Fall of Man (Book 1): The Break Read online

  The Break

  Fall of Man Book 1

  Sam Sisavath

  The Break

  Copyright © 2020 by Sam Sisavath

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Road to Babylon Media LLC

  www.roadtobabylon.com

  Edited by Jennifer Jensen, Wendy Chan & Grace Kastens

  Cover Art by Creative Paramita

  Contents

  The Fall of Man Series

  Also by Sam Sisavath

  About The Break

  Day 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Day 2

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Day 3

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  From The Author

  The Fall of Man Series

  The Break

  Homefront (2020)

  Firebase (Late 2020)

  Also by Sam Sisavath

  The Purge of Babylon Post-Apocalyptic Series

  The Purge of Babylon: A Novel of Survival

  The Gates of Byzantium

  The Stones of Angkor

  The Walls of Lemuria Collection (Keo Prequel)

  The Fires of Atlantis

  The Ashes of Pompeii

  The Isles of Elysium

  The Spears of Laconia

  The Horns of Avalon

  The Bones of Valhalla

  Mason’s War (A Purge of Babylon Story)

  The Road to Babylon Post-Apocalyptic Series

  Glory Box

  Bombtrack

  Rooster

  Devil’s Haircut

  Black

  The Distance

  Hollow

  Daybreak

  The Ranch

  100 Deep

  The After The Purge: Vendetta Trilogy

  Requiem

  Tokens

  Remains

  The After The Purge: AKA John Smith Series

  Mist City

  Run or Fight

  Shoot Last

  The Allie Krycek Vigilante Series

  Hunter/Prey

  Saint/Sinner

  Finders/Keepers

  Savior/Corruptor

  The Red Sky Conspiracy Series

  Most Wanted

  The Devil You Know

  About The Break

  IT BEGINS WITH A BREAK.

  Today is the biggest day of Cole Ristler’s life. He’s about to join his wife and unborn child in retirement, an event he didn’t think would ever happen. It’s a cause for celebration, and all that’s left is the ride home.

  Unfortunately for Cole, the world has other plans.

  When an unknown event strikes the planet, man becomes its own worst enemy, transforming into rabid crazies that strike out at the nearest victim, seemingly driven by a single urge: Kill. Cole and a handful of individuals were left mysteriously unaffected. They don’t know why, but more importantly, they don’t care—because right now, it’s all about staying alive.

  The city streets run red with blood as those infected by the mysterious plague seek out more victims, forcing Cole to reawaken dormant skills from a past life in order to get through the day.

  Then he has to do it all over again the day after that…and the one after that…

  Cole only knows one thing: He will get home to his wife and unborn child, and God help anyone that stands in his way.

  Book 1 in the Fall of Man saga, a new take on post-apocalyptic horror. Are you ready? Don’t be so sure.

  Day 1

  Chapter 1

  When the shit hit the fan and the world started to unravel, Cole Ristler was oblivious. It didn’t help that everything started, as far as anyone knew, all the way out on the East Coast. Another world away as far as Cole was concerned. A big ‘ol shit-o-nothin’ that had little to do with him.

  Besides, he had other things on his mind. Today was the beginning of his life. His new life. His new new life. The retirement after the retirement.

  He was starting over. Again.

  So what did he care about reports of killings and murders and craziness in New York?

  He did what he always did when he left work; Cole called Emily, smiling when he heard her voice. He couldn’t help himself. She sounded sleepy, which told him she had just woken up from a nap. The old Emily would have been horrified that she would be tired enough in the day to do something as nonproductive as nap, but the old Emily wasn’t six weeks pregnant with their first child.

  “I woke up, and you were gone this morning. Did you get any sleep yesterday?”

  “A few hours,” he lied.

  “What did we say about not lying to each other?”

  He smiled again. No one knew him the way she did. She could tell when he was lying even over the phone. He used to think it was some kind of psychic power, but it wasn’t. Emily just knew him better than anyone in the world. It was why he loved her, why he couldn’t bear the thought of ever being without her.

  “Too big of a day,” he said. “But it’s over now, and I’ll be home soon.”

  “Any regrets?”

  “Just that you’re not here with me to enjoy it.”

  “Work and home should always be separated, sweetheart. Besides, I’ll be here to enjoy it with you.” Then, without missing a beat, “Was there a party?”

