They needed the water. This area did, at least. The last time they spotted anything vibrant and green had been at the river this morning, and that only extended a few hundred feet beyond the banks. But too much water all at once could cause them big problems.

  Ben kept an eye on the flickers of light exploding deep within the darkening clouds. Any minute now, they’d see the exit for the interstate and have no choice but to turn directly into the approaching storm. His hopes of reaching the Mississippi tonight began evaporating, like the drops of rain now landing on the hood of the Blazer.

  “Come in. I think the next exit is I-70. Over,” Joel said over the radio.

  Ben eyed the map, even though he didn’t need to. “It is. We’re right behind you. Take it slow and easy. Over,” Ben answered.

  “Ah, you guys see this storm, right? Over.” Joel slowed the Jeep a little as Ben watched Brad make his way around the back of the Scrambler’s soft top and zip the windows closed.

  “I see it, but we need to keep moving. If it gets bad, slow down, but whatever you do, keep moving. Over.” Ben understood why his son was apprehensive about the storm. The sky resembled something they’d witnessed back in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania. He’d never forget the crooked tentacles of lightning that had torched the Starbucks billboard. Neither would Allie.

  Within a few minutes of Joel’s call, the Jeep’s brake lights flashed, and the two-vehicle caravan slowed down as it approached the exit for I-70. Joel steered the Jeep into the sweeping right-hand turn, and Sandy followed but backed off, allowing for more reaction time in case Joel suddenly had to stop. It wasn’t uncommon to come across a wreck in the middle of the exit ramp, and with the weeds and unkept grass in the medians and on the shoulders, it was hard to tell what was around the corner.

  This exit was clear of obstacles, and other than the poor visibility through the overgrown vegetation, the transition from one road to another was fairly uneventful. Ben noticed a sign facing in the opposite direction. It listed Cloverdale as one of the destinations, just sixty-seven miles to the east. It was a little disheartening to see that they were only a couple of hours away from a place they’d originally planned to stop at days ago.

  Ben kept the Cloverdale road sign to himself and instead chose to focus on the fact that they had finally made it back to I-70 West. They were still a long way from home, but reaching the semi-familiar interstate felt like a big win.

  For so long, the big four-lane highway had been nothing more than just a couple of thick lines on his atlas. Two lines that, at certain times, seemed unreachable. But they’d done it. It had cost them plenty, but they’d finally made it. There would be no shortage of challenges and dangers ahead, but they felt more manageable now that they could really make some headway.

  That was the hope, anyway. This road gave them options, and even though there was a median full of chest-high weeds between them and the eastbound lanes, the interstate offered more open space so they could see what was ahead by miles instead of just a few hundred feet. Right now, though, all they could see were flashes of lightning and darkening skies that extended all the way down to the horizon. Ben wouldn’t have normally been that concerned by the storm, but when it came to weather, animals, or people, nothing behaved as expected anymore.

  He watched as they passed the remains of a Pilot travel station, the multi-pump fuel island buried under a crumpled canopy that had been taken out by an eighteen-wheeler at the far end. The last remains of the exit’s former amenities were nothing more than a charcoal-colored pile of bricks and charred insulation. The only proof that the mound of burnt debris had ever been a Super 8 hotel was a tall sign near the interstate.

  Ben took one last look at the ravaged truck stop and the surrounding area, including the road behind them. There was no reason for anyone to be following them, but it was a habit he’d developed, and rightfully so.

  He noticed that Sam was finally sleeping, and Emma wasn’t too far behind. Bajer had managed to weasel her way up to the floor. Now she lay under Emma’s feet, snoring loudly. Ben expected as much now that they were on the road. The overcast sky and cooler temperatures, combined with the residual effects of the sleeping pills, probably had Brad snoozing as well.

  He hoped Joel was doing all right with the driving. Ahead, there was nothing of interest but open road, farmland, and a very ominous-looking sky. Ben settled into his seat for the long ride ahead and found a more permanent home for the AR-15 he’d been holding, content there was nothing behind them worthy of his attention.

