They all stopped at the corner of the building. From what Joel could see, the town looked like every other place they’d been through. Half-burnt, half-looted, and completely destroyed. It was pretty much what he’d imagined they would find, and he figured the chances of having to dig this safe out were pretty high. Seeing the state of things here, he couldn’t help but wonder if they would find the safe at all. They had to, though, for Emma’s sake.

  Max stiffened without warning and let a low, muffled growl slip out.

  “What is it, Max?” Ed dropped to one knee beside the dog. They all crouched by the corner of the old sawmill building as Max remained focused on some unknown thing in the distance. Ben already had his rifle up at his shoulder and was ready to act. Joel remembered his dad reminding them both that shooting while on the way into the clinic would be their last resort.

  Joel recognized that his father had switched gears a while back, sometime during the drive here. Ben was all business now. Joel had grown to recognize this side of his father. It was like his dad had the ability to flip a switch and instantly transform into another person altogether. It was kind of like when they went hunting, only much more intense. And for good reason—the animals never shot back.

  “Don’t see anything.” Ed scanned the road in both directions. He and Ben were still wearing their NVGs while Joel was struggling to make out shapes in the dark. He really wished Ed had another pair. At least he had the vest, although right now he would have preferred not to, with the way he was starting to sweat underneath it. It almost felt cool on the drive here, but without the wind in their faces, the stagnant air made the gear he was carrying feel twenty pounds heavier. The pry bar poking in his side didn’t help things any, but it was worth the discomfort to have both hands free for his weapon.

  Joel tried to push the minor discomforts from his thoughts. He needed to be attentive and ready to act on anything his dad said. These situations tended to go from calm to chaos in no time at all. There was no telling when or if that would happen tonight, but Joel swore to himself that he would be ready.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Max took a sudden half step forward and grumbled loud enough to be heard across the street. A few seconds later, a bottle shattered on the ground and a cat howled as it bolted from inside a trash can lying on its side. The cat was quick and gone in an instant as it scurried away to find a better hiding spot. But it was enough to make Max shiver with excitement.

  “Max, heel. Leave it.” Ed spoke sternly but kept his voice low. To Ben’s surprise, the big dog moved back from his position and pushed into Ed’s leg. Gunner would have been long gone by now, leading them on a not-so-stealthy wild goose chase through town. Max really was a well-behaved dog and a good choice to bring along tonight.

  Ed pointed. “All right, at the end of that street, we need to go left at the bank. Then it’s only a couple blocks to the clinic.”

  Ben contemplated asking Joel to stay behind with the RZRs. The place looked dead, and Joel didn’t have a pair of NVGs.

  “Can you see well enough to do this?” Ben turned to face Joel.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Joel answered quickly, but Ben wasn’t sure he believed him. Joel wanted to be a part of this so badly; the kid would have agreed regardless of the circumstances. Ben flipped up his goggles and looked around without optics for a moment. His peripheral vision improved almost enough to warrant leaving them off.

  “All right.” Ben stepped back to include Ed in what he was about to say. “Ed, you lead. Joel, I want you between us. I’ll bring up the rear. We move from cover to cover, all the way to the clinic. Understand?” Ed and Joel acknowledged him. Ben would have normally taken point, but Ed knew the town, and he didn’t. Ben could take point after they had the medicine. But for now, this made the most sense.

  “To the car, then?” Ed pointed at a car parked across the street.

  Ben gave him a nod. “Go when you’re ready.”

  Ed looked both ways once more and patted the side of Max’s vest before jogging across the street in a low, hunched-down position. Max followed him like a shadow until they were both tucked behind the sedan and out of sight.

  Ben tapped Joel on the shoulder and watched the street down the barrel of his AR-15 as his son made the transition. Once Joel was in place, Ben made the move and joined them. They repeated this process—Ed would call out their next cover, and they’d move to it one by one—until they were nearly at the end of the street. It was slow going, but the busted and burnt-out storefronts couldn’t be taken for granted. There was no shortage of dark corners and hiding spots that needed to be checked before they moved on.

  Staying off the Patriot Hooligans’ radar was only half the battle. There were others to worry about. Based on their experience passing through similar towns, mob mentality had taken hold. And being spotted by just one person holing up in one of these buildings could trigger a chain reaction. Before long, Every survivor within earshot would be chasing them. On foot, they’d have no choice but to fight back if that happened.

  The last thing he wanted to do was face off against a crowd armed with sticks and rocks and who knew what else. Blood would be shed, for sure, and it wouldn’t be theirs. But what he most wanted to avoid was putting Joel through that.

  “Shhh… Stop moving for a sec. You here that?” Joel put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. They were currently hiding in the portico of the bank on the corner. The glass surrounding the ATM had been broken out long ago, but the roof and columns remained intact and made for a dark place to take cover. Unfortunately, the glass-covered concrete was less than quiet and crunched with every shift of position or movement.

  “I don’t hear anything.” Ben tried to stay perfectly still. Not only was the shattered glass inside the portico noisy, but it was also dangerous for Max. Ed was forced to send the dog across the narrow street to hide in the shadow of a large curbside mailbox. Ben was amazed yet again at the obedience and willingness with which Max carried out Ed’s instructions. It was as if he was running the dog with a remote control.

