Saturday
Arnhem Highway
David had left their SUV at home in the garage last night and taken a bus to the airport where he’d picked up the rental car. Gina had booked and paid by phone with her credit card as he had instructed. He’d parked two streets away, walked down two blocks and come in through their back garden. This morning he got up early, retrieved the car and had bundled them and their luggage in before sunrise – the kids awake and excited about their adventure to Kakadu. Gina had watched, her lips set in a straight line, as David had looked up and down the street, but it was as quiet as always. No one knew where they were going and he’d made sure that not even a chance remark to neighbours could alert anyone who might enquire.
‘Just a small precaution.’ Maybe he was being overcautious but he didn’t trust Fairweather. ‘You know what politics is like . . . and the media. This is a big week and I’m just being careful.’
‘No, I don’t know what politics is like. That’s your life. And if you would tell me why or how we have to be “careful”, I could be careful too, without having to travel away from home in the middle of the night.’ Gina had stared at him, her beautiful eyes full of concern, and David tried to reassure her.
‘It’ll be a good rest for you. One last chance to take some time for yourself before the baby. There’s a day spa and a crèche for the kids. Two weeks of doing nothing. Order in room service, sleep when the kids nap. You can have a total rest. You’ll enjoy the luxury suite by the pool. We’ll have a good time.’
‘We?’ She was softening a little.
‘I’ll be with you both weekends. You can go off and get pampered and I’ll sit with the kids this afternoon.’
The forgotten feeling of being the most important person in his wife’s world came rushing back when Gina reached over and wrapped her fingers around his.
‘No, sei la mia anima gemella. We will spend the weekend together before you go back to your office to whatever is so important.’ Her voice was soft and David smiled at her and squeezed her fingers.
‘You know you are my soulmate too, bella. Don’t ever doubt that.’
He’d thought of nothing but the safety of his family over the past twenty-four hours as he’d tried to prepare for the upcoming environmental committee meeting. The drive along the Arnhem Highway had given him a couple of hours to focus on the carefully worded position statement. Even though Kakadu was a national park administered by the federal government, the government of the Territory still played a major role under the recent amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The environmental impact statement for the proposed mineral exploration on the northern edge of Kakadu had been submitted by Black Coal Holdings.
‘Are we nearly there?’ Andrew’s loud whine pulled David’s mind from the response he was drafting in his head.
‘Daddy! Are we nearly there?’
David nodded absently and the sound of a game resumed from Andrew’s iPad in the back seat.
He glanced across at Gina; she’d dropped her Kindle and was dozing, her head on the leather headrest of the hire car. Her olive cheeks were lightly tinged with a rosy flush as the sunlight played on her face. She breathed softly through gently parted lips, and her hands were folded protectively over the soft swell of her pregnant stomach. She was more beautiful now than when he’d first met her.
A muscle clenched in David’s gut. Was he doing the right thing by bringing them down here?
The boundary change and the exploration licence votes could be brought forward. Maybe his vote wouldn’t make any difference anyway? He wondered what Fairweather was capable of – how many others did he have in his pocket? Maybe he should have gone to the police after that comment about his children. But David didn’t trust the influence that Fairweather had with the police either.
It could be the end of his career if the seabed mining approval went public before the approval was reversed. He’d set that in motion yesterday. David gripped the steering wheel and stared at the straight road ahead. Christ, he’d seen enough politicians across the country take a fall recently. The corruption commission hearings down in New South Wales had put paid to the careers of many.
‘Daddy! How much longer? I need a wee.’
‘Almost. Can you hang on for a few more minutes?’ David pushed away the thoughts filling his head and tried to focus on his family. ‘How about an ice-cream when we get there, buddy?’
He had emails to read when he got there; his phone had been dinging non-stop all the way down the highway. Gina had offered to read them to him as she often did when he was driving but he’d shaken his head. She’d shrugged and given him a strange look, before turning back to her Kindle.
The possibility of spending time relaxing with Gina and the kids was becoming less likely every time his phone dinged, but David knew he needed to focus on family for the next two days. He didn’t want to lose his wife’s respect too.
The promise of ice-cream quietened Andrew and there was silence from the back seat except for the low music from his game. They’d been on the road since dawn and were now only a few kilometres from the resort. Gina was not happy that he was going to leave them there when he headed back to the city – alone – on Sunday night.
