The Dark Road Series Collection

by Bruno Miller

  “We’re going to leave it?” Joel stepped back.

  Ben nodded. “After we get it hidden. We need to find a fuel pump.”

  “Can you fix it?” Allie asked.

  “Yes. It can be fixed, but we need parts. We’re going to have to walk.”

  Allie climbed in the back with Gunner and let Ben get back behind the wheel. Once Joel was in, Ben nursed the truck along the shoulder until he saw an opening in the woods. He steered the truck into the opening and headed away from the road.

  Fortunately, the ground was bone dry, so it was easy going and they didn’t need to engage the Blazer’s four-wheel drive.

  Ben stopped the truck after they had gone about 20 yards into the vegetation and turned the engine off.

  He twisted to face the kids. “Well, let’s get our supplies together and get the netting on the truck. Joel, bring the AR. Allie, I want you to bring your shotgun. It’s five miles to the next exit. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll have an auto parts store that hasn’t been totally ransacked. Otherwise, keep your eyes open for any older Chevys on the road. We might be able to scavenge a pump.”

  The kids got to work loading up water bottles and anything else they thought they might need. Ben looked at the map once more for reference.

  It wasn’t the breakdown that really bothered him. They would deal with that. What weighed most heavily on his mind was the time this was adding to their trip.

  He was worried about his kids in Maryland. How long could Emma and Bradley survive in this cruel, desperate world?

  He hoped long enough. Because time was running out.

  EXTRACTION

  Dark Road, Book Five

  Bruno Miller

  What would you do to survive?

  Ben, Joel, Allie and their dog, Gunner, have faced down foes of all descriptions in their odyssey across the EMP ravaged country in search of their families.

  Now as they approach the final leg of their journey the stakes are raised. With no way of knowing what danger lurks ahead, they encounter a new and never ending gauntlet of challenges and threats. Their ability to work as a team is tested anew, and they realize survival in this new world will require them all to make sacrifices.

  Joel and Allie are forced to grow up fast in a world that offers little forgiveness for mistakes. Will the physical and mental demands be too much for them to handle? Will Ben’s Army training and survival skills get them through and allow them to reunite with family?

  Or will this be the last road they travel together?

  For my readers—thanks for taking this road trip with me.

  Chapter One

  Cloverdale, Indiana, was the next closest town on the map and their best chance to find the part they needed to fix the Blazer. Ben recalled seeing the sign a few miles back for the upcoming exit. The town itself was a few miles off the interstate.

  That meant they had at least an eight-mile hike ahead of them unless they could find something before that. Ben was hoping for an auto parts store. The part they needed was a pretty common one and almost any automotive place should have it. He doubted old Chevy fuel pumps were high on the list of things people would loot.

  The kids loaded water, food, and extra ammo into their backpacks along with the water filter and a few other items.

  “Make sure everybody has a headlamp. We may be gone a while. It looks to be about eight miles or so to Cloverdale. That’s probably our best bet to find the part we need.” Ben checked his watch. It was already two in the afternoon, and he hated to admit it, but this was going to kill the rest of the day and some of the night. He added a few tools to his bag in case they came across a donor vehicle with a fuel pump.

  Ben watched Gunner for a minute as the dog wandered around the woods near the kids. He was walking better now and putting more pressure on the leg that he’d injured during the confrontation with the wolf.

  There was still a slight limp to his stride, but he was using it more than he had been this morning. Ben hoped the long hike ahead wouldn’t be too hard on the dog.

  “He’s looking pretty good,” Allie said.

  Joel sighed. “I hope he’s up for this.”

  Ben smiled. “He’ll be fine. We’ll keep an eye on him. If not, Joel can carry him.”

  Joel laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  Joel and Allie began unrolling the camo netting at the front of the truck and worked it back over the Blazer as they went.

  “Make sure the doors are locked,” Ben said.

  “Everything is locked up except the back,” Joel replied.

  Ben still had the tailgate down and was adding a few things to his bag. Joel watched as he put one of the small gas stoves and a bottle of fuel in his bag, along with a small pot for boiling water.

  “You think we’ll be gone that long?” Joel asked.

  “I hope not, but I don’t want to get stuck out there without the means to cook a meal. After all that walking, we’re going to need to eat.” Ben pushed Gunner’s collapsible bowl and a small Ziploc bag full of dog food across the tailgate toward Joel. “Do you have room for this?”

  “I can fit it in mine,” Allie offered. Gunner sniffed at the food as she stuffed it into her bag.

  Ben slung the M24 over his shoulder and rooted around in the back of the Blazer for a minute before he closed it and locked the truck.

  “Here you go, Allie.” Ben handed her one of the knives he and Joel had salvaged from his store in Durango. “I should have given you one a long time ago. Try to keep it on you at all times.”

  “Thanks.” Allie eyed the sleek, green-handled Spyderco G10 knife in her open palm. Gunner gave it a sniff but lost interest quickly when he realized it wasn’t anything he could eat. “It’s so light. I didn’t expect that.”

