Time Bomb Town - Prologue
A lonely desert road stretched out into the night. The moon was rising over the mountains far off to the east. It was weirdly too large and its light illuminated the desolate landscape, casting long shadows of Joshua trees and scrub brush. The wind gusted across the chaparral sending a wave of dust rippling over the blacktop. A Caltrans sign by the side of highway read “Niland 20 Miles”. Nailed underneath it was another sign, much less official and hand-painted on plywood in crude lettering. It read “Slab City – 25 ¼ Miles”. The plywood sign shook in the wind, its rusted nail working loose from the post with every vibration. In the distance, where the highway vanished as hazy darkness met the light of the moon, there was a low rumbling. It was slowly rising. Getting closer. Rising to a roar. Out of the night, suddenly, there were headlights burning. A plain, blue Ford Crown Victoria rocketed past the sign, its engine being pushed to the max. The hand-painted sign, caught between the