Dark Road (Book 6): Reckoning

by Miller, Bruno

  Ben promised himself he would try to be less of a control freak and let Sandy share in the driving, if she was so inclined. Based on her willingness to help out with pretty much everything else they’d done up to this point, he was sure she would offer sooner rather than later, and he was okay with that. Or at least that was what he told himself.

  The dynamic of the trip would be different this time. With Bradley and Emma joining them, he would have to be more dad and less commando. For the most part, the older kids were self-sufficient, and he didn’t feel the need to make unnecessary small talk, but with Bradley and Emma, he felt a certain responsibility to constantly water things down. They were smart kids, and he assumed for the most part they understood what was going on around them. But he still felt the desire to shelter them as much as he could. He didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

  It was a feeling he’d been forced to confront with Joel and Allie on the way here. He could rationalize that they were nearly adults themselves and that this was the way of the post-apocalyptic world in which they now lived. But Bradley and Emma were still young—too young to see a lot of the things that lay ahead or, for that matter, what had happened here today. Of course, this didn’t mean he could change any of it or do anything more to protect them from the harsh realities beyond Jack’s farm.

  Like it or not, Bradley and Emma were going to have to come to terms with all this on their own and in their own time. The best he could do was offer support when he could and be there for them. And as much as it went against his paternal instincts, he needed to be honest with them about all things. At least he would have Sandy to back him up and be another voice of reason.

  Ben glanced over at her as she worked the shovel. He could tell that, in better times, she was the type of person who had taken care of herself. She’d come a long way since the FEMA camp rescue. He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t find her attractive, although he wasn’t sure if it was her looks or her attitude that made him feel this way. It was easy to see where Allie’s drive and optimistic outlook came from.

  In that moment, Ben realized how lucky he was. They’d beaten the odds and, through countless obstacles, made it across the country, where he found his remaining children in good health. They’d been able to save Allie just in time from God knows what kind of fate in Durango, and they had miraculously found her mother along the way. He considered both of them to be assets to the group. They had all suffered losses, but all in all, they were doing well.

  The grave was close to being cleaned out, and Ben was sure there was enough room to properly bury Jack. The grateful feelings he had about their fortune so far began to evaporate with the thought of placing Jack in the hole they had just dug. The time had come, though, and he knew it had to be done now.

  Ben briefly considered putting it off until morning but decided against it. He wanted to leave with a clean slate tomorrow, and to him, that seemed unlikely if the first thing they did was bury Jack. At the risk of being callous, he just wanted to get this over with.

  “I think it’s ready.” Ben used the shovel to climb out of the hole, where he joined Allie and her mother on the grass above. Joel kept trying to make it neat and square by trimming pieces of earth from around the edges. The red light of his headlamp cast an eerie glow over the shallow grave, and for some reason, Ben wanted his son to stop digging his grandfather’s grave and get up on the grass with them right now.

  “Joel, it’s done. Come on.” Ben stepped to the edge and held out his hand. Joel stopped digging and leaned on his shovel as he looked down at the ground. He didn’t say anything but instead let out a deep sigh as he reluctantly took Ben’s hand and pulled himself up. Ben couldn’t help but think that Joel was trying to stall a little, and he understood.

  “Why don’t you and Allie see if you can talk them into joining us?” Ben stared back at the house for a moment. “I would do it, but I would rather have the body in the hole and ready when they get here,” he added. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t want Bradley and Emma to see him carrying Jack and putting him in the ground.

  “Come on.” Allie handed Joel a bottle of water and put her arm around him as she pulled him toward the house.

  “Thanks, guys.” Ben started for the garage but paused. “Don’t push them, okay? If they really don’t want to be a part of this, it’s okay.”

