It wasn’t the darkness alone that was unsettling, however; it was the fact that it made them vulnerable. Forced to use headlights, the string of vehicles would stand out and draw plenty of unwanted attention. That was something Ben tried to avoid at all costs, but he understood it was impossible to drive through this mostly flat landscape at night.

  Just as Ben was trying to wrap his head around the dilemma of night driving, the radio came to life.

  “We’re getting close now. It can’t be more than a few miles from here. Over.” Carlos sounded upbeat, and for good reason. Ben could only imagine their excitement, although it was probably tempered with a great deal of underlying apprehension as well. He remembered how he felt as they turned onto the last road before reaching Jack’s in Maryland. What would they find when they finally reached their daughter’s place? They’d know soon enough if all this had been a huge waste of time. For Emma’s sake, he hoped Rita’s optimism was warranted.

  “Mister, ahh… Carlos, do you want to take the lead now. Over?” Joel asked.

  “No problem. Follow me in. Over.” Carlos chuckled. Ben watched as the Jeep slowed and made way for the Toyota to pass. He checked on Emma for what felt like the thousandth time in the past hour before heading into uncharted waters. She was awake, but barely.

  Sandy put her hand on his arm. “We’re almost there. It’ll be all right.” Ben wished he believed her, but it was hard to deny the amount of pessimism he felt for their chances of this going well.

  “I hope you’re right,” he answered without taking his eyes off the road. For the next fifteen minutes, they followed Rita and Carlos in the Toyota in silence. Every time he saw the glow of brake lights, his pulse quickened and he wondered if they were there. With the last remnants of daylight vanishing, it was impossible to determine if the houses at the end of the gravel drives were standing or not. Each driveway was a mystery disappearing into the darkness.

  Finally, the Toyota slowed, and instead of just braking, it turned off the road. One by one, the others followed the little blue truck. The narrow gravel lane was lined with perfectly spaced but bare trees on both sides. The Toyota slowed to a crawl, and Rita jumped out before the truck came to a complete stop. She moved with more energy than a kid chasing an ice cream truck cruising through the neighborhood.

  Suddenly, the Jeep’s grille-mounted off-road lights came to life, illuminating a large wrought-iron gate blocking the convoy’s advance. Ben cringed at the thought of how much those lights must have stood out in the almost complete darkness. His concern shifted from whether or not Rita’s daughter was there to being shot at by two people trying to protect what was theirs. It wasn’t like they knew anyone was coming and there was no way to let them know. The fact that they were arriving after sunset would only complicate things further.

  He didn’t have time to think about anything beyond those initial concerns before Rita had the gate unlocked and swung open. They proceeded through the entrance slowly, the loose gravel popping and crunching under the Blazer’s knobby tires. The noise seemed unusually loud, and Ben was sure the owners of the house at the end of the driveway could hear them coming. Rita waited until all the trucks were inside the fence before closing the gate and locking it behind them.

  Joel, Martin, and Ben all waited for her to climb back into the Toyota so the couple could lead the way once more. Ben spent the time studying the gate and fence. It wasn’t an impenetrable barrier by any stretch, although the double-wide wrought-iron gate, mounted between two concrete columns, looked impressive and formidable.

  The fence itself, wooden for the most part with a metal frame, was equally impressive. Ben guessed it was about head high. Well-built like the entrance, the fence extended out from the gate in both directions, where it quickly disappeared into the darkness. The horizontal wooden rails were spaced out, a few inches between each one, and each section was topped with a sizable metal cross member.

  Why put so much effort into a gate like that and then build a climbable fence? Then Ben noticed a transformer near the gate, with heavy-gauge wiring running to the metal subframe of the fence. It was all electrified, or at least it had been at one time. Maybe the code Rita had punched into the keypad next to the gate deactivated the electrical current temporarily or maybe it, along with the security camera mounted atop the left column, didn’t work due to the EMPs. Nevertheless, the keypad had triggered the lock to release.

