When Ben climbed back up onto the tractor, he used an old towel Jack kept tied to the seat and a little spit to remove a spot of blood from the handle on the pistol. He definitely couldn’t bring the gun back like that. Satisfied it would pass inspection, he tucked it into his belt and headed back.
As he approached the outbuilding, he noticed that Joel had a shovel in his hands and was busy working. Only when Ben was closer did he realized what he was doing. He had covered the bloodstains on the ground with loose dirt from around the yard. Ben parked the tractor in the garage and shut it down. Joel was using the shovel handle to prop himself up and had already worked up a sweat.
Joel shrugged. “Just cleaning up a little. Didn’t want Bradley or Emma to see that.”
“Good thinking. I was wondering how we were going to clean that up.” The stains were near the entrance to the garage and right on the path to the house. Ben didn’t want the constant reminder about the day’s events while they were loading the trucks tonight.
Ben stopped in the shade next to Joel and rested for a minute against the building. It was cooling down, but the humidity was still brutal. The shovel made Ben think about the task ahead of them, and he glanced over at the magnolia tree in the far corner of the once-manicured yard.
Joel was looking at the tree now, too. “Are we going to bury Grandpa there?”
“I think we should. It’s what he wanted.”
“That’s where Grandma is, right?”
“Yeah, her ashes were spread there. You were pretty young then.”
“Then I think we should bury him there, too.” Joel looked down at the ground for a second and cleared his throat. “We owe him that much.”
Ben nodded. “That we do, son. That we do.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ben and Joel stood quietly and watched the clouds for a minute. Ben could have stayed there and let his mind drift with the clouds, but they needed to rejoin the others inside and help.
A strange peaceful feeling washed over him, or maybe it was a sense of relief. He no longer had to keep Jack’s secret to himself. It was a burden lifted from his conscience. Not that he would’ve ever hoped for this, but it was a release nonetheless.
He made up his mind to tell the kids the truth about Jack and what he was facing in the near future. Maybe it would be easier for them to cope with his death if they really knew what was going on with his health. After all, Jack was surrounded by loved ones when he passed. If they left him here like Jack wanted, he would have died alone and probably in a lot of pain. Hopefully the kids would see it that way, too.
“We better get back inside and help the others.” Ben smacked Joel on the shoulder and started closing the doors on the outbuilding.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Joel was still looking up at the forming clouds and reluctantly put the shovel away so he could help his dad lock up. Ben sensed Joel’s hesitation to go back inside, and he didn’t blame him one bit. There wasn’t anything to look forward to in the house, where they were going to have to deal with Jack’s body along with some tough emotional issues.
Once the garage was secure and Ben moved the Chevy pickup the two guys were driving around to the back side of the outbuilding, he and Joel headed inside. As soon as they opened the door, Gunner was there to greet them, his tail beating the wall loudly as it wagged with excitement. Ben wondered where Sam was. The dogs had been inseparable since everyone arrived the other day.
The house smelled of dog and cigar smoke, not to mention a few other things that made it feel grim. The closed curtains didn’t help with the overall cave-like feeling, and Ben’s newly gained optimism from his time outside with Joel began to fade. The main thing he noticed, though, was how hot and stuffy it had become inside the house. The coolness of the air-conditioning had long since worn off, and for the first time in a while, it felt better outside than in.
Everyone was gathered in the living room now, sitting quietly and no doubt in deep thought about all that had happened. When Ben and Joel entered, no one moved or said a word. They were all in a daze and in desperate need of some fresh air in the house. The staleness of the room was oppressive, and in the chaos of the afternoon, no one had thought to open the windows again. The coolness of the air-conditioning had long since worn off.
Ben opened the front door a few inches and had Joel crack a window. The effect was immediate, and a fresh breeze flowed through the room, getting everyone’s attention. Emma was the first one up and ran over to both of them with open arms. She caught Ben off guard and squeezed hard as she hung on. Bradley wasn’t far behind and joined in on the group hug. Allie came over next and stood by Joel with her arms around him and Emma. Sandy followed, and they all stayed huddled together for a minute or two.
