Escaping Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  “We need to pull over for a few minutes to stretch our legs and figure something out,” Nate said.

  Nate got on the CB and radioed his dad, telling him they needed to talk about something and rest for a few minutes. In minutes, both trucks were over off the side of Highway 287 right before getting on I-25.

  Nate and Danny walked over to the Henry. Everyone else stayed in the trucks.

  “What is it, Nate?” Henry asked.

  Danny wasn’t clued into Nate’s thoughts either.

  “Dad, I just realized we can’t drive the semi up the twenty-mile road to Gene’s. I never thought about that until just now,” Nate said, noticing that Henry looked very disappointed. “I’m sorry, dad. I know you love this truck,” Nate said.

  Henry grimaced, but then smiled.

  “It’s not that big of a deal. Besides…Danny, didn’t you say you are, or were, a cattle rancher?” Henry asked.

  Danny looked at Henry and seemed a little confused.

  “Yes, I was just starting out but I do have many head,” Danny replied.

  Nate smiled, he knew what his father was driving at.

  “Well then, it’s settled, you take the semi. With the extra fuel and you being so close to home, it may last you a long time. When things return to normal, maybe you can deliver us some cattle,” Henry suggested.

  Danny was normally a calm and collected person, but Henry’s gesture seemed to reveal a side Nate hadn’t met. He smiled and became emotional, sticking out his hand to shake Henry’s hand.

  “I don’t know the words to thank you. When these days pass us, and better times return, you shall have several head of cattle!” Danny replied.

  It was settled. Danny didn’t live very far from their current position and Nate had another idea.

  “Dad, that is a great idea. Before we depart though, I think we need to make one more stop. I think we might be able to retrieve my truck. If we can get it started that is,” Nate said.

  “Do you remember where it is, Nate?” Henry asked.

  Nate looked at Danny then back to his father.

  “It is not far and is actually on the way to Danny’s. It is not far off of I-25. Hopefully, it is still there,” Nate said.

  “Is it just sitting out in the open?” Henry asked.

  Nate laughed.

  “Yes, and no. You will see,” Nate replied.

  Now back in their trucks, they headed north on I-25. The amount of abandoned cars and all of the semis made for a slow journey. Danny noticed the great number of abandoned trailers on the road and thought that maybe he could fish around his area later after returning home for a trailer. As they drove, they came upon an area that looked like a fire had taken place. The land was severely scorched, trailing off as far as the eye could see to the east. They surmised something had started a grass fire and kept driving. This part of Wyoming looked much like Oklahoma and Texas out west. Large expansive areas of prairie grass in all directions.

  They reached a sign that read, Chug Water Creek. Off to the right was a small cattle ranch with no cattle in sight that were alive. There were no people, and it appeared that the beautiful area was also abandoned. So far, they had not seen one person since crossing the border. Nate knew that the state’s population was already low to begin with, but he did expect to see some moving about.

  Nate had once heard that the state had, on a good day, just over half a million people. When you compared that to other states it wasn’t many. As they came closer to the small town, the road curved to the right and finally they could see from the road a large barn looking structure with a green metal roof. It had a sign that indicated it was once a restaurant and grill. Outside were about five cars, and nearly twenty people gathered around, cooking over open flames. A few small tents were set up. Danny had his window down and noticed a few of the people waved as they drove by. Danny returned the wave.

  “Well, that is good to see,” Danny said. He was referring to people being friendly and the mere fact they saw people.

  “Yes, it is. I don’t know what they were cooking, but it smelled good,” Nate replied.

  The rest of the short trip didn’t take long before Nate was asking Ben to tell him what the exit number was for them to take. Ben opened the map up and traced the current position.

  “Looks like it will be exit 65 at Slater Road,” Ben replied.

  “Thank you, sir” Nate said, smiling at Ben who was leaning down on his knees between the two front cab seats.

  Danny turned to Ben.

  “You seem to be really in tune with directions and maps. I bet you would be a good tracker, Ben,” Danny said, looking over at Nate smiling.

  “Listen to him, Ben. This man is Mr. Tracker!” Nate said.

  Danny busted out with a loud and guttural laugh that made everyone laugh.

  The exit was coming up now. Nate couldn’t honestly remember the area. He wondered why, but knew this was the road. Perhaps it was the stress at the time; the stress of knowing he was going to be on foot once he ditched his truck. The not knowing how far he would make it, the uncertainty of ever getting home. Stress could do a lot to a person; Nate wasn’t immune, he was human.

  “Ok, I know it is west of the interstate,” Nate said as he made the exit and took the crossover to the other side, staying on Slater Road. He came to a stop sign where they saw an abandoned state police car. Nate pulled up slowly as Danny looked down. It was empty and in bad shape. Someone had removed the tires, and the gas door was open with the cap hanging out. Nate picked up the radio as they drove past the car.

  “We will turn right and then left going all the way down the road. It will dead end,” Nate said.

  “Ok, we will follow,” Henry said. As they turned down the road, they could see a home with many cars parked but covered in dust. The home was burned down. Nate remembered the home from the first time, but it wasn’t burnt down then. Being so close to the interstate wasn’t a good idea during bad times. They kept driving, having not seen anyone.

