The Dark Road Series Collection

by Bruno Miller

  “What do you think?” Joel climbed out of the truck, followed by Allie and Gunner. Gunner quickly ran over to the camper tire and made good use of it after giving it a sniff.

  They all stood there in silence for a few minutes as Ben looked over the wreck from one end to the other.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “There’s no other way around. The closest jeep trail I know of is up ahead a few miles. Joel and I have been up here on some of the trails before, and there’s no way that will put us back on the road ahead of this.”

  Going back wasn’t an option as far as Ben was concerned. It would take hours, maybe even days, to continue on a different route, and he wasn’t about to go back through Pagosa Springs—not with those rednecks lying in wait.

  “We’re not going back, are we?” Allie put one hand on the broken piece of guardrail and peeked over the edge.

  “No, that’s not an option.” Ben joined her and looked down at the mangled remains of the large SUV that had been towing the camper when disaster struck. There was no chance of survivors.

  “Those poor people!” Allie shook her head as she stepped back from the edge.

  “What a way to go.” Joel was now standing where Allie had been.

  Ben got down on the ground next to the camper’s double wheel wells and started to shimmy under to the other side. “What are you doing, Dad?”

  “I want to get a look and see how bad it’s hung up on the guardrail over here.”

  Since the front end was well over the cliff and the back end was smashed against the rocks, going under was the only safe way to get to the other side of the big camper. There wasn’t enough room for him to squeeze through between the camper and the space by the sheer rock wall. Allie maybe, but he wasn’t sending her through.

  Once he was on the other side, he inspected the area where the guardrail punctured through the thin aluminum and plastic skin of the camper’s hull. It appeared to be the only thing preventing the camper from suffering the same fate as the SUV.

  The Winnebago had caught its front corner on the guardrail and peeled back the outer shell on the camper all the way to the side door. The guardrail had sliced through the thin shell like a can opener, exposing the fluffy yellow insulation underneath.

  The peeled camper shell had spiraled into a neat roll behind the piece of rail sticking into it. The doorframe was badly distorted, and there was a large gap on the frame where the knob and lock were. Ben pulled the door open easily and peered inside, trying to get an idea of how far the rail stuck into the interior of the RV. He was careful not to step inside or put any weight on the RV itself.

  To Ben, it looked like the whole thing could go over the edge at any moment if it shifted. The rail hadn’t come through to the inside, which meant it was hanging on by the roll of aluminum skin on the outside. A plan started to materialize in his mind.

  As he leaned back out of the camper’s doorway, he caught sight of a few children’s toys scattered about the disheveled interior and was reminded of the SUV at the bottom of the cliff. His thoughts momentarily drifted to its potential occupants and then to his own kids.

  Where had Bradley and Emma been when things went down? Oh, how he regretted not making the extra effort to FaceTime them before he and Joel had left to go camping. He had tried a couple times in the days leading up to the weekend, but he hadn’t been able to get through.

  He thought about the last communication he had with Emma earlier in the week and pictured the little smiling kissy-face and heart emoji she had ended their text messaging with. Before he could force himself to put it out of his mind, he was overcome once more with the sense of guilt that had been hounding him over the last few days.

  “Hang in there, kids,” he whispered. “Dad’s on his way.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ben crawled out from under the camper and stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants. “I think we can move it, but it’s going to take a little teamwork.”

  “We’re ready,” Allie said.

  “Yeah,” Joel added. “Just tell us what to do.”

  “Here’s the plan. It’s not hanging on by much. I think with a little nudge from the Hi-Lift jack we can get it to go.”

  “We’re going to push it off the cliff?” Joel lifted an eyebrow.

  “It’s the only choice. If we try to pull it back onto the road, there’s a good chance it will slide on the wet asphalt and either hit us or wedge itself farther down the road.” Ben nodded at the sharp turn where the truck was parked. “I don’t like any of the options we have, but this one is the safest.”

  He hated the thought of sending this thing over the edge and onto the SUV for several reasons, but if they tried to pull it out of the way, the results could be trip-ending—or worse.

  “What do you need us to do?” Allie asked.

  “We’re going to need the ax and the Hi-Lift jack for starters.”

  “I’ll get them.” Joel jogged over to the back of the Blazer while Ben looked for a suitable spot to wedge the jack between the rock wall and the rear of the camper frame.

  “Allie, would you please go tell Joel to bring the green climbing rope also?” Ben asked.

  “Sure thing, Mr. Davis.”

  Ben looked around under the back of the RV and saw something that gave him an even better idea for how to get this thing over the edge. Instead of using the jack to force the RV away from the wall, he could simply lift the back end up to the point where the center of gravity would shift forward enough to pull it over the edge. He would still have to weaken the spot on the other side where the guardrail was snagged. But that’s what the ax was for. This would eliminate the chance of the whole thing breaking free and sliding downhill.

  “What are we going to do with these?” Joel walked up behind Ben while carrying the ax and jack.

  “I have the rope.” Allie, carrying a neatly coiled and bound bundle of green climbing rope, caught up with Joel. “Is this the one?” She held the rope up.

