Ranch Hideout

by Sandra Robbins

  “He’s in the kitchen with Gwen and Dean.” Liz pointed in the direction. “Follow this hallway, and you can’t miss it. Gwen will get you checked in and settled in your room. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was on my way upstairs. I’ll see you later.”

  She started to step around Andrea, but the agent reached out and placed a hand on Liz’s arm. Liz glanced up at Andrea, who had her head tilted to one side and was studying her. “Why do I get the impression that you’re not happy about something?”

  Liz sighed. “I’m still trying to recover from the fact that the FBI thought it necessary to send two agents here to protect me from a threat they didn’t share with me. I found out this afternoon who Gabriel is and that Dean and Gwen knew. I guess I felt like I’d been blindsided. I don’t want anything hidden from me concerning this case. If I’m in danger, I think I should know it so that I can help avoid it if possible.”

  “All we want to do is protect you, Liz. You sound as though something might have happened to get you upset. What was it?”

  “I’m sure Gabriel will tell you all about it.” She paused and took a deep breath. “So just let me say thank you for being willing to take on this assignment, and I’ll try to cooperate with you.”

  Andrea smiled. “That’s good to know. We have a job to do, and it will make things go easier if we can be friends.”

  Liz doubted that was possible. If things were different and she had met Andrea and Gabriel at a party in Memphis or at church, they might have been able to develop a friendship. But the reality was that they hadn’t come here to make friends with her. She was just one in a long list of victims that they worked with every day. She had no doubt that they’d be kind to her, but they had to stay focused and remain emotionally detached, so cordial respect was likely as far as it would ever go.

  When she had learned earlier that Gabriel was an undercover agent, she’d felt betrayed. He, like so many others in her life, had hidden the truth from her.

  People had been keeping secrets from her all her life. It wasn’t until after her parents’ deaths in a car crash that she found papers in their safe-deposit box finalizing her adoption. All those years, and they’d never told her. Then two years ago she’d given her boyfriend a huge chunk of her inheritance to help him start a business. She discovered later the money had gone to cover gambling debts.

  So she’d had her share of secrets being kept from her by people she’d trusted in the past, and she wasn’t about to set herself up to have the same thing happen again. Since she had no control over whether or not people chose to keep things from her, she’d just have to be a lot choosier in who she trusted. There would be no friendship with Gabriel or Andrea. They were here for the moment, and when the trial was over, they’d be gone.

  So for the time being she’d put on her best game face and try to cooperate. She owed it to Kathy to stay alive so she could testify against her killer. When the trial was over, she had no idea what she’d do. But right now she was going to take it one day at a time and pray that Gabriel and Andrea could help keep her and all the people she’d come to love at Little Pigeon safe.

  * * *

  Gabriel stared at the kitchen door as it closed behind Liz. Liz had said if they did their jobs and protected her, she would be happy. Somehow he didn’t think she would be. The way her voice cracked when she said it and the way she clenched her hands at her sides told him she was unhappy right now. He rose from his chair and took two steps to follow her, then stopped.

  He turned to face Gwen and Dean, who’d gotten to their feet. “This is all my fault,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  Dean frowned. “For what?”

  “Liz is angry with all of us because of the secret I asked you to keep. You don’t deserve it after all you’ve done for her.”

  Gwen shook her head. “She’s still trying to wrap her head around all of it. She’ll be all right. I don’t think we need to do anything differently. We’ll just continue to be her friend and keep our eyes open.”

  Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled heavily. “It doesn’t sound like she wants any kind of friendship with me. But maybe that’s just as well. She doesn’t need to become too attached to me. When this case is over, we’ll probably never see each other again.”

  Dean nodded. “I understand. You have to keep your relationship with the people you protect purely professional. You start to lose your edge when you begin to care too much.”

  Gwen laughed and poked him in the ribs with her elbow. “If you’d done that when I was the one needing your protection as a police officer, we wouldn’t be married today.”

  Dean laughed, too, and reached over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “Well, there are exceptions to every rule.”

  Gabriel had never seen a couple who seemed so at ease with one another and so in love. That’s how he’d thought his life would turn out, but it hadn’t. He doubted it ever would. He cleared his throat and started to tell them he’d see them later when the kitchen door opened. Andrea walked in, stopped and placed her hands on her hips.

  A smile pulled at her lips. “Shame on you, Gabriel. I see you’ve already managed to mess things up, as usual.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and stared at Andrea. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She laughed. “I met Liz in the hallway, and I could tell she wasn’t happy about finding out she had two agents assigned to watch over her. It’s almost like she thought we were babysitters.”

  “Well, we both know that’s not the case, especially since she’s had two attempts on her life since I’ve been here.”

  Andrea’s eyes grew wide. “What happened?”

  For the next few minutes he told Andrea about the mugging in the parking lot and the shooter in the trail. When he finished, he glanced from her to Dean and Gwen, who had stood silently while he was speaking. “So we have a very real threat here. Liz’s location has been revealed, which means her life is in danger. We’re going to have to make sure nothing happens to her. She needs somebody with her at all times.”

