Escaping Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  Danny raised his arms up as if he was told to do so. One of the inmates had his rifle trained on Danny from about twenty yards away. Danny stood still with one hand up holding the shotgun, the other held the knife reversed in his palm and out of sight. Then Nate watched Danny slowly turn his head and peer up at him, knowing that Nate was watching. Danny winked one eye and began to clearly move his lips. Nate learned to read lips long ago as many did that he served with. He could read Danny saying, “On the count of five, take the lead rifle out. Give me exactly thirty seconds and fire the flare,” Danny said slow and clear. Nate then saw Danny counting down.

  At five, Nate fired his rifle. In that same moment, Danny dropped to the ground, firing deer slugs into the next two closest men carrying guns. Nate’s bullet slashed through the man who was nearest to Danny. He collapsed on his rifle, not moving. Danny jumped up, ran to the man, snatched up his rifle, and like the wind, he dashed past the building and toward the hill. Nate was scanning for any other shooters, but he only saw the other men with guns running away from the action. Nate looked down at the glowing hands of his watch and counted the last few seconds. He pulled out the flare gun and estimated his needed trajectory. He pulled the trigger, sending the bright as daylight flare slashing and sizzling through the night air toward the propane tanks. The flare hit one of the cars and landed inside. In moments, the car was on fire and growing.

  Wow, I won’t ever live that down, Nate thought to himself just as Danny was scampering up the hill. Then Nate watched as the flames performed a strange snake like action as if sniffing the air for something. Nate didn’t realize it, but one of the cars was in the process of fueling and was leaking from the main thousand-gallon tank. When the flame found the leak, it exploded with a force that rocked everything in sight. The flash lit the evening sky up, turning night into day as a very large fireball jetted up into the sky. Nate rolled over the hill; as he did, he could see Danny also hurdling down the hill behind him. The massive explosion was expanding, and they could feel the heat even at a distance. Suddenly it was dark again. Nate and Danny crawled back up the hill to see the damage. The building was gone, the cars were shells, but somehow the men that were running away from the gunfire had made it across the road and over the hill to take cover.

  “One thing I learned being locked up, Nate…inmates can run fast,” Danny said, smiling.

  Nate busted out laughing, then looked at his watch.

  “We better get a move on, my family is up the road waiting, but I need to do something first,” Nate said, pulling out the flare gun one more time and shooting it straight up and toward Henry’s direction.

  Henry stood watching the ever-expanding fireball. The ground moments earlier shook with such a force that for a few seconds, he thought a small nuclear bomb had gone off.

  “Dear God Henry, that’s not where Nate is; right?” Betty asked.

  Ben and Nicole were standing behind the Tundra truck, hunkered down and nearly in tears.

  Henry didn’t reply.

  “Henry! Is that where Nate was?”

  Henry turned slowly in the dark with only the small fog lights illuminating his face.

  “Betty, I don’t know. I…” Henry didn’t finish before Betty pointed up at the sky.

  “Look Henry…up there. That’s a flare; right?’ she asked. Henry spun around to see the small, but bright, light reaching its highest point before coming back to earth slowly.

  “Yes!” Henry was screaming an exuberant yell because he was happy to see the flare. Moments earlier, he thought for sure his son had been somehow blown up. Henry reached for Betty, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around.

  Ben smiled and looked at Nicole.

  “Dad is ok,” Ben said. Nicole smiled and hugged Ben. She wasn’t ready to lose anyone else.

  Chapter 19

  Two of a Kind

  The walk back to the truck was more like a slow jog. Nate and Danny descended from the small mountain down to the paved road, and ran away from the stateline. Danny could now see the semi in the distance.

  “You have come a long way since that piece of crap motor bike,” Danny said, not losing a breath as he spoke. Danny was still in excellent shape, maybe even as good as Nate.

  Nate laughed.

  “That thing lasted me only a short time, it was my rear that gave out first. That truck though has been a nice ride,” Nate replied.

