“How’s the Jeep runnin’?” Ben helped Joel stretch the hose between the Jeep and the filler caps. As soon as he stepped out from under the shade of the pump canopy, the sun hit him like a slap to the face. Through the soles of his hiking boots, he felt the heat radiating up from the blacktop.
“So far, so good. It’s slower than my truck, but I expected that. How about you guys? Bradley and Emma doing okay?” Joel looked over at his brother and sister, who were stretching next to the Blazer while watching Allie and her mom gather a few things from the truck.
“Yeah, I’m mean, they’re in shock a bit, I think. It’s a lot to take in for the first time. We’ve seen it all before, and unfortunately, I think we’re becoming a little jaded.”
Joel shrugged. “I guess so. They’ll snap out of it eventually.”
Ben was surprised that his son was being so casual about it. Just then, both dogs ran out into the sun and bounded past Ben and Joel, headed for the field beyond the parking lot. They found the edge of the blacktop and relieved themselves in the tall grass before making a beeline back to the trucks and the relative coolness of the shade. Allie had a bowl of water waiting for them, and they ran straight for it.
As soon as Joel had the underground tank cap unlocked and off, Ben fed the hose down the hole until he felt it stop. With the hose in place, they both hurried back to the shade. It was still plenty hot under the pump awning, but it was a welcome relief from the direct rays of the blazing-hot sun.
Sweat was starting to drip from Ben’s forehead, and he had to remind himself they weren’t trying to set any records with fueling up the trucks; they needed to pace themselves and remain alert. After all, the idea was to get a little rest from driving.
“Does anyone really want anything hot to eat?” Allie stood at the back of the Blazer, looking over a few packets of dehydrated food and the stove. They all shook their heads and decided to keep it simple. Allie and Sandy handed out apples and Clif bars to all who were interested. Emma declined when they reached her.
“You need to eat something. At least take the apple and drink some water.”
“I’m not really hungry.” She sighed and wiped a sweat-soaked strand of hair from her cheek.
“You have to, or you’ll get dehydrated.” Allie jumped in and pushed an apple into Emma’s hand, not giving her any choice in the matter.
“We all do,” Ben said. “I know the water is warm and it doesn’t taste great, but we won’t make it long in this heat if we don’t take care of ourselves.”
“It’s true,” Sandy added.
Ben searched for a place to sit and settled on the curb of the outer pump station island. He could do a better job of keeping watch from the truck, but he could still see a reasonable distance in either direction from the curb, and he really wanted to sit while he ate. The oil- and gum-stained concrete was not a place he would normally sit by choice, but right now, it didn’t matter. He found the cleanest place he could and settled in with his back against the gas pump. Nearby, the kids followed suit, and Sandy found a place just a couple of feet away. She was holding the road atlas and looking it over while she ate her apple.
“So what do you think? Where will we end up tonight?” she asked without taking her eyes off the map.
Ben peeked at the atlas. “Hard to say exactly, but I’m hoping to reach one of the state forest areas up there off I-80. Moshannon State Forest looks like a good spot to shoot for, time-wise.”
“Yeah, I see it here,” Sandy said and pointed at the map.
“We’re doing better than I thought. The roads have been pretty decent so far. We’ve even seen a couple other cars on the road today.” Ben looked out toward the interstate as a sudden gust of wind blew a small pile of trash into a mini tornado near the corner of the parking lot.
They had exchanged glances with two other vehicles today. It was reassuring to see people out and about, even though it was just the two instances, and both amounted to nothing more than a brief window in time when they shared the road and passed by one another.
The first vehicle they saw was a bright-red Mustang; at least Ben imagined it was bright red at some point. Covered with dust and road grime, the old classic car flew past them down the opposite side of the interstate, heading south. Ben was certain the old Ford was about to crash several times as it approached their position. Swerving wildly around the wrecks that littered the road, the Mustang appeared out of control at times. Ben was thankful for the wide grassy median that separated them from the approaching car.
He thought about trying to flag the Mustang down to see if he could get any information about what might lie ahead, but he decided against it. It was too hot and he didn’t want to take the time or the risk, although he didn’t like to admit the last part. Based on how they were driving he doubted they would have stopped anyway.
When the Mustang passed, the couple in the front seat barely acknowledged the Blazer and Jeep caravan headed north. There was nobody in the back as far as Ben could see, just stuff packed tight against the windows, not unlike the Blazer. The driver never even looked their way; only the passenger stole a quick look. Ben watched them in his side mirror and then in the rear until there was nothing but a cloud of dust where the car had been.
His first thought after they passed was the possibility that they were running from something—or someone. He didn’t share this idea with Allie or the kids, but he was on high alert for many miles after the encounter, scrutinizing every hill, turn, and shadow they approached.
His mind began to play tricks on him. The heat rising off the road shimmered and morphed into visions of the armored tow truck that had chased them in Indiana. He was ready for an ambush any minute, but that never happened, and no threat ever materialized. After half an hour or so, he began to relax and realize he was worried over nothing. He was just being paranoid and chalked it up to the overwhelming heat.