  “Just listen,” Joel insisted.

  Now Ben heard it, too. Someone was headed their way in a vehicle.

  “There.” Ed pointed down the street, in the opposite direction of the clinic, as a set of headlights came around the corner.

  Ben pushed his NVGs up and out of the way before the light from the approaching vehicle flooded his eyes. Fortunately, they were well-hidden behind the heavy stone columns of the bank. Max, on the other hand, could have been in a better location. Now that there was a pair of headlights illuminating the street, the postal box only provided a fraction of the cover it had in the moonlight.

  “Max,” Ed called out.

  “It’s too late. They’ll see him if you call him back here. He needs to stay put.” Ben didn’t like that option any more than Ed, but the headlights had fully engulfed the street. Max might have been dismissed as a stray if it weren’t for the vest. But mostly Ben was afraid he’d give away their location.

  Ed peeked around his column. “Max… belly.” Ben watched as Max lay down on the ground and rolled partway over as if he’d been shot. It might work, if the dog could stay still and the vest didn’t pique the approaching vehicle’s interest. Maybe if the people in the vehicle spotted Max, they wouldn’t think much of a dead dog on the side of the road. Ben and the others had certainly seen their share of roadkill in their travels. It was the best shot they had right now at remaining undetected.

  The speed at which the vehicle was progressing down the street concerned him. This wasn’t someone headed someplace; this was a patrol. When the flashlights came out and started scouring the shadows, his fears were confirmed. It made sense now why the streets were mostly clear and all the wrecks and stalled cars were pushed to the sides. This town was occupied. But by whom? Ben was afraid he already knew the answer to that question.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Ben was ready to fight, if need be, but he was really hoping by some miracle they could get by without confronting the vehicle. They needed to. It was too soon. He hadn’t figured on getting through this without running into trouble, but he’d hoped to first have the medicine in hand. He didn’t want to have to fight his way in and out.

  The vehicle continued making steady progress toward their position. Eventually, Ben recognized the grille shape as that of an old Jeep Wagoneer. The closer it got, though, the less it looked like a Jeep and the more it looked like an armored truck. Pieces of steel plating had been crudely welded to the majority of the truck’s body, including the wheel wells and window openings. They wouldn’t stand a chance in a firefight with these guys.

  The Jeep was directly across from them now, but thankfully still moving. A flashlight beam searched around inside the portico, but they were all out of its reach. When Ben dared to steal a glimpse from behind his column, he noticed the Jeep had moved between them and the mailbox, blocking his view of Max.

  The one thing he could see clearly, though, was the Patriot Hooligan skull and name spray-painted on the passing truck. The night suddenly felt ten degrees hotter, and it had nothing to do with the foul exhaust fumes or cigarette smoke wafting out of the Jeep.

  This gang must have been massive. Ben had traveled a long way from the first signs of the gang in Ohio and was still in their territory. If and when the government ever made a comeback, they’d have to deal with groups like this. They were nothing short of domestic terrorists. Fringe organizations like the Patriot Hooligans would make it hard for law and order to return to the country. Ben wondered if America was already too far gone for saving. This certainly was not the United States he once knew. But that was all too much to consider at the moment.

  All Ben wanted to do was get his daughter’s medicine and get home. It wasn’t up to them to save the world; they couldn’t, anyway. They could only help themselves and maybe a few others along the way when possible. The Patriot Hooligans were too much for them to take on. Ben suspected this gang would prove to be a more formidable opponent than the backwoods moonshiners they encountered in Pennsylvania.

  From the flashlights working both sides of the street simultaneously, he assumed there were at least two of them in the Jeep. And he’d be a fool not to think there weren’t more nearby. These two in the Jeep probably weren’t the only ones out on patrol at this hour, and they wouldn’t be patrolling an area that wasn’t occupied by the gang. More likely than not, they were closer to the center of Patriot Hooligan territory than he cared to be.

  The Jeep was almost past Max and still moving. Maybe they’d get lucky and be able to avoid a confrontation. Ben risked taking a better look now that it appeared the vehicle might pass by without incident. But just as he did, the brake lights lit up the street in a red glow.

  “Crap,” Ben muttered. The Jeep squealed to a halt, and he heard talking from inside. He could also see Max again, but it was hard not to since one of the flashlights was trained on him. To Max’s credit, he continued lying there, perfectly still. Ben hoped the men in the Jeep wouldn’t think twice about the dog and keep driving, but that wasn’t in the cards tonight.

  “They’re getting out.” Ed shifted, and the glass under his feet crunched against the concrete.

  “Does Max know any other useful tricks?” Ben started looking for a clear path out of his hiding spot, one where his footsteps wouldn’t give him away if he needed to act.

  “Top of his class at Alpha K9 Academy. What do you need him to do?” Ed said proudly.

  “Can you get him to attack one of the guys?”

  “Yes, but I’ll have to give him a verbal command. So they’re gonna hear me,” Ed explained.

