Vigilante

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Cadiche's Ford Falcon GT pulled up in Stanton's garage at seven am on Friday the 17th of September 2010. He pulled up beside Stanton's Mustang and climbed out to find Jacob admiring his car from the access steps leading into the house from the garage. Stanton leant on the hand rail next to him. They had only just finished analysing the data from the computer and Stanton needed time to hatch a plan.

  "Now you see why I have a big garage," said Stanton. "Everyone I know has a big car."

  "This is the first eight car garage I have ever seen," replied Jacob. Cadiche walked up the steps to them and they walked inside. Stanton introduced Jacob to Cadiche and gave a short story of who and why. Cadiche was pleased to hear he would not be in the house at Hawks Nest by himself.

  "Why didn't you just buy a unit Stanton, that place is huge. Five bedrooms and three bathrooms, I'm just going to sleep on the lounge and live in the kitchen. And the electric boat in the wharf shed, why?"

  "What's the combination to the door alarm?" asked Stanton.

  "The paper work has been burnt Stanton, don't panic everything is under control." Stanton went about outlining the weekend’s plan. Jacobs's fiancé was heading up to Hawks Nest with Anthony and Robert. They would drop her at Stanton's place so they could roar around in their cars while Stanton and Cadiche borrowed Jacob’s Land Cruiser to go for a drive. Stanton refused to discuss the destination, only that they would return Sunday night. He threw Cadiche plenty of instructions on preparing for the trip so he could not dwell on the matter. Stanton had Cadiche load several firearms from his lockers in the back of the vehicle. Stanton needed a couple more days of email data before he could move.

  "Lever action Winchesters and two 45 colts in hip holsters - what are we going to do, meet Clint Eastwood.”

  "Pigs," said Stanton.

  "Pigs? What do you mean pigs?" replied Cadiche.

  "We’re going pig shooting."

  "Oh… Okay, no worries."

  "Where?"

  "Up the scrub."

  "How far up the scrub?"

  "Seven hundred kilometres up the scrub."

  "Seven hundred kilometres! You're joking, why so far?"

  "You see any pigs round here?"

  "No."

  "That's because they are seven hundred ks up the scrub. There are bears up there as well. Drop bears you seen on the Bundy ad." Stanton couldn't hold his face anymore and cracked up laughing.

  "Jesus Stanton," quipped Cadiche. Stanton had educated Jacob with the working of the house, cars and given him a satellite phone for any emergencies. Stanton was impressed when Jacob put together a plan of some of Stanton's movements and haunts so his cars could be seen in the right places, Stanton pondered if he had confided in the devil but time would tell. Stanton and Cadiche set off and Stanton stopped at the first service station to fuel up. Cadiche loved cans of coke so when he returned to the vehicle Stanton handed him one after swigging on it himself.

  "Am I going to catch something from this Stanton?"

  "Yep, a heavy dose of cool."

  "Piss off, more like TB or the pox or some other exotic disease I've never even heard of." Stanton powered onto the highway with a drift setting the cruise control right on the speed limit. Cadiche sculled the can of coke and two minutes later fell asleep. Stanton calculated he should wake early in the morning judging on the sedative he had put in Cadiche's coke lasting for eighteen hours. Cadiche would need some rest, he was in for a trying day.

  Cadiche woke at first light in a room at the Bourke Bridge Inn just north of the town and next to the bridge that crossed the Darling River. The bed next to him had been slept in but was empty and he could hear the shower. His head had a fuzzy feel and he had a headache. He went to the window and looked out; the vehicle was parked outside the room and he could not see past it. He saw the room door key and looked at the tag; it read: if found return to the Bourke Bridge Inn. He sat down on the bed and Stanton came out of the bathroom showered and dressed. He was angry and said nothing; there was a strong knock on the door. Stanton peered round the edge of the curtain and then opened the door. A man dressed in denim shirt with dirty cream moleskin trousers and an Akubra hat spoke to Stanton. "I'm looking for Mr Smith."

  "Well you done a grand job, you found him."

  "I'm from Bourke Outback Tours and have the three horses you hired, they have the saddle bags and rifle holsters you wanted. Will cost a bit more; I had to hire the stuff myself."

  "You Bill are you?" asked Stanton.

  "No I'm Jed; you spoke to me on the phone."

  "You work from the airport yeah?"

  "Geez you got a bad memory mate, I own the Bourke North Caravan Park."

  "Yeah you're the bloke," quipped Stanton as he walked outside to check the horses. "Food and water."

  "Everything you asked for in the saddlebags and the leather canteens."

