Guarding the Witness. Margaret Daley

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СКАЧАТЬ back at him. Six inches taller than her five-feet-eleven frame, Brody carried himself with confidence, which in its own way did ease her anxiety about her situation. His figure, with not an ounce of fat on him and a broad, muscular chest, spoke of a man that kept himself in shape. “I’ve got it under control.” About the only thing in my life that is.

      “We equally share the duties while we’re here.”

      “That’s good to know. I don’t cook.”

      “You don’t?”

      She finished drying the last plate. “Never had a reason to learn. I went from living at home with my family to the army. Then when I started working for Guardians, Inc., I found myself on assignment most of the time with wealthy clients who had cooks.” She shrugged. “The short amount of time I was in Dallas I ate out or ate frozen dinners.”

      “That’s okay. I love to cook,” Kevin Laird, the youngest of the marshals, announced as he came into the living room.

      Brody chuckled. “That’s why I like to team up with Kevin when I can. He can make the most boring food taste decent.”

      “Good. I’m not averse to edible food.” Arianna moved out of the kitchen area, trying to decide what she should do next. Let’s see...maybe a crossword puzzle. Or better yet, solitaire. She still had at least fifty varieties to work her way through. The thought of more days like the past week heightened her boredom level to critical.

      She began to pace from one of the few windows, drapes pulled, to the hearth. It was empty and cold. They couldn’t have a fire even at night when it did get chilly since it indicated someone was at the place. She counted her steps, mentally mapping out an escape route if she needed it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Kevin spoke up from the kitchen.

      “This is a park ranger’s cabin. Where’s the guy that usually stays here?”

      “On an extended vacation.” Brody prowled the living room in a different direction from her.

      “Does he know we’re using it?” Arianna asked as she peeked out the window. The previous set of marshals had told her about the cabin, but only now had she started to wonder what the tenant had been told.

      “No, the cabin belongs to the park service. No one knows you’re here or that the U.S. Marshals Service is using it to protect a witness. A bogus agency has rented it while the park ranger is gone. They think we’re here on vacation.” Brody parted the drapes and looked out the only other window in the room.

      “When’s he due back?” Arianna spied a bull moose in the thick of the trees. Seeing the beautiful animals was the one thrill she got being where she was. She loved animals, but because of her job, she hadn’t been able to have any—not even a goldfish.

      “Not for two more weeks. Do you see it?” Brody’s gaze captured hers, nodding in the direction of the moose.

      “He’s beautiful. I wish I could go outside and take a picture. I took the Perkins assignment because it was in Alaska. After I finished guarding her, I was going to take a long overdue vacation and do some touring of the countryside up here. The most exciting thing that’s happened to me this week was the helicopter ride to this cabin. Breathtaking scenery.”

      “Don’t even think about going outside to snap a picture.”

      She held up her hands, palms outward. “I thought you said I knew the drill and didn’t need to hear your spiel.”

      “I’ve changed my mind. You sound like a bored witness. That kind can do things to get themselves killed.”

      “I am bored. I don’t even have the luxury of a television set. Most of the time I don’t watch it, but I’m desperate. How in the world do you do this job after job?”

      “I’m on an assignment to keep you safe. I can’t let down my guard ever or allow for any distractions. You should know what that means.”

      His intense, dark brown eyes drilling into her exemplified strong will and fierce determination—traits she shared. He was a person she should be able to identify with if she stopped feeling sorry for herself—something she rarely did. But she hated change, and the changing of the guard not half an hour ago bothered her more than she’d realized. She now had to get to know her three new guards, and she still couldn’t shake the thought that her safe house in Anchorage might have been compromised. She’d feel better if two of the female bodyguards from Guardians, Inc. were here with her instead. She knew where they were coming from.

      “How about chess?” Kevin asked from the kitchen area, gesturing to the chess set perched on a shelf, while Brody crossed to the door.

      “I don’t play it. Where are you going?” she asked Brody as he opened the door.

      “Outside. I’m relieving Mark.”

      “But he just left.”

      “Yeah, I know.”

      “Can I come with you?” the imp in her asked.

      He frowned and left, the door slamming shut.

      “Ms. Jackson, I can teach you to play chess. It’ll take your mind off what’s going on.” Kevin moved into the main part of the room.

      “Nothing is going on. That’s the problem.” She strode toward the table and took a chair. “Sure. I might as well learn.” She checked her watch. Noon. It was going to be another long day.

      * * *

      Finishing his last trip around the perimeter of the cabin, Brody took a deep breath of the fresh air, laced with the scent of earth and trees, then mounted the steps to the porch. When he reached the door to the ranger’s cabin, he panned the small clearing. Nearing midnight, it was still light outside. The temperature began to drop as the sun finally started its descent. When moving to Alaska, the only thing he really had to adjust to was the long daylight hours in summer and equally long nighttime ones in winter. At least in Anchorage where he was living it was farther south and the days and nights didn’t get as skewed as they did up here nearer the Arctic Circle.

      Inside the cabin, he left the shotgun by the door for Kevin, who was relieving him on patrol. He turned to find Arianna sitting on the couch, staring at him. Her gray eyes with a hint of blue reminded him of the lake he’d flown over this morning.

      “Did you see the mama bear that’s been hanging around the cabin lately?” she asked and went back to playing solitaire.

      “No. Where’s Kevin?”

      “Right here. Sorry. I figured I needed a jacket since the sun was going down.” Kevin picked up the shotgun and exited the cabin.

      “So it’s just you and me since Mark is taking his turn sleeping.”

      For a second he thought he saw a teasing gleam in her eyes before she averted her gaze to study the spread of cards on the coffee table in front of her. He sat in a chair across from her. “Have you won any games?”

      “Two probably out of fifty.” She raised her head. “Wanna play Scrabble?”

      “I’ve been warned about you and Scrabble.”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