  Andrea nodded, looking somber. “You’re right, Gabriel. How do you want to handle this?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not going to be easy. She’s unhappy with us, but she’s also afraid. Anything she says or does to discourage us has to be ignored. We have to keep in mind that the most important thing is that she’s protected.”

  Andrea nodded. “I agree.”

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t think she’s gonna want to give up her chores around here, and that’s good. The busier she stays, the less time she’ll have to worry.” He looked at Andrea. “I know you don’t like horses, so I’ll stay with her while she’s cleaning out stalls or taking care of the horses in the mornings. Andrea, you can take over when she’s here in the house and for the afternoon, and we can both keep an eye on her at dinner and the evening. How’s that?”

  “Suits me,” Andrea said. “I’m glad you volunteered for stable duty. I don’t think I’m cut out for that.”

  Gwen approached Andrea. “If that’s all decided, I’ll help you get settled in your room. Where did you park your car?”

  “In the circle drive in front of the house.”

  “If you’ll give Dean your car keys, he’ll get your luggage and move your car to our parking area.”

  Andrea handed Dean her keys and then followed Gwen from the room. After they’d left, Dean turned to him, but before he could speak, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and stared at the caller ID. “It’s Ben Whitman.”

  He raised the phone to his ear. “Ben? What’s going on?” His face suddenly grew pale, and he glanced at Gabriel. “Wait a minute, Ben. Gabriel is here with me. I’m going to put you on speaker.”

  “What is it?” Gabriel whispered.

  Dean didn’t answer as he switched the call. “Okay, go on.�
�

  “I wanted to let you know,” Ben said, “that the name of Liz’s attacker from the theater parking lot is Gene Curtis. His prints were in the system because he’s been in and out of jail since he was seventeen.”

  “Any known ties to Daniel Shaw?” Gabriel asked.

  “He’s a suspected hit man for the organization, but nobody’s ever been able to prove it.”

  Dean and Gabriel let out long sighs at the same time. “Since you have him in custody, maybe you can get him to talk.”

  “That’s going to be hard to do.”

  Gabriel frowned. “Why?”

  “Because Deputy Conrad and I had to go to Knoxville this morning. While we were gone, Curtis’s lawyer managed to get a bail hearing for him, and the judge released him.”

  Gabriel’s mouth dropped open. “But how could he do that? There were charges of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted kidnapping.”

  “Because there was no arrest report. It had conveniently disappeared from our files. With no charges and the two arresting officers out of town, the judge gave him bail.”

  “What time was that?” Gabriel asked.

  “About ten o’clock.”

  The muscle in Gabriel’s jaw flexed at the answer. That meant that Curtis was out of jail when he and Liz had been ambushed. “Somebody took some shots at Liz and me up close to Rattlesnake Creek a little after two this afternoon. Curtis would have had plenty of time to get to the ranch and keep a lookout for us.”

  “Yeah, but to do that, he would’ve had to know where you’d be, which indicates that if it was him, he had an accomplice,” Ben answered. “Whoever shot at the two of you, be careful. Stay close to the ranch, and we’ll do everything we can to find this guy.”

  “We will, Ben. Thanks for letting us know.”

  Dean disconnected the call, and the two of them stared at each other for a moment before Gabriel spoke. “Can you believe that?”

  Dean shook his head. “There must be a mole in Ben’s office. Somebody was paid to make that arrest record disappear.”

  Gabriel nodded. “I agree. And also, Ben may be right about Curtis having an accomplice. The security on Liz just got a bit tighter.”

  “What do you mean?” Gabriel froze at the sound of Liz’s voice.

  He turned to see her standing in the doorway, and he could tell from the look on her face she’d heard what he’d said. Dean stared down at the keys in his hand and cleared his throat. “I think I’ll go get Andrea’s luggage. I’ll let you tell Liz what has happened.”

  Liz came farther into the room as Dean walked past her. When he was gone, she took another step toward him. “What’s going on, Gabriel?”

  He pulled a chair out from the table and motioned her toward it. “Have a seat, and I’ll tell you.”

  She sank down in the chair, and he took the one across from her. Then he related the conversation he and Dean had just had with Sheriff Whitman. Her chin trembled while he spoke, and her eyes took on a misty sheen. He could tell she was barely holding it together.

  She had clasped her hands in front of her on the table, and her knuckles were white. As he finished speaking, he reached across and covered her hands with his. “Don’t worry, Liz. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

  A tear rolled from the corner of her eye and made a trail down her cheek. He’d seen other victims he worked with cry at bad news, but somehow this was different. He’d been briefed on Liz’s background, and he knew the woman who was killed was her best friend. Both parents were dead, and there were no siblings. She had to feel so alone.

  She looked down at his hands on hers and stared at them for a moment before she raised her head and looked into his eyes. “I know you and Andrea will do your job, and I really appreciate it even if I did sound ungrateful earlier. I have to stay safe for Kathy’s sake. I owe it to her to put her killer behind bars, so I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

  He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Good. We’re going to get through the next few weeks, and then I’m going to deliver you back to Memphis. I’ll stay close until you testify. When the jury finds Daniel Shaw guilty and puts him away for good, I’ll take you out to dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Memphis.”

