by Bruno Miller
At least he knew Allie’s mom was okay. He had lost track of her in the chaos and was concerned she’d been hit by the kid.
“Come on, Allie. Let’s get your mom and get out of here.” Ben helped her to her feet and they ran around the back of the truck toward Sandy.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked. Sandy stood there, staring at the woman on the ground without responding.
“Mom, are you okay?” Allie repeated.
“Yeah… Yes, I’m okay. I think.” Sandy looked herself over.
“That was good thinking with the TV,” Ben said. The man that had helped Sandy was back in the tent and loading a box with all the food and water he could carry.
With a crazed look on his face, he ran out of the tent and, without saying a word, took off down the road.
“That’s not a bad idea. Let’s grab what we can.” Ben followed Allie and her mom into the tent and quickly found an empty box.
Sandy began to fill the box with MREs while Allie wrestled a case of water bottles down from the shelf. Ben grabbed a case of water himself and cradled it under his left arm. He wanted to keep his right hand free to use the gun just in case there was more trouble. There was a chance, after all, that it wasn’t Joel doing the shooting.
“Only grab what you can carry by yourself,” he warned as he peered out of the tent toward the road and the direction the shots had come from.
“Was that Joel?” Allie asked.
“I don’t know. I think so, but until we’re sure it’s not someone else attacking the camp for supplies, we need to be careful.” He thought about commandeering the Humvee and using it to get back to the Blazer. It sure would make carrying all this stuff a whole lot easier, especially for Sandy, who was already struggling with the box of food she had gathered.
Allie copied Ben’s method for carrying the water and tucked the case she had under her arm so she could free up a hand for her mother.
“You can put it down for now. I want you to wait here while I search the trailer for keys to the Humvee. Maybe we can use it to get out of here.” Ben peeked out from the tent again and surveyed the area. The trailer the leader had come out of most likely held the keys to all the vehicles. Most of the people had run into the nearby fields and were long gone. The rest were still hiding close by, unsure of what was going on.
Ben was about to run across the opening to the trailer when he heard a familiar sound. He looked down the road toward the interstate exit, and through the heat rising off the road, he saw the blurry image of a truck speeding toward them. It took him a moment to recognize the distorted image, but there was no mistaking it.
It was Joel in the Blazer.
“Change of plans, guys. Grab your stuff and follow me!”
Allie and her mom grabbed what they had just set down and moved over behind Ben at the door.
“It’s Joel! He’s coming to us.” Ben took another quick look around outside the tent before stepping into the open lane that led out of camp.
“Now!” He motioned with his head for Allie and Sandy to follow him.
The women tried their best to stay close behind as they struggled with the supplies. Slowly but surely, they moved toward the front gate and the road beyond.
Ben kept an eye on the watchtower as they passed through the entrance. The guy in the cowboy hat had gone down pretty hard, but Ben wasn’t about to let his guard down now. They were too close to make foolish mistakes.
He took a position behind Allie and her mom, putting himself between them and the camp. He meticulously checked every corner and crevice for trouble as they pushed on past the gate and the initial checkpoint. He backpedaled as he followed them out past the bodies.
For the first time, he noticed that a few of the prisoners had been shot and killed also—a result of the kid’s panic-induced shooting spree. He tried to stay focused on the camp behind them. The end was in sight now.
All they had to do was get to the truck.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ben could see Joel in the driver’s seat, with Gunner riding shotgun, as the truck sped toward them. Joel slammed on the brakes when he was about 40 yards out, causing the Blazer to break into a screeching sideways slide before coming to a complete stop. He flew out of the driver’s seat, still wielding Ben’s M24.
“Are you guys all right?” he yelled as he threw the rifle across the hood of the truck and got behind it.
Ben could hear the nervousness in his voice, but he never would have known it by his actions. “We’re good. Is the truck open?”
“Yes,” he answered.
Trusting that Joel had them covered, Ben slung the M4 over his shoulder and took the other case of water from Allie. He ran ahead to the truck and threw both cases in the back before running back to help them with the box of food.
“I got it. You guys get in the truck.” Ben grabbed the box from them and ran it the rest of the way to the truck, allowing the women to make better time.
Gunner was anxiously waiting on the front passenger seat to greet Allie when she opened the door. He quickly jumped to the back to make way for her and her mom to get in. Gunner barked nervously at Sandy a couple times before settling in on the bench seat next to Allie.
“It’s okay, boy. We’re here.” Allie rubbed his head.
Ben finished cramming the box into the back and ran around to the driver’s seat. “I’ll drive, Joel. You cover us.”
“Got it,” Joel replied as he slipped around the front of the truck and got in on the other side.
Ben threw it into drive as soon as he sat down and handed the M4 to Joel. He pulled the door closed as they drove off and headed for the open highway.
A couple miles down the road and back on the interstate, they caught their breath and Allie began to make introductions.
“Mom, this is Joel. Joel, this is my mother, Sandy.”
Joel twisted around in his seat and smiled. “Hi.”
