Page 20 of Zero Visibility

“We can’t go inside and pay. All of our faces have been on the news. Nancy, do you mind?” Ben handed her some money. “It’s not safe to use credit cards.” He squeezed Jen’s hand. “Stay here and keep your eyes open,” he told Will. “If you see anything strange, get me immediately.”

“You got it, Ben.”

Ben dug into his backpack and pulled out sunglasses and a ball cap.

“You can’t go in there.” Jen grabbed his arm. “You said yourself your face is on the news.”

“Let me check on my patient and then I can help Nancy fuel,” Everett volunteered.

Ben shook his head. He wanted to be available in case Nancy ran into trouble. “I’ll be okay with pumping the gas. The place is empty, and I doubt they will be expecting us in this thing. Take care of Tegan. Peter, come with me and stay close in case something happens.”

“I’m going, too.” Jen pulled her hood up on her coat and covered her eyes with sunglasses.

“That’s not a good idea. You have to think about the baby.”

She wasn’t about to let him risk his life while she stayed inside. “I’m going with you in case you need an extra weapon.” She tucked her gun in her coat pocket and stepped out into a blustery Christmas day.

“Stay close.” Ben glanced around the deserted parking lot. “No one’s here,” he said almost to himself. “With everything that’s going on and the amount of traffic we ran into before, don’t you think it’s odd that this place is empty?”

He motioned Peter over. “What’s going on?” Peter asked.

Ben shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I don’t like the fact that there’s no one around. Keep your eyes open.”

Peter nodded and headed to the rear of the RV. While she and Ben moved to the pump to wait for it to be turned on.

A beat-up eighteen-wheeler pulled up beside them on the opposite pump. A middle-aged man who appeared weary from the road got out. “Howdy,” he spoke to them as he removed the nozzle and began fueling.

Ben got the okay from Nancy and did the same.

“You folks heard what’s happening?” The driver asked, obviously wanting to talk. “The world’s gone crazy.”

“We have, and you’re right. It has.” Ben kept his attention on the pump and away from the man’s curious eyes. Jen tugged her hood down further on her head.

“I just came from across the border in Montana. It took me eight hours to go ten miles.” He shook his head. “It ain’t right. Last time I checked this was America.”

Jen shot Ben a look. “Why so long?”

The man eyed her for a long moment before answering. “Because they’re checking every vehicle that crosses. Got dogs and men dressed in uniforms. And martial law is in effect. You know what that means. The military is in control now.”

“That right?” Ben asked. “We’re visiting family in Montana. Looks like we’re in for a long wait. You don’t happen to know a quicker route.”

The man’s brows rose.

“We have a sick grandfather that we’re trying to get to for what’s left of Christmas.”

The driver scratched his head. “You can try the old Montana highway. I haven’t heard whether it’s shut down for searches or not.” He gave them directions. “But the road’s a rough one. It ain’t been properly maintained.”

Ben smiled. “Thanks, we’ll give it a try.”

The man screwed the fuel cap on his rig. “You folks take care. These are dangerous times.” With those parting words, he lifted two fingers and climbed back into his rig.

When the trucker left, Nancy came out with several bags full of groceries. Ben finished fueling and replaced the cap. Then he and Jen grabbed the bags from Nancy and carried them inside the RV.

“The old man working inside said the town was crawling with Feds earlier,” Nancy told them in a worried tone. “He said some of them were heading out of town the way we came. He overhead one of them mentioning they had a sighting of the terrorist responsible for the attacks near Silver Hills. Said they’re sending in more men to saturate the entire area.”

Jen sank to the closest chair. With the noose closing around their necks, would they be trapped here in this town with no means of escape and Legion gunning for them?

Chapter Eight

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