“Do you think we could swing by our house first? I need to know if there’s anything left,” Sandy asked.

  Ben thought for a minute. He wasn’t in the mood for another delay but understood it was important to Sandy, and it would be to Allie as well. “Yeah, we can do that.”

  Ben was afraid he knew what they’d find at Sandy’s place in town. He and Joel had barely made it out of there with Allie before leaving town, thanks to the gang members they encountered looting the neighborhood. But it was probably best to head there first. The girls could get closure if it was as bad as he expected, and it would save them from a trip at a later date.

  They’d venture out from Durango Hills and the house eventually, but for the very near future, Ben had no plans of going anywhere once they reached their place. He had everything they needed at home to isolate themselves from the world if they chose to. Ben was looking forward to getting settled in and avoiding people for a while.

  But maybe taking a brief trip into town before heading up to the house would benefit them all. It would give them a chance to assess the extent of the mess they were facing and get a sense of the overall situation in Durango. Ben had a pretty good guess of how things were going based on what they’d seen in their travels across the country, though, and he didn’t expect their town to be an exception.

  Sandy got on the radio and let the kids know that they’d be stopping by her and Allie’s place first. Ben kept his head on a swivel as 160 drew them in toward the downtown area. The highway curved into the valley, and Ben got his first real glimpse of the Animas River’s clear waters and let out a sigh of relief. It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest. One of his biggest fears was that the river would be polluted or possibly dry like the Arkansas River was below the reservoir. It was a little boney, but that was typical for the dryer summer months.

  He checked his watch and saw that it was almost noon. The heat they’d come to expect at this time of day had failed to materialize so far. Ben wasn’t sure if the cooler temperatures were caused by the elevation change and the mountains or if the stifling heat they’d suffered through for so long had finally broken on its own, but it was a welcome change.

  Sandy slowed down as the Jeep prepared to make the turn at Santa Rita Park and head to East Seventh Street the back way. Ben was glad Joel hadn’t chosen to drive through the center of town. He was as curious as any of them were, but they’d had enough trouble to last a lifetime. There was no need to push their luck and announce their presence by utilizing Main Street.

  “It doesn’t feel real, does it?” Sandy glanced around wide-eyed.

  “No, not really,” Ben remarked.

  Sandy was right; the moment was surreal. Even Emma, who didn’t usually show much interest in the places they passed through, was on the edge of her seat. They were home. The Scrambler headed up the small incline toward Horse Gulch and East Eighth Street, giving them all their first look at the downtown area. Some houses and buildings remained, but most did not survive the fire that swept through these parts. Ben decided long ago that his shop was a loss and didn’t need to see it to confirm what he’d already accepted.

  Sandy glanced over at Ben, biting her lip and doing her best to stave off the tears welling in her eyes. Things weren’t looking good so far. Six streets later, the Jeep made a wide left onto East Seventh, avoiding the blackened shell of a delivery truck and a large oak tree that was split down the middle and partially blocking the road.

  Ben kept an eye out for the blue El Camino. He’d done a decent job of disabling the car by yanking the spark plug wires, flattening the front tires with his knife, and tossing the keys into the bushes, but it wasn’t enough to keep the gang from reclaiming the vehicle or the bodies of their fallen friends, apparently.

  The Scrambler stopped, and Allie jumped out, making her way to the front yard of where their house once stood. Sandy put the Blazer in park and took a couple of deep breaths before opening her door.

  Before she climbed out, Ben put his hand on hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

  Ben felt his eyes welling up. He’d been able to keep them safe from the dangers they faced on the road, but he was powerless to do anything about what they faced here.

  Sandy joined her daughter on the dead grass of their yard, where they held each other for a minute, staring at the desolation.

  “Wait here.” Ben asked Emma to stay put before getting out of the truck and joining the girls and Joel on the lawn. He put his arm around Sandy and pulled her close, searching for a fitting condolence.

  “I knew it. I guess I just had to see for myself,” Sandy said between sniffles.

  “I think I’d feel worse if we were the only ones.” Allie looked up and down the street at the empty lots, taking in the devastation of the neighborhood.

  Each home site was reduced to a scorched patch of earth and nothing more, aside from a few remaining fence sections or the occasional chimney, the bricks blackened but standing tall in defiance of the fires that had laid waste to the neighborhood.

  Sandy forced a laugh. “I guess we’ll take you up on that offer.”

  “Our house is your house.” Ben smiled and tried to think of something else to say that might lighten the mood, but before he could add anything, the clap of a distant gunshot rang out. They all jumped, turning almost in unison toward the sound.

  “I know this is hard on you guys, but I think we should get going.” Ben didn’t want to rush them, but there was nothing here in this pile of rubble worth dying for.

  “There’s nothing we can do here anyway.” Sandy shrugged and headed for the truck without looking back.

  Her willingness to walk away from the wreckage of their former lives stood as a testament to the things they’d seen and experienced these last few weeks. It would take more than losing physical things to rattle her cage at this point; that much was obvious. Ben hoped he could be so resilient and brave if they found a similar situation waiting for them in Durango Hills.

