Escaping Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  The message started over. Nate turned it off. It wasn’t anything he didn’t already know. He looked over at Nicole who was looking out the window, emotionlessly staring off. Ben was doing the same. Nate was getting tired of it all. The driving, the worry, the unknown of what was around the corner. Maybe Nicole was correct. Maybe they should be going seventy miles per hour. Maybe, in time, they would.

  Livermore was insight now. There wasn’t much there; in fact, only a small pizza shop was at the corner where 74 east and 287 met. There were cars at the store; but they, like most others, were covered in dirt. The dirt was a clear sign that they had been abandoned long ago.

  They made the turn onto 287 and headed off in a northwesterly direction. According to the map, the state line for Wyoming was only twenty miles away. Nate radioed his dad and told him he wanted to pick up the speed. Henry agreed, feeling good about that desire.

  Nate gave the truck some gas, to the delight of Nicole, as he now hit seventy-three miles per hour. Nate kept an eye on the tied down chicken coop, thinking he saw a feather fly out.

  “Am I loosing feathers back there?” Nate asked his father.

  “Not that I see,” Henry asked. Betty looked up just in time to witness a feather detach. She took the mic from Henry and spoke.

  “Nate, we are losing parts of Henrietta; slow down, son,” Betty pleaded.

  Henry snatched the radio back. He was laughing as he told Nate that Henrietta would be ok, and to keep going.

  Nate, along with his riders, were laughing at Betty’s statement. About fifteen minutes later, Nate caught the first glimpse of what was to come.

  “Dad, we need to stop now.”

  Henry was about half a mile behind Nate as Nate quickly turned the truck around and headed in the other direction. Henry was surprised when he saw Nate coming at him from the opposite direction.

  “What’s he doing?” Betty asked.

  Henry was braking hard to stop. Nate parked alongside the semi and jumped out running up to his dad’s driver side door.

  “Up ahead I think at the Stateline is about thirty or so men. Some looked like they were on bikes, others in – I would bet – stolen cop cars. They seem to have the road blocked. They jumped up when they saw me coming. I turned fast and radioed you. I don’t think we will get through them. Since I don’t hear them coming now, I would guess they don’t have the fuel to pursue,” Nate said.

  Nate was standing on the high step of the big rig looking down at Ben and Nicole’s frightened faces. They saw the men. Nate knew what men would do to them, let alone a beautiful girl like Nicole.

  Nate wasn’t about to give up having come this far. He stood on the rail looking over the map with his dad. They did have a few options around the block, but the roads were too narrow and treacherous for the semi. This left only one way, up the road and through the block.

  Nate looked into his dad’s eyes. Henry knew what Nate was thinking. Nate was a soldier. It’s what he knew the best, even more than Henry. The issues compounded and really gave Nate not much of a choice. If they turned back they would likely run out of fuel going a different route. Everything was planned on this path now because it was the shortest to Gene’s home. If they tried taking the back roads with the semi, it would likely mean getting stranded. Nate only could see one option left. He would need to remove –the best he could – the obstacle preventing them from heading north between Laramie and Cheyenne.

  “Ok, looks like we really have no choice. I will go scout this out” Nate said to his dad.

  Betty was listening and asked what he meant. Nate just climbed down, and Henry followed him back a distance to an area off the main road.

  “Betty, Nate will go and see if he can get us through,” Henry said calmly. Betty knew by his tone that this would be dangerous. She turned her head, looking out the window as Henry parked. She could see Nate removing his AR-15 clone.

  “Henry, what is he planning to do? Why does he have the rifle right now?” Betty was getting worried and Henry could see the concern as she opened the door to climb down. She made her way over to Nate.

  “Nate, what are you going to do? I’m sure we can find another road,” she said, almost frantic for her to listen to him.

  Henry came over and was trying to get between them.

  “It’s ok, dad. Mom, I know what I’m doing. I just need to go check to see what we are up against. We can’t just go another way with the semi,” Nate replied.

