by Bruno Miller
He noticed the kitchen table was all set up with glasses of water for everyone and plastic silverware with paper plates laid out all in their proper places. The setting was complete with a candle in the middle to top it off.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” Ben smirked as he looked at Joel.
“What? I just set the table, and the candle is so we don’t have to use the lights,” Joel reasoned. Just then Allie came up the stairs in new clothes and looking much better than before.
“Smells good, can I help?” she asked.
“Not much to do really, just add water and wait.” Joel finished pouring the boiling water into the bag and closed the top. He brought the bags to the table and set one in front of each plate.
“I see you’ve made a friend.” Ben watched Gunner as he followed Allie to the table.
“Yes, I think so too.” She looked down at Gunner and smiled. “Oh it feels so good to be clean,” she said and sat down to the table.
“So, Joel tells me your dad lives in Pittsburgh?” Ben pulled out a chair and sat down at the end of the table.
“Yeah, I was going to visit at the end of the summer for a couple of weeks.” Allie fidgeted with her plastic utensils.
“Any other family or relatives around here? Anybody you could stay with?” Ben asked.
“No, it was just me and my mom here. I have some other relatives in Pittsburgh also, but I don’t really know them that well.”
“Do you think your dad will try to come and get you here?” Ben leaned back in his chair rubbing the three-day-old stubble now covering his face.
“Well, I wish I could say yes, but the truth is, probably not. He doesn’t even have a car because he works and lives in the city so he really has no use for one. I don’t know how he would even get here.” Allie shrugged. “Um… Joel told me that you guys are going to Maryland to get his brother and sister. Is that true?” She perked up in her seat a little.
“Yeah, that’s the plan. I was hoping to leave by mid-morning tomorrow.” Ben massaged the bag of food, trying to mix it together and speed up the rehydrating process. “I want to go through most of the gear tonight and try to pack the truck a little. Maybe finish up with a few odds and ends in the morning and then get going.”
“Dad, we have that old Thule rocket box under the porch. I could clean it up in the morning and mount it to the roof rack. It would make a lot more room inside the truck.” Joel poked at the bag of food in front of his plate. Joel’s angle with the rooftop cargo box was obvious to Ben, and he gave him a knowing look.
Ben didn’t like the idea of doing anything that might hinder getting to Bradley and Emma, and he certainly didn’t want to get sidetracked God knows where in Pittsburgh. This trip would be complicated enough.
On the other hand he would never be able to look Joel in the eyes again without feeling guilty if they left Allie behind. If they let her stay here at their house, the supplies would eventually run out, and it just wasn’t sustainable long term. Even with what they had, he’d already figured that he and Joel were going to have to supplement their food rations with wild game when and where they could.
Even if running out of food wasn’t a problem, the type of trouble that they had run into today in town would eventually make its way to the outlying communities, including Durango Hills. He knew that Allie’s fate here, if left alone, would be grim at best.
“Is this what you want to do, Allie? It could be pretty tough going out there on the road.” Ben now looking directly at her.
“He’s all I have left.” She spoke softly as her eyes began to water and turn red.
Ben could hear the desperation in her voice as he stared at the young woman in front of him who was only a few years older than his own daughter. He leaned in to the table and reached out his arms putting one hand on Joel’s shoulder and the other on Allie’s.
“We’ll get you to your dad,” Ben stated.
“Thank you so much!” Allie jumped up from her seat and hugged Ben.
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll get the box mounted on the truck first thing in the morning.” Joel leaned in, unable to hide his excitement.
After they finished eating, Joel excused himself and took a shower, giving Ben and Allie a little time to sit and talk. In the short conversation they had, Ben realized what a bright, articulate girl she was. She seemed mature beyond her years and, by the end of the conversation, Ben was confident he had made the right choice to bring her along. Maybe with Allie around, it would push Joel to be more responsible.
Joel came downstairs from his shower and joined the conversation for a few minutes before Ben decided he better get started going through the gear. Finishing the last sip of his coffee he stood up from his chair.
“Well, I’m going to try to make a dent in organizing the truck. Joel, show Allie to the guest room, okay?”
“Yep,” Joel said.
“Oh, and you might want to light a few more candles. I’m going to kill the generator when I go out. Don’t stay up too late, guys. Tomorrow is going to be another big day,” Ben warned.
“I won’t be up much longer that’s for sure.” Allie stretched and yawned, waking Gunner who was curled up next to her on the couch.
“Good night, then.” Ben headed outside, leaving the two teens inside to their conversation.
As he wandered out onto the deck, he paused for a minute and looked up at the stars while he rubbed his neck. What had he gotten himself into? Trekking across the country with two teenagers in a post-apocalyptic world?
He didn’t know what they would find, but it was sure to be the challenge of a lifetime.
ESCAPE
Dark Road, Book Two
Bruno Miller
Could you protect your own?
Recent EMP attacks have left the country in a state of chaos and upheaval. With two of his children on the East Coast, Ben Davis has left Colorado behind, embarking on a cross-country journey with his eldest son, Joel, one of Joel’s classmates, Allie, and the family dog, Gunner.
