Oh no, no brakes!!!!!

I'm in trouble~!!! Over the sound of my book on tape recording, I heard a sharp whine, like a fan belt squealing, smelled some kind of hot machine oil smell, and suddenly realized I didn't have brakes!!!

It is dark, dry now but lightening in the near distance, hot still. I pull over on the shoulder, pumping my brakes to stop, pulling up the emergency brake at the very end, and try to find out what happened. I see no leaks, no cables dragging underneath the truck.

I decide to go forward, still smelling something but hearing only the engine - which thank the goddesses sounds strong and normal.

I pull off at the next exit, see all the lights off at the roadside businesses and gas stations, only the motel lit up, and decide to try to make it to the rest stop just before El Paso.

I get to the rest stop without hitting anyone or running over the curb and smashing into the bathroom buildings!

I lift my cab by myself - Derrick has passed on the trick of opening the doors and then lifting the cab - 15 years I've had my truck and not one guy has shared this trick with me until Derrick, my fabulous and incredibly competent Atlanta mechanic!

I shine my flashlight over and under the engine but cannot see anything wrong. I decide to wait til morning. As I climb into the camper, the heavens open with big plodding drops of rain, then brilliant lightening and raucous thunder!

The lights go out at the rest stop, which I'm grateful for as the truck stopped right under a way too bright lite.

I go on-line and find a diesel truck repair shop 5 miles away, at the outskirts of El Paso. I'll try to make it there early in the a.m., before any rush hour, so I have less vehicles to wipe out if my brakes fail totally.