  Ben pulled the camo netting down over the back end of the truck. “That’s a good knife. It should last you a long time if you take care of it.”

  “I will.” Allie stuffed the knife into her pocket.

  They all got their backpacks on and Joel and Allie grabbed their weapons from where they had leaned them against a tree.

  “Okay, let’s do it,” Ben said.

  They walked single-file through the woods with Ben leading the way. Joel first, then Allie followed close behind. Gunner was doing his usual thing and running ahead, then back again to check in with everybody before racing ahead again.

  “Easy, Gunner. Pace yourself, dog,” Joel warned. But Gunner did a few more laps before he finally settled into a steady stride ahead of Ben.

  “I think Gunner’s leg is doing much better,” Allie said.

  When they got out of the woods, Ben walked to the edge of the interstate and looked back at where they’d driven the Blazer into the woods. The hard, dry ground showed no signs of tire tracks or anything else that would give up their hiding spot. No one would ever know the Blazer was tucked away back there. He hated to leave the truck and all their supplies, but they had no choice and it was hidden as well as it could be.

  Satisfied that they hadn’t left any sign of a trail, they headed back toward the wood line several yards off the road.

  “Where are we going? Aren’t we going to follow the road?” Joel asked.

  “Yes, but I want to be close to the woods in case we hear somebody coming. That way we can be out of sight in a couple steps. I’m not really anxious to meet anybody else today,” Ben answered.

  “Good point,” Joel said.

  “It might be a little more trouble than walking on the shoulder of the road, but it will be a lot cooler and mostly in the shade,” Ben added.

  It was well after the hottest part of the day now, but that didn’t seem to make a difference in the temperature. The shade along the edge of the woods provided little relief, and after the first couple of miles they decided to stop and rest. Everybody found a place to sit and there was silence as they all guzzled down some much-needed water.

  “Do you hear that?” Joel asked. It sounded like running water. He got u
p and wandered into the woods a few yards. Gunner got up right away and followed him.

  Ben and Allie joined him a few seconds later. They walked for several yards before they caught up to Joel, who was standing over a small running creek that wound its way through the woods. It was small enough to step across, but the water was clear and inviting.

  They all stood there for a minute as if they didn’t believe it was real. But Gunner proved otherwise as he splashed his way across to the other side before anybody could think to stop him.

  “Oh, Gunner!” Allie shook her head. “So much for keeping the bandage dry!”

  Gunner stopped lapping at the water for a second and looked up at Allie.

  “It’ll dry out in no time with this heat,” Ben said.

  “The water looks clean. Cleaner than anything we’ve seen since Colorado.” Joel kneeled down and stuck his hand in the creek. “Oh, it’s cold, too.”

  He set his gun down and used both hands to scoop water onto his face. Ben and Allie joined him a few seconds later.

  “That feels really good.” Allie rubbed the water over her arms and face.

  “It must be spring-fed.” Ben dipped his face down to the stream and washed off the road grime. The coolness of the water washed over him and he perked up a little. He sat back on his heels, water still dripping off his face. “We should fill the bottles while we’re here.”

  “Do we need to filter it if it’s spring-fed?” Joel asked.

  Ben nodded. “Yeah, it looks good and would probably taste fine, but you always need to filter or boil water. No exceptions.”

  Joel got started filling bottles, and they all enjoyed the cool water and the shade for a few more minutes. At least until they heard the distant sound of a vehicle approaching.

  Chapter Two

  “Listen. I hear a car coming,” Ben said.

  Joel and Allie stopped filling bottles to pay attention. Even Gunner quit lapping at the water and stood still as the noise grew louder.

  Ben stayed hunched down and made his way up the small incline to the edge of the woods so he could see the road. Careful to keep out of sight, he lay down in the pine needles and leaves as he waited.

  It didn’t take long for the noise to manifest itself into a light green Ford station wagon complete with fake wood panels. The wagon was meandering back and forth across the highway with what appeared to be no real purpose as it made its way closer to them. It was coming from the direction of Cloverdale, where Ben was hoping to find a part for the Blazer.

  Joel belly-crawled up behind his dad. “See it yet?”

  “Yeah. It’s an old station wagon,” Ben whispered back. Allie stayed down by the creek with Gunner and hung on to his collar to keep him from following Joel up the embankment. Joel got up to where his dad was and lay next to him as they watched the car slowly approach.

  “What are they doing?” Joel asked.

  “I have no idea. I just hope they keep moving,” Ben answered.

  He noticed how slow the guy was going the closer he got. The driver was an older man wearing a ball cap, and no one else was in the car with him. Ben could see that the back of the wagon was piled high with mostly unidentifiable junk and a few boxes. Some of the things looked like car parts to Ben, but he couldn’t be sure.

  The old man was looking around as he drove and appeared to be searching for something or someone. When the station wagon passed their position, the older man driving leaned out the window and slowed down even more to look at something on the road.

  Ben thought he was going to stop for a second and began to tense up. He was about to tell Joel to slide back a little when the wagon accelerated and moved on. Apparently, whatever he was looking at wasn’t worth stopping for. To Ben, it seemed like the guy was scavenging.