Very few modern vehicles remain functional, but thanks to Joel’s 1972 Chevy Blazer, Ben and his crew are mobile and able to carry supplies. But that doesn’t mean they’re safe in this post-apocalyptic world.
They soon discover that life as they know it is over. Danger fills every moment of their new reality. No longer can people be trusted. Especially with resources dwindling and new threats around every bend in the road.
Survival means working together but it also means the teenagers have to grow up fast. Ben struggles with some decisions he’s forced to make, but he refuses to let his family suffer at the hands of the desperate. Even if he has to shed blood to keep them safe.
Ben’s skills as a former Army Ranger are tested repeatedly as he fights to lead his crew across the new wasteland of America. Will there come a time when the dark road ahead is too much?
To Wendy, for all her support.
Chapter One
Ben spent a few extra minutes taking in the stars and stretching his neck. Ambling down the steps and off the front porch, he made his way to the garage. He wanted to let Joel and Allie enjoy the power for a little while longer before he shut the generator off. It was a luxury they wouldn’t have on the road.
Leaving the house behind along with the extra supplies seemed like such a waste. They were running out of room fast in the Blazer. The house was so well set up with the generator and well-fed cistern, giving Ben another reason not to want to leave it. If they stayed they could survive almost indefinitely. Sure, they would have to be conservative with their resources, but they would be in good shape, relatively speaking.
Staying wasn’t an option, though, and Ben knew it. With Emma and Bradley in Maryland, the choice had been made for them. Thanks to his selfish ex-wife, he and Joel, and now Allie, would have to endure a cross-country rescue mission. He could feel his blood pressure rise as he thought of all the complications she had caused. How easy it would have been had she put the k
ids first and stayed local to the Durango area. Now he might never get to see the rest of his kids again, and Joel might never get to see his brother and sister again.
Ben quickly pushed the thought from his mind and turned his attention to the gear and food he had hastily unloaded and was now spread about in small piles on the garage floor. There was no point in dwelling on what couldn’t be changed, and he needed to be productive right now.
But the first thing he had to do was kill the generator so he could hear himself think.
“Sorry, guys.” With a glance toward Joel and Allie in the house, he flipped the toggle switch from manual to off on the generator. “Lights out.”
The generator sputtered and finally came to rest with a wiggle against its rubber motor mounts. Somehow his task in the garage seemed a little more manageable without the constant rattle of the engine taunting him.
Time to get to work. The sooner he sorted all this gear out and got it loaded, the sooner he could focus on the guns and ammo in the safe. He wanted to keep a spot open for the weapons under the Blazer’s rear seat. That way they would be easy to reach from the front seats, and most of what he planned on bringing with them should fit. He could also squeeze some ammo under there as well, with the bulk of it in the ammo cans hidden under less crucial gear in the cargo area.
Ben noticed a light out of the corner of his eye and spun around. He was relieved to see it was Joel coming out to the garage. He had a headlamp on.
“Hey there, everything okay?” Ben assumed Joel would maximize the opportunity to spend some time with Allie and hadn’t counted on seeing him for a while.
“Yeah, I just thought I would give you a hand is all.” Joel stepped down into the garage and pulled the door closed behind him.
“How’s Allie holding up?” Ben asked.
“Good, I think. She fell asleep with Gunner. I was in the kitchen, making us hot chocolate, and when I came back into the living room they were curled up on the couch.” Joel snorted. “That dog!”
“He sure has taken to her pretty quickly.” Ben smirked.
“Yeah, he has.” Joel stood with his hands on his hips and looked at the mess sprawled out on the floor in front of him. “So what can I do?”
“Well…” Ben thought for a second. “You could start by transferring all the food to the duffle bags. It’ll save us some room and will be easier to pack in around other things.”
“Okay.” Joel went to work opening the sealed white tubs and pouring the packets of dehydrated food into the duffel bags.
Ben glanced at his son. The kid was a good worker. “If you’re up to it, how about getting that Thule cargo box ready tonight instead of waiting until morning? I’d like to get it mounted on the roof tonight if I can.” No telling what the morning would bring. He would rather get the bulk of it done tonight if he could and leave the morning open to double-check everything and deal with any last-minute issues. Once he had the box mounted on the roof racks he would have a better idea how much gear they could bring.
“Sure thing, Dad.”
“Thanks.” Ben walked over to his workbench and looked through some small metal drawers until he found what he was looking for. He placed the two combination-style padlocks on the top of the bench.
“I’ll leave these right here. See if they’ll work on the box after you get it cleaned up. They should be the right size. We need to be able to lock it up.”
“What about the hitch rack? We can use that to carry some stuff,” Joel asked.
“Yeah, been thinking about that. I’m probably going to keep the gas cans and toolbox on there along with some other stuff. Probably limit it to things we can move easily. Maybe strap that old cooler on and use it as a catchall for miscellaneous crap.” Ben grabbed a rolled-up garden hose that was hanging on a wall-mounted hook by the door and added it to his growing pile of things to pack.
“What’s that for?” Joel asked.
