by Sarah Barrie
Her phone rang and the screen told her it was Aaron. She stopped under a large conifer and leant against it. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi, beautiful. I heard there’s a good amount of snow on the ground up at Mount Mawson. Feel like heading up there?’
That he was asking her to go on an outing to the same place she was already headed was almost too coincidental. And for some reason she’d had it in her head he didn’t like skiing. ‘Aren’t you working?’
‘There are some benefits to being the boss. It’s too nice a day for office work.’
‘It is, but I can’t, sorry. I’m already booked to take some guests out there. They want to try some skiing.’
There was a pause, then, ‘Who are they?’
‘A group of three friends from Far North Queensland.’
‘A group of three men?’ he asked quietly.
She looked skyward, mentally preparing herself for the argument. ‘Yeah.’
‘Tess, we talked about this.’
She smiled at a couple of passing visitors before answering. ‘Yes, we did. And I told you I can take care of myself.’
The silence on the other end of the line stretched, but when the doubts would have crept in, Indy’s lecture came to mind and strengthened her resolve.
‘Look, Aaron. They’re a nice bunch of guys. Nothing to worry about. If you want to do something later, I’ll be back by five. Or we can go out tomorrow, just us. I’ve got some time in the morning.’
‘Okay,’ he finally said, his tone short and sharp. ‘I’ll see you tonight. Five o’clock.’
‘Don’t put yourself out,’ she muttered at the phone when he’d ended the call.
She went into the guesthouse on her way to her apartment. She’d change, make sure all the equipment was loaded up, take water bottles, some—
‘Tess!’ Callie called out from reception. ‘Did Aaron get hold of you?’
‘Ah … just then. Sorry, he must have tried to call while I was riding. He wanted to go skiing but I had to tell him I was already taking a group out.’
Callie’s face reflected her confusion. ‘I already told him you had that on this afternoon.’
Annoyance washed through Tess. His choice of destination hadn’t been a coincidence at all. ‘Which was probably where he got the idea to take me himself, thinking I’d pass the all-male tourist group to someone else. Thanks, Callie.’
‘Enjoy,’ Callie said. ‘Be careful of those big, bad tourists.’
‘Funny!’ she called back, but she didn’t think it was. Aaron’s attitude was really starting to bother her.
Mount Mawson basked crisp and white under a vivid blue sky. The snow covering wasn’t as good as it would be in another couple of weeks, but it was enough for her tourists to be having fun. Neither Joe, Damien nor Duncan had ever tried skiing before, so a gentle slope was all they needed. The group had her in stitches with their attempts to stay upright on the skis, mostly because they were trying to ‘mogul it’ over an uneven patch of snow by a tumble of rocks. And failing. Tess watched them muck around. It was an entertaining and easy outing, and their location, just away from the scattering of serious skiers who were checking out the conditions, was at the edge of a pretty gully of snow gums and pandani, making for nice photographs.
‘Hey, Tess!’ Damien called out. ‘Can we go over there?’ He pointed to an area lower on the mountain where another cluster of rocks poked through the snow.
‘Not sure how deep the snow is there,’ she called back, and pointed her skis down the slope, cruising across to the spot. ‘It’s okay just here, if you want to come down.’
Damien and Duncan wobbled down with their skis crossed in an attempt to go slow. Joe, who’d had the least amount of success mastering them, had taken his off and trudged down. He stopped on a large rock, jumped into the snow and all but disappeared—only a hand waved out of the pocket he’d fallen into.
‘Hey, it’s really … white down here!’ he said, sending his friends into a fit of laughter.
Grinning with them, Tess edged closer to try to help him out. They ended up in a tangle of body parts in the snow as they both fell, struggled up, fell again. She got one foot underneath her, then a knee. ‘That’s possibly the only deep area of snow on the entire mountain and you found it,’ she said with a laugh.
‘What’s going on?’ The voice was loud and familiar.
‘Aaron?’ Tess’s smile faltered at the angry colour in Aaron’s cheeks as he ploughed down the hill towards them. She regained her balance and found a safer spot to stand while Joe joined his mates. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I thought I’d surprise you. Lucky I did. Are you all right?’
‘Absolutely fine,’ she said, both confused and embarrassed by the scene. She fought to keep a smile in place, her tone casual. ‘We hit a deep pocket of snow, that’s all.’
‘I saw him drag you down under him!’ As Tess shook her head, Aaron turned his anger on Joe. ‘You grabbed her!’
Joe’s expression went blank with surprise, then darkened. ‘Mate, I don’t think I like what you’re implying.’
‘I saw what I saw!’ Then to Tess, he said, ‘Give me your gear. We’re leaving.’
‘I’m not going anywhere. What’s wrong with you?’
‘Wrong with me?’
She didn’t know where his anger had come from, but she desperately needed to calm this down. ‘Okay, look,’ she said, ‘I’m fine and I’m working. We’ll talk about this tonight.’
‘Doesn’t matter, Tess,’ Damien said over whatever Aaron was going to reply. ‘Time’s just about up anyway. Let’s call it a day.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Tess said. ‘I’ll take you up.’ They’d had such a good time she didn’t want to leave it like this.
‘We’ll meet you at the car,’ Damien said. ‘As long as you’re okay to deal with him?’
