“I’m ready.” Martin wasn’t anywhere close to being ready, but he must have sensed Ben’s aggravation and scurried around the Scout, grabbing his weapon and water bottle. Fortunately, Carlos was already in the passenger seat and waiting.

  “Why don’t you let me drive for a while?” Sandy stood between the open driver’s side door and the Blazer, preventing him from closing it. He thought for a minute as he watched Joel and Brad load Gunner into the Scrambler.

  “I guess that’s not a terrible idea.” He slid out of the truck and made way for her to take his place behind the wheel. He tried not to limp too much while walking around the front of the Blazer but feared he wasn’t doing a particularly good job of hiding the fact that his knee hurt almost as much now as it had when he first twisted it jumping out of the speeding truck.

  “You okay?” Allie surprised him; he hadn’t noticed her approaching. She had his M24 over her shoulder. “Here, I think this belongs to you.”

  “Thanks.” Ben smiled and took his rifle. “Here.” He fished the Spyderco knife from his pocket and handed it to her. “I think this belongs to you.”

  “I forgot about that.” She took the knife and stared at it for a second. A lot of memories were tied to that knife, and as hard as it was to believe, it was the only weapon they had to their name not so long ago. Allie forced a crooked smile and nodded. Ben was sure they were both thinking about the same things.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Ben handed her the two-way radio from his belt. ‘Your mom found another one in the pickup.

  “Nice.” Allie took the radio and her smile widened.

  Ben nodded. “Yeah, that’ll be a big help. At least the three of us can keep in touch.” To be honest, he was glad they didn’t have a radio for Martin. Ben was sure the man would abuse his ability to communicate with everyone and would most likely wind up annoying them all with senseless chatter about everything and nothing. Yes, it was best to limit communication with Martin and stick to hand signals, for all their sakes.

  “Back out to 224, same formation. We’ve got a good couple hours of driving ahead of us but should be able to make Fort Wayne without stopping.” None of the vehicles were running yet, and Ben spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear as he finished making his way to the passenger seat of the Blazer. Sandy was already behind the wheel and put the truck in gear as soon as he was done speaking. Bajer and Sam sat upright at the sound of the throaty V8 changing its tone. Sam quickly resumed her position on the makeshift bed atop the gear in the back and Bajer settled in next to Emma once they realized what was going on.

  Ben removed his pistol from the concealed holster. There was no point in sitting with the square-handled Glock digging into the small of his back for the next couple of hours. The Jeep pulled out first. Gunner swayed back and forth awkwardly, fighting for balance while the Scrambler transitioned from the rough shoulder to the blacktop. Ben thought about how things could have turned out concerning Gunner. Just thinking about the two dirty gunmen and their snare trap made him angry. He was glad Gunner was all right. That was all that mattered. And he wasn’t going to waste any more time thinking about it.

  Allie and Rita followed in the Toyota, then Martin at the wheel of the Scout, with Carlos riding shotgun, literally. The barrel protruding from Carlos’s window was an encouraging sight. Ben took it as an indication the old man was feeling better, at least well enough to carry a gun. Another armed and able-bodied person on their team was always a welcome addition.

  Ben was glad to have an extra radio. That was going to be a real game-changer, especially when Allie took the lead so Rita could navigate the rest of the way to her daughter’s house.

  They were close now, and with any luck, they’d arrive before nightfall, but Fort Wayne still felt impossibly far away. Ben glanced back at his daughter once more. He hoped Emma would be alright until they reached Fort Wayne and got their hands on the much-needed antibiotic to fight the infection. She had to be.

  Ben sat there with his pistol in his hand. He was exhausted and for a moment found himself trapped in a daze, thinking about everything that had brought them to this point. The Blazer lurched forward and brought him back to his senses.

  “Wait a minute. Slow down for a second.” Ben leaned out the window.

  Sandy did as he asked and coasted along as they passed the big red Chevy pickup. Ben drew down on the back tire with his Glock.

