by Bruno Miller
Sandy had a tight grip on the steering wheel and was still picking up speed.
“It’s over. We’re safe. You can slow down now,” Ben urged. Her face was as white as her knuckles, and the biggest threat now was her getting into an accident.
“What was that? They… They were like animals. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” Sandy said through labored breathing while continually checking her mirror.
Ben was glad to see her slowing down. He checked behind them once more to satisfy himself and confirm it was truly over. He noticed Emma still watching as the bridge slipped out of sight.
“Let’s go at least five miles before we pull over and regroup. Over,” Ben said into the radio. He then swapped it for a Nalgene bottle and forced down some warm water.
“Copy that. Over,” Joel answered.
“That was desperation. And I’m afraid we’re going to see a lot more of it.” It was a truth Sandy and Emma needed to hear and understand. The next time they found themselves in a similar situation, they might not be so lucky. He might have to shoot someone whose only weapon was a stick or a rock. It didn’t mean they were any less dangerous, and everyone needed to recognize that. It wasn’t the weapon that made a person dangerous; it was their state of mind. And those people back there wouldn’t have hesitated to kill them all for one of their MREs.
Ben’s fears were being realized. He’d always anticipated things taking a turn for the worse, but what they had just experienced was undeniable proof it was happening now. He thought it would take longer for people to abandon their sense of civility. Maybe the radiation had affected their brains as well. Judging by the scabs, blisters, and missing hair, Ben had no doubt they’d been exposed to high levels of it.
The proximity to Pittsburgh and the lower-altitude detonation of the EMP that destroyed the city were also factors, he thought. Did that mean this was what they should expect from now on when passing through an area that had been hit hard or was close to ground zero for one of the nukes? On the other hand, this couldn’t go on for long.
People like the ones they had just escaped would start to die off. He wasn’t sure what the life expectancy was for someone with extreme radiation poisoning, but he didn’t think it could be long, based on the way they looked. It was a morbid thought, one that made him feel slightly guilty, but he hoped they would die off soon, especially if that was the type of reception they could expect everywhere they stopped.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Not much was said over the next few miles. Ben hated to admit it, but he was bothered more than he should have been by the incident back in town, and he knew the others were as well. It wasn’t the first close call they’d had by any stretch of the imagination, but it was different than any of the other encounters they’d had thus far. There was something strange about the people who had attacked them. There was a look in their eye he couldn’t explain. The expressions on their faces reminded him of a trapped, panicked animal fighting for its life. But there was something more to it, something else, that made them seem almost inhuman.
Any unprepared survivors, like the mob in town, should be weak and emaciated without proper supplies, yet the majority had the strength to run, throw heavy objects, and swing pipes and two-by-fours over their heads. Maybe adrenaline and the chance to steal some food had enabled their strength. Whatever the case, he didn’t want to think about it anymore and tried to put it out of his mind.
After about ten minutes or so of driving, Joel pulled off the highway and onto a narrow dirt road that led them back toward the river. A few more miles of potholes and tree branches scraping down the side of the truck and they found themselves staring at the Allegheny River. Its muddy waters weren’t exactly what Ben had hoped for, but other than the sediment, it looked free of any chemicals or man-made pollutants. He was also pleased that this was an isolated spot; he couldn’t see any signs of Emlenton from here.
He wasn’t worried about the people who had chased them through town. They were all on foot, and he was sure they’d given up as soon as they were out of sight. And for the first time in a while, he had zero concerns that the Mustang would find them here. It would be another couple of miles before the road they’d been traveling on would connect with the interstate. If it weren’t so early in the day, this would have made a great spot to spend the night. But he had more ambitious plans for them today.
Thanks to the river, the trees lining its banks retained their lush foliage and provided some much-needed shade from the intense early-afternoon sun. Initially, Ben’s intentions were to only stay here long enough to replenish their depleted water supply. But now that they were here, and he was comfortable with the security of the location, he was okay with staying longer. They’d put in a hard half day of driving, and it would do them a world of good to sit still in the shade for a short time and have something to eat.
Of course, he’d wanted to be farther along by now; they hadn’t come close to reaching the progress he’d hoped for. They definitely made better time when it was just the Blazer and the Jeep, but that was a played-out argument he didn’t want taking up any more space in his head.
“It doesn’t feel half bad here in the shade.” Allie got out of the Jeep and stood motionless for a second, enjoying the shade and basking in the slight breeze coming in off the river. Gunner jumped down from the open door and bolted for the water. Wasting no time, he was belly-deep in seconds and taking in sloppy mouthfuls of the brown liquid. Sam and Bajer watched anxiously from the Blazer, whining and waiting for their chance to escape the confines of the vehicle. As soon as Sandy parked, Ben jumped out and stepped back so as to not get run over by the two exuberant dogs. Sam joined Gunner without hesitation, but Bajer was more reserved and stayed closer to the shoreline. She was equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to play in the water but seemed satisfied to run along the bank in the shallows.
