Ranch Hideout

by Sandra Robbins

  All during dinner he’d laughed and talked, and he’d touched her hand from time to time. But it was the way he looked at her that made her heart skip a beat. His eyes sparkled with love, and she felt as if she’d melt every time he aimed his gaze at her.

  They were almost through with dessert when Andrea put her fork down and groaned. “I don’t think I can stand it much longer.”

  Her words shocked Liz, and she stared wide-eyed at her. “What’s wrong, Andrea? Is your head hurting?”

  “No,” she grumbled. “It’s all this ‘love is in the air’ routine you two are doing. I feel like a third wheel around here.”

  Liz laughed and shook her head. “Like I said before, you are so funny.”

  Andrea frowned. “Well, I don’t feel very funny. I was by myself all day long while you two were out taking in the scenery. Where did you go?”

  “We went up to the summit,” Gabriel answered. “It’s not much farther up the mountain. There’s a sheer cliff up there with a view of the Smokies. Liz did a lot of sketching. I can’t wait to see her paintings she does from them. If you remember, we asked you to come, but you decided to take it easy after what happened last night.”

  “Oh, I know,” she muttered. “I’m just trying to give you a hard time.” She sighed and stood up. “Anyway, I’m tired tonight. It must be the altitude. I think I’ll go back to the cabin and get in bed. Do you think you can find your way without me?”

  Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “I think we can navigate that far.”

  She smiled. “Good. Then don’t wake me when you come in.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” Liz called after her as Andrea walked from the dining room.

  When she’d gone, Gabriel reached for Liz’s hand and held it in his. “I had a great time today with you.”

  “I did, too. This is a beautiful place. I want to come back here someday when the danger is over and I have a life again.”

  He squeezed her hand. “We’ll come back together.”

  Her heart thudded as her pulse rate increased. “I’d like that.”

  They stared at each other a second before they directed their attention back to their apple cobbler. After a moment Liz spoke. “Gabriel, do you really think Brick and his friends might be here to kill me?”

  He was about to shove a bite in his mouth, but he stopped and lowered his hand. “I don’t know, Liz, but the attack last night made it clear that someone’s after you, and I can’t overlook any suspects. Don’t discount him just because he was friendly toward you before. You’re too trusting and naive. It was the same with Bart Foster. I’m still not sure about him either.”

  She straightened her shoulders and frowned at him. “I’m not naive. I just choose to think the best of people until they prove differently.”

  He leaned a little closer. “Well, in my work, I’ve learned that you can’t trust anybody until they’ve proven they’re who they say they are.”

  Liz gritted her teeth. “So to your way of thinking, anybody who has a tattoo from a gang involvement in their past—even if it happened years before and they’re not the same person now that they were then—is not worthy of being trusted. They have to prove they’re good enough by being measured against some test you’ve devised to pass judgment on everybody. You even questioned Frank at dinner last night. Did he pass?”

  “Yes, I checked him out on the UT website. He really does teach there, as far as I can tell.”

  “Oh, well, good for him. What about me? Did I pass your test?”

  He tilted his head back, and he stared at the ceiling. “I can’t believe this.” Then he looked back at her. “Are you accusing me of being prejudiced?”

  She leaned even closer. “You know the old saying about if the shoe fits...”

  His eyes rounded, and then he blinked. “Wait a minute. Are we having our first fight?”

  She started to tell him he was being ridiculous, but the amused expression on his face made her smile. “I guess we are.”

  He glanced around at the campers at the other tables, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. “Then let’s make up.”

  Not giving her time to protest, he pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. She pushed against him for all of a second or two before she poured her heart into her response. After a moment she drew back. “I’m sorry. I know you have to be careful in your job. It’s just that I’ve always believed that all people are God’s children, and we have to show them love.”

  “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. What do you say we go sit in the rockers on the porch of our cabin and look at the moon?”

  “I’d like that.”

  They rose from the table, and Gabriel took Liz’s hand. Once outside the dining room, they paused for just a moment to stare up the moon. The clouds had cleared tonight, and Liz didn’t think she’d ever seen the sky more beautiful. Maybe it was because in the midst of all the horror since Kathy’s death, she had found some happiness. She hadn’t thought it would ever happen to her again, but it had.

  She inched closer to Gabriel and laid her head against his shoulder as they made their way back up the path to the cabin. He seemed to sense her happiness and clasped her hand tighter. He bent down and whispered, “I feel like the happiest guy in the world tonight.”

  “It’s such a strange feeling to know that you’re not alone anymore, that there’s someone who cares about you and wants to make you happy. I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way.”

  “Neither did I,” he answered.

  They walked in silence toward the cabin and had reached the porch when Liz stopped. “I have to go back to the dining room.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I left my purse on the table.”

  He frowned. “That’s not good. If the wrong person finds it, they could steal your identity. We’d better get back there right away.”

  They were about to turn around when Liz felt a nudge in her back. Frowned, she glanced over her shoulder. Her heart froze at the sight of a figure behind her. He held a gun, and it was pressed to the small of her back.