  Stanton pulled a wad of cash out of his top pocket, foiled off a several hundred dollars and handed them to Jed. "The horses will be back here by midnight, if I find anyone knows about this I’ll use somebody else next time."

  Jed counted the cash and smiled back at Stanton. "You'll be back," said Jed as he walked away.

  Cadiche had dressed and was standing outside looking at the horses. Stanton threw a long Driza-Bone coat and an Akubra hat at him.

  "What would I want these for? By ten o'clock it’ll be well over twenty degrees."

  Stanton threw a hip holster and 45 Colt at him. "Put it on and see how you look without cover." Cadiche strapped on the belt and weapon, then the hat and coat.

  Stanton loaded two lever action Winchester Golden Boy rifles and slid them in the saddle rifle holsters on two of the horses. He climbed aboard one of the brumbies, then dismounted and adjusted the stirrups and reins. He strapped on a colt and holster, put on his Driza-Bone and Akubra. He mounted, the horse grunted and was uneasy but then settled. "Well get on your horse and let’s go."

  "Pig shooting ah," commented Cadiche.

  "Ever seen an injured boar charge in the scrub? Best place is on a horse."

  "Smith, you could have been a bit more original."

  "We’re in Jacob’s vehicle, his second name is Smith."

  "I look like the Man from Snowy River."

  "When in Rome, do as the Romans."

  "I'm hungry, haven't eaten since I was bushwhacked with a can of coke."

  "I've always told you to trust no one."

  "Yeah well I thought you were someone."

  "Well we think the same of each other now get on your horse."

  "Why you got three horses?"

  "You've never asked me why I have a spare tyre on my car."

  Cadiche mounted his horse and made some adjustments from the saddle. "We’ll have breakfast by the river in less than an hour." Stanton looked at his hand- held GPS and headed north along the western edge of the Darling River. He pulled up an hour later next to a U bend in the river that sent them south. The going was heavy as there had been spring rains and the river had a healthy flow for the first time in many years. They dined on sandwiches and Cadiche inspected his can of coke closely before he opened it and drank.

  "Where's all these pigs Stanton?"

  "Probably spread out a bit with all this rain." Suddenly a pig ran across the stretch of bank in front of them. Cadiche drew his Colt and let fly at the scurrying rodent but missed.

  "Shit!" he yelled. "Why didn't you shoot it Stanton?"

  "Pig’s done nothing to me," said Stanton as he remounted his horse.

  "What!"

  "Reload your weapon and get on. Don't leave the cartridge cases on the ground, put them in your pocket. Every pig within five miles of here knows we’re here now." Cadiche shook his head, reloaded and mounted up. They headed east away from the river, and struck the river again an hour later continuing along its edge for a further twenty minutes.

  Stanton pulled them up two hundred metres from a right angle bend in the river that headed s
outh. He studied the heavily wooded scrub on the corner with a single tube telescope from his saddlebag and could just make out a humpy next to the river bank adjacent to a river feed billabong. Cadiche had been complaining that this was the worst shooting trip he had ever been on and hounded Stanton all the way.

  "Tie them up, we go on foot from here," said Stanton. Stanton pulled his Winchester and dismounted, putting the horses under the shade of a huge ghost gum next to the river. They started to walk along the top of the river bank towards the billabong; Stanton turned around to Cadiche and put his index finger vertical over his lips then drew it across his throat from one side to the other, Cadiche nodded. Cadiche tried hard to walk silently like Stanton and watched how he moved his feet and weight in complete silence. He eventually perfected the moves.

  Fifty metres from the billabong Stanton lay on the ground and crawled towards the rising edge of the billabong out of sight of anything over the rise. Progress was painstakingly slow and eventually they reached the rise in stealth. Stanton removed his hat and peeked over the rise. Stanton saw a young man of aboriginal appearance on the other side of the billabong bank, outside the humpy made of shabby iron and scrub timber. He casually held a fishing line and pulled in a nice size Callop, strung it on a stick in the ground next to him, baited the hook and cast out. He crouched down on his haunches and watched the fishing line. Stanton cocked his rifle, stood up and let a volley of shots fly around the young man missing him by only inches. The young man dropped his rod, fell back on his rear end and put up his hands. Stanton put his rifle across his shoulder with the barrel sticking out behind him and started to walk around the top of the billabong towards the young man. The young man attempted to rise and run but Stanton levelled his Winchester and delivered another volley of shots one nicking the young man’s ear; the young man froze. Stanton walked around with his weapon levelled at the young man. Cadiche followed Stanton and stood behind him in front of the young man.

