Ranch Hideout

by Sandra Robbins

  * * *

  The atmosphere in the cabin had been like a deep freeze all afternoon. When he and Liz had entered the cottage, she’d headed into the bedroom she and Andrea would be sharing and closed the door. He considered knocking and asking her to explain the things she’d said outside the office, but instead he turned and entered the smaller bedroom where he would be sleeping.

  A few minutes later he heard Andrea come in. She’d also gone into their bedroom, and that’s where she and Liz had stayed until it was time to go to dinner. Now they sat in the dining room with all the other mountaintop guests.

  Andrea had kept up a lively conversation all during the meal, but Liz had stayed silent. Every now and then she glanced at him but she always averted her eyes when she caught him looking at her. Exasperated with her attitude, he surveyed the rustic dining room. It reminded him of something you would see in a movie about life in the mountains in the days before electricity.

  Wooden dining tables, each with six ladder-back chairs, lined the walls. Servers moved along the long narrow walkway down the middle of the room, but it was the presence of flickering oil lamps on the tables and attached to the walls that gave the room a rustic feeling. The tired voices of the guests who’d spent a day hiking Mount LeConte echoed all around him, but he couldn’t keep his attention off Liz.

  He suddenly realized that Andrea was waving her open palm in front of his face. “Earth to Gabriel. Come in, please.”

  Startled from his thoughts, he pulled his gaze to her. “Did you say something?”

  “Yes, I said it’s a little chilly in here. I think I’ll run back to the cabin and get my sweater. It won’t take but a few minutes. Then I’ll finish dinner. Can I get anything for either of you?”

  Liz shook her head but didn’t look up from a bowl of beef stew in front of her.

  What was the matter with Liz that she couldn’t even look him in the eye? He didn’t remember doing anything to anger her, but ever since she’d gotten out of the hospital, she’d treated him like he had some kind of terrible disease she was trying to avoid.

  “Nothing for me, either,” he finally said.

  Andrea scooted her chair away from the table and jumped to her feet. “Then I’ll be back before you know it.”

  With her departure the silence only deepened at the table. He couldn’t take much more of this. His fork rattled when he dropped it to his plate, and some people at the next table looked up. But he didn’t care. It was time he put a stop to whatever was going on.

  “Liz...” He only got her name out before he sensed someone standing next to the table. He glanced up and into the face of the man they’d met on the office porch earlier.

  “Well, we meet again.” He smiled down at them and let his gaze go from Gabriel to Liz. “It’s good to see you.”

  Liz looked up and smiled. “Hello, Frank.”

  Andrea’s food still sat at the place next to him, but the chair next to Liz was vacant. Frank glanced at it. “I haven’t had dinner yet, and yours are the only familiar faces I see in the place. Would you folks mind if I joined you?”

  Gabriel was about to decline, but before he could respond, Liz indicated the empty chair. “Sure. Have a seat next to me.”

  Frank was moving toward the seat almost before she had finished the sentence. “Thanks. I’ve spent so much time alone in the mountains this summer that it’ll be good to enjoy a meal with some conversation.”

  The young woman who’d been serving their table came over just then, and Frank listened to her as she recited the night’s special. Gabriel studied the man as he listened and gave her his order. He looked harmless enough, a little geeky really, with his dark-rimmed glasses and hair that appeared to not have been cut in a while.

  When the server left the table, Frank smiled at Liz. “You told me this afternoon that you came up the Trillium Gap Trail. Did you enjoy the climb?”

  She nodded. “I really did. I’m not much of a hiker, but we came up with the llama train and that proved interesting.”

  Frank laughed. “I can imagine. They’re amazing creatures.” He glanced at Gabriel. “And how about you? Do you hike a lot?”

  “Some.” Gabriel paused. “So, Frank, you said you’ve spent a lot of time in the mountains. You must be an avid hiker.”

  Frank shook his head. “Not really. I’m a botanist. I’ve spent all summer trekking around the mountains and checking out the wildflowers here. Now that fall is here, it’s time for me to return home.”

  “And where’s home?” Gabriel asked.

  “Knoxville. I teach at the University of Tennessee, and classes start next week. So my time here is coming to a close.” He sighed and shook his head. “I really hate to leave. These hills are a virtual paradise for plant lovers.”

  Liz swiveled in her chair and regarded him. “You must have seen a lot of the backcountry this summer.”

  “I have, and it’s an experience that I will never forget. I have no idea how many miles I’ve hiked, how many people I’ve met or how many native wildflowers I’ve cataloged, but it’s been a summer I’ll never forget.”

  Gabriel felt a pang of jealousy when he saw that Liz was hanging on every word Frank said. He pushed his plate away and crossed his arms on top of the table. “So, Frank, I don’t believe I caught your last name.”

  The server arrived then with Frank’s food, and he waited until it was on the table in front of him before he responded. “Myers. Dr. Frank Myers.”

  “And you teach at UT?”

  Frank had just shoveled a spoonful of beef stew in his mouth, and he swallowed before answering. “Yes. I teach two classes in plant sciences and two in ecology. I’ve been on sabbatical for the past year, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the classroom.”