  Joel looked at his dad for the first time in a while and nodded. None of them wanted to do this, but there was no choice.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “I’ll give you a hand.” Sandy hurried to catch up to Ben. As they entered the outbuilding, Ben remembered the other reason why he wanted to get this done tonight. The exhaust pipe for the generator was plumbed through the outside wall and leaked a little. The generator also ran a little rich, so he expected the smell of gas and exhaust fumes, but they were no longer the most offensive odor in the building.

  Maybe the stench was more noticeable now because they’d been outside and there was a breeze carrying fresh air from the coast, or maybe the body was decomposing quickly in the heat. The smell would be much worse by morning, and that wasn’t how Ben wanted to start the day. The fact that the outbuilding had been completely closed up to muffle the sound of the generator wasn’t helping the situation any, either.

  Ben threw the tarp back, and the large bloodstain on the comforter caught his eye immediately; he couldn’t help but notice it had grown in size. He pulled the tarp back down and wrapped it tightly around the body. There was no point in removing it, and he just wanted to get out of this loud, smelly place as fast as he could. He picked Jack up and carried him outside while Sandy closed the door and locked up behind him. Ben half-jogged to the gravesite and gently but quickly lowered Jack’s body into place. He didn’t want the kids to come outside while he was doing this and climbed out of the hole as soon as he was done tucking the edges of the tarp neatly underneath the body.

  As he and Sandy waited for what he hoped would be all of the kids, Ben began to think about what he was going to say, both to the kids and about Jack, during this impromptu memorial service.

  “Do you think it’s going to rain soon?” Sandy looked up at the sky as the sound of thunder echoed above. Her question was a welcome interruption to his thoughts.

  “It looks like it’s getting closer, that’s for sure.” There were distant flashes of lightning, but the storm seemed to be stalled for the time being.

  “Hopefully it’ll hold off a little longer.” With the grave dug, Ben no longer needed the rain to soften the ground. They were also standing under the only tree around, and except for the house and outbuilding, they were basically in the middle of a large, open field. This wasn’t exactly the ideal place to be in a lightning storm.

  Ben was about to head inside to see what the holdup was, but he only made it a few steps toward the house when he saw Joel emerge from the back door. Allie was right behind him, followed closely by Bradley and the two dogs. They were all walking slowly, even Gunner and Sam, as if they knew the destination.

  “No Emma?” Ben shrugged.

  Joel shook his head. “No, she doesn’t want to come out.”

  Ben looked at Sandy. “Maybe I should go talk to her.”

  “She said she wasn’t going to change her mind, even if you came in to talk to her,” Allie explained.

  Ben sighed as he thought it over. He was hoping they would all participate in this, but at the risk of making this any harder than it already was, he decided to respect Emma’s wishes and leave her for the time being. He just hoped she wouldn’t come to regret this somewhere down the road.

  Everyone gathered around the grave and stared at Jack’s tarp-covered body in the hole.

  “Would anyone like to say something about Grandpa?” Ben asked.

  No one said anything for a few seconds, but it felt more like minutes to Ben as he listened to the not-too-distant thunder.

  “I will.” Sandy took a half-step forward. “Unfortunately, we didn
’t get to know Jack for very long, but the short time we had with him was enough to know he was a kind, generous, and caring man that loved his grandchildren dearly. Thank you, Jack, for all you did for us.” Sandy wiped away a tear and stepped back.

  Allie stepped forward next. “I just wanted to say how grateful I am for him giving us a place to rest and for all the supplies he gave us to help us get home. And I hope he knows that we’ll take good care of Sam.” Allie fought through her tears as she finished. Sam looked up when she heard her name, and Allie knelt down to give her a hug. Gunner’s jealousy got the best of him, and he moved close to Allie’s leg, leaning against her and Sam.

  When Joel stepped forward, Ben noticed he was holding an old, well-worn Bible.

