Dark Road (Book 6): Reckoning

by Miller, Bruno

  “Thanks,” Ben whispered.

  “No problem,” she answered. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

  Ben dressed quickly and was halfway down the steps when the smell of freshly brewed coffee got his attention. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Allie tending to the coffeemaker on the counter. She turned to face him, holding a cup in her hands.

  “Thank you.” Ben accepted the steaming mug from Allie and sipped greedily at the hot liquid.

  Allie smiled. “I thought you could use that.”

  Ben nodded and took another sip from the mug before setting it down at the kitchen table.

  “You should try to get a little more sleep before we leave. We still have a couple hours.”

  “Yeah, I think I’m going to try to do that.” Allie started for the stairs.

  “Hey, Allie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for everything. I mean, for taking time to talk with Emma and everything else you do to help out. I’m really glad you and your mom are with us.”

  Allie’s face turned red as she blushed and smiled again. “I’m glad we’re here, too.” Allie spoke quietly and then disappeared up the staircase. Ben sat down at the kitchen table to drink his coffee and put his boots on. For the first time since Allie woke him, he realized that the rain had stopped. He finished putting his boots on and topped off his cup of coffee before heading to the back door.

  As the door slowly creaked open, Ben heard Gunner and Sam bounding down the steps. They were anxious to go outside, and Sam impatiently forced the door open with her nose as soon as she reached it. Both dogs cleared the porch in seconds and hit the yard running, only slowing down occasionally to sniff the wet grass.

  Ben picked up the AR-15 with the Trijicon optic and followed the dogs out as far as the porch, where he stayed and savored the coffee. Keeping an eye on the dogs, he surveyed the surrounding fields. The sky was noticeably clearer, and the moon cast a dim light over the neat rows of soybeans. Any signs of the storm and the dark clouds that came with it were long gone. He looked up at the sky and could actually see the stars. It had been a long time since he’d seen the sky this clear. The foggy haze they’d grown accustomed to was nowhere to be seen. As he drew in a deep breath of fresh air, he wondered if this might be the beginning of a return to normal, at least as far as the weather was concerned.

  He joined the dogs in the yard, and they followed him as he made a quick perimeter check and walked around the house. Satisfied that all was quiet, he headed back inside for more coffee and a comfortable place to sit while he waited for the sun to rise.

  The dogs seemed content to stay downstairs with him, and both were soon fast asleep on the living room floor. Wide awake after his third cup of coffee, Ben sat in the recliner and decided to do something he’d been putting off since Jack died yesterday. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but it needed to be done: he needed to leave a letter for Casey in case she actually made it back here.

  She was likely dead, although he would never share that opinion with the kids, but he felt compelled to write at least a basic note letting her know where the kids were. He’d want her to do the same for him if their roles were reversed. If nothing else, it would make the kids feel better about leaving. He found a tablet and pencil in one of the drawers and cleared a spot at the kitchen table. After staring at the blank sheet of paper for what felt like forever, he eventually decided what to say and began to write.

  Casey,

  First things first, Bradley, Emma, and Joel are safe with me and headed to Colorado. When we arrived, your dad was in poor health but had taken good care of Bradley and Emma. He put all he had into taking care of the kids and sadly passed the day after we arrived. We buried him under the magnolia tree as per his request.

  I can take care of the kids better at home than I can here. I hope you understand, but I have to do what’s best for them. We left for Colorado on June 21st. If you have the means, you are more than welcome to join us. If things ever return to normal, I’ll do my best to contact you.

  Stay safe,

  Ben

  P.S. Sam is with us and we have your dad’s Jeep.

  Ben read the letter over a few times and decided to let it go at that. It was short and to the point. He didn’t feel the need to go into detail about how Jack died or what had happened. He was still angry with her for leaving the kids here with Jack in the first place. If she found her way back and read the letter, she would know the kids were safe and where they were. What else was there to say?

  He tore the sheet off the tablet and folded it neatly before writing her name on the outside and attaching it to the refrigerator with a magnet. He couldn’t help but feel it was a waste of time, but at least his conscience was clear and he had done what he could. If he was being honest, he did it more as a good-faith gesture for the kids’ sake. If they saw that he’d left their mother a letter, maybe it would help ease their minds and give them hope for her safe return from wherever she was.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  With the letter to his ex done and a little guilt off his chest, Ben decided to focus on making ice and packing up as much venison as he could. They were taking two small, well-insulated coolers they found in the garage. Ben’s plan was to layer the meat between ice and newspaper to keep it frozen for as long as possible. He was hoping the newspaper would provide enough insulation to get an extra day or two out of the venison. He wasn’t sure if it would make a difference, but it was worth a try.

  Ben shook his head at the thought of having to leave some of the venison behind, but they were pushing it by adding the two coolers to their load-out. He hated the thought of leaving anything of value behind, but there were limits to what they could carry.

