CHAPTER 41
THE JEEP WAS down for the count.
Topper was dazed, marveling at how close he’d come to going airborne into the bay. The Jeep’s wheels had continued their sweep, skimming the yawning chasm formed by the broken road and pitching him into a steep ditch, embedding with the rear end raised like a stink bug’s.
He climbed around precariously within its slanting confines, gathering his pack and as many supplies as he could comfortably carry. He’d be hiking the rest of the way. But not tonight. He’d been bustling since early morning and he was beat. He had a sleeping bag. With rope and a tarp he could fashion a shelter for the night. He wanted solitude and hoped to avoid running into anyone as he climbed up the steep verge into the tree line.
It had been a banner day. A day for th
