Page 27 of A Gathering Storm

“This is as far as we can go by vehicle.” Sebastian told them and turned toward Abby. “Where are your people?”

Abby had called ahead to let the team know when they would be arriving at the camp, but her recent calls had gone unanswered. She wondered if the increasing storm was playing havoc with cell reception. “They’ll be here.” She climbed out and took out her binoculars. Panning the wilderness that engulfed them, she noticed movement to her right. Brookes and the others joined her. “Someone’s coming.” She handed Brookes the binoculars. He focused on the space she indicated, and a smile illuminated his face.

“There are men on horses coming this way. . . that’s Peter and Deacon. That’s our people.”

The sight of her team approaching was a welcome one. “I’ll stash the vehicle out of sight of anyone who might happen by here,” Logan Caine, one of Sebastian’s fellow Rangers, told them.

They each grabbed their gear from the vehicle and waited for Logan to pull it into a thicket of trees.

With the vehicle stowed, Peter and Deacon spotted them. They had brought horses for each of them. They guided the horses their way, and both men dismounted.

“It’s good to see you all,” Deacon said, yet his expression remained grave. The cell service had gone away as they neared the border of Idaho and hadn’t returned. The last news Abby had heard was about the website going down and the planes flying over the camp. President Lancaster and the team were half a day behind them and expected to arrive at sunset. “Has something else happened?” Abby asked once she’d introduced her people to the newest members of Strike force.

Peter looked to Deacon before telling them about Collins’ claims.

“Do you believe him?” she asked.

“About the warheads, yes. His conversion remains to be seen.”

She certainly understood his doubts. Collins had been responsible for so much carnage.

“We should go to the camp as soon as possible,” Deacon told them. “Cole is trying to locate the old gold mine for a location to relocate the team.”

Abby helped Brookes up onto his mount before climbing on hers. “It doesn’t sound like we have much time.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I sure hope the president and his wife and their team make it here safely. Susan is in pretty bad shape.”

“Without cell service, we’ll station people to keep a watch out for them,” Deacon told her.

Abby kept a close watch on Brookes as they rode up the steep incline.

“I don’t like where things are heading.” Brookes peered over at her. “My guess is the cell reception is being blocked.”

She’d thought the same thing. “If that’s the case, it means they have a general idea of where the camp is located. Are the comms up and working?” she asked Peter who affirmed with a nod.

“They are. We’ve been using them to communicate with Cole’s people. They’re at the mine’s entrance. The place has been boarded up for a while. They were working on gaining access.”

Abby glanced above at the dark clouds that had begun to release fat snowflakes again. She couldn’t get it out of her mind that something bad was in the works.

“Thankfully—if you can call it that—most people haven’t really gotten settled into the camp yet,” Deacon stated. “We are still in the process of settling things. James and his team are powering down everything with the exception of the radar system.” Deacon shook his head. “We need to get out of here while we still can.”

They’d all been through so much under Legion’s tyranny, yet what was taking place now, under Kirkpatrick’s and Pamphili’s watch, appeared far worse.

Abby told them about her encounter with Pamphili. “It was like watching a different person from the one we witnessed at the press conference. The man I saw was calling the shots, at least from what I noticed.”

Sebastian and his people listening intently. All were good men who had risked their lives to save her and Brookes.

Peter kept his attention on the path ahead as the camp came into view. “You think he’s the one written about in the Bible—not Kirkpatrick?”

She shivered as she thought about the depth of evil she’d felt in Pamphili’s presence. A darkness like none seen since the crucifixion was settling over the world. Days were numbered. When the church was officially removed from the scene, then Satan and his minions would have free rein. And it would literally be hell on earth.

Chapter Nine

“How soon before you pinpoint their exact location?” Daniel demanded of his military expert.

“We’re close. Within a few hours, I’d say.”

The news was good, but he demanded better. “Do it sooner. These people are ex-military and intelligence officers. They’ll have seen the planes overhead and realize we’re blocking their cell reception. I don’t want to give them the chance to escape again. Strike Force has to be eliminated now.”

General Jackson, the military expert, appeared uncomfortable. “We’re working as fast as we can, sir. These things take time.”

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