Alpha 1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jimmy said.
    “That they don’t,” Holden said.
    Jimmy turned on the radio. It was the original factory radio and didn’t have anything fancy about it. He tuned in a local rock station and turned up the volume.
    The truck rolled out of the garage and onto Front Street. It was running perfectly. As soon as they got off Front Street they noticed pedestrians admiring the old truck.
    “She’s still got it,” Jimmy said.
    “That she does,” Holden said. He pulled up outside the diner. There was a black limo and a dump truck, steam coming out of the front of the dump truck. “Looks like there’s been an accident.”
    Jimmy nodded.
    “Probably shouldn’t park here,” Holden said. He pulled up behind the dump truck to see if they needed any help. The uniformed limo driver seemed stressed. He probably had some rich passenger who was giving him a hard time for screwing up his morning. The dump truck driver was a city worker and seemed a bit more relaxed.
    “You fellas okay?” Holden said.
    “We’re fine,” the limo driver said.
    “I can pull you out of the traffic lane here,” Holden said.
    “Might be a good idea,” the dump truck driver said.
    “Come on, Jimmy. Let’s winch this limo.”
    They brought the truck around to the front of the accident. By now a city police car was on the scene. “You guys moving that out of the traffic?” the police officer said.
    “Just to the curb,” Jimmy said.
    The officer nodded. He was directing traffic around the accident until another squad car could come and take details of the accident. Jimmy and Holden attached a cable to the front of the limo and pulled it out of the traffic lane. The dump truck was still blocking the traffic. It was a large vehicle. It must have weighed over twenty tons.
    “What do you think?” Holden said.
    “You want to try and pull that?” Jimmy said, surprised.
    “Think she’ll do it?”
    Jimmy shrugged. “One way to find out.” He went to the police officer and said they were going to pull the truck out of the lane too. The officer was skeptical but told them they were welcome to try.
    They attached the cable to the front of the dump truck and got into the cab. “You ready for this?” Holden said. He turned on the engine and began revving it. The engine sounded good and he put it into gear.
    “Go gentle,” Jimmy said.
    Holden began pulling against the cable slowly until it was taut. “Okay,” he said. “Now it’s time to see how much power this old girl’s got in her.” The J10 rolled gently and then stopped when the cable was tight. Jimmy could feel the force of the pull, the sheer weight of the dump truck, tons and tons of steel. Holden slowly put his foot down, increasing the power to the engine. It wasn’t exactly wise to be testing the truck like this so soon after getting it back on the road but Holden was always one to shoot first and ask questions later.
    Very gradually, as the engine revved louder and louder the dump truck began to give way and roll forward.
    “I don’t believe it,” Jimmy said.
    Holden was grinning. “Would you look at that,” he said. “Twenty tons of torque right there, out of a thirty year old machine.”
    “She’s a beauty,” Jimmy said as they pulled the dump truck out of the traffic lane.
    When they were done Holden slipped the J10 into park and cut the engine.
    “Nice work,” the police officer said. The traffic on the street could continue unobstructed again. Holden shook his hand and nodded to the two drivers from the accident.
    “Ready for some lunch?” Jimmy said.
    Holden was hungry. He was ready for his bacon and eggs. Also, surprisingly to himself, he was eager to see Lucy. He’d thought after his wife died that he’d never feel that way about another woman again, his heart had been broken and he didn’t feel like it was something that was likely to ever heal. But now, seeing Lucy every day, the way she carried herself, the way she served her customers, the way she spoke