Ranch Hideout

by Sandra Robbins

  Just then the elevator down the hall opened, and Andrea walked out holding two cups of coffee. She smiled when she saw Ben and Dean. “Hi, guys,” she said. “Did you come to check on Liz?”

  “Yeah,” Ben said, “but we really came to talk to you and Gabriel about getting Liz to a safe place once she’s ready to leave the hospital.”

  She handed Gabriel one of the cups and wrapped her fingers around the other one. “Do you have a place in mind?”

  Ben nodded. “It’s the best I can come up with at the moment.”

  She turned back to Gabriel. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Where are we taking her?”

  Gabriel glanced from Dean and Ben to Andrea, then took a deep breath. “Let me put it this way, Andrea. If you don’t have a good pair of hiking shoes, you’d better get some, because you’re about to take a really long walk with a pack train of llamas.”

  TEN

  Two mornings later Liz stood at the Trillium Gap trailhead with Gabriel and Andrea as they waited to begin their hike to the summit of Mount LeConte. At first Liz hadn’t been too enthusiastic about the trip, but Gabriel and Dean had convinced her it would be the best place for her right now. From what they’d said, an assassin would have to be very determined if he made the steep climb up the mountain—and it would be difficult for him to arrive at the campsite without anyone noticing.

  As they waited, she let her gaze drift over Gabriel and Andrea as they stood to the side of the trail in a deep discussion. Ever since she’d been dismissed from the hospital, Gabriel had been withdrawn and aloof with her, not at all like he was before the attack. She had the feeling that something was bothering him but that he didn’t want her to know what it was. She had wanted to ask him why he seemed to be avoiding her, but she hadn’t been able to work up enough courage to do so.

  Andrea’s laugh rippled through the air, and Liz glanced back at them again to see what was so funny. Andrea had her hand on Gabriel’s arm and seemed to be laughing at something he’d just said. The way the female agent was smiling at Gabriel looked flirtatious...but that couldn’t be true, could it? Andrea had made it clear she had no interest in Gabriel. Unless that had changed over the past few days? Liz took a steadying breath and walked over to where they stood.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Andrea looked over at her and smiled. “Gabriel just challenged me to see who would make it to the summit first. He thinks I’ll drop back and have to rest while he goes right on up that mountain. But he’s wrong. I reminded him that I ran the Yellow Brick Road at the academy in record time. In fact, I think I beat his time.”

  Liz looked from Andrea to Gabriel. “The Yellow Brick Road? What’s that?”

  “It’s a six-mile obstacle course at the FBI training center. It’s the final physical exam at the end of the course, and I aced it.” Andrea lifted her chin high as she finished.

  Gabriel chuckled. “Well, we’ll see how you make it with the llamas.”

  Andrea sighed and surveyed the eight llamas that stood patiently waiting beside the trail. “Yeah, that’s the only downer. I’ll just have to keep my distance.”

  “Llamas bother you, too?” Liz asked.

  “Not as much as horses, but yeah. I’m just really not an animal person. Especially any animal big enough to trample me if it felt like it.”

  At that moment the llama wrangler came around the side of the trailer that he’d used to transport the animals to the trailhead. He walked over to where they stood and stuck out his hand. “I don’t think I told you my name when we first arrived. I’m Jeff, and I’ve been the wrangler with these llamas for about five years now. They’re really gentle animals, so you don’t need to worry about them.”

  Gabriel shook his hand and then Andrea and Liz did, too. “Thanks for taking us up the mountain, Jeff,” Gabriel said. “None of us are experienced hikers, and we don’t know the trails around here. I’m glad we have you to guide us.”

  Jeff nodded. “No problem. I go up three times a week. We take food and clean laundry up and bring down anything that needs to go.”

  Liz admired the animals standing quietly beside the trailer and smiled. “Gabriel said that mules used to do the job but they weren’t really suited to mountain trails like llamas.”

  “That’s right. And the mules’ hooves did a lot of damage to the trail. These guys are built for the job. They’re sure-footed, and they can carry up to 35 percent of their weight up a trail. The best part is they are gentle and work for pancakes.”

  Liz’s eyebrows rose. “Pancakes?”

  Jeff laughed. “Yeah, that’s what the folks at the summit feed them when we get there. Pancakes.”

  “Sounds like I’m going to get along with these fellows better than I ever did with a horse.” Andrea shot a glance in the llamas’ direction before she turned back to Jeff. “How long will it take us to get there?”

  Jeff tugged on the bill of the Atlanta Braves baseball cap he wore and pulled it lower on his forehead. “There are five trails going up the mountain, but I always use the Trillium Gap Trail. It’s a little longer than the others, but the climb isn’t as steep. We’re going about seven miles up the mountain. It usually takes me about four hours.”

  Gabriel propped his hands on his hips and stared up the trail. “I suppose you make some rest stops along the way.”

  “Yeah. I’ll have to water the animals. But if you folks need to stop, let me know, and we will. So are you ready to start?”

  Gabriel looked at Andrea and then at her. “Ready?”

