Ranch Hideout

by Sandra Robbins

  Liz frowned and nodded as the man put the canteen back in the water. Suddenly his body jerked, and he sat back on his heels. Liz grabbed his arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Diabetic,” he said through clenched teeth. “Blood sugar dropping.”

  Gabriel and Andrea both jumped to their feet, but Liz was faster. She grabbed her backpack, got it unzipped and had a chocolate candy bar shoved in the man’s hands before they could cover the distance to where she sat.

  “Eat this,” she commanded.

  The man’s eyes blinked rapidly as he stared at Liz. When he didn’t respond, she broke off a piece of the candy and forced it into his mouth. As if on autopilot he began to chew and then swallowed the bite. He opened his mouth as if to speak, and she pushed another chunk of chocolate into his mouth. Gabriel watched in fascination as she continued to feed the man. As she did, the color in his face gradually returned and replaced the pale, ashen skin tone of a few minutes earlier. The shakiness he’d shown earlier settled, too.

  Liz laid her hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling now?”

  He eyed her. “Better. Thanks.” The words held a grudging tone.

  She sat back on her heels and smiled. “You’re welcome. My father was a diabetic, and I had to feed him candy many times.” She reached in her backpack again and pulled out a bottle of water. “Empty that canteen and drink this instead.”

  He faltered for a second and then took the bottle. “You don’t have to do more, Miss...”

  “Liz,” she finished for him. “And you are?”

  “Brick.”

  Liz smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Brick.”

  He didn’t respond as he raised his head and took a swig from the bottle. As he did, the tattoo on the side of his neck came into full view—a skull, the symbol of a vicious gang the FBI had been trying to take down for years.

  Gabriel couldn’t pry his eyes off the tattoo. When he finally glanced up, his gaze locked with Brick’s. The man was frowning as if he knew exactly what Gabriel was thinking. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Brick looked away.

  “Hey,” Jeff called from the front of the pack train. “It’s time to go. You folks ready?”

  Gabriel picked up his backpack. The sooner they got away from this guy, the better. “Let’s go, Liz.”

  She zipped her pack up and slung it over her shoulder. “Are you up to walking yet, Brick?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll see you on top.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “We’re not leaving you here.”

  Gabriel had already taken a step toward Jeff, and he spun around. “Liz, I really don’t think...”

  “He can’t go on alone. He might have another attack, and there’d be nobody to help. Besides, we have water, and he doesn’t.” She looked down at Brick, who stared up at her. “So on your feet, Brick. It’s time to get moving.”

  He pushed to a standing position and grimaced. “I’ll be okay. I don’t...”

  She held her palm out facing him and shook her head. “No arguments. I’m not leaving you here by yourself. So you might as well come on.”

  Gabriel started to protest again, but Andrea touched his arm. “Leave it alone, Gabriel. You can’t change her mind.”

  He looked back to where Liz had been a moment ago, but she had Brick by the arm and was leading him over to where Jeff and the llamas waited. Gabriel gritted his teeth. “All right, but did you see that tattoo?”

  “I did, but it’s better that we have him close so we can keep an eye on him.”

  “Then you go in front of her, and I’ll bring up the rear in case he tries something.”

  Andrea trotted off and took up her position in front of Liz as the pack train began to move. Liz had treated that guy just the way she did Bart Foster. Did she not realize the danger these men posed? The Piranhas and the Skulls inhabited the same world that Daniel Shaw lived in, and their members would be the perfect choice to perform a hit for him.

  Brick might have gotten sympathy from Liz, but he’d get none from Gabriel. In fact, as long as they were on the mountain, he was going to keep the gang member and his friends on his radar.

  ELEVEN

  Two hours later the Mount LeConte Lodge with its cabins came into view. Liz had never been as thankful to see any sight in her life. Even with the rest stops they’d taken along the way, the climb had been strenuous, and at times she wasn’t sure she’d make it. Then she’d glance at Andrea, who was striding along like she did a seven-mile hike every morning before breakfast, and she’d push herself to show Andrea and Gabriel that she could keep up.

  Brick had made it fine, too. He hadn’t talked much on the way to the lodge, but she’d found out a few things. He’d grown up in a rough neighborhood in Memphis and had been on his own since he was sixteen. He mentioned his friends several times, and she sensed they were more than just friends, closer to family really. When she had asked him if they were staying at the lodge, he’d shaken his head and said they were staying in a backcountry shelter close by.

  Gabriel hadn’t been happy that she’d insisted Brick come along, but she couldn’t leave him on the mountain alone. Besides, it didn’t matter what Gabriel thought. She was beginning to see a side to him that she didn’t like. He’d spoken to her only in short sentences since they’d left the trailhead.

  Brick seemed to sense her exhaustion as they neared the lodge, and he pointed to the building about four hundred feet away. “There’s the office. I see my friends on the front porch.”

  She squinted to get a better look at the building and spied two men sitting in rocking chairs outside the front door. As they continued toward them, the men stood, came down the steps and watched as the llama pack train got closer.

