Johnno put his hands on his hips and surveyed the damage. ‘Shit. Don’t worry, the boys and I can fix that up.’
‘Thanks, but we’re going to have to wait until the police get here and check it out.’
He turned his head and gave her brief smile. ‘No worries.’
‘Listen, Johnno, do you get a lot of vandalism in town?’
‘Nup, I don’t think so. Other than a bit of graffiti down along the railway, I can’t think of anything. You know, come to think of it, it’s a bit odd.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘First the paint and now broken windows? Have you pissed anyone off recently?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’
‘Well, I’m not the police but it seems to me that it’s either kids and a bit of senseless vandalism, or you’ve pissed someone off, or …’
‘Or what?’ Lily said with a deepening frown.
‘Or it’s a ploy to get me to hang around longer,’ he said with a smile.
Lily laughed. ‘God, Johnno, like I can afford that!’
‘Made you laugh though,’ he said, winking. ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll get these fixed as soon as the police say I can.’
‘Thank you, I really appreciate it.’
By the afternoon Lily was standing on the shop floor and mentally planning how she’d decorate the room. The police had come and gone, their official take on the whole incident was that it was vandalism. They were probably right, but Johnno’s words had played on her mind. Did someone have a grudge against her? Had she managed to piss someone off to the point that they wanted to destroy her business? She cast her mind back but there hadn’t been an altercation or even a harsh word with anyone that she could think of. Pretty much everyone had been nice, helpful – hell, even welcoming. Nope, she couldn’t think of anyone who hated her that much.
It had to be kids.
Lily took a breath and tried to clear her head. She should spend her time thinking about what she had to do, not dreaming up some Moriarty-wannabe nemesis who wanted to bring her down. In fact, she hoped that if she did have an arch enemy they would be a little more diabolical and cunning than breaking a couple of windows and chucking about a bit of paint.
Apart from the windows, the shop was looking just as Lily hoped it would. With the last of the painting done, the old store had been given a new lease on life. It felt airy and fresh and brimming with possibilities. Lily walked around the shop floor, imagining how she was going to put everything together.
A spark of excitement flared through her as she saw in her mind’s eye where to position the old cheval mirror she’d found at a bargain price in a second-hand shop, where she’d put the old glass counter, and which wall the huge ornately framed mirror would be attached to. Johnno and one of his workers had dragged the old cash register down from the attic; it was a thing of Victorian-era beauty with its big fat keys and floral embossed metalwork. It also kind of worked – with a bit of fiddling she’d managed to get the cash drawer to open and close. But probably it would be included in the shop more for its aesthetic value.
Things were on track and finally coming together nicely, broken windows aside. Now, if she could just get all of her sample dresses finished, everything would be set.
***
From the top of the ridge, Flynn looked out over his land. The countryside was parched and sweltered in the late summer heat. He leant against the trunk of a ghost gum and stared off to the south towards McKellan’s Run and the town of Violet Falls.
Sweat trickled down the middle of his back. The shade of the tree gave little relief from the forty-five-degree temperature. The sun beat down and fried anything stupid enough to be out in the open – yeah, well, that included him today. One of the worst things about summer was the hot air: somehow it just made the whole business of breathing even harder.
He’d checked the weather report this morning and it was meant to be hot and sunny, with a growing northerly wind. Great, just the type of day that had everyone, especially firefighters, on tenterhooks. Flynn pulled out his phone to check if there had been any fire updates in the area.
Scrolling down the screen he saw that it was clear – so far, so good. He just hoped that it would stay that way.
He pushed himself away from the tree and started to head back down to the house. Yesterday, he, Mac and a couple of hired hands had brought most of the mob down from the top paddock and closer to home. He had them penned in the paddock that was closest to the house. It was smaller than they were used to but it sported a few ancient shade trees and the dam was still half full. Tomorrow he would get the stragglers and the small flock from the northern enclosure. And the day after that they’d be rounding up the sheep from the western paddock. It would take several days but then he would have the majority of his sheep closer to home where he could keep an eye on them.
