The Dark Road Series Collection

by Bruno Miller

  These were the real deal. Ben realized each tube was a full stick of dynamite. He did the math in his head twice to make sure he was coming up with the right number.

  “You’re looking at roughly 40 pounds of dynamite.” Ben stood back for a minute and put his hand on his chin. A whole new world of possibilities had just opened up to them. This was definitely a game-changer.

  “Is it dangerous?” Allie asked.

  “It should be all right. Depends on how old it is. It can destabilize over time. The old stuff used to, at least. I’m not sure about this stuff.” Ben picked up one of the yellow sticks and inspected it. The manufactured date was stamped on the bottom. The dynamite was less than a year old.

  “It’s not very old. It should be pretty safe. I still wouldn’t go riding around with it in the back of my truck like these guys were,” Ben added.

  “What are they doing with dynamite anyway?” Joel asked.

  “They must use it at the quarry for blasting rock.” Ben shrugged and sat on the tailgate next to the wooden crate. It felt good to sit down. His recon mission turned assault had drained his energy and he needed a break, at least a few minutes to finish the Clif bar and rehydrate.

  Ben glanced at Joel. “How about pulling the netting off the Blazer and getting it ready to go? I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

  “Okay. No problem.” Joel nodded and looked at Allie. “Want to give me a hand with the net?”

  “Sure.” Allie smiled. “Want me to get you anything, Mr. Davis.”

  “No, thanks.” Ben shook his head, then took a bite of the bar.

  The kids headed for the Blazer.

  He sat for a few minutes while they got the truck squared away. He was starting to have some other ideas about how to deal with their situation. His first thought, when they found the dynamite, was to blast the cars out of the way at the big roadblock and not worry about the quarry or the loader.

  But his real concern with that plan was the potential to damage the bridge. What good would it do to blow the cars out of the way if they destroyed the bridge in the process? He was still tempted to give it a try, though, mostly because he wasn’t excited in the least over the prospects of breaking into the quarry and taking a loader. There could be a dozen bad guys over there for all he knew. And even if there were only two others, they would still have the advantage over him and the kids. The Bronco would only disguise them for so long.

  The quarry might be attempting to contact their guys over here at this very moment. With that in mind, Ben got up and went to get the two-way radio off the floor in the Bronco. Joel and Allie were packing the camo netting in the back of the Blazer already. They would be able to move soon.

  He turned the radio on as he walked back to his seat on the tailgate. Without an answer, the people at the quarry would grow suspicious and eventually end up coming over here to see what was going on for themselves.

  Then it dawned on Ben. Maybe he wanted them to come to over.

  In fact, he could take it one step further and lure them to this side of the river rather than wait around for them to act.

  Ben tried to think of a way he could create a sense of urgency, or something that would force their hand into action. But he also didn’t want to tip them off that he and the kids were wise to them.

  The bad guys would have to use one of the loaders to clear the first roadblock and get over here. There was a good chance they would also bring another vehicle and leave the loader on the bridge when they were done moving the cars. That was fine with him if it worked out that way. No need to risk a fight on their turf when they could get these idiots to practically deliver a loader for them.

  Ben heard the Blazer’s doors shut. Then the tires spun for a moment before they dug into the mud and propelled the truck backward. A few clumps of marsh muck flew off the tires and landed in the dry leaves several feet away.

  Joel backed the truck around and then pulled forward until he was even with the Bronco. He put it in park and rolled the window down. Allie was in the passenger’s seat, trying to push Gunner off the center console so she could see through to Joel and Ben.

  “Well, what’s the plan?” Joel asked.

  Ben hopped off the tailgate and walked to the Joel’s window. “You guys follow me out to the road and I’ll go over the plan with you there.” He smiled. “We’re going to set a little trap of our own.”

  Chapter Nine

  Joel nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll be right behind you.”

  Ben closed up the box of dynamite and slid it back inside the cargo area of the Bronco. He hated the thought of riding with the stuff, but it was going to give them the upper hand. Besides, he’d already driven with it on the way here.

  He’d be checking the contents of any other vehicles he borrowed from now on, he thought as he shook his head.

  Ben fired up the Bronco and drove a semicircle around Joel, making a 180-degree turn and heading back toward the trail. He went as fast as he dared but didn’t want to push it now that he was aware of his cargo. Each bump and rattle was a tense reminder that there were 40 pounds of impact-sensitive explosives a few feet behind him.

  Slowly but surely, they made their way out of the woods, then back along the narrow four-wheel-drive trail. Ben wondered what the kids were thinking as they passed the old Chevy pickup he had scuttled. He hoped they didn’t notice the two blood-soaked patches of dirt on the road as they drove over them.

  After a few minutes of driving they hit the smoother dirt road and Ben felt a little better about hauling the dynamite. He picked up the pace a bit and headed for the section of road that ran under the first bridge. That would be a good place to stop, out of sight from the quarry and anybody coming over the bridge. There, in the shade, he could go over the plan with Joel and Allie.

  Ben glanced down at the radio on the floor to make sure the small red light was still on. It had been silent since he turned it on back in the woods. Looking at his watch, he figured it had only been an hour since he first saw the men at the roadblock.

