right shoulder and two holstered guns on her hips, old west style. If the situation wasn’t what it was, it might have been love at first sight, but she looked at me like all she needed was a reason to blow my ass away. She walked in stride with Cole and held her palms at her hips as she walked.
We came to a stop about ten feet apart The strangers both seemed to be sizing up Lexi and not worrying about me.
“What’s with the dog, Prescott? The Network didn’t say anything about a dog,” said Cole
“Well hello to you, too. First of all the dog is Lexi. She was bequeathed to me by a dead guy named Cory Stalker in in a bathroom in Paducah. We’re still getting to know each other but I feel like we’ve come a long way in twenty-four hours. Right Lexi? Secondly, what the hell is The Network?”
“The fact that you don’t know makes us nervous, to be honest,” said Cole.
“Super. We can play this game all day, or you guys can piss off.”
“Calm down, Prescott. You’ll be told everything in short order. First things first. Nobody comes back to or into the Murfreesboro Safe Zone without taking a Freak Test. No exceptions.”
He drew a rather impressive blade from a sheath at the small of his back. He flipped it around and handed me the knife by the blade.
“Squeeze one of your hands into a fist a couple of times, then open your hand and cut your palm.”
“What?” I say, but almost as quickly see the logic. Once I cut my hand and it starts to bleed, it wouldn’t be long before a break occurred if I was a Freak.
“Just do it, Prescott, and we can be on our way,” Cole said annoyed.
“OK, OK.” I quickly ran the blade across my hand and winced at the pain. Lexi took notice and whined her disapproval. “I’m fine, girl.” To Cole and his partner: “We good now?”
“Yes. I’m sure you understand the gravity of the...situation,” said the woman. “Let’s go. We have a mid range location up the road where we can talk before we head back to Murfreesboro.”
“Listen, I didn’t come here to go to Murfreesboro. Doctor Midnite said there was a guy named Kade here in Nashville that needed to die. I hope to help him do that very soon.”
“Shit.” Cole shook his head. “You heard that broadcast in
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