“Okay. Thermostat’s reading a little hotter than usual. Over,” Joel answered right away. He, Allie, and Brad had been running with the top down occasionally, and while the fresh air probably felt good, the lack of shade had left them sunburnt and half baked. The alternative wasn’t much better. The black canvas soft top was about as bad at deflecting heat as the Blazer’s thin sheet metal roof.

  Brad turned around in the back of the Scrambler and waved at them in the Blazer. Ben waved back and smiled, but he was worried. When Sandy told him about the Blazer’s high temperature, he thought maybe there was something wrong mechanically, but after Joel confirmed the Jeep was running hot, too, he knew it wasn’t a coincidence. He glanced at his watch and for once wished it was later in the day. The worst was still ahead, temperature-wise.

  There was no denying the inevitable, as much as it irritated him. But they were going to have to stop somewhere or risk doing permanent damage to the vehicles. They couldn’t push the trucks this hard in these conditions and expect to get away with it for long.

  Ben would just have to come to terms with something that had been bugging him since he and Joel were lying in that ditch outside the barn this morning. The day was a loss, and if the weather was going to continue to be this punishing, he might have to rethink their whole travel strategy. But he’d wait and see about that.

  They were nowhere near far enough away from the barn for Ben to feel comfortable stopping, but he was afraid to put it off much longer. He watched a road sign coming up on the shoulder. Half the sign was covered in weeds, but the top half was still visible.

  “Have you ever been to Paris, Sandy?” Ben joked.

  “I have, actually, but never Paris, Illinois.” Sandy made a face and pretended to be excited.

  “Well, if it’s anything like the last couple towns we’ve been through, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

  Ben studied the atlas for a second. They were so close to I-70. After Paris, it was only another ten or fifteen miles to the interstate. He hated to stop now, but they’d be tempted to push the vehicles even harder on the bigger four-lane highway.

  “Maybe we can find a place near town to lay low for a couple hours. At least until this heat breaks. I’m afraid we’re gonna break something if we keep this up,” he reasoned.

  “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’ve been worried about the same thing. And now we’ve got the extra weight in the back,” Sandy added.

  “Yeah, I can feel it.” Ben glanced back at the hastily packed gear. For as much as Martin and the Scout were a liability, they were also a safety net. Worst-case scenario, if the Blazer or Jeep broke down beyond repair, they’d had the Scout to fall back on. It was also nice to know they had extra weapons, ammunition, and food at their disposal. He was grateful for their abundance of resources, even if it was weighing them down. Considering what they’d given to Ed and what was lost due to the Martin factor, they were doing well by any standard.

  Ben had always planned on parting ways with some of the spoils from the moonshiners’ camp; he just hadn’t planned on losing the bulk of it so irresponsibly. He knew how lucky they were to have escaped the roadside bandits with their lives and recoup some of what was stolen, but the waste of assets still bothered him. In a world of finite resources, the lost gear was hard to get over.

  “We should grab some fuel as well. We’ve got half a tank, but we’re going to stop anyways, right?” Sandy shrugged.

  “Good point,” Ben said. She was right. If they were going to lose time, they might as well make it count. Fueling up the trucks in this heat wouldn’t be any fun, but it would be smart to get the task over with and be prepared. Besides, if they ran into trouble while they were waiting out the heat, they could make a quick getaway if need be.

  “Come in, guys,” he said into the radio. “I think we should find a place to lay low for a couple hours. This heat is too much, and I’m afraid we’re pushing our luck with the trucks. Over.”

  “Yeah. We’re running hot. The needle’s almost in the red. Over.” Joel’s warning about the Jeep’s thermostat reading wasn’t what Ben wanted to hear, but the report came as no surprise. They needed to get out of the sun—and soon.