  The two guys in the Bronco had probably radioed over to the quarry with an update after they’d left their friend. Ben figured he still had a little time before the quarry would try to communicate with them.

  Ben drove through the intersection and passed by the right-hand turn that led to the highway. Instead, he continued on straight and followed the dirt road, where it veered off toward the river and under the bridge.

  As soon as he was in the shade, he pulled off to the side of the road and made a U-turn before parking. Now facing Joel and Allie, he watched them drive in and park on the other side of the road.

  “In there, between the columns.” Ben pointed to the area between two large concrete support structures.

  Joel waved and put the Blazer in gear before backing the truck into the tight, dark spot by the concrete columns and shutting it off.

  Ben was already across the dirt road, where he was squatting down near the shoulder and drawing on the ground with a stick. It was dark and cool in the shadows under the bridge and it felt good to be out of the hot sun for a change.

  Joel and Allie hurried over to join him. Gunner led the way, ran over to where Ben was kneeling, and lay down, panting on the damp sand. He seemed to appreciate the shade and coolness of the bridge as much as Ben did.

  He was glad to see that both Joel and Allie were still carrying their weapons.

  “Okay, so what’s the plan?” Joel asked.

  Ben looked up from his crudely drawn map that showed a rough layout of the two bridges and the highway between them.

  “We’re here.” Ben placed a rock on his drawing. “I want to leave the Blazer here and have you guys take a position up off the highway. Somewhere you have a good view of the bridge. There’s a ridge a little up the road from here that looks like a good spot. I’ll drop you guys off there so you can be my eyes. I’ll set up dynamite on the road in key locations that will provide you with a good defendabl
e position. You can detonate the dynamite bundles by shooting them in case things go wrong and they don’t come to me.” Ben placed another piece of gravel at that location.

  Joel and Allie crouched down and joined him.

  “Where will you be?” Joel asked.

  “I’m going up the road a bit to set up a spot to ambush them using the rest of the dynamite and the Bronco. I’ll signal you with a couple clicks on the radio before I blow the truck.” Ben dropped another piece of gravel. “I’ll use the radio I found in the Bronco to try to contact them. I’m not sure what I’ll say, but something along the lines of needing help. I think I can disguise my voice enough with a little static to pass for one of them. I’ll tell them the radio isn’t working right or something if they get suspicious. I’m hoping to get them over here.”

  “But how will we get through the other roadblock?” Allie’s eyebrows squished together as she studied the roughly drawn map.

  “I’m thinking they’ll bring the loader they’ve been using to move these cars around so they can get across the first bridge. After I deal with them, we can use it to clear a path on the next bridge.”

  A concerned look crossed Allie’s face. “Are you going to kill them?” She swallowed.

  Ben was surprised by the question and was tempted to give her a vague answer, but he’d already decided the kids needed to know the truth about things. “These people are killers. I overheard them talking about killing people just like us they had trapped. I can’t just leave them here to continue doing this. We have to do the right thing.”

  “I understand.” Allie nodded.

  “It’s not like they’re just going to let us walk out of here anyway,” Joel added.

  Allie shrugged. “I know, it’s just… I don’t know. Hard to think about, I guess.”

  Joel put his hand on Allie’s shoulder and looked at her. “Your dad, my mom, my brother, and my sister are all waiting for us. Counting on us. These people? They don’t care about us. They only care about themselves.”

  “He’s right.” Ben stood. “And I don’t like it, either, Allie, but it’s literally us or them.”

  “Okay, what do you need us to do?” Allie asked as she got to her feet.

  When Joel got up, Gunner followed, apparently sensing they were moving soon. He headed for the Blazer.

  “Gunner, come on, boy. This way,” Ben called out.

  Gunner paused and gave a confused head tilt in his direction.

  “Lock the truck up, will you, Joel? I’ll give you guys a ride to your spot.”

  “Okay.” Joel jogged to the Blazer and made his way around the vehicle, locking it as he went. Meanwhile, Allie and Gunner loaded into the Bronco’s back seat.

  “Just put the other stuff in the back.” Ben grabbed his M24 off the back seat and laid it barrel-down into the floor with the butt of the gun resting on the center console.

  Allie moved the box of ammo and the other rifle into the back with the crate of dynamite. Gunner was busy sniffing the interior of the truck when Joel yanked open the passenger door and hopped in.

  Ben headed back to the intersection but this time made the turn that led up to the highway and the end of the bridge.

  Once they were on the main road, he only went a few hundred yards before pulling onto the shoulder. The side of the road went down into a ditch and then rose up in elevation on the other side to the top of a hill that must have been left over from the bridge’s construction. The ridge had apparently been there a while because it was thick with vegetation where it ran into the woods.

  “Top of that hill.” Ben pointed. “Find a spot where you can see across the bridge.”

  “Got it,” Joel answered.

  “Radio?” Ben asked as he got out of the truck.

  “Got it,” Joel repeated and held up the walkie-talkie as he and Allie headed toward the hill. They crossed the half-full ditch, carefully jumping over the dirty water.