“Nice to meet you, Joel, and thank you for coming to get us, and thank you for taking care of my daughter.”
Joel blushed as he nodded.
“Yes, thank you both for helping me get my mom back!” Allie grinned as Gunner nudged at her hand in an attempt to get scratched. “And this big guy here is Gunner. He’s saved me from trouble more times than I’d like to admit.”
Sandy’s eyes widened.
Ben checked behind them again and confirmed that no one was coming before he backed off on the gas pedal. There were a few wrecked cars coming up and he needed to slow down. He looked over at Joel for the first time since he started driving and began nodding in approval.
“I’m proud of you. You did good back there, Son.” He put his hand on Joel’s shoulder.
“I didn’t have much choice. I was watching through the scope and then I saw your signal. So I moved the truck closer and found a spot in the weeds near enough to take a shot if I got the chance. I would have waited there all night if I had to.” Joel looked down at the floor, then back at Allie, who was talking to her mom. “I just imagined they were targets at the range!” he added before looking over at his dad.
“Well, you did the right thing. We wouldn’t have made it out of there without you!” Ben did his best to reassure Joel of his actions. Doing a thing like that because it had to be done didn’t make it easy. Taking a life never was, no matter how deserving the target might seem.
Ben noticed a transformation in his son, now more than ever. And although he could tell Joel was shaken from the rescue, he was somehow different than he had been in the past. Ben wasn’t sure if numb was the right word, but there was a certain callousness to Joel’s demeanor.
Ben remembered how the incident back in Colorado had affected him. He could tell Joel was deeply upset after being forced to shoot one of the guys who had abducted Allie. It had taken some time for Joel to accept what he’d done then. But now he seemed more than willing to put it behind him. That worried Ben because he knew that path, and it was a dangerous one.
&n
bsp; “Hey, Allie, how about grabbing everyone a couple of waters from the back, if you can reach them?” Ben asked.
“Oh my gosh, I totally forgot. Joel, you must be so thirsty. And you too, Gunner.” She twisted around in her seat and started handing bottles to everyone.
“Yes, thank you,” Joel said.
Allie’s movement interrupted Gunner from his position across her lap, and he shifted his weight onto Sandy. Allie filled his bowl with water and set it on the center console so he could reach it. He drank noisily until the bowl was empty. Allie filled it again and he finished most of that as well.
With water still dripping from his lips, Gunner sat back on the seat and slumped over into Sandy’s lap. He twisted around onto his back and exposed his belly to her.
Allie laughed. “I think he likes you.”
Gunner’s eyes closed as Sandy gave in and scratched him. “He reminds me of Molly a little bit.” Sandy looked at Allie and began to tear up.
“Molly was our dog in Pittsburgh. She stayed there with Allie’s dad when we moved,” she explained to Joel and Ben.
“Oh yeah. Allie told me she had a yellow Lab at her dad’s,” Joel answered.
“Sweetie, I need to tell you something about your dad.” Sandy cleared her throat before continuing. “I talked to some of the people at the FEMA camp when we first got there, before it was taken over. The people with the National Guard told me that Pittsburgh was gone. Your dad… I think your dad is…” She broke down in tears and couldn’t get the words out.
Allie leaned over, embracing her mother as they both cried.
“I know. We heard about Pittsburgh.” Allie sniffled.
“Your dad loved you very much. I want you to know that. And I’m sorry for taking you away from him,” Sandy apologized.
“I know he did. It’s not your fault, Mom. It’s okay.” Allie shook her head.
Allie and her mom continued to talk quietly in the back seat as they drove on. Ben heard bits and pieces of the conversation as Allie filled her in on the highlights of their journey.
Joel seemed content to stare out the window and enjoy the breeze. After what had just happened, Ben figured it was best to leave him to his thoughts for now.
He was enjoying the relative quiet of the truck, and even though the air coming in his window was still hot, he was satisfied to be moving east again.
The interstate was mostly open except for the occasional blockage, but the wide shoulders and center median made it easy to get around them when necessary. It was almost four in the afternoon, but he knew if they could push on for just another hour or so, they could make it to West Virginia.
There was no reason to stop until they were done for the day, now that they had water. They would just have to make sure they spent the night somewhere with a water source. But what they had would be more than enough to get them through the night if necessary.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ben was encouraged by the changing landscape as the flat open fields gave way to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The long straight sections of highway were becoming less and less frequent with each passing mile now that they were getting back into the mountains.
It made driving a little more challenging, and he knew the Blazer would go through fuel at a faster rate with the constant elevation changes. But in spite of the new challenges, he still felt a small sense of relief to be back in familiar terrain.
“Wow, West Virginia already?” Joel read the sign as they passed.
“Yeah, it’s only another hour to Pennsylvania from here. But I think we can start looking for a place to camp anytime now. I was hoping to make it there today, but all things considered, I think we did pretty well.”
“I agree.” Joel nodded.
“Besides, I’m sure you guys are ready to stretch your legs.” Ben glanced in the rearview mirror at Allie and her mom. The back seat wasn’t really set up for two people and a large dog right now, but they could fix that.