So far, Violet Falls had been lucky, but the fire season wasn’t over yet and everyone was a little jumpy.
Flynn walked back towards the Grange. As it was all downhill from the ridge it would have been pleasurable if it hadn’t been for the glaring sun and heat. Just as he reached the paddock by the house, a gust of hot northerly wind blew at his back. He paused for a second, raising his head and sniffing at the air – there was the undeniable taint of smoke in the air. He swung around and scanned the distant hills and countryside. Flynn couldn’t see a plume of smoke on the horizon – yet.
Needing a better view, he turned and ran back up to the ridge, sweat now running down the middle of his back. Scrambling up the steep incline to the top, the air was gathering and beginning to whip about him in short, hot bursts, robbing him of his breath and making the climb even more difficult. He stood panting as he studied the landscape and blue sky, looking for any sign of fire. The hot north wind gusted about him as he saw a thin column of smoke rising in the distance. It looked as if it was coming from old Harry Turner’s land.
Flynn dug his mobile out of his jeans pocket and punched in triple zero.
‘Hi, yeah … patch me through to the fire authority. Thanks.’ Flynn waited for a second to be redirected. ‘Hello, this is Flynn Hartley and I need to report a fire.’ He rattled off his location and postcode. ‘Yep, that’s right. It’s burning just north of Violet Falls. I’m at the Grange, right outside of Violet Falls. I’m up on the ridge and can see the smoke in the distance. Yeah, and the wind’s picking up from the north. Thanks.’
The wind sent the black smoke spiralling up into the air. Flynn rammed the phone back in his pocket and ran all the way back down the hill.
***
Flynn’s mind raced as he went over his fire plan. He’d made decent firebreaks all around his property and all he could do was hope that would be enough. There was no dead wood or green waste hanging around waiting for a stray spark to set it alight. Everything was cleared or stowed away. He’d moved some of his sheep down to the bottom paddock nearest the house. The dam there was still fairly full, unlike the others scattered around the Grange. He’d intended to round up the rest of the mob and bring them down as well, but now it was too late.
Flynn turned on the pump in the bottom dam in case he needed to use the water to fight any fire that jumped the firebreaks. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
He was almost back to the house when he drew out his phone and pulled up Mac’s number.
‘Hey, it’s me.’
‘Hi, Flynn. What’s up?’
‘Listen, just giving you a heads up: it looks as if there’s a fire at Harry Turner’s place.’
‘Shit! How’s it looking?’
‘I think it’s fairly small at the moment, so hopefully the firies can put it out before it spreads. The problem we’ve got is that bloody northerly wind. Anyway, I thought you’d want to know.’
‘Thanks, mate, and keep me posted. Let me know if you need anything.’
‘No worries, thanks.’
‘Stay safe.’
‘Yeah, you too.’
Flynn hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket. The hot air blew against his back. The scent of smoke was unmistakable now. In the distance the sound of fire-engine sirens rang out; he could only pray that they’d get there in time. If the fire took hold then the wind would send it straight for the Grange, and then on to McKellan’s Run. From Mac’s place it was just a hop, skip and a jump to the outskirts of Violet Falls.
He looked behind towards the ridge. Flynn’s heart sank; even from here he could see the smoke column rising in the air. The fire seemed to be getting bigger.
Flynn spent a half hour or so closing up the house, turning everything off and making sure things were ready before riding his dirt bike back into the yard. He couldn’t herd the mob back by himself so he’d open the gates of the top paddocks. At least there was a slim chance that if the fire came through, the flock might get out of its way.
His phone vibrated. ‘Hey, this is Flynn.’
‘Hi, Flynn. This is Brigade Captain Lissy Stevens of the CFA.’
Flynn’s stomach clenched. He had never heard Lissy sound so formal before. ‘What’s up, Lissy?’
‘The fire at the Turner place has really taken hold. I’ve got units here at the heel of the fire and we’re flanking it on both sides. The problem is that the wind is fanning it and it’s shooting out fingers. It’s running fast and the head of the fire has just crossed over into your place. I’ve got a truck heading over to you now.’
