“Yes. I’m the foreman on the graveyard shift at a large lumber mill south of town.”

Nicole’s heart leaped with sudden hope. “Really?”

“And,” he continued, “I happen to drive a camper. There’s some dead space under the benches on both sides of the camper, back where the wheel wells are. It’d be pretty tight for you, but I think you can squeeze in. We’d nail it shut. I don’t think they’d ever guess.”

“We’ll do it!” Eric exclaimed. Then he turned to Nicole. “That is, if you’re willing.”

She nodded quickly. “It’s no more risk than staying in town.”

“Good,” Thompson said. “I understand your camp is somewhere up toward Glacier Park. Once we clear the checkpoints, I could swing around north and drop you off wherever you say.”

“No way,” Eric said. “You just get us out of town, and we’ll do fine from there.”

“Okay,” Johnston broke in, “we’ll have to hurry. Watt has to leave by 11:30. That’s less than half an hour from now.”

“How can we ever thank you?” Nicole said, looking first at the father and then his two sons.

Bill Johnston held up his left arm so that the wrist computer gleamed in the dim light. “When it’s time, come back and get these things off. That’ll be thanks enough.”

“Within the week,” Eric said. “You have our word on it.”

CHAPTER 33

Shirley Ferguson moved away from the campfire, zipping her jacket against the chill night air. She forced herself to walk nonchalantly, as though bored and absently looking for something to do. This took an effort of will, for her mouth was dry and her heart pounding wildly.

It was a beautiful, crystal-clear night, the smell of pine and woodsmoke filling the air, but Shirley had no eyes for the stars, nor was she aware of the scents in the air. She licked her lips nervously as she glanced around the circle of tents. Stephanie Lloyd was at the door of the children’s lean-to, and Shirley could hear bursts of childish giggles. Other tents and lean-tos were dark, and only a few women and none of the other children were still awake. Charles Metcalf, the one man left in camp, was fussing around inside his lean-to, and Shirley noticed Madeline Lloyd sitting near the fire alone, staring into the night.