  "We’re looking for pigs Stanton," said Cadiche. Stanton took no notice and asked the young man a question.

  "You know a man called Jimmy Stein?" asked Stanton.

  "Who wants to know?"

  "You got two minutes to convince me who you are, now do you know Jimmy Stein?"

  "Yes."

  "You meet him in Long Bay?"

  "No, he was my cell mate in Lithgow for seven years."

  "Where does Stein live now?" asked Stanton.

  "Jimmy’s dead, someone got him when he was released. He was a bastard - good riddance."

  "Where were you born?"

  "Wish I knew."

  "You did a lot of time for something you didn't do."

  "How do you know that?"

  "What's your name? Remember you got thirty seconds left."

  "Lewis, Lewis Page." Stanton stepped to one side and looked around at Cadiche.

  "Have a look at him Cadiche, if he was five years older he’d look like you. That's because he's your brother." The two boys looked at each other.

  "I know, I could feel him when I got up this morning."

  "My brother is the Cadiche man from Newcastle?" asked Lewis softly.

  "Yes," said Stanton. "The only difference is he's going to take you home, not point the bone at you." Tears ran down Lewis’ cheeks and Cadiche cried openly as they embraced each other. Lewis cooked some fish and Cadiche shared his sandwiches as he told Lewis about their country and their mother and father while they sat at the edge of the billabong. He promised to take Lewis to their country and where their mother and father had painfully parted with them from birth.

  Stanton knew Lewis was a bitter man and he also knew a police officer with a chip on his shoulder, recently transferred to Bourke from Sydney, was after Lewis. Stanton had picked up Lewis' whereabouts from the bush telegraph by means of a visiting aboriginal elder to Newcastle who had contacted Stanton worried about the new renegade police officer in the area and a young man called Lewis. Stanton quizzed Lewis and could see why he had set up camp where he had. It was easy to see river and bush track traffic from his vantage point and he could cross the river quickly to avoid people. He said he could not go into town as the police were after him and could pin about anything they wanted on him as he was alone. He had been living off the land since he was released from prison. They mounted up and began to head back to Bourke.

  Lewis was anxious about travelling back into Bourke. He was concerned the police would arrest him. Stanton discussed it with him and they came to an agreement when Cadiche agreed to hang back two hundred metres and stay in the scrub along the edge of the river leaving Stanton and Lewis out in the open, clear of the heavy timber. If anything was to happen Cadiche could back them up. Stanton insisted he must remain within two hundred metres of them as the weapons they were carrying were not accurate beyond this distance. They rode for an hour and struck an area they had been at previously where it was far quicker to break from the river’s edge but they stuck to their plan.

  Lewis pointed out that if they were to be approached it would be here as the police frequented the area. A main bush track to their right was the only access into the town from the north side of the river and it narrowed by a big dam wall. The dam was filled from the river for irrigation that tapered down to an access of only a few metres from the river’s edge, one corner of the dam adjacent to the pumping shed next to the river. Lewis informed Stanton he always swam the river and walked the other side until clear of the dam wall and then he would swim back to the north side again when out of sight of the narrow access. Cadiche closed up to one hundred metres in the cover of the trees, and as Stanton and Lewis passed the shed a police four wheel drive darted out from the opposite side cover of the shed and blocked their access. Two part aboriginal police officers jumped out, the passenger side one brandishing a pump action shot gun and waving it at Lewis.

  "Okay Page, off the horse nice and slow!" Stanton pulled his colt from his holster in a flash and fired on the officer with the shotgun hitting the butt and sending it out of his hand. The officer raised his hands and looked blankly at Stanton. Stanton held the gun level at the officers.

  "People who pull guns on unarmed members of the public may need to remember they may come under fire themselves." Stanton waved the pistol to the left. "Into the middle of the road where we can see you."

  "You got plenty trouble now mister, big fella cop looking for Page. He stealing plenty of stuff from town," said the officer who had held the shotgun.

  Stanton reloaded and holstered his Colt. The officer made a dash for the shotgun but before he could get to it a shot rang out and the shotgun moved several feet, the ricochet of the bullet hitting the side of the police vehicle. The officer froze looking around but he could see no one and Stanton sat motionless and without expression on his face, staring at the officer with his hands casually holding the reins of his horse.

  "Where the other fella?" asked the officer.

  "You never see a Cadiche man till it's too late," replied Stanton.

  "Cadiche man. No Cadiche man round here, no Cadiche man anywhere anymore. You talk bullshit." Stanton started to walk his horse and nodded to Lewis who followed.

