by Bruno Miller
“No, I don’t think it will ever be the same, Joel, but I do think it’ll get better.”
Chapter Thirty-One
It wasn’t what Joel wanted to hear, but he knew it was probably true. It never would be the same again. But like his dad said, things would get better. Exactly how long it would be before that happened was anyone’s guess. One thing was for certain, though: some of these scars would never heal, and he’d never forget some of the things he’d had to do.
“I got this. Are you still good to drive?” Ben startled Joel at the back of the truck with the other empty can. He hadn’t even noticed his dad coming.
“Yeah, I’m good for a while, I think. Maybe you can take over when we stop for gas.”
“Sounds good.” Ben nodded.
Joel left for the driver’s seat while his dad strapped down the empty gas can. When he got back in the truck, Allie and her mom were talking quietly about something. Gunner was in the back, sprawled out in his new spot and panting heavily next to a freshly drained water bowl Allie must have given him.
He fired the truck up and checked the fuel gauge. They had a little over a half a tank now, and depending on the terrain, it should get them a couple hours of driving. Plenty of time to find a place to top off all the tanks.
Ben hopped into the passenger’s seat and closed the door. “We ought to make Maryland within the hour.”
“How much gas do we have?” Allie asked.
“Just over half a tank. Maybe a couple hours’ worth of driving,” Joel answered.
“We’ll hit mountains pretty quickly after we cross into Maryland, so we better not wait too long to get fuel,” Ben added.
“How much longer will we be on the interstate?” Allie asked.
“This will pretty much take us all the way to Baltimore, but we’ll get off outside the city onto 695 and go around. It’s the fastest way up north and around the bay. I think it’ll keep us far enough outside the city that we won’t have any problems,” Ben said without looking up from the map.
Joel put the Blazer in gear and accelerated out from under the cool shade of the overpass. He felt the heat of the sun immediately, and even with his sunglasses on, he was forced to squint until his eyes adjusted to the glare.
Sandy sighed. “Wow, I forgot how hot it was.”
“It’s a little after noon, so this is the worst of it. It should start to cool down in a couple hours. Not that it’s much of a consolation right now.” Ben shrugged.
Joel looked down at the radio as it continued to search through the channels. They hadn’t heard a thing since the emergency broadcast. Not so much as a crackle of static had come over the speakers.
“Where do you think the radio signal came from?” Sandy asked.
“Not sure. Maybe D.C. or the Pentagon? We’re getting close to a lot of government facilities, and Camp David isn’t too far from here, either,” Ben answered.
Allie joined the conversation. “But why do you think it cut out?”
“My guess is they’re in the beginning stages of reestablishing communications and trying to get the power grid back up. It might still be some time before they manage that. From what we’ve seen, the electrical damage done by the EMPs was pretty extensive. It’s not like working the bugs out of a program. There’s actual physical damage that will need to be repaired. Anything that was running at the time of the attack would have experienced a massive power surge, probably like getting hit by lightning but on a much larger scale and a lot more powerful.”
Joel slowed down to swerve around a burned-out delivery truck that had become entangled in the guardrail. The guardrail had done its job and kept the truck from going over the edge and into the ravine below, but it hadn’t mattered.
The truck itself had burned down to nothing but the frame. Whatever it was hauling had melted and hung from the steel skeleton of the trailer all the way down to the road. The fire had long gone out, and the material re-solidified, forming a dull black coating that would hold the truck in its place indefinitely.
It was an odd sight, and enough so that the conversation in the truck paused as they all took it in. The wrecked truck jackknifed when it had hit the guardrail and the trailer was blocking most of the highway. With a guardrail on the other side as well, it only left Joel with part of a lane and the shoulder to get by.
They were barely moving now as he picked his way around the debris and prepared to drive around the truck. They were close enough for his dad to reach out and touch it if he had wanted to. The pungent odor of burnt plastic filled the Blazer and remained with them even as they pulled away.
“Oh, that’s strong.” Allie winced as she covered her mouth and nose with her hand.
Joel accelerated as quickly as he could to get away from the smell and fought the urge to look at the cab of the delivery truck when they passed. He knew well enough what he would see if he did.
In the past week and a half, he’d seen enough bodies to supply a lifetime’s worth of bad dreams. It was bad enough that they were all decomposing and what little skin remained was beginning to look like leather.
But the worst thing about the bodies was the horrific poses most of them were stuck in. Joel couldn’t seem to get them out of his head. It was like someone had stuck them in the worst positions possible for the most dramatic effect.
In the last few days, he had tried his best to not to look at the bodies when they passed by. He was finding it easier as the days passed to ignore the wrecks altogether, and he wondered if that was a good thing or not.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Welcome to Maryland.” Ben read the sign out loud as they left West Virginia behind. There were times in the last week or so that he thought they might never see that sign. And although they still had a long drive in front of them, he couldn’t help but feel a little joy over the accomplishment.
“How are we looking on gas?” Ben asked.
“Just over a quarter tank,” Joel reported.
