Page 3 of Zero Visibility

The grim reality ripped Ben’s heart to shreds. What if he were too late? What if Jen had been taken prisoner or worse? “I will.”

“Watch your backs. Bring everyone home safely. I have a feeling we’re going to need every person on the team to get through this.” Cole hugged him once more.

Ben fought back emotions as he pulled away and clasped Cole’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself, my friend. Get better. We need you.” With those parting words, Ben headed for the door. He turned and scanned the faces of the men and women there. They were like family, and he prayed for every one of them. For them, he wanted this thing to end soon. Without any more lives lost.

He stepped out into the frozen snow-covered world of another day fading. It was Christmas Eve night. The brink of one of the greatest events on earth. The birth of the Prince of Peace, yet more than two thousand years later, they were no closer to having it.

Ben faced the men who would be backing him on this trip. “Bring plenty of weaponry and what you think you’ll need for an extended time away. I’ll meet you back at the SUV in ten minutes.” He watched his people head to their respective cabins and prayed for their safety.

Inside his temporary home, he packed clothing, medical supplies, weapons and ammo. He had no idea what they’d be facing once they left the compound. If they’d even be able to reach Denver.

His men were waiting at the SUV when he arrived.

“We found some extra containers of gas to bring along,” Peter told him. “I’ve got GPS pulled up and it’s close to an eight-hour drive. I was able to find some remote roads that should help keep us hidden from anyone who might be looking for us.”

“Thanks, Peter. I appreciate it. And thank you all for agreeing to come with me, especially on this night.” He glanced at their faces.

“Brother, I get it,” Will assured him. “If I knew where my Lizzy was, I’d go to the ends of the earth to get to her back.”

Ben’s heart went out to his comrade. Will hadn’t shared details of what happened to his wife with anyone other than the men here with him. He couldn’t imagine knowing that his wife of just a few weeks had been kidnapped by a ruthless killer. Her body was never found. The case remained unsolved to this day. For Will, the pain was still as raw as the day it happened.

“Let’s get on the road. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.” Will waited for Ben’s approval before climbing behind the wheel. Ben slipped into the back seat, only too happy to let someone else drive. His mind was running in a dozen different directions and all he could think about was Jen. Not only was she in the heart of the bomb explosion, but he was terrified that he’d arrive too late. When Legion figured out his connection to Jen, he had no doubt they’d come after her to get to him.

???

Fires burned all around the city. The news reported massive destruction and looting since the bombings.

Jennifer Parker had never felt more isolated than she did at this moment. She’d moved back to her hometown even though she had no living family here anymore. She wanted to return to a happier time. Before her marriage had fallen apart.

The small house she’d rented was in a quiet suburb of Denver and not far from the veterinarian hospital where she worked. Jen told herself she was putting space between herself and her husband because she needed a new start. It wasn’t working for them. She could no longer share her life with someone who kept most of his secret. Yet the thought of ending her marriage to Ben was just too painful to think about. And she was just as guilty as he of keeping secrets. She’d kept something important from him and simply left. The guilt was unbearable.

And now, one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent history had taken place, and all she wanted to do was reach out to Ben. Hear him tell her everything would be okay. Yet cell service was almost nonexistent. The few neighbors around whom she knew weren’t answering. Everyone was scared. The news reports mentioned major damage around the city. People were being warned to stay off the roads. She’d now become a prisoner in her own home.

Was he okay? Her frantic thoughts always returned to Ben. He’d seemed invincible before, but the man who had stolen her heart at church camp all those years ago was now being accused of the destruction around her. Impossible. She knew Ben better than anyone. He loved his country. Had served it well when he’d left his position as a youth pastor and joined the Army Rangers. Later, he took a position with the CIA. It was because of the Agency that their lives together had changed for the worse.

Jen grabbed her cell phone again and stared at the no-service indicator. The power was out all around the city as was the gas. Some neighborhoods didn’t have water. She was one of the lucky ones. Yet she didn’t feel lucky. It was Christmas Eve and she was alone and scared.

She paced the small living room until she ended up over at the window that looked out at the street. A car’s headlights flashed as it drove down the road. The first vehicle she’d seen since the attacks began.

The vehicle—a large SUV—stopped in front of her house. Jen jerked away from the window with her heart racing. She cracked the curtains and saw four men exit the vehicle and start toward her front door. She recognized none of them. Who were they and what did they want with her?

Her pulse slammed against her chest as if counting every second until someone pounded on the front door. Jen jumped at the disturbance and tiptoed to the door, glancing through the peephole. Ben was always diligent about safety. Having to be away from their home so much, he’d warned her never to open the door to someone she didn’t know.

“Mrs. Parker, I need to speak with you right away. This is about your husband.”Her husband?

She yanked the door open without thinking. “Is Ben okay?”

A big man stood in front of her. No reaction showed on his hard face. “We need to come in, Mrs. Parker. Your husband’s in a lot of trouble. You, too, if you’re harboring him.” The man all but forced himself in while pushing her aside. The rest of the men followed and closed the door. Jen’s fear level pinged off the charts. She was now alone with men she didn’t know.

She squared her shoulders and tried not to appear frightened. “My husband has done nothing but serve his country. He didn’t do the things he’s being accused of, and I’m not harboring him. I don’t know where he is.”

The big man stepped closer. “And I don’t believe you. Search the place,” he gave the order without breaking eye contact. His men responded quickly. Jen watched in horror as they tore her home apart. She clutched her cell phone in her sweater pocket like a lifeline. If they discovered it, they’d see the calls she’d made to Ben. His email to her she hadn’t been able to stop crying long enough to finish.

“There’s no sign of him.” One of the men said when he returned to the living room. The other two confirmed the same.

A dark flush rose up the big man’s neck. He breathed out his anger. She instinctively moved away. “Where is he?” he demanded. “And don’t tell me you haven’t heard from him. He’s your husband, and he’s on the run. He’d reach out to you for help.”

Though she was shaking all over, she tried to convey calm. “I said I don’t know where he is.” She enunciated every word.

---