We was thirty miles outside of Tulsa Town and eighty-five trucks strong when I first saw the motorcycle. It come roarin' down the other side of I-44 like a westbound cruise missile -- a serious crotch rocket, long and low and sleek, all shiny black and painted flames. It looked like no motorcycle I ever seen before but fer sure, it couldn't be nothing else. Not with some damn fool in grey ridin' on top of it.
Soon as it passed, I put it outta my mind. I had the front door an' I was worried 'bout what was waiting for us in Tulsa. We'd been bothered by bears the last fifty miles, and fer sure they weren't gonna let us just roll 'right onto 244 an' through the city.
I'd just gotten done discussin' our options with Pig-Pen when the radio crackled. "Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's Looney Toons for the Rubber Duck."
I picked up the handset and keyed it. "Ah, breaker, Looney Toons, this here's the Duck. What can I do y'for?" I let go'a the button, then keyed it again. "Can't say I've heard your handle yet today, Looney Toons, what you drivin', come on?"
"Well, Duck, I got some info for you. And I'm the biker coming up on your right."
I glanced over at the rearview an' fer sure, it was that crotch rocket again. "Mercy sakes, Looney Toons, that's a helluva ride you got there. And what you got for me?" By the time I let go of the handset key, that black bike had passed me and pulled in front of me there in the hammer lane, close enough that I could see it had Oklahoma tags.
"Thank you, Rubber Duck, I'm pretty proud of it," he came back. "And what I've got, well, I think your little high-speed parade's upset someone somewhere. I just came from Tulsa, and twenty minutes ago I saw what seemed to be every cop in the state converging on the I-44/I-244 interchange. I'm guessing they're setting up a cheery little welcoming party for you and your friends."
I growled and keyed the handset. "Well, sheeeeooot, I was 'fraid of something like that."
There was a bit o' dead air, then the radio crackled again. "Duck, you and your friends got a good reason for what you're doing? I mean, better than beating a speed record or getting a bonus?"
The channel 'sploded with everyone tryin' to get his two cents' in about our beefs. I finally hadta shout'em all down before I could answer. "If that don't tell you, well, yeah, Looney, we do."
There was another bit o' dead air, then... "Well, that's good enough for me. Tell you what, Rubber Duck, I'm going to head back in to Tulsa and give those cops something bigger to chase than you guys."
"Say again, Looney Toons?" But even as I was sayin' it, that black bike in front of me turned solid grey and the Okie plate over his back wheel just went blank, like somethin' outta a spy movie.
"After all," he added, "who's gonna be worried about a bunch of trucks with a two-wheeled UFO heading towards Tulsa at half the speed of sound? This here's Looney Toons on the side, we gone. Bye-bye and good luck, guys."
And then damn if a jet o' blue fire didn't come out the back o' that bike, just before he took off like a bat outta hell.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
Soon as it passed, I put it outta my mind. I had the front door an' I was worried 'bout what was waiting for us in Tulsa. We'd been bothered by bears the last fifty miles, and fer sure they weren't gonna let us just roll 'right onto 244 an' through the city.
I'd just gotten done discussin' our options with Pig-Pen when the radio crackled. "Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's Looney Toons for the Rubber Duck."
I picked up the handset and keyed it. "Ah, breaker, Looney Toons, this here's the Duck. What can I do y'for?" I let go'a the button, then keyed it again. "Can't say I've heard your handle yet today, Looney Toons, what you drivin', come on?"
"Well, Duck, I got some info for you. And I'm the biker coming up on your right."
I glanced over at the rearview an' fer sure, it was that crotch rocket again. "Mercy sakes, Looney Toons, that's a helluva ride you got there. And what you got for me?" By the time I let go of the handset key, that black bike had passed me and pulled in front of me there in the hammer lane, close enough that I could see it had Oklahoma tags.
"Thank you, Rubber Duck, I'm pretty proud of it," he came back. "And what I've got, well, I think your little high-speed parade's upset someone somewhere. I just came from Tulsa, and twenty minutes ago I saw what seemed to be every cop in the state converging on the I-44/I-244 interchange. I'm guessing they're setting up a cheery little welcoming party for you and your friends."
I growled and keyed the handset. "Well, sheeeeooot, I was 'fraid of something like that."
There was a bit o' dead air, then the radio crackled again. "Duck, you and your friends got a good reason for what you're doing? I mean, better than beating a speed record or getting a bonus?"
The channel 'sploded with everyone tryin' to get his two cents' in about our beefs. I finally hadta shout'em all down before I could answer. "If that don't tell you, well, yeah, Looney, we do."
There was another bit o' dead air, then... "Well, that's good enough for me. Tell you what, Rubber Duck, I'm going to head back in to Tulsa and give those cops something bigger to chase than you guys."
"Say again, Looney Toons?" But even as I was sayin' it, that black bike in front of me turned solid grey and the Okie plate over his back wheel just went blank, like somethin' outta a spy movie.
"After all," he added, "who's gonna be worried about a bunch of trucks with a two-wheeled UFO heading towards Tulsa at half the speed of sound? This here's Looney Toons on the side, we gone. Bye-bye and good luck, guys."
And then damn if a jet o' blue fire didn't come out the back o' that bike, just before he took off like a bat outta hell.
-- Bob
![[+]](/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Spoiler---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.