“Look, you’re tired. If you want to stop, I could sleep some more. Let’s call it. Take this thing into the trees, let me sleep a couple of hours and then I’ll navigate us through town. We can get a fresh start.”
“Don’t you think it would be better to go through town now when no one is awake?”
“We could do that too. Go through town, park it somewhere on the other side. I know what you’re going to say. You’d rather keep going. Honestly, I’ve probably rested long enough. It felt good to get some sleep after I drove for so long. What do you want to do?”
Ben stopped the Ranger and exhaled slowly trying to release some of his anger so he could think. “I want to keep going, make good time. But it means nothing if we have to keep running or hiding from that white truck. If they show up again, we could be playing this cat and mouse game for miles. On the other hand, it’s too cold to stay parked for long. The choices we have are not great.” He looked at Nate. “I need a minute.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the steering wheel as he said a silent prayer for guidance. His brain was foggy from exhaustion, his head hurt, his arm throbbed, his entire body was cramping from whiplash and from sitting in the seats for so long, his fingers and toes were going numb, and yet he felt they should go on. Continuing to head south where the weather was tolerable was as important as avoiding the assailants in the white truck. He tugged on his gloves so he could warm his fingers in the palms of his hands.
“What are you feeling? What do you feel compelled to do?” Ben asked without going all spiritual.
Nate opened his eyes. “I feel very strongly we must keep going and that it’s my turn to drive.”
“I feel the same. Well, not so clear on who is to be driving but that we need to keep going.” Ben didn’t hesitate to swap spots with Nate.
It was an ordeal to get comfortable with the sleeping bags and blankets piled on for warmth before they headed out on the road again.
Ben’s head bobbed as he fought sleep when they finally spotted an actual sign for the town up ahead. He struggled to stay awake as they approached Haines Junction.
30
Ben
More light illuminated the sky as they approached Haines Junction. It had been eight days since he had last talked to Tammy. His heart ached to hear her voice. Nate bumped Ben’s arm gently.
“I need you to keep an eye out for the unfriendlies. There have been quite a few vehicles parked close to the road the closer we get to town. There was a sign saying the gas in town is limited until further notice.”
They passed an RV park and Ben couldn’t see much through the tape and condensation on the vinyl window.
“I’m going to have to open this thing to see.” He hesitated because he knew they’d lose what little heat they had. He popped it open some and peered out to get a good look. He pinched his nose and blinked back the water in his eyes when the cold hit them. There were several cars parked in the large clearing that he assumed was an oversized pull-off area. The snow was deep and all their tracks had been covered during the night. Then he noticed some tire tracks in the snow on the road that didn’t look that old but had been blown over somewhat so they weren’t very prominent.
“Have you been keeping an eye on those tracks?” Ben asked.
“I noticed but I’m having a hard time with the snow that’s blowing into the windshield. Makes my ability to focus on anything but where I want to go impossible. I’ve slowed down plenty. That’s why I asked for your help.”
Ben spotted a white truck at the next business they came across. He inhaled sharply. He realized the truck was older and the tires were huge. It was nothing to worry about. The tracks were still going down the road. He felt like there was the potential of being ambushed at every place there was a streetlight, or lights from the businesses, and at every opening for a parking lot or road. Still, they pressed on and signs were suddenly abundant, redundantly informing them there was a stop sign at an intersection up ahead. Ben watched his side of the road while Nate watched the other side. There were tracks leading into the motel parking lot and it looked like a vehicle had pulled in and out of the driveway.
“There are tracks on this side leading to the gas station.” Nate gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“There’s quite a few vehicles parked over there and some tracks here too. There’s been quite a bit of recent traffic in town.”
“Maybe law enforcement?”
“That would be nice. Maybe we aren’t in as much danger here.” As soon as Ben said that he spotted a white truck parked down the road from the intersection where they had to stop. “Ah, a white truck. This one has potential.”
“And there’s another one parked on the other side of that gas station. Might be parked at that motel actually.” Nate stopped at the intersection. “Why aren’t there any signs about any of these roads? I didn’t notice any signs except all the ones announcing we were about to approach that stop sign.”
“I’ve been busy looking for that truck.” He thought for sure he saw some headlights reflecting off the snow coming from one of the businesses or it could be the white truck he saw moments earlier because when he looked back, it was gone. “Just go.”
Nate went straight ahead. And they both kept an eye on the road behind them as he picked up the pace. They were a decent distance from the intersection when headlights turned onto the road behind them. Nate picked up the pace and things were starting to look odd. There was a subdivision and then another. As they kept going, the trees were getting closer and closer to the road. Ben watched the vehicle behind them turn off into one of the neighborhoods.
“We’re good. They’re gone.”
“This town is bigger than I anticipated. I thought we were just at a junction. There are quite a few homes along this road. What would these people do for work out here? And put up with nasty winters out in the middle of nowhere? I say that as someone who deals with a hardy Montana winter in the country,” Nate shook his head scoffing at what he said as he slowed down. “Why does this road seem so narrow? This whole trip the road has been wide enough that they could have made the road four lanes instead of two easily. This is looking more like a backroad and not a highway.”
