by Bruno Miller
“Yes, I did,” Allie replied. “I guess you guys found that?”
“We sure did. That was good thinking on your part.” Ben nodded in approval as he pushed the door open and went out ahead of Joel. Stepping out into the afternoon sun, he put his hand up to shade his eyes, squinting as he scanned the horizon for any sign of the other two.
Gunner squeezed out the door, not waiting on Joel and Allie, and immediately started panting when he hit the pavement.
Ben thought it felt hotter than it should have for this time of year. Then he noticed a yellowish haze in the air. Was it like this just a few minutes ago? He couldn’t tell if it was smoke or dust, but combined with the heat, it added to the overall feeling of oppression.
There was no breeze at all as they walked across the asphalt parking lot to the truck. Ben was looking forward to getting one of the cold water bottles out from the blanket and could picture in his mind the water droplets sweating on the outside of the container, none of which helped the stale dry feeling in his throat. He was sure they could all use some water, but he wanted to get on the road first.
They needed distance from this place more than they needed a drink.
Chapter Ten
They approached the bags and shotgun that were left on the ground. Gunner ran ahead a little and sniffed around the items, pausing every so often at certain spots.
Ben holstered his Glock and was about to hand Joel the dead man’s sawed-off shotgun but decided to just to tuck it under his arm instead. Then he bent down and picked up the other shotgun.
He didn’t care what they had in the bags, but he wasn’t leaving this gun here so they could run their game on some other unfortunate victim. Who knew how many people they had done this to already?
The shotgun looked to be in about the same condition as the other one. The wood looked partially dry rotted with a few missing chunks here and there. There were also some severely rusted areas. Both guns had obviously been neglected, to say the least, and were what he would classify as falling into the unsafe-to-shoot category. He was practically doing them a favor by taking these gems off their hands. He would ditch the guns down the road somewhere. The only thing he considered worth keeping were the 12-gauge shells. He had plenty, but a few more wouldn’t hurt.
“Want me to carry one?” Allie asked.
Ben was surprised by that after what she had been through.
“Um, sure, if you want.” Ben handed her the smaller of the two guns.
Allie held the small shotgun in her hands as she looked it over. “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.”
“That’s a bad example. I wouldn’t shoot either of these guns. We’re going to ditch them somewhere far away from here.” Ben pulled his pistol back out with his free hand as they approached the corner of the store. He couldn’t see the truck yet and he wanted to be ready in case there were any more surprises.
He glanced back at Joel to see how he was doing. He hadn’t said anything since they left the outbuilding, and Ben was worried about him. “How are you holding up there, bud?”
“Fine,” Joel replied, totally devoid of emotion.
Ben knew what that tone really meant, though. It meant Joel didn’t want to talk about it, and it was best to let the subject go until he was ready. Ben could respect that, and he understood the need to deal with things internally first.
He remembered his first time taking a life like it was yesterday. That place and time was etched into his mind, never to be forgotten. The difference was, he’d been in uniform and in a foreign country and had known what he was getting into.
Joel was growing up fast, but he was still just a kid in Ben’s eyes. It didn’t seem all that long ago that he had stood next to Joel, helping him learn how to cast his fly rod. Now he was having to fight for his life in this wasteland of world.
Allie patted her leg. “Gunner, come on, boy. Let’s go!” Allie called to Gunner, who was now several feet behind them, still going over the abandoned bags. Reluctantly, Gunner pulled away and galloped toward them, catching up in no time.
Ben held his hand out as he got close to the building. “Wait here a second.” He eased his head around the corner. Ben looked into the store, from the large windows out front, to make sure there wasn’t anybody hiding inside. “All clear. Come on.”
With the kids behind him, he jogged to the truck, where he quickly unlocked it and threw the longer shotgun in the back.
He looked at Allie before he headed around the driver’s seat. “Just throw the other gun in the back with that one.”
She did as he asked.
“I’ll drive for a while. You guys take it easy for a little bit,” Ben said as he opened the door.
“Thanks.” Allie was already climbing into the back seat with Gunner, who seemed to be happy to be back in the truck and out of the sun.
Joel climbed in next and silently slid into the passenger seat, pulling the door closed behind him. He rolled down the window and leaned out, staring off into the distance.
“We all need to get some water in us. How about getting those cold bottles out when you get situated, Allie?” Ben suggested.
“Sure thing.”
He fired up the truck, and the familiar hum of the engine instantly made him feel better. As soon as Joel closed his door, they were moving forward. Ben was anxious to get out of there, but there was one more thing he wanted to do.
He drove out to the edge of the property adjacent to the main road, where a larger version of the sign over the front door stood.
“Hang on just a second. Something I gotta do.” He shifted the Blazer into park and left it running as he got out. He made his way to the back of the truck and rooted around in the cooler until he found a can of black paint left over from painting the truck windows. He walked to the large “Daisy’s Pit Stop” sign and began to spray-paint a warning to anyone who might come this way.