  They loaded up once more and stuck to the smaller streets and alleyways, weaving their way through town—or what was left of it. They passed a woman pushing a shopping cart loaded with what looked like trash, but she didn’t pay them any mind. Eventually, they picked up Florida Road and headed out of town through the canyon toward home. It was sad to see what had become of Durango. Ben hadn’t expected much based on the state of things when he left, but seeing it all firsthand hit hard.

  Had they made a mistake, coming back here? Where else could they have gone? And if the house was gone, then what? Ed and Julia’s offer to stay with them in Indiana was looking better by the second.

  Ben put the brakes on his runaway thoughts. There was no need to torment himself with what-ifs until they had answers. And they would soon enough. Durango Fire and Rescue Station 5 came into view on their right. The turn for their subdivision was just ahead. Ben noticed the big overhead doors were open, but the firetrucks were gone. Maybe they’d gotten out before the building collapsed in on itself. He didn’t remember noticing that on his way out of here, but he had plenty on his mind then.

  Joel hung a left onto the dirt road that led up the mountain to their house. The subdivision of Durango Hills was a loose collection of homes scattered up the mountainside. In the winter, the nine-thousand-foot climb to their house required four-wheel drive with chains or aggressive tires, but the steep ascent was relatively easy in the summer, aside from the dust.

  They were all on the edge of their seats when they turned onto Saddle Trail. Ben held his breath as he struggled to find the house through the thick stands of pines and aspens.

  “Whoo-hoo!” Ben heard Joel shout and felt a wave of chills through his body, covering his arms and the back of his neck with goosebumps. The house was still there! Ben felt a little lightheaded and suddenly realized he was still holding his breath. The fact that they weren’t used to living at this elevation wasn’t helping.

  Sandy reached over the console and took his hand, parking the Blazer behind Joel in the driveway. “We did it!”

  Gunner was the first one out of the Jeep and ran to the front door of the house as if he’d just been outside for a minute and was ready to be let back in. Ben and the others stumbled out of the vehicles and made their way up onto the wrap-around porch. Everything looked just the way he’d left it, minus a dusting of ash. The firebreak he and Joel had worked so hard on creating had worked. Ben was tempted to pinch himself and make sure what he was seeing was real.

  Joel fumbled with his keys excitedly and opened the door with a shaky hand.

  “Wait a minute.” Ben held his rifle at the ready and went inside first. The familiar smell of home filled his nostrils as he swept and cleared the house with Joel’s help. Once they were certain they were alone, he and Joel joined the others, who had congregated on the front section of the deck, where Ben liked to enjoy his morning coffee.

  “I can’t believe it’s over.” Sandy hugged Allie and was soon mobbed by the others, resulting in a group huddle.

  “We really did it.” Ben repeated the words, his arms wrapped around the group, as the dogs forced their way into the center.

  They had their work cut out for them, and with winter on the horizon, perhaps the hardest of times were still ahead, but none of that mattered right now. They were home, and for the time being, they were safe. Ben had made good on his promise to Jack, himself, and the kids. They had overcome outrageous obstacles, murderous thieves, crazy cultists, and everything else the country’s dark and dangerous roads could throw at them. Ben was at a loss for words, but there were none to convey how he felt right now.

  After a couple of minutes of embracing one another and the dogs, the kids dispersed from the open deck and trickled into the house. Bajer moved slowly but so far was managing to keep up under Emma’s watchful eye. The kids’ conversation turned to gathering water from the spring located in the woods behind the house and the excitement of unloading the trucks one final time.

  Ben and Sandy were content to stay put and take it all in, wandering to the railing at the edge of the deck for a better view. The deep blue sky was cloud-free, providing an ideal vista of the distant mountains. They could see New Mexico from here, as well as a few rooftops in the valley below.

  They stood in silence, holding each other tightly, trying to absorb the magnitude of their achievement. Ben’s mind drifted in and out of the moment as he closed his eyes and inhaled the smells of home while the children’s laughter filled the house. He had so much to be grateful for.

  This attack on the country would be written about in history books. Life had undergone a profound and irreversible shift. The future was a haze of uncertainty for both them and the nation, but they’d take each day as it came, meeting the challenges they encountered as a capable team of survivors and as a family, forging ahead together and making new lives for themselves.

  Find out about Bruno Miller’s next book by signing up for his newsletter:

  http://brunomillerauthor.com/sign-up/

  No spam, no junk, just news (sales, freebies, and releases). Scouts honor.

  Enjoy the book?

  Help the series grow by telling a friend about it and taking the time to leave a review.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bruno Miller is the author of the Dark Road series. He’s a military vet who likes to spend his downtime hanging out with his wife and kids, or getting in some range time. He believes in being prepared for any situation.

  Website • Facebook • Instagram

  The Dark Road series:

  Breakdown

  Escape

  Resistance

  Fallout

  Extraction

  Reckoning

  Deception

  Restitution

  Desperation

  Forsaken

  Redemption

  Dissension

  Resignation

  Sanctuary

  Breakthrough

  Cloverdale series:

  Impact

  Survival

  Endurance

  Confrontation

  Dark Waters series:

  Zero Hour

  Dead Calm

 

 

  Bruno Miller, Breakthrough: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival series (Dark Road Book 15)

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on GrayCity.Net
Share this book with friends