Caleb nodded. “I saw.” He came around the table. “Anything useful on that thing?”

  Lana grimaced and slid her chair a bit to the side to let him get a look. It was a console terminal, rather than the sleek login or data screen he’d seen before. “So far? I have no idea.”

  “We can’t get into it very far,” Derek added. “So, we thought we’d dig around in some of the file structure directly.”

  “I booted it to terminal mode,” Lana clarified.

  “Take it that didn’t get you far,” Caleb murmured as he tipped the screen back a bit to look at the garbled lines of encrypted data that filled the terminal window. “Still, it was worth a shot. Is there anything useful so far?”

  Lana shook her head. “I’m not exactly a software genius. I only know how to get into this because of Jessup.” She sighed, clearly disappointed in herself, and slumped a bit in the chair. “As far as I can tell, everything is encrypted. I think I found something that could be a security key of some kind? But it probably needs to connect to a network to get verified so... even if I did know enough to decrypt any of this, we’d have to give ourselves away to get logged in.”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Caleb murmured, scrolling down through the encrypted data to find any readable text. Something that might make for a starting point for decryption. “It’s a good start and knowing the tool you need is what gathering intel is all about.”

  Derek peered over his shoulder. “Anything you can do?”

  Caleb wasn’t sure there was but wasn’t convinced there wasn’t. Finding out would definitely mean being more awake, though. He took his hand away from the laptop’s trackpad. “We’ll take a crack at it some other time. Or find someone who knows more than we do. Could be someone in Springfield. For now, shut it down and get it wrapped back up. See if we can get this cage packed away in a bag.”

  Lana gave him a skeptical look. “Uh... right, so about that—are we hiking to Springfield, or...?”

  “We’ll find another vehicle, get us stocked on gas somewhere a little further out from Kansas City, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  Lana and Derek shared a look of concern.

  Caleb spread his hands. “Whatever it is, speak up.”

  “Well,” Lana started, “it’s just...”

  When she trailed off, Derek spoke up for her. They’d clearly been talking. “This close to Kansas City, if that gas station was dry, there’s a good chance we won’t find much of anything for a good long while. No gas, no vehicles. I mean, back there on the road, we both noticed there was a lot less just laying around.”

  Caleb rolled his fingers to speed Derek to the point.

  “Apex might have been cleaning the area up. Them or the military. Or this place just didn’t get hit as hard as some others. Whatever it is, it’s still another five hundred miles to Springfield’s coordinates no matter how we cut it. We could be on foot for a week or two before we find some place where there’s a car.”

  “Fresh coffee’s made,” Chester called from the door to the hallway. Caleb hadn’t heard him coming in. “What’s this about your car?”

  “That we don’t have one.” Caleb turned toward the old man. “We hiked here from the gas station just a little ways south. Had to leave our ride. So, before we get going to Springfield, we’re gonna need to figure that out.”

  Chester’s lips thinned for a moment. He seemed to consider them all, his eyes going from Caleb to Lana, and Derek, and back. At length, he shrugged and turned around. Something metal rattled a bit, and when his hand came into view again, he held a set of keys.

  “If you like, you can take my truck,” he said. “It’ll be cramped with four of you in the cab, but it’s got heat and gets okay mileage. Good shape. Haven’t really driven her much except to get to the grocery store and back the last few years. Tires are good.”

  Caleb stared at the man, nearly uncomprehending. “We can’t. Unless you have more than one?”

  “No.” Chester shrugged. “But I don’t plan on going anywhere. Grocery’s closed these days, you know. And all the neighbors have moved on. I’d say it’s good for taking a drive into the country to relax but, well... the country's not as pretty and relaxing as it used to be.” He rattled the keys in Caleb’s direction. “Go on. I insist. It’s got a full tank. Or close enough, anyhow.”