  Ben wasn’t sure how far the fence went or if it actually encompassed the entire property, but one thing was for certain: Julia and Edward had spent a lot of money having this barricade installed. They must have been doing pretty well for themselves to afford such an undertaking. That detail was encouraging. Maybe they were well-outfitted with supplies and medicine. Maybe all the effort it took to get here would pay off.

  Even with the older couple in front, the tension was palpable. Rita and Carlos’s daughter would recognize her parents if they were in their Cadillac, but four strange trucks would be reason enough to defend their property and at the very least put Julia and Edward on the defense. Ben would react the same if the shoe were on the other foot. And if the son-in-law, Edward, was a prepper or survivalist worth his salt, there was no way the train of vehicles was going to waltz right up to the front door uncontested.

  Ben took the radio from the cup holder in the center console. “Rita, Carlos, what do you think about walking in the rest of the way to the house on your own? I don’t want your daughter and her husband getting nervous about all these trucks heading up the driveway. Over.”

  They were too close to leave the last couple minutes of their journey to chance.

  “That’s probably a good idea. Over,” Carlos answered. A few moments later, the line of trucks rolled to a stop behind the Toyota.

  “Leave ’em running and leave your lights on. Over,” Ben announced over the two-way. Going dark now would look suspicious. He was sure they’d been spotted. Better for Julia and Edward to see two figures walking up the gravel drive unarmed. Their silhouettes would stand out clearly against the bright lights of the trucks as they approached. And that was the opposite of what someone would do if they had nefarious intentions.

  Crack… crack!

  Ben pulled Sandy down with him behind the dashboard for a second before peering over the Blazer’s hood. The sound of broken glass told him at least one of the shots had found its target. The second bullet sailed over the trucks, by the sound of it. This was exactly what Ben was afraid would happen.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ben’s first thoughts were of Joel, Allie, and Brad. They were right behind the Toyota, and he didn’t see any movement in the Jeep.

  “Is everyone okay? Over.” Ben waited for what felt like forever before the sound of Joel’s voice echoed over the two-way.

  “We’re fine. Over.”

  “Good. Stay down. Over,” Ben instructed them, although it was doubtful they needed to be told that. He assumed those were meant to be warning shots. The next ones probably wouldn’t be.

  Ben could see Martin’s head moving around inside the Scout before noticing that Rita and Carlos were still standing in the middle of the gravel drive and waving their arms in the air. Ben hoped their daughter recognized them soon or this would end tragically.

  “Julia… Julia, it’s us!” Rita shouted at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, a large spotlight cut through the night like a knife. The beam of light bounced around the fields to their left and right before settling on the line of trucks and eventually focusing in on the old couple.

  “Mom, Dad,” a distant voice called out from the shadows.

  “Honey, it’s us.” Carlos stepped forward and dropped his arms to shield his eyes from the spotlight. All was quiet for a few seconds until the sound of footsteps running toward them in the gravel materialized into a young woman with long brown hair. She ran straight to Rita and Carlos. The three of them embraced in a long hug filled with a mixture of sobs and laughter.

  Ben turned the radio off and slid out of the Blazer. Now that the danger of being mistaken for intruders had passed, there was no time to waste. Reaching back into the truck, he coaxed Emma into taking his hand, then helped her climb over the console and through the door. Scooping her up in his arms, Ben ignored Sam and Bajer pushing past them as they spilled out onto the gravel and took off running. Sandy was out of the Blazer as well and rushed around to offer her help to Ben.

  “I got her. Want to check on the others?” Ben asked. Sandy nodded and tried to call the dogs back, but to no avail. Ben headed straight for Rita. He was glad the couple had been reunited with their daughter and even more relieved that she was actually alive and well. But he was here for one thing and one thing only: medicine for his daughter. The three of them were still entwined when he arrived. Ben cleared his throat as he approached the small reunion.

  Rita stepped back, wiping tears from her eyes.

  “Oh my… of course.” Rita seemed embarrassed that they’d forgotten about everyone else momentarily, although Ben didn’t blame the couple one bit and never would have thought of interrupting their reunion if not for Emma’s dire situation.