  “Well, I hope there aren’t too many of them back at the border. A few of them have ARs,” Danny said.

  This isn’t what Nate wanted to hear. They reached the truck and quickly climbed up inside.

  “Man, this thing is brand new! Tell me again how you managed this?”

  Nate explained everything as they took off down the road. Nate put the truck in high gear and pushed the pedal to the floor. With a mile to go, the truck was doing nearly seventy miles an hour.

  “They had two older cars parked in the middle; one was dead, the other could drive,” Danny said. He reached in his pocket and loaded his shotgun, holding it with the barrel pointing out the window, and ready to use.

  Nate could now see the one car and one missing. Up ahead, he could see taillights from the car that was parked. It was headed in the direction where his family would be waiting.

  Henry was standing near the truck when he heard the sound of a car way off in the distance, then he could see very tiny headlights with a larger set coming up behind. Henry ran to the truck, reached inside, and removed his rifle. He made Ben, Nicole, and Betty, get off the road and over behind a large boulder. He perched himself up on the rail of the Tundra that was parked off the side of the road and sideways. He pointed the rifle toward the smaller vehicle. They were still too far away to see much.

  Nate was gaining on the older model Ford Taurus. “Just get me close and I will take their wheels out,” Danny said as they both then witnessed one man hanging out the right side of the car pointing an older model AR-15. The muzzle flash made them both instantly duck, and Nate swerved the semi. He could hear the bullet slice through the upper cab somewhere. It was far too close.

  Henry swore he could hear gunfire off in the direction that Nate was, and finally he saw small flashes coming from the car that was barely ahead of the larger truck. Henry needed them closer. He didn’t have a scope, and really couldn’t chance a shot at the current distance.

  Nate was getting tired of being shot at.

  “Hang on…gonna send this guy a message,” Nate yelled over Danny firing his shotgun, barely missing the man with the rifle. However, it did make the man dive inside the rear seat and stay down long enough for Nate to push the truck to higher speeds. Nate was nearly beside the car and turned his steering wheel hard into the rear driver’s side tire. This action was used by law enforcement, and referred to as a pitting maneuver. Danny grasped the passenger’s side upper handle for support as the truck nearly started to flip.

  Nate slowed down just enough to prevent himself from over correcting. In front of them, the driver of the car did over correct, and it started to flip over and over. The car skid off the road and landed upside down as Nate drove by.

  Henry could see the car flipping over and over, finally coming to a rest. The upside down headlights illuminated the figure of one man getting out of the car about a quarter mile away. He could now see his truck flying up the road very fast.

  Henry stood to the side and waved his arms.

  “Who’s that?” Danny asked. He saw a man suddenly appear from the side of the road near a truck that was now seen by the semi’s headlights.

  “That is my father,” Nate replied, smiling.

  “You have one tough looking old man, Nate,” Danny said.

  Nate came to a stop and left the truck running. Danny climbed down and Henry saw the man. He held his gun in the ready position.

  “It’s ok dad, this is Danny. You remember the Danny I told you about from Night Wolves?”

  Henry was confused, but trying to put everything
together.

  “Wait…the man from that airfield, who was also a Ranger?” Henry then recalled the story.

  “Yes, this is Danny Vincent,” Nate explained.

  Danny handed the shotgun to Nate and walked over to Nate’s father. He extended his hand. Henry slowly shook the massive Indian’s hand.

  “But how? How are you here?” Henry asked, looking at the taller man.

  Nate and Danny explained quickly the circumstances as Betty listened. She walked over with both Ben and Nicole behind her. She extended her hand and Danny smiled.

  “You must be Nate’s mom. I can see his spirit in you. I am honored to meet you all.”

  Betty smiled at his words.

  “Danny, God placed you in our path for a reason. I hope you know that,” she expressed.

  Danny grinned.

