Free A Distant Eden by Lloyd Tackitt Page B

Eventually Jerry was satisfied that they were alone. He had brought along a flashlight with fresh batteries. Tape covered the lens, leaving a small hole in the center that allowed only a tiny beam of light out. Despite it diminutive size, Jerry still felt like he was swinging around an enormous searchlight, attracting every bad guy within ten miles.
    They picked their way through the piles of goods, finding most of what they wanted, packing their backpacks full. They had thought that they might use a shopping cart, if any were around, to carry back more, but Jerry was too nervous about the noise it would make so had abandoned that idea. They were nearly ready to leave when Jerry heard faint footsteps approaching the storefront.

Chapter 9
     
     
    Matt found I-20 West to be mostly clear of blocked cars and he rarely saw another moving vehicle. I-20 West was not usually as busy as I-35, even on its worst days. Stalled cars and trucks were spread out on the average of a half a mile apart; most had pulled over to the side. This made easy going for Matt, so he took advantage, easily making eighty mph.
    There were people walking alongside the highway, trying to get to the nearest town. Most of them just stared at his moving vehicle with dulled eyes, but some seemed angry and gestured their emotions. “It’s strange,” Matt thought, “they’re mad at me but I’ve done nothing to them; I didn’t put them on foot.” Why were they angry at him? Yes, he had a car that was operating, but it was because he had made preparations. He had rebuilt this old truck himself, a project nearly anyone with basic tool skills could have done. He had thought ahead and taken a few precautions. It wasn’t rational for them to be angry at him. In fact, it was completely unreasonable. Matt recalled hearing someone once say that, “People were unhappy not because of what they didn’t have, but because of what other people had.” Matt thought that was the operating factor here.
    Matt had driven for several hours and was nearing the state highway, where he would leave the interstate. It was time for a comfort break. A rest stop was out of the question; there were a lot of people at those as he drove by. He waited until he had crested a hill where he could see a long way in all directions, and saw no one around. He got out, but did not shut off the engine; he didn’t want to take any chances. Everyone got out and hit the bushes to take care of their immediate needs. After that they stood by the truck, doing squats, and walking and jumping a bit getting the blood flowing again.
    They had only been driving again for a few minutes when Kristy turned to him and said, “Matt, I left my purse by the tree! We have to go back!”
    Matt wondered what could be in her purse worth going back for. Credit cards and money were no longer of any value. Well, not true, paper money could be used as toilet paper. But, he knew her well enough that it wasn’t worth arguing about. It would be easier to just go back. “All right.”
    Matt slowed to a near stop as he crested the next hill. Even though he had not seen another car moving, he wasn’t about to pull a u-turn in a blind spot, so he eased up to the top of the hill where he could see. Later he would say that God was with them, because by pulling this slow maneuver he was able to see the roadblock ahead. Had he been going at speed he would have seen it too late and would have had to either pull up to it and stop, or try to ram through it. The roadblock was made up of cars pushed across the interstate in a sharp valley between two hills. Any cars coming along at any speed would not see it in time to avoid it. It was a clever trap.
    From two hundred yards away, Matt stopped and stared. There were armed men standing at either end of the line of cars. It was impossible to mistake their intentions. They were there to steal. If he had gone on, he and his family would have been lucky to walk away with the clothes on