The man kept his finger poised on the trigger of the weapon. Would a law enforcement officer try to kill a man who had come to assist? Eli had overheard him threatening the woman earlier. The man might be a police officer, but he was definitely not following the law.
“Please don’t leave me with him.” The terror on her face wouldn’t let Eli abandoned her no matter how much this man threatened.
“She’s coming with me,” Eli said and moved toward the woman.
“I told you to stay out of it. This is a police matter.” He waded into the water and grabbed the woman’s arm, yanking her along with him. “Let’s go. It’s a long drive back to New York.”
“Stop right there.” Eli raised his weapon. “Let her go.” Though he was far from steady on the inside, Eli kept the shotgun trained on the man’s midsection.
The officer shoved the woman away and strode toward Eli.
“Don’t come any closer.” Eli fired the shotgun into the air as a warning, yet the man didn’t back down. He pointed the handgun at Eli and shot. If Eli hadn’t ducked in time, the bullet would have struck his head. He couldn’t believe stopping to lend a hand had resulted in a life-threatening situation.
Eli dove for the shooter before he could get off another round. They struggled in hand-to-hand combat while his assailant tried to get the handgun into a position to shoot again. Fighting for his life, Eli slugged the man. Watched him stumble backward before losing his footing on the slippery grass. He hit the ground hard.
Not giving his attacker time enough to right himself, Eli snatched the gun free from his grasp. Without a weapon, the man’s threat was greatly diffused, yet he didn’t appear ready to give up. He jumped to his feet, fists balled at his sides. With a look of pure malevolence on his face, he took a threatening step closer.
Eli cocked the handgun. “That’s far enough. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.”
His attacker stopped short, realizing Eli had the upper hand.
He glared long and hard before he dusted off his clothes. “This isn’t over, and you’re in a lot of trouble for interfering in a murder investigation.”
The tingle along Eli’s spine convinced him it was a lie. Given the opportunity, this man would take the weapon from him and use it on Eli and the woman standing in the creek. What kind of police officer would do such a thing?
“You need to leave.” He kept the weapon leveled on the man’s chest. “Now, before the sheriff arrives.” Though Eli had no way of knowing if some of his Englisch neighbors had heard the shots and called the sheriff, it was a gut possibility. People around these parts looked out for each other. And he wanted this man to believe help was on the way.
“You didn’t call anyone.” But there was just enough doubt in his tone to make it clear he wasn’t certain. “And even if you did, who do you think he’ll believe. An Amish man and a woman accused of murder. Or a police detective.”
Eli shook his head. “We will find out soon enough. One of my neighbors would have called in the gunshots by now. Unless you want to explain to the sheriff why you tried to kill me and ran this woman off the road, I suggest you be on your way.”
The man hesitated for a long moment before he tossed the woman a venomous look. “I’ll be back for you and the stuff.” With that warning hanging over their heads, the man stormed past Eli and slammed his shoulder against him. Without another look their way, he stomped up the embankment and into the woods.
Reality crashed down around Eli. His knees threatened to buckle beneath his weight. He’d never been in a situation like this before. One minute he was on his way home after checking out the new piece of property he and Hunter planned to log, and the next he was interrupting a murder plot.
Near the road, the truck’s engine fired, and the vehicle screamed away. The man had left...for now.
Eli snapped out of his shock and hurried to the woman who appeared to be suffering from her own form of trauma. She clutched her soaked jacket around her body and shivered. Once again, he was struck by a sense of familiarity. Did he know her? Impossible, surely.
“Komm, my wagon is up on the road, and I have some blankets you can use to dry off and warm up. It’s best if we don’t stay here any longer. I don’t trust him not to come back.” A loud whoosh snapped their attention to the water where the car slipped farther into its watery grave. Only the roof remained visible.
If he’d taken a different path home...
Eli suppressed a shiver.
“H-he forced me off the road. If you hadn’t come along when you did, he would have killed me.” Her teeth chattered from the cold, and she held her wrist against her body as if it had been injured in the incident.
“Is it true he’s a police officer?” Eli asked because he had to know what he was dealing with.
She nodded. “It’s true. But he’s a dirty cop, and he knows I can prove it. That’s why he tried to kill me. He’s a dangerous man.” She glanced up toward the road as if expecting the shooter to return.
“You’re safe now.” But for how long? Eli went to assist her, but she shrank away. Despite his coming to her aid, she didn’t fully trust him yet. After what happened, he could certainly understand.
She pushed her dark hair away from her face and searched his. “I’m sorry. It’s just... I was so sure he’d kill me.” She blew out a sigh. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
Eli found himself swept up into
