Guarding the Witness Read online

  “What do you think?” Brody asked, close to her ear.

  She swallowed her gasp at his sudden quiet appearance next to her. “Still don’t see anyone. Maybe they’re hunting or fishing. We’ll need to go closer.”

  Using the foliage and tree trunks to hide them, Brody and she sneaked closer. She focused her attention on the campsite while he scoured the area for any sign of the car’s owner.

  Fifteen yards away from their objective a rustling sound to the right near the camp stilled Arianna’s movements. A man and woman around the age of fifty came into the small clearing where the tent was pitched. He carried a rifle and they both had binoculars around their necks.

  Arianna ducked back deeper into the underbrush. “What do you think? After us or two campers on holiday?”

  He fixed his gaze on the couple. “I see a camera in the woman’s hand. At first glance they seem all right.”

  “But...”

  “Appearances can be deceiving. You and I have both encountered that in our lives.”

  Immediately Arianna thought of Dirk and then the latest person—the marshal who had betrayed her location. “Let’s move closer and listen to what they’re talking about. I’m not quite ready to just walk into their camp without more info.”

  “I like how you think—cautiously.”

  “There’s time for action and time for waiting and seeing what happens.”

  “Not for long. We can’t stay anyplace long.”

  “Why not?” asked a low-pitched female voice behind them.

  Arianna peered over her shoulder. A young woman, no more than twenty, stood with her shotgun aimed at them. Arianna thought of going for her weapon at her side.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you,” the girl said. “Both of you turn around slowly and start doing some explaining.”

  When Brody was fully around and facing the stranger, he nodded toward the gun. “Why don’t you point that thing somewhere else?”

  “I will when you explain what you meant by not staying long in a place.”

  “There’s a forest fire not far from here. We’ve been running from it since yesterday. We had to leave our camping equipment and about everything we had and make a run for it. The last we saw the fire, the wind was blowing it this way. I’m surprised to find anyone here,” Brody said, using his soft, nonthreatening voice.

  The young woman relaxed slightly. “I smelled smoke. That’s why I went up the tree to see if I could find out where it was coming from.”

  “Oh, then you saw the fire.” Arianna watched the girl’s body language intently. The more she looked at her the more she thought she was probably a teenager.

  “Yep, but the wind has changed directions. It’s blowing more directly north now. I think we’ll be safe.” The girl gestured with her shotgun. “If you’re out here, those side arms ain’t nearly as effective as a rifle or shotgun, especially for bears. We camp here every year and a couple of times bears have been a problem.”

  “Jane, who are you talking to?” a male voice asked.

  “That’s my grandpa,” Jane said to them, then shouted, “A couple running from the fire I seen.” Again she made a motion with her gun. “C’mon. I’ll introduce you to my grandparents. They don’t live too far from here.”

  Arianna looked at Brody, who nodded. “We’d love to meet them.”

  With her arms out to indicate she wasn’t reaching for her Glock, Arianna slowly rose. Brody did the same.

  “Go ahead,” Jane said, pointing toward the campsite, her shotgun still aimed at them.

  When Arianna passed close to Brody, she whispered, “I’m not liking the gun pointed at us.”

  “Me, either.” He slid a look back as he limped toward the campsite.

  “What’s wrong, mister?” Jane asked while trailing behind them.

  “I fell and twisted my ankle.”

  “Running from the fire?”

  “Yes.”

  As they entered the campsite, the man stood near the fire pit with his rifle up and fixed on Brody. It had been strained before with the teenager, but now the tension shot up like the fire devouring the forest across the river.

  As Brody bridged the distance to the older man, he said, “That’s as far as you come. Who are you?”

  “I’m B.J. and this is my wife, Anna. I understand from your granddaughter you live around here.”

  He scowled. “What of it?”

  Jane had been downright friendly compared to her grandfather. Arianna glanced at the woman not far from the man. Her hard expression, gaze glued to Arianna, did nothing to alleviate the stress.

  “Nothing. Just trying to carry on a conversation. That coffee on the fire smells wonderful.”

  “Jane, git the rope. I think these two are who those officers were looking for.”

  “We’re not running from the law but the fire.” Arianna clenched her hands at her side, more worried about the two officers than this couple and their granddaughter.

  Brody sidled closer to Arianna. “What makes you think that, sir?”

  “You fit the description of the fugitives. You’re wanted for starting that fire. If the wind had shifted, my home would be in the middle of it.”

  “What law enforcement officers?”

  “State troopers. They came through this morning early.”

  Jane appeared at her grandfather’s side, holding a length of rope.

  Arianna exchanged a look with Brody. Were those Rainwater’s men dressed as state troopers or did someone truly think she and Brody were behind the fire? But that didn’t make sense. Wouldn’t the U.S. Marshals Service step in and inform them about what was going on?

  “Both of you take out your guns slow and easy then toss them over here,” Grandpa said, lifting his rifle higher and aiming at Brody while Jane pointed hers at Arianna. “No shenanigans. First B.J. then Anna.” He slurred their fake names as though he didn’t believe a word they had said.

