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  DESPERATION

  Dark Road, Book Nine

  Bruno Miller

  No rest for the weary.

  With a second chance ahead of them and the moonshiner’s compound in the rear-view mirror, Ben and his crew can resume their cross-country trek to Colorado. Or can they?

  Three newly rescued acquaintances and another canine companion complicate their life on the road. And the addition of two more vehicles to their west bound convoy only adds to Ben’s responsibilities.

  Making matters worse, the open road quickly proves more hostile than they remember. Scarce supplies, extreme weather and desperate miscreants have made the landscape a living hell. They soon find themselves fighting for survival once again.

  Ben’s mettle and army training are put to the test in more ways than one, and he realizes it will take greater determination and cunning than ever before to stay on course. All while learning that help sometimes comes from the most unlikely places.

  Desperation: Dark Road, Book Nine

  Copyright © 2021 Bruno Miller

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

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  Table of Contents

  DESPERATION

  About the Book

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Ben started to recognize sections of the trail, and before long, the moonshiners’ compound was nothing more than a distant plume of smoke rising into the air. After a few more minutes of driving and a lot of nervous glances in the rearview mirror, he found himself staring at the gate that had been his undoing. Now open, it mocked him and all he had been through. He signaled the others and brought the Blazer to a complete stop just on the downhill side of the gate.

  “This will only take a minute.” Ben hopped out of the truck and left the door open while he walked around to the rear. He unwound the heavy chain that had held the gate closed and threw one of the links around a tow hook on the Blazer. Next, he wrapped the other end around a section of the gate where it was bolted to the tree. Ben paused for a second, holding his side as he studied the connection, then looked down the line of vehicles. Joel was leaning out of his window, trying to see what was going on.

  Ben held up his finger. He didn’t want anyone to get out here and make this into any more of a production than necessary. He climbed back into the Blazer and did his best to ignore his knee and ribs while inching the truck forward until the chain was taut.

  Ben gave the old Chevy a little gas and watched the gate over his shoulder. At first, the wheels spun in the loose gravel until the aggressive tread on the oversized tires finally found purchase and bit into the dry, hard ground below. First one hinge and then the other popped off the tree, and with less effort than he thought it would take, the gate was torn free.

  He let the Blazer drag the gate along the trail for a while until it was thoroughly twisted and bent. Satisfied he’d ruined it beyond repair, Ben braced himself to get out of the truck and unhook the chain, but Sandy stopped him.

  “I got it.” She touched his arm, slid out, and unhooked the chain, dragging it off the trail just far enough so the others could avoid running it over. Ben was hurt and tired and anxious to put some miles on the truck, but he wanted to make sure this detour road remained open for other travelers, should any be unlucky enough to find themselves here. If any moonshiners were left out there, they could easily drop another tree or build another roadblock, but it felt good all the same to destroy the one that had stopped him.

  With the last of their ordeal behind them, he focused on the trail while keeping one eye on the others as best as he could. The route down was about the same as they’d experienced on their way up the mountain, except for a few steep sections that were more technical than he’d hoped to encounter.

  They took turns spotting each other through the more challenging areas. Some areas were hardly big enough to squeeze through in the full-size Blazer, and there were times when Ben question whether they should go back and find another way. He couldn’t stomach the thought, however, and they pressed on.

  There were a few close calls, one being when the Toyota Allie was driving lost traction for a moment and slid into the side of a protruding boulder. She kept her composure, though, and other than a new pinstripe down the passenger side of the truck, she came out of the experience unscathed. Overall, Ben was impressed with her skill in navigating the rough terrain, not that he expected anything less from her. He was beginning to wonder if there was anything she wasn’t capable of.

  Martin, on the other hand, was a different story. In spite of constant instruction and reminders from the others to take it slow and easy, he seemed determined to test the truck’s limits. Like a kid with a new toy, he was heavy on the throttle in all the wrong places. He swore he was doing his best to take their advice, but Ben began to wonder if the guy knew what “slow and easy” meant.

  Despite Martin’s inexperience with off-road driving, he still managed to get out of some tights situations, but Ben chalked a lot of it up to pure luck and counted himself fortunate the Scout was still in one piece. It took bottoming out on solid rock a couple of times and a slightly bent rear bumper to finally convince Martin to lay off the gas over the big rocks.

  Eventually, he started to get the hang of it, but Ben assumed he only started listening to their advice because his kidneys were probably sore from all the bouncing. Thankfully, they’d packed the Scout tightly, and remarkably, all the gear seemed to stay in place, outside the occasional airborne backpack.