  “Copy that. Start looking for a gas station. Fuel first. Then we’ll find a place to sit. Over.” Maybe by the time they topped off the tanks and the remaining jerry can, the Jeep would cool down enough to drive a few miles farther. Ben had his sights set on the Twin Lakes area just outside the town of Paris. According to the atlas, the large body of water ran right under the road they were traveling on. A shady site near fresh water would do them all a world of good right now.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A few minutes passed before Joel reached out to them on the radio and reported an upcoming gas station. Or at least what was left of one. Sandy slowed down and followed the Jeep as Allie turned off the highway into the parking lot. They did their usual reconnaissance of the place, completing one full circle around the property.

  The sign out front read Paris Quick Stop Convenience Store, but that was just about the only thing left of the structure outside a small, covered island of pumps up by the road. Ben was pleased to see the multicolored filler caps were located at the back corner of the property, near a single-bay car wash.

  There was no need to station a lookout. With the main structure reduced to ashes and charred bricks, they could see a couple of miles down the highway in both directions.

  Ben leaned out the passenger-side window, careful to keep his bare skin off the Blazer’s sheet metal. “Pull into the car wash while we fill up.”

  Allie nodded and drove the Jeep into the empty car wash bay from the back, parking the Scrambler in the shade, nose out toward the road. Sandy continued to the corner of the lot and parked by the fuel risers.

  “Don’t let the dogs out. We’re not staying long.” Ben glanced at Emma in the back seat. The heat radiating off the Blazer’s roof was even more intense now that they were sitting still. He thought about having Emma wait with the others in the shade of the car wash, but it was too much effort with the dogs.

  “Don’t forget to drink.” Ben gave his daughter one last bit of advice before jumping out onto the pavement. The heat found its way up through the soles of his hiking boots almost instantly, and he thought it wise to keep the dogs inside the vehicles here. They would no doubt burn their pads on the blacktop-covered ground that felt more like a frying pan than a parking lot.

  The fact that the pavement had been recently coated with a layer of black sealant didn’t help matters any. The strong smell of oil wafted up from the ground as if the parking area had been treated only hours before their arrival.

  “You guys wait. You’ll have your turn.” Ben stopped Joel and Allie as they approached the Blazer and shooed them back inside the car wash.

  “You sure?” Joel protested.

  “Positive. Just keep an eye out. And stay out of the sun while you can. When we’re done, you can trade places with us.” Ben turned to find Sandy already unrolling the hose and attached hand pump.

  He was glad to have the help. The sooner they got this done, the better off they’d be. This unplanned pit stop was going to take it out of them quickly, especially considering he hadn’t fully recovered from their encounter with the bandits just a short while ago.

  Ben cranked away at the pump handle as the beads of sweat rolled off his brow and hit the ground. The small drops of water vanished immediately, and he imagined if he listened close enough, he might be able to hear them sizzle. He was no stranger to dry, torrid places, but he was pretty sure this was some of the most intense heat he’d ever seen.

  When the Blazer was full, Sandy offered to take over at the pump and fill the jerry can. Ben handed her the small hand pump and nearly fell over when he tried to move.

  “You all right?” Sandy asked.

  “Yeah. My feet are stuck.” Ben could hardly believe it as he tugged at his right leg, breaking his boot free from the pavement with a ripping sound. He’d been standing still for too long while working the pump, and the sole of his boot had become embedded in the fresh tar-like seal coating. Sandy stared in disbelief as he freed his left foot from the long tendrils of black goop attaching him to the pavement. The sludge caused him to slide a little when he took the next step and freed his other foot.

  “Well, that’s a new one.” He shook his head and tried to rid his shoes of the oily sludge before taking another step. If the fuel hose was longer, he would have had Allie keep the Jeep in the shade and top it off from there, but that wasn’t the case.

  As soon as the jerry can was full, Ben loaded it up and secured it to the Blazer. “You’re up,” he announced.

  Sandy had to give the Blazer a little extra gas to break it loose from the sticky mess. The tires made the same ripping sound as if they were being held in place by Velcro. Sandy shook her head as she headed for the shade of the car wash. Allie pulled up to the hose, where Ben was ready and waiting to start the fueling process.