No one tried to stop the dogs from swimming or playing in the water this time. Riding with wet dogs didn’t seem like such a big deal in comparison to all they had been through today. At least that was how Ben felt. He didn’t blame the dogs; it would have felt great to take a quick dip, but he didn’t have the energy or want to take the time to clean up after.
“Should we have a meal here?” Sandy asked.
Ben nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
The fresh air blowing in off the water did feel good, and for a few moments, Ben forgot how mad he was at Martin for putting them all at risk and pulling a stunt like that back in town.
Martin approached Ben at the water’s edge. “Sorry about stopping back there. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal to stop and I saw the gas station right there, so…so I just thought it would save us some time.”
Standing there in the shade and listening to the water rush by had squelched Ben’s desire to lay into Martin about what happened. And at this point, he didn’t even want to talk about it, let alone argue. “It was a hard lesson learned. We need to communicate better, that’s all. We never stop in places that congested, and now you know why.” Ben remained focused on the far side of the river as he spoke. He feared that looking at the guy might rekindle his frustration about the incident.
“Yeah, it was a stupid thing to do,” Martin agreed.
Ben inhaled the fresh air deeply and blew it out through his nose. It was time to move on. Martin seemed genuine in his apology, and dwelling on it any longer wouldn’t accomplish anything. The lesson had been learned.
“Why don’t you grab the jerry cans and empty them both into your truck? That should give you about half a tank. Should be enough to get you to the next fuel stop.” Ben turned to look at Martin this time.
“Yeah, I’ll do that right now.” Martin headed for the vehicles.
Joel and Allie were already busy unloading the empty water containers and filter. Brad and Emma helped carry the containers down to the water’s edge.
“Come on, guys. Let’s set up out there by
those rocks, away from the dogs.” Joel pointed to a cluster of smooth rocks protruding above the surface and isolating a small section of the river from the faster-moving water. The kids took off their shoes and started to wade out to the spot in knee-deep water. Ben thought about recommending that they filter water from somewhere that didn’t require them to take off their shoes, but he decided not to.
“Oh, that feels so good.” Emma stood in water up to her shins and wiggled her feet in the mud. The dogs saw that the kids were in now and headed over to join them.
“No, stay.” Joel held up his hand. “Em, that’s your job, okay? Keep the dogs out of this area. If they stir up a bunch of mud, it’ll take twice as long to get this done.”
“Okay,” Emma happily agreed. She searched the bank and found a stick to keep the dogs occupied while the others got to work pumping water through the filter. Rita was helping Sandy prepare a meal consisting of something other than MREs for a change, and Ben was happy to see that.
Joel took a break from pumping the filter handle and looked out across the water. “Maybe we could catch some fish here.”
“Maybe, but water first,” Ben answered. It would be nice to have some protein that didn’t come out of a pouch for a change, but Ben wasn’t sure if they had enough time or if anything could be caught here. If they finished refilling the water containers first, there wouldn’t be any harm in letting Joel try. Whatever they could catch, or hunt, would be their only source of fresh meat now. Thanks to the moonshiners, they had no venison left. Then again, with this heat, the deer meat would have expired long ago anyway.
Ben wandered over to the Toyota, where Carlos was sitting on the tailgate. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thanks. Starting to get my strength back. I still get a little dizzy when I stand up, though.”
“Well, just take it easy. You’ll get there.” Ben hoped that was the case so Rita could take a break from driving. The thought of putting Allie behind the wheel of the Toyota crossed his mind again, but that was something he would only consider as a last resort. He still didn’t like the idea of splitting up the kids. Hopefully this little pit stop would give Rita a chance to rest up enough to finish the day strong. Ben still had every intention of reaching Ohio tonight before stopping to make camp.
But this was too nice of a spot to think about leaving right now. Ben found a large flat rock by the water and leaned his rifle against it before sitting down to watch the kids for a minute. They were all busy taking turns pumping the filter handle and laughing about something. Seeing them carrying on and splashing water on one another made Ben smile. They were finally occupied with something other than running for their lives. They’d been doing that a lot lately, or so it seemed. It was the first time he’d seen Emma smile today. Not that there had been much to smile about, but she’d been a little off since they left the motel, and her mood had gone downhill ever since.
Ben tried to put himself in her shoes and imagine how the world looked to her. The early teenage years were tough enough without having to see the things she’d seen over the last couple of weeks. He was lucky she was talking at all, and seeing her fool around with the other kids made him think he was expecting too much from her.
In times like these, he also appreciated having Sandy and Allie with them. He could only imagine how hard it would be for Emma if she were surrounded by boys through all this. Allie and Sandy were both great role models, and he was grateful for that. Not once did Ben have to ask twice when there was work to be done. In fact, there were times when he felt like nothing needed to be said at all. They’d been traveling together now for almost two weeks, and most of the time, everyone knew their role.
Ben glanced back to check on Martin and his progress with the jerry cans. He thought about offering the guy a hand. He felt guilty watching him work, but not enough to move from the rock he was sitting on.