  Bang.

  Then the left front tire.

  Bang.

  The massive mud-terrain tires deflated almost instantly under the weight of the pickup, causing the Chevy to tilt sharply toward the driver’s side. One of the flags on the rear bumper threatened to fall from its holder but stayed put for the time being. The difference in height between the two sides was so drastic that it looked as though the truck could be rolled over with little effort.

  Ben regretted taking the shots as soon as he squeezed the second one off. He was tired and wasn’t thinking clearly. The smart move would have been to slash all four tires with a knife. That wasn’t to say shooting the tires out from under the Chevy didn’t feel good. He just hoped the gunshots hadn’t inadvertently drawn any more attention to them. Sandy gave the Blazer a healthy dose of throttle and they were on their way.

  He set the Glock in the storage pocket on the door and turned his attention to the radio Sandy had found. It was still on and tuned to the same channel as when she gave it to him. There was a good chance they could intercept some chatter among the Patriot Hooligans if they were in fact using channel eleven. So far, he hadn’t heard anything, but he would give it some time before tuning into the channel Joel’s and Allie’s radios were using.

  If the Patriot Hooligans were using a handheld and communicating with others in the gang some distance away, Ben figured they must be using a base with a better radio and stronger transmission signal. Then a thought crossed his mind. Had the gang been listening to them? It was a possibility and would explain how they knew their location and plans to stop for fuel. Maybe the vehicle that was following them was actually a scout sent by the gang to keep tabs on them.

  Ben set the radio in the console cupholder and pulled out the map as Sandy brought up the rear of the convoy and pulled out onto the interstate behind Martin. But before he started to go over their route to Fort Wayne, he cast a glance behind. They were extremely lucky to have made it out of here without another encounter. He’d been sure they’d run into the other gang members just as they were pulling out, but they hadn’t, and he was grateful for that, although they weren’t out of the woods just yet. If there was one thing they’d all learned on this trip, it was to never let their guard down.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The air rushing through the truck was a welcome relief from the stale, hot air they had to endure while they fueled the vehicles. Allie did her best not to complain about their circumstances, but sometimes it was impossible not to let the oppressive temperatures get the better of her. Not that it did any good. There was nothing they could do about the heat. The air-conditioning in the Toyota was weak, and on top of the minimal amount of relief it provided her and Rita, she felt guilty using it. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason they all had to stop for gas again.

  Allie was happy to have the radio. The ability to communicate via something other than hand signals and yelling from open windows over the rush of the wind gave her a sense of added security. The radio also made her feel like they were really part of a team. She knew they were, whether they had the radio or not, but it helped calm her nerves about driving and bolstered her confidence.

  She enjoyed Rita’s company, and what she initially thought would be a chore had ended up being a welcome diversion from a mundane drive and the less-than-picturesque landscape outside the truck. She missed being around Joel but understood why it was necessary. And Rita was full of stories about the old days. She and Carlos were high school sweethearts and had been together for almost forty-two years now. Rita said that Allie and Joel reminded her of them when they were younger. That made Allie feel good in more than one way, but more than anything, it gave her hope for the future, for her and Joel’s future. Even if it seemed out of reach right now, the idea of growing old and having a family of her own someday was a pleasant thing to daydream about as the miles ticked by.

  Allie downshifted into third gear and made a wide arc around an abandoned car in the right-hand lane. Once past the hazard, she sped up, slipped the truck back into fourth, and resumed her position behind the Scrambler. She could see Joel and Brad talking. From her vantage point, Gunner was nothing more than a pile of brown fur, content to lie sprawled out over the gear. With Brad riding in the passenger seat, Gunner had the entire back of the Scrambler to himself and was doing his best to take advantage of it and soak up as much of the rushing air as possible.

