His heart sank as he rounded the next corner and saw a steel access gate blocking their path. The rusty gate was closed and secured in place to a tree with a heavy chain. At the other end, the gate was attached to another large tree with large lag bolts. Surrounding the two trees was thick brush that ran down both sides of the trail. The small trees and brush blocking the way around was so thick that he couldn’t see more than a couple of feet into the woods. There was no way to know if they could drive around the gate, and the risk of damaging the vehicles was too great.
Ben brought the Blazer to a slow stop about ten yards from the gate and put it in park. He watched in the rearview mirror while Joel parked behind them. He wasn’t about to let this stop their progress. They weren’t giving up that easy. They couldn’t go back. If they did, they would have to take the fork in the road they’d passed a while back, and that looked like it would take them farther into the mountains and burn up more valuable time and fuel. Ben was starting to get frustrated. He’d hoped to be much farther along by this time.
He found himself once again reaching for the Desert Eagle; the gun was proving to be a valuable tool. Today it would be the key that unlocked the gate. But it wasn’t the only reason he grabbed the hefty pistol from the console. He had an uneasy feeling about the gate and the position they were in. He didn’t like that their field of view was so limited. Even their line of sight back up the trail was cut short because of the sharp corner they had just come around. On top of that, he thought it was unusual to have a gate out here in the middle of nowhere—and on public land at that.
There was no sign warning of limited access or declaring the area off limits like he was used to seeing on state or government land; this gate felt out of place and unofficial. Unless this was private land, but he doubted that, too. If that were the case, there would have been no-trespassing signs or some other kind of warning. Private land adjacent to public land or public access was usually littered with signs warning people to keep out. No, something wasn’t right about this; he could feel it in his bones.
He slid out of the truck but left it running. He didn’t plan on staying here any longer than it took him to shoot the lock off the chain and free the gate. He signaled for Joel to stay put in the Jeep, wanting him ready to move out as soon as he cleared the way. Ben kept his head on a swivel as he made his way up to the gate, but it was pointless thanks to the thick undergrowth impeding his view in every direction.
Once he was close to the gate, he noticed something unsettling about the hinges mounted to the large tree growing just off the trail. The bark of the tree around the hinges was freshly scarred and still light in color. This gate had been mounted here recently. Now he knew something was wrong.
He moved the thick chain around as best as he could to expose the lock, but there was no lock to be found. Whoever did this had welded the links together; it was one continuous piece wrapped around the gate and the tree. It didn’t matter. He could still blast through it. It would take longer and be a little harder, but it could be done. Ben moved a few steps to the side and took aim at one of the sections of chain wrapped around the tree.
Boom!
The shot echoed through the forest and sounded more like a cannon than a sidearm. Ben inspected the link he was aiming for and saw that it had only blasted about half of the material away. This was one tough chain, and he realized it was going to take more than a couple of shots to work through the hardened steel. He squared up on the target again and prepared to fire but stopped cold.
There was no mistaking the pressure on the back of his neck for anything other than the barrel of a gun.
“Let it drop,” the scratchy voice behind him ordered.
Ben was confused at first. Where did this person come from and why didn’t the others warn him? Ben’s pistol made a heavy thud as it hit the ground, and he felt the pressure of the gun at his neck disappear.
“Go ahead and turn around with your hands where I can see them,” the same voice said. As Ben turned, he saw the severity of his situation. The vehicles were surrounded by people with guns. There were two men and a woman around the Jeep, holding Joel, Allie, and Bradley at gunpoint. Another small group was at the Blazer, threatening Sandy and Emma.
Ben completed his one-eighty and laid eyes on his captor. The voice he heard matched the wrinkled and weathered face of the old man now standing in front of him. Ben still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How had this many people appeared out of nowhere? They must have been hiding in the brush just off the trail. Between the truck running and the report of the pistol, he’d missed their approach.
“What are you all doin’ out here?” the man barked.
“There’s a tree down on the main road. We’re just trying to find a way around.” He tried to reason with the man, but judging by the look on his face, it didn’t matter what Ben had to say. Just then, Gunner started to bark at the people outside the Jeep. Sam joined in from the Blazer, and Ben could see the tension rising as the people holding the vehicles hostage looked back and forth to the old man for direction.
“Shut them dogs up or we’ll do it for you,” the old man said, and Ben could tell that he meant it. Allie and Joel did their best to calm Gunner and were successful at reducing his protest to a low growl. Emma and Sandy calmed Sam down, but Emma had to hold her by the snoot to achieve silence.
At that moment, a pickup rolled around the corner behind them. Then another behind that. Both trucks were spray-painted camouflage with colors that matched the half-dry foliage around them. There was no denying the trucks were painted to match these woods in particular, and that was the moment that Ben knew they were in big trouble.