  They exchanged somber glances before they turned and gazed at Gabriel, then Andrea, then her. Her skin prickled at the sense of danger that seemed to surround them. She’d never felt a sensation like that in her life upon first seeing someone, and she stepped a little closer to Brick.

  When they reached the stairs, Jeff nodded to the strangers but kept walking as he led the llamas around to the back door. The two men glanced at Gabriel once more and then fastened their eyes on Brick as they approached. “What’s this?” one of them asked.

  Brick gave a curt nod of acknowledgment. “Had a little problem on the trail. Tell you about it later. This lady helped me out.”

  Up close the men looked even more sinister. They each had long hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, and the older one had a beard that hung down to his chest. They wore T-shirts, but she could see tattoos that curled up their arms.

  At Brick’s words, both men shifted their attention to her. “That so?”

  “Yes,” Liz answered. “I’m afraid he’s had a rough time. You need to make sure you have a good supply of candy while you’re here.”

  The one with the long beard looked back at Brick. “You have a problem with your sugar level?”

  Brick nodded. “Yeah. I guess I’d be passed out in the woods if it wasn’t for this lady. She forced candy in my mouth. Then she gave me her water so I wouldn’t have to drink from the stream and wouldn’t leave until I came with her.”

  The man’s hand stroked his beard as he studied her for a minute. “You don’t say.”

  “Yeah. I’ll tell you about it later. Let’s go.”

  The bearded man stuck out his hand, and Liz put hers in it. His big fingers wrapped around hers, and then he covered her hand with his other one. “My name is Clipper.” He indicated the other man. “And this is Patch. I’m much obliged to you for you taking care of my brother.”

  Surprised, Liz looked around at Brick. “Brother? I thought you were meeting friends.”

  The two men chuckled. “Friends that are really brothers,” Clipper said.
>
  Just then Gabriel walked up beside her, took hold of her arm and tugged it free. “We need to check in.”

  Liz frowned up at him. “You go on and take care of that. I’m going to sit down in that rocking chair and rest.” She faced Brick again. “That is, after I say goodbye to Brick and his brothers.”

  Brick glowered at Gabriel and glanced back at his friends. “Let’s go.”

  He started to leave, and Liz called after him. “Take care of yourself.”

  He looked back at her. “I will. You do the same.”

  With those words, the three men turned and headed up the path that led to a line of trees farther up the mountain. When they’d disappeared, Gabriel turned to her, and she couldn’t quite determine the look on his face. Irritation or fear?

  She gulped and raised her chin. “I thought you needed to check in.”

  “Liz, that was a reckless thing to do.”

  She wrinkled her forehead. “What are you talking about?”

  “Those guys, Brick and his friends. You need to stay away from them.”

  She tilted her head to one side and studied Gabriel’s face. “Why?”

  “Didn’t you see their tattoos?”

  “Well, yes, but I’ve seen tattoos before.”

  The muscle in his jaw flexed, and he took a step closer to her. “You haven’t seen those kind before. They’re not just decoration. Brick and his friends are members of a motorcycle gang in Memphis called the Skulls. We’ve been after them for years. In fact, I think they recognized me.”

  Liz arched her eyebrows. “So what has the FBI proven against them so far?”

  “Well, nothing yet, but that doesn’t mean we won’t. You should never have helped that guy on the trail.”

  She couldn’t believe he’d said that. She frowned and propped her hands on her hips. “Not helped him? Gabriel, we are all God’s children, and He loves us all the same. I would be denying what God wants me to do if I turned my back and ignored a man when it was apparent he was in distress. Especially when I knew I had the tools to help. I believe that God expects us to help those in trouble no matter who they are.”

  He clenched his teeth at her. “Even if they might be here to carry out a hit?” He stopped and pushed his hand through his hair. “Now I’ve got one more thing to worry about.”

  Before she could respond, he stormed up the steps and disappeared into the office. Exhausted, Liz watched him go and then climbed the stairs and sank down in the rocking chair. She laid her head against the high back of the chair and closed her eyes.

  The things Gabriel said troubled her, but she wouldn’t have done anything differently with Brick if she’d known about his gang affiliation. Though he hadn’t exactly been friendly, he’d been polite all the way up the mountain, and he’d seemed to be sincere in his appreciation for what she’d done. She’d lived her life believing that there was some good in everyone, and her short encounter with Brick had led her to think that there was some in him, too.

  Her eyes still shut, she smiled at the cool fall breeze that blew across her face. She didn’t know if she’d ever want to get out of this chair. Her reprieve was short-lived because Gabriel was back within minutes with directions to their cabin. “We’re just up the path from the dining room. Come on.”

  He bounded down the steps and headed up the rocky path, but Andrea, who’d followed her to the porch, bent down over her. “Are you okay, Liz?”

  “Just a little tired. It feels so good to sit down. Now that I have, I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to move.”

  “Then sit there and rest for a few minutes. I’m going in the office to see if they have snacks for sale. I’ll be right back.”

  A contented sigh escaped from Liz’s mouth, and she leaned back into the chair. The door to the office opened, and Liz’s eyes popped open. A man dressed in shorts and a T-shirt walked out. A backpack hung over his shoulder.

