Demon Download

by Jack Yeovil

  “And you never told me how you escaped from Lauderdale’s androids.”

  He hesitated, “I know. It’s kind of complicated.”

  “Save it for when I come by again.”

  “Sister…”

  “Yes?”

  “Never mind,” he kissed her on the cheek, like a brother. She tried not to be disappointed. “Goodbye, Chantal.”

  “Goodbye, Nathan.”

  He walked away, and vanished into the shadows under the eaves of the fort. She turned to Federico, and keyed in her door-open code.

  “Good morning, Sister,” it said.

  She felt comfortable with Federico’s leather seat under her, and experienced that slipping-into-a-warm-bath thrill she always had when she was in the car. Federico played The Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” but she didn’t want to hear that. She selected Nat King Cole’s “Route 66.”

  The main gates of Fort Apache slid open, and she drove over London Bridge. Ahead of her was the Big Empty, the desert heart of America.

  “Ciao,” she said, mainly to herself.

  See the Dark Future anthology Route 666. ↩

  Table of Contents

  Part One: Slim’s Gas ‘n’ B-B-Q

  Part Two: Who Was That Masked Woman?

  Part Three: Welcome, Arizona

  Part Four: Meeting Cute

  Part Five: All God’s Chillun Got Guns

  Part Six: Holy Orders

  Part Seven: Holding the Fort

  Part Eight: Last Stand