  She pulled her hands away from his and folded them in her lap. “Let’s get one thing straight before we go any further. I don’t want you saying things to me that you think I want to hear just because you think I need some kind of motivation to get me through the next few weeks. We both know I’m just your latest assignment. When this is over, you’ll move on to the next victim and won’t give me another thought. So what I’m saying is, you don’t need to promise things you don’t intend to deliver.”

  Her words shocked him, and he sat back in his chair. “Liz, I would never lie to you.”

  She pushed back from the table, stood and stared at him. “Then why do I feel like you did that when you hid the truth about who you really are from me?” She glanced at her watch. “Now I need to go to the barn and check on the horses. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  He sat there stunned for a few minutes after she walked out the back door. Her words stung, and he raked his hand through his hair. He hadn’t meant to upset her. In fact, he’d been speaking honestly when he’d said he would like to take her out to dinner when this was all over.

  She was right to turn him down—it was inappropriate for him to make her promises like that. It was even more inappropriate that he still wanted to keep it.

  For some reason ever since he’d seen her pressed against the door of her car with a gun to her head, he’d felt more protective than he ever had before. Maybe it was because of the danger surrounding her, or maybe it was because of the vulnerable look in her eyes that told him she was struggling to be brave in the face of imminent danger.

  Whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to make him feel guilty for doing his job. Suddenly his eyes grew wide. What was the matter with him? He was sitting at the kitchen table nursing his hurt feelings while Liz had gone to the barn alone. He jumped up and rushed out the back door.

  He frowned when he didn’t see Liz. She hadn’t had time to get to the barn, but she was nowhere in sight. A flash of color caught his eye, and he saw her at the door of the workshop where all medications were stored. He watched as she pulled a key ring from her pocket and inserted a key into the door’s padlock. She appeared to be on a mission and didn’t look behind her even to close the door.

  He hesitated briefly, then followed her. She probably wouldn’t be happy to see him, but he needed to keep an eye on her. He’d wait out here and follow her back to the barn when she came out.

  At that moment Bart Foster walked from behind the building, stopped and looked around. Gabriel slipped behind a tree and watched as Bart’s gaze drifted past him. He wondered what Bart could be up to. As he watched, his suspicions of Bart grew. This guy was a known gang member from juvie. Maybe he was the accomplice Ben suspected Gene Curtis of having.

  Bart surveyed his surroundings once more before he eased over to the workshop’s open door, glanced over his shoulder again and slipped inside. The door closed behind him.

  Gabriel bolted from behind the tree and ran as fast as he could across the hard ground. He had to get to Liz before Bart had a chance to hurt her.

  SIX

  The bottle Liz was holding crashed to the floor and shattered as the door to the workshop burst open. Her mouth gaped open as Gabriel rushed into the room. “What’s going on?” she cried. “You scared me to death.”

  He hurried toward her and stopped in front of her. “Are you all right?”

  “Well, I was until you barreled through the door and scared the living daylights out of me. What’s the matter?”

  He cast a wild-eyed look all around him. “I saw Bart Foster come in here. Where is he?
”

  “I’m right here.”

  Bart’s voice came from across the room, and Gabriel swiveled to see him entering from another room. He held several bottles in his hands. Gabriel glanced back at Liz, and her eyes narrowed. “Bart saw me walk in here, and he came to help me out. He knows I have trouble sometimes getting what I need off the top shelf. What did you think? That he was up to something else?”

  Gabriel’s face flushed, and he shook his head. “I—I didn’t know. I thought you might need...”

  “Some protection?” she finished for him. “In this instance, I don’t.” She walked over to Bart and took the bottles from his hands. “Thank you for your help, Bart. I appreciate it.”

  A sullen expression crossed Bart’s face as he glared at Gabriel for a moment before he turned back to Liz. “Then I’ll get on back to the bunkhouse, Miss Madison.”

  Liz smiled. “I asked you to call me Liz.”

  Bart gave a curt nod and cut his eyes back to Gabriel. “I’ll try to remember to do that.”

  He turned and walked toward the door, but Liz called after him. “Don’t forget. This is our night for the checkers game. I’ll have the table set up on the front porch about seven o’clock. Will you be there?”

  Bart paused, eyed Gabriel once more and then nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

  When Bart had left, Liz turned back to Gabriel. “Now are you going to tell me what that was all about?”

  “I was just doing my job, Liz.”

  “By rushing in here like a madman? Bart has helped me a lot of times before today, and he’s never given me any reason to question his motives.”

  He reached out and touched her arm. “Liz, I have to be suspicious of everybody. You seemed awfully friendly with that boy. Do you think that’s wise?”

  Her eyes widened, and she stared at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he frowned as if trying to decide what to say. “Well, I mean...what do you know about Bart Foster?”