Guarding the Witness Page 9

  “I understand. Not a word from me, especially since you’re being so nice after I had you tied up. One of my favorite shows to watch is about the U.S. Marshals Service. I certainly know what you two do to keep this country safe. Keep up the good work.” He turned to his family and announced, “We’re taking them part of the way to their destination.”

  Jane glanced up through her long bangs. “You ain’t mad at me—us?”

  “No, you all thought you had two criminals, and you did something about that.” Arianna forced a big smile to her lips, not letting down her guard one bit, especially since they still had to drive by the “command post.”

  But twenty minutes later, Grandpa threw a look over his shoulder at Brody and said, “The command post should have been back there. You were right. Those two were phony state troopers. I should call—”

  “That’s okay. I’ll inform the right authorities when we get to our destination. Just remember in the future to always ask for a badge and ID and look at it closely.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Grandpa touched his temple. “It don’t take but once for me to learn a lesson. Remember what B.J. said, Jane.”

  “Yes, Grandpa.” Jane dug into her pocket and withdrew the switchblade, running her fingers up and down the knife casing. “This is yours. I forgot to give it back with the money.”

  Arianna curled her hand around Jane’s outreached one. “You keep it. I imagine you can find a use for it living in the woods.”

  Jane’s expression brightened, a grin spreading across her face. “When I go hunting, it’ll help me skin the critters. We use almost every part of the animals I bring home.”

  “Yep, keeps us fed well,” Maude finally spoke after being quiet since they got into the car.

  “Our favorite is rabbit stew,” Grandpa added.

  Hunting had never appealed to Arianna, even more so with her job. She’d seen what her clients had gone through being hunted by someone who intended to kill them. Having traveled all over the world, she knew many people still hunted for their food. But she’d never been able to go hunting with her dad or brothers in the mountains of North Carolina.

  Brody slid his hand over hers on the seat between them in the back of the car. She spied the raw skin on his wrist from the rope. Its sight only reinforced the ordeal they had been through so far. Exhaustion embedded itself in the marrow of her bones.

  Brody leaned toward her ear and said, “Rest. It’s your turn. I’ll stay alert.”

  Arianna laid her head back against the cushion. With Brody next to her, watching over her, she would be fine. That and the fact she felt the Lord was watching over her, too. Sleep whisked her away almost instantly.

  * * *

  Arianna snuggled up against Brody as they entered the outskirts of Fairbanks. She’d fallen asleep right away, and other than rolling her head and resting it against his shoulder, she’d hardly moved. Even when he’d slung his arm around her and pressed her against him, allowing his body to pillow her in her sleep, she’d stayed deep in a dream world.

  “Where to, B.J.?” Fred—Grandpa had given Brody his name partway through the trip—asked from the driver’s seat.

  “Could you take us to the train station on Johansen Expressway?”

  “Yep. I know where it is. My cousin came in on the train a few months back to visit us.”

  Arianna stirred within the crook of his arm. Her eyes blinked open. A few seconds passed before she reacted to being cradled along his side. She didn’t move away, but instead smiled at him. “I was tired. How long was I asleep?”

  “An hour and a half,” Fred answered from the front. “B.J. told us how long you two had been evading the fire. Heard on the radio they’re sending in firefighters from all over to help contain it. Thank the Lord, the winds are still blowing it away from our cabin.”

  Arianna sat up straight. “That’s good. Hopefully the wind will die down, and they’ll be able to put the fire out. That area is beautiful.”

  “Yep, it sure is. Maude and me have lived there for twenty years. It’s about all that Jane knows. She came to live with us when she was a baby.”

  As Fred expounded on what he’d taught his granddaughter, Brody kept his gaze fixed on the area they were passing through. He didn’t know Fairbanks that well, but he knew its basic layout.

  Ten minutes later when Fred pulled up near the Fairbanks train depot, the clock on the tower indicated it was almost three. Brody glimpsed a black SUV parked near the depot with two men in it. He had a bad feeling about them. “Stop here. We’ll walk the rest of the way.”

  “Sure, but we can pull right up to the door if you want. Or we can take you to the airport or bus station.”

  “No, this is fine.” Brody opened the door, grabbed the backpack at his feet and climbed out of the car. He leaned back in to help Arianna out.

  “Sure, I understand.” Fred winked. “We three will forget we even saw you two. Mum’s the word.”

  “Thank you. We appreciate your help.” Arianna slid across the seat and stood next to Brody. “I’ll be praying your cabin remains untouched.”

  “You do that, Anna,” Fred said as she shut the door.

  Brody waited until the green car disappeared from view before grasping Arianna’s hand and starting in the opposite direction from the train station.

  “This isn’t exactly in the middle of downtown.”

  “No, but the town isn’t far. We’ll find a restaurant to eat at where we won’t look too much out of place. Our appearances leave something to be desired.”

  “I should be offended,” Arianna said with a laugh, “but I can still smell the smoke on these clothes. I hope we can find some place to change and take a shower. Do you think we can take a chance on a hotel room?”

