Alone, Book 3: The Journey by Darrell Maloney Read Free Book Online Page A

wouldn’t attract much attention from anyone happening by during daylight hours.
         However, the rainstorm would likely keep the temperatures cool, even during daylight hours.
         And that same black Explorer with fogged up windows would attract plenty of attention.
         He couldn’t spend the day in the Explorer. It was just too risky.
         But he had a plan.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 11
     
         Dave turned off the vehicle using the auxiliary ignition key and placed the key in his pocket.
         While he waited for a lull in the rainstorm, he took the oversized atlas he lifted from the Zavala Branch Library and stuffed it into the backpack he had on the front floorboard.
         It stuck out the top, and he wouldn’t be able to zip the bag closed. But he was confident that whatever water it absorbed when he went out into the rain would eventually dry without doing any damage.
         He checked the rest of the contents of the bag.
         Two zip-lock bags of jerky. Two cans of Vienna sausages. Four granola bars. A change of clothes. A two liter bottle of drinking water, a new journal to document his road experiences, and an ink pen to write with.
         And, although he hoped he wouldn’t need them, two extra fully loaded magazines.
         He reached his left hand into the driver’s side door. In its cargo compartment he found, next to the ice scraper he hoped he wouldn’t need, a 16 ounce claw hammer.
         And a small pry bar about fourteen inches long.
         There was a full sized crowbar in the back of the vehicle if this one didn’t do the trick.
         Lastly, he reached between the front seats, to the floorboard behind the front passenger seat. From there he pulled up a gun case containing his AR-15 rifle, a cleaning kit, and extra magazines.
         He’d almost left the waterproof case behind to save a little space. At the last minute, he’d decided to bring it along in case he encountered inclement weather along the way.
         He didn’t have a clue he’d need it so quickly after his departure, but was glad to have had it.
         Once he had all his gear ready, he waited.
         Ten minutes later, the rain slowed to a trickle.
         It was still too dark to examine the cloud cover overhead. Dave didn’t know if this was the end of the storm or just a brief respite.
         And honestly, he hoped the storm would continue throughout the day, to keep the curious away from his vehicle.
         As long as it stopped before he set out again at nightfall.
         He eased open the door of the Explorer and took the Ford key out of his pocket. With the door open, he depressed the door lock and then used the key to open it from the outside. Before he locked himself out of the vehicle, he wanted to make sure the key would open the door without need of the electrical system.
         He assumed it was manufactured to do so. Otherwise drivers with dead batteries wouldn’t be able to get into their vehicles.
         And, as he’d hoped, turning the key in the door lock did indeed cause the push button to rise, unlocking the door.
         Now he felt comfortable in locking the door for the day while he rested. He looked to make sure the other door locks were depressed, relocked the driver’s door, and quietly pushed it shut.
         Then he gathered his gear and ran to the tractor trailer parked directly in front of him.
         In his hand he carried the small pry bar, in case he needed it to open the door.
         But he didn’t need it. The door had been left unlocked, undoubtedly by a confused trucker who somehow knew when he left that he’d never be back.
         Dave peered inside, to make sure no one was in the cab or the sleeper behind the seats.
         It was, as he hoped, deserted.
         He crawled inside the