Ben hated to break it up, but he felt the urge to get moving. The world they lived in didn’t allow for the luxury of mourning Jack’s passing for days or even hours. It would be easy to mope around here for the rest of the night while they tried to process everything that had happened, but they couldn’t afford to do that. He didn’t expect anyone to get over it quickly, especially the children, but they would have to be sad while they were productive if they were to make it out of here tomorrow morning. He also wanted to take advantage of the cooler temperatures while they lasted.
The front that was moving in had dropped the temperature outside a good fifteen degrees, and Ben saw no reason why they should wait any longer to start making final preparations to the vehicles. If they could get a head start, it would allow them extra time to rest tonight. It would also be a lot easier to organize the trucks and gear while they had daylight. Not having to use lights outside at night would also make him feel less exposed.
After what happened today, he had no intention of leaving the house vulnerable to any intruders. He was planning on staying up part of the night and keeping watch. Between him, Sandy, Joel, and Allie, they could take turns standing watch throughout the night. If they could each do a couple hours apiece, they should still be able to get enough rest to have a productive day of travel tomorrow.
They also needed extra time to tend to the burial. He considered digging the grave right now and getting Jack in the ground sooner rather than later, but it didn’t feel right, and he was afraid it would be too much too fast for the kids. Besides, with any luck, they would get a little rain and the ground would loosen up. Ben thought about the rock-hard dirt in the soybean field and shuddered at the thought of burning himself out digging a large enough hole for Jack.
As they all loosened their grips on one another and backed away from the group hug, Ben thought it might be as good a time as any to level with everyone about Jack’s condition. It might help ease their sorrow in some small way, and it would make him feel better to get it over with and off his chest.
“I need to tell you guys something about your grandpa.” Everyone stopped and listened to Ben. “You all know Grandpa was sick, but he was more than just sick. He was… Well, he was dying.” Ben paused to look at each one of his kids as well as Allie and her mother. They all had the same confused expression.
“What do you mean?” Joel asked. “He was dying? Like, soon?”
“Yeah, that’s the real reason he didn’t want to come with us. He wasn’t sure how much longer he had, but he was convinced it would be any day now. He ran out of his medicine a while ago and he felt like things were getting worse fast. He didn’t want us to have to deal with that, and he didn’t want to use valuable resources that we might need.” Ben paused as he scanned their faces for a reaction.
“What was wrong with him?” Bradley asked.
“Cancer,” Emma answered.
Ben was surprised to hear her say that. He had no idea she knew that much.
She looked down at the floor in an effort to avoid the stares. “I heard Grandpa and Mom talking a few weeks ago.”
“She’s right,” Ben confirmed. “I don’t know the details, but he’d been fighting it for some time now.”
/>
“I would have wanted him to come with us anyway,” Joel said, raising his voice. “I wish you had told us sooner, while he was alive.”
“He made me swear not to say a word. It was his last wish for me to keep it secret. Believe me, I tried on more than one occasion to convince him to come with us, but you know your grandpa. Once he makes up his mind about something, that’s it.”
“I had a feeling there was more to it than that,” Sandy chimed in. “He really didn’t look well. I noticed a difference in him the short time we were here.”
“He hung in there and tried to keep up appearances for as long as he could. He didn’t want you guys to worry, but when we got here, he knew you were in good hands and he could let go. What happened was a terrible thing, and I’m sad, just like you guys are, but try to think of this. Your grandpa loved you all very much, and he died protecting us. That’s what he would have wanted, given the circumstances. It may not be much of a consolation, but he was surrounded by family when he passed. I, for one, think that’s a far better option than him hanging on by a thread here after we left and then dying all alone.” It took Ben all he had not to choke on the words.