The rolling hills were slowly building into mountains, and although they were small in comparison to the Rockies, the elevation changes were working the Blazer hard. They would need to stop and get fuel before they got any deeper into the Appalachians.
Several miles passed before Allie spotted a small gas station down off the highway in a valley ahead. Joel followed the exit ramp and pulled into the parking area of the store. The small gas station was partially burned down and one of the gas pumps out front was ripped from its base and left lying in the middle of the parking lot.
Ben cautiously surveyed the area as Joel made the standard drive around what was left of the building.
“Looks good to me,” Joel said.
“Yeah, let’s try to make it a quick one and get back on the road.” Ben wasn’t crazy about the fact that there were several other buildings nearby and didn’t want to stop here any longer than necessary. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something didn’t feel right to him.
He felt like they were being watched but resolved to chalk it up to nerves. He didn’t want to let his guard down now. They’d come a long way and been through a lot, but they weren’t there yet. They still needed to remain vigilant.
Joel parked the truck and everyone unloaded quickly. Gunner did his usual and headed off to explore the perimeter of the parking lot, following his nose wherever it led him. Ben and Joel didn’t waste any time and got set up to pump gas immediately while the girls headed off to find a little privacy.
“Don’t go too far, and be careful.” Ben didn’t want to sound overprotective, but he didn’t want any trouble today, either.
“We won’t be gone long.” Allie rested her shotgun over her shoulder as the two headed off toward the burned-out building.
Ben was glad to see she had the shotgun with her. At some point in time, he’d have to give Sandy a crash-course on the guns and give her something to carry. Maybe he could do it when they got to Jack’s. He didn’t want to take any time away from driving today. He hadn’t been sur
e yesterday if they would be able to finish the drive today, but now that they were here, the reality of doing just that sunk in.
Ben had seen the sign for the Savage River State Forest back a few miles and he remembered Casey’s dad talking about coming up here on several occasions to go fly-fishing. It was the only place in Maryland with decent trout water he used to say. Ben also remembered Jack saying it was a five-hour drive, give or take, from his house in Berlin, Maryland.
Of course, that was using a more direct route over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and traveling at normal highway speed, neither of which they could do. But even with their alternative route and slower speed, he knew it was possible to reach Jack’s house tonight.
His plan was to check for the kids at Jack’s first. They would pass by his place on the way to his ex’s place anyway. And he had a feeling they would all be there—at least he hoped they would be.
Jack was getting on in years and he had some health issues, but Ben knew for a fact that he kept extra supplies and food on hand in the outbuilding behind his house. He also had an old Jeep Scrambler that he used for hunting. He wasn’t sure if he still had the Jeep or the supplies, but either way, Jack was Casey’s and the kids’ best chance for survival.
His ex had rented a condo in Ocean City when she moved away with the kids and lived about 15 minutes from Jack’s place, over a couple bridges that crossed a small bay. Ben doubted they would stay in Ocean City after the attacks, and if they didn’t go to Jack’s on their own, he would probably come and get them.
“I can take over if you want.” Joel was carrying the empty cans and set them down near the pump.
Ben pulled the nozzle out of the truck and handed it to Joel. “Sure, just fill the cans. The truck is full.”
As Ben screwed the gas cap back on he was startled by a high-pitched scream from behind the gas station. Instinctively, he reached back and drew his pistol.
“Stay here and get those tanks filled and strapped to the truck!” Ben barked as he started for the building. He ran around the front of the truck and was disappointed to see Gunner in the front corner of the parking lot. Ben had hoped that he was with the girls.
Gunner immediately stopped what he was doing when he saw Ben running and chased after him.
BOOM!
The unmistakable report of Allie’s 20-gauge echoed off the surrounding buildings. Ben and Gunner rounded the corner of the burned-out gas station and almost ran into the girls. Allie was still holding the shotgun out in front of her and trembling. Sandy was next to her with a hand on Allie’s shoulder. Their faces were pale white, and neither one bothered to look at him or Gunner.
“What happened?” Ben breathed heavily.
“Snake! Big snake!” Allie looked like she wanted to say more but couldn’t get it out at the moment. She pointed to the ground a few yards away instead. There, in front of the girls, was the largest copperhead snake Ben had ever seen. There weren’t any copperheads in Colorado, but he had seen his fair share of them while training at Fort Benning in Georgia.
“It came out of the grass and chased us.” Allie’s voice trembled.
“I didn’t know snakes did that,” Sandy said.
Ben quickly backpedaled to the corner of the building and made eye contact with Joel, who was frantically cranking the fuel pump handle.
“It’s okay, Joel. Just a snake.” Ben rejoined Allie and her mom. Gunner was eyeing the snake as it writhed and twisted itself into knots on the ground. Allie had blown the head clean off, but the snake continued moving through nervous twitches.
“Gunner, no.” Ben held the dog away with a stern voice.
“Is it still alive?” Allie asked.
“No, just nerves.” Ben took a closer look as Joel came around the corner of the building.