  When he saw her in the chair, he stopped and smiled. “Hello. Are you just getting here?”

  “Yes. How about you?”

  He set his backpack down on the porch and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Me, too. I didn’t see you on the trail. Did you come up the Alum Cave Trail?”

  She shook her head. “No. We did the Trillium Gap Trail.”

  He smiled. “I did that one when I hiked up here in the middle of the summer. It’s really a beautiful hike.” He stuck out his hand. “By the way, I’m Frank. And you are?”

  “Liz.”

  “It’s good to meet you, Liz. Are you staying at the lodge or at one of the backcountry shelters?”

  “Here at the lodge. I have a cabin.”

  He sighed. “I wish I could say the same, but I couldn’t get one. Im staying at one of the backcountry shelters.” He nodded toward the door. “I was just talking to the people in there, and they said I could eat here tonight. So that’s good.”

  “Then maybe I’ll see you at dinner.”

  His gaze raked her face, and he smiled. “I’d like that.”

  Liz didn’t get a chance to respond because an angry voice cut in. “I wondered where you had gone to.” They turned as Gabriel came up the steps to the porch. A frown pulled at his forehead. “I thought you were right behind me.”

  Liz rolled her eyes and leveled an exasperated gaze at him. “Take it easy, Gabriel. I was just talking with a fellow camper. This is Frank.”

  Gabriel gave the man a curt nod. “Good to meet you.”

  Frank offered his hand, and Gabriel took it. Liz could tell from the set of his jaw that he did it reluctantly. “Are you Liz’s husband?” Frank asked.

  Liz laughed before she realized it. “Husband? No. We’re just friends. We’re here with our other friend, Andrea.”

  Frank raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I see.” He picked up his backpack, took Liz’s hand in his and held it for a moment. “In that case, I’ll make it a point to see you at dinner.”

  With that, he hopped down the steps and strode down the trail away from the cabins. Gabriel watched him, then turned back to Liz. “What is it with you? Are you determined to meet every guy who’s hiked up Mount LeConte today?’

  Liz bit down on her tongue as she shoved to her feet and glared at Gabriel. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “First Brick and his friends, and now Frank. Do you not realize that we’re here to keep you safe? How can we do that if you attract the attention of every male in a ten-mile radius?”

  She balled her fists at her sides and stepped closer. “I’ve only tried to be nice. It might not hurt you to do the same thing every once in a while.”

  His jaw ticked as he ran his hand through his hair. “Liz, you are driving me crazy. I...” The he stopped. “Never mind. Where is Andrea?”

  “She went inside to see about getting some snacks.”

  “Snacks?” Gabriel exploded. “And left you alone out here?”

  Now his face had turned red, and his eyes burned like a fire. She could tell he was about to completely lose it. She moved toward him. “Would you calm down?” she hissed. “I thought you wanted to avoid drawing attention to us. Besides, you don’t need to broadcast it to everyone in camp that I have a babysitter.”

  His eyes got big. “Babysitter? Do you think that’s what I am?’

  “No, that’s what you think you are. I’m just another assignment, one that’s going to help you get that promotion you’re looking for.”

  The angry expression faded as his jaw slackened and he shook his head. “How could you think that about me?” he whispered.

  “With the way you’ve been acting, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you can’t wait for this assignment to be over.” Her heart lurched at the hurt she saw in his eyes, and she wanted to throw her arms around him and beg him to forgive her for t
he things she’d said. Instead she picked up her backpack and gestured toward the office. “Why don’t you get Andrea, and let’s get settled.”

  For a second he stood completely still. Then he gave a slow nod and stepped around her. He returned right away with Andrea. He didn’t say a word as he strode down the steps and started up the path.

  “What happened?” Andrea whispered.

  Liz watched Gabriel’s straight back and long strides as he headed toward the cabin. “Nothing important.”

  She wanted to rush after him, but she didn’t think he wanted to talk to her right now.

  Her pulse pounded in her ears, and she took several slow breaths to calm herself. Tears pooled in her eyes. All she’d wanted that day months ago was to get away for the weekend with her best friend, and it had led to a sequence of events that now found her staring at the man she’d started to care for as he walked away from her.

  Had she just imagined that he enjoyed being with her? Had it been only a ruse so that she would allow him to stay close and protect her? If so, he’d played his part well and had her convinced he really liked her.

  Now he acted like she was a stranger, just another woman that he’d tired of and was ready to free himself from, as Andrea had implied was his usual practice. If that’s what he wanted, there was nothing she could do about it. You couldn’t make someone love you. This was just one more loss that she was going to have to deal with.

  She gulped down another deep breath. She’d faced a lot of disappointments and heartaches in the last few years, and through it all, she’d discovered the secret to survival. It was her faith, and it wouldn’t let her down this time. The future might look uncertain at the moment, but God would help her get through the dark days ahead.

  What she had to do right now was concentrate on the trial. That was the important thing. She couldn’t allow anything to sidetrack her from getting justice for Kathy. Once that was over, she would decide what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Until then she couldn’t let thoughts of Gabriel distract her. She just couldn’t.