  "You won't have to worry then will you," said Stanton as he turned his back on them and rode slowly away. The officer again made a move for the shotgun but this time a shot rang out that hit his hand, grazing his knuckles and drawing blood. The officers stood motionless as they watched Cadiche approach with his rifle levelled at them. He came to within a few metres of them looking them in the face. He pulled a sheep bone from the saddlebag he had found on the river bank and pointed the bone at the officers. The officers looked at each other sternly. Cadiche waved the bone at the officers.

  "You fellas come any where near town before sundown and I’ll kill you," said Cadiche.

  "Big fella cop get you all, he proper bastard. Who you?" Cadiche shot the tyres of the police vehicle and as he rode around the front of it to the other side he shot the radiator a
nd opposite tyres. The two officers cringed, moving closer together. "Big fella cop come, we sent message as soon as we see Page."

  "Well if he comes down this road he’ll run into the ol mate up front here. He won’t forget that in a hurry," replied Cadiche. The other officer spoke to his partner.

  "I know that fella, him from the big smoke, they call him the Cadiche Man."

  "Yeah I remember you as well now." Cadiche climbed from his horse and walked up to within a few metres of the officer. "You're the bastard who raped and strangled the little Roland girl."

  "The court acquitted me, they got nuttin evidence."

  "I was there, they had you cold. I saw the DNA match of the semen, I even took some of the witness statements. You were guilty as charged. Funny how the police station that housed the evidence burnt to the ground taking all that with it. The case failed on circumstantial evidence given in absence of solid back up lost in the fire. You know a man told me not long ago I would know when it was time to kill someone like you. He was right." A shot rang out and holes appeared in Cadiche's Driza-Bone at hip level as he drew his Colt from inside the pocket and shot the man in the chest till he fell to the ground in a cloud of dust. The other officer spoke up.

  "I thought it was dat bastard, he change his name and come here long time. No one could do nuttin." Cadiche looked at him coldly. "Till now dat is. Look at my jeep you stuffed it."

  "Get this towed back into town. Tell them the Cadiche man was here."

  "Take the bone off me; you cursed me."

  "Done." Cadiche mounted up and rode away. Stanton had waited two hundred metres along the bank and started to ride on; Lewis spoke in a panic.

  "He shot one of em!"

  "If Cadiche shot one of them, he had a better reason than I would ever find," replied Stanton. "I called him the Cadiche man because that's what he is; now it's no nickname, it’s big medicine."

  They rode on for fifteen minutes along the roadway following the river from the dam shed when a police vehicle arrived in a cloud of dust pulling up beside them about twenty metres away. A big man stepped out of the driver's seat wearing a suit and walked towards Stanton. Stanton could see a taser gun in his hand.

  "That's far enough!" shouted Stanton. The man continued to walk towards them and Stanton pulled his Colt in a flash pointing directly at the man, cocking the pistol ready to fire. "I said that's far enough and I wasn't whistling Dixie." The man stopped out of the taser’s range. The man dropped the taser and reached inside his coat with his left hand, a shot rang out and steam came out of the front of the police vehicle as it ripped the radiator and broke the engine apart. Stanton uncocked his Colt and slowly put it in his holster then climbed from his horse.

  "Who the hell are you, that's Lewis Page you have with you and he's wanted here for theft and other offences."

  "Well the name’s right, legal council will contact you to discuss the rest. Lewis has been out here minding his own business," replied Stanton as he walked to within five metres of the man. "Go anywhere near your weapon and the Cadiche man will take you out as quick as he took out your vehicle."

  "I'm going to have to place you under arrest, destroying police property, hindering police, unlicensed firearms and anything else I can think of."

  "The firearms are licensed, we’re doing a bit of pig shooting."

  "Can I see some ID?"

  "No I don't like you."

  "You won't see the light of day for years when I've finished with you."

  "What's your name?"

  "Chief Inspector David Stokes."

  "Wow, Chief Inspector."

  "I have two aboriginals in custody who have made statements regarding Page here and his connection with several thefts, one as recent as this morning from the bakery in town."

  "Really, what time was this alleged theft?"

  "No more than an hour ago."

  "Mmm. We’ve been travelling along the river from where we had breakfast with Lewis for an hour and have been with him for some time before that." The big man looked puzzled.

  “If that's the case then I’ve been given false information."

  "Wouldn't be in the interest of the people in custody that Lewis be framed now would it?"

  "Of course it would."

  "I'm no police officer but what you claim is crap."

  "Fair enough now, I'm going to have to arrest you."