The second vehicle they saw this morning was a blue van. It was farther away than the Mustang had been and on a different road altogether. Ben wasn’t even sure if the van’s driver had noticed them. He couldn’t keep eyes on the vehicle for very long and barely managed to point it out to Sandy before it disappeared.
“That was encouraging, don’t you think?” Sandy asked. “I thought by now we’d see more people out, but it was something.”
Her voice brought him back to reality. “I think most people are still hunkered down if they’re lucky enough to have survived at all,” he said. “They’re scared, hungry, and desperate. Honestly, if we didn’t need to get to Maryland and the kids, we wouldn’t be here right now, either. I could see where we would have kept a pretty low profile and stayed put for the most part back in Durango.”
Sandy nodded and went back to looking at the map. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Ben resumed watching the interstate, but his mind was elsewhere as he wondered about other survivors out there. “How many people do you think survived?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Sandy said, but the look on her face gave away the fact that she feared not many had.
He sighed. “You see the cities we pass. There’s nothing left of them.”
“I can’t imagine being in a place like that when it happened. It must have been horrible.”
The kids were coming over to join the conversation, and Ben wondered if they heard any of what he just said, and then he hoped they hadn’t. The last thing he wanted was to add more doom to Emma or Bradley’s already bleak outlook. He also didn’t want them to feel guilty about putting everyone in danger by being the ones who needed rescuing. It wasn’t his kids’ fault they were living on the other side of the country when all this happened. It was his ex who dragged them off to Maryland. Ben put it out of his mind, as he had learned to do over the years. Letting himself get irritated over the past was a waste of time.
Nothing mattered but the present, and he needed to stay focused on moving forward. Besides, most everything was working out so far. Th
ey’d had a few close calls, but he could gloss over the life-and-death situations they’d faced to get to this point, at least now that they’d made it through relatively unscathed.
So far, there was no calling this adventure anything short of dangerous, but it had also educated them on the world beyond Durango. Once they made it back, Ben had no plans of venturing out much beyond a few miles from home. Not until things changed, anyway. They’d risked enough for one lifetime already.
Chapter Eight
“What’s the plan? How far are we goin’ today?” Joel leaned against the pump by Sandy and peered down at the map she was holding. He knew they were going home a different way than they had come—his dad had told him that much—but he wondered how far they would be driving today. The Jeep was comfortable enough to drive. A little underpowered compared to the Blazer, but he expected that.
His biggest complaint about the Jeep was the noisy vinyl top that did nothing to alleviate the heat while fully zipped up. He felt like they were baking in a mini greenhouse with the plastic windows of the soft top distorting the sunlight to a pale gray. They had the front windows open, but that wasn’t cutting it. He was going to have to make some changes before they got underway again.
“There’s a big state forest north of here,” Ben said. “Probably another four or five hours of steady driving, not counting fuel or bathroom stops. The Blazer’s running a little hot. Not worried yet, but I’m watching it.”
“This heat, should we wait this out in the shade for a while?” Allie put her hands on her hips and bent at the waist.
Joel looked back at the Scrambler and blew out a deep breath. “I need to figure out a way to open up the Jeep a little. We’re baking in there.”
“I think the sides come off. I can give you a hand, if you want.” Ben started to get up.
“No, that’s fine. Don’t get up. I can figure it out.” Joel wanted his dad to stay put. He looked exhausted, and Joel felt guilty for complaining about the Jeep now. They were probably hot in the Blazer, too, but at least they had the option to put the back window down and let the air move through.
Joel was about to head over to the Jeep when his dad stopped him.
“Take your time. I think Allie’s right. I hate to do it, but it’s probably best if we rest here a while and let the trucks cool down a bit.”
“How long?” Bradley asked.
“Maybe an hour,” Ben said.
That was fine with Joel. He wasn’t anxious to cram back into the Jeep with Gunner’s relentless panting over his shoulder, at least not yet. He was enjoying the time alone with Allie, though, and he couldn’t imagine making this trip without her.
He peeked back at her as he headed for the Jeep. She was crouched down by her mother, inspecting the map. She glanced back and met his gaze. He was embarrassed that she caught him staring, but then she shot him a smile and he forgot all about it. She turned her attention back to her mother and brushed her hair away from her face. She was still just as beautiful as ever, he thought. All that they’d been through, the harsh living conditions and the filth they were caked in after hours of dusty travel, did nothing to diminish her glow.
Joel was surprised to see Gunner waiting for him at the Jeep.
“Not now, boy. We’re staying here for a while.” Gunner was ready to load up, and as soon as Joel opened the door, he threw his front paws up on the seat. Joel took pity on the dog and scratched his neck and head for a minute. In this heat, it must be tough with all that fur. Hopefully they could find a place tonight with water, something the dogs could get in and maybe even the kids.
Gunner was disappointed and finally conceding that they weren’t going anywhere and withdrew his upper half from the Jeep as soon as Joel stopped scratching. Panting heavily, Gunner sauntered over to the Blazer and sniffed at the mostly empty water bowl. He gave the bowl an unenthusiastic lick before plopping down on his side and sprawling out on the hard surface, his bright-pink tongue hanging out of his mouth and touching the concrete.