“Danger! Stay away!” He read it out loud to himself before repeating the message on the other side of the sign. He felt guilty that the two people responsible for kidnapping Allie had gotten away like they did. The least he could do was warn any passersby about what waited here for them.
Even though he had taken their guns, he was sure they would be back at it in no time. Now that one of them had been killed, they would probably be even more ruthless in their tactics. The sign wasn’t much, but it was something he felt compelled to do as a decent human being. The can of paint began to sputter as he finished the last letter.
“Good enough,” he muttered and headed back to the truck.
“Now we can leave.” Ben closed the door and buckled up. Allie looked away from the sign and caught his gaze in the rearview mirror.
“I like it,” she said, nodding in approval.
Once Ben got onto the road, he picked up speed and the wind began flowing through the windows. Allie handed out fresh, cold water bottles to everyone. They all drank and sat in silence for a while.
“Oh, by the way, I think I have something that belongs to you.” Joel situated himself in his seat so he was turned to face Allie. He dug into his pocket until he pulled out the smooth stone he had given her at the river.
“I’ll never let go of this again!” She took the stone from him and held it to her chest with a clenched fist.
The two made small talk for a while as Ben drove. He was glad to see a little life in the boy, and it was good that he was talking with Allie again. It would take a long time for Joel to learn to deal with what had happened, but this was a start.
Between the fresh air and the cool water, Ben was beginning to settle into a more familiar state of mind. And like always in this new world, his thoughts turned to what lay ahead.
Chapter Eleven
The miles rolled by slowly but surely.
Joel navigated for his dad at every little town they came to, finding alternate routes where they could. Sometimes they ended up several miles off their original route, and sometimes they just skirted
the edge of town via the back streets and neighborhoods. Each one resembled the last, with burned-down buildings and houses.
Whatever hadn’t been burned to the ground had either been pillaged by looters or fortified and defended by its inhabitants. They passed the occasional pedestrian or small group of people who all had the same thing in common.
It was a look about them—their facial expressions and the way they carried themselves. They were like zombies, lumbering along in search of something. Pale-faced and solemn, they shuffled forward. Some watched the Blazer as it passed by them. Others didn’t even acknowledge its existence.
Joel imagined most of them were headed somewhere to reunite with loved ones, or maybe they were just looking for a better place to go.
They had seen a few other vehicles on the road, and while they passed without so much as a wave from the occupants, it was comforting nonetheless. Just to see other cars driving around and a little bit of normal activity made Joel feel better.
Maybe it was the thought that there were other people out there just like them—other good people who were struggling just like they were. Maybe it was the thought that they weren’t alone or unique in their quest. It was survival of the fittest and the best equipped. Like his dad said, “It was us or them.” That was the mentality Joel was resisting. Maybe it was just his way of trying to hang on to his old life.
If he was ever going to see his brother, sister, and mother again, he was going to have to learn to stomach making tough decisions. Clinging to the old life he knew was a waste of energy, and it was beginning to drain him. He found his resistance waning as the days went by and as their distance from home increased. He had to accept that this was their new life and it would never be the same again.
“Well, guys let me be the first one to welcome you to Kansas,” Ben joked.
Joel looked out through the windshield and saw the big blue highway sign that read “Welcome to Kansas” in gold letters with a big sun in the upper corner in the same gold coloring.
“Wow, that’s pretty good, right? What time is it?” Allie leaned forward from the back seat, causing Gunner to sit up as well.
Ben nodded. “It’s not bad considering all the detours off the main road. It’s a quarter to three now. We should probably get gas in about an hour and start thinking about where we’re going to spend the night.”
“I saw a couple spots on the map that looked like they had some water access. Maybe a good spot to camp. At the rate we’re going, I’d guess probably a couple hours away.” Joel shrugged.
“I’m good with that as long as it’s before I-70. That’s all flat open land from there until almost the other side of the state. I want to try to do that all in one day so we don’t have to spend the night out in the open.” Ben slowed down as they came up to a tight spot in the road.
Joel noticed his dad’s facial expression change but wasn’t sure what it meant.
Allie exhaled. “Look at that!”
Just ahead of them was an 18-wheeler—or what was left of it. The black skid marks stood out in sharp contrast to the sun-bleached asphalt. It looked like someone had drawn lines on the ground with a giant piece of charcoal. The truck had apparently gone sideways and slid for a while before pitching over and rolling into a pile of twisted metal that covered both sides of the two-lane stretch of highway.
Fortunately, the terrain on either side of the road was relatively flat and open except for a few scrub pine and sandhill sage bushes.
Joel gawked at the scene “What a mess.”
Ben steered them across the oncoming traffic lane and down off the road, giving the accident a wide berth. The Blazer easily clawed its way over the rocks and bushes as they made their own detour.
Joel wasn’t sure if he noticed the vultures or the horrifically pungent smell of rotting meat first, but it was enough to make him gag instantly.
“Oh man. That’s bad.” Joel yanked his shirt over his nose.
“That was a refrigerated truck.” Ben pulled his shirt over his nose as well.