  Ben was surprised by the difficulty of the trail, and there were times when it felt more like they were using a dry creek bed than a designated off-road-vehicle route. The heaviness of the overloaded vehicles didn’t make things any easier, and even with his experience four-wheeling in the backcountry of the Rockies, some sections here gave him cause for concern.

  One moss-covered boulder in particular caught him off guard and put them all on the edge of their seats for a few tense moments. The Blazer was by far the heaviest of all the vehicles, and as soon as all four tires were on the damp, slick surface of the rock, they started sliding sideways down the incline. Ben was helpless as the blazer moved sideways, and it felt like they had hit a patch of ice. Fortunately, the ride only lasted a couple of feet and they stopped just shy of a large tree.

  Ben directed the others to take a higher line
over the sloped and moss-covered surface, making sure they kept at least two wheels in the dry dirt. The other trucks traversed it with no trouble, and they were back on their way without further incident.

  The slow pace and unforgiving terrain were sapping whatever energy reserves they had left. Watching the time fly by wasn’t encouraging, either. Ben was disappointed in their progress, and he’d hoped to be on the highway long before now. It was hard not to think they might have been well on their way if not for the two extra vehicles. But Ben tried not to dwell on that.

  He snuck a peek in the rearview mirror and checked on Emma. At least she seemed to be in good spirits, all things considering. He wasn’t crazy about adding another dog to the mix, but it was paying dividends right now with his daughter. Bajer couldn’t have been any closer to her and had somehow managed to displace Sam at her side.

  Eventually, the trail began to resemble a road more than a rockslide, and the steepness gave way to more gradual hills. They had to be getting close to the highway, but he was afraid to get his hopes up and wasn’t going to get too excited until they saw pavement. A few minutes later, he spotted a break in the trees where the trail led to an access point for the road. They had finally made it.

  Pulling out onto the blacktop was a feeling like no other. Only when he took the Blazer out of four-wheel drive did he truly allow himself to appreciate the fact that they had survived a situation many before them hadn’t. He looked back at the other vehicles as they drove out onto the two-lane highway one by one and parked behind the Blazer. Ben limped around the truck, taking his time to check the tires and undercarriage after their off-road adventure down the mountain. All looked to be in good condition. He wished he could say he felt the same.

  The others inspected their vehicles as well and made final preparations to hit the road. Allie joined Joel as he inspected the Scrambler, and Rita took her spot behind the wheel of the Toyota. Rita gave Ben a thumbs-up and buckled herself in as he walked past the couple and made his way to the Scout. He really hoped she was up for the drive ahead.

  Ben joined Martin near the Scout and eyeballed the undercarriage for any damage. He gave it a thorough walkaround and found it hard to believe there wasn’t a puddle of fluid under the truck. He certainly expected at least a leak of some sort, but the only damage was cosmetic.

  “How’s your knee?” Martin asked.

  “Aw, it’ll be all right. Just a little stiff.” Ben hadn’t been paying attention to how he was moving until now and immediately tried to limp less.

  Joel and Allie approached, while Brad stayed in the Jeep with Gunner, probably afraid his dad was going to make him ride in the Blazer.

  “That took a lot longer than I thought. I didn’t think the mountains out here were this serious.” Joel looked back up the dirt road.

  “Yeah, that was pretty intense. I’m glad we all made it in one piece,” Allie added.

  “You guys did great. I was watching you both,” Ben said.

  “All except for this.” Allie glanced over at the Toyota’s damaged side panel.

  “Hey, that’s nothing. Look at this.” Martin put one foot up on the Scout’s newly curved bumper, like a trophy hunter over a kill. “Now that’s a scratch.” He laughed.

  “It was definitely a good idea to leave the Cadillac.” Joel lowered his voice. “Wouldn’t have made it past the first switchback.”

  Ben agreed as Sandy approached and put her arm around her daughter and smiled. “Nice job driving.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Sandy asked.

  “We drive until the first gas station we see, then look at the map and try to figure out a good place to spend the night. We’re not going to get as far as I’d hoped.” Ben shrugged.

  “What if the first place we find for gas doesn’t look good?” Joel asked.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think we have much of a choice this time around. The Blazer’s down to almost a quarter tank.”

  “Same here,” Martin said.

  “The Toyota has almost half a tank,” Allie said.

  “A little below half.” Joel looked back at the Jeep. Gunner stood on the front seats, staring at them all curiously. Brad was watching, too, but he stayed mostly hidden behind the seat. Ben had the two five-gallon jerry cans, but when they were divided among the four trucks, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Better to save it if one of them ran out of fuel before they found a place to stop.