“We’re going to have to siphon gas.” Ben looked at the Blazer, then back at Joel. “Lots of gas.”
He knew the big V-8 would drink down gas at a steady pace, especially at highway speeds. They would need a way to satisfy the big truck’s thirst. He figured on using the garden hose and an old hand pump he had. Normally he used it for transferring kerosene from plastic gas tanks to the kerosene heaters he used to keep the garage warm when he was working out there in the wintertime. He could rig that up to pump gasoline just the same and attach it to the long hose to reach the underground tanks at gas stations. Then they wouldn’t have to rely on siphoning from cars to fill the 21-gallon tank, as it would most likely take a few cans to get the job done, and he didn’t want to stop that much. Better to stop and fill the truck tank and their two 5.5-gallon metal jerry cans all at once.
If they were lucky enough to travel at highway speeds, they would probably get about 10–12 miles per gallon, giving them an approximate range of 350 miles between needing to find a fuel source. Of course, that would include using the fuel in the spare cans, too, but it was still a pretty good range, and Ben was happy with that.
Joel had reduced the 10 white tubs of food to four large duffle bags measuring almost three feet long and about two feet around. They were going to take up quite a bit of room, but at least they wouldn’t be recognizable as food to someone snooping around the truck.
“Where do you want them?” Joel struggled with the zipper on the last stuffed bag.
“Just leave them there for now. I’ll load them last. I wanted to try to keep the gear below the windows so people wouldn’t notice all the stuff, but I don’t think we can do that now. I’m afraid I’m going to have to make a few changes to your truck.” Ben shook a can of black spray paint until the little marble inside begin to rattle.
“Like what?” Joel frowned.
Ben leaned into the back of the truck and sprayed the bottom three quarters of the rear side window with the paint, leaving several inches at the top clear. Stepping back and looking at his handiwork from the outside, he nodded in approval.
“Yep, that’ll do it.” Ben proceeded to spray the other side window and the rear window of the cab in a similar fashion.
“My truck!” Joel put his hand on his forehead and slid it down his face slowly.
“Sorry, buddy, I’m gonna need you to take one for the team here.” Ben shrugged.
“It’s fine. Gotta do what you gotta do, right?” Joel turned and headed out the door. “I’ll go get the roof box.”
“Thanks.” Ben felt bad about spray-painting the windows, but he knew it was the best way to keep prying eyes out their business, and now that they had an extra person riding in the back, he felt it was a necessary safety precaution. Their abundance of supplies would be too obvious, and he didn’t want to take the chance of someone noticing.
Ben heard Joel banging his hand on the outside of the overhead door.
“Can you open the door please?” Joel called from outside.
“Hang on.” Ben unlocked the door and pulled it up.
Joel dragged the long Thule box into the garage and laid it down on the floor alongside the truck.
“Thanks. I’ll get this cleaned up; it’s not too bad actually.” Joel brushed off some pine needles and opened it up to inspect the interior.
“Looks good to me.” Ben, not wanting to waste any time, grabbed one end of the box. “Give me a hand, will you? Let’s get it onto the roof.”
They hoisted the box up and positioned it on the crossbars.
“That’s bigger than I remember. Going to be a huge help.” Ben stepped back from the truck. “Can you get the brackets secured on your own?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Joel grabbed the parts on the workbench and pulled the socket set down from the shelf.
“If you have that handled, I’m going to go in and get stuff together in the basement.” Ben looked around the garage and took stock of their progress.
“Okay, Dad.”
Most everything was now organized into bags or conta
iners and would pack up pretty quickly from here. Before he loaded it all in, though, he wanted to get what they were taking from the basement packed and brought upstairs. He would wait until the morning to load the guns and ammo. That wasn’t something he wanted sitting outside overnight, even if it was locked up in the garage.
“I think we’ll load up in the morning after all. When you get done with that, why don’t you lock up and come on in, okay, bud? Get yourself some sleep and we’ll finish up first thing. I’m not going to do too much more tonight. I’m tired so I’ll probably hit the rack after I get done downstairs.”
“All right, I’ll lock up in a few and be right in.” Joel looked up for a second and then back at the wrench he was turning. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Joel.”
Chapter Two
It was unusually chilly for early June in the Rockies, and Ben pulled his flannel overshirt closer to ward off the night air. He looked at the moon and noticed the difference in clarity between the night sky above and the horizon.
Normally, on a night like this with an almost full moon, he would be able to see quite a ways down the valley, but not now. The air had almost a grainy, foggy quality down toward the horizon—enough to make some of the lower-sitting stars almost invisible. It almost looked like there were airborne particles settling into the lower atmosphere. How long would this last, how much was from the bombs, and how much was residual smoke that remained in the atmosphere from the countless fires that were and had been burning?
He leaned against the railing at the top of the steps for a moment before he went in. Looking back at the garage, he wondered if he should stay out here until Joel was done. They hadn’t seen anyone on the way up the long gravel road to their house, but that didn’t mean they could let their guard down. The houses were so scattered in the development that, over the years, Ben had only gotten to know his closest neighbors—and not very well at that. Still, he didn’t think any of them were people he needed to worry about.