by Mary Alford
“You’re welcome,” he said and kissed her forehead, then let her go. His smile faded and he stared at her with uncertainty.
Liz’s heart slammed against her chest. Her gaze dropped to the ground, her emotions all over the board. He’d kissed her. Aaron had kissed her and she hadn’t felt this way since... Eric. Was it too soon to have feelings for another man? Didn’t Eric deserve more from her?
“Let’s grab our gear and get out of here. Black Bear’s still quite some distance away. I’d sure like to get there before dark if possible,” he murmured and then moved away.
Aaron stowed their meager possessions in the snowmobile’s compartment and turned to her. Liz tried to recover her composure but failed miserably.
“Ready?” he said and waited for her answer.
Slowly, she nodded. She was ready. So ready for this to be over.
Aaron got on, put on one of the helmets and then handed her the second one.
Once they were both on, he eased the machine from behind the office and onto one of the groomed paths.
Liz didn’t understand Michael’s full involvement with the weapons or their disappearance. The fact that he had accumulated evidence seemed to indicate that he had firsthand knowledge of the crimes committed to obtain them, but obviously the guns had been moved by someone she believed to be Michael. Something had changed his mind.
She still couldn’t reconcile the possibility that Michael was in league with Sam. She knew Michael. He wasn’t after money or obsessed with owning things. He was dedicated to protecting the country he loved.
“Why do you think he did it?” she asked because Aaron had known Michael almost as long as she had. They shared the common interests of hunting and fishing.
The length of time it took him to answer was revealing. “I don’t know. Something was obviously wrong with him on the day he got out of the hospital, and there’s no denying that he and Sam had a connection of some sort. I went over the videotape of Michael’s visit. Their behavior was bizarre.”
She drew in a breath and asked the question she needed to know. “And me? Do you think I’m guilty?”
Aaron didn’t hesitate. “No. I never thought you were involved in Sam’s crimes. You’re too good a person. You’ve proven that to me countless times. We’ll find out who’s really behind this thing and the extent of Michael’s involvement. And once we do, we can close the book on Sam and his deadly crimes once and for all. Then we can both look to the future...” He stopped as if he realized he’d said too much. She’d give just about anything to know the end of that sentence.
Aaron was a good man and he was risking everything to save her. Could she open her heart up to love again? It was too soon, surely? She couldn’t just let Eric’s memory go so easily.
She freed that thought for now. She was just so grateful to have Aaron on her side. He was the only thing keeping her going. Without his trust, she wasn’t sure she’d care what happened to her.
* * *
The groomed path ended a little distance beyond the airstrip. Along the way, Aaron noticed several snowmobile tracks going in the same direction as them. Someone had been through here recently.
He’d kissed her. What had he been thinking? He’d overstepped the line. He was her superior after all.
Still, he couldn’t help it. Kissing her had felt right. He’d just gotten caught up in the moment and the way he felt about her. He couldn’t deny that he had feelings for Liz that went beyond friendship, but he’d never intended to show them to her. She was still hurting over Eric’s death. She wasn’t ready. He wasn’t even sure he was.
Aaron shook off his musings with difficulty. Something didn’t feel right about the tracks he was seeing in the snow.
Michael had once told him that most of the hunting spots were some distance away from Black Bear, and yet the tracks seemed to be heading straight for the village.
Aaron feared he might have just lied to Liz. These tracks in addition to the information from the old man about other people in the area left Aaron with a bad feeling.
He spotted a sign indicating Black Bear was a couple of miles ahead and he stopped the snowmobile, removed his helmet, and got off. When Liz did the same he could see the worry on her face.
“What do you make of it?” she asked as his gaze followed the tracks leading into the village.
Aaron tried to remember any details Michael might have told him over the years about coming up here. He’d said the town was primitive in many ways. Most people who came here camped close to the river when fishing. Michael in fact had come to fish for salmon. He’d seemed to know a lot about it and Black Bear in general, which indicated he’d been here numerous times. Aaron didn’t remember him ever mentioning hunting.
“There seems to be an awful lot of activity going on for it not being salmon spawning time,” he said in answer to Liz’s question. “To be safe, let’s stash the snowmobile someplace protected and walk the rest of the way in.”
She nodded and they scouted out a secure hiding spot.
Aaron did a quick search for the best place to leave the machine where it wouldn’t be discovered. “Over there.” He pointed to a thick patch of trees. “We can conceal it with branches for additional coverage.” He’d guided the machine to the spot while Liz gathered branches to cover it and then covered their tracks.
They were both cold and damp and needed to get out of the elements as quickly as possible.
“It should be safe here unless someone ventures deeper into the woods,” he told her. “Ready?”
She nodded and they started walking. Although it wasn’t far from town, with the stress of the recent attacks, Aaron wasn’t sure how much more Liz could take.
“It’s not much farther,” he tried to assure her.
She attempted a smile, but he could see she was running on empty. She needed food and more important, rest. Neither seemed a possibility anytime soon.
