Read Online Breakdown: Season One by Jordon Quattlebaum - Free Book Online
Authors: Jordon Quattlebaum
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his pride wounded more than anything else, and he willed the pain to subside. Herbie was right, though, so he bowed his head.
“Lord, thank you for my friend Herbie. Please bless the meal he’s provided for us and the hands that have prepared it. While you’re at it, Lord, please watch over the innocents that are out there. They need a shepherd now more than ever. Amen.”
Thom nodded his thanks and reached in, thumb and forefinger ready to grasp the tiny sausage. His fingers touched the sauce and burned instantly.
Herbie laughed uproariously. One would have thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
“Ow! Hey now, that’s not funny!”
“You say a longer prayer, you wouldn’t have gotten burned so bad! ’Bout the funniest damn thing I’ve seen since the 70s. Damn, I miss Sanford and Sons ,” he laughed. “Sorry…you live on the streets as long as I have, your humor’s bound to get a bit warped. Watch, I’ll show ya how it’s meant to be done.”
He flicked the knife’s blade out and jabbed it into the can, spearing a weenie. Gingerly, he took it in hand and popped it into his mouth, doing that weird inhale/exhale thing that comes so natural when eating something too hot.
“Woooooooo, you weren’t kiddin’, boy! That’s hot!”
Now it was Thom’s turn to laugh.
Taking a cue from Herbie, Thom got his pocketknife out, and the two of them began to eat.
After a taking a minute to clean up his cooking area (“Never know, might head back this way after we pick up your daughter from school. Always leave your home tidy so when you get back you don’ have ta clean!”), both men climbed up the ladder and into the hall.
The steel door was untouched. The guys that were after them must not have seen them slip by. Daylight streamed in as Herbie cracked open the door. It seemed like the brightest light Thom had ever seen.
Herbie stood there, waiting.
“What’s wrong? Let’s get out of here.”
“Hold your horses and let your eyes adjust. Look at the light. Last thing you want to do is step out there and be blind for thirty seconds when someone could be out there ready to take your head off your shoulders. Don’t you have a lick of sense?”
Thom stuttered, trying to come up with a witty retort, but the old man had him beat. Thom smiled after a moment. It was sort of nice to be the “young pup” of the group. He was always a good ten or fifteen years older than his peers at the cube-farm, some of them fresh out of college. He could have been their dad. Thom hoped those kids were doing all right in this.
Their eyes finally adjusted, and the two of them headed out into the alleyway.
Scanning left and then right, and then left again, like a child getting ready to cross the street, Herbie finally motioned for Thom to follow him.
The city smelled of fire and brimstone. Thom’s best guess was that the sewers had begun to back up. To make it worse, the smell of stringent smoke hung thick in the air. From the smell of things, he guessed the fires were still going strong in other parts of the metro.
Between the sewage, decomposing bodies, and lack of clean water, Thom thought, this place was outbreak ground zero waiting to happen. They needed to get far away before that happened. Making a mental note, Thom gave himself 48 hours to be out of town and somewhere a bit more rural. It was an aggressive schedule and likely meant they wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.
Walking farther into the alley, Herbie grabbed a piece of cardboard that had been resting against the wall and yanked it out of the way to reveal…a shopping cart.
“Still here. Good deal. Let’s go.”
Thom stood there, a bit confused, but followed behind as he pushed the cart into the street.
“We’re headed north. Broadway Bridge gonna be clogged with cars…not to mention it runs right by the downtown airport. Your friend was right about the rail line. That’s our best bet at this point. No train gonna be running just
“Lord, thank you for my friend Herbie. Please bless the meal he’s provided for us and the hands that have prepared it. While you’re at it, Lord, please watch over the innocents that are out there. They need a shepherd now more than ever. Amen.”
Thom nodded his thanks and reached in, thumb and forefinger ready to grasp the tiny sausage. His fingers touched the sauce and burned instantly.
Herbie laughed uproariously. One would have thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
“Ow! Hey now, that’s not funny!”
“You say a longer prayer, you wouldn’t have gotten burned so bad! ’Bout the funniest damn thing I’ve seen since the 70s. Damn, I miss Sanford and Sons ,” he laughed. “Sorry…you live on the streets as long as I have, your humor’s bound to get a bit warped. Watch, I’ll show ya how it’s meant to be done.”
He flicked the knife’s blade out and jabbed it into the can, spearing a weenie. Gingerly, he took it in hand and popped it into his mouth, doing that weird inhale/exhale thing that comes so natural when eating something too hot.
“Woooooooo, you weren’t kiddin’, boy! That’s hot!”
Now it was Thom’s turn to laugh.
Taking a cue from Herbie, Thom got his pocketknife out, and the two of them began to eat.
After a taking a minute to clean up his cooking area (“Never know, might head back this way after we pick up your daughter from school. Always leave your home tidy so when you get back you don’ have ta clean!”), both men climbed up the ladder and into the hall.
The steel door was untouched. The guys that were after them must not have seen them slip by. Daylight streamed in as Herbie cracked open the door. It seemed like the brightest light Thom had ever seen.
Herbie stood there, waiting.
“What’s wrong? Let’s get out of here.”
“Hold your horses and let your eyes adjust. Look at the light. Last thing you want to do is step out there and be blind for thirty seconds when someone could be out there ready to take your head off your shoulders. Don’t you have a lick of sense?”
Thom stuttered, trying to come up with a witty retort, but the old man had him beat. Thom smiled after a moment. It was sort of nice to be the “young pup” of the group. He was always a good ten or fifteen years older than his peers at the cube-farm, some of them fresh out of college. He could have been their dad. Thom hoped those kids were doing all right in this.
Their eyes finally adjusted, and the two of them headed out into the alleyway.
Scanning left and then right, and then left again, like a child getting ready to cross the street, Herbie finally motioned for Thom to follow him.
The city smelled of fire and brimstone. Thom’s best guess was that the sewers had begun to back up. To make it worse, the smell of stringent smoke hung thick in the air. From the smell of things, he guessed the fires were still going strong in other parts of the metro.
Between the sewage, decomposing bodies, and lack of clean water, Thom thought, this place was outbreak ground zero waiting to happen. They needed to get far away before that happened. Making a mental note, Thom gave himself 48 hours to be out of town and somewhere a bit more rural. It was an aggressive schedule and likely meant they wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.
Walking farther into the alley, Herbie grabbed a piece of cardboard that had been resting against the wall and yanked it out of the way to reveal…a shopping cart.
“Still here. Good deal. Let’s go.”
Thom stood there, a bit confused, but followed behind as he pushed the cart into the street.
“We’re headed north. Broadway Bridge gonna be clogged with cars…not to mention it runs right by the downtown airport. Your friend was right about the rail line. That’s our best bet at this point. No train gonna be running just
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