Free Blackout by Robison Wells

fracture the sandstone easily, and Laura even got a piece of the action, pulling shattered boulders away from the support struts. She knew Dan could move all the rock himself, but she liked being down there, rolling up her sleeves and doing something—anything—with her powers.
    They’d loosened the rock around both bridges, enough that one of them began to creak and sway slightly before they’d made a run for it. Laura followed Alec’s orders and ran north out of the canyon rather than trying to climb the cliff face. She probably carried Dan five miles before rendezvousing with Alec and the truck. And, just before the truck doors closed, a loud rumbling roar echoed up the canyon. The bridge had fallen.
    Then it was time for a real escape. They drove through the little town of Ferron, avoided another roadblock, and headed for the Manti-La Sal mountains. They needed somewhere to lie low, and they needed to get off the streets.
    There was a reservoir directly above the town, and Alec spent half an hour talking about taking out that dam, too. But it could wait. They were leaving a big enough trail as it was.
    After an hour on a narrow dirt road, they pulled off into the brush and set up camp in the dark. They each had a pup tent and sleeping bag in the back of the truck, and Laura was curled up in her bag, drifting off to sleep before the others had even staked their tents.
     
    There was a bright light and the sound of an engine. It was loud and rattling, like an old utility truck.
    Laura rolled over. She unzipped the tent about an inch so she could look out. A set of headlights shone through the trees.
    As quietly as she could, Laura climbed out of the sleeping bag. This was her moment—it was her job to ensure the security of the whole team.
    “Hey!”
    The voice was young, female. Laura felt her heart sink a little—she wouldn’t even have to try.
    A shape passed in front of the lights, and then another. There were two of them. They were just silhouettes, but one was taller than the other, with broader shoulders. Both had the wide-brimmed hats of forest rangers.
    “Hello!” Alec called back with a wave.
    As they moved out of the path of the beams Laura could see them better—a man and woman, both wearing green jackets and khaki pants. Neither looked much older than Laura or Alec. Probably fresh out of college. They had radios on their belts and other basic gear, but no weapons that she could distinguish.
    Laura pulled on a sweatshirt, and wished she could change from her boxers to jeans without shaking the tent.
    “How’s it going?” the woman asked.
    “Great,” Alec answered, a smile in his voice. “Gorgeous night, isn’t it?”
    Dan had opened his small daypack and was sitting on a rock, chomping on a granola bar, presumably so that he’d look too preoccupied to get into conversation.
    “It is,” the woman answered, and moved her arm—she was checking her watch. “I saw your lights heading up the canyon. A little late to go camping?”
    Alec reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded map. “We heard about Lake Powell,” he said, his voice grave. “We just wanted to get away from everything.” He pointed to something on the map. The woman listened intently as he talked, commenting on a few of the landmarks and laughing at his jokes.
    Laura knew enough about law enforcement, however, to know that something was wrong. The man wasn’t paying attention to Alec; he was staring at Dan, and Laura’s tent. His hand rested uneasily on his radio.
    How long had they been watching? Had they seen the guns? Alec had the rifle, and Dan had the pistol. Either one might have been left out, unhidden when the forest rangers showed up.
    The tent’s zipper was going to be too noisy. Laura pivoted to the back side of the tent. Gently, she plunged her utility knife into the nylon wall of the tent and slid it upward. In ten silent seconds, Laura’s tent was open.
    There was no reason for Laura to hold back.