by Bruno Miller
Just then, in the distance, he heard the shotgun twice in quick succession and then again a few seconds later. Ben was bolstered with a sudden sense of confidence and headed over to the truck to grab a pot and something to go with the duck if Joel had been successful.
He started heating up the water for the rice and beans over the fire pit before finding himself a reasonably comfortable spot to sit against an old dead tree while waiting for them to return.
It wasn’t long before Gunner, still dripping wet, came running out of the tall grass. His tail was wagging as fast as he could manage, flinging water off the end in both directions. Gunner headed straight to the fire and stopped to shake himself free of the excess water.
Joel and Allie weren’t far behind, and Ben could see Joel holding two mallards by their necks as they emerged from the brush. Once they were a little closer, Joel held up the birds for Ben to see.
“I got two!” Joel smiled proudly.
“Good job, bud!” Ben nodded.
“I never realized ducks flew that fast.” Allie came over and stood by the fire.
Joel put the gun down on the tailgate and laid the ducks out for his dad’s inspection.
“Nice work. They’re a good size, too!” Ben looked the birds over. “Let’s take them down to the water and get them breasted out.” Ben didn’t have the energy to pluck the birds clean. Most of the meat was in the breast anyway, which he could dice up easily and mix in with the rice and beans.
“Allie, while we get the ducks ready, would you keep an eye on the water and get the food started when it boils?” Ben asked.
“Sure, no problem.” Allie smiled up at them from her seat by the fire. She looked more than content to stay put and enjoy the warmth.
“I got them.” Joel grabbed the ducks and led the way to the river. Ben was glad they ended up here, and for the moment, he was the happiest he’d been in a long time. He felt incredibly lucky to have his son and Allie with him. And he had hope he would get to see Bradley and Emma soon. That was more than a lot of people had right now.
The duck was a good addition to the beans and rice, and everyone devoured their portion in near silence. Even Gunner got a few spoonfuls over his dry food as a reward for his retrieval of the ducks.
After dinner, the kids filled Ben in on the details of the hunt, and they sat around the fire for a little while and talked.
Ben was considering sleeping outside the tent near the fire but changed his mind when he swatted a mosquito on his arm.
“Well, guys, I’m gonna call it a night. I won’t be happy with anything less than Ohio tomorrow, so unfortunately it’s going to be another early morning. Don’t stay up too late, Joel. I’d like you to help with the driving a little tomorrow.”
“Okay, Dad. No problem.”
“Oh, and would you top off the—” Ben stopped mid-sentence as Joel held up the water filter in his hand.
“Way ahead of you.” Joel grinned.
“Well done. Good night.” Ben went to brush his teeth over by the truck and left his empty water bottle on the tailgate for Joel. He stood there for a minute, looking up at the stars before finally crawling into his tent. Exhausted from the day, he didn’t make it far and fell asleep on top of his sleeping bag.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ben immediately knew it was later than he’d wanted to wake up. He could see a faint light through the thin tent material coming from the east, and birds were chirping in the nearby trees.
He rubbed his eyes and glanced at his watch. Almost six in the morning. He was hoping to be on the road by then.
He forced himself to sit up and unzip the tent flap. The fire was still going, although it was reduced to just embers at the bottom. Ben could see the heat rising as it distorted the air over the hole. That would make coffee a little easier to get started.
He looked over at Joel’s and Allie’s tents and saw no movement from either of them.
“Hey guys? It’s time to get up,” Ben called out as he pulled himself from his tent and set about making coffee.
The kids had left the water bottles neatly lined up across the rear bumper. Ben grabbed one of the bottles and washed down a few pills for his shoulder. The joints had a tendency to bother him a little on long road trips. Sleeping on the ground like this didn’t help, either.
Looking half asleep, Joel and Allie slowly emerged from their tents. Not much was said other than a couple halfhearted good mornings as everyone went about the routine of breaking down tents and rolling bags.
Not until after they all had a cup of coffee in their hands did they come to life and discuss the plan for the day.
Allie took advantage of the fire Ben had rekindled for the coffee and made them all apple cinnamon oatmeal with a little honey drizzled on top that she had brought from the house. They took a quick break from packing up camp and sat down to eat as they talked.
The hot food and coffee gave Ben the jolt he needed, and he decided to drive first. He was considering having Joel take the first shift but maybe after they got into Illinois and back onto I-70.
If the interstate was anything like what they had seen yesterday, maybe he could even get a couple hours of sleep in the back and Allie could sit up front with Joel and navigate.
But Ben was getting ahead of himself. They had to get across that bridge first. He thought about the 18-wheeler they’d seen wedged across the bridge yesterday, and then he remembered those oddly placed cars they’d passed in the middle. He had forgotten about how much they’d bothered him yesterday, and the more he thought about it, the more it began to worry him again.
“You guys ready to hit the road?” Ben suddenly felt a renewed sense of urgency to get out of there and get moving. He got to work cleaning up and used his foot to push the dirt he’d dug out last night back into the fire pit, snuffing it out quickly.
