Framed for Murder

by Mary Alford

  “At least it’s warmer in here,” he said and lowered his weapon.

  “I’m grateful for the chance to sit for a while.” Liz dropped down to one of the dusty chairs and closed her eyes.

  “Me too.”

  But when she opened her eyes once more Liz realized Aaron hadn’t done the same. Instead, he was over by the window glancing out.

  All of a sudden she saw him move quickly and tuck himself behind the door. She immediately jumped to her feet.

  “What is it?” she asked, but believed she knew the answer. It hadn’t just been her imagination. There had been someone behind them.

  ELEVEN

  “You were right. Someone is back there,” he told her, unable to hide his concern.

  Keeping low, Liz crept over to where he stood. “How many?”

  “I only saw one man.” Aaron pointed in the direction they’d come. “He was looking straight at the cabin and not trying to disguise his presence. I don’t like it.”

  “What do you want to do?” she asked while searching the tree line. “I see him.”

  If this guy was part of the team of men that had been chasing them, then why wasn’t he being more discreet? “Why is he out here alone?” In Aaron’s mind it didn’t make sense that one of Safar’s goons would be there by himself.

  She shook her head. “None of the men following us were traveling on their own. Maybe he is simply a hunter.”

  Paul had told them that the cabins were used by hunters.

  As they watched, the man slowly headed for the house. He had a weapon slung over one shoulder. Still, the possibility of him being out in the middle of nowhere was just too big of a coincidence for Aaron to ignore.

  “Stay here and cover me. I’m going to see what he wants.”

  “Aaron, be careful. We don’t know who this guy is.”

  “Don’t worry.” He managed a smile for her. “If he tries anything, shoot first. We can question him after he’s subdued.”

  Aaron stepped outside, aware of Liz opening the single window. She would be ready if the man did something suspicious.

  The man was dressed in a heavy camo. His head covered with a fur hat.

  “That’s far enough,” Aaron said when the man was within striking distance. “Why are you following us?”

  The man smiled at Aaron’s stern greeting. It occurred to him that the stranger didn’t appear surprised to see him. Had he been watching them?

  After a few seconds the man said, “I’m not following you. I was trapping in the area and I heard an exchange of gunfire from my camp. I was worried. Are you and your partner okay?”

  It stood to reason that he’d heard the firefight. Anyone within a ten-mile radius would have heard it. Still, Aaron couldn’t let it go.

  The guy tentatively stepped closer and introduced himself. “My name’s Davis Kincaid. I used to live around here and I still come up every year at this time to trap.”

  The man held out his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Aaron took it. “Aaron Foster. How’d you get out here anyways, Davis?” he asked not bothering to hide his suspicions.

  Davis’s smile didn’t falter. “I hiked in from town a few weeks back. I’ve been camping around the area, running trap lines ever since.”

  “Had any success?” Aaron asked, keeping him engaged long enough to get a good read off the man.

  Davis’s laughter seemed genuine enough. “I’m afraid I’m a bit rusty. I’ve seen plenty of tracks, but so far, I haven’t managed to catch a single fur.”

  Aaron didn’t get the feel Davis was involved with the people who’d been coming after them, but still, he believed Davis’s intentions were questionable.

  “I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.”

  Aaron wasn’t about to open that door. “No, we’ll be okay. We’re going to rest for a bit and then move on.”

  “You have a destination in mind?” The question came out a little too sharp for Aaron’s taste. “I know the area pretty well. I could help you get there,” Davis amended.

  “Not really. We’re just hunting ourselves. I think the people in the chopper must have thought we were prey.”

  Davis nodded, but Aaron could see he didn’t believe him. It was as if they were playing a cat-and-mouse game with each other, dealing in half-truths.

  “You sure I can’t help?” Davis pressed.

  Aaron shook his head. “No, we’re good. Hope the trapping goes well.”

  “You too,” Davis said and turned and headed back in the direction he came.

  Before Aaron had managed more than a single step back toward the cabin, he heard in the distance what sounded like multiple engines roaring through the woods. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Liz racing from the cabin. Three sets of headlights bounced off the trees heading their way.

  “The chopper must have radioed our coordinates to them,” Aaron told her grimly.

  Davis hurried back to them. “What’s going on here? Who’s on those snowmobiles?” he asked and Aaron debated how much to tell him. “Are they connected to the people who were chasing you in the chopper?”

  “I’m not sure,” Aaron told him. His misgivings over Davis’s sudden appearance doubled. Why was the man out here alone? Aaron didn’t buy his story about being a trapper for a second.

  “What do they want with you two?” Davis pressed in a hard tone while Aaron’s gaze locked with Liz’s. He could see the warning in her eyes. She didn’t trust Davis either.

  It was pretty convenient that the man just happened to appear out of the woods seconds after the attack.

  Still, while he wasn’t sure of Davis’s intentions, the snowmobiles were gaining on them quickly. They couldn’t stay out in the open like this.

  “Look, if we stay here much longer, we’re sitting ducks. We have a better odds at holding them off from inside. So you can either come with us, or take your chances with them,” Aaron said and motioned toward the noise.

