“How do you know she was the target?”
“She was standing a little apart from the rest of us, and the shots were aimed her way. We all dropped to the ground. The men burst into action, but Gabe was there first. He was crouching behind that log.” She pointed. “Firing like you wouldn’t believe. We heard a shout. The men found blood, but the shooter was already gone on a motorcycle. The gunman must have had it parked in the brush over near the parking area. Boone thinks he probably walked it in from the highway sometime in the night and waited until he could get a good shot.”
“That’s crazy.” The thought of walking past a man lying in wait this morning when she and Walker had gone to meet James’s carriage in the parking area sent shivers slipping and sliding down her spine.
“So it’s Elizabeth they’re after, not us,” Riley said. “Why would someone want to kill her?”
Avery couldn’t answer that question until she had Elizabeth’s permission. “Let’s go inside.” Her neck and shoulder blades were prickling like someone had a weapon trained on her even now. Gone was the light and warmth from her time with Walker. She hustled Riley inside, where it had to be safer, and waited until Boone and some of the other men returned, bringing Cab Johnson, the local sheriff, with them. Film crews followed, and soon the room was packed.
Walker was stiff and watchful, and Avery wondered if he blamed himself for not being here when Elizabeth had come under fire. Elizabeth was composed, but her fingers twisted the fabric of her Regency gown.
“I think you’ve got some explaining to do,” Boone told her.
She nodded unhappily. “I know.” Avery could see she didn’t want to, though. She was still afraid Fulsom would make her leave. Avery wondered if she was regretting coming here altogether.
“Wait,” Walker said. “We can’t talk in front of the crew.”
“You know the rules,” Renata said sharply.
“This is a matter of life and death,” Walker returned. “Fulsom likes to play with our lives, and I won’t let him put Elizabeth in danger.”
“She put us in danger,” Savannah pointed out. “If she knew someone was after her, she should never have come.”
“You’re right,” Elizabeth said loudly before Walker could argue with that. “And all of you should know that I kept Walker in the dark about this until only recently.”
“In the dark about what?” Nora asked. “What’s going on?”
“I think everyone better start at the beginning,” Cab said.
When Walker hesitated, she wondered if he’d cooperate with the sheriff. His loyalties were still to his family—and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth spoke first. “It’s okay, Walker. There’s no sense trying to hide anything anymore. If I can’t stay here, I’ll find somewhere else to go.” She addressed the others. “In two days, I’m going to testify in front of the Senate about opening the Renning field in Alaska to oil exploration and drilling. I’m testifying against the bill that’s on the table to make it possible for that project to go forward. I have a lot of information and personal stories from observing conditions in the arctic—how global warming is running amok there, how the risk of fires above the arctic circle is increasing and how none of us can afford to let so much carbon, sequestered for now in the tundra, escape into our atmosphere. I don’t have to tell you all that’s enough to make powerful groups want to stop my testimony.”
People around the room nodded.
“That’s not all,” Elizabeth went on. “I have whistleblower information about the company that stands to be awarded the contract.”
“And someone is trying to kill you in order to keep you from presenting it?” Nora asked.
“They are,” Elizabeth said simply. “I’m the opposition’s prime witness. As soon as I knew that, I realized I needed a safe place to hide, or I might not make it to the hearing. There’s a lot of money riding on that project going ahead. I figured Base Camp was one of the safest places I could go.”
Boone nodded. “Hiding in plain sight.”
“You always had a camera on you while you were here,” Clay said.
“And ten Navy SEALs watching out for me,” she said.
“You should have told us,” Boone said.
Eve was studying Elizabeth. “You didn’t because of me, right?” When everyone turned to her in surprise, she added, “Remember? I came here and tried to stay with you so I could expose Hansen Oil, but Fulsom said I wasn’t allowed to stay unless I would marry someone.”
“That’s it exactly,” Elizabeth told her.
Avery watched as the others absorbed the information. She wasn’t surprised when Riley turned to her. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“I found out recently.”
“Whose wedding have you been planning, then?”
“Mine,” she admitted. She pulled the chain out of her bodice, undid the clasp, took the engagement ring off it and put it on her finger, holding it up for all to see.
Riley let out an exasperated huff. “I can’t believe you kept that from us. Well, thank God for that, anyway. I would have had to kill Walker if he married Elizabeth.”
“Wait—hold on, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Boone said. “You testify in two days?” he asked Elizabeth.
“That’s right.”
“And all we have to do is put you on a plane? What then?”
“I’m being met on the other end by a group that will take me straight to Congress. I figure if someone’s going to take me out on Capitol Hill, there’s not much I can do about it.”
“I think I’ve been following this story so far,” Cab drawled, “but who are you?” He pointed at Gabe.
“I’m Elizabeth’s fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” several people exclaimed at once.
Avery turned to Renata. “You got me Elizabeth’s fiancé as a backup husband? How did that happen?”
“I got in touch with Renata as soon as Elizabeth