“Yep. I’m ready,” Allie chirped.
“Yeah, I’m good. Want me to drive?” Joel offered.
“Later. For sure. You can drive next time we stop for gas.” Ben patted Joel on the back before he headed for the driver’s side of the truck. They all got in and assumed their usual spots for the ride.
They slowly made their way back out through the small trail they’d driven in on. Their heads bobbed back and forth as the Blazer rolled along the washed-out ruts, scraping a few branches as they went. Finally, the trail opened up to dirt road that felt smooth compared to what they had just driven over.
“That’s better,” Allie said from the back seat, where Gunner was using her to maintain his balance.
They followed the dirt road back toward the bridge and made the turn to get back on the paved road when Ben slammed on the brakes hard enough to cause Gunner to slide off the bench and land on the floor at Allie’s feet.
“What the—!” Joel braced himself on the dashboard.
Ben quickly put the truck in reverse and maneuvered it down alongside the bridge, all the way to the tee in the road. He swung the end of the truck around at the intersection and threw it into drive, getting them back down the road they had just come out of.
“What’s going on?” Joel stared at Ben.
“Those cars from the bridge. The ones in the middle.” Ben glanced at Joel, then Allie. “They’ve all been moved to block the northbound lane.”
“But we don’t have to go that way, so we’re okay, right?” Joel swallowed hard.
“Not if they blocked the other bridge, too. They watched us drive in here last night and cut off our escape route. For all we know, the next bridge could have already been blocked off. They just didn’t expect us to get off the road and disappear into the woods.”
“So…so what does this mean?” Allie put her hand over her mouth.
Ben glared out the window toward the bridge. “We’re trapped!”
FALLOUT
Dark Road, Book Four
Bruno Miller
Would this be your final stand?
The journey continues for Ben, his
son Joel, Joel’s classmate Allie and their dog Gunner as they struggle with the harsh realities of this dangerous new world.
Forging their way past countless obstacles both natural and manmade, they slowly make their way across the country, never knowing where they will sleep, or what challenges lie ahead. But the drive to reunite with family pushes them toward the east coast.
Setbacks wait around every turn. Ben and his crew must adapt and overcome, honing their survival skills as they are repeatedly forced to fight for their lives.
Will Ben’s army training get them to their loved ones in time? Or will the dark road take its toll?
For my kids, for whom I’d endure anything.
Chapter One
Ben slowly drove the truck back down the dirt road and away from the bridge.
It had been such a good night with the kids. They were all so tired last night the campsite by the river seemed to be the perfect place to rest and recover from a rough day on the road. Joel had even done a little hunting and managed to bag three ducks for dinner. Just when things seemed to be going so well for a change. This just proved to Ben that they couldn’t afford to be careless and let their guard down. Now they had a serious situation to deal with, and he couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault.
Ben couldn’t believe he had fallen for this trap. Now they were stuck here between these two bridges by who knew what kind of people. He should have listened to his gut on the way in here. He’d known something wasn’t right about those cars parked on the bridge last night.
“Do you think they heard me shooting last night?” Joel asked.
“No, they already knew we were here. They probably watched us drive in last night and shut the bridge down once we were out of sight.”
Allie sighed. “I guess we should have kept going last night.”
“They probably already had the bridge ahead blocked off. I’m sure they meant to catch us last night, but we probably threw them for a loop by getting off the road and spending the night a few miles downriver.”
“Do you think they’re looking for us?” Joel swallowed.
“I’m sure of it. We need to get this truck hidden before we do anything else.” Ben sped up a little and continued down the road until they were back on the narrow, washed-out trail they had used to get to last night’s campsite. He maneuvered the Blazer slowly as he leaned over the wheel and looked along the side of the trail for any kind of opening or break in the vegetation.
After a few minutes they reached an area where the trees thinned out a little into dense brush. Ben spotted a small break in the undergrowth, turned off the trail, and went into the woods.
Still in four-wheel drive from yesterday, the Chevy clawed its way up over the dense vegetation. The branches fought back and scratched at the sides and bottom of the truck but were no match for the machine.
Once over the initial brush along the edge of the trail, the woods opened up, leaving plenty of room between the mature trees to navigate. They went about a mile or so before the semisolid ground under the truck turned to swampy lowlands. Ben was forced to stop for fear of getting stuck.
He found a thick area of tall marsh grass and phragmites that would make a good place to conceal the truck. As he eased the Blazer into the thicket, he felt the wet ground give way. He was careful to only go as far as they needed to get the truck covered past the tailgate a couple feet.
“We can use the camo netting to finish the job.” Ben shut the truck off and eased out, pushing the marsh grass aside with the door as he opened it.
“Watch your step. It’s a little muddy out here.” Joel looked back at Allie as he got out. Gunner appeared totally confused by the unexpected stop and hesitantly followed Allie out of the truck.
Ben opened the back of the truck and started organizing gear on the tailgate. He found the large piece of camo netting folded up and dragged it out.
He handed it to Joel. “How about you guys start covering the truck?”