  “I was going to read a Bible verse,” Joel said quietly. “I found this Bible on Grandpa’s nightstand. There was a bookmark in this page with a couple highlighted verses that seemed pretty fitting to me.” He paused for a second and looked at Ben while he tried to keep it together. Ben nodded at him to continue when he was ready. Jack and Carol had been regular churchgoers when she was alive, but as far as Ben knew, Jack had quit attending church after she passed. He hadn’t noticed the Bible by Jack’s bed. He had to admit that he was caught off guard at Joel’s thoughtfulness and maturity in this moment.

  “Psalm 46:1-3.” Joel cleared his throat, struggling to maintain his composure before continuing. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

  Joel struggled to get through the last few lines before kneeling and placing the Bible on top of the tarp. Allie was waiting for him when he got up and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

  Ben glanced down at Bradley, who was by his side. “Do you want to say anything?” he whispered. Bradley shook his head and pulled in closer to his dad. Ben put his arm around his son and took a deep breath. It was time for him to say something.

  “I’ve known Jack for a long time. We’ve hunted and fished together a few times over the years, and on those outings, he always talked about family. Your grandpa loved you more than anything else in this world, and I think we can all take a little comfort in knowing that he got to spend his final days with the people he loved the most. Jack gave his life for us, and the best way we can honor him is to keep moving forward. Jack’s final words to me were, ‘Take care of them.’ And that’s exactly what I plan on doing. Even in the end, he was only worried about you guys.” Ben paused and looked down at the grave. “Thank you, Jack. I won’t let you down.”

  Ben stepped back as he glanced toward the house, hoping to find Emma, but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. They all remained silent for a minute or so before, one by one, they began to back away. Ben walked over to the magnolia tree and took a shovel in his hands.

  “I’ll take care of the rest if you guys want to head in,” Ben said. But before anyone could say anything more, a loud crack of thunder split the air, and the first drops of rain they had seen in over two weeks began to fall. A few large, sporadic drops hit first, sending up small puffs of dust wherever they landed. It quickly turned into a steady drizzle as more thunder rumbled.

  “Go ahead, guys. We need to get out from under this tree.” Ben raised his voice to compete with the wind and rain.

  Everyone but Joel headed for the house. “I can help.”

  “You don’t have to. You practically dug it by yourself. I don’t want you to overdo it and be worn out tomorrow. It’s going to be a big day and an early start.”

  “I know. I’m fine.” Joel grabbed the other shovel, which was leaning against the tree. Ben didn’t want to argue with him right now. He didn’t have the energy or the heart, and he wanted to get this done before it turned into mud.

  “Do you want to keep the Bible?” Ben asked as they began to shovel dirt into the hole.

  “No. I think it was Grandma’s. It has pictures of her and all of us in it. I think it should stay with him,” Joel answered.

  “Okay.” Ben felt that it was a mistake to bury the Bible but didn’t want to push the issue. They shoveled quickly and quietly for a while as the hard dirt bounced off the tarp and began to fill in the crevices. Joel stopped abruptly and jammed his shovel into the ground, forcing it to stand on its own before he dropped to his knees near the edge of the grave. He frantically reached down and pulled the Bible out of the freshly thrown dirt, then swept his hand across the cover and blew the remaining dirt away with a heavy breath.

  “Maybe I should keep it,” he stated.

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Ben agreed.

  There were still moments when Ben found it hard to believe they were burying Jack, yet here they were, throwing dirt atop a man whom he had come to love and respect. A man who had given his all to ensure the welfare of Bradley and Emma and who, in the end, made the ultimate sacrifice.

  With the worsening weather, Ben considered using the tractor to speed up the process and get it over with. If he used it like a plow and pushed the dirt, the landscape box would make quick work of filling in the hole. But that meant taking off the post-hole digger and attaching another implement. By then, it would be a mess out here. Besides, he and Joel were almost halfway done, and somehow, using the tractor felt too cold and uncaring.

  The shovelfuls of dirt started to feel heavy as the rain saturated the ground, turning the once-dry earth into mud. Thankfully, the process seemed to go faster once the last pieces of blue tarp disappeared. They rushed to finish as the full brunt of the storm bared down on them now. They were fully soaked as they threw the last few shovels of dirt into the hole. Catching their breath, they both stood there for a second until a bright flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder prompted them to get moving.

