Freightliner Fever, Part 1

I got out of the truck in the Arkansas hills somewhere - I don't know exactly where. I started walkin' along the road, and Big Joe kept the rig rolling slow along side me.

"Red! Get back in here! We need to talk about your next mission..."

"I ain't coming with you! I ain't fit to be no Protector! I ain't fit for nuthin'!"

I knew I had ruined Guiseppe's life due to my lustful, selfish ways, and was pure ready to wander a spell by my lonesome and think about things, cause I sure wasn't ready to be around other people when I could hardly stand to be around myself.

"Red, don't talk like that! You did your best, you couldn't have known..."

I wasn't ready to hash this out like one of them television dramas with the cryin' and whatnot. Better to just walk away a spell and stew on this like my gut was telling me to do.

"I'm walkin' away, Little Joe. If I had me a gun and a badge, I'd give it to ya! Now let me be!"

"I told you he was worthless, Little Joe. Look at him, running away. Scared to accept his responsibility, I'd say..." said Big Joe, looking all haughty behind the wheel.

Now there's many things I am and I ain't, but being afraid wasn't one of them. I'd faced a crazy, blood sucking demon, Mexican ghosts in a bar, an army of undead, and even a prostie that wasn't quite right in the head, all in the past few months, and I weren't scared of any of 'em. I wasn't about to take that from a dadgum ghost trucker.

"Now hear this, yah dang accursed gear jammer! I ain't walkin' away cause I'm scared! I'm walking away because I'm not fit for the job! I ain't worthy of it! Now turn that sorry old Mack around and get the hell out of here!

That was probably a step too far, since Big Joe loved that old Mack rig in an almost unnatural fashion, but he'd pulled my string and that was that.

"Why you sniveling little truck stop vagabond! You have no right to put down this beautiful rig! That's doesn't mean you're better than me, or this lovely, lovely...lovely Mack. Really, you can't experience the hand-tooled leather of these seats until you sit on them completely naked! It's like a glove for your entire body, almost like a second skin...that's what the police never understood! Nobody understands! NOBODY!"

We just kind of sat there for a second to let that sink in.

Little Joe jumped out of the open door and walked towards me.

"Yeah, Big Joe, that's, uh, really more than we needed to know," said Little Joe. "Red, I understand what you are going through - all protectors experience this. You aren't perfect. Look, take some time, I know how to find you when I need you. But I warn you...there are others that are aware of your presence. Others that will also endeavor to find you. And if they do..."

"If they do, you'll be the first to know. Look, I need to get away from this. I need...to wander a bit. Two weeks, OK?"

He looked at me and showed his teeth a bit like dogs do when you think they are smilin' at you.

"Two weeks," he said, and climbed back up into the truck. "Get this thing moving, Big Joe."

The door shut and the big Mack pulled away.

"Thanks, Little Joe. Bye for now " I said as I waved. "And bye, you Mack drivin' freakshow," I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that!" shouted Big Joe. "Ghosts can hear well! Really, really well!"

I just stood there for a moment, watchin' them drive away until they disappeared in a little flash of light.

Then I turned and headed straight up into the hills.

Freightliner Fever, Part 2