Page 36 of Thin Ice

“Keep the lights off,” Brookes said. “We don’t want those men to see us.”

Nick killed the lights. Darkness returned to the countryside. The road was covered in ice and the traveling was treacherous. Several times, the SUV almost slid off the road.

Abby’s phone rang. “It’s James.” She answered it quickly and put the phone on speaker.

“According to your location, Devils Lake is about an hour from you on US-2. My people will meet you there on the other side of the lake. They’ll be driving a black Suburban. Hurry, Abby. They can’t afford to wait long.”

“We will.”

“We’re all praying for you.”

“Thanks, James.” She ended the call. “Take US-2 to Devils Lake. We have an hour to get there.”

As they drove into the night, all Brookes could think about was how much further they’d have to go before they reached the sanctuary of their new compound in the Canadian prairies.

“Someone’s coming.”

Nick’s words were the worst possible thing to hear.

Brookes peered through the windshield. Several sets of headlights headed their way. “Find a spot to get off the road before they see us.”

Nick jerked the wheel hard to the right. The vehicle reacted to the road’s condition and spun out of control, then careened toward the woods along the road. Nick struggled to right the vehicle but finally got it under control. He slowed the speed and brought the SUV to a halt. “That was close.” Nick blew out a breath.

They were close enough to see the road through the trees. Headlights appeared first, then a large SUV drove by followed by five more.

The sight of so many vehicles was alarming. “They aren’t taking any chances.”

The tension was palpable. Once the last vehicle passed, Nick eased their SUV from its hiding place. He pulled onto the road without lights and started toward the lake.

“That was close,” Brookes told Abby. “I sure hope there aren’t more.”

“Me, too. I can’t wait to be someplace safe.”

Brookes’s heart went out to her. “The only way we’ll feel safe again is to put every member of Legion behind bars.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. Just for a moment, all was right in the world. They were together and she loved him. “I’m ready for your dream to become reality,” she whispered so only he could hear, and he squeezed her hand.

“As soon as we’re in Canada, we should contact Tom. We’ll need his help.”

She nodded against his shoulder. “I just hope he’s safe. After what happened with Zeke, I’m not sure who we can trust.”

He felt the same way. So far, Chris and Oliver seemed honest, but they’d all thought the same of their pilot. When one wrong decision could cost them their lives, they couldn’t afford to trust anyone.

“Hey, guys,” Snake said from behind them. “We’ve got company.”

Brookes jerked around and saw headlights coming up behind them quickly. Getting out of sight was no longer an option. “I don’t like the looks of this. Everyone, get down low. Nick, punch this thing.”

Nick stomped the pedal. The icy roads had the vehicle fishtailing. Once he managed to straighten it, he kept going.

Brookes glanced behind them. A single vehicle was doing its best to keep up with them. “They’re not letting up. They know it’s us.” Once again, Legion had found them.

“We have to get rid of them before we reach Devils Lake.” Abby pulled up Google Maps on her phone. “There are a couple of smaller roads coming up. We can try to outrun them.”

Brookes didn’t like their chances, but right now, they were out of options.

“I’ll take the first one I can see.” Nick leaned forward and squinted through the windshield. “There.” He whipped the SUV onto the road that was barely wide enough for one vehicle to travel. “Now what?”

“They’ll follow. Keep your speed as fast as you can.” Brookes looked behind them. The vehicle following had turned onto the same road. “Abby, we need another road.”

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