“I guess that’s why he wanted us to take Sam,” Bradley added.
“That’s right, buddy. Your grandpa always put others before himself, even old Sam.” Ben was glad to see that the kids were thinking about this in a positive light. Or at least that was what he hoped.
“We’re going to bury him tonight out under the tree by Grandma. Dad and I will dig the hole later,” Joel said. “It’s what Grandpa wanted.”
“I can help,” Allie offered.
“Me too,” Sandy added. “That’s going to be a lot of work.”
Ben felt like he had given the kids enough information for now and thought it was a good time to change the conversation.
“Thanks, but first I want to get the trucks packed and the gear sorted through. The plan is to get up early tomorrow, have breakfast, and get on the road.”
“Allie and I will go through the food and take inventory of what we have,” Sandy said.
“We should go through the kitchen first,” Allie added. “There’s no sense in leaving anything behind that might be useful.”
“Good thinking,” Ben said.
“Me and Bradley can help, too,” Emma offered.
“Good. We can get it all done if everybody chips in. Joel and I will get started sorting out the guns and ammo. Grandpa gave me most of the stuff from his safe.” Ben glanced at Joel. “Maybe you can give me a hand with it.”
“Sure.”
“All right. I guess that’s it for now. Let’s get to it. Oh, one other thing. Let’s open some windows and let some fresh air in here. It will do us all some good, and it’s actually pretty decent out right now.” As the group broke up and went to work opening windows, Ben motioned for Joel to follow him to Jack’s bedroom. Halfway down the hall, he stopped.
“I’ll meet you in there in a minute. I just want to check on something. Maybe you can get started separating the ammo,” Ben asked as he passed Joel and headed upstairs. He would have preferred to join Joel in the bedroom rather than do what he was about to do.
Ben wanted to wrap up Jack’s body and move him to the outbuilding. It was still going to be warm in the house, even with the windows open and especially upstairs. Not exactly ideal conditions to keep a body. He thought it would be best to get Jack out of the house for the kids’ sake. It would be better for morale, too. No one was about to forget what happened, but they didn’t need a constant reminder looming nearby.
When Ben reached the top of the stairway, he was greeted by a subdued Sam, who wagged her tail briefly but remained seated by the closed bedroom door. He felt sorry for the dog and knelt to scratch her head.
“Hey there, Sam. I’m sorry, girl, but don’t you worry. We’ll take good care of you. I promise.” Ben continued stroking Sam’s neck as he spoke. Sam’s eyes closed as she sat, solemnly guarding the door and basking in the attention Ben was giving her. The poor dog. Ben was pretty sure Sam knew exactly what was going on or at least that Jack was gone. A tear welled in his eye, and Ben felt a little silly for talking to the dog, but the feeling quickly passed when Sam leaned in and buried her face in Ben’s chest.
“It’ll be okay, girl. Everything’s going to be okay.” Ben wasn’t sure if he was saying that for the dog’s benefit or his.
Chapter Eighteen
Ben took another minute with Sam and regained his composure before he entered the bedroom. He expected Sam to follow him, but the dog remained at the door, watching his every move. To his surprise, Jack’s body was fully covered now, neatly wrapped in the comforter from head to toe. Sandy or Allie must have done it before they all went downstairs.
“I hope you don’t mind. I covered him up while Allie took the kids downstairs.” Sandy startled Ben. He hadn’t noticed her standing in the doorway. “Sorry,” she added. “I just came up to open some windows.”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks. I’m going to move him out of the house while the kids are busy,” Ben replied.
“I think that’s a good idea. They’re in the kitchen helping Allie right now. I’ll help you go out the front.”
Ben was surprised by how light Jack’s body was, a testament to how much his health had deteriorated. When Ben thought of Jack, he had the image of a man who was always busy around the house, fixing something or out back splitting wood for the winter ahead. In a way, Ben was glad Jack’s pain and suffering were over. Although he felt a little selfish for thinking this way, he was glad that the kids wouldn’t have to worry about him here by himself. It would be a load off of his mind. The thought of leaving Jack here had bothered him a lot, and the image of him wasting away all alone in this house would have haunted him all the way back to Colorado and beyond.
