Read Online Should Have Killed The Kid by R. Frederick Hamilton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: R. Frederick Hamilton
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Dave slowly released a breath he hadn’t even been aware he’d been holding and hugged the bag close.
Shame Naomi’s missing all this, he thought and almost snorted at the absurdity of it. Imagining her reaction to what had just passed had him wincing even though her voice was only in his head.
6.
The rain still drummed down around him but at least it looked like it might be slackening off. Dave fumbled in his duffle bag – fortunately the fabric seemed to have blocked out the worst of the downpour – until he located the pack of Horizons he’d lobbed in there earlier. Purple 12’s. In the fifties. Just like he’d always used to smoke.
He let the bag thump at his feet, earning a look from Bruno who stood near where the balcony had caved in. Dave just ignored him, though, and Bruno quickly returned to peering from the blueprint he held to a seemingly random point on the wall. As he patted down his pockets tracking his lighter, Dave glanced around the car park but, apart from the utes and the Tiida, there were no new arrivals.
Monty must have walked, he mused, finding success in the right top pocket of his shirt. He dug the lighter out and smiled. Ha! No wonder he’s in a shit mood if he’s just walked through that. Must have really wanted those pints…
The rasp of the flint was sweet. The first indrawn breath even more so. Dave dragged the smoke deep down into his lungs and felt his smile spread wider. He was still in the honeymoon phase. Before he pulled into the servo an hour into the trip up, he’d been off the smokes for over a fortnight. Though really he was surprised it took that long to cave. Considering it was only Naomi’s whingeing that had set him off on his fourth attempt to quit, he’d thought that it’d be one of the first things to go when she walked out the door.
He exhaled and greedily sucked more down, feeling the faint hint of a headspin. They’ll be gone again in a day or two, he mused and stuffed the lighter into his pants pocket, wedging it in next to his mobile. Feeling the out-of-date bulk of the phone triggered the thought: maybe she’s messaged. The thought triggered a reply: don’t be stupid. As if she’s going to message. Probably couldn’t even get reception out here if she tried.
Torn between the two, Dave paused in position for a few puffs. He mulled it over but in the end, he couldn’t help his curiosity. He pulled the phone from his pocket and flicked up the top so the display lit up.
Surprisingly there was reception. Two bars, barely-there reception but reception nonetheless.
Unsurprisingly there were no messages. No missed calls either. Something that deflated him a little even though he’d tried his best not to get his hopes up.
‘Smells good, mate,’ Bruno’s accent cut across his thoughts, bewildering Dave until he nodded at the smoke. ‘Just quit myself.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah, still got the jingles going on so, you know, blow a little my way, huh.’ Bruno barked a short laugh and Dave smiled politely in reply, still puffing away. A second of silence passed as they both looked out into the rain.
‘Seriously though, don’t let Monty get to you, alright. He’s okay. Just a little intense, yeah? Found me here on the very first day I arrived, mate, and you should’ve heard the way he carried on. Mate… Like the world was ending. You’ve got no idea. Then when all this started,’ Bruno gestured around at the decrepit shell of the building. ‘Wooh.’ He tapped his hand against his forehead. ‘Phhsffft. Forget it. Day in, day out, he hassled me. But he’s settled down now, yeah. Just a little leery of anything changing. Poor bastard lives out in a shack down that-a-way. Probably saw it on the way in, yeah? Bet you thought it was deserted, huh? Nope. Apparently Monty here has lived there since Adam was a boy. If you listen to the other guys who come in here, even had a wife living there with him till a year or two back.’ Bruno accompanied his
Shame Naomi’s missing all this, he thought and almost snorted at the absurdity of it. Imagining her reaction to what had just passed had him wincing even though her voice was only in his head.
6.
The rain still drummed down around him but at least it looked like it might be slackening off. Dave fumbled in his duffle bag – fortunately the fabric seemed to have blocked out the worst of the downpour – until he located the pack of Horizons he’d lobbed in there earlier. Purple 12’s. In the fifties. Just like he’d always used to smoke.
He let the bag thump at his feet, earning a look from Bruno who stood near where the balcony had caved in. Dave just ignored him, though, and Bruno quickly returned to peering from the blueprint he held to a seemingly random point on the wall. As he patted down his pockets tracking his lighter, Dave glanced around the car park but, apart from the utes and the Tiida, there were no new arrivals.
Monty must have walked, he mused, finding success in the right top pocket of his shirt. He dug the lighter out and smiled. Ha! No wonder he’s in a shit mood if he’s just walked through that. Must have really wanted those pints…
The rasp of the flint was sweet. The first indrawn breath even more so. Dave dragged the smoke deep down into his lungs and felt his smile spread wider. He was still in the honeymoon phase. Before he pulled into the servo an hour into the trip up, he’d been off the smokes for over a fortnight. Though really he was surprised it took that long to cave. Considering it was only Naomi’s whingeing that had set him off on his fourth attempt to quit, he’d thought that it’d be one of the first things to go when she walked out the door.
He exhaled and greedily sucked more down, feeling the faint hint of a headspin. They’ll be gone again in a day or two, he mused and stuffed the lighter into his pants pocket, wedging it in next to his mobile. Feeling the out-of-date bulk of the phone triggered the thought: maybe she’s messaged. The thought triggered a reply: don’t be stupid. As if she’s going to message. Probably couldn’t even get reception out here if she tried.
Torn between the two, Dave paused in position for a few puffs. He mulled it over but in the end, he couldn’t help his curiosity. He pulled the phone from his pocket and flicked up the top so the display lit up.
Surprisingly there was reception. Two bars, barely-there reception but reception nonetheless.
Unsurprisingly there were no messages. No missed calls either. Something that deflated him a little even though he’d tried his best not to get his hopes up.
‘Smells good, mate,’ Bruno’s accent cut across his thoughts, bewildering Dave until he nodded at the smoke. ‘Just quit myself.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah, still got the jingles going on so, you know, blow a little my way, huh.’ Bruno barked a short laugh and Dave smiled politely in reply, still puffing away. A second of silence passed as they both looked out into the rain.
‘Seriously though, don’t let Monty get to you, alright. He’s okay. Just a little intense, yeah? Found me here on the very first day I arrived, mate, and you should’ve heard the way he carried on. Mate… Like the world was ending. You’ve got no idea. Then when all this started,’ Bruno gestured around at the decrepit shell of the building. ‘Wooh.’ He tapped his hand against his forehead. ‘Phhsffft. Forget it. Day in, day out, he hassled me. But he’s settled down now, yeah. Just a little leery of anything changing. Poor bastard lives out in a shack down that-a-way. Probably saw it on the way in, yeah? Bet you thought it was deserted, huh? Nope. Apparently Monty here has lived there since Adam was a boy. If you listen to the other guys who come in here, even had a wife living there with him till a year or two back.’ Bruno accompanied his
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