  “There was.”

  “A good party?”

  “It went…well.”

  “Just well, or pretty well?”

  “Pretty well.”

  “I know it wasn’t easy…”

  “It was.”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” he said.

  “Thank you, sweetheart. I know it wasn’t easy. You built that company from nothing, and to give it up now, just for me...”

  “I’m not giving up anything. I’m gaining more than I could ever have imagined.”

  “Be careful, mister. Talking like that will get you into my pants.”

  He glanced up, grateful that Donnie could only hear his side of the conversation. He said into the phone, “Isn’t that how we got into trouble in the first place?”

  She laughed. “Sounds about right. Where are you now?”

  “Traffic. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

  “Hurry home anyway. Even if you have to fly, get back here. I think this baby’s about to come out at any moment.”

  “Listen to you, as if you were in your third trimester and not just six weeks preggers.”

  “Yeah, well, tell this little monster that’s really cramping my style that. If he wasn’t the bundle of joy everyone keeps telling me he is, I would take it out on you for putting him inside me in the first place.”

&
nbsp; “I seem to remember you had a say in that.”

  “Meh. I was drunk on Pinot.”

  “Excuses.”

  “It’s a good excuse. That was one yummy Pinot.”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re a Chianti man.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “How did Roger take it?”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine?”

  “Fine.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “He took it fine, babe.”

  “Still don’t believe you.”

  “He doesn’t have any choice.” Then, “You’ll be a wonderful mother.”

  “You’re changing the subject.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yes. But I’ll let it slide this time. Now, get home already. I need you here with me, mister.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I just need you here with me. Home. Where you belong.”

  He smiled. “ASAP.”

  “You’re damn right, ASAP. Love you.”

  “Love you more,” he said, without missing a beat.

  In the front seat of the Mercedes, Donnie glanced up at the rearview mirror, and the twenty-something grinned at him. Cole should have been flustered by the lovey-dovey talk in front of other people, but not today. This wasn’t like any other day. Besides, he’d said and done worse things in front of the kid. Not that Donnie was really a kid, but anyone under thirty was still a kid to Cole.

  He put the phone away. “How’s the home life, Donnie?”

  “Good, sir,” Donnie said, “but no one’s calling to nag me about getting home early. Oh, to be loved.”

  “All good things come to those who wait.”

  “Amen to that, sir.”

  Donnie called everyone sir or ma’am, the product of a strict upbringing, according to the driver himself. Cole was used to it and spent his time watching a warm orange glow spreading above the city’s skyscrapers outside his tinted window. He was going to miss these long drives home.

  He yawned involuntarily.

  “Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, sir?” Donnie asked.

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  “I don’t blame you. Big day today.”

  “Very big day.”

  “I guess this morning is the last time I pick you up at home. Which makes now the last time I drive you home. Lots of last times today, sir.”

  “All good things must end eventually, Donnie.”

  “Good point, sir. I guess that’s why you’re back there, and I’m driving you around.”

  “Your turn’s coming.”

  “I hope so, sir. By the way, you know if it’s going to be a boy or girl?”

  “Not yet. It’s still too early.”

  “You happy, sir?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a boy or a girl.”

  “You sure, sir?”

  Cole smiled. “Yes.”

  Unlike Emily, Donnie wasn’t quite as good at detecting his lies. Well, it was mostly a lie. Cole really didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl…but he still liked the idea of having a son anyway. It was, of course, the opposite for Emily.

  “I hear that, sir,” Donnie was saying.

  Less than ten minutes later, they were stuck in gridlock traffic, with at least five blocks to go before the highway entrance ramp. Donnie was tapping the steering wheel. Not impatient, because the kid was never impatient, but wiling away the time.

  “Are we stuck?” Cole asked, even though he already knew the answer.

  “Looks like it, sir. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault.”

  “We could try going around it, sir, but…”

  “But what?”

  “Traffic jams everywhere today.”

  “Everyone wants to get home before the weekend.”

  “Nah, it’s not that, sir.”

  “You know something I don’t, Donnie?”

  “It’s about what happened in New York, sir.”

  “What happened in New York?”

  “You don’t know?”