“You’re right. I was thinking the same thing.” Ben grabbed the pile of maps Nate set in the back when they switched places. He turned on a flashlight and scanned through the pages until he found the one that had been printed for Haines Junction. “I thought this town was after Whitehorse. Robert printed out Haines Junction because we were supposed to turn back at that stop sign.”
Nate stopped the Ranger so he could look at the map with Ben. “Should we go back? Or is there any way this bypasses the town and leads to one of the highways? I’d rather skip the town.”
“It could lead us to the one highway we aren’t supposed to be on. But I can’t tell what’s what on this poorly printed little map. There’s no names on any of the roads.” Ben grabbed the larger atlas with all the states and Canadian Provinces in it. He found Haines Junction. “Comparing these two maps, I believe that this road does head to the Yukon highway or the Alcan. The one we’ve been on. It gets us clear of Haines Junction. I think it would be wise to stay on this one. We are in the perfect vehicle if the road is questionable.”
“Yeah.” Nate scratched the scruff that had grown on his chin. He looked closer at the map. “Yeah. I was stressing back there in that town. I think this is a much better way to go. As long as I can figure out where the road is because there’s been zero traffic out here. How many white trucks did we see?”
“I counted about four in that little stretch of town we passed through. But white is apparently the most common color of car. My wife used to say that at least fifty percent of the cars and trucks on the road and in parking lots were white. The other fifty are all the other colors. It’s true. At least where we live.”
Nate settled back in his seat and handed Ben the map. “Now that I know where we are going, I’m set to keep dr
iving. You can try to sleep and I’ll be extra watchful for living and breathing obstacles in the road while I go.”
“Are you trying to say something?” Ben narrowed his eyes and scrunched up his mouth so he wouldn’t smile.
“Maybe.” Nate smiled at Ben. “Seriously though, the Yukon has been as active with wildlife in winter as Yellowstone is in early summer.”
“That’s no joke.” Ben shifted his weight in his seat until he was sort of comfortable. Pain was not a welcome companion. He’d had quite enough. He wanted to sleep desperately as the cold nipped at his nose and ears. He knew a hat would further irritate his head wound so he worked on wrapping the blanket on top of his head which aggravated his arm even more. He was getting frustrated and finally gave up on warming up his face.
Ben was dozing when Nate started mumbling. The muttering kept waking him when he was close to being totally asleep. He opened his eyes and quickly saw what had to be stressing Nate out. The road had narrowed significantly and the wind was blowing the snow into what looked like a swirling fog on the ground.
“What’s got you talking to yourself?” Ben moved the blanket so he could see his friend.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. The road is still here but is so narrow now and I know there was a metal culvert running alongside the road but I can’t see the shape of it now under the snow because it’s blowing so much that it looks like a dense fog so I can’t tell where the road is.” Nate stopped and sighed. “I just need a minute. I’m struggling with all the white. I can keep driving. It’s just messing with my eyes and making my head throb.”
Ben looked at Nate with annoyance but he was too busy driving to notice.
“I’ve been thinking that we should refuel but the idea of digging through the back in this wind doesn’t appeal to me.” Nate leaned closer to the steering wheel.
“Are you saying you want to park it for a bit?” Ben’s legs were cramping from sitting for so long that it just added to his misery. He straightened his legs as much as could but he couldn’t extend them all the way.
“Maybe.”
“It may not be any warmer when the sun comes up, you know.”
Ben was restless as Nate parked the UTV in the middle of the road. He kept trying to turn and look behind them and in front but it was obvious the road wasn’t traveled on often. There was bent over tall dry grass and withering fireweed shooting up through the snow close to the road that made it seem like it was only wide enough for one vehicle.
“Do you want me to drive? Because I’ll do it. I’m not going to be able to sleep if you plan on sitting here for long.”
“I’d like to check the oil since we’ve driven this thing so hard but it’s cold and we don’t have any real heat to warm up with when I’m done.” Nate squeezed his hands in between his legs to warm them.
“You are a Montana man with a farm. You can’t tell me this cold is getting to you that bad.” Ben wished he’d kept that comment to himself. He let his irritation spill over and Nate had been nothing but gracious in spite of all the issues Ben had encountered since they crossed the border.
“No, it’s not that bad. Don’t worry. I’ll get to it.” He wouldn’t look at Ben as he snatched the flashlight and stormed out of the Ranger.
Ben waited a few minutes to let the cold air cool Nate’s heated attitude. He was ready to help Nate but he stumbled out his door when the sleeping bag caught his foot. He fell and started swearing when pain shot through his body after he landed on his bad arm. He was sprawled out in the snow with his eyes squeezed shut as he struggled to cope with the agony when he heard a sound he knew didn’t come from Nate and his breath caught in his throat.
A flashlight blinded him and he stayed put. He couldn’t do much while he was overcome with muscle spasms in his legs and the piercing pain from landing on his arm. He moaned as he rolled on his side so he could reach for his gun.