  “Dad, I got it. Go take a break.” Joel hopped out of the Jeep, eager to relieve his dad.

  “Don’t stand in one place too long.” Ben sighed and headed for the shade.

  “Yeah, we saw. I’ve never seen it this hot.”

  “I think it was a good idea to stop. We’ll make up for it later,” Allie added.

  Ben looked back and smiled. Brad stayed in the back with Gunner. The curly-haired dog looked like he was melting, leaning on a stack of ammunition cans, his tongue swaying back and forth to the rhythm of his labored panting. This weather was putting them all to the test.

  Ben hoped Allie was right and they could make up some time this afternoon or early evening, because when it came to logging miles, the day had been a disappointment so far. They were falling well short of the goal he’d set for where he wanted to be on the map. If it wasn’t for the highway bandits, they would have been on I-70 and probably a hundred miles closer to the Missouri state line.

  Ben eyed the map while the kids finished fueling the Jeep. There looked to be some good access points around the Twin Lakes and plenty of green on the atlas, indicating a park area. The lakes were a few more miles down the road, but with any luck, the short fuel break had given the Scrambler time to cool down enough to make it there without any trouble.

  Pulling over and waiting until cooler temperatures was a short-term solution to a long-term problem, though, and Ben knew it. The last thing he wanted to do was travel at night, but they might not have a choice if this heat didn’t break. Not only was it hard on the vehicles, but it was hard on them as well.

  They were consuming a lot more water than they usually did. He’d been keeping an eye on the dwindling pile of full Nalgenes and assumed that Joel, Allie, and Brad were going through their supply of water just as quickly as he, Sandy, and Emma were in the Blazer. After this morning’s adventure, he downed a whole bottle himself in a matter of minutes.

  “It’s so hot, Dad,” Emma grumbled.

  “I know it is, honey. We’ll be moving again soon.” She was right and he didn’t blame her for complaining. She’d been a trooper through the nonsense they’d endured on this crazy road trip, and Ben didn’t mind her complaining about the heat. If she had the energy to complain, that meant she was healthy and strong. He’d take that over the alternative any day.

  The thought of Emma wrapped in a sleeping bag and running a fever came to mind. Ben pictured his daughter’s ghost-white fingers grasping at the edges of the puffy down bag as she pulled it tight around her body and shivered violently. It was an image he’d never forget, and he didn’t want to experience that feeling of helplessness ever again. They’d seen plenty of scary things out here on the road, but in his opinion, that was the scariest situation they’d been in yet.

  “Looks like they’re wrapping things up.” Sandy started the Blazer.

  “Good. Pull alongside. I’ll help them get the gear stowed.” Ben glanced back at Emma. The poor girl was trying to convince Bajer to stop nuzzling with her, a task not easily accomplished.

  “Here we go. We’ll get some airflow through here in no time. Then we’ll find some cool water and shade.” Ben did his best to sound optimistic. She looked miserable. He hopped out of the Blazer before Sandy brought the truck to a complete stop. Within a minute, they had all the fueling gear stowed and were ready to get back on the road.

  “We should start seeing water in a few miles. Just look for someplace good to get off the road. You know the drill. We’ll be right behind you.” Ben tapped a spot on the map with his finger as he showed Allie and Joel the area he was talking about. He’d rather be putting some miles behind them, but at least they could top off the Nalgenes and the five-gallon jug the dogs drank from while waiting for the heat to subside. Ben was anxious to get home, but all things considered, it could be a lot worse.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sandy let Allie take the lead in the Jeep, as per their usual driving order. Ben kept his eye on their surroundings but watched the Jeep more than usual. After they found a spot and let the vehicles cool down, he’d take a look under the Scrambler’s hood and see if there was anything obvious, other than the air temperature, causing the overheating. Ben leaned over and checked the Blazer’s gauges.

  Sandy noticed him. “All good so far.”