  Allie smiled as she thought about the big brown dog. Gunner had certainly taken to her, and even though they weren’t riding together anymore, he was determined to seek her out and stay by her side during their pit stops. Their last fuel stop had been the exception. She was extremely concerned when Gunner went missing. And then when they heard the gunshots, it was like she felt them in her chest. She was so afraid something bad had happened. When the boys finally reached out on the radio and said that everyone, including Gunner, was okay, the relief washed over her like a wave.

  Allie was still having a hard time believing that little Emma had killed a man. She wouldn’t have if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. There was no shortage of death or horrific things she would never be able to unsee. But what Emma had done took guts and a resolve Allie hoped she would be able to equal if the circumstances called for it. She wanted to tell Emma how brave she was but hadn’t had a chance after the incident. She’d make sure to tell her at the next opportunity. If she got the opportunity. No, she couldn’t let herself think like that. Emma was going to be fine once they reached Fort Wayne. She really hoped Rita’s daughter Julia and her husband Edward had what Emma needed to get better.

  Would Rita’s daughter and son-in-law even be there? Allie glanced over at Rita, who stared out the window and looked to be deep in thought. The woman had never wavered in her opinion that they would find what they needed in Fort Wayne and that her daughter would be there waiting. But Allie didn’t share her optimism. She wouldn’t dare confess those feelings to Rita or the others. They’d seen too much disappointment since leaving Durango to expect anything other than another setback.

  They hadn’t made it this far on luck alone, and she knew if it wasn’t for Joel’s dad, they might not have even made it out of Colorado, let alone across the country and then this far back. She never would have found her mother or learned of her father’s fate. Two things that made her very emotional for entirely different reasons. If she’d learned anything out here on the road, it was to hope for the best but anticipate the worst. Those were important words to live by these days in order to maintain physical and, more importantly, mental health.

  The thought of all the things that had to go exactly right for her to come this far made her shudder. Waking up abruptly in the middle of the night was a common occurrence these days, thanks to a recurring dream she couldn’t seem to shake. The nightmare always started the same: she was alone, curled up in her attic and hiding from the looters. Then the distant sound of Joel’s voice, gradually moving closer as he called out to her. But try as she might, she couldn’t muster the ability to answer. Sometimes she couldn’t even move, no matter how hard she tried. Helpless and able to do nothing but lie there, paralyzed, as he searched the house for her. Eventually, Joel would stop searching. The next sounds she would hear were Joel and his dad’s muffled voices outside in the driveway before finally the Blazer started up and drove off. In the last moment, she’d be able to break free from her involuntary vegetative state and scream out at the top of her lungs. But it was always too late. The Blazer would disappear, and she’d find herself awake, sitting up in bed, covered in sweat, and trying to figure out where the dream ended and reality began.

  She still hadn’t gotten used to the feeling of not knowing where she was for the first couple of seconds after waking up. And maybe she never would. The unfamiliar smells and shadows of a new place were never welcoming at two in the morning. But those were the consequences when they slept somewhere different every night.

  “Allie, are you all right?” Rita took a drink from her water bottle.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” Allie loosened her grip on the steering wheel. Funny, she hadn’t noticed how tightly she was hanging on to it.

  “I can drive if you want me to,” Rita offered.

  “Thanks. Maybe when we get closer.” Allie slid down in the seat a little and took one hand off the wheel.

  “Just let me know, dear. I’m up for it.”

  “Do we have anything to eat up here with us?” Allie looked around the cab of the truck before glancing out the rear window at the tarp-covered bed full of gear. In the excitement and chaos of their last stop, lunch was easily forgotten. Now the empty feeling in her stomach served as a constant reminder.

  Rita dug around in a bag on the floor and produced two apples and a sleeve of plain saltine crackers. “I’m afraid this is all we have.”

  Allie took one of the apples. “It’ll have to do, I guess.” She tried not to sound too disappointed in their food situation, but she was. They were going to be on the road for a while before stopping again. An apple and a few crackers weren’t going to cut it.

