Days Of Perdition: Voodoo Plague Book 6 by Dirk Patton

to approach any of the
vehicles.
    About twenty vehicles had stacked up behind her and she
quickly passed them as she accelerated south.  As she drove she met half a
dozen heavily loaded vehicles heading north, but kept her eyes focused on the
road ahead after checking to make sure none of them turned around to follow
her.  Just over eight miles later she found what she was looking for. 
    A small, dirt pullout on the left side of the road with a
heavy steel gate guarding access to a trail leading up into the mountains.  A
large combination padlock secured the gate, the whole arrangement solidly set
into concrete footings.  Pulling to a stop with the front bumper close to the
gate, Katie leaned across the cab and dug through the glove compartment.
    The Forest Service allowed people to use the fire roads to
get into backcountry that wasn’t accessible by any other method.  All you had
to do was fill out a form and they’d issue a free permit that was good for six
months and also had a list of date ranges and gate codes printed on it.  The
lock’s combo was changed monthly and Katie hoped John had a recent permit.
    Finding the right piece of paper, she scanned the dates,
happily finding the current range.  Reciting the combo to herself, she checked
the area around the truck and seeing all was clear hopped out and ran to the
lock.  The number wheels were stiff from exposure to the weather, but once she
got the right combo dialed in the lock popped open.  It took her less than a
minute to swing the gate open, drive through, hop back out, close and re-lock
it.

8
     
    The fire road was rough.  Calling it a road was being
generous.  It was actually nothing more than a path across the desert leading
up the edge of the Mogollon Rim to mountain country.  The vegetation had been
scraped away and just the largest of rocks removed.  It was only navigable with
a stout four-wheel drive vehicle with high ground clearance. 
    John had built up his truck for just this kind of terrain,
installing tall off-road tires, specialty suspension components and replacing
Ford’s factory skid plates with heavy, iron plates to protect the underside of
the vehicle.  Regardless, Katie knew from experience that if she went too fast
or didn’t control the truck properly that she could damage it.  Not that being
stranded out here wasn’t looking to be preferable to being stranded in town, but
she didn’t want to wind up on foot.
    Speed wasn’t her friend on the trail.  Her foot spent more
time on the brake, controlling descents into dry washes than it did on the
gas.  She drove for an hour before coming to a stop at the bottom of the first
of many steep climbs as the road pushed deeper into the wilderness.  Leaving
the engine idling, she was paranoid about turning it off and it failing to
start when she was ready to go, she stepped out to find a place to relieve
herself.
    Needs taken care of she, she drank some water while
surveying the area.  While she was stopped she decided to check in with Steve. 
Pulling out the phone she dialed his number, waiting impatiently for him to
answer.
    “I’m watching you in real time,” he said when he picked up.
    “Great.  Ever think I might want some privacy to use the
bathroom?”  Katie asked, shading her eyes as she looked to the north and the
steep climb in front of her.
    “Relax, I couldn’t see anything.”  He chuckled.  “You’ve
only covered a little over five miles, if you weren’t aware.”
    Katie was surprised.  She hadn’t thought to check the
odometer when she drove through the gate, and hadn’t realized just how slow she
was moving.  She’d probably be making better time on horseback, she mused.
    “Then there should be about 65 miles to go.  Right?”  She
asked.
    “68.  I’ve got it mapped out on the computer.  Looks like
you’ve got some pretty serious climbs ahead, as well as a couple of canyons to
get through.  The good news is the road looks open all