Page 16 of Thin Ice

Brookes eased the vehicle around behind the detached garage that was too far gone to use. He turned to Abby. The fear on her face made him want to reach out and hold her tight. He clasped her hand. “How about we call James and see what the ETA on our help is?”

She smiled and laced her fingers with his. “Yes, let’s call him.” Abby dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.

“Are you all safe?” James’s tone was laced with tension.

“Yes, for now. But we need some good news.” She glanced over at Brookes.

“I’ve been in touch with my guy and he’s near the state border. His name is Fin Riley.”

Abby blew out a shaky breath. “Tell him to hurry, James. It feels as if we’re sitting targets here.”

“Stay out of sight as best you can.” He hesitated. There was something he wasn’t telling them.

“What is it?” Brookes asked. Now was not the time for secrets. They needed to know what they were up against.

“There’s a bounty on each of your heads. And there’s something else. The man in charge of this newly reorganized National Security Guard is none other than Martin Collins. He’s changed his appearance some, and he’s going by the name Adam Sinclair, but it’s Collins.”

Brookes’s gaze latched onto Abby’s. He couldn’t believe it. The true leader of Legion had taken a position to put him in control of national security. This couldn’t be good.

“How do people not realize he’s the same former CIA agent who faked his death?” Brookes shook his head. But with the president of the country’s backing, even if someone did bother to dig into Collins’ past, they wouldn’t dare question it for fear of retribution.

“People are scared,” James told them. “They’re looking to their government leaders to save them. Kincaid is saying all the right things. Promising protection for their families. No one’s looking too closely at whom Kincaid appoints over the National Security Guard as long as he comes through on his promises.”

“Things are about to get really ugly.” Abby breathed out a shaky breath. “How many other members of Legion will they appoint to high-level positions?”

“As many as they can get away with.” Victor answered. He’d been listening to the conversation. “We have to find a way to reach the American public. Let them know they’re being lied to.”

“Agreed. That’s why I have friends all over the country organizing a grassroots moment to get the word out. You guys need to change your phones out. Use the burners I gave you before you left for Texas. Ditch the others and call me with the new number so I can have my friend reach out to you if need be. And I’ll put a tracker on each of them so that I have eyes on your location at all times.”

“Thanks, James. We’ll change them out right away.” Brookes went to work on ditching his immediately.

“How’s Agent Allison?” James asked.

“I’m better. Sitting up, believe it or not, thanks to Abby’s excellent care,” Kinsley said from the back of the van.

James chuckled. “That’s good to hear. Though it’s probably good for you to be up and moving, don’t push yourself too hard, agent. Help is on the way. We’ll talk soon.”

Abby ended the call and removed the battery from her phone and destroyed it. Brookes handed her one of several burners he’d brought along.

Once their new phones were operational, Abby texted James the new numbers and glanced out the side window. “It doesn’t look so bad inside. Should we go in?” She turned to Brookes. “It’ll be hours before James’s friend is able to reach us.”

“It’ll at least allow us to stretch our legs.” Brookes opened the door and climbed out. From the back of the van, he assisted Kinsley. With Victor taking one arm, he held onto the other as they headed to the back door.

Abby shoved it open and faced Brookes. “Give me a second to look around. Make sure there’s nothing inside that might cause us a problem.”

“I’m going with you.” Brookes didn’t hesitate. No way would he let her go into an unsecured location alone.

She didn’t argue but stepped inside the run-down farmhouse with her weapon drawn. The back door opened into what had once been the kitchen. Cupboards stood open. Several drawers were smashed on the floor. The appliances were all gone.

“Clear,” Abby said and moved into the next room.

A small living area, devoid of furniture, was papered with peeling wallpaper faded with time. The house consisted of a single story with two bedrooms off the living room and a single bath. All were empty.

Brookes went back outside to the others. “It’s clear,” he told them and grabbed the police radio and gear from the back. His sister had packed some light food for the trip. Right now, the sandwiches, chips, and bottled water looked like a five-star meal. “We’ve got a long wait ahead of us. We might as well get comfortable and have something to eat.” Brookes handed out the sandwiches and water, then turned up the police scanner. Calls crackled on the line. Brookes listened closely to see if there’d been any new reports of them.

So far, it didn’t appear they’d been spotted by the people at the shipyard.

Abby sank to the floor beside him. “Should we reach out to Tom?” She peered into Brookes’s eyes.

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