  “You’re not going anywhere except where I tell you,” he said. His soft chuckle sent chills up Liz’s spine. “You really should be more observant of what you’re doing, Agent Decker. You never know who’s right behind you.”

  The breath left Liz’s body, and she clutched at Gabriel’s arm to keep from falling. He had been about to take a step up, and his foot still rested on the stair. “What do you want?” he growled.

  “I thought that would be evident,” the man replied. “I want you and this lovely witness you’re protecting to meet a sudden demise. Why don’t we go inside and see if we can make that happen?”

  Gabriel looked down at Liz and smiled. “Don’t worry, Liz. It’s going to be okay.”

  A cruel laugh vibrated in her ear. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Now get inside.”

  Liz cast a terrified glance at Gabriel before they did as they were told.

  * * *

  Gabriel’s mind raced with questions as he and Liz entered the cabin. How had he been so careless as to let this happen, and more important, what was he going to do about it? If he was to get them out of the situation, he couldn’t panic. He needed to remain focused if they were to live.

  Once inside, he and Liz walked across the room. “Stop right there,” the voice commanded. The door closed, and the sound of their captor’s footsteps echoed in the quiet room. He stopped several feet away from them, then spoke again. “Now pull your gun out very slowly and put it on the floor.”

  For an instant Gabriel wondered if he might be fast enough to get a shot off, but he thought better of it. There was too much of a risk that the man would be able to get off a shot of his own—aimed
right at Liz. He had to bide his time and wait for another opportunity to present itself. He pulled the gun from his holster and laid it on the floor.

  “Now, turn around.”

  He and Liz turned slowly, and Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise. “Frank Myers? I can’t believe it.”

  A harsh laugh escaped the man’s throat. “Believe it. I’m here to bring greetings from Daniel Shaw.”

  “B-but why?” Liz gasped. “You’re a university professor.”

  Frank chuckled again. “Well, there is a professor named Frank Myers at the university, but he doesn’t know I borrowed his name for this job. I don’t think anyone will ever know except us.”

  Gabriel clenched his teeth and glared at the man. “You’ll never get away with this. If you kill us, the FBI will come down on Daniel Shaw so hard that his drug empire will go up in smoke.”

  The man’s harsh laugh confirmed that Gabriel’s words hadn’t had the effect he’d hoped. “I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s hard to prove murder when somebody dies in what looks like an accident.”

  Liz inched closer to Gabriel, and he felt her body shaking. “What are you talking about?”

  The man grinned. “There were a lot of witnesses that saw you two at the summit today. You were so wrapped up in each other that you barely took in your surroundings. It won’t take much to conclude that you decided to take a moonlight walk up there and misjudged the edge of the cliff. All kinds of stories will be told. One witness may even say he was there sitting in the dark enjoying the view when Liz stumbled over the side, and Gabriel tried to save her. Maybe you’ll even become a legend.”

  Gabriel heard what the man was saying, but his mind kept asking where Andrea was. The door to her bedroom was closed. That could mean that she hadn’t come back here yet or that the man holding them at gunpoint had come inside the cabin earlier and killed her. His stomach dropped at the thought. Maybe she had fallen asleep and hadn’t heard what was going on in the next room.

  Gabriel cleared his throat. “That’s a flimsy theory. Nobody’s going to believe we accidentally fell off the side of the mountain.” He’d spoken louder in hopes that Andrea would hear.

  “We’ll see.” The man waved his gun toward the door. “Now let’s go.”

  The door to the bedroom opened at that moment, and Gabriel swiveled his head to see Andrea walking into the room. She held her gun. “Watch out, Andrea!” he shouted. “He’s armed.”

  She looked at him for a moment with a cold gaze before she directed the gun toward Liz and him. “Okay, Ray. You’ve taunted them enough. Quit wasting time and get on with it.”

  Gabriel’s mouth gaped, and he couldn’t move for a moment. Next to him Liz gasped. “Andrea? What are you doing?”

  Liz had taken a step toward Andrea, and Gabriel reached out and held her back. “What’s going on here?” he growled. “Andrea, do you know this man?”

  A smirk pulled at her mouth. “I guess you can say that. We have the same boss.”

  The truth hit Gabriel, and he almost staggered backward. This woman he’d worked with for years and who he thought was helping him protect Liz was really employed by Daniel Shaw.

  “You work for Shaw? How could you be a traitor to all the people who’ve trusted you?”

  She shrugged. “Easy. I’m not getting rich on an agent’s pay, and Daniel has promised me a big payoff for this job. I’m looking forward to living the good life on an island in the South Pacific.”

  “You pretended to be my friend!” Liz shouted.

  Andrea nodded. “Yeah, and I do like you very much. But I like myself more. That’s why I locked you in that workshop.”

  “B-but you were holding the horse’s reins until I got back.” Liz’s lips quivered as she spoke.

  “It didn’t take much to tie the reins to a stall and get over there. I’d just barely gotten back when Gabriel came barreling in.” She frowned and glowered at him. “This could have all ended that day, but you just had to play hero. Well, there’s no way to save her now—or yourself.”

  “And did you shoot at us when we were going to Rattlesnake Creek?” Gabriel asked.