  Ben couldn’t deny his curiosity any longer. “Come in. How’s your temp? Over.”

  “Cooled down a little but still running hot. Over,” Allie reported back.

  Ben checked the road behind them to make sure they were still alone on the highway. This wouldn’t be a good place to break down. Most of the houses and shops were burned to the ground, and the rest appeared thoroughly looted. But he was sure there were people around.

  Someone was always watching when they drove through places like this. A fluttering curtain or a cracked door that he could have sworn was closed a second ago. Sometimes he spotted movement in the shadows. At times, it was hard to tell what was his imagination and what was real. But he was sure there were survivors here, just like in the other broken towns they’d snuck through.

  Some of the eyes watching them probably belonged to good and decent law-abiding citizens. Maybe even the majority. But having to wake up each day and struggle to find food and water changed people. Desperation was a motivator that drove lesser-willed people to abandon their morals and basic sense of human decency. That was a fact they’d all seen way too much proof of in the last few weeks.

  “Ben!” Sandy shouted.

  He was busy studying one of the few surviving houses when he turned to see what was wrong. His biggest worry had materialized. The Jeep was coasting to a stop, the front end enveloped in a cloud of steam.

  “No, not here.” Ben sat upright in his seat, watching the scene unfold while he gathered the Glock and spare magazine from the floor.

  “What’s going on?” Emma sat forward.

  “Guys, we have a big problem. Over.” Joel’s voice crackled over the two-way before Ben could answer his daughter’s question.

  “We see you. Over.” Ben set the radio down on the center console and prepared to jump out as soon as Sandy got them a little closer. As they pulled alongside the Scrambler, Ben saw Allie with her hands thrown up in disgust.

  “It was hot, but it wasn’t in the red,” she explained.

  “It’s not your fault. Go ahead and shut it down,” Ben instructed.

  Joel and Brad were already standing in front of the Jeep, unlatching the hood retainers.

  “Be careful. Don’t get burned,” Ben warned. Joel held up his leather-gloved hands. “All right.” Ben joined them, but now that they were working on getting the hood up, he took a second to look around.

  “Whoa, back up.” Joel pushed his brother back as he threw the hood open and a large billow of steam escaped.

  Ben, satisfied that they were still alone for the time being, focused on the Jeep. When enough of the vapor had dissipated, he saw the source. The hose running from the thermostat housing to the intake manifold had ruptured. The inch-and-a-half-long split was spewing coolant all over the engine compartment. What wasn’t turning to steam off the hot engine and exhaust headers found its way to the ground and made a large puddle under the Jeep.

  The water eventually slowed and then stopped enough for Ben to inspect the split hose up close. It was an easy fix if they could find the part and the coolant to replace what the Scrambler had bled out onto the road. But they couldn’t drive it any farther like this without risking serious damage. Running the Jeep without enough coolant could cause a blown head gasket or cracked engine block. Those types of things weren’t fixable and would be a death sentence for the old AMC.

  Ben took a few steps back and looked around again, only this time, he wasn’t looking to see if anyone was watching. He was looking for a place they could hide the Jeep. With any luck, they could find a hose in their travels. There probably wasn’t a high demand among looters for a 1982 AMC Scrambler coolant hose. Of course, they had to find an auto parts store that was still standing.

  Their best bet for now was to wrap the hose with several layers of duct tape, add a couple of clamps from the toolbox, and fill the Jeep with water so they could limp out of here. But first, they needed to get off the road before they attracted any unwanted attention.

  “There.” Ben spotted an Ace Hardware store across the street. The building was mostly intact, except for the burnt-out frame of a delivery truck that had crashed into the front entrance. Someone had managed to put out the vehicle fire and save the place, but it looked abandoned now. What Ben noticed was the open-air lumber storage buildings in the rear of the property. They’d be able to park out of the sun and out of view from the road, and it was close enough that they could push the Jeep there without killing themselves.

  “A hardware store?” Joel asked.