by Bruno Miller
There were no vehicles at the house, at least not that he could see.
So much for that ride, he thought.
The closer they got, the more apparent it became that the house was empty. Disappointed, Ben was just about to suggest that they head back to the road when he saw movement in one of the upstairs windows.
There was someone in the house watching them and trying not to be seen.
“Up there in that left top window, I just saw something or someone move, I’m sure of it.” Ben scanned for any more movement.
Seeing none, he called out, “Hello, is anybody home? We were camping up above the lake and are just trying to get home.”
“Are you sure you saw someone?” Joel asked.
“I thought I did. I don’t know. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. I am tired,” Ben confessed.
Just then the front door burst open and a boy that couldn’t have been any older than ten or eleven marched out onto the front porch brandishing an old double-barreled shotgun. He had the gun on his shoulder and was squinting down the barrel at them.
“My Daddy said not to let nobody in.” the boy stammered, red faced and shaking.
“Whoa there, easy kid. We don’t want to come in.” Ben pushed Joel backwards and behind him. “Is your dad here? Can we talk to him?”
“No, he went to town this mornin’ to get supplies. He said he’d be back real soon though, and if anybody came by here messin’ ’round, I should shoot ’em.”
“Look, take it easy, were backing away. You can put the gun down. We don’t mean you any harm. We’re leaving,” Ben said as they continued backpedaling through the yard. Gunner growled in protest unsure of what was going on, but backed away with them, nonetheless.
Eventually the boy began to retreat to the doorway and back into the house. Once inside, he quickly grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door shut and just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone.
Ben and Joel turned and quickly walked back in the direction of the road.
“Sheesh, that was crazy!” Joel said.
“That was foolish, is what that was. We can’t take any more chances like that.” Ben was relieved that they had avoided any serious conflict.
“I don’t know how long he’s been there by himself, but I’m guessing his dad has been gone a while. That poor kid was scared to death.” Ben shook his head.
At least now he knew that there were some vehicles that were still running if the kid’s dad had driven to town that morning.
“Poor kid, he nearly shot us!” Joel said, interrupting Ben’s thoughts.
“He wouldn’t have shot us, at least not on purpose. He could barely hold the gun up.” Ben looked back at the house.
“Regardless, I’ll feel better after we put some distance between us and this place,” Joel said.
“Agreed.” Ben nodded.
Ben welcomed being back out on the road after their run-in with the kid, and he reminded himself over and over that he would not be that careless again. Joel was counting on him and that could have gone south very quickly. He couldn’t take risks like that for Joel’s sake.
They continued toward home for several more miles not saying much, both of them engrossed in their thoughts until they approached a spot where the river turned back to run alongside the road for a bit. They found a stand of cottonwoods down by the water that provided some much needed shade and decided to stop there for a while and eat something. They broke out a couple MREs and wolfed down lunch, not realizing how hungry they’d become. After eating, they agreed to stay there for a bit and get some rest before continuing on. They’d been up since at least five that morning, and it had been a long day already. They would wait there until the midday sun passed and it cooled down before continuing on.
Ben was just nodding off when he heard the faint sound of a motor.
“Do you hear that Joel? Listen.”
“Is that a car coming? I hear it.” Joel said.
They both got up from the grass and made their way to the road, leaving their packs on the ground. Ben hesitated for a second and wondered if they should expose themselves but decided that if there was a chance for a ride home they would have to risk it. They still had at least another twenty miles to go, and a ride would be a huge windfall right now. They needed it.
Once they got to the shoulder, they could see what looked like an older pickup heading in their direction. Ben felt for the gun under his waistband briefly, reassuring himself that this was the right thing to do.
As the old truck approached, he could make out a lone driver wearing a cowboy hat. Ben waved his arm in the air, signaling with the hopes that the driver would stop.
The old brown Ford pickup slowed as it pulled off onto the shoulder toward them. Ben glanced down, making sure his shirt was covering his pistol. The brakes screeched in protest as the truck came to a stop in front of them. The truck, as much rust as it was brown paint, seemed to match the character driving. The old man behind the wheel leaned over from the driver’s seat and pushed open the passenger door.
Ben and Joel stepped back a little, unsure of his intentions.
“What are you boys doin’ out here? Don’t you know world war three’s going on right now?”
The first thing Ben noticed was the matte silver .44 Magnum revolver tucked neatly into an ornately carved leather holster hanging off the man’s belt. It was hard to miss with its oversized barrel and mother-of-pearl grip gleaming in the sunlight.
The old man noticed Ben’s attention to the gun and tried to put him at ease.
“Oh, don’t worry about my little friend there. He’s just keeping me company on my way into town today. He don’t bite… much. Where you fellas headed?” The old man pushed the brim of his hat up with his finger.
“We were fishing up above Vallecito Lake until all hell broke loose this morning. Our Jeep wouldn’t start, and we’ve been trying to make our way home since then, but it’s been slow going. I’m Ben, and this is my son Joel, by the way.” Ben reached out to offer his hand and Joel followed.