‘Jeez, thanks for letting me know, Lissy.’
‘Flynn, are you going or staying?’
‘I’ll stay as long as I can. You know what the Grange means to me.’
‘All right, hopefully we’ll get it out. But if we tell you to evacuate, I expect you to do it.’
‘You got it,’ Flynn said as he watched a fire-engine trundle up the steep drive.
The fire truck pulled up and half a dozen men in yellow coveralls clambered down.
Flynn walked over and greeted them with a nod. He’d grown up with most of them. ‘Hey. How’s it looking?’ ‘It’s a bit of a worry,’ Jack Sullivan said as he nodded back. ‘The wind’s up and the fire is trying to get away from us. We’ve got units on both sides but at the moment it’s coming this way.’
‘Yeah, Lissy just called to fill me in.’
‘There’s more units on the way. Let’s hope the wind dies down.’
‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘We’ll take care of the head fire. I want you to hang back and protect your house from any spot fires or embers that try to take hold.’
Flynn nodded his head. ‘Okay, I’m on it.’
‘Basically put the wet stuff on the red stuff,’ Jack said with a tight smile.
‘Wet stuff and the red stuff – right, got it.’
Jack clamped his hand briefly on Flynn’s shoulder. ‘We’ll do our best to save what we can.’
Flynn nodded but couldn’t find the words. He’d worked so hard and poured every cent he had into building the Grange up into a working sheep run that could sustain him and itself. And now the whole thing could be snatched away from him.
‘Right, let’s get to it,’ he said as he turned and headed towards his house.
Chapter 18
Lily stepped outside her shop and stared up into the smoke-filled sky. The sun was causing the light to take on a dull orangey tint. Wherever the fire was, it was close. The smoke made her eyes smart and tickled the back of her throat. She turned her head towards the sound of sirens approaching and saw several fire trucks speeding down the main road and out of town to the west.
Lily frowned: they were heading in the direction of Flynn’s place. She could only hope that he wasn’t in harm’s way. She pulled out her phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialled his number. Her frown deepened when the call went straight to voicemail.
Lily was about to try his number again when her phone sounded. Looking at the screen, she saw it was Violet.
‘Hey,’ she said.
‘Hi, Lily. Listen, I just wanted to make sure that you were all right.’
‘I’m fine, but it looks like the fire is pretty close.’
‘Oh, you don’t know? Of course you don’t.’
A sliver of fear spiked through her. ‘What do you mean? What don’t I know?’
‘That the fire is at Flynn’s.’
Lily sucked in her breath. ‘Oh my God, is he okay?’
‘As far as I know. He rang Mac a while ago to tell him what was happening.’
Lily’s head was spinning and she found it difficult to comprehend Violet’s words. ‘Why would he ring Mac?’
‘Because if the fire goes through Flynn’s place, McKellan’s Run is just a stone’s throw away.
‘Of course, sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight. Listen, I’d better go.’
‘Lily, you can’t go out there – you know that, don’t you? It’s dangerous, and the CFA and police will have the road out of town blocked off. If you want to help, meet me at Holly’s school. They’re setting up an evacuation centre in the school gym.’
‘Evacuation?’
‘Yeah, for anyone who lives on that side of town and feels the fire is getting too close.’
‘Where’s Mac?’
‘He’s already headed over to Flynn’s.’
‘I’ve got to go,’ Lily said. ‘I’ll talk to you later.’
‘Lily, I mean it, don’t try to—’
‘See ya,’ Lily said as she hung up. She raced back inside and grabbed her car keys. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to get through but all she knew was that she had to try.
Clattering over the old wooden bridge out of town and heading in the direction of Mac’s place, she slowed down. The smoke was thicker here and it was harder to see; everything was enveloped in a brown haze. Ahead there were flashing hazard lights and several cars parked on the road. Lily hit the brakes and slowed down to a crawl. A guy in high-vis gear waved her to a stop.