  Nate started to think about something else. The semi couldn’t make it on the back roads, but his Tundra could.

  “Dad, bring that map over here,” Nate said.

  Nate opened the map and fingered their current position.

  “What are you thinking?” Henry asked.

  Nicole and Ben, now got out of the truck standing nearby, listening. Nate turned to face his dad.

  “The Tundra can handle these roads easily. Look here at this road, it leads north, right back onto 287. Do you still have that flare gun?” Nate asked.

  Henry looked confused, but answered.

  “Yes, it’s in the cab. Why?” Henry asked.

  Nate walked about holding his chin with his hands, thinking.

  “Ok, here’s what we will do…I want all of you to go in the Tundra and we can rendezvous at this location,” Nate said, running his finger on the map he held in his hand.

  Henry looked at Nate, then at the map, thinking he might know what he planned.

  “So, you want us all, except for you, to take the Tundra on these back roads and meet up here and wait for you. When does the flare gun come into play?” Henry asked.

  Nate smiled, but no one else did. This was really the first time they would all be apart, and Ben especially looked very nervous and scared.

  “I will signal toward your direction when I’m on my way. You should have no problems seeing it from this short distance.”

  Nate referred to the Orion 12 gauge-style pistol flare gun. If shot straight up, the flare would go as high as 500 feet. The flare would stay visible about thirty seconds.

  “So wait, what are you going to do, Nate? After we leave?” Betty asked.

  Nate had a big decision now. He could lie, but she knew him well and would see right through the lie. No…he would tell her the truth.

  “I will go and recon the area ahead. I’m trying to figure out why they are staying there versus pursing. Something must be there, or maybe they have others being held against their will. I don’t know, and I need to see what is in the road and whether I can go through it,” Nate explained.

  The thought of ramming through other vehicles made Henry cringe. He had grown to love this practically brand new truck, and Nate was going to plow through other vehicles with it like it was nothing.

  Nate turned to face Ben.

  “Ben, this is the best shot for all of us to get through what’s down the road,” Nate said.

  Ben stepped closer.

  “I know. I know you always do what’s best for me and everyone else. That doesn’t mean I want you to do this,” Ben replied.

  Nate was surprised at how mature Ben sounded; the voice of reason once again.

  Henry and Nate quickly moved several things out of the semi from the inside and from the back. They had to wrap the solar panels in moving blankets and lay them flat in the Tundra’s bed. Inside, Henry would drive with Betty up front, and with Nicole, Ben, and Samson in the rear seat. The extra fuel for the semi was tied into the bed of the Tundra and the last item removed was the Ham base station and its parts. The base was placed between Henry and Betty. Everything was ready.

  Nate reassured his mother that he would be alright, and went over the plans with her and his father.

  “Ok, by the time you get across the border and to the meet up point, I will be done here and heading that way. I will be going fast. When you see the flare you will know that I’m past the block and coming. One last thing,” Nate paused and turned to face away from the open windows of the tr
uck where Nicole and Ben sat inside. “If you don’t see the flare after about thirty minutes, well…get moving. I will catch up to you all as fast as I can,” Nate said in a whisper.

  “Nate, don’t say that. We can’t leave you behind,” Betty said, starting to choke up.

  “The map is marked for the rest of the trip, you have to get those kids and yourselves to Gene’s place. I will be ok. Trust me,” Nate said, holding her hand.

  Henry walked over and hugged his son.

  “Son, don’t waste a shot; hit it the first time,” the old sniper in Henry said. He knew the mission would not be easy, and he was trying to be hopeful and strong in front of Betty. For his part, Henry would do as Nate asked and deliver them all to Gene’s place. “It will be done, son; just try to get through as fast as you can,” Henry added.

  Basically Nate was going to buy them time to escape. He hoped there wouldn’t be anyone near the point where they would come back out and on 287, but that was a chance they all took.