“It’s loaded and I know how to use it,” a woman said from the other side of the flashlight.
Ben rested his head on the ground when shifting his weight made the pain unbearable. His head was spinning and nausea took over. He hadn’t eaten in hours. He was so lightheaded, he knew he was passing out and unable to stop it. He tried to show that his hands were empty but that movement flared up the pain some more. His prone position with his feet still in the Ranger created too much pressure in his head. There was no toughing it out. He couldn’t even see the woman standing before him. The light shining in his eyes turned into a tunnel of black before he was out.
31
Ben
Ben came to and was in just as much pain as he was when he passed out. He was disoriented but he knew they were in danger and that’s what kept going through his head as he came around.
He remembered the flashlight, the sound of someone loading a gun but not firing, and that it was a woman that was threatening them. No new pain. He hadn’t been shot. He was careful not to draw attention to himself as he slowly turned his head to look for the Ranger. It was still there. He hadn’t realized his foot was still bound up in the sleeping bag resting on the floorboard. He tilted his head to figure out what he had dislodged from underneath the seat. The handle of something dangled halfway out from a black box just above his leg.
It was too quiet. Hopefully, Nate was still alive.
“Come on. Tell me, what do you need? There’s no need for that gun. We can probably help you with your car. Think about what you’re doing. We’re nice guys. We have kids your age. We aren’t going to hurt you.”
“My car is beyond fixing.” The woman’s voice was frantic but so was Nate. “I don’t need any man’s help.”
Ben stayed put where he was as he moved slowly to search for his gun. He couldn’t find it. He knew he wasn’t out for long but it must have been long enough for her to disarm him. He needed that thing that was dangling from the seat. He had an idea what it was and he really wanted it. The young woman was standing where she could keep an eye on him and Nate at the same time but she never looked back over at him. To Ben, she looked more like a girl, though
He slid his foot under the device that looked a little like a nerf gun and wiggled his toes to dislodge it. It fell on his sleeping bag between his ankles. He carefully raised his legs so it would slowly slide down the slick material of the sleeping bag. He couldn’t make any sudden moves. But he couldn’t waste time as her agitation was growing with Nate’s pleading to let them help her. It stopped sliding at his hip. He could reach for it but his hand was next to his face.
Nate was solely focused on her. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as if she was convincing herself that she should shoot him. She tensed looking like she was about to go through with it when she suddenly glanced back to the trees behind her. Maybe someone else was lurking there.
Ben took a chance and reached for the device. When it was in his hand, he moved it close to the ground where he could see it as he bit his lip hard so he wouldn’t moan in pain. He got familiar with it quickly and hoped the taser was charged, loaded with a cartridge, and prepared to go off. When he disengaged the safety, he discovered it had a laser to help him find his target. He only had one chance and if it failed, he was likely a dead man. When she noticed he was moving, she turned her gun on him and then back at Nate suddenly conflicted as to who she should shoot first. She was so distracted, she didn’t see the red light shining on her hip.
An infant started to cry and it was coming from the trees. She let down her guard long enough for Ben to shoot the taser.
She dropped her handgun and stiffened before she collapsed to the ground yelling as she went. Her body stayed stiff for what seemed like a long time. Nate grabbed her weapon and the one she took from Ben before he removed the prongs of the taser that had penetrated through her leggings.
Ben struggled to get on his feet when he was trying to figure out where a baby could be hiding as it cried somewhere in the trees.
He cocked his head to the side to listen. “Fo
r crying out loud, why couldn’t you just ask for help like a normal person?” Ben had an idea which way to go when he shook out his sleeping bag to find his flashlight.
The woman on the ground was screaming at him to leave the baby alone even though she couldn’t sit up yet.
The racket she was making made it difficult to determine where the crying was coming from. The baby’s cries were slightly muffled so he didn’t know if he was looking for a vehicle or whatever she used to hide the baby in the snowy forest.
He swung the flashlight in the area where he thought the sounds were coming from. With his compromised hearing it was difficult for him to determine location. When he was searching with the flashlight, he saw something reflect back at him near the base of a tree deeper in the woods. But it quickly disappeared.
He swept the light around the area again once he was closer and finally, he found it. The reflector sticker on an infant car seat. He rushed over to the bushes. The baby cried louder. He could tell by the cries that the baby wasn’t very old. He tripped over a black bag covered in snow. The base of an infant car seat was in full view even though the top was covered with a white blanket so it was easy to miss in the snow. Underneath the blanket was one of those car seat covers that trapped the baby’s warmth inside. He picked up the car seat and gently swung it. He didn’t want to chill the baby by opening the flap to look inside. The movement eased the baby’s distress. However, he couldn’t carry the baby and the bag at the same time because of his injured arm.
The shot of adrenaline from the woman with the gun and the distressed baby made him forget that he was still lightheaded from his empty stomach. As he reached the Ranger, Nate was crouched down with a handgun resting on his lap as he kept watch over the girl.
Endure Series (Book 2): Enduring The Journey: Page 20