The Deadsong by Brandon Hardy Read Free Book Online

desires. And I think she wants me bad, dude. Real bad. And I think she wants to be bad. Real bad. Know what I mean?”
    Jared laughed a little, looked down at his shoes.
    “What’s wrong with you? You’re not badassing today. I’d swear you’ve been neutered or somethin.”
    “Just have a lot on my mind, I guess.”
    “We’ll get it off your mind and come get crazy with us over in Cully.”
    Going over into Cullman County, or Cully as Duke liked to call it, didn’t interest him anymore.
    Speculation began to turn over in Duke’s little brain, and then suddenly his lips drew wide and flashed his big white chompers.
    “You like her, dontcha?”
    Jared threw his bag into the back seat of the Charger and rested an arm on the door. “What are you talking about?”
    “Gina. The Starkweather girl. You got a thing for her, am I right?”
    “You think everyone’s after the girl you’re after, Duke.”
    “Not at all,” Duke said. He took a deep breath through his nose, taking in the sweet aroma of freshly cut grass wafting over from Moose Humbert’s yard. Comfort wrapped him up like a warm blanket. “Call it curiosity.”
    “You know what curiosity killed, right?”
    Duke brought up his hands and and spatted like a pissed off cat. “Rawr!”
    Jared got in his car and brought the engine to a fierce roar. “Get outta here, will ya? Call me later.”
    Duke gave him a short salute, still cheesing like fool. Once the Charger pulled out of the lot and out of sight, Duke considered this would be the first time they ever had an interest in the same girl. Between them, there had been a silent understanding, a code of honor between best friends, that forbade such a thing from happening. But deep down, he felt this could be a problem. He couldn’t let a hottie in a straw hat tear a rift between them. He wouldn’t let that happen.
    As long as he got the girl.
     
    4
    Alan Blair was in his last year of graduate studies at the University of Tennessee when Dr. Dennis Sedgewick called him into his office and closed the door. Dr. Sedgewick was a tall man in a crumpled green sport jacket that was much too big for him. The sleeves went down past his knuckles, and he looked like an overgrown child except for the liver spots on his shiny scalp and the gruff of gray hair on his cleft chin.
    “Ever heard of a town called Hemming?” Sedgewick asked Alan.
    “No, sir. What county?”
    “Arlo.” Dr. Sedgewick tucked a Pall Mall in the corner of his mouth and lit it. “Just east of Cullman County.”
    “What about it?”
    “They’ve had a bit of a…snake problem for a while now. About twenty years actually. Seems kids keep getting bit and dying.”
    “How many?”
    “This year? Six so far.”
    “Six?” Alan said, rising from his chair.
    “I’ve poked around down there over the years, but I haven't come up with any logical reason for it. I mention it because of the research you’ve been doing lately.”
    Alan eased a bit and sat back down. “The Harrisburg study?”
    Sedgewick nodded. “What’s going on in Hemming isn’t much different.”
    “But hell, Doc, that stopped twenty years ago.”
    “And started here in Tennessee.”
    “So, you think they’re connected somehow?”
    Sedgewick flicked his ash into a flower pot by the window. “Alan, I want you to go down there and see if you can bring back a live specimen.”
    “But, sir, I don’t think––”
    “You can take all the credit. I sure as hell don’t want it. If it’s a new species, you can name it for all I care.”
    “Then what’s your interest in this?”
    “Closure.” Sedgewick dropped the butt into a soda bottle. The hissing sound made his skin crawl. “If we can figure out what they are and why they’re attacking humans, maybe we can come up with a solution. My friend Ned is the sheriff there. He’ll make sure you have everything you need to get started.”
    “If you don’t mind my asking, why aren’t you going?”
    “Hemming’s a