  I was too busy signing away the life I’d spent years building in order to start yet another new life, he thought, but said instead, “A little busy today. So what’s happening in New York?”

  “People going a little crazy. Some guy drove his truck into a mall in the morning and killed a bunch of people. Then some young kids beating people up in Central Park. All kinds of crazy shit—Oops, sorry, sir. Crazy stuff going on out there, I mean.”

  “It was on the news?”

  “Yes, sir. Morning and afternoon news. You didn’t hear about it?”

  Cole shook his head. “Like I said. A little busy.”

  “Oh, right. Your last day and all. They threw you a party, right, sir?”

  “Yes, they did.”

  “Must have been a great party.”

  “It wasn’t bad.”

  “Anyways. About the stuff going on in New York… Must be something in the water out there, you think?”

  “Must be,” Cole said. He looked down at his watch, that long-dormant impatience creeping back to the forefront. It’d been a while.

  “Good thing we’re all the way over here in Flyover Land,” Donnie was saying.

  “Yeah, it’s a good thing,” Cole said. “Donnie, forget about waiting. Let’s try to go around this.”

  “Side streets, sir?”

  “Up to you.”

  “I know a few shortcuts. I never told you this, but I used to live around here, sir.”

  “You never mentioned that.”

  “I mean, I was never in those high-rises or anything, but we got by.”

  “I’m sure you did. You never told me about your family.”

  “Not much to tell, sir. Just working folks.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  “No, sir, nothing at all.” Then, “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll get you home lickety-split.”

  “Thanks, Donnie.”

  “No. Thank you, sir.”

  “For what?”

  “You’ve always been super nice to me. I appreciate that, sir. My mom used to say being a good human being is doing things when you don’t have to. Like, being nice to a dumb kid that drives you around when you don’t have to.”

  Cole smiled. “You’re welcome, Donnie. Pay it forward, okay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Donnie leaned sideways and poked at the car’s LCD controls until a grid map of the city popped up. As he beeped his way through the options, Cole yawned again.

  “It’s gonna be a long trip, sir,” Donnie said. “I’ll wake you five miles out from home.”

  “Don’t forget, we’re stopping by the flower shop first.”

  “Gotcha. The missus will be happy about that.”

  Cole smiled, then thought about taking out his iPad and checking those strange news stories Donnie had mentioned coming out of New York, but he didn’t have the energy. Besides, everything was always bad on the news anyway. “If it bleeds, it leads,” went the journalism motto.

  He leaned back against the plush seat and closed his eyes instead. He’d just rest for a bit, try to catch up on some of that sleep that had eluded him all of last night and most of this morning. He wondered if he looked as tired as he felt. At least no one in the meeting had mentioned it; though of course they could have just been too polite.

  The last thing he heard was the computerized voice of the GPS telling Donnie to make a right turn in a quarter mile.

  Then he went to sleep.

  And while he did that, the big ‘ol shit-o-nothin’ happening on the East Coast became a very big ‘ol shit-o-somethin’ around him.

  Chapter 2

  “Are you really going to quit?” Roger asked.

  “I’m not exactly quitting,” Cole said. “I’m selling my shares in the company and handing everything over to you. That’s not the same as quitting.”

  “You’re quitting
.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Call it whatever you want. You’re a quitter. I never took you for a quitter.”

  Cole smirked. He knew what Roger was trying to do, and it wasn’t going to work. “Is my severance pay going to bounce?”

  Roger laughed. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  “Just wanted to make sure.”

  “You sure, now?”

  “No, but if it does bounce, I know where to find you.”

  Roger laughed even louder. “You think I’m scared of you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you’re right. Only an idiot wouldn’t be if they knew half the things I know about you.”

  “Let’s keep that on the down low, okay?”

  Roger rolled his eyes. It was a patented Roger eye roll, an Oh, come on, this is Roger you’re talking to maneuver. “Stay another five years, and you’ll be ten times as rich.”

  “I don’t need to be ten times as rich.”

  “Is that you talking or Emily?”

  “Emily is me.”

  His partner mimed, then made a whipping noise.

  Cole chuckled. “I’m going to tell Emily you did that.”

  “No, no, don’t!” Roger said. Then, slapping Cole on the shoulder, “Come on, let’s not keep your party waiting.”

  “No liquor,” Cole said.