Dark Road (Book 6): Reckoning

by Miller, Bruno

  Seeing the piles of gear come together put Ben’s mind at ease a little. Providing enough resources for all these people was one of his main concerns from the start. That wasn’t to say he still didn’t have plenty to worry about. Beyond their control were a lot of other factors that they would surely encounter along the way. He tried to remain optimistic, but the reality was that they would see more of what they’d run into on the trip here. No one thought the trip back would be easy, but thinking it wouldn’t be just as dangerous was foolish.

  Things weren’t getting any easier out there, and there would be more desperate people willing to do anything to survive. The ones who had managed to endure the hardships of this new world for this long would present a more formidable challenge. They would be the ones with the skills and the tenacity it took to withstand these dire conditions. The survivors who had held out this long because they had supplies and had been in hiding until now would soon be out and about.

  Even the amateur preppers who considered themselves prepared and somewhat resourceful would be wearing thin by now. The stakes would be higher, and people driven by hunger and desperation would be bolder in their attempts to take what they needed. Ben couldn’t afford to underestimate any person or group he encountered on the road, and he wouldn’t. There would be no more giving folks the benefit of the doubt. As far as Ben was concerned, everyone was suspect and would be considered hostile until proven otherwise.

  It meant more cold-camping; the luxury of a fire would be too risky. Even using the smokeless method wasn’t foolproof, and they would have to play it safe unless they were absolutely sure no one was around. They’d utilize the use of the gas stoves for as long as the fuel held out. Even then, there was the risk of someone smelling them or whatever they were cooking.

  Both vehicles had four-wheel drive and were capable off-road rigs. Maybe it was time to use them more in that regard. Moving off the road farther during the night, or even when they rested during the heat of the day, would be worth the effort if it meant avoiding trouble.

  There were also more of them now, and that meant more responsibility on him. Joel and Allie were capable and had come a long way since they pulled out of Durango that first morning, and from what he’d seen so far, Sandy was no slouch when it came to pulling her own weight. She seemed more than happy to do her share to help out, and although unproven, she claimed to know how to use a gun. But even when he took all this into consideration, he still felt responsible for the group’s well-being. If anything happened to any one of them, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

  Chapter Nineteen

  With the ammunition sorted and ready to load into the trucks, Ben and Joel headed into the kitchen. It was getting close to dinnertime, and the darkening sky made it seem even later. When they entered the kitchen, Ben could see that Sandy and the kids were wrapping up their efforts in there as well.

  “Everything okay?” Allie eyed the AR-15 Ben was carrying. It was the one with the nice Trijicon scope from Jack’s safe. Ben had loaded up a couple of magazines for it and had intended to keep it in the living room, along with the KSG, for the time being, just in case.

  “Sorry, yeah. I just wanted to keep this out here for easy access if there was any more trouble.” Ben felt bad for coming out into the living room while loaded to the hilt with guns. He imagined how it must have appeared, and by the looks on Bradley’s and Emma’s faces, he realized that Allie wasn’t the only one he had alarmed.

  “I was going to start dinner. Do you want me to use the camp stove or should we use the generator to power the range?” Sandy asked.

  Ben thought about it for a second while he peeked through the living room window once more for any signs of life. He didn’t see anything outside. They might as well take advantage of the generator while they had it. He wanted to make more ice to help keep the deer meat in Jack’s freezer from spoiling, and he also wanted extra for the coolers they were taking with them in the morning.

  “Yeah, why not? I guess it’s time to pull the trucks out and get them ready.”

  “We’ve only got a couple more hours of daylight if we’re lucky, and it’s getting darker out early with the incoming storm,” Joel mentioned.

  “Okay, Joel and I can get started, and then everyone can help out after dinner.”

  “Can I come out with you guys?” Bradley asked.

  “Sure,” Joel answered before Ben had a chance to think about it, but he didn’t have the heart to tell Bradley no. And he didn’t want to scare the kids anymore by telling them that he was worried someone would retaliate for the men they had killed. He was pretty sure the intruders weren’t alone. Neither of the guys seemed like they had the smarts to make it this far on their own.

  “Give me a minute and I’ll have the generator up and running.” Ben kept the AR-15 and leaned the KSG up against the wall between the kitchen and living room. They had weapons in the Blazer if they ran into any trouble outside, but he wanted the Trijicon ACOG scope with them. Even with limited light outside, he’d be able to see clearly across the field thanks to the tritium fiber optic-illuminated reticle. It wasn’t night vision by any stretch, but it was the next best thing.

  “I’m leaving the shotgun here for you guys, just in case. It’s loaded and the safety is on,” Ben announced. He knew Allie had her shotgun handy and hoped that Sandy was keeping the .38 nearby, but having a little extra protection couldn’t hurt. It did give Ben an idea, though: maybe tomorrow, before they left, they should do a little shooting. It would be a good opportunity to make sure everyone could operate the various weapons they had.