They’d been walking for only a short amount of time when he heard it. The unmistakable sound of snowmobiles coming their way.
Liz froze. “They must be heading back to the airstrip.”
“We need to get out of sight now.” He pointed to some nearby trees. They barely had time to take cover before five machines came into view.
The machines were crawling along. Aaron held his breath. If the men noticed their footsteps they’d realize someone was out here besides them.
The last snowmobile passed them by when suddenly the vehicle in the lead braked.
“Hold up,” the driver yelled and got off. Aaron peered through the trees and his pulse thundered against his chest. The man was looking at the ground.
He clutched Liz’s shoulder and pointed. She saw what he did and her head whipped to him.
“We have to get out of here now,” he mouthed and pointed in the direction of the village. They’d need to fight their way through the dense woods, but at least it was too thick for the snowmobiles to breach.
Aaron eased forward along with Liz.
“Someone’s been here,” the driver said.
“It’s probably hunters,” another man answered. “One of the locals told me lots of people come here in search of moose. Besides, if it’s the Scorpion agents, they wouldn’t be on foot.”
“Maybe, but we can’t take any chances. We’ve lost touch with our men in Talkeetna and he should be here soon. We can’t afford to look bad in his eyes again. You two, go back to the airport and see if the old man there knows of any new arrivals. Lean on him hard if you have to. The rest of you, come with me. We need to find out who these tracks belong to.”
Aaron grabbed Liz’s good hand and they ran as fast as they could. Behind them he could hear the snowmobiles firing and then slowly the sound faded. Voices could be heard in the woods nearby. They were heading their way.
“We’ll never make it to town before they reach us. We’ll need to take them out,” he said and looked to her for assurances she was up to the task.
Liz never wavered. “I can do my part.”
“I’m going to backtrack a little so that I can take them by surprise. When they reach your location, start firing.”
She understood. “Be careful, Aaron,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I will. I’ll see you soon,” he said with a confidence he didn’t feel. The one thing that he and Liz had going for them was that they were trained in this type of fighting. He hoped it was enough to give them an edge.
Aaron had the Glock tucked behind his back and one of the assault rifles slung over his shoulder. He eased through the woods while listening carefully for anything out of the ordinary. A branch snapped nearby and he ducked quickly behind a tree. Drawing a deep breath, he glanced around and saw the three men moving through the woods. He tucked behind the tree once more until they were close to the area where Liz was hidden.
The second she opened fire, the two men in the lead froze, taken by surprise. The last man was a little ways behind. Aaron charged for him and wrapped his arm around his neck and choked him until he lost consciousness.
For the moment the men up ahead were unaware of their fallen comrade. They pinpointed the area where Liz had shot from and returned her fire. With a quick prayer for her safety, he raced for one of the men. Just as Aaron was right on top of him he turned. But it was too late. He hit him hard on the chin and the man dropped to the ground.
There wasn’t much time. They needed to disable the last remaining person and get out of there before one of the unconscious men awoke.
The remaining man turned on Aaron with his weapon aimed at his heart.
“Whoa,” Aaron said to throw the man off. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Liz as she charged the man. The man heard the noise and turned, but not in time to react.
With the last foe down, Aaron rushed to Liz’s side. “We’ve got to keep moving. They’ll be awake soon. We need to reach the village and get out of sight as quickly as possible because it won’t take long before the men reach the airport and find out that we’re here.”
EIGHT
As they hurried through the trees at a fast pace, Liz struggled to keep from showing how exhausted she was.
Aaron stopped beside her and turned her to face him. She knew from the concern on his face that he was seeing what she hadn’t wanted him to. “Hang in there,” he said. “We’re almost to Black Bear. Once we’re out of sight, we’ll get in touch with Jessie Chena. Hopefully, she can shed some light on what was going on with Michael.”
Liz squared her shoulders. She wasn’t a quitter. She had to keep pushing on for Michael and for Aaron.
“We’re going to find out who this Safar person is and clear your name. With or without the evidence Michael gathered,” he said with enough surety that she was inclined to believe him.
She smiled at him. “Yes, and when this is over, I owe you a home-cooked meal.” She’d hoped to lighten the moment, only the warmth in his eyes as his gaze swept over her face took her breath away.
After a handful of seconds, he said, “We’d better get going.” And she wondered if she’d said something to upset him or was it simply the urgency of the situation?
They’d gone only a few paces when the woods grew thinner and eventually disappeared and the small village of Black Bear came into view. Nothing about the narrow strip of a town was encouraging. There were but a handful of businesses, all of which appeared to have closed for the evening. Finding sufficient cover was going to be difficult.
Liz expelled a hopeless breath.
“Try Jessie’s number,” he urged. “We’ll need her help.”
She dug out the note from where she’d hid it in her boot and quickly called the number Michael had left for her. It went to voice mail—a woman’s voice came on the recorder, identifying herself as real estate agent Jessie Chena. Liz didn’t dare leave a message. Right now, she wasn’t sure who to trust other than Aaron.