  "Look you’re just trying to do your job. Acting on false accusations is a serious matter. False arrest, perverting the course of justice. People have the right to defend themselves. Lewis is an easy target, no family, no friends. Just another collar with no one to ask any questions and everybody with a vested interest in on the act." The big man thought for a few seconds.

  "You're very cool for someone who's knee deep in shit. Can I have your name please?"

  "As you ask so politely, yes. Stanton… John Stanton." The big man frowned as he thought."

  "If you're the John Stanton of Stanton Security Services, I been looking for you."

  "Yes I am and now you found me."

  "I wish to talk to you about the death of a one Kevin Sharp of the AFP." Stanton looked puzzled.

  "Why would a Chief Inspector from Bourke be looking for a person in connection with a Sydney incident."

  "I was head of Sydney CIB, in charge of the investigation, and when I asked questions about you I ended up here." Stanton looked blank and moved in closer to Stokes.

  "Who did you talk to?"

  "Ben Porter the Minister for Defence was handling it because Sharp was a member of the AFP. He's the one who stamped on me, went off his head because I produced a report implicating you in the incident."

  Stanton came up with a half smile. "That's good police work."

  "Porter had me sent up here; I didn't mind as I thought his attitude and motives were crap. I didn't want to be involved in what was going on, it's out of my league."

  "Well you are a good bloke to run into. Sharp was an ASIO operative and went under the guise of the AFP. Porter ah. Those bastards came after my family. We have something in common, they are screwing both of us up the arse."

  Stokes thought deeply. "Why would they be after you and your family?"

  "Someone I think from within the government is selling weapons to extremist groups in Afghanistan and probably other places. I have information on them and they turned on me. Not hard to work out." Stanton waved Cadiche in who had come within fifty metres of them. "Normally I would kill you because you have too much information but I have a job for you. Cadiche here just blew holes in a bloke down the track, why Cadiche?"

  Cadiche stayed on his horse with his rifle cocked. "One of them associate officers back there was the bloke who raped and strangled the Roland girl in the a bush camp few years back. You were right Stanton, I did know the time." Stokes looked at Cadiche with a face of relief and spoke to him.

  "I knew that, I found it abhorrent that I was forced to work with such a person. It's hard to stay afloat here. The Aboriginal Affairs Department are up me about everything."

  Stanton looked at Cadiche then back at Stokes. "Tell you what Stokes, I have a proposition for you," said Stanton. "Clean all this up here and I’ll cover your arse."

  "I’d rather leave the force."

  "What are you going to achieve doing that; we need you where you are. If you want to make a difference you need to be different. I know some of these bastards, you'd suddenly just disappear and for what. I'm going to find these bastards first, I’ll stick by you as long as you assist in the interests of your and my family and just ordinary people like me and you."

  "If you're an ordinary person then I'm a tea pot Stanton," said Cadiche.

  "This bloke on the horse here with the holes in his Driza-Bone I lent him, we call him the Cadiche man. He is also a police officer from Newcastle. As you can see the Cadiche man no longer messes around with emu's feathers and bones."

  "No I got a bone Stanton; found it on the bank back a bit.
Bloody useless, the Colt had more impact." For the first time Stokes smiled.

  "This will be very hard to keep under raps," said Stokes.

  "Bloke back there saw what happened, it will hit the bush telegraph, he didn't like the bloke any more that us. You have any trouble with any department, especially indigenous then I’d like to know," said Cadiche.

  "That's Officer Blake, one of the only people I can trust here," replied Stokes.

  "See if you can get him on side, you'll be back in Sydney within a week," said Stanton.

  "I have no intention of operating outside of the system when it comes to punishing people," said Stokes. Stanton climbed back on his horse.

  "Good policeman never do, they don't have to if they are good. We’ll see how good you are Stokes. When you're back in Sydney I’ll find you if I need you. If you get hassled by anyone in power there, get the information to Cadiche as quick as you can, you won’t find me quick enough. Chances are they could be one of the people we are looking for." Stanton casually rode off with Lewis in tow. Cadiche waited for them to get ahead.

  "I'm a big bloke but I’d think twice about taking Stanton on," said Stokes.

  "That's not because you're scared of him. Don't judge Stanton too harshly. You have respect for what he stands for; I love the man. He made me into somebody who can make a difference; I'm not going to waste it."

  "Can he really get me back to Sydney?"

  "If he thinks it's in the interest of his cause, you'll be back there in forty-eight hours I reckon. He'll just make one phone call or visit and it'll happen."

  "Looks like all the rumours and stories are true about him."

  "Just rumours and stories, that's all. See ya when I'm looking at ya." Cadiche tagged Stanton back to town.