Would the country as a whole even be able to feed itself anymore? Maybe that was the plan. If North Korea and Syria were responsible, would they invade U.S. soil at some point? That was a hard scenario to imagine, but it was possible.
It would make sense for a foreign invader to wait until the country was weakened even further by an interrupted supply chain. Even if the countries responsible for the attack didn’t invade, he was sure that some regime out there would be eager to take advantage of the situation. There was no shortage of hatred for America around the world, much of it he’d witnessed firsthand.
Ben loved his country, but its political machine had run amuck long ago. The lack of progress and loss of empathy for the everyday citizen became harder to defend as the years went by, and Ben found himself questioning the very system he’d risked his life for. It had gotten harder to distinguish between the two parties anymore, and a government that was supposed to be by the people and for the people now seemed more like a system rigged to keep the elite in power.
As a whole, he felt like the government could no longer effectively run the country, and that was when things were good for those in power. Politicians were less credible than ever, and it had become commonplace for them to accuse each other of collaborating with foreign governments for financial gain. In a cumbersome, heavily influenced system where the line between big corporations and government was blurred beyond distinction, who knew the truth anymore?
No, the government, or what was left of it, wouldn’t be concerned with people like them. The more Ben thought about it, the more sure he was that things were going to remain in this state of chaos for some time to come. And although he wouldn’t share these thoughts with the kids or anyone else right now, he wondered how long it would be before foreign parachutes dotted the sky.
Ben watched as his youngest son carried some of the camping gear to the truck, and he was scared for his future—for all the kids’ futures. He’d hide in the mountains of Colorado forever if that was what it took to keep his kids safe. It wouldn’t be much of a life for them, but it was better than the alternative. He’d rather die fighting than live on his knees.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ben was startled by the sound of vehicles approaching until he remembered that Joel and Allie were bringing a pair of cars over from the far side of the compound. It was a good excuse to stop working and take five minutes to have a drink. Ben wiped his face down with a rag from his back pocket as he waited for Joel and Allie.
Allie led the procession in a half yellow, half primer gray International Harvester Scout. Ben hadn’t seen one of those in a while, and he hoped it ran better than it looked. Like the Blazer, it had oversized tires mounted on what looked like expensive rims. With any luck, the previous owner had spent money on mechanical upgrades as well.
Joel was right behind her in a less flashy dark-blue Toyota extended cab pickup truck. Ben was happy with Joel’s choice. The Toyota should be reliable for whoever took it. If the pickup had a cap, he would have pushed Martin toward it, but the Scout had more lockable storage, and Ben suspected the old International would be too much for Rita to handle anyway. Old trucks with lift kits could be temperamental on the highway when it came to steering and braking. They didn’t need to add any more challenges to the trip.
Joel and Allie backed up the new vehicles next to the other trucks. Ben went to the Scout and dropped the tailgate before Allie even had the chance to turn it off.
“Oh, I guess our Cadillac didn’t make it,” Rita asked.
“No, I couldn’t get it to start.” Joel shot Ben a look. “The Toyota runs really nice, though, if you can drive a stick.”
Rita smiled. “I learned to drive on a manual, sweetie.”
Joel looked at Ben. “Is that all right?”
“Yeah, Martin can drive this.” Ben surveyed the cargo space inside the Scout and liked what he saw. They’d have no problem fitting the rest of the gear inside of this truck. Of course, Ben was planning on giving Rita and Carlos plenty, but he felt justified in taking the lion’s share. And with Martin joining them, that was no problem now.
“Heck yeah I can.” Martin came over to admire the Scout. “Is this my truck?”
“It is now.”
A slight grin crept over Martin’s face as he circled the truck and admired the exterior. Allie slid out of the driver’s seat and left the door open for him.
“It’s a little bigger than my Honda,” he joked, eying the distance from the door sill to the ground. He pulled himself up into the driver’s seat, and his smile grew when he gripped the wheel and looked out over the hood.
Ben made his way around to the front. “Pop the hood, will ya?”
“Sure.” Martin fumbled around for a moment, then hit the release. Ben was pleased to find a clean and organized engine bay with several upgraded parts. Nothing too flashy, but that was okay with him.
“It’s in good shape, I think. They both seem to be,” Joel interjected. Just then, Ben thought about Sandy and the fact that she was alone at the gate.
“Allie, your mom is at the gate. How about checking in on her? You can take her the radio while you’re at it. Maybe take her some coffee, too,” Ben suggested.
“Okay.”
“I’ll go