  “No, but I have an idea. Someone we can trust to help. Charlie Owens. He’s a retired FBI agent. I’m sure he still has contacts. He’s been in Alaska a long time and only recently retired.”

  “Why him?” Arianna asked as they crossed a street, getting closer to the downtown area.

  “I saved his life last year. We were working the same case. We’ve kept in touch since he left the FBI, but it’s not common knowledge—nor is the fact that I pushed him out of the way of a bullet. No one needed to know Charlie was caught unaware. He was leaving the FBI in a few weeks, and I wanted nothing to take away from that, so I left it out of the report. He used to live in Anchorage but moved up here.”

  “I’m not sure about that. It might be safer to find some hotel and pay cash for a room.”

  “I’m pretty sure the train station was being watched as all the other ways out of Fairbanks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the surrounding towns have people in them looking for us. You’re very important to Rainwater. We don’t know which hotel clerks have been paid off to alert someone if two people fitting our description come in to rent a room.”

  “Then we’ll find some place in a park to sleep.”

  “I’m sure all areas are being checked. That’s what I would do if I was looking for a fugitive.”

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me. If you trust Charlie Owens, then fine. Just don’t plan on me trusting him. With all you’ve said, should we even risk going somewhere to eat?”

  “Good point. I think that was my hunger speaking back there.” Brody looked up and down the street, saw a store that might have a pay phone and continued. “Let me call him. See if he’s home. If not, maybe we could disguise ourselves and still go to a restaurant and eat. I think it would be better than wandering around Fairbanks until I can get hold of Charlie.”

  “I can put my hair up, wear sunglasses and put a hoodie on. That ought to change my appearance enough.”

  “C’mon. Let’s go in here. You shop for the sunglasses while I call Charlie.” He walked down the aisle toward the pay phone in ba
ck. “Stay in my sight.”

  Brody made the call after getting his friend’s number from information. He let it ring until it went to Charlie’s answering machine. Deciding not to leave a message, he hung up.

  Arianna popped up next to him with a pair of big sunglasses on. “How do I look?”

  “That’s good. Your eyes are very distinctive—and beautiful.”

  Two rosy patches graced her cheeks.

  “You definitely have to do something about your hair. That’s a dead giveaway even from a distance.”

  “I’m not cutting it. I’ll wear a wig before I do that. I kept it short in the army. This is four years of my hair growing out.”

  “And I like it. Let’s see if there’s a hat or wig in this store.”

  “I saw a display of throwaway phones. We could purchase one of them. They aren’t easily traceable, and then we don’t have to find a pay phone. They aren’t as common as they used to be.”

  “Good point. Let’s grab what we need and clean up the best we can in the store’s restrooms. I’ll keep calling Charlie every half an hour until we get him.”

  Thirty minutes later, Brody walked out of the store with his arm around her as if they were in a relationship. The people looking for them might not think of them as a couple. They kept to the back streets, assessing the area where they were going before making a move. When Brody found North Diner, it was nearly deserted because it was in between lunch and dinner. He took a booth at the back with a good view of the entrance that was close to the restroom and a back way out of the restaurant.

  Arianna opened her menu. “I’m starved. I could eat one of everything on this menu. I don’t think I want to see a protein bar anytime soon.”

  After they placed their orders with the young waitress, Brody pulled out the throwaway cell phone and made another call to Charlie. His friend answered on the third ring, much to Brody’s relief. He’d begun to think Charlie was out of town.

  Brody checked the restaurant for anyone nearby who could overhear the conversation and then said low into the cell, “I need your help.”

  “I told you anytime you did to call. Does this have anything to do with what is happening northwest of Fairbanks? I’ve heard some chatter about recovering five bodies—murder victims. The fire destroyed most of the evidence. The authorities are looking for any other people who were caught in the forest fire.”

  “Do they know how the blaze started?”

  “A dropped cigarette and a dry forest. But that’s speculation. There was one body burned worse than the others. So are you involved?”

  “I need to lie low. I don’t want anyone to know I’m here. Not even the U.S. Marshals Service. Can you help?”

  Charlie emitted a soft whistle. “This sounds serious.”

  “Lives are at stake.”

  “Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

  Brody gave him the address of North Diner. “There’s an alley out back of the restaurant. I’ll be waiting there. How long will you be?”

  “Twenty minutes.”

  “What kind of car do you drive?”

  “A white Jeep. It’s seen better days.”

  “Thanks, Charlie. See you in twenty.” When Brody hung up, he continued. “I’m going to let the waitress know we want everything to go.”

  Brody strode to the counter and found his waitress. “We need to leave. We’ll take the food to go and I’ll pay for it now.”

  After the transaction was completed, Brody walked by the picture window, searching the street out front. A black SUV with dark windows drove slowly by. He ducked back, the hairs on his nape tingling. At the side of the window, he peered out to see where the SUV was going. It stopped and a woman climbed out of the passenger seat. He stared at Carla Matthews across the road as she went into a small hotel.

  Was Carla here as a U.S. Marshal or one of Rainwater’s lackeys?

