He found her in the same place he’d left her.
Ivy was curled up, fast asleep, but she began to stir once she heard Ash’s footsteps approaching. Cautiously, she sat upright just as Ash sat down opposite her. He tapped her on the shoulder a couple of times as if attempting to greet her, and then he pulled out the mobile phone and began pushing buttons. Once the sound caught Ivy’s attention, Ash began communicating Morse to her.
Guess what I found.
“I’m not good with guessing games, Ash, but it sounds like you’ve found a way to use Morse code more effectively.”
It is a mobile phone.
She fell silent for some time, and then eventually asked,
“Seriously? Does it have a signal? Then surely we can be found via the GPS.”
It is an old mobile phone from decades ago. It does not have a signal or GPS.
“How old?”
I think it was made in the 90s.
“Does it have a SIM card?”
What is that?
“It’s a little microchip. The chips are inserted into mobile phones – that was a long time ago. Newer mobile phones don’t need a SIM card.”
How do I find this chip?
“Depends on the make or model. Give it to me, I might be able to figure it out just by touching it.”
Ash, clutching the treasured find, reluctantly handed the mobile phone to Ivy. She held it between two hands and began to run her hands over it.
“Jesus, this thing is ancient,” she gasped. “It still has an external aerial on it.”
Ivy ran her fingers over the buttons and then turned the device over. She grabbed the back of it, pushed in a little black button and then slipped off the back cover. Ash leaned in for a closer inspection, fascinated by the old technology.
“Can you see a little chip in there?” she asked.
He studied it for quite some time, but the small rectangular socket appeared to be empty. Ash wasn’t quite sure how to reply when she was holding the mobile – so he stamped his foot on the ground as if telling her no.
Ivy then slid the back of the phone into place and handed it to Ash. He rebooted the device and asked,
I found the phone washed up in the cove. Who do you think owned it?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it belonged to somebody in the British military,” said Ivy, before adding. “Aren’t you glad to be away from those Pommy bastards? After all, I’m probably the reason you’re no longer a prisoner. I practically saved your life.”
The statement left Ash puzzled.
What do you mean?
“I was one of the pilots that obliterated those British naval ships a few nights ago. Although I am surprised you survived, I also released you.”
Something inside of him silently imploded. The woman, sitting right before him, was partly responsible for his fleet’s demise. The familiar feeling of hatred came roaring back, and Ash felt his body shake with rage.
If he’d had a voice, he would’ve screamed at her. Hell, he was starting to rethink his decision to keep her alive. More than ever, he wanted revenge but his own life was still at stake. He took a moment to compose himself. If he let his true thoughts be known, his real identity would be made clear. Although it went against everything he stood for, Ash would have to thank the enemy. He would have to continue playing the role of the innocent Australian prisoner, but maintaining the lie was becoming increasingly more difficult.
Hands shaking, Ash keyed in another reply,
I nearly died that night you attacked the ships, but in turn, you also freed me. Thank you.
“You’re welcome, don’t even mention it,” said Ivy. “Truth is, if I’d known you were an Australian prisoner, I might’ve taken a different approach to get you off the ship safely – but at least you’re here and still alive, even if we are stranded for now.”
Fighting back his anger, Ash tried to push the conversation along.
Do you think somebody will come and find us?
“Eventually, yes, but the Australian army have bigger problems to attend to first. We’ll probably be an afterthought for now.”
What do you mean?
“The British have probably made landfall. To be honest, I’m still pretty devastated the RAAF took the bait when the real threat was not too far behind them.”
The statement left Ash perplexed.
What?
“I’m talking about the British naval ships that we wiped out. They were never intended to go the distance, they were just bait – and it lured us in too.”
I do not understand.
“Here’s the thing; ships are pretty obsolete these days – flying is a far more efficient mode of travel – so I never fully understood why the British sent ships into our waters. They’re slow and they’re easy targets, and that’s exactly why they did it. We were so focused on taking out the ships that we failed to see the subs...”
What subs?
“Mate, are you sure you’re not blind as well? Didn’t you see me attacking the British submarines the other night? It was their vessel that brought my jet down.”
Once again, Ash sat quietly, taking it all in. He was trying to process the information, and although Ivy spoke quite genuinely, Ash was still trying to deny it.
Are you sure they were subs? Are you sure they were British?
“Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. It was all part of their elaborate plan. They sent a fleet of naval ships to distract us and it bloody worked. We thought we stopped the enemy in their tracks, but no, the subs were one day behind them and it caught us off guard. Maybe we could’ve stopped them if we’d had more time to prepare, but we weren’t, and now it’s the British invasion all over again.”
Ash’s eyes narrowed, but of course she was none the wiser.
He was a well-read bloke, and Ash knew a lot about Australian history – it was dark to say the very least. When the British first arrived in 1788, they longed to create a new civilisation, but they also destroyed another one in the process. The indigenous people were killed, slaughtered, in the most barbaric ways imaginable.
It was more than two hundred and fifty years later, but the Australians were still trying to right the wrongs of the past and make it up to the indigenous community. They had taken leaps and strides in the right direction over the last few decades, and just when conditions had seemingly improved, the nation’s actions forced the globe into World War III.
One step forward, three steps back.
Australia had also chosen to leave the British Commonwealth just shy of six years ago, but they’d held a strong alliance up until then. Now? The damage was irreversible. Ash was certain the two countries would permanently be locked in a bitter feud.
Shaking his head to himself, Ash keyed in another question,
When you attacked the naval ships the other night, do you think the people on board knew they were being used as bait?
“Probably not. I suspect someone higher up was pulling the strings, and the naval ships we sunk would be seen as collateral damage in their eyes. I mean, they’ve lost a shit load of marines, but the subs have probably found a cable landing point by now.”
