about this.”
“ Me too, but aren’t you curious?”
“ Not enough to risk my life.”
“ Come on, what risk is there? We drive out and look. That’s all.”
“ Why are you so determined to do this?”
“ I just am.” Terry snapped.
“ But why?”
“ Because for the first time since Katie left me, I feel like I have something to get excited about.”
Doyle nodded, regretting making Terry bring up the past.
“Okay.” He said, folding the laptop away and clapping Terry on the shoulder.
“ Let’s go take a look.”
Doyle drove whilst Terry gave directions from the passenger seat. He didn’t expect to find 99.9AM broadcasting from the car radio, but there it was, exactly as it had been on the vintage hi fi in the house. They drove in silence each listening to the unearthly broadcast and trying to come to terms with it. Occasionally, Terry would give an instruction as to which direction to go. They left the suburban comforts of green lawns and quaint white houses, and headed towards the outskirts of the city. Doyle noticed that the closer they got the more clear the broadcast became.
“ Stop here.” Terry said.
Doyle obliged, pulling the car over to the shoulder and staring out of the window. To their left was a run-down old service station, its pumps having long since stopped supplying gas. Doyle felt his stomach somersault at the thought of going into there and discovering whatever might be lurking in the dark.
“Hey, relax.” Terry said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. “The signal is coming from over there.”
Doyle looked past Terry, and even though at first glance it was less sinister, he felt even more uncomfortable at the thought of walking out into the wilderness.
The road fell away at a shallow angle to a non-descript landscape of sand and scrub punctuated by occasional outcrops of rock. Terry cupped his hands against the glass, looking for a light, or some evidence of the broadcast, but Doyle knew he wouldn’t see anything. He knew in his gut that there was nothing out there.
“ I can’t see anything.” Terry said, taking a second to re-check the readouts on the signal tracker.
“ Me either.” Doyle added.
“ I think we should go take a look, just to the edge of the road.”
“ No, Terry, we agreed. This isn’t a game.”
Terry turned in his seat, and Doyle saw the excitement and curiosity in his eyes.
“Come on, we came out here, we can’t see enough from the car. Let’s just look. Hell, leave the engine running if it makes you feel better.”
“ Don’t you think we should maybe call the police?”
“ And say what? That a ghost pirate radio show is playing new and unheard hits from beyond the grave? Good luck with that one.”
“ Look, maybe you are right. But what can we do?”
“ We don’t need to do anything.” Terry said with a wry smile. “Just take a look.”
“ Ah the hell with it.” Doyle sighed “I should know better than to try and talk you out of something you have set your mind to.”
Terry grinned. “It will be fine. We get out, take a quick look, and then get back in the car. You must be curious, I sure as hell am.”
“Point made. Let’s just get this over with.” Doyle said sharply.
They climbed out of the car, and now out in the open, it all seemed so much more real. The day had been a hot one, and even though it was now fully dark, residual heat still drifted off the asphalt. They looked out over the barren landscape, looking for any evidence of anything other than wilderness. A light, warm breeze pulled along the floor, dragging the loose, dry sand with it.
“I don’t like this.” Doyle whispered, but Terry didn’t answer, he was staring at his tracker, brow furrowed in concentration as he made minute adjustments to the dials.
“ This makes no sense; we should be able to see something. He must be broadcasting from somewhere.”
“ How far off is the signal?”
“ According to the readout, thirty feet
“ Me too, but aren’t you curious?”
“ Not enough to risk my life.”
“ Come on, what risk is there? We drive out and look. That’s all.”
“ Why are you so determined to do this?”
“ I just am.” Terry snapped.
“ But why?”
“ Because for the first time since Katie left me, I feel like I have something to get excited about.”
Doyle nodded, regretting making Terry bring up the past.
“Okay.” He said, folding the laptop away and clapping Terry on the shoulder.
“ Let’s go take a look.”
Doyle drove whilst Terry gave directions from the passenger seat. He didn’t expect to find 99.9AM broadcasting from the car radio, but there it was, exactly as it had been on the vintage hi fi in the house. They drove in silence each listening to the unearthly broadcast and trying to come to terms with it. Occasionally, Terry would give an instruction as to which direction to go. They left the suburban comforts of green lawns and quaint white houses, and headed towards the outskirts of the city. Doyle noticed that the closer they got the more clear the broadcast became.
“ Stop here.” Terry said.
Doyle obliged, pulling the car over to the shoulder and staring out of the window. To their left was a run-down old service station, its pumps having long since stopped supplying gas. Doyle felt his stomach somersault at the thought of going into there and discovering whatever might be lurking in the dark.
“Hey, relax.” Terry said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. “The signal is coming from over there.”
Doyle looked past Terry, and even though at first glance it was less sinister, he felt even more uncomfortable at the thought of walking out into the wilderness.
The road fell away at a shallow angle to a non-descript landscape of sand and scrub punctuated by occasional outcrops of rock. Terry cupped his hands against the glass, looking for a light, or some evidence of the broadcast, but Doyle knew he wouldn’t see anything. He knew in his gut that there was nothing out there.
“ I can’t see anything.” Terry said, taking a second to re-check the readouts on the signal tracker.
“ Me either.” Doyle added.
“ I think we should go take a look, just to the edge of the road.”
“ No, Terry, we agreed. This isn’t a game.”
Terry turned in his seat, and Doyle saw the excitement and curiosity in his eyes.
“Come on, we came out here, we can’t see enough from the car. Let’s just look. Hell, leave the engine running if it makes you feel better.”
“ Don’t you think we should maybe call the police?”
“ And say what? That a ghost pirate radio show is playing new and unheard hits from beyond the grave? Good luck with that one.”
“ Look, maybe you are right. But what can we do?”
“ We don’t need to do anything.” Terry said with a wry smile. “Just take a look.”
“ Ah the hell with it.” Doyle sighed “I should know better than to try and talk you out of something you have set your mind to.”
Terry grinned. “It will be fine. We get out, take a quick look, and then get back in the car. You must be curious, I sure as hell am.”
“Point made. Let’s just get this over with.” Doyle said sharply.
They climbed out of the car, and now out in the open, it all seemed so much more real. The day had been a hot one, and even though it was now fully dark, residual heat still drifted off the asphalt. They looked out over the barren landscape, looking for any evidence of anything other than wilderness. A light, warm breeze pulled along the floor, dragging the loose, dry sand with it.
“I don’t like this.” Doyle whispered, but Terry didn’t answer, he was staring at his tracker, brow furrowed in concentration as he made minute adjustments to the dials.
“ This makes no sense; we should be able to see something. He must be broadcasting from somewhere.”
“ How far off is the signal?”
“ According to the readout, thirty feet
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