  Depending on the truck, four of them might well fit into a cab. Five would be out of the question, though. Which meant that even if Caleb could have convinced Chester to go with them, it wouldn’t be feasible. And a truck with a tank full of gas... “Chester,” he said slowly, “if we take your truck, you’ll be stuck here. What happens when you run out of food? Water?”

  “I’m on a well.” Chester was matter of fact. “It’ll last. Have to filter and boil it, but it’s not like my day is full of other business. And I have food for a good long time. On my own, maybe three months.”

  “Three months can go by faster than you think.” Caleb shook his head. “No. When you’re ready, you need to be able to get out of here. We can hoof it for a bit, we’ve done it before. Crossed the Appalachians on foot. We can tackle some even terrain and get another ride. Or maybe you can drive me out to—”

  Chester tossed the keys on the table. “I can tell you’re a good man.” He looked past Caleb, to Lana and Derek. “You’re all good people, I figure. Truth is, I’m not leaving this place. Not when the food runs out. Not if the water runs out.”

  He leaned against the wall. “I’m old, and tired, and the only reason I’ve stuck around this long is because I’m every bit as stubborn as Betsy used to complain about.” He turned away from them and trundled back into the hall, waving a hand. “Take the darn truck, Caleb. If you don't, someone else will just come along and steal it eventually, once I’m dead. Or heck—before that.”

  Lana reached out and slid the keys toward her, then picked them up and held them like Chester had just handed them a small pile of pure gold. Back when that was worth anything. She looked up at Caleb, her expression filled with the same conflict that he felt inside. He didn’t want to strand the man here. Not after what he’d done for them.

  But turning down the offer might mean they didn’t make it to Springfield. Or anywhere else. All it took was one particularly cold night and no access to a fire or shelter, and that would be it for them, never mind another run in with Apex or some opportunistic assholes. Chester was offering them their lives, potentially.

  At the cost of his own. And he didn’t even know them. Not really, whatever his impression was.

  From the hallway, Caleb heard Elizabeth’s voice. “Morning, Chester. Thank you so much for letting us stay the night. Where are the others?”

  “Kitchen. Told your husband you all can take my truck.”

  “Oh, great.” Her voice warmed. “So, you’re coming with us?”

  There was no answer, and a moment later Liz came through the kitchen door, brow knit with confusion. “What’s going on?”

  Lana held up the keys. “We’ve got a ride?”

  Caleb’s wife glanced over her shoulder, then shook her head. “Yeah, I asked but... is he not coming with us?”

  “That’s not settled yet,” he said before Lana could answer. “We’re not just leaving him here. We’ll figure it out. For now, let’s just—”

  “Company,” Chester called from the living room. “Three cars. Apex logo.”

  Lana hissed a curse and slammed the laptop closed, then began pulling the makeshift faraday cage around it apart, collapsing it down to wrap the computer up. “They shouldn’t have been able to get a signal,” she whispered as Derek joined her to secure the device. “My arm’s still wrapped, too.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes had gone wide with sudden worry. “What do we do?”

  “Just wait here,” he told her and the others, and hurried down the hallway to meet Chester by the windows in the living room.

  “At least a dozen of them,” Chester muttered as he peered through the curtains. He shot Caleb an irritated look. “Probably come to pester me some more.”

  “Listen... Chester, we weren’t totally forthcoming about what happened with Apex. It could be they’re here looking for us. Lana got stuck with something in her arm, maybe a chip, and we stole a laptop from them which has to have some kind of tracking on it. I’m sorry. We probably brought them here.”

  Chester snorted. “They’d have come around one way or another. Don’t sweat it. There’s a door to the basement in the hallway. You all head down there, keep quiet. Second switch for the lights is up here. I’ll flash them when you’re clear. You take the basement door out through the back to the shed and get on out of here when you’ve got the chance.”

  Caleb shook his head. “Chester, you should come with us. We can swing back around, maybe.”

