Page 24 of Zero Visibility

Nothing about the house was welcoming. It clearly hadn’t been occupied in years, if the layers of dust were any indication.

Ben had to put his full weight against the door for it to budge. He stepped inside along with Peter and Will. The flashlight’s beam guided the way.

“Let’s make sure there’s no one else here before we bring in the others.” They fanned out through the single-story house and checked each room.

“Nothing here but a bunch of dust.” Will clapped his hands together, dirt flew all around.

“Not exactly inviting.” Ben looked around with a scowl on his face. The time on his phone confirmed the awful truth. Several hours stood between them and rescue. “Let’s get everyone inside and out of the elements.” Ben moved to the door and motioned everyone in. They gathered in the living room. A crumbling fireplace in the corner of the room called out to him. Ben would give anything if they could risk a fire to warm up, but with Legion on the search, there was too much at stake.

Tegan sank to the floor. The effort of walking had depleted his limited energy. He’d need all the rest he could get before they were forced to walk to the extraction site.

“How long before they arrive?” Jen’s sweet voice penetrated Ben’s worried thoughts.

“A couple of hours.” The disappointment on her face was hard to take. He tugged her into his arms. “We’re safe here. No one knows this location.”

She forced a smile. “I’m just ready for this to end. I can’t stop worrying. How you do all this cloak-and-dagger stuff on a daily basis is beyond me.”

Ben smiled despite their situation. Every time he looked at Jen, he was grateful for God bringing them back together. He’d thought he’d lost her love. Once they were back in Montana, he wanted to do everything in his power to assure her he’d never let the job take precedence over her again. “I’ll confess it’s starting to wear on my nerves a little.”

She pulled away and stared at him. “I can imagine. Do you ever wish you could do something different?”

She had no idea how close she’d come to the truth. “All the time. Once this is over, I don’t ever want to see another gun again.”

Jen leaned in and kissed him, taking him by surprise. The kiss deepened as he responded with all his heart. He’d give anything to be with her under different circumstances.

“I’m so ready for that day to come.” She breathed the words against his lip. “Just you and me and the baby, living a simple life far away from anything bad.”

He held her tighter. “That sounds amazing. Maybe a cabin in the woods with all the animals you’ve always wanted. We could raise horses and babies and live the rest of our lives happily together.”

She snuggled closer. “You paint a beautiful picture, Mr. Parker. You’d better be careful, or I might just take you up on it.”

He laughed. In the middle of one of the worst situations of their lives, his heart soared. Jen was with him, and he loved her so much.

“That’s a promise, I hope?” She nodded against his chest.

Ben tipped her chin up and kissed her tenderly, his finger trailing down her cheek. “I love you, babe. More than anything I love you, and I’m so glad I didn’t screw things up forever.”

She shook her head. “You never could.”

His eyes lingered on her face for a moment longer before he let her go. “I’d better check in with Cole to make sure everything is still set.” Ben stepped away and hit Cole’s contact number. It took several tries to pick up enough service to go through.

“Boy, is it good to hear from you. How’s everyone holding up?” Cole asked once he’d picked up.

“We’re hanging in there. Tegan’s exhausted, but he was able to walk on his own, which is good. Still, I’ll feel better once we’re in the air.”

“Me, too. This just keeps getting worse by the minute. How’s Jen doing?”

Ben glanced back at his wife who stood talking with Nancy. “She’s amazing, but I’m worried about her. Being pregnant, none of this can be easy.”

“I can’t even imagine. Let’s get you all back to Montana safely, and then we can celebrate the news that you and Jen are going to be parents.”

“I’m ready.” And he was.

“On a brighter note, I have news. James had a hit on the president’s personal cell phone. It turned on a little while ago. He’s working on the location for Abby and Brookes now.”

Ben let out a long whistle. “That would be so good. We sure need him to let the world know about Legion’s lies.” Ben tried not to get his hopes up. The phone could have been lost when Legion’s goons kidnapped the president. Someone else might have found it and turned it on. “Do you think he’s still alive?” Probably not the right question to ask when everyone was trying to stay positive.

“I don’t know.” Cole sighed. “I sure hope James can pin down the location soon. I don’t like having our people in the midst of the enemy for too long.”

---