23 Hours

23 Hours Read Free Page B

Book: 23 Hours Read Free
Author: Kevin Riley
Tags: thriller, Zombie, undead, Zombie Apocalypse, Action/Adventure
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didn’t know what they might have for him, hotdogs and PB&J were in short supply, but I was sure Ned would have something.
    Stepping through the double doors I saw that Ned’s was just as dirty as I had remembered it, with grease covering every surface. Thankfully, though, it was nearly empty so we had a chance at getting in and out quickly. Ned shot me a look as soon as we sat down at the bar. I wasn’t sure if it was shock, confusion, anger or just disgust but he grabbed a cold bottle of beer and headed straight for me.
    “The usual?” He asked, popping the top before I could even answer.
    “Well, that’ll be a start,” I replied. “What’ve you got for the kid?”
    “I knew that thing in your pants would get you in trouble one day,” he said pulling out a water bottle and setting it down in front of the boy. “Which one was it?”
    “He’s not mine, Ned. I’m just helping out, trying to get him to the hospital and get him fixed up. But right now we’re starving.”
    “You know foods not cheap and I don’t do tabs,” he said.
    “Don’t worry,” I replied as I reached into my bag and pulled out the spleen I had harvested that morning. Ned’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw it.
    “How fresh?”
    “Not even ten hours.”
    At that he couldn’t hide his smile. “For that I’ll break out the good stuff.”
    “Not so fast,” I said, snatching the bag away before he could grab it. “I need the food but I also need a favor.”
    “I know your favors,” he replied with a skeptical look, “and even that spleen might not be enough.”
    “This is one even an old man like you can handle,” I said pulling the envelope out of my pocket. It was a bit crumpled, having been through hell along with me this morning, but Sharon’s name was still legible across the front of it.
    “Why don’t you wait here and give it to her yourself? He asked. “She should be by in the next day or two.”
    “I don’t have a day or two,” I said pulling back the sleeve covering the chunk missing from my arm.
    “Oh,” he said, pausing for a moment before grabbing the letter and the spleen from my hand. For a second I thought I saw a little softening on his face. “And you sure you got time to get him to the hospital before...”
    “Yeah,” I lied. “As long as the service here doesn’t suck as bad as usual.”
    “No guarantees,” he replied with a chuckle before disappearing into the backroom. No one but Ned had ever been in his backroom, and I’d probably never eat there if I had, but the food was usually cheap and he always managed to have ice cold beer.
    We didn’t have to sit there too long before Ned reappeared with a plate, a bag and another beer. He set the plate filled with shallow plastic cups down in front of the kid. One of the cups had applesauce, and one had mac and cheese. Another had some orange slices, the kind in the too sweet syrup that your mom would pack in your lunch. It wasn’t fresh, but still fruit was almost impossible to get. And the last cup was filled with chocolate pudding.
    “I got a couple more in here,” he said setting the bag on the counter. “Hospital food has only gotten worse.”
    I didn’t even have a chance to thank him before he set the beer down in front of me and disappeared once more into the back room. I pulled a couple spoons and forks from my bag, and gave the kid a set then pulled a knife out for me. There was no telling what Ned might bring out on my plate.
    I had just finished my first beer and barely started on the second when he once again emerged from the back to set a plate down in front of me. It had a few green beans, obviously canned, but I couldn’t complain. Beside them was a mound of instant mash potatoes and a steak. The meat was thin and grisly, but I was sure it had come from Ned’s private stash.
    “Wow. I...uh...thanks.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Just get that kid where he needs to go, and quickly,” he said before turning his back on us again, going

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