  The thought of ditching the Jeep for the Chevy pickup the two men were driving had crossed his mind, but the pickup was only two-wheel drive and he wasn’t sure what kind of mechanical condition it was in. While going through the pickup for anything useful, he’d noticed that the restoration seemed to be mostly cosmetic. At least he knew the condition of the Jeep; if Jack said it was in good shape and that he’d fixed everything mechanical, Ben had no reason to think otherwise. Jack wasn’t the type of person to skimp on something like that.

  The first thing Ben did was turn off the generator. Everyone was sleeping, and the house was plenty cool for now. He’d fire it back up when he was done in the garage. Fortunately, he could only smell exhaust in the garage. He opened up the overhead doors to help air the place out. Thanks to the generator running all night, he could barely breathe in here.

  While the fumes dissipated, Ben stood outside for a while and enjoyed the fresh, clean air the storm left behind. The eastern horizon was already beginning to show signs of a soon-to-be-rising sun. He checked his watch and found it hard to believe that it was almost five already. The morning had flown by so far, and the thought of getting into the trucks and driving out of here seemed very real all of a sudden. It was what he wanted, but it gave him anxiety nonetheless.

  Ben watched Gunner and Sam for a few more minutes while he waited for the outbuilding to clear out. The dogs were busy patrolling the yard and inspecting every inch as if they had never seen it before. He couldn’t help but think about how happy they were to have fresh air as well. The others would also be pleasantly surprised to wake up to this welcome change.

  As the sun began to creep over the horizon, Ben noticed the lack of smoke plumes, something else that had become part of the normal landscape. Whatever small, smoldering fires remained had been put out by the downpour. Ben hoped the rest of the country would begin to normalize. Every place they had passed through on the way here could benefit greatly from a storm like the one that rolled through here last night.

  A few minutes had passed since he opened the big overhead doors of the outbuilding, so he headed inside to see if he could tolerate the smell enough to load the coolers. It still reeked of unburnt fuel, but the haze floating near the ceiling when he fi
rst walked in was gone.

  He began meticulously loading the coolers with the paper-wrapped packages of meat. He was careful to place each one so that the next package would fit neatly next to it and take up as little space as possible. It was a little like putting a puzzle together without knowing what it was supposed to look like. Every time he made an even layer of venison, he topped it off with a layer of ice and newspaper before starting with the meat again. He repeated this process until both coolers were tightly packed. Then he finished them off by stuffing fresh ice from the icemaker into the cracks and crevices between the meat. He secured one of the cooler’s lids with duct tape to ensure that it remained closed with a good seal until they used all the meat from the first one.

  Ben glanced at his watch again to check the time. He wanted to start getting everyone up around 5:30. He had a few more minutes to kill, so he decided to at least secure one of the coolers in place before he went back inside. He lashed the taped-up cooler in place to the rear rack on the Blazer with several bungee cords. Stepping back, he looked at the already loaded-down Jeep and wondered where the other cooler would go. He checked his watch again and decided to worry about that later.

  He’d let the others sleep in long enough. It was almost a quarter to six, and it was time for everyone to get moving. Before heading in, he searched the chest freezer for a suitable piece of venison to cook for breakfast. He settled on a large pack of meat. It was more than they would have normally used for one meal, but there was no point in saving what remained.

  He felt bad about leaving behind what he couldn’t squeeze into the coolers and decided to pull out another pack of steaks for the dogs. Gunner and Sam seemed to sense his intentions and came running at the sound of the freezer lid slamming shut.

  “Oh, you think you’re getting something, huh?” Ben joked as the dogs anxiously circled him like two hungry sharks. He might as well give it to them now, while it was still frozen. They’d be occupied for the remainder of the morning or at the very least until it was time to go.

  Both dogs began to whine and pace nervously as he unwrapped the steaks. Sam took hers gently, as if she was doing something wrong, but once she had it in her mouth, her tail began to wag furiously. She quickly found her dog bed and lay down just a few feet away from Ben. Gunner latched onto the steak with less caution than Sam and let out a low, playful growl as he passed by the older dog and retreated to the far corner of the outbuilding with his prize.

  Ben headed for the house with the other pack of venison. He considered locking everything up and making the dogs come inside but decided to leave things as they were. He’d be right back after he woke everyone up, and the dogs would keep an eye on things for a few minutes while he was gone. When he came back, he planned on moving the trucks outside and closing everything up so they could run the generator quietly for the last hour or so that they were here. If anyone approached the property, the dogs would bark and alert him.

  When he entered the house, he was surprised to see Joel in the kitchen. He was pouring the last of the coffee into a mug and looked like he was still half asleep.

  “Morning,” Ben said.

  “Morning,” Joel mumbled. “Hey, I tried to take a shower, but the water isn’t working.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got the generator off right now. I was working in the garage. Gunner and Sam are out there with me, too. I was just bringing this inside, then heading back out.” Ben tossed the meat onto the counter.

  Joel eyed the neatly wrapped package. “That’s a lot. You want to cook all that for breakfast?” he asked.

  “Might as well. I’ve got the coolers maxed out. We can’t take any more with us unfortunately.”

  “That sucks,” Joel grumbled.

  Ben smiled. “Gunner and Sam would disagree. They’re outside enjoying frozen deer steaks right now.”