I saw the subs. They were glowing underwater.
“It must be some kind of new technology – I haven’t seen it before either, but our missiles couldn’t penetrate the subs. It had some kind of protective force field around it.”
Ash froze up, still trying to process it all, but he was failing. If the British military had developed better shield technology, why had they never been told? Why hadn’t they given the technology to other naval vessels?
Ash asked the question. Ivy’s reply came quickly.
“Like I said, they were bait – that’s all I can put it down to,” she explained. “I also found it peculiar they sent the ships to the coast of Queensland. Why did they pick this location of all places?”
Because it was the most vulnerable point of attack.
Ivy frowned.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
It was a stupid yet honest remark. Ash needed to cover his mistake.
I was a prisoner for many months. It was mentioned by marines.
“But it doesn’t make sense,” she said, scrunching her nose up. “Australia has more than twenty thousand kilometres of coastline – why pick this exact spot? There are far more vulnerable points if you ask me.”
I am sure they had a reason.
“It still seems weird to me,” she said, eventually. “We caught word that the British were planning to invade us, and when the naval ships came up on our radars it took us by great surprise that they were headed towards the Coral Sea. We watched the vessels like hawks, and trust me, we gave them fair warning. Once they were too close to our shores, we opened up hell. We were so focused on those targets that the subs slipped through without us noticing, well, before it was too late. We weren’t prepared for it. Simple as that.”
Ash said nothing, but Ivy continued on.
“It really pisses me off that the British think they can get away with it, but they won’t. We will win this war, by any means necessary.”
He started to smirk – she was delusional. The Australians had ignited chaos around the world, but the British would restore order.
Ivy began to stretch, as if preparing to stand up. Still nursing her injured arm, she forced herself to stand. She seemed a little unstable on her feet at first, but then held her ground. Ash stood too.
“What time of the day is it? Do you have any idea?”
Ash checked the screen on his mobile phone. Although it had no signal, it still displayed the time.
It is ten past four in the afternoon.
“We should make a shelter. Before it gets dark.”
I have already made one.
“Seriously? Legend. Whereabouts is it?”
I will take you to it.
Ivy then crouched down, scanned her hands across the dirt and then picked up a stick. She pointed it to the ground and waved it out in front of her like a long cane. Ivy then held her arm out to Ash.
“If you don’t mind...?”
Ash took Ivy by the arm and began leading her back to the beach.
***
The sound of the ocean guided them back to the shore.
It was a calm and tranquil afternoon, but Ash’s mind was anything but peaceful. The things he had learned from Ivy this afternoon had ignited a flame. It felt like his insides were burning up, but he tried to hold composure.
It was anything but easy.
Ash led Ivy towards his makeshift shelter and guided her until she was sitting inside. Ivy reached out her arms and touched the walls, perhaps trying to find her bearings. Ash then crawled into the shelter alongside her. Already, it was too close for comfort. The thought of sleeping alongside the enemy was unbearable.
Ash rested his fingers on the mobile device and tried to think of the best way to express himself, and then he keyed it in.
I will build us a second shelter. It will give us more space.
“Trying to get away from me, huh?” she chuckled, a small smile appearing. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”
We need our own space.
Without waiting for her approval, Ash crawled out of the shelter and prepared to head back to the cove to collect materials. However, Ivy stopped him in his tracks.
“Hey, Ash?” she called out.
He turned around, grudgingly, and waited for her to speak.
“Hello? Ash? Are you still there?”
Yes. What is it?
“Just wondering – when was the last time you ate?”
Three days.
“Have you tried to find food yet?”
I checked the whole island. There is nothing.
Ivy crawled out to the edge of the shelter and turned her head in Ash’s general direction.
“Are you serious?” she scoffed. “Mate, we’re stuck in the middle of the Coral Sea.”
So? Why does that matter?
“We’re surrounded by water known for its marine life. Haven’t you thought of fishing yet?”
At first, the question almost failed to register. He half expected it to be a joke, but when no laughter followed, Ash could tell she was being genuine.
He immediately shut down the idea.
No fishing.
“What? Why?”
It is against the law.
“Give me a break, our species evolved eating meat – that’s the bottom line. The abolishment of all animal agriculture is an extremity and it goes against nature in my eyes. Give it another ten years and the laws will change again.”
I do not eat animal products. Neither should you. It is a global law. I stand by it.
“I’m an air force pilot, and I break global laws all the fucking time. I’ve taken more human lives than I care to keep track of, so taking the lives of a few fish is nothing in comparison.”
He had taken the lives of other men too, but admittedly, they were not worthy of life to begin with.
I have not eaten animal flesh in twenty years. I will not start again now.
“Hey, Ash? We will die out here if you don’t,” she snapped. “Do you think starving families in third world countries abide by the laws? Of course not. They have no choice but to eat what they can get their hands on. We are in the same position. Fact is, even though I think the laws are bullshit, I rarely eat meat anymore. But let’s look at our situation right now – what other choice do we have? If I had my sight, I’d gladly hunt and kill for the pair of us, but I can’t see, so the responsibility is yours.”
Once again, the enemy was trying his patience. Ash switched off his mobile phone and put it in his pocket. The conversation was over.
Ash then turned his back and began to collect pieces of driftwood from along the beach. Ivy was still trying to talk to him, but he never gave a reply.
Although the hunger was a continuous torment, Ash would busy himself and project his attention elsewhere. As he began assembling the base of a second shelter, Ivy’s temper flared up once more.
“Don’t bother building a second shelter – there’s no point,” she snapped. “You ought to start digging two graves, because that’s exactly where we are headed...”