Sandy spoke up. “Yeah, that would be nice, but we can manage as long as you want to keep going.”
“We’ll do a little rearranging before we get back on the road tomorrow and try to get you guys a little more room back there. I think I can get almost everything in the back. It’ll be tight, but we can make it work,” Ben promised.
“We may have to strap a few more things to the roof,” Joel added.
“We may have to,” Ben agreed. He knew it was a temporary solution. They were slowly outgrowing the Blazer and it would only get worse once they got to Maryland. The thought of finding some type of camper they could tow came to mind again—something lightweight that the Blazer could pull without too much trouble.
Traveling through the mountains with a camper wouldn’t be ideal, but they were running out of options. They would make do without it for as long as they could. Towing a camper would also mean stopping for gas more often and being a lot less maneuverable on the highway.
Ben thought back to all the times in the past week or so that they had been forced to evade trouble on the road. The outcome for all of those instances would have been much different had they been towing a camper. The more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea.
The idea of finding a bigger truck or a second truck might be the way to go. Of course, finding something that was in good running condition was another challenge altogether.
He had briefly considered taking the Humvee from the FEMA camp but ultimately decided that it would be a mistake. The biggest reason was that if they ran into legitimate National Guard troops, it wouldn’t look too good, and they would, at the very least, take it back.
The other reason was the scarcity of parts for the diesel-powered Humvee—not to mention that Ben wasn’t familiar with the mechanics of a Humvee and didn’t think he could make repairs as easily as he could to the Blazer or an older-model truck.
Joel, who was leaning forward and looking out the front window at something, interrupted Ben’s thoughts.
“What about down there?” Joel pointed.
Up ahead was a small bridge that crossed over a stream. There was a dirt road off to the side of the interstate that led down alongside the bridge to the water’s edge. The stream itself sat down below the interstate in a gully that ran parallel to the highway above.
Ben slowed down and kept close to the edge of the bridge as they crossed over the water. They could see a good distance in both directions as they checked up and down the stream. Ben looked at the water closely as they passed over.
“Water seems good,” he said.
“It’s actually sorta clear. I can see the bottom,” Joel remarked.
It was the nicest water they’d seen since Colorado, and it reminded Ben of the rivers and streams back home, only smaller.
By the time they had reached the end of the bridge, he was convinced to give the place a try. The clean water was reason enough to stay here, but the possibilities of fresh trout for dinner played a big factor as well.
He steered the Blazer through the tall grassy shoulder of the interstate and forged a path down to the dirt road alongside the bridge.
Gunner had been awake and sitting up between Allie and her mom on the back seat since they’d slowed down to look at the stream. He was beside himself with excitement and panted heavily between whines of anticipation. Gunner would have to wait a little longer, though.
Unlike the bridge they’d slept under before, this one wasn’t large enough to conceal the truck from potential traffic on the interstate above.
“We better look for a spot away from the highway.” Ben steered the truck left and followed the overgrown dirt trail downstream.
They bounced along for half a mile or so until he saw a clearing suitable to set up camp. It was close to the water and he’d be able to keep an eye on everybody and everything from one spot.
“This looks good,” Allie said.
Ben parked the truck and got out. Gunner seized the opportunity and leapt over the c
enter console and out the driver’s side door. Ben watched the dog as he zipped around the edge of the clearing.
“I’d say the leg is all healed.” Joel laughed as he got out of the truck and stretched.
Allie and her mom climbed out behind him.
Gunner hit the water with a splash as he launched himself off a rock and into a deep pool of water. He swam a few circles before heading back to shore and shaking off, the bandage barely clinging to his leg.
“Come here, boy.” Allie called the dog over. Gunner came trotting over with a pleased look on his face and allowed her to inspect his leg. She smiled. “I don’t think we need to replace the bandage. It looks pretty good to me. Just two small scabs, but the swelling is gone. I guess whatever Reese gave him really helped.”
Ben climbed up to the rooftop cargo box and started to unload. He was glad now that he had brought a few extra sets of gear.
“Sandy, you can use these. Here’s a sleeping pad, a bag, and a one-person bivy. Allie can show you how to set it up.” Ben handed the items down to her, along with Allie’s gear.
Ben grabbed the rest of his and Joel’s stuff and was about to close the box when Joel stopped him.
“Want me to try to catch a few fish for dinner?” Joel asked.
“Yeah, I guess so. That’d be great.” Ben handed Joel his rod and bag before closing the lid and jumping down.
“I’ll head upstream. I can’t really fish here.” Joel looked at the brown stain in the water as it followed the current downstream in front of the campsite. The water was still heavy with silt from Gunner’s cannonball attempt just a minute ago.
“Don’t go far, okay?” Ben asked. It had been a big day, and as much as Joel probably needed this, Ben still wanted to play it conservative for the night. He didn’t want him going far or being out of his sight for very long.
“Got it.” Joel started upstream, picking his way over the rocks.