Free Nowhere to Hide by Sigmund Brouwer

you they’re sharp,” Evans said to Moore. “King knew we had all our cell phones shut down, so there was only one place and time I could have reached you—when I made an excuse to stop at a truck stop.”
    That’s exactly what King had decided. No way could Evans have foreseen the morning’s events and set this up before Mundie took King off McNeil Island.
    â€œKeep going,” Evans told King. “I use a pay phone at the back of the truck stop…”
    â€œYou tell him what we’re driving and where we’re headed,” King said. “I’m guessing Mr.…I’m guessing Moore must have been in Seattle when you reached him. That would have given him a straight, short run east on I-90 while we were coming up the longer way from Tacoma on Highway 18.”
    â€œI made it to Price Creek Rest Area at mile marker 61, just east of Snoqualmie Pass,” Moore said. “I parked on the exit ramp going in. If Evans didn’t see me there, the backup was for him to take another rest stop and delay till I showed up.”
    â€œKing picked you up almost right away when you got back on the interstate,” Evans said to Moore. “Maybe you need to take a refresher course on tailing targets.”
    â€œHumph,” Moore said.
    â€œYou were anticipating that Mundie might actually call in law enforcement to look for us, right?” King asked Evans. “That’s why you kept the news radio on?”
    â€œYes,” Evans said. “I decided that was need-to-know too. I didn’t wanted you guys stressed out more than you were. Moore and I had also decided to push as far as we could in both vehicles before dumping the rental. The farther out from Tacoma, the bigger the circle to search.”
    â€œSo when the fake bank-robbery warrant was announced,” Moore said, “I knew it was time to make my move. Anyone seeing the Charger on the interstate would think I’m arresting you. Now, with the rental car hidden, there’s little chance we’ll be found.”
    â€œThat’s pretty much it,” Evans said.
    By then, Moore had finished the awkward process of turning the vehicle around. He moved away from the rental and headed out the dirt road and back toward the interstate.
    â€œExcept for the metal detectors in the back,” Blake said. “We’re headed to Jack Murphy’s mobile home, right?”
    â€œWhy guess that?” Evans answered.
    â€œMetal detectors in the back,” MJ said.
    King said, “MJ, he was asking how Blake knew our destination would be the Jack Murphy location.”
    â€œKnew it,” MJ said. “Absolutely knew it.”
    Blake said to Evans, “We’re headed that direction, for starts. But if it had been about just arresting Jack Murphy, you would have done that the day we found him for you. Instead, you had MJ and me put Jack Murphy on surveillance. Now I understand why. You were hoping we’d see him go out on his property for whatever you want us to detect. Which means the team that arrested him has no idea that there’s something else that needs to be found.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Moore said to Evans. “They are sharp. Very sharp. Good team you’ve put together.”
    â€œThat leaves an obvious question,” MJ said. “What are we looking for?”
    â€œA tunnel entrance,” Evans said.
    King waited for more explanation, but it didn’t come. So he asked the next obvious question. “What’s in the tunnel?”
    Evans turned to look back at all three of them. The Escalade was almost back to the winding highway that would lead to the interstate.
    â€œGentlemen, you’re going to have to trust me on this one,” Evans said. “We’re looking for something that is crucial for national security. What’s inside is on a need-to-know basis, and you three don’t have the clearance for it.”
    He