  They were only at the beginning of the great plains. The terrain would get flatter and much more desolate before they reached the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Parts of Missouri and Kansas along their route would be risky in a storm like this. The rolling topography and sporadic stands of mature hardwoods lining this section of interstate would help reduce the risk of a lightning strike to one of the vehicles. That was what Ben told himself, anyway.

  “It’s really starting to come down, isn’t it?” Sandy increased the wiper speed and adjusted her grip on the steering wheel.

  “Yeah, and we’re headed right into it.” Ben leaned forward and looked up at the sky. Heavy drops of water began pelting the windshield and pounding the roof of the Blazer like it was a steel drum. Ben rolled up his window all but a couple of inches and left the side vent open to keep air moving through the truck. Sandy did the same, but before long, patches of condensation and fog appeared at the edges of the windows.

  Ben hadn’t noticed any brake lights, but the Jeep was moving noticeably slower, and so were they. He didn’t blame Joel for being cautious, and he was glad to see that his son wasn’t trying to push their luck. The Scrambler’s small windshield and inefficient wipers had to be making navigation difficult. Just because there was more room on the interstate didn’t mean that it was without its share of hazards.

  The only thing louder than the driving rain was the growing rumble of bellowing thunder. The last couple of lightning flashes had been accompanied by resounding claps of thunder that felt much closer than they actually were. Emma was up from her nap, and so were the dogs. Nobody could sleep through this.

  “Come in. I’m having a hard time seeing the road. Over.” Joel sounded stressed out.

  “Slow it down more if you need to. Over.” Ben wanted to avoid stopping, if at all possible, but Sandy was beginning to look uncomfortable behind the wheel, too. The Blazer’s wipers were running at full tilt, but the windshield looked like someone was throwing buckets of water at them.

  “I don’t know. It’s really bad. We might have to stop and wait it out. We’re also starting to get a little wet up here. Over.” Joel wasn’t having any fun; Ben could tell by the tone of his voice.

  “Can you make it to the next overpass? If we’re gonna stop, we should find shelter. Over,” Ben responded.

  Maybe stopping wasn’t such a bad idea, but not out here in the open. If they could make it to a highway overpass or a gas station that still had a canopy over the pumps, they could wait out the storm. Ben would prefer to stay on the interstate, if possible, however. Bad things happened when they left the road.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Joel did his best to make out the lines on the road through the cascade of water overpowering his wiper blades. He didn’t care so much about keeping the Jeep in the proper lane; he couldn’t tell if he was on the road anymore or not.

  Allie leaned up close to the windshield. “I can’t believe how hard it’s raining. We’ve had nothing for so long and now this.”

  “There’s a new spot.” Brad moved to the side and did his best to avoid a trickle of water that had found its way in through the soft top. The new leak wasn’t the only one. His grandfather put this top on the Scrambler less than a year ago, and Joel didn’t understand why they were having trouble keeping the rain out. Maybe they’d damaged the top during one of the many times they’d forayed off-road to find water or a campsite to spend the night. He wasn’t sure when the damage happened or how, but that hardly mattered to his brother, who was busy trying to stay dry.

  “Sorry. Nothing I can really do about that.” Joel stayed focused on the road ahead. Or what he could see of it.

  “Here, use this. It’s the last dry one.” Allie handed Brad a towel while Gunner did his best to catch the water that dripped from above, licking up what he missed off the top of an ammunition can.

  Brad shrugged. “It’s fine. It kind of feels good.”

  “It might feel good now, but it won’t tonight when you’re trying to fall asleep on a wet sleeping bag,” Joel pointed out. “We’re gonna have to do something about that next time we stop.”

  “Maybe that heat-reflective paint your dad found will help,” Allie said. “I read on the can that it’s supposed to help make things waterproof, too.”

  “Maybe. I’m just trying to keep us on the road for now.” Joel adjusted himself in the driver’s seat as if it would make a difference and improve his visibility.

  Boom! Allie jumped as a strobe of lightning flashed in almost perfect unison with the barking thunder.