  They all said their goodbyes, and slowly drove off and back down the road to another county road that was becoming dirt and narrow with every minute. Henry put the truck into four-wheel drive and proceeded out of sight of Nate. The sun was nearly down now, and Nate had instructed his dad to use the low aimed fog lights and not the headlights at least for the first twenty minutes. He wanted them to be out of visual site of the roadblock.

  Nate zipped up his jacket and holstered his pistol. He jammed several mags into his left jacket pocket and zipped it as well. He had four thirty-round magazines plus one in the rifle. He slipped one in his back jean pocket, and the others inside the hidden pockets in his jacket. He knelt down, grabbed some dirt, and rubbed it all over his face. He then placed his ball cap back on and laced up his boots tight. He downed the bottle of water he had sitting on the semi wheel well. He then picked up the small flare gun with the small lanyard attached to a strip with two extra flares. Nate didn’t realize they had this many flares. He placed the flare gun in the right side zipper pocket of his jacket.

  “Grant me speed and accuracy, Lord,” Nate said as he took off with a steady, but fast jog toward the road that lead to the stateline.

  The jog felt good. He veered off the road and up the hilly terrain that would give the advantage of height. It was now dark, and he could easily see on one side of the road a few fifty-gallon gallon cans with flames coming out the top, and several men standing around the warmth. Nate wished he remembered to bring his night vision goggles from his Tundra, and he cursed himself for the error. His eyes were going to take time to adjust to the darkness, just like the men below. He knew however, that the men around the burning cans wouldn’t be able to see very well due to the effects of the lights and shadows. Their visibility was limited to the flame’s light.

  Nate squatted, running closer to another hill to gain a view on the small building and the few cars. He could see two smaller cars running. Their headlights were on and aimed at a very large propane tank that must have supplied the building at some point. Two men were fueling up the smaller tanks. Then Nate watched as one of the men ran a hose line to one of the cars. The cars were running on propane. Nate considered the possibility that they remained behind because they were fueling.

  Nate made his way down the hill and closer to the large building. It appeared to have been a souvenir shop at one point. Nate slowly stood up and peered inside the dimly lit office. Inside, he could see some men playing cards. One man was wearing orange overalls. The others had on oversized shirts and jeans. Another man wore the uniform of a security guard, maybe even a former correctional uniform. They had to be part of the large group of escapees John spoke about. They were now venturing out further, apparently looking for fuel. Nate wondered now if they had even seen him earlier. Just maybe, they did not.

  Nate started to move when he heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being racked behind him. How did he not hear this guy coming? He ragged inside at another mental error until he heard the voice behind him.

  “Turn around slowly and aim that heater at the ground.”

  Nate did as instructed.

  Nate was looking at a man, a large man with long black hair or at least that’s the way it looked in the dark. He had a ball cap on and had a slight accent, the kind that Nate had heard before.

  “Now drop it slowly to the ground,” he commanded with deepness in his voice.

  Nate did so slowly, still trying to figure out how he hadn’t heard the man’s approach. There were small rocks everywhere on the ground. There was just a small amount of light coming from the LED lanterns inside. Nate wanted to get the man in the light so he would have the small advantage, even for a second. He moved slowly to his right, making the shotgun wielding man counter his move. The man moved right into the light.

  Nate could now see the man’s face clearly; even with the little light. He was older than Nate, with a deep lined sculptured face that looked like it was chiseled from dark red granite. Nate couldn’t believe his eyes. He then realized that his own face was covered in dirt.

  “You can’t shoot me,” Nate said. He watched as the tall heavy man cocked his head slightly.

  “And why is that?” the man replied.

  “Because then I would have no one to tell about how you want to take a small turtle home to your kids.”

  The man before Nate was one he knew well, but he didn’t understand why, after this much time, he wasn’t home. The man before him he knew as Danny Trejo.

  Danny nearly dropped his shotgun as he pulled up a flashlight from his side. He aimed it right at Nate’s face. The expression on Danny’s face was priceless.

  Nate stood smiling.