  “That’s the one. Thanks.” Ben got up from the ground near the back of the RV and took the rope from Allie. Crouching down, he flung the rope under the RV to the road on the other side.

  “Joel, I’m going to need you working the jack on this side. I want to lift up the back end and force it to slide off the edge. I think it’ll go pretty easy, but it’s hung up on the other side. I can get it free with the ax, but I don’t want to crawl back under once I do.”

  “Got it.” Joel set the jack down on the ground near the back of the camper. “So what’s the rope for?”

  “I’m going to tie the camper off to a section of guardrail with a quick-release knot just in case it decides to head your way.”

  “What do you need me to do?” Allie asked.

  “I’d like you to be in the truck with the engine running and ready for Joel to hop in. If this decides not to cooperate and should come sliding down the road, I want you to be ready to move the truck out of the way. Back down the hill until you’re well around that last switchback.” Ben nodded toward the sharp curve in the road. “Can you handle that?” Ben finished with half a smile in her direction.

  “No problem.” She smiled back.

  “All right then, let’s get this show on the road.” Ben clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. It was getting to be late afternoon and the cloudy sky threatened rain again.

  Joel handed him the ax once he was under the RV and slipped out of sight to the other side. Using the rope he had thrown over, he tied it onto the frame near the axles using a quick-release knot and left about a 10-foot length of rope running off the loose end of the knot as a release. This type of knot would be strong enough to hold the RV in one direction if it slipped while providing a way to get the rope back by simply tugging on the loose end he had left. He ran the other end of the rope up the road to a sturdy section of guardrail and tied it off with a quick bowline knot.

  With the RV safely secured, he turned his attention to the snagged rail.<
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  “Let me know if you see any movement over there. I’m going to start working on it,” Ben called out.

  “Okay,” Joel answered.

  Ben heard Allie start the truck a few moments later as he was sizing up the best place to strike a blow with the ax.

  “I really hope this works,” he mumbled to himself as he took the first exploratory swing at the aluminum camper skin. The blow did more damage than he anticipated and almost cut all the way through to the yellow insulation. The only thing holding it in place now was a thicker metal band under the skin that looked like part of the internal framework. A couple more solid blows from the ax, however, were too much for the thin metal framework, and the coiled-up roll of material fell to the ground. Now free of the guardrail, the heavier band of metal that seemed to hold up the RV sprung back into place, setting a chain of events into motion.

  Ben heard metal scraping as it started sliding up the rock wall behind him. He grabbed the release rope and scrambled away from the RV.

  “Get back! It’s loose!” he yelled.

  The tire in the back wheel well, which had gone flat, seemed to inflate as the RV tipped forward and shifted its weight off the back tire. The whole thing teetered on the front axle for a moment and looked like it was going to tip. It was short-lived, though, and the whole thing ground to a halt and stopped tipping toward the cliff. The top rear of the RV left a trail of white paint on the rocks jutting out from the shear wall. This small section of rock prevented the camper from tipping any further. If they could somehow move the RV forward a few more inches, it would be all they needed to get that section free of the rocks. Once they cleared it, there would be nothing to stop the RV’s back end from rising up, allowing the weight of the heavier front end to pull it over the edge.

  “Okay, you’re up, Joel.” Ben looked under the back end of the camper, which was now sitting up noticeably higher. He could see Joel wrestling the jack into place on the other side.

  Joel pulled the lever up until the lifting bar on the jack was snug underneath the frame.

  “Ready.” Still half leaning on the jack handle, he looked over at Ben.

  “Go for it.” Ben took a couple steps back, dragging the release rope with him.

  The rock resisted the force of the jack, and so it was the camper shell that gave, crumpling in against the rock with each pump of the handle.

  Ben’s parental instincts kicked in. “When it starts to go, you get away from it. You hear me, Joel?”

  “I will,” he shouted back without looking away from the jack.

  Inch by inch, the back end rose until Joel commented on how easy it was getting to pump the jack.

  Then it happened. A piece of the boulder the camper was pushing against cracked and popped off, flying through the air. With the rock out of the way, the whole back end launched into the air, sending the Winnebago somersaulting over the edge of the cliff.

  It seemed to happen in total silence as Ben watched it disappear over the edge. He gave a sharp tug on the rope to release the knot and then let it go.

  “Wow!” Joel jogged over to the edge.

  “Not too close. It may have weakened the edge.” Ben barely got the words out of his mouth when they heard it hit the bottom with a loud, messy crash mixed with the sounds of crumpling fiberglass and the screech of metal against rock.

  Ben caught up to Joel and put his hand on his chest, pushing him back away from the cliff as he looked over. The crumpled shell lay on the canyon floor. Yellow bits of fiberglass were still floating in the air from the massive force of the impact. Allie and Gunner joined them at the edge for a peek.

  “I can’t believe how quick it went over!” Allie noted.

  “I didn’t think there was much holding it.” Ben bent down and grabbed the rope that still dangled over the edge. “Well, let’s get the tools stowed and get moving. With any luck, we can get down and out of the mountains before it rains again.” He was anxious to move on and didn’t see the point in dwelling there any longer.

