Restitution: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival series (The Dark Road series Book 8)

trail.
He was nervous as well, but he didn’t want to share that with any of them. They probably already knew it to some degree anyway. It was the type of feeling you never really got used to but over time learned to harness and use to your advantage. Ben had learned to navigate these fight-or-flight emotions early on in his Army career. The guys who could detach themselves from that inner voice telling them to panic or lose control were the ones who made it home. It was a cold, hard truth Ben didn’t like to think about but had seen play out too many times to ignore. That was just the way it was.
At every base assignment or in every unit, a few faces had that look. Fear and uncertainty had a grip on these doomed few. These unprepared soldiers were destined to lose it all, and at times, it was hard to look them in the eye, mostly because he was sure they weren’t cut out for what lay ahead.
Ben was grateful that neither Sandy nor any of the kids had ever given him the slightest inkling that they weren’t up to the numerous hardships this trip was throwing at them. And so far, they had risen to whatever challenges or obstacles they’d met along the way. They would do the same now, together as a team. As bleak as things looked right now, they would persevere. It was the only acceptable option.

Chapter Five
Ben was beginning to think they wouldn’t see a soul until morning. It was getting late, and the last sounds they heard coming from the center of the camp were over an hour ago. There was some shouting that ended with the distinct sound of breaking glass. Ben pictured one of the gang members throwing an empty bottle into the fire as he sat and listened from the container.
He’d convinced the kids and Sandy to try to get some rest while he took the first watch. Someone had to stay awake and warn them if the guards returned. If they missed their chance because they were all sleeping, they’d miss the opportunity to deal with these guys while they were all liquored up. That was an advantage Ben didn’t want to waste.
Joel had volunteered to take the next shift for his dad at midnight, but Ben wondered if it was worth losing sleep over at this point. He didn’t want Joel sitting up all night for nothing and being exhausted tomorrow.
If they didn’t make it out of this container tonight, the old man and his crew were going to be hard on them tomorrow. That much he knew. And being tired wouldn’t help their situation any. Ben was worried that Joel, without enough rest, wouldn’t be up for the work they assigned them tomorrow. That could lead to a confrontation with one of the moonshiners, something he wanted to avoid at all costs after watching Joel get hit with the rifle butt earlier.
Ben had encountered plenty of bad guys both in and out of the Army. Some were all bark and no bite. He didn’t believe that to be the case with the old man and his flunkies here. Ben truly believed they would shoot anyone who stepped out of line. The thought of one of these animals hurting Sandy or the kids made him sick. But that was why they needed to escape long before morning.
He blew out a long, deep breath and tried to clear his mind of the bad thoughts as he stared out into the night. To rest his mind, he did his best to focus on the distant chirp of a cricket somewhere in the woods. There wasn’t much of a moon, just a sliver he could see through the partially barren treetops. But his eyes were well adjusted to the darkness by now, and in the pale moonlight, he could clearly make out the well-worn path back to the camp.
He was surprised that their festivities had tailed off so quickly, and he was glad to hear it quiet down for the kids’ sake, even though it meant the likelihood of the guards returning was diminished. At one point, the yelling and cursing were pretty loud, and Emma and Bradley were clearly bothered by it. They did their best to hide it, but he could see that the chaos was making them uneasy and more frightened. He was glad they were sleeping again for now.
He checked his watch. I’m not sure this is going to happen. Ben rubbed his eyes; they were starting to burn a little, probably from a lack of sleep or the dehydration that was starting to afflict them all. He squeezed his eyes closed for a few seconds in an effort to rest them, and that was when he heard the sound.
Ben froze. Holding his breath, he waited and listened. There it was again. There was no mistaking the rhythmic crunch of leaves for anything other than approaching footsteps. His eyes popped open, and he zeroed in on the farthest point of the trail he could see. Eventually, he began to make out the shape of a person moving slowly toward the containers. Whoever it was had a noticeable stagger to their walk and was no doubt drunk on moonshine.
Then the figure stopped for a moment, and Ben’s heart sank when he saw their route to escape hanging in the balance. He was glad to see that the figure had only paused to light a cigarette. The glow of the lighter revealed the person as the younger guard, and the familiar sensation of adrenaline washed over Ben when he realized the plan might actually work. This was it; this was the moment they were waiting for.
Backing away from the opening in the container door, Ben made his way around to the others and made sure they were awake and ready for what was about to go down.
“Allie, this is it. The younger