  “Julia, this is Ben and his daughter Emma. She needs medical attention. We think she has an infection. I told him you could help her.”

  “You can also thank Ben for making sure we made it to you. We couldn’t have done it without him, without any of them.” Carlos glanced back at the others as they gathered around.

  Julia stepped in for a closer look at Emma while placing one hand on the girl’s forehead and the other over her wrist.

  “Hmmm.” The look on her face did nothing to reassure Ben. “Nice to meet you and thank you for taking care of my parents,” she rattled off quickly without looking away from Emma’s wounded foot.

  “Can you help her?” Ben asked. Before Julia could respond, the spotlight abruptly shut off and they were left standing in the remaining light of the one-eyed Toyota and the shadows created by the truck’s headlights behind it. Another set of footsteps approached at a steady pace until a man about Ben’s size, but slightly younger, emerged from the darkness. He was wearing a dark green ballcap and wielding an AR-15.

  “Edward,” Rita squealed. She ran toward the man like a woman half her age and wrapped her arms around him. The encounter forced him to drop the rifle and let it dangle from the single-point sling between them.

  “This is Edward.” Rita released her grip and turned to face the group.

  “Sorry about that.” He nodded toward the blown-out headlight on the Toyota. “Can’t be too careful these days. Call me Ed.” He extended his hand. Ben didn’t like being shot at, even less so when his kids were caught in the line of fire, but he couldn’t really blame the man. At least his aim was good and he’d only taken out a headlight. He couldn’t hold anything against the guy for protecting his property.

  Ben shook his hand awkwardly while continuing to cradle Emma in his arms. “I understand.”

  Introductions were made all the way around while Julia continued to examine Emma.

  “Let’s get her inside,” Julia said.

  Ben took the opportunity to ask his question again. “Can you help her?”

  “I’ll do my best. Bring her to the house,” Julia answered.

  “Let’s get everyone inside.” Ed looked around nervously. “It’s not a good idea to be out here after dark.”

  Gunner let out an impatient yelp from the back of the Scrambler. Joel had insisted that Gunner stay put when they exited the Jeep, and now the dog’s willingness to be obedient and follow the order was growing thin.

  “How are your dogs around other dogs?” Ed greeted Sam and Bajer by letting them smell his hand before giving them each a rub behind their ears.

  “They’re friendly,” Allie promised.

  Ed turned toward the darkness behind him. “Max, come.” The command was promptly followed by the jingle of dog tags. A lanky, dark-colored German shepherd appeared out of nowhere and moved swiftly to Ed’s side, where he sat less than a foot away.

  “Okay.” Ed looked down at Max and nodded. The dog stood up and started wagging his tail, anxiously greeting Sam and Bajer as they all sniffed at one another. This was all too much for Gunner to take, and he leaped from the back of the Jeep to join in. For a few tense moments, Gunner and Max sized each other up. Ben was relieved to see Gunner drop down low on his front paws, trying his best to lure Max into a game of chase. Within seconds, all four dogs were tearing around the vehicles, darting in and out of the headlights as they sped around in the taller grass along the driveway like they had never been allowed to run before.

  “The house is just up the lane a little farther. We better drive. Follow me and I’ll show you where to park the trucks.” Ed called to Max, and the dog responded in a machine-like manner, instantly breaking away from his play with the other dogs and heeling tightly at Ed’s side. The new dog’s abrupt departure from the game left the other dogs in a state of confusion, causing them to stop as well. Bajer let out a soft whine as Max ignored them and followed Ed and Julia back into the darkness and out of sight.

  Ben and the others returned to their vehicles and loaded up for the short drive to the house. He had Sandy take the wheel and kept Emma on his lap in the passenger seat. The dogs were less than thrilled to be corralled back into the truck after such a short release, but Ben’s no-nonsense tone convinced them to move quickly.