  Gabriel tried to stem his growing feeling of wariness for Frank. Okay, so the man lived in Knoxville, not Memphis, and he seemed to have no criminal connections—but that didn’t mean Gabriel was ready to trust him. Could it be that he was a bit angry because Liz seemed to fascinated by what he had to say? He wished he had some way of checking him out.

  As if in answer to his wish, Andrea came back into the dining room. When she saw Frank at the table, she flicked a quick glance at Gabriel before she slid into her seat. “Hello,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve met. My name is Andrea.”

  He reached across the table and shook her hand. “It’s good to meet you, Andrea. I’m Frank.”

  Gabriel shoved his chair back and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to do something. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Liz and Andrea both gave him questioning looks, but Frank appeared too busy devouring the food on his plate to note the tension. Gabriel tried not to hurry as he walked to the door that led to the front of the building. When he stepped outside, it seemed that the night enveloped him in the dark. With no electric lights, it was difficult to see much of anything.

  He pulled his cell phone and the flashlight he’d brought with him to the dining room from his pockets, backed up against the wall of the building and sighed in relief when he saw that he had cell service. He navigated to the internet and to the University of Tennessee website. It took him only a few minutes to find Frank Myers listed as a teacher of plant sciences. There was no picture, but it did say he was presently on sabbatical.

  Gabriel ended the connection and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He had become paranoid. He saw danger everywhere he turned. Maybe that’s why Liz had suddenly seemed to take a dislike to him.

  He opened the door and walked back into the dining room. Just as he did, he heard Liz’s laugh ring out, and he glanced at the table where she sat. She and Andrea both seemed engrossed in what Frank was saying.

  He watched her for a moment before he headed over to the table and stopped beside her. “I’m tired. I think I’ll
go back to the cabin. Can you walk Liz back, Andrea?”

  “Sure. I even have my flashlight. You go on. We’ll be there in a bit.”

  He waited to see if Liz would ask him to stay or offer to walk back with him. When she didn’t, he sighed. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  Gabriel didn’t look back as he left the dining room and started up the trail to their cabin. When he stepped up onto the small porch, he dropped down in one of the rocking chairs that sat there. He folded his hands across his stomach, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  It had been a long day, and he was tired. But he was not only physically tired, he was sick and tired of the way Liz was acting. For some reason a problem had erupted between them, and he didn’t know what it was. One thing he did know, however—he was going to sit on this porch until she got home. Then he’d make her explain what had made things go so awry between them. And he wasn’t giving up until she told him the truth.

  TWELVE

  Liz tried to act interested in what Frank was saying, but her mind kept returning to how Gabriel had looked when he’d come back to the table. He really did seem tired. Maybe he was getting sick. She chewed her lower lip. She didn’t need to be thinking about him right now. She should concentrate on Frank and Andrea and the conversation they appeared to be engaged in.

  The door opened, and Liz’s gaze turned in that direction. She smiled when she saw Brick walk in. He came toward their table and paused next to her. His gaze traveled over Andrea and Frank before he looked down at her. “Hello, Liz.”

  She smiled up at him. “Hi, Brick. Would you like to sit down with us?”

  He glanced at Frank once more and shook his head. “No, thanks. Clipper and Patch will be here in a few minutes. We’re just gonna get something real quick and then get on back up to the shelter where we’re staying.”

  “Did your friends have enough supplies to share with you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me. Good to see you.”

  With that, he turned and walked to an empty table at the back of the room and sat down in one of the chairs facing her. He didn’t look up when the server stopped to tell him the special.

  After the server had gone back to the kitchen, Liz kept an eye on Brick. He sat at the last table in the room with his back against the far wall. His gaze darted constantly around the room and only paused now and then to stare at something. It was as if he was studying everyone in the place. Every once in a while his eyes would blink and she’d find him staring at her. Then he’d turn his attention to Frank before he looked away.

  He was almost through with his meal when Clipper and Patch walked in. They passed by the table where she sat and nodded at her before they took their seats with Brick, who continued to scan the room. The three men leaned over the table, their heads close together, as they whispered for several minutes. Then they glanced back at their table, and cold chills rippled down her spine. She didn’t want to believe these men were a threat to her safety...but she couldn’t forget Gabriel’s warning earlier.

  She forced herself to focus on the story Frank was telling about being chased by a bear on the Appalachian Trail earlier in the summer. As he shared the experience, Liz became so caught up in the tale that she didn’t look in the men’s direction for at least ten minutes. When she did, she was surprised to see that they were gone. How had they walked by the table without her noticing them?

  Frank wiped his mouth on his napkin and laid it beside his plate. “Now, I hate to leave, but I want to be out on the trail early in the morning. Thank you for gracing me with your company while I ate.”

  “It was our pleasure,” Andrea said. “Will we see you before you leave?”

  “Maybe,” he said. “I should be around tomorrow night, but I leave the next day. If you’re ever in Knoxville, look me up. You’ll usually find me in my office on campus.”

