The Colonel always had a plan for Elvis. They both knew that the draft was unstoppable. The question was how to handle it. The Colonel knew that the solution was for Elvis to serve like any other grunt. And so Elvis did just that, training at Fort Hood in South Carolina, then landing in an US Army base in Friedberg, Germany. Which is where he dies in an accidental mortar explosion.

It's 1959.

People from all over the world weep. For some, Elvis' death changes their lives forever.

Billy Clover was singing and playing his guitar in a dive bar when Big Sam spotted him. Lots of ambitious people with lots of money were on the look out for the "Next Elvis." Big Sam was one of them. He scooped up Billy and, before he know it, he was racing down Elvis' lost highway.

In Reno, Alvin is a touch kid from a tough family. He's been keeping it all together by emulating the Elvis he sees in the movies. Now the King is gone. Some boys from school have an idea for a quick job that will get them real rich, real quick. Things go wrong but Alvin doesn't care. He's learned an important lesson. He's got a special gift. He can hurt people and it doesn't bother him. He changes his name to Sport and he's on his way to work with the LA underworld.

It's only a matter of time before these two collide.

Excerpt

The ballroom is packed wall to wall. Everyone is cheering. Swaying back and forth like waves in a bathtub. A crystal chandelier the size of a VW bug hovers above. Somewhere up front is a stage with Bobby Kennedy and a microphone. His nasal voice bounces around and over the cheers and applause. “Not just a victory in California. A victory for California!”

Sport figure he’ll be able to spot Tom and, despite the size and milling frenzy of the crowd, he figures right. Because Tom is so pretty. He always was, even when he was wearing his football jersey, even with the buzz cut all those boys had in high school.

He’s even prettier now. At first, Sport thought it was a woman he glimpsed across the room, waving a “Kennedy in 68” sign with his slender, delicate fingers. Sport pushes his way towards him. In his jacket pocket, his hand clutches a knife. He’d planned on getting Tom alone somewhere, having a talk with him like he did with Loren and with Mitch. But that wasn’t going to work now. It’d have to be a quick shiv and move on.

He didn’t feel too disappointed. To be honest, the joy has sort of drained out of the whole thing. Now, it felt like something he has to do, is happy to get done, but he doesn’t anticipate the satisfaction he had experienced with the other two.

There are still a couple dozen people between him and Tom when Sport hears the shot. A light crack. He recognizes the sound – a .22 revolver.

In the momentary shocked hush that follows, he hears a man shouting from the kitchen. “Get the gun, get the gun” and then “hold him, hold him” and “we don’t want another Oswald.”

Assassination! The spooked crowd goes wide-eyed and wild, surging this way and that. Chaos. A woman in a smart pink dress is pinballed in the roiling mass, shouting for help. A campaign worker grabs her arm. “Mrs. Kennedy! Bobby’s been shot!” He pulls her towards the kitchen door.

A man bumps Sport hard, exposing his shoulder holster and .38. The man gawks.

Sport thinks, “oh no, don’t drag me into this!” and runs for the exit. Mission aborted. Tom will just have to sweat some more.

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About the Author

Tim Kirk spent several formative years in Tennessee cementing his bond with The King. Good Rockin’ has taken him to L.A. where he has written the western Burnt, and a collection of short stories The Feral Boy Who Lives In Griffth Park. Tim also makes films as a writer and director of Sex Madness Revealed, Director’s Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein and The Miami Vice Incident. His producing credits include Room 237, The Nightmare and The El Duce Tapes. His wife Stella and daughter Briar set his soul on fire.