  “Indeed, warriors are often drawn together in time of need. Nate and I are cut from the same cloth. In my land, we are the same; the fabric that makes a warrior is rare, but powerful,” Danny expressed, looking over at Nate.

  “Ok…Danny, you’re gonna scare the children,” Nate said, laughing but knowing full well Danny was correct, and he appreciated the words.

  “We better get on down the road. We can all talk later,” Henry said, looking down the road at the two men that stood in front of the upside down car.

  “Dad, you take the Tundra, Danny and I will drive ahead to scout the path.” Nate said.

  Henry nodded in agreement.

  Nate walked over to Ben and Nicole.

  “You two alright?” Nate asked.

  Ben was staring at Danny.

  “Yes, we saw that explosion and thought the worst,” Nicole said.

  Ben was still staring at Danny.

  “Ben, are you ok?” Nate asked again.

  Ben looked up at Nate.

  “Yes, I’m happy. Very happy you are ok. Dad is that man Indian?” Ben asked, looking back at Danny who now noticed Ben’s constant gaze.

  “Yes Ben, but it’s not polite to stare,” Nate reminded him.

  “Sorry, he just reminds me of my father,” Ben stated.

  Nate saw the picture Ben had of his biological father, and Danny did favor him. Mostly the hair and height, but not the heavy build frame.

  “I see, Ben. Maybe later you can talk, but for now we have to get going. Can you ride for now with your grandpa while we secure the road ahead?” Nate asked.

  Nate was trying to be sensitive to Ben because he could tell Ben missed being with him, but until they got out of the area, he wanted Ben to be in a safer position.

  “Sure, I understand,” Ben replied.

  Nate and Danny headed down the road in the semi leading the way, with Henry following up close behind. The plan was to keep a tight formation. If needed, Nate would ram through roadblocks if he could. Inside the semi, Nate explained how he and Ben met after he and Danny last parted ways. Danny was impressed with Nate taking on the child, and how he cared for him all the way home.

  “Is Ben full Indian?” Danny asked.

  Nate didn’t really know for sure having only seen a black and white distant picture of both Ben’s parents at his grandmother’s place.

  “Not certain, I always believed him to be half, but I could be wrong,” Nate replied. “Why do you ask?” Nate asked. Danny leaned back in the plush leather seat of the semi with his knees sticking up high like Nate’s were.

  “When he was looking at me, he did so with the eyes of an eagle. You know how an eagle looks at things?” Danny asked.

  “I think so. It just stares?” Nate replied.

  Danny looked seriously at Nate and spoke.

  “The eagle looks at everything with a determination and doesn’t back down. I bet Ben is focused and so precise on everything he does. Have you seen this trait in him?” Danny asked.

  Nate thought back, and recalled that he had seen that trait many times in Ben throughout their time together.

  “Yes, many times; and he exhibits abilities that I didn’t have at his age.”

  Nate went on to explain that Ben was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism. Danny grinned slightly as if he knew something else.

  “I think it’s more likely that he has the heart of a gold eagle. The warrior bird. It is good that he is now paired with you, Nate,” Danny said.

  Before now, Nate had never seen Ben in such a light; but he was very brave for his age.

  “I think you are right,” Nate replied.

  It was late in the night now, and they all needed somewhere to rest.

  Chapter 20

  Crossing Over

  The journey started in Fritch, Texas, and now nearly two weeks later, they were entering Wyoming. Danny stayed up most of the night taking watch with Nate. The two men shared stories and dreams. Most of the stories came from their individual times in the Army. It was remarkable how many people that they both knew. Danny was just getting out at the point when Nate was finishing up Ranger school. Their paths never crossed till that faithful day in Colorado at Crystal Lake.

  Nate fell to sleep around 5:30 A.M. Danny was still awake when he heard the truck door open. He watched as Ben stepped down and timidly wondered closer.