Lily wound down her window; the heat from outside and the smoke wisped into the cabin and made her eyes water.
‘Sorry, miss, the road is closed. If you need to get around you’ll have to go back through town, over Calsey’s Bluff and then over the flats at Moonlight. Once you get to the old Duke of Cornwall mine, follow the old road left and it will get you to the highway.’
‘I’m just trying to get to the Grange.’
‘That’s the last place you want to be. The fire is eating its way through that area at the moment.’
‘Listen, my friend is up there.’
‘I understand, but I still can’t let you through. Best if you go back to town and wait.’
‘But …’ Lily stopped. It was obvious that there was no way he was going to let her through. ‘All right, but can you tell me anything about the Grange or Flynn Hartley?’
He shook his head. ‘Not really. The fire started accidentally at old Harry Turner’s place but the wind is blowing it in the direction of the town. It’s jumped the road and crossed into the Grange, but to what extent, I don’t know.’
‘Okay, thanks.’ It was all Lily could say. Turning the car around and driving back to Violet Falls, she let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. If she just knew he was safe – he needed to be safe. Lily’s stomach churned as a dozen scenarios ran through her brain, none of them good.
Just as she reached the outskirts of the town again she pulled over to the side of the road. Digging her phone out of her pocket, she tried to ring Flynn again.
‘Hey, this is Flynn. Sorry, I can’t talk right now. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.’
‘Damn!’ Lily said as she shook her head. All she could do was wait for the beep and leave a message. ‘Hi, Flynn – it’s Lily. I’m worried about you and the fire. Are you okay? Just give me a ring when you can and be safe.’ Lily hung up and then chucked her phone onto the passenger seat.
God, please let him be safe.
***
Flynn’s heart
sank when he looked towards the ridge and saw the first flickers of orange flame. Damn it, that meant the fire had probably burnt through the top paddocks, and the house stood in its direct path. There were several firefighters already up on the ridge; he could only hope that they would be able to stop the fire’s progress.
The air was thick with smoke, the scent of eucalypts, and flying embers. Flynn attacked another ember with a shovel as it landed near his feet. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Jack Sullivan heading his way.
‘Flynn, if the fire makes it over the ridge, I’ll need you to get out of here.’
Flynn pulled off the wet scarf he’d tied across his nose and mouth and straightened up, staring Jack in the eyes. ‘I have to let the sheep out of the pen – hopefully they’ll make it to shelter somewhere, but I’ll be staying to the very last minute.’
‘Flynn, it would be better if you left. You know we’re going to do everything in our power to save your house, but unless the wind shifts we’ll be fighting a losing battle. We’ve managed to get it back at its heel and the eastern side,’ Jack said as he pointed to the east. ‘But the rate the fire is eating up the ridge, unless there’s a miracle or a wind shift, it’s going to head straight through here and then onto Mac’s place. I’m sorry, mate, but that’s how it is.’
‘I know you’ll do what you can, but I need to stay.’
Jack held his gaze for a second and then shrugged. ‘Okay, I can see you’re going to be stubborn about this. I understand – I get that you need to try to save your house. But just remember, as painful as it is, you can always replace a house. Not so a life.’
Flynn nodded. He knew Jack was right but he still needed to try.
‘We’ll keep fighting and monitoring the situation but I can’t promise anything,’ Jack said before he swung around and jogged back to the fire line.
‘Got it,’ Flynn said to his retreating back, as another half a dozen embers hit the dry ground. He retied the scarf and started putting the sparks out before they could take hold.
***
Lily looked around the school gym, rubbing her arms. It was filling up with the families from outlying farms. She hoped against hope that if she searched the growing crowd for long enough, she’d find Flynn among their number. Stupid, really, because in her heart she knew that Flynn was still out at the Grange trying to save everything he’d worked for. She glanced at her watch: another hour had dragged by and she still hadn’t heard from Flynn. Time seemed to be creeping slowly. Whenever she checked her watch the minute hand had hardly moved.
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