The Dark Road Series Collection

by Bruno Miller

  “Yeah, okay,” Joel answered. “Dad, do you mind if I put together a bag of extra stuff for Allie and her Mom? They might need it, and if we’re just going to leave the rest here… I’ll carry the bag on my lap.”

  “Actually, I think that’s a great idea, Joel. As a matter of fact, I was going to offer to leave one of those tubs of dehydrated food with them, if you want. We have plenty for just the two of us if we supplement with hunting and fishing when we can. I have more at the house, not to mention, half a box of MREs.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Dad.” Joel nodded.

  Joel darted off towards the shelves to look for a suitable bag as Ben watched him for a moment, proud of his son for being so thoughtful at a time like this. He must really like this girl, Ben thought to himself.

  He refocused his right eye and looked through the peephole again, checking to make sure it was still clear before he unlocked the heavy-duty deadbolt. The key turned with a thunk, and he slowly eased the door open just far enough to slip through.

  He put the keys in his pocket using his right hand and brought the gun back up from its holster all in one movement while keeping his left hand on the door. He closed the door behind himself as he slipped into the room and considered locking it for Joel’s sake, but decided to leave it unlocked and closed in case he had to make a hasty retreat. Besides, if he left the door open it might attract attention from the street side if someone were to walk by. Ben was sure that looters would return at some point and finish what they had started, eventually gaining access to the rear storeroom.

  He crouched down, balancing on his feet, and shuffled over behind a display rack that had been full of merchandise the last time he’d laid eyes on it. He made his way over toward the counter where the register used to be, now nothing but a few wires remained protruding from the countertop in its place. They had literally taken everything that wasn’t fastened down and even some things that were. Of course the glass case that had displayed the handheld GPS units, high-end fly reels, watches, and knives was shattered and empty. Ben shook his head in disgust, half the stuff looters had taken wouldn’t even work, thanks to the EMP. It just served as a reminder of the type of people who were responsible for this. There was no thought put into this, pure reactionary panic. It must have been every man for himself.

  There was glass everywhere, and he was trying to be careful as he laid the Glock down beside him. He reached under the register counter feeling with his fingers, as he went for the hidden compartment under the register where he kept an old .38 snub nose revolver. After the break-in he’d started keeping it there as an extra precaution. He slid the small wooden door on the compartment open and reached inside. For a second, he thought they’d gotten the gun too.

  “Got it,” Ben whispered to himself, pulling the gun out along with a small box of ammo that he kept with it. He tucked the .38 into his rear waistband and picked the Glock back up.

  The truth was Ben didn’t care that much about the old pistol and was surprised it was actually still there. He had better guns at home in the safe and plenty of ammunition for them. He was actually considering leaving the gun with Allie and her mom, depending on the situation when they found them.

  The real reason Ben wanted to have a look around the store was to get one last look at what he had worked so hard for and perhaps also to get some kind of closure. It had taken everything he had to open the place ten years ago. It had provided for his family and, in the beginning, it had given him a real sense of purpose after the Army.

  The Army had taught Ben a lot, and he had excelled through the ranks, but it had also left him burned out and apathetic. Every deployment began to look the same—the same people, the same problems, and the same objectives. He had lost a couple of friends along the way, and the mileage had begun to take its toll on him. He’d decided to abandon his Army career aspirations after only twelve years in and rejoin civilian life while he felt he still could.

  He’d had a harder time than he anticipated adjusting to so-called normal life and floundered for a while. He’d tried college for a couple of years, but all it left him with was a little student debt and a desire to get away from most of the people that he’d met there.

  He lucked into a gig as a fly fishing guide through a friend at school, and it rekindled a passion in him that he hadn’t felt since he was a kid. Ben found himself spending more and more time camping and fly fishing in the back country when he could. He enjoyed the solitude and felt like that was where he belonged. That is, until the winter that he’d met Casey, and that changed everything for Ben.

  She was attending the local college and finishing up her nursing degree when they first met at a mutual friend’s holiday party. They hit it off immediately and seemed to fill a void in each other’s lives at the time. They moved in together within a few months. Needing something a little more stable than guiding to raise a family, Ben had decided to open the store. It had allowed him to still be involved in the things he loved and make an income as well, so he’d considered it a fair compromise.

  Later on, when their marriage hit tough times, it had been his only place of refuge. He’d even slept there a few times towards the end of the marriage. After they’d separated and eventually divorced, it had given him a reason to get out of bed in the morning and get on with his life.

  Other than the kids, whom his ex had tried to keep from him at the beginning of the separation, the store was all he had. It had been good to him and now, all those years were gone.

  Looking around now in total disgust at what was left of it, Ben began to come to terms with the fact that this may be the last time he ever saw the place.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Resigning himself to accept the fate of the store, his thoughts were interrupted by the familiar yet unwanted sound of a car exhaust echoing off the storefronts on Main Street.