Joel looked back at Allie, who had done the same by now. Gunner was the only one who didn’t seem bothered by the nauseating smell the warm breeze was blowing in their direction. Joel was pretty sure he could hear the flies buzzing from one water-stained crumpled box to the other. They were scattered all over the road and looked like they had thawed long ago and were well along into decay.
Vultures had torn most of the boxes open and scattered the contents. The large black scavengers ignored the truck as it drove by, too busy squabbling among themselves over the putrid meat. The vultures that did take notice of them were in the groups on the outskirts of the feeding frenzy. They refused to move out of the way forcing them to drive even further around the accident. Joel noticed a few of them actually lunged at the Blazers tires with their sharp beaks.
“Do you see that? Their attacking the tires. That’s crazy!” Joel leaned out the window and looked down at the birds.
“Why would they do that? Do you think they could hurt the truck?” Allie asked.
“I don’t know but let’s not find out.” Ben honked the horn in an effort to scare off the large aggressive birds.
As they cleared the last group of vultures Ben steered the blazer around the front of the wrecked semi and began to climb back up the shoulder of the road, the wind switched directions and the smell dissipated. Joel lowered his shirt and took a small breath through his nose, sampling the air.
“It’s gone,” he said, breathing in deeply. But the assault on his senses was far from over. Just as Joel was feeling grateful for the fresh air, he saw something he would never forget.
The driver’s body was sticking out of the shattered windshield, frozen in the agony of the moment. The arms remained outstretched as if he were still trying to fight off the ravenous vultures who were, no doubt, responsible for nearly picking his carcass down to the bone. Very little skin remained, and what did looked baked to leather by the relentless summer sun. The mouth was wide open, telling a tale of what must have been terrifying last moments.
Joel tried to look away but felt unable to react until he had already seen more than he wanted. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying hard to put the image out of his mind and trying to forget the smell. But they seemed intertwined and he couldn’t shake it. He couldn’t fight the urge in his gut any longer and had no other choice but to give in.
He hauled himself out the window and threw up. He felt a hand on his back as he involuntary dry heaved repeatedly. The convulsions finally subsided, and he was able to compose himself and sit back in his seat.
From the back, Allie handed him a paper towel to clean up. He was embarrassed about what had happened but quickly forgot all about it when he realized it was her hand on his shoulder. He still felt a little dizzy and took a sip of water before leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes.
“You gonna be okay? Need to stop?” his dad asked.
“No, I’m good. Keep going,” Joel answered but kept his eyes closed and his head back. He could feel the truck had returned to the smooth pavement again and tried to imagine they were far away from the wreck.
With a fresh breeze now moving over them once more and Allie gently rubbing his shoulder, he had no trouble drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Twelve
“Hey, Joel! Hey, buddy!” Ben tapped Joel’s shoulder lightly, trying to wake him up.
“Huh, what?” Joel squinted and rubbed his face.
“We need to stop for gas soon.” Ben scanned the horizon ahead. He hadn’t seen a viable station in miles, but there had to be one soon.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.” Joel straightened up in his seat.
“It’s okay. You needed it. Allie has been helping me navigate.”
Allie patted his arm. “We’re looking for a place to stop now. You were asleep for over an hour.” She moved over on the bench seat to just behind the center console. She practically had the whole seat to herself.
Gunner was all the way over to one side behind Ben’s seat. He had wedged himself in between the seat and the truck frame and positioned his head to take full advantage of the wind blowing in the driver’s side window. He practically had his head on Ben’s shoulder.
“Want me to get him back here with me?” Allie asked.
“No, he’s fine.” Ben gave Gunner a brisk rub behind his ears.
They rode on for another 15 minutes or so until Joel spotted a place up ahead.
“How about that place?” He pointed.
Ben slowed down as they approached so they could get a better look at it before they committed to getting off the road.
After what they had just been through, he wouldn’t stop if he saw anything out of place. They had the spare cans of fuel in the back if they needed them and could afford to wait for the right place to stop if it meant less risk.
The Shell station was more modern than the last place they’d stopped, and now that they were drawing closer to the plains, it was surrounded in all directions by agricultural land, mostly used for raising free-range cattle. Not that there were any visible.
He had noticed the lack of livestock in their travels but hadn’t said anything about it to the kids. He figured any rancher worth his salt would have rounded up the herd and brought it in close to the ranch. A Black Angus bull would probably be worth its weight in gold right now with the dwindling resources. Ben imagined the ranchers were going to have their hands full protecting their livestock when the food ran out.
“Look’s empty.” Joel sat back in his seat, allowing his dad to see out his window as well.
Ben raised his eyebrows at Joel. “Yeah, so did the last place.”
“Well, don’t worry about me. I won’t be going inside,” Allie promised.
“Sounds like a plan.” Ben finally brought the truck to a stop on the shoulder, just in front of the Shell station. He sat and scrutinized the place, trying to play devil’s advocate to find a reason not to stop here, but he couldn’t. They needed fuel, and this place would be no different than the next one.