  They both nodded, and he turned back to Jeff. “Lead the way. We’ll bring up the rear.” He turned to Andrea. “I’ll follow behind the llamas. Liz, you follow me, and, Andrea, you bring up the rear.”

  Before Liz could ask any questions, he whirled and walked over to where Jeff was getting the pack train spread out for their ascent. Then when the animals appeared ready to go, Jeff led the way onto the trail. Gabriel followed the pack train, but he didn’t look back.

  Liz watched him walk away from her and wondered what had happened that had caused the shift in Gabriel’s attitude toward her. Had she done something wrong? Could she fix things between them? Or was she better off letting him pull away, since they didn’t have long before the assignment would end, anyway? But even if he headed to Texas after the Shaw trial and she never saw him again, she still didn’t like the thought of their friendship ending on such a cold and distant note.

  After the night they’d talked in the kitchen, they’d grown closer as they’d worked together in the barn. Now he seemed like a total stranger. Andrea caught up beside her and put her hand on Liz’s arm. “Is something the matter?”

  She stared at Gabriel’s back as he headed up the trail. “I don’t know. It’s almost like Gabriel’s avoiding me. Do you know if I’ve done something to offend him?”

  Andrea’s hand stroked Liz’s arm, and she spoke in a soothing voice. “I tried to warn you, Liz. I told you Gabriel tires easily of one woman. I’ve seen it happen a lot of times with him.”

  Tears filled Liz’s eyes, and she turned her head to stare at Andrea. “But we were only friends. What did I do that made him suddenly decide to ignore me?”

  Andrea shrugged and gave her an understanding nod. “You didn’t do anything, Liz. It’s just the way he is. It’s better you find out now. He could hurt you worse later.”

  Liz took a gulp of air and straightened her shoulders. “You’re right. I’m better off knowing now.” If he was willing to discard their friendship that easily, then she was better off without it. “Now let’s get to Mount LeConte.”

  Andrea smiled. “I’m with you.” She reached out and stopped Liz as she began to pull ahead. “And, Liz, remember that I’m here to help you if I can. I feel like we’ve become friends in the last few weeks, and it tears me up to see you hurt li
ke this.”

  She patted Andrea’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. The only thing I should be worrying about right now is staying alive so I can testify in court.”

  Andrea smiled. “That’s right. Even if you do sense Gabriel has distanced himself from you, he would never let anything happen to you. He hasn’t failed in an assignment yet, and he doesn’t intend to in this one.”

  So she really was only an assignment to him after all. How could she have been so stupid as to have started to care for a man who saw her only as the next case that would help him climb the ladder to his dream job?

  Just a few more weeks, and then she would testify. After that, she never wanted to see Gabriel Decker again.

  * * *

  Gabriel fought the urge to look behind him as he trudged up the trail. He wondered how Liz was making the climb, but Andrea would alert him if there was a problem. So far everything seemed to be going well.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Jeff, who called over his shoulder, “Grotto Falls is just ahead. We’ve come about a mile from the trailhead, and it’s our first small obstacle. Tell the ladies to be careful. The trail goes behind the falls, and the rocks get slippery at times. If everybody watches their step, they’ll be okay.”

  Gabriel paused and waited for Liz and Andrea to catch up. He couldn’t take his eyes off Liz as she came closer, her hands clasped around the walking sticks that propelled her along. She had her head down and didn’t realize he’d stopped until she’d almost plowed into him. A startled look flashed in her eyes when she saw him, and she came to an abrupt halt.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  He only nodded and waited for Andrea. When she’d joined them, he told them what Jeff had said. “So be careful on the rocks. We don’t need any injuries.” He looked at Liz. “Do you think you’ll need any help navigating the path?”

  Her eyes cast a steely look at him, and she shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can hold my own on this hike.”

  She spit the words at him as if they were distasteful, and he almost reeled from the surprise. What was up with her? He’d never heard her use such an acid tone with anyone before. It was as if some other woman had suddenly inhabited her body. All he could do was bob his head. “Okay. Just asking.”

  He turned and walked toward the llama train that was now making its way along the rock wall behind the waterfall. He waited as the animals filed underneath the water that poured from above. They didn’t seem to mind the roaring sound of the falls or the slippery rocks.

  At the moment he wasn’t concerned about those things either. He was too focused on trying to figure out why Liz had snapped at him. But none of the answers he could think of made sense. For right now, though, the most important thing was keeping her safe, and he intended to do that. Maybe he should have told her about Gene Curtis’s death, but he and Dean had decided she hadn’t gotten over nearly dying in the workshop. He’d failed her that day when he didn’t go to the barn as soon as he had the feeling something was wrong. He had no plans to fail her again.

  In addition to keeping alert to protect Liz, he had another big problem on his mind. He’d been thinking about the things Dean had said to him at the hospital, and he’d been reading the Bible that Liz had given him. But he didn’t know whether he’d ever be able to believe like they did. He still couldn’t rationalize this thing called faith.

  It wasn’t fair to think about trying to pursue a relationship with Liz when their beliefs were so far apart. Sooner or later she’d come to grow tired of the constant struggle, and she’d leave him. Maybe it wouldn’t be at the altar, but she would leave. He didn’t think he could survive that again.