  “Joel, are you still okay to have Brad ride with you? At least until we get out of the mountains,” Ben asked.

  “Yeah, no problem.” He checked with Allie, who agreed with a nod.

  “All right then, let’s hit the road.” Ben gave Joel a squeeze on the shoulder and headed for the Blazer.

  He was tempted to make Brad ride in the Chevy with them but decided to let things stay as they were until their first fuel stop. It would be a tough sell anyway. Sitting in the back of a stuffy SUV with his sister and two large dogs versus riding in the back of the open Jeep with Gunner and hanging out with his big brother and Allie. There was no point in even bringing it up.

  Besides, Ben didn’t really want to upset the harmony in the Blazer right now, and if Brad was forced to do something he didn’t want to, he would take it out on his sister. Ben was in too much pain and far too tired to listen to them argue for the next couple of hours.

  He stopped at the Toyota for a moment, mostly to check in on Rita and Carlos before they started driving, but also to let Sandy get ahead of him. He didn’t want her to notice how he was walking.

  “You guys good?” he asked.

  “We’re all set.” Rita showed him the piece of cardboard Allie had used to draw out the hand signals. She’d made one for Martin as well.

  “If you have any trouble, don’t be afraid to let me know. We’re planning on stopping at the first place we see to get fuel.”

  The couple nodded, and Rita put her hand on Ben’s as he rested on the door.

  “Thank you,” she said, patting his hand.

  Ben smiled. “You’ll be at your daughter’s before you know it.” He hoped that was true.

  Chapter Two

  Sandy was waiting for him at the driver’s side door of the Blazer and blocked him from climbing in. “I don’t think so. Let me take care of you for a change. Look at yourself. You can barely walk.”

  Ben sighed. She was right, and he was too tired to argue about it.

  “Okay, but promise me you’ll let me know when you need a break.”

  “I promise,” Sandy agreed. Ben hadn’t pictured leaving this place with Sandy driving, but he hadn’t planned on being injured, either. Sitting in the passenger seat would give him a chance to work his knee a little so it didn’t stiffen up as much as it would if he were driving. It would also give him time to study the map.

  Ohio might be a bit ambitious for the amount of daylight remaining, but that wasn’t their biggest obstacle. Lack of proper rest was the greatest threat to them right now. And even if they’d left hours earlier, they would still be limited by their stamina. They certainly weren’t making it to Cloverdale today—or maybe even tomorrow, for that matter. What they needed was someplace safe and under the radar to spend the night and log some solid rest.

  As Sandy pulled out and headed west, through the back window, Ben watched the caravan of vehicles follow. One big advantage to having Sandy drive would be his ability to keep an eye on the others. He thought Rita and Carlos would be his chief concern, but he found himself worrying more about Martin. The guy was still a little keyed up from their adventurous foray down the mountain, but that would wear off soon, and when it did, the monotony of the highway would take over. It was one of the main reasons Ben had wanted Joel to bring up the rear. It wasn’t the best solution, but if Martin started to get tired and drift off the road, Ben hoped a few honks from the Jeep would be enough to wake him up and put him back on track.

  Ben was tired as well, but he fought the u
rge to close his eyes. He didn’t want to leave Sandy on her own. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust her with the job; he just knew she was as tired as he was. He also wanted to help keep an eye out for a gas station. Not too far up ahead was a town where they should be able to find fuel.

  Ben noticed a sign for Treasure Lake and thought about Martin again. That was where he and his wife were headed before they were captured by the moonshiners. He was actually surprised at how well Martin seemed to be doing, considering all he’d been through. However, Martin might also be relieved that his wife would be spared all this, especially if she was already ill and suffering. Ben could understand that.

  That was his biggest concern with Jack when they first arrived in Maryland. With his health, this would have been a hard trip on the old man. Jack might very well have suffered the same fate as Martin’s wife if he’d been with them at the moonshiners’ camp. In the long run, that would have been harder on the kids. Not that what happened was easy for them to deal with, but not much was these days.

  Ben took a lot of comfort in knowing Jack died with the mindset that he’d protected the kids right up until the end. Going out like that, fighting, beat dying trapped in a metal container, helpless and worried about the kids. The longer Ben thought about it, the more he realized just how lucky they were to lay Jack to rest under the magnolia tree at his home. That was a luxury millions of people hadn’t had since the morning the EMPs hit.