  “Is dad sleeping?” Ben asked in a whisper from about ten feet away. Danny nodded and padded the ground for Ben to come over and sit next to him. Ben hesitated at first, but then shuffled his oversized feet, slowly closing the ten feet between them. Danny watched him sit and noticed he sat Indian style.

  “Ben, your father…do you remember him?” Danny got right to the heart of the questions he had. He had already spoke with Nate and received permission to discuss a few things with Ben. However, Ben seemed uncomfortable with the question.

  “Do I have to talk about that?” Ben asked.

  Danny smiled and redirected his question.

  “No, I am sorry, Ben. I did not mean to upset you,” Danny said, allowing Ben time to accept the apology. Ben looked out at the road 100 yards away. They pulled over at an abandoned truck stop. There were plenty of trucks, but no people present. Nate and Danny secured the area before deciding to stay.

  “It’s fine. I just don’t remember him much now,” Ben replied.

  “I see. Ben, can I ask you a question about your grandmother?” Danny waited again.

  Ben nodded a yes.

  “Did she ever tell you what tribe of Indian you came from?” Danny asked.

  Ben smiled.

  “Yes, she told me many times I came from the great Apache Nation in Arizona” Ben said proudly, even puffing his small chest out. Danny slapped his own enormous thigh and laughed aloud, nearly waking Nate.

  “What’s so funny,” Ben asked.

  “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m not laughing at you. I’m happy because of your answer. I am also Apache,” Danny stated.

  Ben’s eyes lit up. He knew Danny was an Indian, but he didn’t expect this.

  “Really?” Ben excitedly asked.

  “Yes, we share the same blood way back down the line of our ancestors. I knew it. I can see the warrior in you as well, Ben.”

  Ben looked shocked. He was without words as he pondered the thought that he was an Apache.

  “Wow,” was all Ben could say.

  “Ben, no matter what this world becomes, you will always have that spirit of our people with you. Always listen to your gut instincts, that is them speaking to you, warning you, guiding you,” Danny stated.

  Henry was climbing down from the semi. Ben got up and ran to his grandfather to tell him the news. Henry looked over to Danny and smiled. Henry then told Ben that he too had apache in him, as did Nate. Ben was like a kid at Christmas.

  Danny turned his head back to see Nate staring at him.

  “Thanks Danny, that made his day,” Nate had awoken, but he pretended to be asleep.

  “Well, it is the truth, and the young warrior needed to know the truth. You will mold him right, Nate,” Danny replied.

  The morning breakfast was fast, being of the free
ze-dried variety. Soon they were back on the road. The trip between Cheyenne and Laramie was going well. Nate, Danny, and Ben, were in the semi. Henry, Betty, and Nicole were following close behind, drafting the wake of airflow to conserve fuel.

  Ben was looking at the map and noticed some hand-drawn image. It looked like a drawing of a truck. Ben stepped up between the seats where Danny and Nate were discussing where Danny lived.

  “What’s up, Ben?” Nate asked.

  Ben opened the map and pointed to the image.

  “What does this mean?” Ben asked. Danny turned and looked down at the image, then up at Nate.

  “That is where I had to ditch my truck Ben, remember I told you the story?”

  Ben eyes opened wide. He was excited because he loved Dodge Ram trucks.

  “Well, that is great dad, because it’s not far up ahead,” Ben said.

  Nate seemed surprised.

  “It is? Danny, can you verify our location to that?”

  Danny didn’t need to look for the road on the map.

  “He is correct, Nate. That road – West Slater Road – isn’t far at all; it’s just about forty minutes north. As a matter of fact, it not far passed there where you can drop me off,” Danny said.

  Nate had been driving and talking for so long that he lost track of how far they had come. He knew basically that Danny said he could be dropped off right on I-25 outside of Wheatland. Nate wanted to try to get his truck, but he wasn’t sure if they would have enough fuel to get it started or who would drive it. Then something occurred to Nate that he hadn’t thought of before. He needed to stop and discuss a few things with his dad.