  “Come on, let’s go.” Ben put his hand on Joel’s shoulder and pushed him toward the house. They both ran the fifty yards or so back to the house and didn’t stop until they were inside and standing in the kitchen. Sandy met them with a warm, fresh towel out of the dryer. It felt cold in the house with the air-conditioner on and their clothes soaked through with rain. Ben inhaled the fresh scent of detergent as he dried his face and head. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. It was done.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Ben and Joel cleaned up as best as they could with the towels in the kitchen before making their way into the living room. Ben was glad to see Bradley and Emma playing a board game with Allie.

  Allie looked them over. “You guys are a mess.”

  “Yeah, it’s really coming down out there,” Joel answered.

  “Why don’t you get cleaned up and I’ll do a load of wash?” Sandy said.

  “Sounds good.” Ben wanted to take Emma aside and talk with her, but she was engrossed in the game and he didn’t want to pull her away at the moment. She’d talk when she was ready—at least he hoped she would. It was good to see them all preoccupied with something less serious for a change.

  Joel headed upstairs to get cleaned up first while Ben stayed downstairs with the others. He laid his towel across the recliner and took a seat. He felt better running the generator with the storm raging outside. The wind and thunder would do a good job of covering any noise that reached beyond the thin walls of the outbuilding. Besides, he doubted anyone would come out in this weather.

  As Ben listened to the heavy rain beat down on the roof, he began to grow tired. It had been a hard day that was both physically and mentally draining. Even with all his concerns about their day tomorrow and the safety of the house tonight, he would have no problem sleeping when it came time. The trucks were loaded except for a few last-minute things, and they had buried Jack. There was nothing else for them to do here except sleep. He felt a sense of relief knowing the day was behind them. Jack’s death still hung heavy in the air, but it was different now.

  Ben checked the time and ran
through the watch schedule in his mind. It was already eight o’clock. The last few hours of the day flew by impossibly fast. He was going to encourage everyone to get a good night’s sleep and be in bed by nine. Morning would come quickly, and this was the last night with the comfort of a mattress underneath them for who knew how long.

  Sandy would take the first shift tonight and wake Allie up for her turn at midnight until about three in the morning, at which point she’d wake Ben. He would stand the last watch and stay up through the morning.

  He hoped to get on the road by six, but realistically, he’d be happy if they made it out of here by 6:30 or 7:00. They’d have breakfast here, using the generator to power the range and make ice right up until the moment they pulled out.

  Joel came down the steps, looking clean and refreshed. “It’s all yours.”

  “All right. I don’t see myself making it back downstairs tonight. Everybody good with the watch schedule?” Ben asked. They all nodded.

  “Allie, I guess I’ll see you around three then. Goodnight, everyone. Don’t stay up too late. We’re getting an early start tomorrow.”

  “We won’t,” Emma answered.

  As Ben reached the top of the stairs, he couldn’t help but look toward the back bedroom where Jack had died. Fortunately, no one was using that room, and the door could remain closed forever as far as he was concerned. It would be good to move on from this place. They all needed a change of scenery after today’s events. Even if they only made it around to the western side of the Chesapeake Bay tomorrow, it would still be progress and a welcome change.

  He would have taken a longer shower, but he was more interested in lying down. They’d all have a chance to clean up in the morning one more time before leaving. Right now, the bed was calling his name. Within minutes of lying down, he was out.

  The night was uneventful as the rain continued coming down. He only woke once, when Joel had a bad dream and thrashed about wildly in the bed. Ben was able to settle him down quickly, though, and they both fell asleep in minutes. When Allie came to wake him, it hardly seemed possible that the night had passed so quickly. He checked his watch in disbelief and was surprised to see that she had let him sleep until four.