‘What if the baby comes early? Is there even a hospital out in the wilds here?’ She’d widened her green eyes at him and placed her hand on her stomach. ‘I’ll be by myself with the children. I’ve only got eight weeks left. You do know that, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do, and no, it won’t and yes, there is.’ David had pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the lavender fragrance that always calmed him. ‘And it’s not the wilds. It’s only a couple of hours away from Darwin. You’ll be fine.’
‘Why all the secrecy, David? Why do we have to hide?’
The wheels of the car hummed on the tar as the sun rose in the winter sky, and the dawn light touched the charred savannah grasslands that had been burned off along the highway. The morning mist hung eerily as the watery sun tried to break through the smoke-laden fog and David tried to forget the emails waiting for him, and his briefcase full of papers in the boot of the hire car, as they turned right at Jabiru and sped down the Kakadu Highway towards Makowa Lodge.
*
Gina checked into the lodge while David waited in the car with the kids. They’d paid for Friday night so they could get an early check-in this morning. It was still early and there were no other guests at the reception desk.
‘Welcome to Makowa Lodge, Ms Perini.’ The pretty Aboriginal girl behind the counter had a deep, husky voice. She took Gina’s credit card and swiped it over the terminal, before handing over the security card for the room. ‘I hope you enjoy your stay with us. There are many activities on in the lodge, and there are brochures in the compendium in your room outlining the tours available.’
‘Thank you –’ Gina glanced at the girl’s name badge ‘– Heather.’
‘And make sure you look at our day spa. It’s won national awards.’
Gina smiled and nodded before she put her credit card away. ‘So I have heard. I will, thank you.’
She decided to see if there was an appointment available at the day spa this afternoon. David could look after Andrew and Binny. Then they could have a romantic dinner in the room tonight after the children went to sleep.
David had parked the hire car in the middle of the car park and Gina put up her hand to shade her face from the sun. Despite the early hours, the heat was lifting in waves from the concrete. She smiled as the children’s happy giggles reached her. They would make the most of the weekend together and then she would try to enjoy the rest of the time when David was away.
She shook her head as he slouched down in the driver’s seat and pulled the baseball cap low over his eyes.
‘It’s okay, James Bond, it’s only me.’ Gina opened the door and looked at him with a wry smile.
David flicked her a glance and didn’t acknowledge her joke, and she turned away to the back seat. There was only so much she could take of this ridiculous behaviour. ‘How about we go and find some ice-cream after Daddy unpacks the car?’
The squeals from their two children showed her that someone still loved her anyway.
‘Which building?’ David started the car and she looked at the security card.
‘Over there. Block C.’ Gina checked the lodge plan that the receptionist had given her and pointed to the building on the other side of the pool.
‘Good.’ He reversed the car and drove across the car park before parking in the shade. The lodge was in the shape of a crocodile and they were in the wing at the end of one of the back legs. He came around, opened her door and held his arms wide as she stepped out. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have parked closer. I didn’t think.’
‘You haven’t been doing much of that lately,’ she said, but the feel of his arms around her and the steady beat of his heart against her cheek as he pulled her in for a hug softened her mood a little. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that you have me worried with all this . . . this secrecy.’
David dropped his head and brushed a light kiss across her lips. ‘You take the kids inside and I’ll unpack.’
‘What if someone sees you? Is that safe?’
David cupped one hand around the back of her head and pulled her close. Gina stared at him and a shiver ran through her at the expression in his eyes. Uncertainty and . . . something else. This was not the man she’d shared her life with for the past ten years.
‘Please don’t hide things from me, David.’
He held her gaze for a minute and then let her go. ‘I promise.’ Gina opened the door and leaned in to unbuckle the children from their car seats.
David raised an eyebrow when he pulled out the first suitcase. ‘You really need this much for two weeks?’
‘Don’t forget the other bag on the floor of the back seat too,’ Gina said with an airy wave of her hand. ‘It’s full of toys.’
He grinned and her stomach did a little flip. She was carrying their third child, and even with all the worry surrounding them at the moment, he could still entice her with that sexy smile. Problem was she didn’t get to see it – or him – much lately. ‘You should know by now what I’m like when it comes to travelling.’
‘Everything but the kitchen sink, I know.’ As his phone rang with an incoming call, David put the suitcase down and moved away, his voice quiet as he turned his back to Gina and the children.
‘Come on, you guys. Let’s go explore our room while Daddy is on the phone.’ She held the children’s hands and looked at David, her stomach sinking as she listened to his conversation. ‘Then we’ll go and get our ice-creams.’
‘I could meet you there this afternoon.’ David’s words reached her even though he spoke quietly. He turned and held her gaze, and Gina’s cheeks burned as she read the plea in his eyes.