  The old man gave a harsh grunt, and flashed Caleb a serious look. “They’re coming up the porch. Get going. And don’t bother coming back. I’m where I belong, and that’s the end of it. I can’t be gone if any of my family comes back here.”

  Like his son in St. Louis. Caleb started to tell him the truth about that place, but Chester waved him off, hand flapping urgently. “Get on. I’m not about to debate you on it. Get!”

  Conscience gnawing at him already, Caleb gave in and moved back to the hallway. The door that he’d thought was to a closet opened to a set of stairs and darkness instead. “Lana, Liz.” He flagged them down through the kitchen door. “Basement.”

  They came, Derek bringing up the rear, and wordlessly followed the order. Caleb went behind them, turning to close the door carefully just as someone knocked at the front door. Chester cast him an impatient look on his way to answer it, mouthing, “Hide, damn it.”

  Gritting his teeth, Caleb eased the door closed, and descended into the darkness to wait.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  LANA

  Mayhew Residence, Outside Odessa, MO

  Friday, July 20th, 8:35 am CST

  From just above, Lana heard Chester’s voice when he answered the door. Which of course meant that anyone above them could probably hear them as well if they spoke. So, the four of them were silent, straining to hear every word.

  “Afternoon, miss. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from all you fine folk? If it’s about getting me to Kansas City, I’m still not quite convinced it’s where I should be. Or is this about Walter?”

  Lana knew the voice that answered the man. “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with Walter, sir,” Victoria Steen said. “I’m not from the Kansas City unit. My people have been tracking a small group of fugitives who we believe came this direction. Have you seen anyone passing by recently, or had any trouble?”

  She paused for a moment. Looking inside? Reading something on her screen? “There are four of them. Two older adults, a man and a woman, and two younger people, a girl with one side of her hair cut short, and a young man in his twenties, tan, dark haired, and tall. Ring any bells?”

  Chester didn’t answer right away. Lana didn’t think he would rat them out, but if he decided to, they were pretty much in a barrel where they were.

  “Found the door,” Derek whispered.

  Lana held a hand up for him to keep quiet, though in the dark he couldn’t have seen her.

  “You know I did spot a small group moving around last night. They skulked around for a bit, and I fired a warning shot. Can’t say as I saw four of them, or what they looked like, but they took off running in that direction. They dangerous or something? What are you all after them for?”

  “That information is sensitive, I’m afraid. I’m glad you’re alright. They’re armed, and extremely dangerous. You fired shots at them?”

  “Just birdshot. Right over there. Didn’t hit anyone, I’m pretty sure. Shotgun’s mostly for being loud, though. Folks hear the noise and steer clear if they’re smart. Sorry I can’t be of more help.”

  “Here,” Lana’s father tapped her shoulder.

  She turned to see that there was a little light—a ground-level window from the basement that had been so covered in dirt and dust it barely glowed was now a little clearer, though there was grass overgrown in front of it. Lana joined her father in peering through it all the same, and was just able to make out the SUVs and a handful of the Apex agents.

  Above them, she heard the tail-end of a polite goodbye between Chester and Victoria. She’d bought his story, it sounded like. Hopefully.

  Except, a moment later, she heard Victoria speaking with someone else. “Check that shed for any sign of damage. Birdshot, he said. Could be pellets lodged in the wall or scattered on the ground. Have someone else sweep the area.”

  “There’s no signal, Ma’am,” the other agent replied.

  Whatever he said next was too muffled to make out, but the field marshal was clearly angered by it. “Just check the perimeter, Salish,” she snapped. “The father is a former communications engineer for the Marines, they might have pulled the chip, or ditched the unit and taken the hard drive. Don’t think, just do what I tell you to do.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Salish responded, his voice louder and more clipped. “Sorry, Ma’am.”

  There were hurried boot falls on the porch, followed by a slower creaking set of steps, before Victoria’s lower body came into view.

  “They want the laptop back,” Lana breathed.

  Caleb nodded. “Figured.”

