“I appreciate that, but we’ve got a destination in mind. Not too far from where you’re headed, if I’m not mistaken. A little place called Cloverdale.” The offer was appreciated, and he might have taken her up on it if it wasn’t for Cloverdale. He just hoped for her sake that her daughter’s place had survived.
“Do you know what vehicle belongs to Martin?” Ben asked.
“No, I’m afraid not.” Rita shook her head and went back to watching Bradley and Emma play with the dogs.
Ben approached Sandy and the older kids. “Joel, how about you and Allie figure out the vehicle situation for these guys? Drive whatever you decide on over here by the gear.” Ben glanced back at Rita to make sure she was still being entertained by the younger kids and the dogs. “Forget the Cadillac. Even if it runs, it’ll slow us down getting out of here, if it makes it down the mountain at all.”
“What about Martin?” Allie asked.
“Someone needs to find out what he’s driving and talk him into an upgrade if needed. Preferably something with a lot of cargo space and four-wheel drive. We’re going to have to get off the road at some point tonight and rest. I’m handing this off to you guys. It’s your call on the vehicles.” Ben waited until he got a nod from both Joel and Allie before continuing. “I’m going to start packing the trucks. I might not get it back together as well as we had it organized leaving Jack’s, but things will be where you can find them.”
“What can we do to help?” Emma asked. Ben hadn’t noticed his two younger kids come up from behind and join the group.
“I need you guys to keep the dogs under control and help your brother and Allie out if they need anything.”
“Got it,” Bradley reported back.
“Is Martin coming with us to Cloverdale?” Sandy asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I need to talk to him about that. He told me that he has no place to go, and Vince and the others could really use some of this stuff if he’s willing to drive it there. I’m sure they’d welcome him and a few thousand rounds of ammo with open arms,” Ben joked. “Actually, I guess I better do that now before I go making plans for the guy. Take the radio, Joel. I’ll let you know what Martin’s vehicle situation is.”
“I’ll go. I can stand watch at the gate and Martin can help you here and you guys can talk,” Sandy offered.
“Are you sure?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, no problem. I can do this.” Sandy picked up her AR-15 and began to peruse the ammunition pile.
“Any of those mags on top.” Ben pointed to a pile of thirty-round magazines loaded with .223-caliber rounds. Sandy took three of them and headed for the front of the compound to relieve Martin of his post.
“What do you want me to do?” Rita asked.
“I want you to drink plenty of water and rest. You’re probably going to have to drive you and your husband out of here.” That was one of the many things that worried Ben about leaving. Both Rita and her husband were seriously malnourished and dehydrated. It would take more than an MRE and a few bottles of water to bring them back from their weakened state. It would also take time—time they didn’t have. Ben hoped they could find the strength to be somewhat self-sufficient soon, because in a couple hours’ time, they were driving out through that gate and never looking back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rita reluctantly accepted her assignment and settled in with a blanket she’d spread out on the ground. The dogs were quick to join her, and so was Emma. Bradley was taking things seriously and seemed content to stand guard several feet away, where he could survey the compound from the higher elevation.
If Ben knew his son, he’d say that Bradley was enjoying this to some degree, or maybe it was the responsibility Ben had given him to protect his sister. Either way, he was glad to see his son adapting to the situation.
“Bradley, get some rest. It’s okay.”
“No thanks. I’m good.” Bradley took a few steps toward Ben. “Dad, can you just call me Brad from now on? I’m getting older now.”
Ben tried to hide his smile by picking up a can of ammunition and shoving it into the back of the Blazer. “Yeah, buddy. Sure thing. Say, if you’re not going to rest, you mind handing me some stuff and saving your old dad a few trips up and down? You can manage that and still keep an eye on things, right, Brad?”
“Yeah.” His son smiled and leaned his gun against the Jeep. They worked at packing for a while before Martin showed up. Carlos was with him, and Ben’s first concern was Sandy being alone at the gate. Not that Carlos was capable of much if she needed help, but he was an extra set of eyes. Maybe when Joel and Allie returned with the vehicles, Allie could join her mother. Ben couldn’t help but think Sandy might want some alone time with her daughter after all they’d been through.
“Hey, Carlos, you and Rita should pick out a couple weapons you think you can handle.” It felt odd saying that to a man who looked too weak to do much beyond walking.
Carlos studied the pile of weapons. “I’ve never had a gun before. It was always too much trouble to own one in New York.”
“Anything there is fine with me.” Ben had already pulled their personal guns out of the pile and stowed them back in their usual spots inside the Blazer and Jeep. But he saw the confused look on Carlos’s face as he eyed the pile of weapons, and Ben figured he better make a suggestion.
He took a break from packing and pulled an AR-15 from the pile of rifles lying on the ground. There