  All the while Brody followed the older man’s directions, Arianna assessed the situation, trying to find a way to get the upper hand. None presented itself without one or both of them being shot before she could use her Glock.

  “Jane and Maude, tie them up. Remember I have the rifle trained on you two. I kilt a charging bear by hitting it between the eyes. Girls, use that tree over there.”

  “What are you gonna do with us?” Arianna knew no good would come from being turned over to those “state troopers.”

  “Send Maude and my granddaughter to tell those state troopers about you.”

  “Where are they?” Brody asked as Grandma Maude jerked him toward the tree.

  “Out on the highway not too far from here. They told us they have some kind of command post. If I seen anything I was to let them know.”

  “They just came up to you and asked you to help them?” Arianna uncurled her hands, trying to relax herself in order to move at a second’s notice. The first opportunity...

  “No, I saw them in their uniforms. I asked them. They were mighty surprised to see me and Maude bird watching.”

  “Are you sure they were real state troopers?” Arianna asked as Jane gestured for her to move to where Brody was now tied against the trunk.

  “They were. I seen state troopers before, and they looked just like them. Maude, make sure he’s tied tight. Don’t want them getting away. Jane, the same with her.”

  Jane yanked the rope until it cut into Arianna’s wrists. When Maude walked back toward her husband, Arianna whispered, “Jane, we aren’t criminals. We were running from the fire and trying to get to the highway. Please help us.”

  “I can’t. I was up in the tree. I saw those two men. Grandpa doesn’t lie.”

  “What’s taking ya so long, girl? You and your grandma need to go git help.”


  Jane peered around the tree trunk. “Just making sure she ain’t going nowhere.”

  “Jane, if you bring those men back here, they’ll kill us and maybe you all, too.”

  Jane’s eyes widened. “Why? We ain’t done nothing wrong.”

  “Neither have we.”

  Jane bolted to her feet. “They ain’t going nowhere, Grandpa.”

  “Good. Check their pockets. Make sure they don’t have anything they can use to get free.”

  Jane patted her down and found the money and the switchblade Arianna had, then turned her attention to Brody. She removed his wallet but didn’t look at it. Jane hurried to her grandparents. “They don’t have nothing now.”

  “Good. I think I’m going with you two. We’ll tell them where these two are and then go home. It’s getting late anyway and we’ll let the state troopers take care of these criminals. Let’s pack up.”

  Arianna craned her neck around to see the family packing up and tearing down their tent probably in record time. “What are we gonna do? She took my knife.”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “The ropes?”

  “Yep.”

  “I can’t budge mine. Jane followed her grandpa’s instructions to a tee. In fact, my hands are starting to feel numb.”

  “Grandma doesn’t have as much strength as Jane. I might be able to work these loose.”

  The sound of the car starting filled the clearing. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the green vehicle drive away. “At least we know which way the highway is.”

  “That’s the highway where the state troopers have set up a command post.”

  “Then it’s probably not the way to get to Fairbanks.”

  “It’s the only way out of here going that way. On the bright side, they left us our backpack.”

  “The guns, too?”

  Brody chuckled. “If only that were the case. No, they took them.”

  “So even if we can get away, we have no weapons or money.” Arianna twisted her hands over and over to try and make the rope give some. It was cooperating—barely. “How are you coming with getting free?”

  “It may be a while. Grandma was stronger than I thought.”

  “How long do you figure we have?”

  “It’s hard to tell. I doubt this is far from the highway, but I don’t know where this command post is.”

  “Could it be the real state troopers?”

  “Notice Grandpa didn’t mention if the troopers gave our names, just our description, so I guess it could be. The U.S. Marshals Service would be careful about what they reveal. The site was compromised. That will make them cautious about who to trust, especially in this high profile of a case. Rainwater has a lot of influence. We probably don’t know how deep and wide it goes.”

  “That’s not reassuring.”

  “It wasn’t meant to be.”

  Arianna worked hard to loosen the ropes around her hands. If she got them off, then she could get out from under the one around their chests and untie the twine around her feet. As she moved, the rough bark dug into her back. A small price to pay if they could release themselves.

  A noise penetrated her desperation to undo the ropes. A car. “That was fast. The command post must have been close. Or maybe it’s someone else, and we can convince them we’ve been robbed, which is the truth. I had four hundred dollars.” She yanked herself around as far as she could to see the vehicle when it appeared. The rope cut into her chest, making breathing difficult.

  “What were you going to do with four hundred dollars? This trip to Alaska was all paid for by the U.S. Marshals Service. You certainly weren’t going shopping or sightseeing.”

  “I’ve been on better paid vacations than this one. It was a comfort for me just in case something like this happened. If I needed to run, at least I had some money to help me disappear.”

  “I suggest we start praying this is the real state troopers and no one on Rainwater’s payroll.”