  Staying in one place for any length of time, no matter how safe it might seem, felt like a bad idea to Ben. They were already going to have to stop for the night somewhere, and that was all the risk he wanted to take.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ben untied the other end of the rope from the guardrail and began coiling it around his arm as he walked toward the truck. Allie carried the ax, and Joel lugged the big jack back to the truck and got them stowed away quickly. Before they knew it, they were on the road. Gunner, his head in Allie’s lap, was already contently snoring away in the back seat.

  Ben could hardly believe they just pushed an RV over the edge of a cliff, but they had, and his aches and pains could attest to it. He wasn’t sure how far he would make it, but he wanted to drive until at least about 6:30 or 7:00. That would give them a few hours of twilight to pick a safe spot, set up camp, and eat before it got too dark to see without flashlights. Nothing could give away their position like a couple of flashlights bouncing around in the dark. He wanted to maintain a stealthy approach to things when they could. He knew it wouldn’t always be possible or practical, but based on what they had run into so far, it would be well worth the effort.

  Ben glanced in the rearview mirror. Allie looked like she was sleeping or close to it.

  “You doing okay?” Ben reached over and squeezed Joel’s shoulder and gave him a little shake.

  “Yeah, just thinking.”

  “About what?” Ben asked.

  “Everything, nothing, I don’t know.” Joel exhaled a long breath.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a little overwhelming. I also know this isn’t the summer you thought you were going to have, to say the least, and the future looks uncertain right now. But don’t let this define you, Joel. Don’t let the things we see, and things we are forced to do in order to survive, become who you are. These are all special circumstances.”

  Joel seemed to think on Ben’s words for a moment. “Do you think that Emma and Bradley are all right? I’m mean, mom’s a nurse, but she’s not good at this kind of survival stuff. She doesn’t even like camping.”

  “I do think they’re all right, and I’m sure they could use our help, but I think they’re okay. Your mom is pretty smart and a lot tougher than you think. She should be able to keep them all in good shape for a little while. Remember, they’re not too far from Grandpa Jack’s place. He’s got that old chicken farm out in the country.”

  Jack was his ex-wife’s father, and Ben had always gotten along well with him, even after the divorce. They ended up talking a few times a year when he would call to wish Joel a merry Christmas or happy birthday. He was a bit of an outdoor enthusiast and enjoyed hunting and fishing as much as Ben did. That always gave the two something to talk about. Ben was pretty sure his ex would try to get the kids to Jack’s and hold up there as long as they could. At least, he hoped that’s what they’d do.

  “I bet they’re already there,” Ben followed up. “They could walk from where they live to his place if they had to.”

  “I hope they did. Grandpa has guns. He can keep them safe,” Joel added, nodding as he looked out the window.

  “Yeah, he’s a pretty handy guy. They’ll be just fine until we get there.” Ben hoped Joel believed that, because it would help him worry a little less about his brother and sister, but Ben had his doubts.

  For one thing, he wasn’t sure about Jack’s condition and overall health. The man was getting on in years and wasn’t the same guy he’d been when Ben and Casey had first met.

  Last time Ben had talked to Jack, he’d mentioned some upcoming testing he was having done for his heart. He claimed it was no big deal and that Casey had insisted on it after an episode at Thanksgiving, whatever that meant. Who was he to argue with his daughter the nurse, he had joked. If it was serious, surely she would have let Ben know about it, but then again, maybe not. They talked as seldom as possible and tried to keep it about the kids. Maybe she wouldn’t h
ave said anything about her dad not being well. It would be hard for her, Ben knew. Jack was her only family to speak of.

  “You know your brother has been learning to shoot over at your grandpa’s. Has he told you that, Joel?” Ben looked over to see Joel leaning on the doorframe. His eyes were shut tight.

  Let him sleep, Ben thought to himself. It’s been one hell of a day. The kids were both not only physically tired, but emotionally as well. Ben knew all too well how heavy thoughts could suck every last bit of energy out of a person. Add that to the physical stress of the day, and they had every excuse to be asleep.

  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. As it was, he was fighting the urge to pull over and call it a day. He was already tired and they would have at least a half hour or so of setting up camp for the night after they stopped. Today was going to take everything he had—and then some.

  The Rio Grande River ran through the town of Alamosa, Colorado, which was just up ahead. He figured about another hour of tedious driving should put them there around 6:30. The landscape would go dry for a while after the Rio Grande, making that a good place to stop so they would have access to water. He hoped to make Kansas tomorrow and was unsure of the conditions they would have for camping there. It made sense to take advantage of being somewhere familiar while they could.

  He knew of a spot on the east side of town where there were a few dirt access roads that eventually led to the river and were off the beaten path. He went car camping there a couple years back when he’d made the drive over here to fish the Rio Grande. He remembered finding a secluded spot and not seeing anyone else the whole weekend he was there. He also remembered catching quite a few good-sized brown trout there.

  Fresh trout would be a nice addition to their dinner or maybe even breakfast. He’d put Joel on that as soon as they got there. It would do him some good to get out the rod and catch them all some dinner. A little dose of normalcy would boost his morale. Any little bit of food they could find, hunt, or catch would be more important than he previously thought.