  “No,” Lana told him, pulling back from the window slightly and keeping her voice low, “I mean, they want the laptop—that must mean there’s something really valuable on it. Otherwise, why put in all this effort?”

  Her father’s lips pursed slightly as he considered that. “Also means we’re not going to shake them easily. Not unless we ditch it.”

  Lana hooked a thumb under the strap of her pack to grip it protectively. “Absolutely not. There’s no telling what’s on this thing, but if they want it this bad then it’s the sort of intelligence that could throw wrenches in everything they’re doing. Risk versus reward, right?”

  Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe... but, sweetheart... even if there is something useful in there, what difference will it make for us?”

  “I don’t know,” Lana shot back. “But it might make a difference for Springfield. Maybe it’s not information we can personally use, but someone can. And we don’t know what it takes to get into Springfield, either. Maybe something like this could be our ticket in. I have a feeling about this, Dad. Apex is up to something awful. I don’t know exactly what it is, but my gut tells me it’s serious, and evil. I know you feel that, too.”

  He didn’t argue. Still, he shook his head. “I don’t want to put you and your mother at risk over it, though. If we ditch it, we can throw them off our trail and we might be able to avoid them between here and there.”

  The light in the basement flicked on and off once. Lana’s stomach lurched, and she pulled quickly away from the dirty window, light blinded and suddenly panicked about someone coming down the stairs, until Caleb put a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. That’s Chester’s signal for us to get to the truck. Come on, let’s move.”

  “With the laptop?” Lana pressed.

  Caleb sighed. “We’ll see. But I’m not promising you anything.”

  That was good enough for now, at least. Victoria had brought a whole team along to hunt them and the device down. That had to mean there was something on it worth the effort and the danger. Intelligence that made the field marshal worry about her job and get snippy with her team.

  If it was something as bureaucratic as a bunch of personal information on the people they’d registered so far, she couldn’t imagine anyone would care. Even locations of hubs and field operations couldn’t be that valuable—after all, the whole point of the hubs was to get people moved to them, right? They weren’t exactly hidden.

  Which meant it was something dangerous. Emails, messages, directives, back-channel communications... There could be anything on the device that laid open the whole operation.

  They crouched by the basement’s back door as Derek cracked it open and peered out. When it looked clear, he gave a hand signal and tested the door for another inch. The hinge gave the slightest squeal, but it wasn’t loud enough to draw attention. Still, he waited another several seconds, checking the corners before finally stepping out into the dull morning light.

  Caleb followed. Elizabeth followed and Lana brought up the rear, thumb moving to the safety of the fancy Apex rifle she’d stolen to switch it off as her mind quieted. Adrenaline made every sound around her just a bit sharper, more consequential, and every little movement in the small field between them and the garage pulled her attention.

  From around the corner, she heard Victoria again. “Report.”

  “No signs of birdshot. He might have missed?”

  “Or they’re here,” Victoria growled. She turned and knocked on the door. “Where’s my perimeter sweep, Salish?”

  “Move,” Caleb mouthed, and tugged Elizabeth forward, waving Lana along behind them.

  Derek crept out further into the open, gave a quick look in both directions, then signaled them to follow. Rather than head straight for the garage, though, he veered to the right, toward a small cluster of trees and foliage, keeping them out of the line of sight from the SUVs at the front of the house. Lana kept low, finger itching near the trigger of the rifle as she scanned every direction, her heart thudding in her chest.

  It would only take one of those agents to see them to bring the entire team down. Salish barked orders. Boots crunched over the dirt driveway in front of Chester’s house. Lana eyed Derek’s intended cover spot. It was too sparse, and too far away. They wouldn’t make it before someone came around the corner and—

  “I want you people off of my property!” Chester roared from the front of the house.

  The four of them froze.

  “Get down!” someone shouted.

  A shotgun went off. Then again.

  “Go!” Caleb snapped.