“Whoa! That’s huge! What is it?” he asked.
“It’s a copperhead, and yes, they are venomous,” Ben answered.
“Are you guys okay?” Joel looked at Allie and her mom.
“Yeah, just scared us. That’s all. It wouldn’t stop coming at us. I had to shoot it.” Allie exhaled.
Ben was now relieved that Gunner hadn’t been with them. The dog would have surely tried to intervene and gotten himself bitten in the process.
“Well, I’ve had enough excitement. I’m ready to get back in the truck and get out of here,” Allie declared.
That suited Ben just fine. He was glad she had used the gun and defended herself, but he was concerned about the gunshot drawing attention to them.
They all made their way back to the truck, and Ben helped Joel get the fuel cans strapped down while the girls and Gunner loaded up.
Ben kept a nervous eye on the surrounding buildings and houses. He thought he saw someone looking through a curtain from a house across the street but wasn’t sure.
“I’ll drive,” Ben said.
“Okay, I can drive more later on if you need me to.” Joel pulled the strap tight and headed for the passenger’s side of the truck.
Ben got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He was disappointed that he didn’t feel more comfortable here. It would have been nice to eat something while they were stopped, but he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling this place gave him. They’d find somewhere better down the road, somewhere more isolated.
They had come too far to take chances now.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Once back out on the highway, Allie and her mother regained their composure from their encounter with the snake.
“That was good shooting back there, Allie. Good job,” Ben said.
“Thanks, I’ve never killed anything before.” Allie shrugged.
“I’m not sure what was more surprising: the snake or the way you handled that gun,” Sandy said.
“Allie’s a pretty good shot, as it turns out.” Joel twisted around in his seat and smiled.
Sandy cleared her throat. “Well, I have a little confession to make, Allie. I’ve been taking a class and learning how to shoot, back in Durango. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about having a gun in the house. But I thought it would be a good idea with us living alone.”
“I would have been okay with that, Mom.” Allie pulled out the .38 and showed it to her mother.
Sandy laughed. “I can see that now.”
“Here, Mom. Take it. I mean, if that’s okay with you.” Allie shifted her gaze to Ben.
“Yeah, it’s good with me. I think it’s a good idea. I was actually thinking about that earlier.”
Allie handed the gun to her mom. “I like the shotgun better anyway.”
Sandy looked it over. “Thanks, it’s a lot like the one I was learning with.”
Ben felt better knowing that he wasn’t going to have to teach Sandy how to use a weapon, and what’s more, she had taken a class on shooting. One less thing to worry about, and the way things were going, it would be an asset to have another gun ready to offer backup, should the need arise.
Ben was pleased to see the interstate remained mostly clear, especially now that their visibility was limited by the turns and elevation changes as the road followed the easiest route through the mountains.
Allie handed out Clif Bars and apples while Ben continued to drive. They all seemed satisfied to make that their lunch and unanimously decided to forgo pulling over somewhere to fix a proper meal.
After an hour or so of driving, it was obvious to Ben that they would be stopping again for gas sooner than he wanted to admit. The constant elevation change of the road was causing them to burn through their fuel at a staggering rate. The added weight of an extra person and supplies they’d taken in made a difference as well.
He could feel it in the way the Blazer responded when he maneuvered around the wrecks. It was sluggish compared to when it had just been the three of them and Gunner. It had also been balanced a little better then and hadn’t had a giant duffel bag strapped to the roof.
All this only served as a reminder that they would have to make
some major changes for the return trip. He still wasn’t sure if a camper or a second vehicle was the way to go. They were probably going to have to settle for whatever they could find.
He resolved to make that the number one priority when they got to Jack’s. At the very least, they would be adding Bradley and Emma to their crew. He wasn’t sure what would happen with his ex-wife, and frankly, she could do what she wanted as far as he was concerned. But he wasn’t leaving Maryland without the kids.
He had no idea what they would find when they got there. He tried to force the negative thoughts from his mind, but he couldn’t help but think about the possibility that they would be too late or that he wouldn’t be able to find the kids at all.
What if Casey and the kids had gone somewhere with her boyfriend?
Ben tried to clear his head and focus on the here and now. He watched the landscape pass by and thought about how some sections of the road, where it cut through the rock, reminded him of home, a place that seemed impossibly far away right now. Durango, he knew, was more than just across the country and thousands of miles behind them.
It felt much more distant than that, like something he would never see again—at least not the way he remembered it before the bombs.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The miles rolled by, and other than a few comments about the scenery, the truck was quiet. Maybe because for the first time in a while they were offered a view thanks to the elevation of the mountains.
As they crossed over the highest point and headed down the eastern slope of the Appalachians, they could see for several miles in almost every direction.
The thing Ben noticed most was the color of the trees. He hadn’t really paid attention to the coloring so much before and just thought that everything looked a little dry. But now that he could see large swaths of forest, it was obvious that the dry weather and environmental conditions were taking their toll on the vegetation.