  Maybe being on a mountaintop would give him time to sort out his feelings and decide which path he needed to take. He knew he was incredibly drawn to Liz, but he wasn’t sure she needed a man like him who had no faith in anything. And the question of whether or not she returned his feelings would be a moot point if he didn’t keep her safe.

  Jeff called out to him, and he noticed that the llamas had made it to the other side of the stream and were waiting placidly on the bank. He waved at Jeff and began his crossing. As he walked behind the waterfall, he felt the spray hitting the rocks around him and bouncing onto him. With careful steps he made his way forward and finally reached the bank beside the pack train.

  He turned to see Liz moving across the narrow path. She had almost reached the stream’s bank when her foot slipped on a moss-covered rock, and she lunged forward. Gabriel grabbed for her, caught her just before she fell, wrapping his arms around her.

  For an instant all he wanted was to hold her forever. The scent of her shampoo wafted to his nose, and he tightened his grip on her. This was what he wanted. This was where she needed to be. In his arms.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  Her body, which had been so relaxed against his, suddenly stiffened, and she pushed against his hold on her. He had no choice except to release her. She straightened to her full height and stared at him as if she didn’t know him.

  “I’m fine. Thank you for catching me.”

  Then she brushed past him and walked after the pack train, which was now continuing on its journey. He stared after her for a moment and then turned to Andrea, who had just completed the crossing.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  He nodded. “You take the lead with Liz for a while. I’ll hang back.”

  She didn’t say anything as she increased her stride and got in front of Liz. He stood on the stream’s bank and watched them go before he sighed and followed after them. From the way this trip had started off, it wasn’t difficult to predict what the next few weeks were going to be like. The autumn winds up here on the mountain couldn’t be any colder than the frosty look Liz had directed at him. It looked like they were in for a bumpy ride.

  An hour after leaving Grotto Falls, they came to a place where the rushing mountain stream forked. In one spot the water rippled over the rocks in its bed. Gabriel had never seen anything quite so peaceful.

  “This is where I water the llamas,” Jeff told them, and the animals began to crowd toward the stream as if they understood what he’d said.

  Gabriel watched in wonder as the llamas quietly drank and then raised their heads to survey their surroundings. Liz sank down on a big rock beside the stream and pulled a bottle of water from her backpack. She took a drink, then looked up to find him staring at her.

  He quickly averted his eyes and scanned the area. Suddenly his gaze locked on a man who knelt on the ground a few feet away from where Liz sat. His hands shook as he dipped a canteen into the water.

  Other than the way his body appeared to be trembling, there was something else about the man’s appearance that caught his attention. He didn’t have a backpack, which made him look out of place on the mountain trail.

  Gabriel’s suspicions escalated as he let his gaze wander over the man’s long hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail, the black plugs that pierced his ears and the full beard that didn’t quite cover the scar that ran from his chin to his ear. All these things taken as a whole gave off a sinister look that made his skin prickle.

  As he was watching, he saw Liz approach the man. Before he could call out to her, she stopped, bent over and smiled down at the man.

  “You’re not going to drink that, are you?” she asked.

  Her voice seemed to startle him, and he lost his grip on the canteen. He caught it just before it hit the water and looked up at her. “Excuse me?”

  Her smile grew larger. “I said you aren’t going to drink that, are you?”

  He frowned. “I was planning to. Do you have a problem with that?”

  She squatted down next to him so that they were on the same eye level. “Well, actually, I do. You can’t beli
eve what you hear about the water in mountain streams being pure. It’s really contaminated from all the pollution. You may get sick if you drink that.”

  He shrugged. “You do what you have to do.”

  She glanced around. “Where’s your backpack?”

  “Almost down the mountain by this time, I guess.”

  Liz’s eyebrows arched. “I don’t understand.”

  The man sighed as if he wished she’d leave him alone, but he turned to stare at her. “I was on my way up the mountain when I stopped here to rest. Two guys were coming down, and they sat down with me. Something hit me in the head, and I blacked out. When I woke up, I discovered they’d stolen my backpack and everything else I had except this small canteen on my belt. So I’m filling it to have something to drink on the rest of the climb.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her voice held a soothing tone. “Do you need me to look at your head?”

  “Naw, that’s okay. It’s just a small cut.”

  “Well, you need to notify the sheriff and the park officials when you get back down.”

  His eyes grew wide. “Why would I do that?”

  “To file a report so the men can be arrested.”

  He looked at her as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying. “No need to involve the police—I’ll make them pay. I remember some things about them that are gonna help me track them down.”

  Liz didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she took a deep breath. “So are you going back down now?”

  “Naw, I got things to do at the top. I reckon I’ll just go on.”

  “But if you don’t have any supplies, why don’t you just go back down?”

  He shot a glance at Gabriel as if to beg him to make her stop pestering him with questions, but Gabriel was now too interested in the rest of the story. “Because I’m meeting people there and if I don’t show up, my friends will get upset. And when they get upset, it ain’t a pretty sight. All the rangers in this part of the park will be out all night searching for me. Besides, they’ll let me share their stuff when I get there.”