  SEVEN

  Brody hurried to the counter. “Is the food ready?”

  “In just a minute,” the waitress said and went back into the kitchen.

  Arianna rose with the backpack in hand. Looking at her disguise, he couldn’t tell clearly she was Arianna Jackson, the witness the U.S. Marshals Service and Rainwater’s men were searching for. He waved for her to head back toward the restrooms, making a motion to turn away from them. As she did, the waitress brought out a sack with the food in it. He left and limped after Arianna toward the back while the waitress returned to the kitchen.

  Outside in the alley, Brody paced. “Charlie should be here soon. Stand by the door so anyone driving by won’t see you.”

  “How about you?”

  He stepped into the entrance of a shop on the other side of the alley. “There was a black SUV that dropped Carla off at the end of the block. They’re canvassing the street. If they are, then Rainwater’s men are here, too.”

  “Do you think Carla is the mole?”

  “Maybe. And since I don’t know, we can’t approach her.”

  “Do you think someone let them know we’re in Fairbanks?”

  “Maybe. Fred Franklin might have decided to call the U.S. Marshals Service after all. If he did, then whoever gave up your location probably knows by now that the Franklins dropped us at the Fairbanks train station.” Brody peeked around the brick wall down the alley on both side. He spied a black SUV pass on the street on his left side and darted back against the store’s door.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Another SUV. Maybe another marshal is being dropped off on the next street. Either way, this is not good.”

  “Fairbanks is the closest major town from where we were. That may be why they’re searching even though it’s away from Anchorage. Fairbanks has better transportation to get us to Anchorage. They’ll know we can’t walk there and get there in time for the trial.”

  Brody plowed his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I know, but I hate not knowing who to trust.” In the past he’d trusted the members of his team. How would he be able to after this?

  The sound of a car turning into the alley announced they weren’t alone. Under his light jacket, Brody put his hand on his gun and inched forward to take a peek at what kind of vehicle was coming toward them. His rigid body relaxed when he saw a white Jeep.

  “It’s Charlie, but don’t come out until I tell you to. If there’s a problem, duck back into the diner. Hide in the restroom.” Brody stepped out of the doorway to the store and stood several yards down the alley for Charlie to stop. He didn’t want his friend to see Arianna until he’d talked with Charlie.

  Brody slipped into the front passenger’s seat and angled his body toward the former FBI agent. “Retirement has been kind to you.”

  “Do we have time for this chitchat? What’s up? Why are you running from your own people? I saw a marshal I know get out of an SUV two blocks over.”

  “Who?”

  “Ted Banks. He’s hard to miss.”

  “I’ll tell you everything when we get out of here and to your house.”

  Charlie put his hand on the stick shift to put the vehicle into drive.

  “Wait. There’s another passenger.”

  “The witness in Rainwater’s trial?”

  Brody nodded, got out of the car and said, “It’s okay. Hurry.”

  Arianna darted out of the diner’s doorway and jogged toward the Jeep, looking behind her then in front of her. She slid into the backseat as Brody took the one next to her.

  “Charlie, this is Arianna, the witness I need to get to Anchorage ASAP to testify at Rainwater’s trial.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Charlie said to Arianna, watching her through the rearview mirror. “We’ll talk when I get you to a friend’s house—I’m watching it for him while he’s salmon fishing. I suggest both of you g
et down until we arrive there.”

  Arianna scrunched down on the floor, facing Brody. He took her hand and held it. “Charlie saw Ted Banks a few blocks over so it’s not just Carla here. Five bodies were found around the cabin—one burned worse than the others. He thinks that one was near the point of origin.”

  “Just passed another car that looks suspicious,” Charlie said from the font seat. He made a turn then continued. “The firefighters have ruled out a lightning strike and they can’t find any evidence of an accelerant being used, especially where they think the fire started. The guy I talked with speculated it was a cigarette.”

  Arianna frowned. “An accident?”

  “We thought it might have been set deliberately, but are you saying that might not be the case?” Brody asked Charlie.

  “With a cigarette it could still be deliberate. That way the fire would take a while to catch. It would give the person who set it time to get out of the area.”

  Arianna caught Brody’s gaze. “It makes more sense if it was an accident. Burning the cabin doesn’t accomplish anything other than calling attention to the place.”

  “Possibly. Or maybe there was something they wanted to cover up.”

  “Five bodies were found. That must mean they found Kevin.”

  “Unless there was someone we didn’t know about.”

  “Were all the bodies found at the cabin?” Arianna asked Charlie as he pulled up to a stoplight.

  The former FBI agent shifted as though he were staring out the side window. “The firefighter didn’t say. I could find out.”

  “Only if it doesn’t seem suspicious. I wouldn’t want anyone paying you a visit.” Brody moved to ease the pressure on his sore ankle.

  “Believe me, I don’t either. We’re almost at my friend’s house. Well, more like a cabin. I hope you don’t mind staying in a rustic place.”

  Arianna laughed. “You should have seen where we’ve been. Anywhere with a roof over our heads and running water that isn’t a stream is a big step up.”