  “That’s okay. It will be too late by then.” Ben turned to Joel. “Cover me.”

  Joel nodded and brought his weapon up to his shoulder while Ben did his best to lay down his weapons and strip his gear off quietly.

  “How will I know when to give the command?” Ed asked.

  “When I make my move, cut Max loose. I really just need a distraction. You’ll know when.”

  “Got it.” Ed bit his lip and glanced out at Max, then back at Ben. He looked nervous again, but there would be something wrong with the guy if he weren’t.

  Ben originally thought about using his knife, but as he slid the backpack to the ground, the axe handle against his side reminded him he had a better, albeit more brutal, option. It would be messy but quick, and if he timed it right, he could dispatch both men on the other side of the Jeep where Joel wouldn’t see. Not that it mattered at this point, as much as he hated to admit it. But it was hard to let go of his desire to shelter the kids from ugly things, even if it was an impossible ambition.

  Ben watched the two armed men step out of the vehicle and cautiously approach Max. They were focused on the dog, and he used that to his advantage. Picking his footsteps carefully to avoid any broken glass, he made his way out past the sidewalk and slipped up against the side of the Jeep. The men were just a few yards away and standing over Max. He crouched behind the rear of the vehicle and gripped the axe handle tightly, planning his strike.

  “It’s alive. I can see it breathing.” The man with the pistol took a step back toward Ben.

  “Maybe it’s hurt. Gotta be somebody’s dog with a vest like that.” The other man finished his cigarette and flicked the butt at Max. The glowing red ember separated from the filter when it bounced off Max’s side and landed in the gutter.

  “Maybe we ought to have a better look around here. Something’s not right about this. I don’t like it.” The man with the pistol stepped back again and began drawing his gun on Max. Ben knew it was time to make his move. Hopefully, Ed and Max would come through on their end. But all he really needed was the distraction.

  Ben stepped out from behind the Jeep with the axe already in mid-swing, pausing just long enough for Ed to give instruction to Max.

  “Max, bite.” Ed gave the command as Ben brought the axe down on the man with the pistol. Startled by Ed’s voice, the man turned just in time to take the blunt part of the head broadside to his face with a sickening crunch. Ben followed through with the swing and watched him crumple to the ground in a heap as he prepared to attack the second man. But Max was already on his feet and had the man on the run. He never had a chance.

  The dog took a couple drawn-out strides before launching through the air like a fur-covered missile. The man turned at the last second to raise his weapon, but it was a futile attempt at self-preservation. Max hit with enough force to knock the rifle from his hands and drive the guy into the pavement. Latching onto the man’s arm and shaking his head violently, Max tore into him like he was an oversized dog toy. The man let out a scream as he tried in vain to wrestle his bloody arm free from Max’s vise-like grip.

  Now that the guy was disarmed and busy defending himself from Max, Ben rushed in, wrapping his arm around his neck while covering his mouth and nose with his other hand.

  “Call him off.” Ben was careful not to yell too loud, but Max was jerking the man from his grip like they were playing tug of war.

  “Max, stop.” The release was almost instant, and although still visibly worked up, Max was able to contain his excitement and calmly stood to the side. Ben repositioned himself and squeezed with everything he had. He wanted to get this over with quickly. The man fell limp after a brief struggle, but Ben continued to hang onto the body while looking for a place to hide it. Joel and Ed quickly joined Ben out on the street. Ed was in a trance, his gaze locked onto the guy who’d taken a blow from the axe. The puddle of blood contained several teeth and was growing by the second. Joel was keeping an eye out for more trouble.

  “Ed, can you search the truck for radios?” Ben wiped the blood from his hand. The man had bled out from where Max bit his arm, and Ben somehow managed to get it on himself.

  “Ed,” Ben repeated.

  “Yeah, right. I’m on it.” Ed snapped out of it and made his way over to the truck. Ben began dragging the body off the street under the watchful eye of Max. Joel saw what he was doing and slung his rifle so he could help his dad.

  There were no radios inside the truck, and once Ed was finished searching the Jeep for anything useful, Ben had him drive the Grand Wagoneer deep into an alley, where it couldn’t be seen from the street. The ambush hadn’t gone off as quietly as Ben would have liked, but so far, no one else had shown up to the party. Within a couple of minutes, the street was empty once again; the only signs that anything happened here were a couple of bloodstains and a few loose teeth.

  “Good boy, Max. Good dog.” Ed praised the dog with some pats to the head. Ben thought about giving the dog a few rubs as well, but maybe later, once Max had a chance to calm down. After what he just saw Max do to that guy’s arm, he decided to keep the accolades verbal. Ben would forever remember the incident, along with the look of terror on the man’s face.

  But when you played stupid games, you won stupid prizes. And as far as Ben was concerned, anyone who stood in their way tonight was fair game. Now at least he could put one question to rest. There were no doubts about it; Max was an asset, and Ben was glad he was on their side.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  With their tracks covered as best as they could be, the three of them and Max continued on to the clinic just like before, moving from cover to cover as they went. Ben was impressed so far with Ed’s commitment to exercising caution about how they moved.