Read Online The Last Town (Book 1): Rise of the Dead by Stephen Knight - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephen Knight
Tags: Zombies
Ads: Link
Bill Rollins. And these here trucks”—Rollins turned and waved at the idling rigs behind him—“are a gift from Barry Corbett.”
“Barry Corbett done gone and gave me a dozen or so tractor trailers? Hey, that’s great. But why? See, I’m not some little girl who had her leg blown off, so I’m wondering why Old Man Corbett would feel so inclined to be so generous toward me,” Cranston said, as he shaded his eyes and looked at the nearest truck. Emblazoned on its driver’s door was the logo for Alamo Power, one of the old man’s energy companies.
“Well, I’m not so sure it’s meant for you specifically, Mister Cranston, but you are the designated initial recipient,” Rollins said. “We’ll be parking forty-two rigs here, so I was wondering if you could get these cars moved out of the lot? We know some of the payload is going to have to go in the desert, but we really need the hard stand for the heavy equipment.”
Cranston laughed. “Forty-two? Is that all? Listen, Rollins, I don’t own this property. And neither does Corbett. I’m pretty sure he can’t park his trucks here without some sort of permit from Los Angeles, or maybe Inyo County—”
Rollins pulled an envelope from his back pocket and handed it over the Cranston. “Hey, we’re in luck. Parking permits from the City of Los Angeles. Seems that Mister Corbett has entered into another agreement with the city to install an entire category three ILS on this airfield, and the city has decided to allow it.”
“What?” Cranston laughed. “I do believe I smell bullshit in the air. I never heard anything of this!”
“No, sir, Mister Cranston. There is not a whiff of bullshit here. In fact, Los Angeles has been in receipt of the environmental notification forms for quite some time, and after some negotiations with the Inyo County environmental agencies, the project was approved two months ago.” Rollins smiled beneath his big mustache, and his teeth were blazingly white. “In fact, we’re even going to improve the taxiway and pour some new helipads for you. I’m happy to make your acquaintance, as I’ll be the project manager.”
Cranston laughed again. “You’re good, Rollins. You’re good.” He opened the envelope and pulled out its contents. Several dozen pages were inside, bearing the logo of the City of Los Angeles. “Very professional. But I’m sure, very phony, too.”
“Yeah, I was told you’d probably say that,” Rollins said. “I was told you were kind of a prick, too. Seems like both tellings were correct. You might want to contact your mayor or first selectman or whatever it is you have in this piss-poor town of yours, because they’ll probably want to know about your desire to torpedo the airport upgrade project. I’ll be waiting in my truck while the rest of the boys tie up a California interstate, just because you don’t know the difference between shit and shinola.”
Cranston heard Enrico chortle a bit behind him, and for a moment, he just gaped at Rollins. The smaller man didn’t smile, he just turned back to his truck and climbed into the cab.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Reese met the first of the National Guardsmen as they hopped out of an Army UH-60 Black Hawk that settled to the top floor of the parking garage. As he stood there, battered by the helicopter’s rotor wash, he saw another Black Hawk orbiting overhead, running a racetrack pattern around Hollywood. Reese wondered just how many soldiers would be joining the LAPD in this venture.
A short, swarthy man in a full Army Combat Uniform jogged toward Reese, leading the dozen or so Guardsmen behind him. Reese and the three uniformed patrolmen waited, squinting against the dust the Black Hawk kicked up as it lifted into the air and roared away from the parking garage. The Guardsman had subdued captain’s insignia on his helmet and uniform, and he carried an assault rifle and a gigantic rucksack that looked almost as big as Reese’s first
“Barry Corbett done gone and gave me a dozen or so tractor trailers? Hey, that’s great. But why? See, I’m not some little girl who had her leg blown off, so I’m wondering why Old Man Corbett would feel so inclined to be so generous toward me,” Cranston said, as he shaded his eyes and looked at the nearest truck. Emblazoned on its driver’s door was the logo for Alamo Power, one of the old man’s energy companies.
“Well, I’m not so sure it’s meant for you specifically, Mister Cranston, but you are the designated initial recipient,” Rollins said. “We’ll be parking forty-two rigs here, so I was wondering if you could get these cars moved out of the lot? We know some of the payload is going to have to go in the desert, but we really need the hard stand for the heavy equipment.”
Cranston laughed. “Forty-two? Is that all? Listen, Rollins, I don’t own this property. And neither does Corbett. I’m pretty sure he can’t park his trucks here without some sort of permit from Los Angeles, or maybe Inyo County—”
Rollins pulled an envelope from his back pocket and handed it over the Cranston. “Hey, we’re in luck. Parking permits from the City of Los Angeles. Seems that Mister Corbett has entered into another agreement with the city to install an entire category three ILS on this airfield, and the city has decided to allow it.”
“What?” Cranston laughed. “I do believe I smell bullshit in the air. I never heard anything of this!”
“No, sir, Mister Cranston. There is not a whiff of bullshit here. In fact, Los Angeles has been in receipt of the environmental notification forms for quite some time, and after some negotiations with the Inyo County environmental agencies, the project was approved two months ago.” Rollins smiled beneath his big mustache, and his teeth were blazingly white. “In fact, we’re even going to improve the taxiway and pour some new helipads for you. I’m happy to make your acquaintance, as I’ll be the project manager.”
Cranston laughed again. “You’re good, Rollins. You’re good.” He opened the envelope and pulled out its contents. Several dozen pages were inside, bearing the logo of the City of Los Angeles. “Very professional. But I’m sure, very phony, too.”
“Yeah, I was told you’d probably say that,” Rollins said. “I was told you were kind of a prick, too. Seems like both tellings were correct. You might want to contact your mayor or first selectman or whatever it is you have in this piss-poor town of yours, because they’ll probably want to know about your desire to torpedo the airport upgrade project. I’ll be waiting in my truck while the rest of the boys tie up a California interstate, just because you don’t know the difference between shit and shinola.”
Cranston heard Enrico chortle a bit behind him, and for a moment, he just gaped at Rollins. The smaller man didn’t smile, he just turned back to his truck and climbed into the cab.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Reese met the first of the National Guardsmen as they hopped out of an Army UH-60 Black Hawk that settled to the top floor of the parking garage. As he stood there, battered by the helicopter’s rotor wash, he saw another Black Hawk orbiting overhead, running a racetrack pattern around Hollywood. Reese wondered just how many soldiers would be joining the LAPD in this venture.
A short, swarthy man in a full Army Combat Uniform jogged toward Reese, leading the dozen or so Guardsmen behind him. Reese and the three uniformed patrolmen waited, squinting against the dust the Black Hawk kicked up as it lifted into the air and roared away from the parking garage. The Guardsman had subdued captain’s insignia on his helmet and uniform, and he carried an assault rifle and a gigantic rucksack that looked almost as big as Reese’s first
Similar Books