She ended the call. “It went to voice mail. But get this... Jessie Chena is a real estate agent. That’s probably how she knows...knew Michael,” she amended.
“No doubt it is.” Aaron pointed to one of the faded wood structures that belonged to Black Bear Realty. “That must be her office. Let’s use the cover of the building as protection against the wind.”
Aaron quickly searched the area, but there didn’t appear to be anyone around but them. They hurried to the side of the building where the roof’s overhang provided some cover from the snowfall.
“Try her again,” Aaron told her with renewed urgency. “I don’t like being exposed like this. We need to get out of sight as soon as possible.”
* * *
“The service is terrible,” Liz said and unconsciously reached for his hand. When someone answered she said, “Hello, Jessie?” She immediately put the phone on speaker so that Aaron could hear the conversation.
“Yes, this is Jessie.” After a pause filled with static, Jessie asked with an edge to her voice, “Who is this?”
Liz glanced up at Aaron who nodded. “Jessie, this is Liz Ramirez. I’m a friend of Michael Harris.”
After a few tense seconds where Liz and Aaron stared at each other, the woman said, “I was beginning to think that Michael made you up. How can I help you?”
At least the woman recognized Liz’s name, which gave some credence to Michael’s story.
“Jessie, I’m in Black Bear and I need to talk to you right away. Can we meet tonight?”
The length of time it took the woman to answer didn’t bode well in Aaron’s mind.
“It’s kind of late. My husband and I were just about to have dinner,” the woman hesitated.
“I know and I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s important that I speak with you tonight. Can we come to you?”
Aaron could see that Liz didn’t like the woman’s reluctance to meet.
“No...wait, hang on,” Jessie muttered and then they could hear noises in the background that sounded like a door closing. Then the woman returned to the call. “I can meet you at the Black Bear real estate office. I’m an agent there.”
Liz frowned. “That’s fine.”
“I’ll see you in thirty minutes.” The woman disconnected the call without another word.
“That was strange,” Aaron said. He hadn’t liked the way the call had gone at all. “She’s hiding something, but at least we have an idea on how they met. She could have sold him the cabin.”
Liz shook her head. “Maybe, I guess so, but he never mentioned any of this to me.” She rubbed her arms to stay warm.
“There’s nothing open, otherwise we could get out of the cold. Maybe it’s warmer close to the store entrance.”
With an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, they crept to the front of the building. There were only a handful of streetlights and none directly in front of the real estate office. They went up the steps to the porch. The windows had several available properties taped so that anyone passing by could see them.
“How did Michael ever find this place? It seems like a long way to travel just to go fishing.”
Aaron could see she wasn’t convinced. Not that he blamed her. It seemed odd to him as well.
“Black Bear is famous for catching salmon. Still, I remember when he talked about the village it was almost as if he had a personal connection to it somehow.”
Liz shook her head as if she, too, was remembering it. “Let’s hope some of our questions will be answered when we get to the cabin.”
The quiet of the evening
was broken by an engine’s noise. It was coming their way. Immediately, Aaron was on alert. He peeked around the edge of the storefront. A snowmobile drew closer. Was it Jessie? He wasn’t ready to take that chance just yet with so many armed men roaming around the area.
Aaron pointed to the opposite side of the building. “Let’s wait there until we’re sure this is Jessie.”
Liz nodded and they hurried around to the side. Once they were out of sight, Aaron flattened himself against the side and peered around. The snowmobile drove past the building and then at the end of the road turned and went down the alley behind them. Once the driver reached the rear of their building, it stopped.
Aaron and Liz eased toward it for a closer look. A woman got off, hurried up the steps and unlocked the door.
“That must be her,” Aaron said. They stayed in the shadows and followed the woman inside. She whipped around at the noise; her face looked terrified.
“Sorry, Jessie, it’s me, Liz. We didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Jessie stared at them with real fear in her eyes while she struggled to control her emotions.
“This is Aaron,” Liz turned to him at the introduction. “He’s a good friend and you can trust him.”
Still visibly shaken, Jessie said, “Sorry, I thought you might be...someone else.”
Liz shot Aaron a look. “Who were you expecting?” she asked.
Jessie shook her head. “No one,” she said in a noncommittal way and then moved a little away from them.
After a quick look around to make sure no one had followed Jessie, Aaron closed the door. The place was warm inside and he was grateful for the shelter.
“Come with me,” Jessie told them in a nervous tone. “My office is through here and there’s no windows. We can talk there.”
She opened the door to what looked like a closet with a desk in it and turned on the lights. “Close the door. I can’t stay long. I told my husband I would only be a little while and that I had a customer who wouldn’t wait. He’ll come looking for me if I don’t get home soon.”
“What are you afraid of, Jessie?” Liz asked and the look on the woman’s face confirmed that she hadn’t just been scared because she’d been surprised by their sudden appearance. There was more.