  As the sound grew closer, Arianna did pray. At the moment she couldn’t get herself out of the mess she was in without the Lord’s intervention. Tied to the tree as they were, they were a great target for any of Rainwater’s men who wanted to practice their shooting.

  Friend or foe? Please, Lord, let it be a friend coming.

  The front of the vehicle came into view—green-colored. Grandpa, Maude and Jane had returned. Were they alone? Her heartbeat slowed to a throb as she waited to see who was in the car other than their three captors. Although they had tied them up, the family was a better option than fake highway patrol officers.

  But even when the vehicle came fully around the bend, the dark windows made it impossible to see inside. Arianna slumped back against the rough bark, dragging smoke-scented air into her lungs.

  “If it’s just them returning, we need to get them to untie us,” Brody said from the other side of the tree.

  “Jane might listen. As I talked to her, she paused when she was tying me up. I don’t think she liked the idea of doing it.”

  “But she follows her grandpa’s orders.”

  She heard the car come to a stop. How in the world did she ever think that she could do this alone? While in some tough situations in the army, she hadn’t thought she could get by without God’s protection. Even while she was awaiting trial in a prison cell, she’d turned to Him. She’d allowed her bitterness toward Dirk rule her life. To make her doubt the Lord.

  A door opened—the noise carrying in the quiet clearing. Arianna tensed. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s only the family returning,” Brody murmured, surprise in his voice.

  “That’s a good sign. Maybe they couldn’t find the command post because there wasn’t one.”

  “They weren’t gone long enough to have gone far. Grandpa is heading this way.”

  “With his rifle?” Arianna whispered.

  “Yes, but pointed down. I don’t think he goes anywhere without it.”

  The crunch of the other man’s footsteps resonated through the forest. Coming nearer. Was this good or bad? The thump of her heartbeat hammered against her skull. The past few days’ tension gripped her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were a U.S. Marshal?” Grandpa asked, tightness in the question.

  “You finally looked at my wallet?”

  “Yep. When Jane showed me, I turned around.” The older man came around so Arianna could see him, too. “Are you one, too? Where is your ID? Jane didn’t find any on you.”

  “Most of my belongings burned in the fire, but I’m not a marshal.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I told you. She’s Anna. We were camping like you when the fire hit. We aren’t the people the state troopers are looking for. In fact, there has been a bulletin I’ve seen about someone pretending to be a state trooper then robbing people. Did the ones you talked to show you an ID and badge?”

  Grandpa scratched his balding head. “Well, now that I think about it, no they didn’t. I just assumed since they were dressed in uniform. You think they weren’t state troopers?”

  “Maybe. What kind of description did they give for the couple they were looking for?”

  “A man and woman about thirty or so. The woman is a blonde while the man had dark brown hair.”

  “That could fit a lot of people. But it isn’t us.”

  “I don’t know. You should have said something to me.”

  Arianna saw the doubt flitter across Grandpa’s face. He took a step back, raising his gun. “We might as well tell him the whole truth. I’m a U.S. marshal, too. That was why I was armed. All I can say is that my partner and I are on a case we can’t talk about.” She hated to lie, but she had no choice when their lives were on the line.

  “Why didn’t
you tell me before I left you tied up?”

  “If you found there was a command post and the state troopers were real, we figured we would explain to them when they came,” Brody said in an even, patient voice.

  “If I hadn’t found them, what if I had just kept driving and went home?”

  “We knew you weren’t that kind of man. We could see you were only trying to do the right thing.” Arianna bent toward Grandpa, the rope about her chest only allowing her to go a few inches. “We need to keep our presence hush-hush. Can you do that?” She spoke in low tones as if she were imparting top secret intel to the man.

  Sweat popping out on his forehead, Grandpa put the rifle on the ground, knelt next to Arianna and began untying her. “I won’t say a word, not even to Maude and Jane.” He glanced at his family leaning against the car, Jane’s arms crossed over her chest, chewing on her bottom lip. “You’re B.J. and Anna on vacation. That’s all they need to know.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  As Grandpa turned to free Brody, Arianna loosened the rope about her feet, then rubbed her chafed skin, especially around her wrists, and rose. For a few seconds she debated whether to go for the rifle or not. It was close by the man’s feet, but that move might produce results that would make this situation worse. She would stick with her story and hope they got out of this alive and not turned in to the “authorities.” The two state troopers who’d stopped by earlier in the day were still out there. Looking for them.

  Brody stood and offered his hand to Grandpa. “Thanks for coming back. We need citizens who try to do the right thing.”

  Grandpa beamed, straightening his shoulders even more. After he picked up his rifle, he started for his car. “We’ll give you a ride wherever you need to go,” he said then paused, rotated toward them and continued in a low voice, “Unless you need to stay because of your job.”

  Brody sent Arianna a conspiratorial look followed by a wink, which Grandpa didn’t see. “The fire has changed everything. We need to get back to the headquarters where the operation is running. A ride to Fairbanks would be great. From there we can get where we need to go, but if anyone asks, I hope you can keep it quiet.”