by Bruno Miller
Joel would have his work cut out for him. A sawed-off shotgun without a buttstock would increase the difficulty of shooting a duck out of the sky mid-flight by quite a bit. Still, though, it was out of season and maybe they could get in close.
There were definitely ducks in there. He could hear them occasionally in the distance among the marsh grass.
After his tent was squared away for the night, Ben began digging two holes for the fire. He dug them a few inches apart, one bigger than the other. Once he had them at the size and depth he wanted, he reached down into the larger one and dug a small tunnel connecting the two holes together at the bottom.
Then he filled the bottom of the larger one with dried grass and a few twigs. Fortunately, the riverbank was littered with dead wood and branches that had washed up long ago when the water had been high. Having been beached some time ago and left to bake in the sun, most of the wood he found was dry and brittle. Perfect for burning, he thought, as he gathered it up in his arms.
Before long he had a respectable pile of various-sized sticks assembled next to the fire pit.
The dry grass at the bottom lit easily with a flick of the lighter, and he was adding larger material into the hole in no time. He topped it off with a couple pieces from a thick branch he chopped up with the hatchet.
He stepped back for a minute to catch his breath and admire his work. The two-hole system was working well and there was very little smoke escaping from the fire.
He could already feel the warmth, and even though it was pleasant out, there was just something about a fire that always seemed to put his mind at ease. He stared at the flames as they began to lick the edges of the larger pieces on top.
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 Blaze
r 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 breaks 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!”
* * *
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About the Author
Bruno Miller is the author of the Dark Road series. He’s a military vet who likes to spend his downtime hanging out with his wife and kids, or getting in some range time. He believes in being prepared for any situation.
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The Dark Road series:
Breakdown
Escape
Resistance