Ben turned his attention to Sandy and Rita making lunch over the tailgate of the Toyota and realized he’d been sitting there longer than he intended.
“I’m sorry. Do you guys need any help?” Ben called over to the ladies.
“Nope, we got it. I’ll let you do the dishes, though.” Sandy shot him a smile.
“What are you guys making? It smells great,” Martin chimed in.
“Just rice and veggies,” Rita answered.
“I guess I’m just hungry.” Martin went back to pouring the last can of fuel into the Scout.
If no one needed his help with anything, Ben wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste, so he slipped off his boots and socks. The water felt better than it looked, and he enjoyed the coolness of it as he buried his feet in the sandy mud of the riverbank. It would have been easy to call it a day right here and now, but it would be a decision they would regret come morning, when they found themselves still in Pennsylvania. Besides, he’d promised to put this part of the map behind them and had assured the others they’d see Ohio tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
As hungry as Ben was and as good as the food smelled, he wished it had taken a little longer to prepare. He was enjoying the water on his feet, and for the first time in a while, he wasn’t sweating. It didn’t take much convincing to talk Sandy into joining him on the rock for lunch. She went barefoot as well and splashed her feet in the water alongside him as they ate.
Ben wasn’t sure why, but he felt safe here. They were far off the road and there were no signs of life in any direction, but it was more than that. Maybe it was because he felt like they had been under attack, or at least the threat of it, all day.
The kids had quieted down after lunch and the dogs were sleeping under a nearby tree after filling their bellies with dog food and all the river water they could drink. Joel had either forgotten about fishing or fallen victim to post-lunch laziness, although Ben suspected his lack of enthusiasm about pursuing fish had more to do with the fact that Allie was resting her head on his shoulder and holding his hand. Ben tried not to stare at the young couple, but it felt good to see them living their lives in spite of all this going on around them. It gave him hope that life would return to normal someday.
“Well, I hate to say it, but…” Ben sighed.
“Oh, I know, I know.” Sandy arched her back and stretched. “Back behind the wheel.”
“I was thinking I’d drive for a while and give you a break. You’ve done more than your share today and I appreciate it.”
“Are you sure you feel up to it?” Sandy frowned. “I see the way you’ve been holding your side.”
“It won’t hurt any more in the driver’s seat than it does now. Besides, if I stare at the map any more, I might go insane. I know every exit from here to Cloverdale by heart.” Ben laughed.
“Okay, if you say so. By the way, how much farther are we going today? I know you said Ohio, but how many more hours of driving do you think it’ll take?”
“Hard to say, not knowing what kind of speed we can maintain or what we’ll run into, but barring anything major, I’m hoping to get where we need to be in about four or five hours if we can get away with just one more fuel stop,” Ben added before sliding over to the side of the rock that faced dry ground.
“That’s not too bad. Do you have a place in mind?” Sandy moved to his other side and pushed her feet out into a thin sliver of sunlight on the grass.
“There’s a creek called Little Yankee Run just over the border into Ohio. That’s what we’re shooting for. The creek shares its headwaters with this river, so it should be good, clean water. Maybe the boys can catch us a few fish for dinner.”
“That would be nice. The motel was comfortable last night, but I think I actually prefer camping…without the bears.” Sandy wrinkled her brow.
Ben tilted his head. “I’ve spent my fair share of time sleeping outdoors, and I can tell you that was a first for me as well. I wouldn’t let it bother you. It will probably never happen again.”
“Probably? You said ‘probably.’” She s
miled this time and stood up.
Ben joined her but remained silent, only grinning as he headed for the truck.
“I saw that,” Sandy joked.
“Hey, are you guys finished filtering water?” Ben called out to the kids, changing the subject on purpose.
“Yeah, everything’s loaded up except the bottles everyone has on them,” Allie answered.
“Sounds good. What do you say we aim to be back on the road in five?” Ben asked.
“Okay,” Joel said while the others nodded in agreement. Ben checked in with Rita and Carlos to make sure they were on board with the schedule, and they were. He met Martin around the backside of the Blazer and helped him secure the empty jerry cans to the truck. Ben figured they had a good hour or so before anyone’s fuel would reach a critical level.
The Scout’s poor gas mileage was definitely going to be more of an issue than he’d originally feared. Planning their stops would be crucial to their safety, something he hoped Martin was well aware of now. Ben wished they had a couple more spare cans to fill; at this rate, the Scout was probably going to cost them two extra stops a day. He was beginning to regret the idea of taking the extra arms and supplies to Cloverdale and wondered if the plan was a foolish one. He might have abandoned the whole thing if he didn’t feel like he was indebted to the Major and some of the other townsfolk there.
Without the sanctuary they found in Cloverdale, they might very well still be on their way to Maryland. That was nothing short of reality, and Ben knew it. He was also fully aware that if they hadn’t reached Jack’s when they did, it would have been too late for Emma and Brad’s sake. Between the Blazer’s mechanical issues and Gunner’s injuries, they were in bad shape, and without the help they found in Cloverdale, things would be quite different today.