Page 59 of Lion's Share
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“The Henderson farm,” he said at once. He’d noticed the little house, smaller than the cottage he was currently renting, when he and Sidney had gone over to help with the goats, since the driveway that led to the detached garage was situated between the two structures. Anyway, the casita hadn’t looked occupied, and he thought it would be the perfect place to hole up for a bit.
Well, as long as the Hendersons were okay with the idea.
Sidney nodded, comprehension growing in her clear gray eyes. “The guest house they built for Patty’s mother. She passed away a couple of years ago, so I know no one’s using it.”
“Yes, that one,” Ben replied. He was sorry to hear about Patty’s mother, but at least now he knew for sure that the place was unoccupied. “It’s isolated, off the main roads…and John owes you a favor after you saved his goats.”
Sidney shifted the duffel bag on her shoulder. “Do you think they’ll let us stay there?”
“Only one way to find out.”
The drive to the Henderson farm took about ten minutes on back roads Ben had never traveled before. Sidney navigated while he drove, both of them keeping watch for any sign of federal vehicles. The farm’s windows were dark when they pulled into the driveway, but a motion-sensor light turned on as they approached the front porch.
John Henderson answered the door in pajama pants and a Humboldt State T-shirt, looking confused and wary until recognition dawned.
“Sidney? Ben? What’s going on? It’s past midnight.”
“We’re in trouble, John,” Sidney said simply. “Federal agents are investigating the electromagnetic problems around town, and they think I’m somehow connected to them. We need a place to lie low for a few days.”
John’s expression shifted from confusion to concern. “Connected how?”
“It’s complicated,” Ben said, hoping a brief explanation would be enough to convince the other man that he needed to help hide them. “But they have surveillance footage that makes it look like Sidney is generating some kind of energy field. We think they’re planning to take her into custody for questioning.”
“Jesus.” John ran a hand through his untidy fair hair. “Come on in. Let me wake Patty, and we’ll get you settled.”
And within less than fifteen minutes, Ben and Sidney had bedding and a plate of cookies waiting for them if they happened to wake up in the middle of the night and needed a snack. She tried to protest that they didn’t need all the attention, but he could tell Patty Henderson was having none of it.
“You’re one of us,” she said stoutly. “And I don’t recall anyone inviting those federal agents here. You can stay as long as you need.”
Sidney must have been exhausted, because she hadn’t tried to protest…and she hadn’t argued when Ben insisted on her having the bed while he slept on the couch. They’d exchanged a goodnight kiss and then retreated to their separate spaces.
With any luck, they’d have an uninterrupted night’s sleep, and then they could figure out tomorrow when it came.
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning, Ben left Sidney at the guest house and drove back into town. They needed supplies if they were going to stay hidden for any length of time — and if they didn’t want to keep sponging off the Hendersons, who he guessed weren’t exactly swimming in cash. More than that, though, he wanted to get a sense of how much DAPI presence remained in Silver Hollow.
Downtown Silver Hollow looked deceptively normal. A few early risers were getting coffee at Eliza’s café, and he spied Tom Lopez walking his over-exuberant beagle on the other side of the street. Despite the outward air of normality, Ben still noticed the subtle signs of continued federal presence — a black SUV parked near the library, two men in dark suits speaking in low tones outside the post office, and a white van with tinted windows positioned where it could monitor traffic coming and going from Main Street.
Clearly, Dr. Rosenthal wasn’t about to give up just because her quarry had temporarily slipped through her grasp.
Ben kept his baseball cap pulled low and made his stops quickly. Coffee and donuts from Eliza’s, basic groceries from the small market just down the street from the café, and a few other essentials. He paid in cash and kept the conversations brief, although Eliza did mention that there were still agents around asking questions.
“About what?” Ben asked, trying to sound just casually curious.
“Oh, the usual,” Eliza said with a dismissive wave of one hand. “Environmental testing, they claim. But everyone knows they’re really here about the power outages.” She leaned closer as she added, “Linda Fields is convinced they’re covering up some kind of conspiracy. She’s been calling for another town meeting, but hardly anyone seems interested.”
Ben gave a sympathetic nod while mentally filing away that piece of information. If Linda was focused on her political grandstanding, at least she wasn’t adding to their immediate problems.
The drive back to the Henderson farm took him past Sidney’s house, and he slowed involuntarily as he approached her street. The big Craftsman house looked abandoned, with drawn curtains and no signs of life. But was it being watched? He couldn’t tell from this distance…and he sure as hell didn’t dare get any closer.
By the time Ben returned to the guest house, Sidney was pacing the small living room like a caged animal. Clearly, the close quarters were already starting to get to her.
“Any sign of our federal friends?” she asked the moment he walked through the door.
“They’re still around, but they’re trying to be subtle about it.” Ben set the bag of groceries on the cramped kitchen counter. “Black SUV near the library, some suits downtown. Dr. Rosenthal isn’t giving up easily.”