  “We’ll do that.” Andrea smiled up at him.

  “I hope so,” he said before he turned and left.

  Liz watched Andrea as she continued to stare at the door even after Frank had gone. She leaned over and whispered, “I think he likes you.”

  Andrea’s face turned crimson, and she straightened in her chair. “He was nice to both of us.”

  “Then why did I get the impression that his invitation to look him up was meant solely for you?”

  Andrea’s blush deepened even as she waved her hand in dismissal. “You’re wrong.” Then a slow smile spread across her face, and she quirked an eyebrow. “But a college professor would sure be a good catch. I may have to look up the good doctor tomorrow.”

  Liz burst out laughing. “You are so funny, Andrea. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been with me the last few weeks. Gabriel doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor, but you make me laugh a lot.”

  Andrea glanced at her watch and then pushed to her feet. “Let’s go back to the cabin and have a girls’ slumber party. I’ve got stories that will make you laugh even when your hair is standing on end.”

  Liz chuckled, shook her head and stood up. “I can hardly wait.”

  They walked out of the dining room into the black night, and Liz stopped briefly to stare up at the overcast sky. No stars or even the moon were visible tonight, and a thick darkness hung over the area. They’d stayed in the dining room longer than anyone else, and now there was no movement anywhere.

  “I wonder where everybody is,” Liz said.

  “Probably inside their cabins and getting ready for bed. These people are hikers. They’ll be up with the sun and out on the trails around here. Not us, though. I think we deserve a morning to sleep in.”

  Liz grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

  Andrea looped her arm through Liz’s. “Even though I aced the Yellow Brick Road at the academy, I really don’t care for hiking. That trip up the mountain and the one back down are enough for me.”

  Liz pulled to a stop and looked at Andrea. “Do you really think I’m safe here?”

  Andrea tightened her grip on Liz’s arm. “Liz, if I joke around a lot, it’s to try to give you peace of mind. Daniel Shaw has contacts everywhere, so we should always be on our guard, but all the same, I believe you’re safe here.”

  “Gabriel is worried about Brick and his friends. He says they’re members of a gang.”

  Andrea nodded. “I didn’t know he’d told you that. Yes, they are, but that doesn’t mean they’re here for you. Gabriel and I are going to keep a closer watch on you, especially now since Gene...”

  She stopped in the middle of the sentence, and Liz’s heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. “Since Gene what?”

  Andrea tugged on her arm. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

  Liz dug her heels into the path and refused to move. “It does matter. What were you going to say?”

  “Liz, I don’t think we should get into this right now.”

  Liz put her hands on her hips and glared at Andrea even though she was sure that Andrea probably couldn’t see her face in the dark. “I want to know what you were about to say. I’m not budging from this spot until you tell me.”

  Andrea gave a sigh. “Okay, but Gabriel is going to kill me for telling you. While you were in the hospital, a body was found on a mountain trail. It was Gene Curtis—the man who attacked you in the movie theater parking lot.”

  Liz felt as if she’d suddenly been doused with ice. “Wh-what happened to him?”

  “He’d been shot.”

  She started to say she wouldn’t have to worry about him hurting her now, but something else Andrea had said flashed into her mind. “Why do you think Gabriel will be angry with you for telling me?”

  “Because he didn’t want you to worry about the possibility he’d been taken out by another hit man as punishment fo
r failing in his contract.”

  Liz thought about this for a moment. “Is that why we’ve come to Mount LeConte? Because we’re hiding out from another hit man?”

  “Yes.”

  Liz’s legs began to tremble, and she thought they might collapse. “Is that why Gabriel has been so distant? Because he’s worried?”

  Andrea reached out and grabbed Liz’s hand. “Don’t let that bother you. I think he really likes you, and he’s afraid he’ll fail to keep you safe. I was honest with you when I told you that he changes girlfriends a lot, but I think this time with you it may be different.”

  Relief surged through Liz, and she smiled. “Do you really think so?”

  “I really do. I think...” Andrea didn’t finish. Instead she whirled around, pulled her gun from its holster and held up her hand in warning. “Shhh!” she whispered.

  Liz’s gaze followed Andrea’s, which was directed into the shadows on a path that led to some more cabins at the top of a hill. “What is it?” Liz whispered back.

  “I think I hear something. Stay here, and I’ll check it out.”

  Liz reached out to stop Andrea, not wanting to be left alone, but the other woman had already disappeared into the darkness. Suddenly Liz heard a grunt and then the sound of something falling. She stood frozen to the spot, her eyes huge and her heart hammering. “Andrea,” she whispered.

  No answer.

  She swallowed and tried again. “Andrea.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth before a figure appeared from the darkness headed straight for her. His dark clothes and the ski mask he wore made him blend in with the shadows. He raised his arm, and she caught sight of a knife.

  She didn’t know what had happened to Andrea, but she had to get out of there. She willed her legs to move, and she turned and ran up the path that led to their cabin. “Gabriel!” she screamed at the top of her voice. “Gabriel!”