  “Let’s go before they spot us,” Liz told them both.

  Davis stared at them for a second longer, then turned on his heel and headed for the cabin, clearly not satisfied with Aaron’s answers.

  “I don’t trust him,” Aaron told her once Davis was out of earshot.

  Liz nodded. “I don’t either. We need to keep our guard up,” She pulled something from her pocket. “I have extra clips for the assault rifles.” She handed him some of the ammo. This should help us fight them off for a while. Who knows how many more they’ll send if these guys aren’t successful.”

  He could see the fear in her eyes she couldn’t hide and he gently touched her face. “Hey, we’re not defeated yet.”

  She smiled. He was trying so hard to keep from showing her how desperate their situation was and yet she knew. “No, we’re not.”

  “Come on, we’d better hurry out of sight before they get here.”

  “Unfortunately, there’s no hiding our tracks,” Davis told them once they entered the cabin. “They’ll know someone’s here. I doubt they’ll ask questions. At least the cover will work in our favor.”

  Davis took out a set of high-powered, military-grade binoculars that did little to ease Aaron’s worries. Why would a trapper have such a tool?

  “They’re at the edge of the woods. They’ll be here soon.” Davis glanced over at them. “You mind telling me what’s going on here? I’m an army ranger and I’ve seen my share of combat situations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This isn’t just some random attack. These guys are after something and I’d like to know what I’ve got myself involved in.”

  Aaron saw Liz’s warning glance and said, “Let’s just say those men out there shooting at us are some very bad guys. They’ve killed lots of innocent people. So you can either help us, or sta
y out of our way. The choice is yours.”

  Davis stared from one to the other, he knew there was more to the story than he’d been told.

  He just blew out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, what do you want to do?”

  In Aaron’s mind, there was only one option. “When you get a clear shot, fire,” he said. Davis nodded and turned away.

  Three snowmobiles stopped abruptly at the edge of the woods as if waiting for something.

  “What do you think they’re doing?” Liz asked uneasily.

  “I’m not sure. Are they waiting for orders?” Aaron focused on the vehicles. He could see each of them held two armed men. They were outnumbered two to one, but they still had a chance as long as the men hadn’t called for reinforcements.

  “They’re heavily armed.” While he watched, the men disembarked and began spreading out through the woods. “They’re fanning out,” he said and turned to her. “They’re going to surround us.”

  Liz started for the opposite window to stand guard there and in that moment it hit him like a ton of bricks. He cared about her.

  Aaron clasped Liz’s good hand and she turned with questions in her eyes. He could no longer deny it. In spite of all the walls he’d put up to protect his heart, Liz had gotten through.

  “Keep your eyes open,” he said instead of what he wanted to tell her. He shoved his feelings deep inside. Would Beth’s betrayal always be there in the back of his head, preventing him from moving on? He didn’t want to be held prisoner by those doubts for the rest of his life.

  She presented him with a confused smile. Had she seen something in him? “I will. You too. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Aaron.” She turned away and he let her go along with the breath he’d held inside and prayed with all his heart for a chance to break the bondage of doubt and be the man he wanted to be...for her.

  * * *

  “I have an idea. Can you two cover me?” Davis asked them.

  Liz and Aaron exchanged a surprised look. Even though Davis had told them he was a ranger, Liz still wasn’t sure of his intentions.

  “This isn’t your fight. Stay low and try to keep alive,” she told him. At the very least, his motives were questionable. She didn’t know whose side he was really on and until she did, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down for a second.

  “Look, you’re outnumbered. You need my help,” Davis insisted. “I’m not the bad guy here,” he added quietly, trying to assure them.

  “What do you have in mind?” Aaron asked eventually and Liz shot him a look. He held up his hand. “We’re running out of options, Liz.”

  She blew out a sigh and slowly nodded. Liz just hoped they weren’t making a huge mistake by accepting Davis’s help.

  “If I can reach the woods behind the cabin, I can circle around back behind and get a good shot without being detected. It might give us an advantage.”

  “Do it,” Aaron said and Davis hurried out the back door.

  “What are you doing? You can’t rely on this guy. He’s up to something,” Liz said the second Davis was out of earshot.

  Aaron shook his head. “I don’t trust him either, but he’s right. We need his help.”

  Liz watched as Davis kept low to the ground and crept off into the woods behind the cabin.

  She followed his movement through the binoculars she’d brought in her backpack. “He’s heading off to the left.” She turned back to Aaron. “What do you think he wants?”

  He was quick to respond. “I’m not sure. But there’s no way he just showed up by accident when he did.”

  Liz had to agree. “Do you think he’s really a ranger?” She had to admit, he carried himself like ex-military, but with so much at stake, they couldn’t afford to simply take Davis at this word.

  “He has an agenda,” Aaron said. “The only question is what is it and how bad is it going to hurt us?”

  Liz scanned the area with the binoculars. Two men were creeping along the edge of the woods to the right of the cabin. “I have two coming this way.”

  She saw Aaron search the area within his viewing. “Same here. That leaves two unaccounted for.” The words had barely left his mouth when the men closest to him opened fire shattering the window. Aaron ducked to the right as bullets came through the cabin. Liz hit the floor. Seconds later an onslaught of shots flew through her side of the house.