  It wouldn’t matter if the shooting drew any attention from people nearby. It wouldn’t take long to give everyone a crash course on the new guns and practice a little with the ones they carried. As long as they were all packed up and ready to pull out, they would be gone by the time anyone came to investigate. A half-hour or so of range time was a small price to pay for peace of mind and knowing that, if and when the time came to fight, they would be ready.

  Ben held the door wide open. “We’re taking the dogs with us.” Gunner and Sam took the cue and bolted out the door like it was the first time they’d ever been let out of the house. The dogs flew down the steps and began to chase each other around the yard in tight circles. Sam seemed to have forgotten about Jack for the time being. Either that or the cooler weather and Gunner’s persistence had finally persuaded her to play.

  Bradley and Joel followed their dad outside, and the three paused for a minute on the back deck. The temperature had dropped even more, and it actually felt nice out for a change. Ben was glad they waited to organize and pack the trucks.

  “Can I see that?” Joel asked as he admired the AR-15.

  “Sure.” Ben handed him the rifle.

  “I just want to look through the scope for a second.”

  “You might as well hang onto it for now and keep an eye out while you’re at it. I’ll get the garage opened up so we can move the trucks out after I start the generator.” Ben left the boys on the deck and headed down into the yard, all the while keeping an eye out himself.

  If it wasn’t for Jack’s death, he’d be feeling pretty good about things right now. He had all of his kids, and they were heading home tomorrow with more supplies than he’d ever hoped for. It had been good to recharge here for a night or two, but he was anxious to get back on the road.

  The outbuilding was dark, and Ben used his flashlight to find his way to the generator and start it up. He wished it was in a separate room that he could close off. It was loud in the garage, and once he pulled the Blazer and Jeep outside, he would have to close the doors so they wouldn’t broadcast the sound.

  Ben flipped the switch and turned it off. On second thought, he decided to move all the gear out before starting up the generator. He feared he was becoming too comfortable again. He knew all too well what letting your guard down for even a second could lead to.

  Ben threw the large overhead door open
in front of the Jeep and the supplies they had compiled from the garage shelves. “Hey, Joel, how about letting Bradley take over and come give me a hand?”

  “Coming.” Joel handed Bradley the AR and joined his dad. They moved the Jeep and Blazer out into the driveway behind the house and close to the back deck, along with whatever else they were going to pack up. Once the building was closed up again, Ben started the generator and gave Bradley a thumbs-up so he could let the girls know they had power now.

  Bradley seemed happy to be assigned watch duties from the deck while Ben and Joel started going through the trucks. Ben kept checking on him, and every time he looked over, Bradley was busy scanning the property through the scope.

  Ben and Joel discussed the driving arrangements, and Joel was fine with having Allie and Gunner in the Jeep with him, not that Ben was surprised by that, although Joel was sure to get a light-hearted jab in about his dad stealing his truck out from under him.

  Allie and Emma made their way outside and down to the garden to cut a few zucchinis off the vine for dinner.

  “We’ll be ready to eat in about ten minutes,” Allie called out on their way back inside.

  “I think we should eat outside tonight,” Joel yelled back.

  “Okay, it is pretty nice out,” Allie agreed as she and Emma disappeared into the house, leaving the back door open this time. Before Ben knew it, the girls were carrying out plates and a jug of tea. He turned the generator off for the time being, and they all found a spot to sit around the trucks. They sat in silence for a while as everyone devoured their meals and listened to the distant thunder that was now becoming more frequent.

  Gunner and Sam had long since calmed down and focused their efforts on looking pitiful in hopes of scoring some leftovers. They were both happy to find out that there was a venison steak, complete with the bone, for both of them. There was no point in letting it go to waste, and now that they wouldn’t be leaving any behind for Jack, there was more than they would get to before it spoiled.

  Ben planned on taking as much of it with them as they could. Even when they ran out of ice and it started to spoil, the dogs could stomach it for a day or two longer than they could. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it meant being able to save the dried and canned food for when they didn’t have any other options. There were two dogs now, and although Jack had a large bag of dry food for Sam, it would only go so far. They had plenty of food for themselves and the dogs, but Ben was too conservative to not give it some thought. It was fine to give the dogs leftovers, but he didn’t want to be in a position where they had to start sharing rice with them.

  There were some leftovers, and the dogs lucked out again with a small portion of rice and zucchini for each of them. With dinner finished and cleaned up, they all chipped in and began to work at packing the trucks. The kids all worked together: using the hand truck, they made several trips back and forth to the house, shuttling supplies to Ben and Sandy, who in turn stowed them in the vehicles. They were careful to leave plenty of room for Gunner in the Jeep and for Sam in the Blazer.

  Ben was actually surprised at how well everything fit, and he felt good about the load in each vehicle. He was careful to make sure each vehicle had all the supplies to be self-sufficient if need be. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, and he couldn’t fathom any scenario in which they would willfully split up. But he knew all too well that he had to plan for more than just what they anticipated.

  After triple-checking and going over the inventory, they were done, at least as far as they could go tonight. There would be some clothes and a few last-minute things to pack in the morning, but overall, they were ready to hit the road tomorrow.