  Finally, they reached the end of the road and they all parked. Nate knew exactly where his truck was, but he had driven further using four-wheel drive to reach the secluded spot.

  Everyone got out to stretch their legs, and they gathered up between the two trucks.

  “It’s not far from here. I drove to the spot and parked it over there between what you see as two ridge lines,” Nate said, turning and pointing to the area.

  Danny looked over his shoulder and back to Nate.

  “I will go with you and help you. What do we need to take with us?” Danny asked.

  “I know we will need some tools, we will need to drive the Tundra over to it to use the air compressor.

  “Sounds good,” Danny replied.

  “We may want to bring one of the batteries. I disconnected the terminals but it may not start,” Nate said.

  Henry helped them gather up the items and was staying back with the group. Danny and Nate got in the Tundra and headed out into the field of rocks and dirt. Soon they were out of sight and over the slope.

  It a few minutes, Nate could see the area.

  “It should be right over there,” Nate said, pointing to an area where two hill ridges came together and separated.

  “I see something brown, like a tarp,” Danny said, being the first to spot the covers. Nate focused and then saw the tarp.

  “Yep, that is it. I covered it with two large tarps and weighed it down with rocks.”

  Danny smiled.

  “Great job, Nate,” the camouflage appeared to have held up for the most part. Some of the truck was exposed in the rear, but overall, it was in good shape. Nate pulled up close to the front of the truck. They both got out and removed the tarps and rocks from the Ram. The truck was the same size as the Tundra.

  “Hello old friend,” Nate said, placing his hand on the dirty hood before he raised it.”

  “I will tend to the tires,” Danny said, removing the air compressor. He quickly hooked it up
and started airing the tires slowly. The sound of the compressor was echoing off the canon walls where the truck rested. Nate, now under the hood, reached down and grabbed the spark plug wire he disconnected. He reattached it. Then he reconnected the battery terminals. The positive sparked slightly. The one thing Nate had now that he didn’t have when he left the truck, was fuel. He walked around to the fuel door and poured in two five-gallon cans of fuel. That would hopefully get them to Gene’s place. He had only ten gallons left now between the Ram and the Tundra, with the Tundra having half a tank in her now.

  Danny was on tire number three as Nate walked around, trying to remember if he forgot anything. He was looking at a rock nearby and saw something exposed. He walked over and reached down. He had forgotten that he took the time to hide the plates. He wouldn’t need them right now, but took them nonetheless. After ten more minutes, the tires were aired back up. Nate opened the door and removed the keys from his jean pocket. He didn’t think he would ever get to use them again.

  Danny stood at the front of the truck as Nate turned over the engine. It clicked once. He tried again, this time it seemed to turn over more. He waited, then tried it once more. Finally, the engine came alive. The battery held, and once the fuel circulated, it was ready. Danny raised his arms up in the air in celebration.

  “Alright, let’s head back. You take the Tundra,” Nate said.

  The sound from the road was loud as the two trucks came over the slope and headed toward the waiting group. Henry smiled, and Betty clapped her hands with excitement. Nicole was sitting on the road with Ben when they heard the trucks coming, and they jumped up to greet them.

  Nate pulled up next to the semi, facing out. Danny came up behind Nate and parked.

  “Well, I see you got her going. I had forgotten how nice this truck was,” Henry said as he walked around wiping away the dirt.

  “Took a few tries but it started up,” Nate replied.

  Ben was smiling as he looked inside. He really liked Dodge products and never thought he would see his dad’s truck.

  “Well Dad…Danny and I were talking that this might be a good spot to switch things over to the Ram and let him get on his way home. It seems he only lives about thirty miles to the northwest from here.”

  Danny lived not far from Wheatland. It was a good drive though to his property. He lived there with his extended family, wife, and kids.

  “That is fine, and a great idea. Danny, we can’t begin to tell you how much we appreciate your help and how you helped Nate,” Henry said, walking over to shake his hand.

  “I am certain we will see each other again,” Danny replied.

  Henry removed their gear from the semi. With the two truck beds, everything fit easily now. Henry liked the big rig, but he knew it truly wasn’t practical for them. Danny would be able to use it much more; especially if he had a trailer.

  “Danny, I will leave the CB. I have a few others boxed up. Nate and I can use the two handhelds for now,” Henry said. “And until we depart ways down the road, we can still have radio communications if something were to occur,” Henry added.

  “Thank you,” Danny replied.

  The task of securing everything down in the truck beds was complete. Nate often found departing to be one of the hardest things for him to do. He had found and made a new friend in Danny. He hoped someday he could ask Danny to come with him to meet his friends in Montana. Nate suspected a few of them might even know of Danny because of their time in the service before Nate.

  The time had come for them to leave. Nate walked over to Danny and extended his hand. They firmly shook one another’s hands.

  “Stay strong, my friend. These times may grow to be harder; stay prepared,” Danny said first.

  Nate nodded.

  “I will. You do the same, and one more thing…take this. It’s directions for where we are going. If you ever need anything, you will know where to find me. I know where you are,” Nate said.