  As the line of trucks began to creep forward, an LED light bar appeared on the driveway ahead of them. It was Ed and Julia in a small but fancy-looking side-by-side ATV. They waited until the Toyota was close before turning around and leading everyone the rest of the way up the driveway.

  Within half a mile, a large, traditional farmhouse began to take shape. As the two-story structure came into focus, Ben brushed the sweaty hair from Emma’s face and kissed her forehead.

  “We made it. We’re here, Em. Everything is going to be all right.” He only wished he had more confidence in what he was telling his daughter.

  “This is some place, huh? I can’t wait to see it in the morning.” Sandy wasn’t ignoring the severity of the situation; she was trying to make small talk, and Ben knew it. But nothing could distract him from the fact that Emma was still in need of help, and he felt only slightly better about her chances now that they were here.

  “Yeah, it’s something, all right.” Ben faked interest but couldn’t think about anything else but his daughter. Julia’s reactions weren’t encouraging, and the look of concern on her face did more to worry Ben than provide any level of comfort. He’d hoped for a more definitive answer than I’ll do the best I can.

  Ben hadn’t spent the day pushing the limits of the vehicles and his crew for I’ll do the best I can. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, but it was hard when all the day’s efforts had produced so far were a couple warning shots. He promised himself he wouldn’t get his hopes up about finding help here, but he had done just that throughout the course of the day. And now that they were here, he felt his confidence wavering once again.

  Reaching Julia and Ed’s had been the goal. With that accomplished, he had to accept that his daughter’s well-being was out of his hands now. He wasn’t comfortable with that feeling, and the void it left was unsettling at best. No amount of cunning or tactical prowess would make a difference in the outcome, and like it or not, his daughter’s life was in the hands of someone he met less than five minutes ago.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ben did his best to comfort Emma with a damp cloth as the string of vehicles followed Ed, Julia, and Max in the dark green ATV. Max sat upright like a statue in the small bed of the utility vehicle and kept a suspicious eye on them all. Ed followed the gravel drive and led them around the right side of the house. The place was massive, and in the darkness, it was impossible to take it all in at once.

  Behind the house, the driveway opened into an oversized parking pad that ended at a metal building with two tall, barn-style sliding doors. The metal building reminded Ben of Jack’s outbuilding, except this one was four times the size. Ed brought the ATV to a stop directly in front of the large doors until they began sliding open on their own. They weren’t hurting for power here. Whether it was solar panels or a generator, they were confident enough to use their electricity on luxuries like operating these doors.

  Julia hopped out of the ATV and headed for the Blazer before Ed drove through the still-opening doors. Ed parked toward the front of the building and off to the side, then jogged back to the opening and waved the rest of them inside. Ben saw that Julia was coming to his side of the Blazer, and Sandy slowed down so he could get out before she pulled into the building.

  “Follow me.” Julia led the way to the house and up a set of concrete and stone steps to the back porch. She punched a few buttons on a mechanical keypad while hardly looking at it before opening the door. Julia and Ed were either super cautious or they really had been having a lot of trouble with looters. Ben thought it was probably a combination of the two. Once inside, he noticed an immediate change in temperature. They had air-conditioning.

  “This way.” Julia encouraged him to follow her to a bedroom just off the kitchen, where he laid Emma down on a large bed with a white, overstuffed down comforter and too many pillows. Ben felt guilty about sitting on the fresh linens and was suddenly very aware of just how dirty he was.

  “Go ahead and get her comfortable.” Julia floated out of the room and into an adjoining bathroom, leaving Ben and Emma alone for a moment before returning with a glass of water.

  “Here you go. See if you can get her to drink some of this. I’ll be right back.” And just like that, she was off again, this time back out toward the kitchen.

  He could hear the commotion outside as the others stowed the vehicles and gathered what gear they needed for the night. Sitting here in the beautifully decorated bedroom with the plush bedding underneath him, he couldn’t believe the day they’d had and what they had gone through to get here. The exhaustion he felt was proof enough that it all had, in fact, happened. But they were here now, and that was all that mattered. Even Emma looked content. She was still pale and weak but at least comfortable.