  “Crap,” Ben muttered, mad at himself for even thinking about retrieving the gun now. He thought about making a break for the door but the car sounded close, and he didn’t want to risk giving away their position. Best thing to do is stay put, he thought. They’ll probably just drive by, nothing left in here to steal anyway. Ben glanced back at the door.

  “God, please let Joel listen to me for once in his life, and stay in the back like I asked,” Ben whispered to himself.

  He was worried that Joel would open the door to look if he heard another car, and Ben didn’t want to be seen until he was sure of their intentions.

  Ben turned his attention back to the street as he put one knee down and stabilized himself from his crouched position behind the counter. He peered around the edge of the counter and, thanks to the cleared-out store, had a pretty good view of the street from where he was.

  Shifting the Glock slightly in his hand, he watched as an old blue Chevy El Camino crept into view. Two younger guys sat low in the front seat. The passenger’s tattoo-covered arm was hanging partway out of the window with a cigar between his fingers.

  Ben knew the type, unfortunately, and had seen Durango change a lot in the past ten years or so. The big city life had crept in with every transient move to the once small town. The same people fleeing that urban life for the tranquility of Durango had ironically brought it with them.

  Gangs weren’t a big problem in town, but with the legalization of marijuana, the harder drugs seemed to find their way into town as well, and the gangs seemed to follow. They had grown in numbers the last few years, but usually kept to the west side and rarely ventured downtown. The Durango he had known was changing rapidly, and he didn’t like it.

  As the car came into full view, Ben could see that it had been heavily modified with big gaudy rims and what he guessed was a lowering kit of some type. The car looked like it would get hung up on a speed bump. He always wondered what the fascination was with lowering a vehicle. Not that it mattered. As long as they kept on moving past the store he would be happy. The deep, sparkly, blue paint glistened in the early morning sun as the car rolled by p
ainfully slowly.

  “Come on, keep going, keep going, that’s it,” Ben whispered to himself.

  It seemed to take forever to move beyond the storefront. When just the back end of the car was visible, Ben began to rise slowly to his feet but froze when the car abruptly came to a stop. Ben returned to his previous crouched position and cursed under his breath as he watched impatiently.

  The car backed up until he could see everything but the front of it and stopped once more. He could see the two men talking to each other but couldn’t make out what any of the conversation was about over the sound of the modified exhaust. Just then, the engine went silent, and the two got out of the car.

  Leaving the El Camino’s doors wide open, they casually sauntered toward the busted up storefront. The driver had a patchy beard and was slightly taller than the passenger, who sported a red bandana around his head. Both were covered in tattoos.

  Ben had a couple of tattoos that he’d gotten while in the Army. He and some of the guys from his regiment had decided to ink themselves after a particularly grueling deployment that had seen them lose a couple close friends. He earned his tattoos, and they meant something to him.

  These guys were covered in what was probably meaningless ink that was all for show, and it made him dislike them even more.

  Now they were standing just outside on the sidewalk, and Ben could clearly see that they each had a pistol tucked into the waistband of their pants. Broken glass crackled under their feet as they talked.

  “Man, I told you we got everything from this place. There ain’t nothing left here,” the driver said, making jerky movements with his hands.

  “What about the back? There’s gotta be some stuff in the back.” The passenger uncrossed his arms and stepped through one of the broken front windows of the shop. He got his baggy pants stuck on some pieces of broken glass sticking out of the sill, causing him to hop on one foot for a second, trying to regain his balance.

  “You’re wasting your time, man. We tried that door, but we couldn’t get it open. That’s why I said we need a chain or somethin’ to hook to the car and yank it off its hinges.” The driver shook his head and laughed at his friend’s clumsiness. “Come on. There’s other places to hit, better places!”

  His amusement turned to frustration quickly as he turned back to the car without wasting any time waiting for his passenger.

  “Well, wait up, man!” The guy in the store threw up his arms and hobbled over the windowsill again, not faring much better than he did on his first attempt. Shouting some profanities at the driver, he ran to catch up and join him in the car.

  Ben heard the engine start up, and he immediately felt a sense of relief, knowing that one of the many scenarios playing out in his mind wasn’t going to happen. They were going to leave without incident.

  The passenger barely made it into the car before it started rolling away from the storefront. When Ben was satisfied that they were indeed leaving this time, he made for the door promptly. As he got close, he noticed that the store side of the door was full of dents and all scratched up around the lock. In fact, the lever style lock had a slight outward curve to it where someone had no doubt tried to pry it open with a crow bar. Now seeing this, he was surprised the door still worked.

  “Money well spent.” He re-holstered his gun as he pulled the door closed behind him and locked the deadbolt once again.

  “Did you see any of that?” Ben looked at Joel.

  “I saw them.” Joel nodded. “They didn’t look too friendly.”

  “What gave it away? Was it the guns, or the fact that they were returning to the scene of the crime?” Ben said sarcastically.

  “Were they the ones that did all that?” Joel asked looking back in the direction of the storefront.

  “Them and their friends. One of them mentioned trying to break down that door when they were here the last time, and they’re coming back to try again,” Ben said.

  “When?” Joel eyed the door.