  Joel parted the curtain and looked out the kitchen window. “They must have finished them because they’re both standing in the yard right now.”

  “That’s impossible.” Ben wrinkled his brow. Gunner was a powerful chewer and usually made quick work of any treats or bones that came his way, but even for him, that was fast. The steaks were practically frozen solid when he handed them to the dogs. Ben took a couple of steps toward the door and peeked outside. Joel was right: the dogs were both standing in the yard and looking out toward the road. From where they were, they couldn’t see down the driveway, but something had their attention. Ben’s pulse quickened as he heard the familiar sound of gravel crunching under tires. Someone was coming!

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Get the others up and wait inside until I see what’s going on.” Ben picked up the AR-15 from where he had leaned it against the wall by the back door.

  Joel was wide awake now. “I can help.”

  Ben glanced back at him. “No, I need you to get the others up and stay inside. You can keep an eye on things from the window. Just be ready if I need you. The KSG is by the steps.”

  Joel sighed. “Okay.”

  He looked disappointed, but the others needed to be woken up and told what was going on, and there was no time for any further discussion. Joel might not have been happy about it, but Ben was glad to see him drop it and head out of the kitchen to warn the others.

  Ben crossed the deck and flew down the steps in a matter of seconds. Both dogs were standing just past the corner of the house now and were out in the middle of the driveway so they could see the road. Ben couldn’t hear the vehicle, but there was no doubt that someone was coming. Gunner’s hackles were up, and he was growling loudly. It was a low, guttural rumble that Ben had heard many times before. Sam was also doing her part by barking aggressively at whoever was approaching. Ben let them go. He was actually thankful for the distraction they were providing. With them blocking the driveway and carrying on like that, whoever this was would initially be focused on the dogs, giving Ben a chance to inch his head around the corner of the house to get a look.

  The old black Dodge pickup crept along at a ridiculously slow speed, giving Ben plenty of time to spy on its occupants through the ACOG scope. It was an older couple who looked to be around the same age as Jack. They appeared harmless, but Ben wasn’t about to let his guard down, no matter how innocent they seemed. They were too close to leaving now, and he didn’t want anything to interfere with their plans.

  Maybe they were Jack’s friends coming to check on him; at least that was what Ben hoped, so he kept the AR trained on the truck. When the truck neared, Ben decided it wasn’t a good idea to have the dogs out on the open gravel lane. If the couple was up to no good, they could easily dispatch the dogs by simply running them down.

  “Gunner… Sam. Come here,” Ben said sternly. Gunner looked in his direction but stood his ground against the approaching truck. Sam followed suit and only briefly acknowledged Ben with a quick glance before she returned to bellowing out her warning at the intruders.

  “Gunner, heal up!” Ben demanded. Gunner took a few steps toward the house, but after realizing that Sam wasn’t moving, he stopped and resumed his growling.

  The truck hadn’t picked up speed, but it showed no signs of slowing, either. Ben didn’t need the scope to see the occupants clearly now, and he knew it was time to take action. Keeping the butt of the AR firmly seated against his shoulder, he slowly stepped out into the driveway. The truck stopped abruptly about twenty yards away. Both the driver and the passenger raised their hands to where they could be easily seen.

  Ben began to walk backward and move off the driveway as he waved them forward with the gun. He kept the AR trained on the driver as they began creeping forward again. The dogs followed him as he moved off the gravel lane and into the grass.

  The brakes squeaked as the Dodge came to a stop, and the man driving made a motion with his hand to indicate that he wanted to roll the window down. Ben nodded his approval but kept the gun ready.

  “Sam, Gunner, easy.” Ben tried to quiet the dogs while the man cranked the wi
ndow down a few inches.

  “We’re friends of Jack’s. I’m Charlie Smith and this is my wife, Alice.”

  Ben lowered the gun and relaxed his stance but still kept the barrel pointed at the truck. Jack had mentioned that the Smiths were taking care of him and that they were going to bury him under the tree when the time came. The man turned the truck off and climbed out.

  As Charlie exited the vehicle, Sam’s demeanor changed immediately, and her tail began to wag. Gunner continued growling softly, but his tail was wagging now, too. Charlie still had his hands up halfway as he took a step away from the truck and looked at the outbuilding and the trucks parked inside. Ben noticed the handgun on Charlie’s hip. The large revolver barely fit in the holster.

  “You must be Ben,” Charlie said. Ben lowered the gun all the way to his side and stuck his hand out.

  “That’s right. Nice to meet you, Charlie. Sorry about the greeting, but you can’t be too careful these days.”

  “Oh, no problem. Believe me, I understand.” His wife was out of the truck now and joined them. She was carrying a small basket with a cloth covering the top of it. Gunner and Sam went straight for the basket and gave it a good going-over with their noses. Gunner was no longer growling and instead seemed to only care about what was inside.

  “Hi, Sam.” The woman gave Sam a few pats on the head. “And who’s your friend?” She bent down and scratched Gunner’s neck before turning her attention to Ben.

  “Hi, I’m Alice.”

  “Hi there. That’s Gunner,” Ben said.