“Pleasure to meet you boys. Name’s Dale, and I’m heading into Durango to check on my son and his family. Phone and electric are out everywhere, and I haven’t been able to get in touch with them since this all started,” The old man said shaking both their hands.
“What exactly is going on? We’ve been off the grid since yesterday,” Ben asked.
“Well, that’s not exactly clear. No mention of anything out of the ordinary news wise yesterday and, of course, this morning we woke up to no electricity or utilities for that matter. There was no warning for what happened this morning,” Dale said.
Ben, still feeling the effects of the afternoon sun and the mileage they had covered today, thought he would cut to the chase. “Say, if you’re heading into town, do you think you could drop us off at the bottom of Durango Hills?” he asked.
“No problem, glad to help you two out. Grab your stuff and let’s go,” Dale said.
“Thank you so much!” Ben exhaled deeply.
Faith in humanity restored after their earlier experience that day, Ben and Joel jogged over to retrieve their packs and quickly returned, tossing them into the back of Dale’s truck. Ben sat up front on the single bench seat with Dale, and Joel and Gunner climbed into the back of the old pickup.
A couple minutes into the ride, Ben turned to check on Joel and saw that the boy and his dog were both fast asleep. Good for them, he thought, it’s been a rough morning.
Ben’s eyes were heavy and the rhythm of the truck could have easily lulled him to sleep also, but Dale seemed intent on telling tales of his good old days on the ranch mixed in with bits of speculation on the cause of this chaos that was now their lives.
But Ben didn’t mind the conversation. It still beat walking the last thirty miles to their house, and he was glad they’d finally caught a break.
Chapter Nine
Part of Ben wished the ride had lasted a little longer. After the
day they were having, it felt good to sit down and let the wind wash over him, the hum of the engine and Dale’s stories becoming one at times. It was hard, but he made himself stay awake. He didn’t want to take any chances. Dale seemed nice enough, and Ben was very grateful for the ride, but he wasn’t letting his guard down again.
Ben’s thoughts were interrupted by the squealing of brakes as the truck slowed down and pulled into the Durango Hills subdivision entry.
“This is good here, Dale. You’re a lifesaver, really. Thanks a lot,” Ben said.
“Sure I can’t drive you on up, all the way to your house?” Dale asked.
“No, sir. We don’t want to keep you from getting to your family any more than we already have, and our house is just up a little ways. We’ll hike up the rest, thank you though.” Ben opened his door and climbed out. He leaned back across the seat and shook Dale’s hand.
“No problem.”
“You be careful in town, you hear, Dale? Things could get ugly once people start to put the pieces together and figure out what’s going on. Take care of yourself,” Ben said.
“Oh, I’ll be all right. This old cowboy’s been thrown off a horse or two.” Dale winked.
Once Joel and Gunner had unloaded from the back and shut the tailgate, Dale didn’t waste any time heading off down the road.
On their own again, they hoisted their packs and headed up the gravel road to their house.
“Too bad he couldn’t take us all the way to the house,” Joel said.
“Well, he offered, but I told him we would walk the rest of the way.” Ben admitted.
“What? Why Dad?”
Truth was, part of Ben didn’t want to trouble the old man who had already been so generous, but the tactical side of him didn’t want to expose them to an unknown element by showing him where they lived.
“Because Joel, I didn’t want to expose us,” Ben snapped back. Feeling guilty for raising his voice, he said more calmly, “Dale seemed nice, and he probably is, but this is a different world now, Joel. We have to be cautious who we trust.”
“I know I just… I… I’m just tired, Dad,” Joel pleaded.
“I know you are, me too. Hang in there, we’re almost home. We’ll be sitting down enjoying a hot meal before you know it,” Ben said.
As they trudged up the road, Ben couldn’t help but think of Dale. He felt sorry for the old man and wondered how people would act towards each other once supplies started to dwindle. He and Joel were going to have to go into town at some point.
He had a lot of supplies and survival gear at his store and he wanted to get to it before someone else did. Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but at some point people would become desperate, and his store would be a prime target for looting. He considered going alone and having Joel stay at the house where it was safe, but he knew the reality of it was that he would need Joel to help him.
“I’ve never been so glad to see the house before!” Joel said.
“Good job! Proud of your effort today, bud,” Ben said.
Joel smiled. “Thanks, Dad.” He picked up the pace a little.
The only thing keeping Ben moving forward at this point was the sight of the house and the promise of safety and rest. Gunner bolted for the house with impossible energy and cleared the steps with a single bound only to sit down on the doormat and lean against the door panting as he watched Ben and Joel approach.
With the sun setting, the dark quietness of their house confronted them. The absence of scattered lights from surrounding homes on the mountainside was an ever-present reminder that things were very different now.
Ben headed straight for their little detached garage that sat thirty feet or so off to the side of the house. He unlocked the small side door on the garage then turned to Joel.
“Here, catch.” Ben tossed Joel the keys. “After you put your stuff down inside, do me a favor and throw your truck keys out to me, will you?”
“Sure, you think she’ll start?” Joel asked.