There would be no talking his way out of this. He wasn’t sure how they had managed it, but these people were responsible for the downed tree on the highway. This was a trap, and they had walked right into it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ben thought about making a grab for the old man’s gun, but it was too risky. There were too many of them, and they had the kids and Sandy at gunpoint. These people didn’t look like they were afraid to shoot anyone who gave them trouble. Ben had met enough bad people in his lifetime to know the difference between a bluff and the real deal. And now there were four more of them, undoubtedly armed as well, approaching in the pickups.
They were outnumbered two to one, and there was no telling how many more were lurking in the woods out of sight. Any attempt to take control of the situation through force would most likely result in one of the kids or Sandy getting hurt or, worse, killed.
Ben hated feeling helpless, but the best thing to do was stay calm and go along with whatever they wanted for the time being. But more than anything, he was angry that he hadn’t seen this coming. His hopes for the day vanished and new feelings of disappointment, worry, and anger flooded his thoughts.
“Get ’em out of the trucks,” the old man ordered.
He was clearly the leader of this band of criminals. Without hesitation, the rest of his gang followed the order and began to open the doors on the Jeep and Blazer. They motioned with their guns for everyone to get out and move to the side of the trail.
“Keep those dogs under control,” one of the gang demanded as he stepped back to give Gunner a wide berth, narrowly avoiding an attempt by the dog to bite him. The man raised his rifle as if he were going to strike Gunner with it, but Allie yanked him back to her side by his collar before the man could follow through. She struggled to keep him calm, and fortunately Gunner settled down a little when they reached the side of the trail. Still, the dog was more than ready to tear into their captors if given the opportunity. Ben felt the same way.
“Leave the keys,” another of the gang told Joel. Reluctantly, Joel tossed the keys toward the man, but they landed out of his reach.
“Watch yourself, boy,” the man snarled. Ben was worried that Joel was going to try something or at the very least aggravate these idiots to the point that they might hurt someone. His stom
ach churned as he thought about the consequences of Joel refusing to cooperate with their demands.
Emma was doing her best to fight off tears as she climbed out of the Blazer slowly. The old man kept his gun on Ben, and as much as he wanted to run to Emma and hold her, he knew better than to move. It gave him a small amount of relief to see Sandy pull Emma close while holding Sam’s collar with the other hand. Sandy and the kids hastily huddled together at one side of the trail.
Ben recognized the look on Joel’s face; his son was thinking about lashing out at their captors. He hoped Joel would look in his direction so that he could signal him to stay calm and not try anything foolish, but Joel refused to lift his gaze from one of the men standing closest to the group.
Come on, Joel. Keep it together. Now is not the time, Ben thought.
The pickups stopped behind the Jeep, and the people inside slowly unloaded. They all carried AR-style rifles and were dressed in camouflage hunting gear for the most part. Two of the men joined the rest of the gang, but the other two made their way around to the back of the pickups and dropped the tailgates with a loud bang that rang out through the otherwise quiet woods.
“I want ’em searched and I want the dogs in the cages.” The old man kept an eye on Ben while he bent down and scooped up the Desert Eagle. He glanced at the gun as a sinister smile crept across his face, revealing a row of crooked yellow teeth. Ben wasn’t sure how long these people had been living out here, but by the looks of them, it was long before the EMPs hit. The man looked the pistol over for a second or two and then shoved it into his waistband.
Ben forced himself to turn away for fear that he wouldn’t be able to control himself if he continued looking at the man’s smug face. The rest of the gang began corralling Sandy and the kids to the back of the pickups.
There were animal cages in the back of one of the trucks. Two of the men kept their guns trained on the dogs while forcing Sandy and Allie to load them inside. At that moment, Ben realized that these people had been watching them for some time now. Maybe they had been watching from the woods as far back as the downed tree. It was a little too coincidental that they had two Gunner- and Sam-sized cages handy.
Both dogs protested to being locked up, but with much effort, Sandy and Allie managed to get them into the cages. Once the dogs were kenneled, Ben was surprised to see them calm down and remain quiet on their own; it was like they had accepted defeat for the time being. He felt bad for them both. Gunner looked sullen the way he did after being scolded for going through the kitchen trash. Ben was glad for their sakes, though; otherwise, the men near the truck might have done something about it. He didn’t want to see the dogs get hurt.
He wondered why they hadn’t killed the dogs right away. It was a morbid thought, but it was a detail he noticed. The dogs, especially Gunner, were a very real threat. Why would they risk dealing with them? Why keep them alive? Ben had a few thoughts as to why but didn’t want to think about that right now. Besides, they had bigger problems to deal with.
With the dogs loaded, a couple of the men began to search Sandy and the kids for weapons. One of the men took longer than necessary when he got to Sandy, and Ben felt his blood pressure rise. Another one of the men searched Allie in the same manner, and Joel snapped. He lunged for the guy but was cut short by a rifle butt to the stomach. Joel doubled over and dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, the wind knocked out of him.
Ben’s emotions took control. Out of instinct, he stepped forward but found himself staring at the barrel of a shotgun. He felt like he was going to explode as visions of wrapping his hands around the old man’s neck filled his head. His jaw tightened as he ground his teeth together. He had to stay calm, as hard as it was. He wouldn’t be able to help his kids if he was dead.