“Got it.” Joel took the netting and pushed his way through the grass to the hood of the truck.
Allie followed behind, being careful not to get whipped with the tall grass as she tried to stay in the freshly made path behind Joel.
They each took a side at the front of the Blazer and spread the netting out lengthwise before they unfolded it over the truck. They worked their way back, climbing up on the tires so they could get it over the rooftop cargo box. Stopping at the rear of the cab, they left the remainder piled up on the roof.
By the time Joel and Allie had the truck mostly covered, Ben had an assortment of weapons and gear laid out across the tailgate.
“Here you go. Take these and get out of this mud.” Ben handed Joel the already-loaded AR-15 and a few extra magazines.
Joel stuffed the extra mags in his rear pockets and took the rifle from his dad, slinging it over his shoulder.
Then Ben handed Allie the modified Weatherby shotgun along with a handful of shells. “It’s already loaded and ready to go. Safety’s on.”
“Thanks.” She divided the shells up and filled her front jean pockets, pushing four shotgun shells into each one.
“We need to find a good vantage point where you guys can be a safe distance away from the truck but close enough to keep an eye on it.” Ben stopped what he was doing long enough to quickly scan their surroundings. “Maybe somewhere over there?” He nodded toward an area of higher ground before turning his attention back to what he was doing.
Joel wrinkled his brow. “We’re not going with you?”
“No. It’s better if I go alone. I just need to do a little recon and see if I can find out what and who we’re dealing with here. Besides, I need you guys to watch the truck.” Ben continued to load his M24 without looking up.
“What if you need help?” Joel asked. It was clear the kid wanted to come.
“I need you to stay here to keep an eye on things. I’ll be fine.” Ben looked at Joel this time and made eye contact in an effort to end the debate.
Joel accepted his father’s decision and joined Allie several feet back from the truck on higher ground, out of the mud and marsh grass.
Gunner, already unnecessarily coated in the thick brown muck they had parked in, followed Joel. He seemed pleased with the mess he had become and lazily sat down near where Allie was standing.
“Ugh…you’re such a piglet!” Joel looked at Gunner, who seemed to ignore the comment.
Allie scratched Gunner’s head. “Awe, he’s a good boy.”
Ben tossed the hatchet up onto the dry ground a few feet away from the kids. “Why don’t you guys start looking for a spot to hide?” He hated to leave them here on their own, but he wanted to move fast and move quiet—something he could do better alone. Plus, they could keep in touch using the two-way radios if necessary.
By his estimate, only a couple miles separated them from the bridge out of Missouri, and he could get back to the kids in a hurry if he had to. What other choice did he have but to leave the kids there? He had already put them in enough danger by letting his guard down again and getting them into a bad situation. He resolved to stop beating himself up over it. There would be plenty of time for that later. Right now, he had to focus on what needed to be done.
Chapter Two
Joel picked up the small hatchet. He knew immediately that his dad wanted him to make a blind for him and Allie to hide in. He had made plenty before on their hunting trips, but this time would be different.
This time they were the ones being hunted.
Joel wished he could go with his dad and wanted to help him, but it slowly dawned on him that maybe the real reason his dad wanted him to stay behind was to keep an eye on Allie. After what had happened to her at the gas station back in Kansas, he was happy not to let her out of his sight for a while.
Joel was suddenly reminded by the harsh reality that he had killed a man just a couple days ago. Not that he needed to be reminded of that. It was something he would never forget.
He could still see the man’s dirty face as he pulled the trigger. The scene played out in his mind over and over in slow motion.
He knew he’d had no choice. It had been an “us or them” situation, like his dad would say, but that didn’t make what he had done any easier to swallow. No matter how many times he told himself he was justified in pulling that trigger, he still felt a sense of guilt about taking a life. He was glad most of the confrontation had gone a little blurry in his mind. He remembered more details than he wanted to already.
Allie followed Joel to an old, dead fallen tree.
“This looks like a good spot,” Joel said.
Allie studied the tree, which had been uprooted and toppled over. The mature oak was a significant size and stretched along the ground, all the way down into the marshy area near where they had concealed the Blazer in the tall grass. The trunk was only about 40 yards away from the truck, but the way the tree had fallen, with its large root ball still intact, would provide them exceptional cover if anyone approached from the trail.
Joel looked down the gradual slope to where his dad was closing up the truck and pulling the camo netting the rest of the way over the back of the Blazer. Between the flat tan paint job, blackened windows, and camouflage netting, the Blazer had become invisible.
His dad straightened the marsh grass where it had been pushed aside from their activity, then walked away from the truck, his bag and rifle slung over his shoulder. He joined Joel and Allie up on the high ground out of the marsh.
“What do you think about behind that tree? I can fill in underneath with some brush.” Joel pointed along the ground to where the tree fell short of connecting with the dirt by several inches.
“Yeah, that’ll work.” Ben handed one of the two-way radios to Joel. “Keep the volume low and don’t use it unless you have to. If you can’t talk, give me two short clicks. If I hear that, I’ll know you’ve got trouble and I’ll double-time it back here.”