  “No, that was Ray. I’m sorry to say his aim wasn’t very good that day.”

  Gabriel’s lips curled in disgust. “You’re a traitor, Andrea. You swore to uphold the laws of this country, and you’ve traded that for a few pieces of gold. I don’t think you’ll ever be happy.”

  Andrea shook her head and laughed. “It won’t matter to you either way, because you won’t be around to see it.” She turned to Ray. “This has gone on long enough. Get on with it.”

  He smiled. “My pleasure. Okay, you two, let’s go outside and take a nice leisurely walk up to the summit.” He grabbed Liz’s arm, pulled her in front of him and held his gun at her back. “Don’t try anything, Decker, or your girlfriend will die.”

  The fear in Liz’s eyes sucked the breath out of him. “Just take it easy,” Gabriel said to Ray. “Don’t do anything foolish.”

  Ray waved his gun toward the door. “You first. We’ll follow.”

  Gabriel took one last look at Liz and then headed to the door. He stepped onto the porch and down the steps. Behind him he could hear Ray and Liz as they followed. When he moved onto the path in front of the cabin, he peeked over his shoulder and saw Ray and Liz right behind him, but Andrea was still standing on the porch with her gun in her hand. “Do you need me to help, or can you take care of this by yourself?” she asked.

  “You can wait here for me.” Ray nudged Liz forward with the gun. “Now get moving.”

  Gabriel turned to do as the man said. Before he could take a step, he heard movement as a figure emerged out of the shadows and tackled Ray. Gabriel spun around and saw Brick straddling Ray on the ground and his fist pounding Ray’s face.

  The sudden crack of a pistol split the air, and Brick’s body jerked as he fell backward. Stunned, Gabriel glanced at Andrea. She still had her gun pointed in Brick’s direction. Liz had dropped down beside Brick and was bent over him.

  Gabriel grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. “Liz, get out of here!” he yelled.

  She looked up with terror-filled eyes, then ran up the path away from the cabin. Gabriel had only a second to watch her go before he stormed toward Andrea.

  There was nothing he could do as he watched her aim the gun in his direction. Then his body jolted from the impact of a bullet, and he fell to the ground.

  FOURTEEN

  Liz’s heart hammered in her chest as she ran through the darkness. She glanced around, her stomach twisting as she realized that in her haste to escape, she had run in the wrong direction—away from the office, where she might have been able to get help.

  Now she was headed straight up the mountain to the summit. She scanned the darkness and tried to get her bearings, but everything looked different than it did during the day. She started to turn around and retrace her steps, and then she heard footsteps behind her. It had to be Andrea.

  She glanced over her shoulder. Even in the darkness she could make out the person running toward her, and she knew it wasn’t a man. Andrea was charging up the path after her. “You can’t get away from me, Liz.”

  The words only spurred her on, and Liz bolted up the trail. She’d run perhaps fifty yards when a new fear overtook her as she realized she was approaching the summit and there was no place to hide on the rocky cliff.

  She had two choices—continue on to the summit or cut into the dense forest beside the path and try to work her way back down to the lodge while evading her pursuer.

  Before she had consciously made the decision, she veered into the forest. The moonlight couldn’t penetrate the thick cover of trees, and she suddenly felt as if she’d been plunged into a pit of darkness. She held up her hand, but she couldn’t even see it in the
pitch-black night.

  Her heart lurched when she heard the snap of a twig, and she realized Andrea had followed her. The thought that she’d made the wrong choice popped into her head. Sounds carried long distances in the mountains. Every time she moved, she would broadcast her whereabouts to Andrea.

  There was nothing she could do about it now. She surged forward and hoped that she could avoid hitting a tree or being stopped by a low-hanging branch—or worse, a wild animal. She shook the thoughts from her head and ran.

  The problem was that in the darkness she couldn’t get oriented. It took just a few minutes for her to realize she had no idea which way she should go to head back to the lodge. The only thing she could do was try to outrun Andrea, who, if the rustling sounds behind her were any indication, was gaining on her with every step.

  Suddenly her foot went down in a hole, and she tumbled forward. She hit the ground with such force that for a moment she couldn’t get her breath. Then she pushed to her feet. She took a few more steps but then realized running was no longer an option. At best, she’d be able to limp back to the lodge. Her ankle throbbed as if it was broken, and every step produced excruciating pain. Yet she couldn’t give up.

  She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out and stumbled on. After just a few yards, the forest thinned, and moonlight filtered down between the trees. A trail lay in front of her. It wasn’t as well traveled as the one leading from the lodge, but either humans or animals had passed this way before. Even with the moonlight she had trouble navigating which way she should go. Did the lodge lie to her right or to her left?

  There was no time to debate the issue. She had to decide and chose the right. As she staggered along the path, the footsteps behind her grew fainter. Had Andrea given up? She doubted it, and she wasn’t about to turn around and check it out.

  As she walked, her mind raced. Just an hour ago she and Gabriel had sat in the dining room lost in the happiness that came from falling in love. For the first time since losing her friend, Liz had been optimistic about the future. That had changed quickly with Ray whatever-his-name-was sticking a gun in her back.