  Gunner, on the other hand, seemed more than happy to wade right through and run up the other side ahead of them.

  Ben opened the back of the Bronco and grabbed 10 yellow sticks out of the wooden crate and gently placed them in his backpack. He paced off what he figured was about 100 yards down the road toward the bridge.

  He stopped and looked back at the kids, who were now almost at the wood line on top of the hill. They would have a good vantage point from up there, as well as a good hiding spot. Whoever came over from the quarry should drive right past here. But just in case they stopped, Ben was going to take some precautions.

  “Joel, come in. Over.” From where he was, Ben watched as Joel brought the radio up to his face.

  “Go ahead. Over”

  “Let me know when you’re ready. I want you to watch me place these. Over.” Ben held up one of the dynamite sticks and waved it over his head.

  Joel glanced back at him and gave him a thumbs-up as he and Allie joined Gunner in the woods and got out of sight.

  Ben looked around for a good place to hide the dynamite. It needed to be hidden from the road but visible to Joel.

  “We’re ready. Over,” Joel said over the radio.

  “Let me know if you can see these through your scope as I go. Over.” Ben began by putting two sticks together with duct tape and then taping them to the back of a road sign not too far from where the bridge ended. The two sticks together should give Joel an easy target at that distance.

  “Can you see it? Over.”

  “Yes. Over,” Joel responded.

  Ben repeated this every 10 yards or so, working his way down the shoulder and back toward the kids. He used an old tire, an empty fast food bag, a mile marker sign, and a speed limit sign to hide the other sticks of dynamite.

  Joel had five targets in all, and each one had two sticks taped together. That would give Joel some options if things didn’t go as planned.

  “Looks good. I can see them all. Over.”

  “Good. Let them pass by and come to me. I want them away from the bridge. These are only in case they stop here or things go south. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate. Let them have it. Over.”

  “Roger that. Over.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ben kept the radio by his mouth a moment longer. “I’m moving down the road. I’ll be just around the corner, not far. I’ll let you know when I’m in position and before I do anything. Keep an eye on the bridge and be careful, guys. Over.”

  “Roger that. Over.”

  Ben jumped back in the Bronco and headed down the road as he began to go over what he was going to say on the radio. He wanted to keep it brief, that was for sure. He could muffle the radio and fake some interference, so he didn’t think the voice mattered as much as what he said.

  When he had gone a quarter mile or so up the road, he pulled the truck off to the side and made a small U-turn. He parked the Bronco diagonally across both westbound lanes so the truck was facing in the direction he had just come from. He went around back, opened the tailgate, and threw the extra shotgun ammo in his bag, then grabbed the dead man’s rifle case.

  Ben pulled the box of dynamite to the center of the cargo area and then out a little toward the tailgate. He thought about keeping a few sticks of dynamite but quickly dismissed the idea and decided it was too dangerous to travel with them. But he did grab the fuse cord out of the box. There was no sense in leaving that behind. They might be able to use it for something. He threw it in the bag with the ammo before continuing around to the passenger’s side of the truck to retrieve his M24 from the front seat.

  He also wanted to check the glove box for anything of value. He was actually thinking there might be ammo in there for the rifle or maybe another box of shotgun shells.

  Ben popped open the glove compartment door and immediately saw he’d been right. A box of ammo. He looked it over. It was a box of .243 WSSM (Winchester Super Short Magnum)-caliber ammunition, and it felt full.

  Well, he knew what type of rifle it was now. It was a decent caliber
and was worth keeping around as a backup or maybe even to trade for something they needed down the road.

  He threw the box of ammo in his bag along with both radios and was about to walk away from the Bronco when something caught his eye in the glove box.

  It looked like a shiny deck of cards but was thicker and held together with a rubber band. But it wasn’t a deck of cards. They were drivers’ licenses, six of them all together.

  Ben shuffled through the blood-stained stack. His heart raced and his blood pressure rose with each flip of the deck as he saw the faces of the victims.

  These murderous lowlifes were actually keeping the IDs of the people they killed. And how many others had there been without an ID to steal?

  He threw the licenses back into the glove compartment and slammed the door. That was the most disgusting, vile thing he’d seen all day, and he’d seen a lot already.

  Ben didn’t need another reason to justify what he was about to do. But now, fueled by his grisly find, he walked away from the Bronco recommitted to seeing justice carried out.

  He headed toward the woods with a renewed sense of purpose. He couldn’t wait to put this place and these people behind him.

  Once he was off the road, he looked for a spot that would give him a good vantage point. The woods along the highway sat a couple feet higher than the road itself, so it was just a matter of finding a spot far enough back, but without any vegetation between him and the Bronco, to be out of sight.

  He needed a clear shot at the box of dynamite.

  He was hoping they would see the Bronco and stop to investigate. But it really didn’t matter if they stopped or not—just that they were somewhere close by when he shot the box.

  With any luck, they would leave the loader at the roadblock and use a car or truck to get over here. If they drove the loader all the way out here, Ben would have to change the plan. He couldn’t risk damaging the big machine with the explosion. He’d have to take them out one by one, no matter how many of them there were.