“If I’m right, yes. Your truck is older, like Dale’s, and doesn’t rely on a complex computer network running things, just a good old-fashioned electrical system with a carburetor.”
Joel unlocked the door to the house and opened it, reaching inside to the wall where they hung their keys.
“I’ll do it,” Joel said dropping his pack just inside the door and returning with keys in his hand. He unlocked his truck and slid behind the wheel. He pumped the gas pedal twice as he simultaneously turned the key in the ignition. The big 5.7 liter 350 cubic inch V8 roared to life just like it was any other day.
Ben could see the smile on Joel’s face through the windshield, and that made everything okay for a moment. Ben thought about all the hours they had spent together fixing up the old truck and how much he enjoyed spending time with Joel doing that. Ben gave Joel thumbs up and then motioned his hand across his throat, signaling him to turn the truck off. The truck seemed extra loud in the darkness, and Ben didn’t want to draw attention to their fortune. At least they wouldn’t have to hike into town and back. This would give them the edge they needed to get in and get out quickly.
“I’m going to get the generator going. Give it a minute and then get yourself a nice hot shower,” Ben said.
A couple years ago he’d had a backup generator installed in the garage. Because of their location, all the utilities were run overhead and were fickle, to say the least, in foul weather. Power outages were common enough to be a major inconvenience, so he’d spent the money and had the generator installed. It ran on natural gas that was piped in from a five hundred-gallon tank located behind the garage.
Ben figured the hot water heater should still work, and because the house was on a well with a large reserve cistern of water, they should be able to enjoy some creature comforts sparingly. And tonight they needed it.
While Joel was getting cleaned up, Ben began clearing a spot in the garage for Joel’s truck. He wanted to keep the truck inside and locked up out of sight from any prying eyes. They never parked in the garage, as it had become overrun with gear and kayaks and just about anything else they might need for an outdoor adventure. Ben wondered how they had accumulated so much stuff, as he moved things to the sides of the garage.
Satisfied that he’d made enough room for the Blazer, he stepped outside the building and listened to see how much noise the generator was making. The generator itself was located in the back corner of the garage, but the exhaust ran out through a vent in the rear wall. Funny he never paid attention to how much noise it made in the past. It wasn’t excessively loud. Still, he thought they better only run it for short periods when they needed it, just to be safe. With that in mind, he headed inside to get cleaned up himself.
Joel, hair still wet from his shower, was sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of juice and a box of cereal. Gunner was passed out on the floor next to him, front paws twitching deep in a dream.
“I think the milk is bad. The fridge isn’t very cold either,” Joel said.
Ben opened the refrigerator and gave the milk a smell.
“I think it’s okay, but you should use it up because it won’t last much longer. We’re only going to be able to use the generator sparingly. After I get a quick shower, I’m going to turn it off for the night,” Ben said, as he walked around to the living room to close the blinds on the front windows. Joel had turned on some of the lights when he came into the house out of habit, and Ben was concerned that someone would see the light coming from inside their house.
“We need to maintain a low profile even when the generator is on. Only use the lights when necessary, okay?” Ben asked.
“Okay. Sorry,” Joel mumbled.
“It’s all right. It’s just going to take some getting used to,” Ben said as he headed for his bedroom.
“That’s for sure,” Joel replied.
“I cleared a spot in the garage for your truck, how about giving me five minutes to get cleaned up then pull it in for
the night, turn off the generator for me and lock up for the night?”
“No problem. I can do it, but I’ll wait until you’re done in the shower,” Joel answered.
“Thanks, buddy,” Ben said.
Ben knew Joel could handle it. He had gone over the operation of the generator with Joel when it was installed and made sure he knew how to run it in case he was ever home alone and lost power. He was going to have to start relying on Joel a lot more now, and he hoped Joel was up to it.
Although the hot shower felt great, Ben kept it short. Trying to be conservative and also a little anxious to get the generator turned off, he cut it shorter than he would have liked. While he brushed his teeth, the bathroom light flickered and went out. It made him happy that Joel had followed through on what he’d been asked to do. Ben reached over and turned on a small LED lantern that he had brought into the bathroom with him. As he finished brushing his teeth, he stared at himself in the mirror. The LED lantern casting a pale white light up onto his face, he stared at himself in the mirror briefly before snapping out of his fatigue-induced daze. He wanted to talk to Joel a little before they turned in for the night and come up with a battle plan for tomorrow.
As he made his way into the living room carrying the lantern in front of him, he saw Joel sleeping on the couch. Gunner had relocated from the kitchen floor and was curled up on the opposite end of the couch at Joel’s feet, snoring away.
Ben didn’t have the heart to wake Joel and decided it could all wait until morning. Besides, the kid would need his rest. Tomorrow was going to be another early day.
As Ben laid a blanket over Joel, he considered waiting a day at the house and resting but he was afraid that the situation in town would deteriorate rapidly. Early tomorrow morning at first light would be their best bet for an incident-free trip to the shop and back. They would load the back of Joel’s Blazer with all the supplies and gear they could fit and get out of town as quickly and quietly as possible.