‘The bar where the cruise boats leave the harbour?’ He glanced down at his watch with a frown. ‘Yes, five o’clock will be fine.’
Gina turned away from David and left him to see to their luggage as he ended the call.
‘Mummy!’ Andrew protested as she hurried the children across to the building where their suite was located.
Dropping Andrew’s hand, she swiped the card across the lock, her movement jerky, reflecting the anger that was building in her. So he’d intended spending the weekend with them and she’d fallen for his promise? The cold air of the foyer rushed out to meet her when she pushed the door open and Gina welcomed the chill on her burning skin. She sat the children on the floor inside the suite and went back to hold the door open while David made three trips back and forth from the car, filling the foyer with their luggage.
Not a word was spoken until he brought in the last bag, and Gina closed the door of the suite where she and the children would be spending God-knew-how-long until David decided they could go home. She settled the children in front of a cartoon on cable television with a banana each, once again promising ice-cream, and when they were settled she went back into the kitchen. David was leaning against the stone counter top, waiting for her. He opened his arms but she ignored him, walking over to the kettle and filling it with water while she tried to contain her temper.
‘Where’s your bag?’ She looked at the pile of luggage stacked neatly inside the door.
‘I left it in the car. I’ll come back for the day tomorrow, and spend it with you. I have to go to this meeting.’
She arched her eyebrow before turning away to rifle through a container of exotic tea bags. ‘Don’t bother. I’d hate for you to go out of your way for us.’
Gina closed her eyes as she waited for the water to boil and shrugged David’s hand away when he gently touched her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes, staring out through the large window, and watched a family group cross the lawn to the pool area. She couldn’t hear their laughter but she could see the happiness on their faces as the couple watched two children run to the side of the sparkling pool.
‘You’ve changed so much, David.’ She flinched as he slid his arms around her from behind and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. ‘Tell me what’s going on. Show me you can trust me. What you are showing me now is that we are no longer important to you and you have dumped us out here in the wilds where we won’t bother you.’
His laugh held no amusement. ‘It’s nothing to do with trusting you. I just don’t want to frighten you.’
Uncertainty made her chest ache as his voice shook and she turned around in his arms. ‘Then tell me what it happening. Please.’
David dropped his forehead to rest against hers. ‘I made a stupid mistake and signed a document I shouldn’t have. Now I’m being pressured to uphold a decision in a committee meeting that may have consequences.’
‘So?’ Gina wrinkled her brow and waited for David to continue. ‘Can’t the other members of the committee see it is not a good decision?’
His breath was warm against her face and he didn’t answer. Screams and laughter carried in from the television show in the living area and Binny’s cute little chuckle followed soon after.
‘David, you’ve always followed your judgement, and your integrity is one of the reasons you got to be Chief Minister at such a young age. You know that. How can you doubt you are doing the right thing this time?’
‘I wish it was so easy. There’s more than that.’ He leaned back and the fear settled into Gina’s stomach as he held her gaze. ‘A very powerful man has threatened to hurt the children if I don’t recommend approval for a boundary change that could result in mining at the edge of the national park.’
‘Who has? What the hell are you talking about?’ She pushed away from his gentle hold. ‘How dare you not say that to . . . I mean . . . tell me that before. And you were just going to leave us here alone and go back to the city? Without warning me to be careful?’ Gina sought the right words, her voice becoming increasingly shrill. When she was really upset, her English deserted her and she would lapse into her native Italian. ‘How dare you play with us, with la nostra sicurezza, with . . . with . . . our lives, just to run your precious Territory?’ Her voice hitched on a sob and she pulled away from his hold. ‘Our bambini, David. You risk them for what? A fucking piece of land?’
‘Listen to me. No one knows you’re here. It’s safe here and –’ David’s voice was quiet and it was his calm that fuelled Gina’s anger even more. He ran his hand through his hair and then reached for her again, but she balled her fists and struck at his chest. David grabbed for her hand but she folded her arms.
‘Who are they?’ Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him and she blinked them away. ‘Tell me.’
‘Keep your voice down.’ The patience in his voice despite his commanding words pissed her off even more. How could he be so calm? She and the kids were just there for him to be with at his whim, and she knew they always came second to his precious political career.
‘What are you going to do?’ Gina whispered and brushed away the tears that were now running down her cheeks. ‘I know you so well, David, and I love you for your high ideals. You will do the right thing as I would wish you to.’ She stared at him and her voice was cold. ‘But if anything happens to our children, I will never forgive you.’