Page 48 of Zero Visibility

Frustration rose inside and he battled it. He hated being forced to wait for what was coming next. The uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn’t settle down. He stood and paced around the room.

Ben had scheduled round-the-clock patrol teams to check the perimeters of their location. James had set up cameras around the place and down below that should alert them to any impending attack, and yet Ben still couldn’t let go of his worries.

The door opened. Kaiden and Deacon came inside and shook the snow from their coats.

“What’s going on? You okay?” Kaiden asked when he got a good look at Ben’s troubled expression.

“Just nerves, I guess.” Ben said in way of an answer and wasn’t surprised that Kaiden didn’t appear to believe him.

Kaiden clasped his shoulder. “I get it. Things are getting tense.”

Ben focused on his friend. Kaiden appeared as on edge as he did. “I’ve got a bad feeling, brother,” he said. “Something’s coming.”

Kaiden eyes narrowed. “Yeah, you’re not the only one. I didn’t want to worry anyone, but if we have the capability to cloak our movements, I can only imagine the technology at Legion’s disposal.”

Ben believed the same. He had never felt this helpless before. They were trapped on top of a mountain with another blizzard moving in and few resources to provide for their growing numbers. They needed a refuge other than here, but lack of location and the weather were holding them hostage.

While Kaiden grabbed a coffee to warm up, Ben slipped into the seat beside James and watched the security monitors.

“Nothing alarming out there except the storm that’s moving in quickly,” James told him.

Ben scanned the surveillance footage again, unable to let go of the feeling that danger was closing in on them, cutting off their means of escape.

“Anything on a possible new location for our people?” Ben needed something to take his mind off his fears.

“I have a few possibilities.” James pulled something up on his laptop and put it up on the screen above. “This former military base looks promising. It closed in the early nineties and hasn’t been used for anything else. The military moved out its equipment years ago, but there’s plenty of housing. The only problem is we’d have to find a way to make our own power. Still, beggars can’t be choosers.” He paused long enough to pull another location up. “This was once a major logging operation in Washington State. It’s highly wooded and remote. There are a few housing units onsite, so it has possibilities.”

While both sounded ideal, the one in Washington was closer and presented less of a risk to relocate their organization. Ben checked his watch. “We’ve another four hours before dawn.” He got up and moved to the small window in the storage room. Blackness all around. Fat snowflakes wafted down from the sky at an alarming rate.

Tegan followed him to the window. “You’re worried.”

“I am.” Ben wished he could dismiss the knot growing in his stomach that warned trouble was on its way, but he couldn’t.

Tegan met his gaze. “I feel the same way and I have another suggestion. Those two locations James came up with are good, but I don’t like that we’d be at the mercy of strangers if someone should come around asking questions.”

“What’s your suggestion?” Ben asked, unable to dismiss Tegan’s earlier betrayal. Could he trust this man again? Mentally, he took stock of the equipment they had to evacuate. The Suburban would hold most of the people but not everyone. If they could shuttle folks to the plane once they retrieve the Jeep, they could feasibly get everyone onboard by mid-morning. If necessary, they could use the snowmobiles and the side-by-side.

“My uncle owns a spread up near Red Deer, Alberta. He was kind of the black sheep of the family. Moved up there and cut off all ties with most everyone except for me. We kept in touch through the years. He’s in the middle of nowhere and he doesn’t have any neighbors close by. We’ll be safe there and he won’t ask questions. I have no right to ask, but can you trust me enough to know I would never hurt you again?”

Ben searched his friend’s troubled expression, and the answer came easily. “That would be a godsend. Can you get in touch with him to let him know we’re coming?” Ben handed Tegan his phone.

“I’ll do it right now.” Tegan’s expression lightened.

Left alone Ben watched the darkness as the wind howled like a ravenous wolf waiting to devour its prey. Over the noise of the wind, something far more disturbing could be heard.

The thud, thud, thud of helicopter blades. They were too late. Trouble was on its way.

???

Blinding light flooded the cabin, waking everyone inside.

“What is that?” Doris headed for the window as the truth became clear.

“No! Stay away from the window!” Jen yelled. “That’s a helicopter and it isn’t ours.” She pulled in a breath. Expelled it. The world around them exploded in an all-out attack.

“Get down! Everyone, get down!” Jen screamed over the noise of the chopper and the rain of bullets coming down on them.

“How many are there?” Sidney crept beside her.

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