  “I don’t know, but we’re leaving now,” Ben said. “Finish putting that bag together for your girlfriend and let’s go. They can have the rest of this crap. It doesn’t matter anymore. We got the important stuff anyway.”

  “Not my girlfriend!” Joel said as he stuffed a few more things into the bulging duffel bag. “We’re just friends, I don’t even know her that well.”

  “Sorry. You know what I mean.” Ben rolled his eyes and patted Joel’s shoulder. “Hey, leave room in there for this.” He handed Joel the .38 and the box of bullets for it.

  “You sure?” Joel asked.

  “Yeah, I mean if they need it. We sure don’t.” Ben shrugged.

  “Nice. Thanks, Dad!”

  Ben walked over to the rear door on the building that led to the alley and stopped to listen for any sound. Satisfied that no one was in the alley, he unlocked the door and cracked it open enough to look out. Scanning the alley from one end to the other, he didn’t see anything.

  “We’re good. I’ll get the door. You pull the truck out.” Ben closed the door and locked it. He knew looters would eventually break into the shop and take the rest of the stuff, but that didn’t mean he had to make it easy on them.

  Besides, it would keep the thugs busy while he and Joel put some distance between them and the downtown area. Assuming that they didn’t run into more thugs on the way out of here.

  Joel managed to find a spot on the back seat for the extra bag he’d made up and, after he finished cramming it in, he climbed behind the wheel and waited for his dad to make his way around to the big roll-up door. Ben threw the bolt on the door and slowly lifted the door. Moving the door up slowly again so as not to make any more noise than necessary.

  Joel fired up the engine as the door rose above the hood and eased the truck out into the alley once the door was high enough. Ben hurried to get the door down opting to go with speed over stealth at this point. Now that the big V-8 was echoing off the nearby buildings in the narrow alley, there was little point in being quiet.

  Ben quickly attached the chain and padlock that normally secured the big door from the inside. Without looking back he ran around to the driver’s side door. Joel had already opened the door and slid over to the passenger seat.

  “Good job, bud. Now, let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “So, what was that address?” Ben asked.

  “401 East Seventh Street,” Joel replied. “Not very far from here.”

  “That’s good, the less time we spend in town the better. I’m sure those two guys aren’t the only two riding around. It’s obviously ‘every man for himself,’ by the looks of things.” Ben’s gaze lingered on yet another burned-out vehicle.

  Had the EMP somehow generated a powerful enough pulse to cause overheating in computer controlled devices and electronics causing fires? Was that even possible? That wasn’t the first car they had passed that was burned to a crisp, seemingly without any interaction with anything else. They’d passed plenty of burned-out cars that had apparently collided with a building, a tree, a sign, another car or something. But some of the burned-up wrecks they saw were alone in the middle of the street.

  The worst part about the car wrecks they passed were the people that had been trapped inside or were too injured to drag themselves away. Ben knew Joel was seeing these things too. He hadn’t said anything to Ben about it, but Ben knew Joel saw them.

  The twisted, half-charred remains partially protruding from windshields were hard to miss. How long would they be left that way, Ben wondered? Caught in their final moments with no one to help them?

  Without the usual emergency services and government infrastructure rushing in to clean up the gory details of these events, there would be no filter on their world anymore. People, including his son, would be exposed to the raw harsh reality of things. Joel was going to have to grow up fast, and Ben hoped he was up to it.

  “It’s really pretty bad, isn’t it?” Joel shifted in his seat.
“I mean, I… I didn’t expect all this.”

  “Well, it isn’t good that’s for sure. I had no idea things would fall apart this fast, and you know, without police, fire and EMS, there’s no one to help. This might not be the best place for your friend Allie and her mom to stay.”

  Ben immediately regretted saying that last part out loud, he hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, at least when it came to the girl and her mother. What if they needed help? He didn’t want any distractions right now. Besides he had his hands full with taking care of Joel and trying to get to his kids in Maryland. He had to stay focused. The trip would be hard enough for him and Joel, not to mention having Gunner along. There wouldn’t even be enough room in the truck for all of them.

  Ben kept coming up with excuses in his head as to why he couldn’t get involved with two other lives right now, but he knew in his gut that he also couldn’t leave a teenage girl and her mother to fend for themselves in this grim reality. Maybe they wouldn’t even be there, or maybe they had left town when things turned for the worst like so many others appeared to have done. Whatever situation he and Joel encountered when they got there, they would have to make some hard decisions and make them fast so they could keep moving. He wanted to get on the road to Ocean City as soon as they could.

  “So, tell me what do you know about this girl and her mom?” Ben asked.

  “Not very much. I mean, I’ve had some classes with her, but I don’t really know her that well. She moved here during the last school year. From Pittsburgh, I think, with her mom.

  “Oh, I thought you didn’t know her very well,” Ben teased, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Well, I meant, that’s all I know, so…” Joel said.

  “I’m just giving you a hard time, bud.”

  “I know.” Joel shook his head. “Hey, don’t miss the turn. Left here.”