  Once the wagon had passed and was out of sight, Ben got up and brushed himself off.

  “Well?” Allie asked.

  “Just an old station wagon with a guy driving. He’s gone now.” Joel got off the ground and knocked a few pine needles off his shirt.

  “He must be out scavenging the wrecks,” Ben added.

  The old guy must live around here somewhere. They’d have to keep an eye out in case he came back this way. Ben thought over the merits of trying to stop him if he did. If he was still alone, it might be worth trying to get a ride to Cloverdale from the man. Maybe he even knew where they could get a fuel pump for the Blazer.

  Ben and the kids made quick work of topping off the water bottles and were back hiking alongside the road in just a few minutes. The sun was finally starting to relent as it sunk lower on the horizon behind them and began to fall below the tops of the trees.

  The shade was a welcome relief, but it was a bittersweet consolation. Ben knew that it also meant the likelihood of getting back on the road today was slipping away fast. They still had a couple miles to go before they reached Cloverdale. And even if they got lucky and found the part they needed, they still had to get back to the truck and get it installed.

  The Blazer was well hidden in the woods, but installing the part in the dark would mean the need for headlamps and flashlights. And that would give away their location to anyone passing by on the interstate. They had seen fewer and fewer people and cars on the roads the farther east they traveled over the last few days, but Ben didn’t want to risk it.

  Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t help but wonder why there were fewer people and cars on the road the last day or so. They hadn’t seen a lot of cars prior to that, but there was still the occasional car or truck on the road.

  And in the towns they’d passed through, the number of people out and about had also diminished. Ben attributed most of this to the simple fact that supplies were scarce and a lot of people probably had given up at this point. Some people he was sure had no choice and were too weak to venture out any longer in search of food or water.

  But still, he’d expected to run into a lot more people as they crossed the country and entered more densely populated areas. It was eerie, and at times he felt like they were the last people on earth.

  Gunner was bringing up the rear and lagged several paces behind Allie. He was beginning to walk with more of a limp now and was putting less and less pressure on his injured leg. Ben was concerned, and Allie noticed him looking back at Gunner.

  “I don’t think he’s got much more in him today,” Allie said.

  Ben stopped walking and let the kids catch up to him. Joel and Allie stopped when they got to where Ben was standing and they all waited for Gunner to join them. He hobbled the last couple paces and sat down at Allie’s feet immediately after he reached them.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure how much longer he can walk.” Joel bent down and joined Allie as she rubbed Gunner. “Poor guy.”

  Ben sighed as he looked around. He thought about throwing the eighty-five pound dog over his shoulders for a while and letting Joel carry his pack, but he knew that would only be a temporary solution. He couldn’t carry Gunner that far. He just didn’t have it in him.

  Allie pulled out the collapsible bowl from her bag and poured some water into it. Gunner sniffed at it and licked at the water half-heartedly. But he was more interested in lying on the ground and soon resumed that position. Ben weighed their options as he realized they weren’t going to make it to town at this rate.

  The most realistic thing he could think of was to make an improvised stretcher out of some branches and a roll of cordage in his bag. It was obvious Gunner wasn’t going to make it any farther without help. And if they wanted to get to Cloverdale before nightfall, they would have to do something now.

  Ben was about to send the kids into the woods to get the necessary wood to build the stretcher, but just as he opened his mouth, Allie interrupted him.

  “It’s coming back,” she said.

  Chapter Three

  Sure enough, Ben heard what sounded like the station wagon coming back down the highway in their direction.

  “Joel, you and Al
lie get to the woods with Gunner.”

  “What are you gonna do?” Joel asked.

  “I’m going to see if I can get us a ride. Just be ready if it goes bad and I need backup.”

  “Got it.” Joel nodded and he and Allie headed for the wood line.

  “Gunner, come!” Joel commanded.

  Gunner reluctantly got up with a grunt and did his best to keep up with the kids as they jogged off the road and into the trees.

  Ben hoped and prayed he wasn’t making a huge mistake. But what choice did they have? They were running out of options. Even with the makeshift stretcher, it would be a slow-going and arduous last couple miles into town.

  With any luck, the guy would still be alone. If things did go badly, Ben could most likely handle him one on one. Still, he wasn’t one to underestimate anyone’s capabilities, and he wasn’t about to start now.

  He dropped his pack to the ground and laid the M24 across the top. He repositioned his concealed carry holster from his hip to the small of his back and pulled his T-shirt over it. As he stood there waiting, he thought back to Durango and the day this had all happened.

  He thought about how he and Joel had gotten a ride to their house from Dale. In that moment, he wondered about old Dale and his rusty pickup. Ben hoped the man was able to find his family and get out of Durango. But even more so, Ben hoped they could get a ride from this guy in the station wagon. Would he even stop?

  As the ancient Ford got closer, Ben saw that it was just the one guy they had spotted before. There was no going back now. He’d surely been seen by the driver now as there was nothing between them but an open stretch of asphalt. Ben waved his arms over his head in an attempt to signal the guy without seeming too aggressive.