  She let out a deep breath. “That must have been close.”

  “I know my dad wanted to keep moving to make up for this morning, but we’re stopping at the next overpass. We need to get out of this storm.” Joel welcomed the rain at first. The drop in temperature was greatly appreciated, and it was nice for a change to not have to peel himself off the vinyl seat every so often. But this was way more than just rain.

  He flinched as another flash of light blinded him momentarily. The deafening clap of thunder that followed did little to calm his nerves. It felt like the lightning strikes and booming thunder were becoming more frequent. Joel was sure that if they didn’t find shelter soon, they’d be struck for sure.

  “Do you see anywhere to stop? Over.” Ben’s voice sounded over the radio, but Joel could barely make out what he was saying over the downpour’s relentless pelting of the soft top.

  “Nothing yet. Over.” Joel turned up the volume on the two-way before tossing it onto Allie’s lap. “All yours. I need both hands on the wheel right now.”

  “How can you see anything?” Allie asked.

  “I can’t really.” Joel moved his face closer to the windshield. The small, inadequate wipers were moving across the glass as fast as they could go but were falling far short of removing enough water to be useful. If it wasn’t for the lightning, Joel would have been tempted to stick his head out the window to get a better view.

  Gunner was restless and pushing into Brad’s already limited space with every new bang and crackle the storm threw at them. For a dog that didn’t so much as flinch when a 12-gauge shotgun was fired a couple of feet away, he sure didn’t care for thunder.

  Joel used to think it was a little funny for a big, tough dog like Gunner to worry over a storm, but not today. They were all worried; that was obvious by the expressions on Brad’s and Allie’s faces. What started as an overcast sky and a break from the heat had morphed into a full-blown lightning storm that had them all genuinely worried.

  Boom!

  Joel swerved a little this time. That one felt close and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

  “I don’t like this.” Allie gripped the handle on the dashboard and pulled herself forward in the seat, looking back at the Blazer behind them. Joel could barely see his dad and the others in the mirror. The rear plastic window wasn’t very practical when it came to shedding water or providing a clear field of view.

  “I don’t like it, either, but we can’t stop here. Help me look for a place to pull over.” Joel remained focused on the road ahead.

  “Look out!” Brad yelled from the back at about the same time Joel saw the burnt-out car coming up on Allie’s side of the Jeep.

  “I see it.” Joel swerved again, this time causing the Scrambler to lose traction and slide sideways several feet. Allie screamed and hung on to the roll bar overhead. The Jeep finally stopped, but not before teetering on the two passenger-side wheels for a couple of seconds. No one moved until the other side of the vehicle touched the ground and nearly bounced them out of their seats.

  “Uh, man.” Brad groaned while trying to keep a stack of ammunition cans from toppling over onto him and Gunner. Joel reached back and helped Brad push them back into place.

  “That was close.” Allie was still wide-eyed from the near roll-over.

  “Joel, come in. You guys all right? Over.” In spite of the rain, his dad had seen that little maneuver. Now he was going to think Joel wasn’t fit to drive because of the sleeping pills. Joel picked up the radio but held off on answering. His hand was shaking, and he was afraid his voice might shake as well. Allie put her hand on his leg and made him look her in the eye.

  “It’s okay. You’re doing a good job.” She leaned in and gave him a kiss.

  “Oh, gross.” Brad snickered from the back and buried his face in Gunner’s side.

  Joel settled himself down and tried to tune out the pummeling rain and crashing lightning. “We’re fine. Over.”

  He put both hands on the wheel, gave Allie a quick nod, and fed the Scrambler some fuel. The storm continued to grow in strength, adding a strong wind that began to drive the heavy rain drops sideways. The swirling gusts somehow improved Joel’s visibility, and for the first time in a while, he could see more than twenty feet ahead.

  The wind caused another problem, though; it caught the Scrambler’s canvas top like a sail. Brad was yet again imposed upon, but this time, it was the bellowing sides of the soft top stealing his real estate. Joel struggled with the steering wheel, attempting to keep the lightweight Jeep on track.