Fortunately, the kids were busy helping Allie in the kitchen, and with Sandy’s help, he was able to slip out with the body unnoticed. Ben made his way off the porch while making sure to keep an eye out for any activity. Sam followed this time. Once they were outside, she seemed to be in better spirits, stopping to smell the breeze from time to time. Sam investigated the spots Joel had covered with dirt to camouflage the blood-soaked ground while Ben placed the body in the back corner of the garage and covered it with a tarp.
“Come on, Sam. Let’s go.” Ben called out as he locked up and hurried back to the house. He wanted to get back to Joel and help him with the ammo. But more than that, he wanted to give Joel the 1911. It was a shame Jack didn’t have the chance to give it to Joel himself.
The house felt better already and lacked the dark, dank atmosphere it had when Ben first came inside with Joel a little while ago. The curtains were still drawn, allowing some light through, and the breeze moved around them now as well. He opened the door wide to let Sam scoot past him as she ran to greet Gunner, who was ready and waiting for his new friend. Gunner sniffed Sam from head to tail before the two disappeared into the living room with one of Sam’s rope toys.
Ben was glad to see a little life return to the old dog. Sam was no puppy, and Ben was concerned that between her age and the loss of Jack, she might not fully recover.
Sandy was in the kitchen, helping Allie and the kids. They had the contents of Jack’s cabinets and pantry spread out on the counters and kitchen table.
“We may have more than we can carry,” Allie quipped.
“If it’s worth taking, we’ll find a way.” Ben winked as he passed through on his way to Jack’s bedroom. They would, too; with extra mouths to feed, it was important to take all they could fit and more. He’d figure out a way to lash stuff on the roof of the Jeep if he had to.
Joel was making good progress sorting the ammunition and had started a list with quantities of each caliber. Ben was happy to see him hard at work. It was a good way to get his mind off all the bad things and work through his emotions. But it wasn’t the real reason he wanted to get Joel alone for a minute or two.
/> “Making good progress, I see.”
Joel looked over the various piles on the floor. “Yeah. Grandpa sure had a lot of ammo.”
“I guess you could say your grandpa was a bit of a prepper.”
“Well, that’s good for us, right?”
“For sure.” Ben turned to look for Jack’s .45. He found it on the bench at the foot of the bed.
“Here you go. Grandpa wanted you to have that. He was going to give it to you himself before we left tomorrow.”
“Really? Wow!” Joel took the pistol from his dad and slowly drew it from the holster. He walked over to the window and pulled the curtain aside to let more light in and inspect the intricate scrollwork that adorned both sides of the custom pistol. Joel studied the .45 for a minute more before putting it back in the holster and looking over at his dad. His eyes were red and he was fighting off tears.
“Well, I better finish up with the ammo so we can get it loaded up.” Joel struggled to get the words out smoothly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your grandpa’s health sooner. I should have been upfront with you,” Ben said.
Joel nodded. “It’s okay, Dad. I understand.”
Ben wasn’t sure if he really did understand, but maybe someday he would. He didn’t like keeping things from Joel, and in hindsight, he wished he had been upfront with him about what was going on with Jack.
“Come on. I’ll help you with the rest of this.” Eager to change the subject, Ben took a spot on the floor and started sorting through the rest of the ammunition. It didn’t take long to get it organized into piles of what they would keep out for easy access in each vehicle and what they would pack away under more crucial supplies.
They would be traveling with a well-stocked armory for the return trip, and from the looks of the kitchen, the MREs in the outbuilding, and what they already had, they would have plenty of food as well. If they had trouble getting home, it wouldn’t be due to a lack of supplies.
Dark Road (Book 6): Reckoning Page 9