Joel could see that Gunner was feeling about the same as the rest of them. Would this heat ever break? It was summer and all, but this was ridiculous, or at least he thought. Of course, the humidity didn’t help any; he wasn’t used to this type of heat. It was hot enough in Durango during the summer, but it was a dry heat, and it always cooled down to a pleasant temperature in the evening. But it was always hot and sticky here, even long after the sun went down.
Joel began to fumble with the soft top and found a zipper that looked promising.
“Need some help, Joel?” He hadn’t noticed Bradley standing behind him.
“Ah, yeah, sure. Here, hold this end while I work my way to the back.” Joel handed his brother the loose part of the side panel and continued unzipping the section. Before long, they had the sides of the soft top stripped off the roll bar and the supporting subframe. He left the top on for shade, but now, the Jeep was open all the way around the sides and back. Bradley helped him roll the panels up and stow them in the back.
Joel patted Bradley on the back. “Thanks.”
“Yep, no problem.” Bradley looked the Jeep over. “Maybe I can ride with you sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe. As long as Dad says it’s okay.”
“I could ride in the back with Gunner. There’s plenty of room.” There was enough room for someone Bradley’s size to squeeze in next to Gunner, but that didn’t matter. Joel knew it wouldn’t work unless Allie agreed to ride in the Blazer and give Bradley her seat. There was no way his dad would agree to anyone riding in the back without a proper seat and seat belt. But he didn’t want to shoot down his brother’s idea and played along for his sake. Joel was glad to see him in good spirits—or at least acting normal. He wished Emma would snap out of it. She hadn’t really been herself since Grandpa died.
His sister was now sitting down a couple of feet away from everyone and looking like she was in her own little world. Joel was worried about her. He and Allie had tried talking to her back at Grandpa’s, but she wouldn’t snap out of it. Joel wasn’t sure if it was their grandfather’s death that had her shaken up or if it was the reality of life on the road and all the ugly things that came with it. Maybe it was everything; he could certainly understand that. Whatever it was, he hoped she would get past it soon. He missed his sister.
Chapter Nine
Ben pushed himself up off the hard concrete; the seat in the Blazer would feel luxurious compared to where he had spent the last half-hour. He stretched again before heading over to the truck. He wanted to check the temperature gauge and figure out how much longer they would be there.
He was becoming antsy, and even though he said they would be there for an hour, he wasn’t against leaving sooner if they could. It was much cooler here in the shade, but it wasn’t getting them any closer to Colorado or a place they could stop for the night.
“Are we leaving soon?” Sandy asked.
“I think so. I just want to see how much it’s cooled off.” Ben had his answer when he put his hand on the Blazer’s door handle. It was still almost too hot to hold continuously. Flinging the door open wide, he leaned in and turned the key far enough to activate the gauges. The needle had backed off from the red zone, but not as much as he’d hoped, although he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“Looks like we’ll be here another twenty or thirty minutes.” He sighed and wiped his brow while he popped the hood latch before using his hip to shut the door. When the door slammed, both dogs jumped up and ran toward Ben with their tails wagging.
“I’m sorry, guys. We’re not going anywhere yet.” Ben patted both of their heads on his way to the front of the truck. He gathered his rifle and soft case, then lifted the hood. Hopefully this would speed up the cooling process; he wished he’d thought of it when they first arrived.
“Would it be cool if we went up and checked out the store?” Joel asked.
Ben turned to eyeball the battered storefront. He almost replied with an immediate no but
stopped himself. It was only twenty yards away, and with the shelves picked clean, he could see the entire inside of the store from where he was standing. He had to give them a little space and prove that he trusted them. It wasn’t like he could hover over them 24/7. This was a good place to show them that he had confidence in their abilities. And if anything happened, he was right there.
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m not sure what you’ll find, but be careful… And not for too long.” Ben cut himself off before he said too much, if he hadn’t said too much already. Joel stayed seated for a second and then looked shocked to hear his dad’s response. He was clearly expecting a firm no.
“Come on, Allie. Let’s go check it out.” Joel shot up. Ben wasn’t sure how he had that much energy. Allie got up a little more slowly, but she was no less enthusiastic. Ben shrugged at Sandy, hoping she approved of him letting them wander off on their own. The dogs followed. As did Bradley.
“I’m coming.” Bradley jogged to catch up to his brother and Allie.
“Watch out for broken glass with the dogs,” Ben reminded them.
“Will do.” Joel turned around for a second and paused. “Come on, Em. Come with us.”
Emma appeared like she was in deep thought as she stared off into the distance, but she turned her head at the sound of Joel’s voice and slowly began to stand up. Ben was glad to see her moving but looked away, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. It was hard to see her like this, and he fought the urge to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She’d come around on her own. It was just going to take time; at least that was what he told himself.
Ben watched out of the corner of his eye as the kids entered the storefront and picked their way around the trash and debris that littered the sidewalk. Joel swept the entrance with his foot, clearing away what must have been broken glass from the missing front door.
Dark Road (Book 7): Deception Page 4