  She eyed the radio and contemplated reaching out to Joel up ahead of them. A bag behind the passenger seat in the Jeep had Clif bars and a couple MREs. Would Ben be upset if she used the radio for that reason? Having just been given what she felt was the privilege and trust of having her own two-way, she felt a certain responsibility to use it wisely. It was for emergencies, and this wasn’t an emergency. This was something that could have been prevented if she’d only remembered to grab something to eat from the Blazer or the Jeep before they left. There had been plenty of time.

  Now Allie wondered if she was overthinking the whole thing. She pulled at her T-shirt to let some of the air blowing in the window get underneath her clothing and cool her down. The last thing she remembered was reaching for her Nalgene and the sound of Rita’s voice.

  “Allie… Allie!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ben noticed the Toyota stray out of line immediately. At first, he thought nothing of it; Allie was just avoiding something on the road that no one else had seen. But when the little blue pickup continued drifting toward the shoulder, he began to worry.

  Sandy sat upright in her seat and leaned forward over the wheel. She saw it, too.

  “What is she doing?”

  “I don’t know. Something’s wrong.” Ben could see Rita’s silhouette through the back window. She was halfway across the middle of the bench seat and struggling to steer the truck from the passenger seat. He grabbed the radio and fumbled with the knob as he tried to change the channel. He’d forgotten to switch over to the channel the kids were using. Had Allie been trying to get ahold of them about something? A wave of guilt washed over him as he tuned the radio to the correct frequency.

  “Allie, what’s going on? Over.” Ben barely had the words out when the Toyota swerved to the left, then back to the right just as erratically.

  “Dad, Allie’s out cold. I can see her in my mirror! Over,” Joel yelled over the radio. Rita would have her hands full trying to keep the truck on the road; there was no way she was going to answer the radio. And by the looks of it, Allie still had her foot on the gas. They needed to do something quick. Thankfully, this section of highway was relatively free of any wrecks, but that wouldn’t last for long; those stretches of road never did.

  “What do we do?” The radio crackled as the speaker struggled to transmit at that volume. Joel was on the edge of panic.

  “Rita, I want you to listen to me. Pull the shifter out of gear and move Allie’s leg off the gas if you can. Do your best to steer.” Ben didn’t even know if Rita and Allie had the radio on.

  “How fast are we going?” Ben asked.

  “Almost sixty,” Sandy answered. Great, they had been hard-pressed to make good time since they broke camp this morning. It figured now that they had a runaway vehicle they were moving faster than they had been all day.

  “Joel, you might need to use the Jeep to slow them down, if it comes to that. What’s the road look like up ahead? Over.”

  “It’s pretty good. There’s a wreck coming up, but it’s a ways off yet. Over.” Joel had regained his composure to some degree. Ben could still hear the excitement in his voice, but it was more controlled now.

  Ben leaned out of his window and waved his hands until he had Martin’s attention.

  “Move over… Move over.” Ben spoke the words out loud as he signaled Martin to let them pass. “Can you get around him?”

  Sandy answered by stepping on the gas and pulling to the left of the Scout. Ben wasn’t exactly sure what they could do to help from their position behind the Toyota, but he wanted the Scout out of the way so they could see what was going on. He felt bad for Carlos, who was undoubtedly also concerned about the situation and his wife, but in the fray, Martin was starting to drive as erratically as the runaway pick up.

  “We may have to do something, but I’m not sure what yet,” Ben warned.

  “What do you mean ‘do something’?” Wide-eyed, she glared at him for a moment before snapping her head back toward the road.

  “We might have to get on one side or the other and give them a nudge.”

  “What? I can’t do that.” Sandy repositioned herself behind the wheel.

  “Just follow for now, but be ready.” Ben felt helpless and regretted the decision to ride passenger, although he wasn’t sure that being behind the wheel would make a difference right now. Besides, Sandy was capable. She’d performed well under pressure before, and she could do it again if necessary. At least he hoped she could.