  Danny took the paper with the handwritten map. Danny made his way to each of Nate’s family members and spoke to Ben last.

  “Ben, stay strong. Always be respectful of your father and your bloodline,” Danny said, shaking the smaller hand of Ben. Ben looked sad and Danny could see it in his eyes.

  “Don’t be sad, we are not far apart. We will see each other again. I have something for you,” Danny said as he removed a small folding knife from his pocket. The knife had a wooden inlay of a totem pole on the handle. The other side had an eagle. It was just a tourist-shop novelty knife, but to Ben it represented so much more. It represented the new friend he had, a friend that was of the same ancestral bloodline, or so he believed. Whether he truly was didn’t matter. The importance of finding a part of who you are in any troubled world was far more important. Nate smiled as Ben took the knife. His face demonstrated his respect for Danny. He hugged him goodbye.

  The semi and two trucks all left the dead end road. One by one, they entered back onto the interstate heading north. After forty minutes, Danny was taking the next exit.

  “Rangers lead the way, my friend,” Nate said as Danny took the exit that would take him home at last. Nate recited the last part of the Rangers’ Creed.

  “Take care Ranger; move further, faster, and fight harder!” Danny recited another part of the creed.

  In moments, Danny and the semi were out of site as he drove toward the sun in the west as it was becoming late in the afternoon.

  Chapter 21

  New Trails Begin

  Ben and Nicole sat in the Ram with Samson in the back. Ben had the map laid out across the large dog’s body using it as a table.

  “I think we have about seventy miles to go dad before the turn off you have marked on the map. Nate picked up the small walkie-talkie and radioed his father behind them.

  “Ben says about seventy miles; it won’t be too long before we will take the turn off that will lead us up many county roads to their place,” Nate stated.

  “Sounds good, this area is so nice. You said they live up in the mountains?” Henry asked.

  “Yes, it will take some time, but it is worth the drive. Not many people around them. You will love the land,” Nate replied.

  The interstate was becoming less congested as they drove north; for whatever reason, the worst parts were south. Nate wondered if people tried to get further south thinking that they didn’t wish to be north come winter. It was a plausible idea, but he wasn’t certain. The miles were clicking by fast. He was also driving faster than before with not much on the road to slow them down. He was thinking about everything that happened since leaving Fritch. The biggest, was him finding Nicole. She seemed to be fitting in just fine. She appeared happy most of the time; only a few times did Nate notice her acting sad. While at Chris’s home, she seemed depressed; but she eventually came around. Nate thought maybe it was the fact that she was with an intact family. He hoped in time she would see herself as being part of his family. Everything would take time to heal.

  The trip north had brought him closer to Ben and his own parents. Nate was a firm believer in things happening for reasons. The world economic collapse was no exception. He could remember watching financial shows talking about the coming collapse as a matter of when, not if. He paid it some attention, but never expected it to become what it had. There were professionals calling for the government to allow for the markets to make their own corrections. In other words, stop bailing out all the so-called too big to fail companies. The obvious manipulation of precious metals was another cause.

  Nate replayed shows in his head as he drove, getting closer to the turn off. It was all in the past now. He wasn’t a professional in the field of financials, but he knew you could only inflate a bubble so much. His family, and millions like his, were now struggling because the actions of what translated to a few decided. He only wished he knew what was going on precisely to correct the massive wound that stretched from coast to coast, let alone, the world.

  His train of
thought was interrupted by Ben speaking.

  “I think the exit is up ahead,” Ben said, looking down at the map and looking back up to point at the road sign. Ben was right, they were going to exit, finally…to take the road up to Gene’s place. Nate watched in the rearview mirror as his father followed him.

  “This is the road, dad; stay close,” Nate spoke into the handheld.

  The road quickly changed from paved to some gravel, then after ten minutes, dirt. Nate hit the button for four-wheel drive, remembering how bumpy the road was. Ben was looking around with the window partially down as Samson sat up to sniff at the air. The breeze felt good blowing around in the cab of the Ram. Nate could now smell wood burning, and wondered if it was from Gene’s place. He recognized a pole he had seen once before when he left the first time he visited. He knew he was getting closer.

  “Henry, it is beautiful up here!” Betty said as she also had her window down. Some of the views were of vast valleys that went on for as far as the eye could see. They were climbing higher; she knew it because she felt her ears pop from the pressure. After fifteen more slow driving minutes, the handheld crackled to life.

  “Dad, I think we are here. Go slow and keep your hands up, they did have family protecting them last time,” Nate said.

  Henry understood and appreciated the advice.

  Nate drove up to the gate and stopped. He walked up to the latch and waited. He could sense he was being watched. He couldn’t tell from where, but knew that close by, someone was watching. He could barely hear a radio and someone talking. Soon he heard what sounded like a few small four-wheelers approaching. On one of them he could see the unmistakable long red hair flying in the wind. Sammie was coming. On the other he could see Gene’s smile from fifty yards away.

  Nate sighed in relief that they all made it. As they pulled up, two men walked out from behind what seemed to be a duck blind placed in the bushes. They carried AK-47s. Nate recognized one to be the brother of Sammie. Randy walked up, opened the gate, and shook Nate’s hand.