  Tucking low, Liz peered over the windowsill and opened fire. The men returned fire and she ducked once more. Inside the cabin it sounded like a battle zone with shots coming in all directions.

  With her heart pounding, Liz waited out the onslaught. Silence followed the bombardment and she slowly eased to a sitting position. After spotting one of the men, she aimed for his leg and pulled the trigger. The man screamed in pain and hit the frozen ground hard.

  “I’m hit,” he yelled to his partner who rushed to his aid and dragged him into the safety of the woods.

  She watched as Aaron fired off a several rounds. “I have one down,” he exclaimed.

  Off in the distance, multiple rounds ricocheted through the woods.

  Liz and Aaron stared at each other.

  “Do you think Davis is okay?” she asked, concerned.

  Aaron shook his head and glanced out the shattered window. “Hang on. I see two men, I’m guessing they’re the two remaining guys. It looks like they’re leaving,” he said in disbelief.

  Liz crept over to his vantage point. The two men appeared to be running for their lives as if someone pursued them. One held his side and what appeared to be blood oozed from beneath his hand.

  “He’s hit,” she exclaimed. She peered through the binoculars. “It looks like they’re all retreating.” As they watched, the men climbed on the snowmobiles and headed back in the direction they’d come.

  “Thank You, God,” Aaron voiced his gratitude aloud.

  “Where’s Davis?” she asked. Had their doubts been justified? Was Davis part of the men hunting them? Liz moved to the back door and looked out. Straight ahead and still some distance away, something glistened in the snow.

  “There.” Liz pointed and zeroed in through the binoculars. “There he is. He’s coming this way. Aaron, I don’t like it. There’s something strange about him jumping on board so quickly to help us without really knowing what he’s getting himself into.”

  “I agree. Even if he is a ranger, I don’t believe his motives one little bit. Be ready,” he warned.

  Something had occurred to her. “He could be connected to Michael in some way. If Michael moved the weapons here, he would have had to have help.”

  Aaron’s gaze met hers. “It makes sense. That would explain why he’s so willing to help us out. Maybe he’s trying to protect the guns.”

  Davis emerged from the woods slowly. Liz also didn’t understand why he needed such a high-powered weapon for trapping.

  “Hold your fire,” Davis said when he drew closer and spotted their rifles. “I’m on your side, remember.”

  Aaron didn’t take his eye off the man. “Are you. I’m not so sure. Why would a simple trapper put himself in harm’s way to help two people he doesn’t even know? I can’t make it add up, my friend,” Aaron said in a dangerous tone.

  Davis’s smile appeared plastered to his face. “I told you I’m military. I’m guessing you two are as well. You know you don’t leave a fellow soldier behind. Like it or not, I can’t forget that code of honor no matter how much it puts me at risk.”

  Liz didn’t completely buy the story, but until they knew what he wanted, they’d need to keep him close.

  Slowly she lowered her weapon and Aaron did the same.

  “We appreciate the help,” she said quietly.

  The man slowly nodded. “After what happened, I can understand you having doubts. My heart still feels
as if it’s about to come out of my chest. I haven’t seen this much excitement in a long time.”

  Davis glanced around at the destruction that had taken place in the tiny cabin and then back at them. “The previous attack was clearly not a mistake, and now within the space of just a little while, you’re hit again. I’d say those men came after you for a reason.”

  A single muscle worked in Aaron’s jaw. He was uneasy. So was she. Ranger or not, neither of them trusted Davis just yet.

  “You’re correct—they are after us for a reason. But for your own safety, it’s best that you don’t know anything more. Still, we’re grateful that you came along when you did,” Aaron said with a guarded edge to his voice.

  Davis clearly wanted to ask more questions, but thought better of it. “Also a good break that I’m a ranger who knows when someone is up to no good.”

  Liz still couldn’t shake the feeling that Davis hadn’t told them the whole truth.

  He must have read her misgivings because he pulled out his tags. “Seventy-Fifth Ranger Regiment, Second Battalion. While I might be rusty at trapping, I know when someone’s in trouble.”

  She smiled, relieved. “We’re very glad you do.”

  “With everything that’s happened, I’m sad to say I don’t know your name.” He stuck out his hand to Liz. “Davis Kincaid.”

  “Liz Ramirez,” she said and just for a second he seemed to recognize the name. Impossible, surely? They’d never met before. Still it was enough to put her on guard again.

  Aaron must have sensed something as well because he moved closer to her.

  If Davis noticed the gesture, he chose to ignore it. “You know they’ll be back, don’t you?” he said without looking at them. “Whatever their reasons for coming after you with such force, they’ll be back and soon.”

  “That’s why we need to get out of here,” Liz turned to Aaron and said. “We can’t stay. This is the first place they’ll look when they come back.”

  “I went into town a couple of days ago. There are men here that I’d swear are former military,” Davis told them, capturing both their attention. He was clearly fishing for answers. The only question that remained—was he one of those men? Was Davis Kincaid a friend or a foe?