“Don’t even think about it. It’d be a shame if your wife and kids had to see you die.” The old man pushed the barrel closer to Ben’s face as he spoke.
Ben looked away and ignored him as best as he could. He didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he cared about what he was saying. Instead, he turned his attention to his son. Joel had recovered from the blow. Slowly getting to his feet, he went to join the others, who were now huddled together in the back of the truck without the dog cages. Bradley and Allie helped him up.
Joel looked over at his dad and nodded. “I’m okay.” He mouthed the words.
“Next time you won’t be so lucky,” the old man said as Ben felt the barrel of the gun drive into his back and push him toward the pickup. One of the others gave him a thorough pat-down and removed the knife from his front pocket. “Go on. Get in the truck.”
Ben did as he was told and climbed up into the truck bed. He made his way over to the kids first and put his arms around them.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this. I promise,” Ben whispered. It broke his heart to hear Emma sobbing, but more than that, it fueled the fire already burning in his chest. He pulled her closer and held on tightly. They were all scared, and rightfully so—all except Joel, who was too busy being angry. If looks could kill, he would have murdered them all on the spot.
“Just go along for now. We’ll figure this out.” Ben squeezed his son’s knee and tried to get him to make eye contact. Cooler heads would prevail.
One of the men who had been in the first pickup approached and threw a bunch of cloth bags at them. “Cover your heads,” he barked.
The leader who had held Ben at gunpoint approached the other side of the truck. “Go on, do what he says.”
Ben nodded at Sandy and the kids. “It’s okay.” He watched as they covered their heads one by one with the bags. Before he started to put on his, he took another look around and caught the eye of the old man. This wasn’t the first time they had taken people hostage. They might have looked like a bunch of unkempt country bumpkins, but they were too well organized for this to be their first time. Ben wondered how many innocent travelers they’d lured into their trap and killed.
“Enjoy the ride,” the old man said sarcastically.
Ben hated this man and vowed then and there to kill him. He didn’t know how, and he didn’t know when, but he would get revenge. These subhuman scumbags would pay for this.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Once the bags were over their heads, they were all ordered to put their hands out in front of them. Shortly after that, Ben felt a zip tie being fastened around his wrists.
Rookie mistake, Ben thought. He assumed the same was happening to the others, but he had no idea; he hated not being able to see what was going on. The tailgate slammed shut, and a few seconds later, he felt the truck start up and heard multiple doors closing.
“Where are we going?” Ben asked the question but wasn’t expecting an answer. He really just wanted to know if one of the gang was riding in the back with them or if they were alone. They wouldn’t tell him where they were going, but based on how they had behaved earlier, Ben assumed they would at least make a comment.
“I don’t think they’re going to tell us that,” Sandy said with a tearful voice.
“I wasn’t counting on it, but at least we know we’re alone,” Ben whispered just loud enough for the others to hear him over the loud exhaust note of the truck.
Ben heard the other vehicles start and then felt movement as the pickup began to back up. He could only assume they were headed to the fork they had passed in the trail on the way down the mountain. Where else could the trucks have come from? Unless they had another route camouflaged with brush or something. But he had been extra-observant on the way down, searching for other trails. Maybe the trucks had been hidden out of sight.
Ben did his best to counteract the bouncing and rocking as the truck navigated the rough trail. He couldn’t see anything through the mask, but he could tell they were backing up; they had to be. The chain was welded so backward was the only way out. He could also hear Emma breathing heavily and occasionally crying.
“Em, I promise you I won’t let an
ything happen to us. We’ll get out of this.” Ben moved over toward her, careful to keep his head down.
“How are we going to get out of this?” Joel asked.
“Make sure you keep your head down. I don’t want them to see us talking. And as far as us getting out of this, we’ll have to wait and see where we’re going first. There’s always a way. We’ve been in plenty of tough spots before and managed.”
“What do you think they want with us?” Allie asked.
“I don’t know, but we need them to think we’ve given up. If they think that, they’ll be more likely to let their guard down.” Ben didn’t know what they wanted with them, but he had some ideas he wasn’t willing to share with the others.
“They probably just want our supplies,” he added quickly.
“But we need that stuff to get home.” Emma’s voice cracked. Ben was glad to hear her speak up. She was down but not out and at least thinking clearly.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. They aren’t going to get it. We just need them to think they are. Can everybody go along with that for now?” Ben was mainly talking to Joel, but he didn’t want to single him out. He couldn’t rightfully blame the kid for attempting to exact revenge on the guy who searched Allie; love was a powerful motivator. Ben had wanted to do the same to the sorry excuse of a man. The only thing keeping him from exploding in the moment was experience.
He heard a weak round of verbal agreement from everyone as they acknowledged their willingness to stay calm and go along with the plan.
“These guys may seem like they know what they’re doing, but they really don’t. They’ve already made their first mistake,” Ben added.
Dark Road (Book 7): Deception Page 12