In this corner of the Delta, the 5G was as sluggish as the river itself.

The neon light of the "Lariat Lounge" hummed at a frequency that matched the dull throb in Elias’s temples. He sat at the bar, staring at the progress bar on his cracked smartphone screen: Downloading: Lucinda Williams - Southern Soul... 84%.

He tapped the screen, but instead of "Play," he hit the Bluetooth icon. The bar’s aging sound system, usually reserved for the jukebox, gave a digital chirp .

Elias didn't say a word. He just ordered two whiskeys, slid one toward her, and let the southern soul do the talking for both of them.