6.50 am Saturday
Makowa Lodge
Kane kissed Ellie before he crossed to the Jeep where David was waiting. Andrew and Binny had hugged their father as Ellie stood with Jan on the verandah. In the end they had only told Jan that Gina was ill and that David had to go and see her. He waved to the kids from the car.
‘We’ll see you later, Ellie.’ He held up Gina’s phone. ‘If there’s any news, you have this number?’ Ellie nodded.
Jan led the children inside and after the door closed behind them, Ellie said, ‘Be careful.’
‘I’ll call if we have any news,’ David said.
‘Me too. After I see the guys, I’ll see Heather and I’ll let you know what I find out.’
‘And Ellie, you be careful too.’ Kane held her gaze and she smiled at him.
‘I will. Hurry back.’
Ellie watched until the vehicle disappeared around the building. Then she changed into her uniform and said goodbye to Jan and the children.
‘I shouldn’t be too long,’ she promised. Checking that the door was locked behind her, she headed for the office to look at the roster and see where Heather was today. She wasn’t going to warn her with another phone call.
Luck was on her side. When Ellie entered the office through the back door, Heather was in the kitchen filling the kettle. She stood waiting until she turned around.
‘Bloody hell. Why don’t you sneak up on me?’ Heather’s eyes were red-rimmed and circled with dark shadows. Looked like she hadn’t slept either. Ellie closed the back door and flicked the lock over; she didn’t want anyone interrupting this conversation.
Ellie crossed her arms and leaned her back against the door, waiting for Heather to finish. Her friend’s hands were shaking and she cursed as she dropped the packet of sugar and it scattered all over the tiled floor.
‘Shit. Look what you made me do, Ellie.’ Heather reached for the broom.
‘Leave the bloody sugar. I want to talk to you.’
‘What about?’ Her eyes were wary.
‘Why were you in such an all-fired hurry to get away last night?’ Ellie stared at her and Heather dropped her gaze.
‘I can’t tell you.’
‘Don’t be stupid. Of course you can tell me. Do you know where Gina is?’
Heather dropped into a crouch and put her hands over her eyes. ‘I can’t tell you.’ Ellie kneeled down beside her as Heather began to cry softly. ‘It’s bigger than we can deal with, Ellie. I should have asked you for help, but it’s too late now.’
‘Heather, if you know anything at all, you have to tell me. The police aren’t involved . . . yet. But this guy has already killed people.’ She put her arm round Heather’s shoulder. ‘For God’s sake, if you know anything, tell me. You know you can trust me.’
‘I was in the car with Dad when a man rang him and Dad said he wouldn’t do it. He told me what the man wanted. For God’s sake, Ellie, Dad was crying when he hung up.’ She rubbed at her eyes. ‘I’ve never seen him cry before. They’ve already cut his finger off.’ Heather lifted her face and her eyes were scared. ‘When we got home, I took Dad’s phone and I rang the man back. He told me they’d kill Dad if he didn’t take her. So I took her. Dad doesn’t know.’
‘Thank God.’ Ellie put both hands either side of Heather’s shoulders and helped her to her feet. ‘Where is she, Heather? You must tell me where Gina is. She’s in danger. Her life is in danger.’
‘But Dad –’
‘Your dad is safe. He’s over in the workshop with the other guys.’
‘I know, he insisted on coming in with me today, so I couldn’t check on Gina on the way to work.’
‘On the way to work?’ Ellie held Heather’s shoulders. ‘Please. Where is she?’
‘Not till I know Dad’s safe.’
‘Look, right now he’s with the other guys and he’s speaking at that anti-fracking meeting at ten. No one’s going to hurt him while he’s in front of a crowd.’ Ellie shook Heather gently. ‘There’s safety in numbers and as much as I hate to say it, the rangers always have their Winchester rifles handy.’
‘I suppose.’ Heather blew her nose and nodded slowly.
‘As long as he watches his back, he’ll be okay.’ Ellie gripped Heather’s arm. ‘Now for the love of God, will you tell me where she is?’
A vast sense of relief flooded Ellie as Heather nodded mutely.
Ellie ran all the way to the hangar. She paused at the gate to catch her breath, and called Gina’s mobile. No connection. She tried Kane but the call rang twice and then went to voicemail. David and Kane must be driving through a dead zone. The mobile service was patchy all the way from the lodge to Jabiru until you could see the big silver towers behind the town.
She tucked her phone between her shoulder and her chin as she pulled out her keys to unlock the gate to the tarmac. ‘Ring me as soon as you get this. You’re going the wrong way.’
Ellie lifted the padlock to unlock it and the chain came away in her hand. It slid to the concrete with a loud clang, and she narrowed her eyes. She was sure she’d locked the gate on the way out yesterday afternoon. Pushing the gate shut behind her, she locked the padlock at the end of the chain in case the first group arrived for their ten o’clock flight before she returned.
She hoped she would be back by then. Jock wasn’t in the office and it was too early to ask him if she could take the helicopter up; she’d explain it to him when she got back.
Hopefully with Gina as a passenger.
Heather had promised her she was all right. She had food and water and the hut Heather had left her in was locked. The river hut was about two kilometres past Bill’s house at Black Jungle Springs. It had once been a residence but now the family used it as a fishing shack in the dry season.
Ellie knew the area well; it was on the South Alligator River scenic flight run. The only thing that worried her was how close the hut was to the water. The place was a crocodile haven. If Gina had somehow managed to escape during the night . . .
She swallowed, pushing the thought away. Surely she would know not to go wandering along the edge of the river.
Please God.
Ellie opened the hangar and took a quick look around. It had been locked up and everything looked okay. Maybe she had left the gate unlocked in her rush to get away from that jerk yesterday. She grabbed her small first-aid kit and ran for the helicopter and threw it in onto the passenger seat. A quick pre-flight check was enough; neither machine had been up since she’d refuelled and checked them yesterday. Ellie ran her hands along the skids, checked the rotors and looked over the fuel tanks. Still good; everything in place.
She closed her eyes for a second as an image of Kane doing his three checks pushed into her thoughts. Yeah, she’d probably been too hard on him. She’d apologise later.