  Ben kept out extra ammunition and let them all know his thoughts about getting in a little range time first thing tomorrow. Everyone agreed, and the kids seemed excited at the prospect of shooting the guns before they settled in for what would be a long, hard day of driving. Ben was glad to see them enthusiastic about something and it was a welcome change of conversation as they talked among themselves about the trip. It was the first time since the incident with Jack that the cloud of depression hanging over them all seemed to lift, even if just a little.

  Ben didn’t have the heart to stop them from going inside when they were finished. Only Sandy remained outside with him, and once the kids were gone, he pulled two beers out of the cooler, partly because it would be a long time before he had a chance to enjoy a cold beer again, but mostly because he wanted to dull his senses a little for the task ahead. There was no more putting it off. It was time to dig Jack’s grave. Joel said he would help, but Ben was reluctant to pull him back into reality just yet.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sandy helped him pull the trucks back into the garage. Between moving the vehicles and looking for shovels, Ben could hear the kids’ voices carry into the back yard. It sounded like they were playing a card game, and while he was glad they were content and preoccupied with something other than the end of the world and their grandpa’s death, he was worried someone might hear them.

  “I think maybe it’s time to close up the house. I’ll run the generator in a bit, and we can turn the air on tonight. Plus, we should close the curtains again if they’re going to be using lights.”

  “Okay, I’ll let them know.” Sandy set her beer down and headed in while Ben continued searching for something to make digging the hole a little easier. He couldn’t help but glance over at the tarp occasionally as he rummaged through Jack’s tools. He finished his drink, set the empty bottle on the workbench, and stared for a second at the old metal John Deere sign on the wall. Then he remembered seeing a few implements for the tractor around the back side of the outbuilding. He hadn’t paid much attention earlier when he moved the bodies, but it was worth a look.

  Ben wandered around back and took a look around with his flashlight. A few implements were half-buried in the tall grass, and among them was a post-hole digger. He was hoping for a small backhoe attachment or even a bucket, but this would do. The post-hole digger wouldn’t remove the dirt, but it would at least break up the ground and save his back. Though they’d have to remove the dirt with the shovels, it would be half the work. He felt bad for thinking like this, but anything that would get this over with sooner was good with him. If he hurried, he could get it dug before it was too dark to see.

  There was currently a landscape box attached to the rear of the tractor. Jack used it for grading the driveway and keeping the gravel in place. Ben wasn’t familiar with the three-point hitch setup on the tractor, but when Sandy came back from the house, they put their heads together and figured it out. He used the forks to pull the post-hole digger out of the overgrown weeds and bring it around front. Sandy helped him line it up with the implement, and within a few minutes, they had it hooked up and operational.

  The implement worked well and made short work of the dry, hard ground. Fortunately, the shade of the tree had spared the area underneath from becoming sun-baked and rock-hard like the field out back. It still took a little while to get the area broken up and ready for the shovels, but mostly because he stopped every few minutes to take a look around.

  Operating the auger required him to rev up the RPMs on the tractor in order to get enough power to the PTO, and he was afraid he was making too much noise. But so far there was no sign of any activity out on the road—or anywhere else, for that matter. Ben was beginning to think that maybe the two men they’d killed were in fact on their own.

  Once he’d done as much as he could with the tractor, he parked it at the back of the outbuilding and started the generator before locking everything up again. Sandy was already hard at work shoveling the loose dirt out of the hole, and Ben grabbed a shovel to join her. Within a few minutes, Joel and Allie had joined them.

  “I figured you guys were out here working on this. I told you I would help,” Joel said.

  “I know, but I didn’t want to pull you away from your brother and sister. They need you right now more th
an ever. Besides, I was able to use the tractor to do the hard part.”

  Joel looked back at the house. “They didn’t want to come out for this.”

  “I understand.” Ben didn’t blame them but hoped they would join them when the time came to put Jack in the ground. He wouldn’t force them to participate, but he thought it would be good for them to get closure. But they were still kids, as hard as that was to remember at times, given what they had already been through, so whatever they wanted to do would be fine with him.

  Joel and Allie took over shoveling dirt for a while. There were only two shovels, so they rotated as they worked, except for Joel, who seemed determined to dig the entire hole on his own. Ben wasn’t sure if he was showing off for Allie’s sake or just being his usual stubborn self. There was also the possibility that he was releasing a little pent-up anger over what had happened to Jack. Or maybe he was still upset that Ben had kept the truth about Jack’s health from him. He hoped that wasn’t the case, but there was nothing Ben could do about that now if it was.

  They worked in silence as they dug, aside from the occasional word or two when they exchanged shovels and Ben’s pleas for Joel to take a break. He didn’t want Joel to wear himself out. They had a long drive ahead of them tomorrow, and with Joel and Allie basically being on their own in the Jeep, they would need to be at the top of their game.

  Ben wasn’t looking forward to the drive himself, and the thought of getting back on the road tomorrow was bittersweet. It was a necessary evil if they were going to make it back to Colorado, but it didn’t make it any more enjoyable. His back was just starting to feel normal, and he really wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on the ground again.