  “Nate? How in the hell? What are you doing here? Shit man, where did you come from?” Danny asked, stepping closer. He waived for Nate to put his arms down.

  “I could ask you the same, man? Are all these guys escapees?” Nate asked.

  Danny didn’t hesitate.

  “Yes, all of them, and myself included,” Danny replied. Danny stepped closer and pointed Nate away from the building and back up the hill.

  “After we last were together, I headed home just like was planned. I came back into contact with a small biker group, and we were all quickly rounded up by the police. They said they had reports of bikers murdering citizens, which was true, but it wasn’t me. When the power went out in Cheyenne, and everyone started walking, that’s when I did too. I’m here because they said we could use the propane to fill a few state cars to truly make a run for it. Most of these guys are your really bad lifers, man. Those of us who could find these types of cars made the trip down here to fill up and fill several small tanks,” Danny finished. “What are you doing here, Nate?”

  Nate went on to explain his own dilemma. Danny couldn’t believe it all; or how they had managed to meet up again.

  “Danny, did you ever think that coming this far south was going to really get you home? Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m not being critical, but were things that bad in Cheyenne that you couldn’t find another method to get home?” Nate asked.

  “It’s unbelievable how bad it is there, Nate. You were lucky to find a regular car that wasn’t a burnt out shell, let alone these state cars that ran on propane. I even checked the police horse stalls. There were people roasting the horses for food. The town is devastated. I didn’t participate in any of the prison gang crap, I just left. I didn’t even get access to this gun until right before we left. They had a map of all the propane stations in the state, but most were all too far except this one,” Danny explained.

  Nate could tell Danny had thought it all out and was taking a chance; it was no different than he had done by having his family take off while he stayed to clear a path for the semi.

  “Danny, come with me. I can get you home, or at least really close to it. My family is up the road by now. I already told them about you, and you would be welcomed.”

  Danny didn’t hesitate in his answer.

>   “If you are sure it’s ok, I would love nothing more than to get far away from these people. Every time I get near bikers or bad people, I get lumped into shit with them. It’s my skin color, man…I’m telling you.”

  Nate just laughed.

  “Well, I hate to break it to you, man…but looking like Danny Trejo isn’t helping you!” Nate said, slapping Danny on the back.

  Danny broke out into a loud boisterous laugh.

  “So, what do you say we blow this place up and get out of here?” Danny suggested.

  “What do you have in mind?” Nate asked.

  “Well, if we were still in, what would be our primary target to get rid of the bad guys?” Danny asked, looking over the area below them.

  Nate studied the area. He knew what Danny meant.

  “That large 1,000 gallon tank, I have something that can do that,” Nate said, removing the flare gun. Danny smiled.

  “I will go back down and flatten their tires so they can’t pursue. Then I will go turn the valve on and maybe make a small fire to get them all scared it is going to blow. I will run back up, then you light it up with that. Just do the watchtower over me as I go along,” Danny said, referring to Nate being the sniper and covering his friend from danger.

  “I will be focused,” Nate said, slapping the scope on his rifle.

  “Danny, what exactly is your last name?” Nate asked, realizing that Danny had never told him as much.

  “Vincent,” he replied. Danny took off down the hill.

  Nate lost sight of him for a few seconds, then saw him reappear moments later down by the building. Nate brought up the rifle and watched Danny head toward the cars that were parked near the large propane tanks. He was walking slowly, shotgun held down, pretending to patrol the area. Danny knelt next to one of the cars and removed his long blade from his side, and stabbed one tire. He then walked to the next one and did the same. Just as he was standing, Nate heard someone yelling and noticed through his scope several men walking toward Danny. One of the men spotted Danny slashing the tire. Nate couldn’t hear the words, but he knew by Danny’s actions what was about to go down. The three men had Danny out gunned, but they didn’t know Danny. Nate quickly scanned all the other men who were starting to slowly move from the road area to the side of the building where the commotion took place. Not all the men had guns, Nate noticed. Of the nearly thirty men, only about ten were armed; and that number included Danny.