  “I think we’re moving past the lightning?” No sooner had Allie gotten the words out than a white-hot bolt of energy struck a tree on the opposite side of the interstate with an ear-splitting crack.

  “Whoa! Did you see that?” Brad practically climbed into the front of the Jeep with them, trying to get a look at the damage caused by the impressive bolt of electricity. Joel eyed the smoldering tree, but he made himself focus on the road. He stepped on the gas and powered through another gust of wind that threatened to blow them off the road.

  “There. See it?” Allie used a wet towel to clear the fog from the windshield. Less than half a mile up ahead was an overpass crossing the interstate.

  “There’s an overpass ahead,” Joel said into the radio. “I’m going for it. Over.” He handed Allie the two-way again and put all his effort into keeping the Scrambler on course as the wind whipped the canvas top with such force that he swore the whole thing would be torn from the thin aluminum frame any second. But it didn’t matter now. Even with the heavy rain obscuring his view, Joel had seen a clear path to the overpass and was determined to get there before one of those lightning bolts found them.

  As soon as they were under the highway overpass, the white noise generated by the pounding rain on canvas disappeared in a surreal silence. The quiet didn’t last long, though. There was another flash of lightning, and the crack of thunder filled the air, echoing off the concrete pillars. The three of them sat silent, watching the storm until Sandy pulled the Blazer in next to them.

  Sandy rolled down her window. “That was a close one.”

  “Too close.” Joel wasn’t sure if she was talking about the lightning strike or the near miss with the wreck that almost caused them to roll the Jeep, but she was right about both. Joel watched his dad get out of the Blazer and walk to the edge of the overpass, where a steady flow of water created a thin curtain between them and the outside world.

  Joel got out and Brad followed.

  “Better leave the dogs in the trucks.” Ben looked around at his feet. “Lots of glass and stuff on the ground here.”

  “Sorry, boy.” Joel closed the door on Gunner’s advances, causing the dog to whine and take possession of the driver’s seat instead. Eventually, the others joined them in watching the raging storm from the safety of their newly found shelter.

  The storm lasted another half an hour or so, and they all had something to eat while they waited for the weather to improve. The ominous dark clouds and crooked fingers of lightning continued moving east, and the storm passed as quickly as it had come upon them. It was hard to believe it had happened at all in the sudden stillness of the afternoon. Their dripping-wet surroundings, the steaming asphalt, and a smoking tree in the distance were the only reminders that what they’d just witnessed had been real.

  Joel, Allie, and Brad began stripping the side panels off the Jeep’s soft top. They’d need to get air flowing through the truck if they were going to dry off their stuff before stopping tonight. And judging by the sunlight peeking through the clouds a mile down the road, they’d need relief from the heat again before long.

  It must have been a good ten degrees cooler than it was before the storm, but the air was still hot, and now, thanks to the rain, it was muggy as well. Joel imagined lying down in his tent tonight over a damp sleeping bag as he felt around in the back of the Scrambler with his hand and tried to determine just how much water had gotten in.

  “How bad is it?” Allie asked.

  “It’s pretty wet, but it’ll dry. It’s only water, after all.” Joel shrugged. They’d definitely give the heat-reflective paint a try if for no other reason than sealing the top.

  “All right. Everybody ready to get this show on the road?” Ben opened the Blazer’s door and climbed behind the wheel.

  “Ready.” Joel noticed that his dad’s limp had improved; the knee brace Dr. Julia had given him must be helping, and he was glad to see that. Joel had grown more and more concerned about his dad’s health. They were all getting pretty banged up on what seemed like a regular basis for a while there.

  Joel rubbed his back where the armor-plated vest had stopped the bullet and climbed into the Jeep after his brother. They’d faced so many threats out here that it was hard to keep it all straight in his head. The last few weeks seemed like a blur of gunfights, crazy people, and even crazier animals, with a little camping and ridiculously hot weather thrown in for good measure. Joel had no idea what lay ahead, but he thought it safe to assume anything was possible.