‘Deal with me? You—’
‘Yes, of course,’ she cut in. ‘Thanks.’
The men picked up their skis and trekked towards the carpark, occasionally glancing over their shoulders.
Humiliated, Tess spun on Aaron. ‘What was that?’
‘Tess, you don’t know those guys from a bar of soap! You’re so trusting! I saw the looks on their faces. There was nothing innocent about their behaviour!’
‘I told you I was fine! This is my job. My reputation. Those guys are staying at the lodge for a week. Do you honestly think they’re going to want to do any activities with me after this?’
His mouth pressed into a tight line. ‘I’d say that’s for the best, wouldn’t you?’ He took her skis in one hand and her arm with the other and began towing her up the hill. ‘I’ll take those men back. You can drive my car.’
‘Let go!’ She ripped her arm from his grip only to have him turn on her, his enraged face too close to hers.
‘Stop causing a scene!’ he hissed.
Her heart thudded once, her breath hitching at the venom in his tone. ‘I’m not the one causing—’ She broke off when his phone rang and he answered it.
His face was grave as he looked to the skyline. He ended the call. ‘We’ll have to talk about this later. We’ve got three hikers somewhere out at Cradle Mountain. A child is injured and there’s only a rough idea of where they are.’
She bit back her anger. The last thing she wanted to do was spend any more time with Aaron today, but someone needed their help. ‘I’ll get the guys back to the lodge and meet you at the chopper.’
His glare moved up the hill to the carpark, leaving her in no doubt as to what he thought of that plan, but he nodded, then charged ahead of her.
She did her best to apologise to the tourists on their way back, and they assured her it was no big deal and that they’d like to go out again. Their generous attitude went a long way to cooling Tess’s temper and by the time she was sitting in the helicopter over Cradle Mountain National Park, searching for the missing trio, she had it under control. But she still didn’t understand where Aar
on’s rage had come from, and she didn’t like that he’d managed to scare her.
He sat beside her, staring into the rapidly darkening landscape. They hadn’t said much to each other since boarding the chopper but she could tell he was still angry. She scanned the track. In front of them, Cradle Mountain loomed large over its surroundings. The ancient monolith’s dolerite peak stretched up from the rainforest- and pandani-covered mountainside to dominate the skyline, its reflection just as powerful in the quiet glassy water of Dove Lake resting beneath it. But there was no sign of the hikers.
She drew her eyes back to the track as the chopper moved on and Lake Lilla came into view. The track here went downhill into thicker forest and was more difficult to see, and the fog was rolling in more heavily.
‘We’re going to have to head back shortly,’ the pilot warned. ‘Visibility’s poor.’
‘There’s an injured child out here somewhere,’ Tess pleaded. ‘Just a few more—there! Directly below. Someone’s waving!’
The chopper circled around and she got a better look. A lone figure waving a red parka was trying to get their attention. The pilot radioed the other chopper, hovered. ‘I’m not going to be able to land down there. It’ll have to be a hover drop. I’ll keep the chopper as steady as I can.’
Aaron tossed her a pack and she dropped it off the chopper, then jumped out after it. She hit the ground hard, took the sled from Aaron then got out of his way. The ground underfoot was thick with vegetation and loose with rocks. She did her best to negotiate it as the man who’d flagged them down approached.
‘You radioed for help?’ Tess asked as Aaron caught up.
‘Yeah. I’m John. Our son’s hurt. Meg, my wife, is with him.’
‘Where?’ Aaron asked.
‘They’re over here. He slipped, fell. Got himself wedged between two large rocks. The ground just seemed to give way.’
‘How old is your son?’ Tess asked.
‘Twelve.’
‘What’s his name?’
‘Leo. But he won’t hear you. He won’t wake up.’
Tess relayed the information over her radio, then followed the men to a steep area of mountainside. Aaron dropped his pack and began unloading equipment. Tess cautiously approached the edge to look for some sign of the wife and son. At the sight of the drop in front of her, her legs trembled and the ground seem to tip under her feet. She took some dizzy steps backwards, sank down onto the rock.
Aaron stepped straight past her. ‘I can see them!’ he said. Then to the woman below: ‘Hi, we’re here to help. How is he?’
‘Breathing but unconscious! His leg’s twisted underneath him. I’m trying to keep him as warm as I can. Please hurry!’
Tess tried to move. She was still close enough to the edge to feel unsteady. The wind was blowing out over it. The breath locked in her lungs, her muscles refused to work except where her fingers clutched at the smooth rock for some sort of hold.
‘Tess!’ Aaron called out. ‘Get the ropes out! We can tie off to those trees and stick a chock in that crack in the rock.’ He pointed somewhere behind her.
She managed to drag her unsteady legs back under her and stood up, got her breathing back under control. Turning, she saw where he was pointing. Yes, that would work. This part she could do. She pulled out her equipment and got started.
‘You ready?’ Aaron asked a few minutes later, harnessed up with his gear as she fumbled into her own.
She nodded, walked back to the edge and looked over. She’d be okay this time. She could do this. The wind whistled, became Charlie’s scream. It burst into her head, rendering her helpless. She stared at the drop. Saw it moving, coming closer. She was going over.
‘Tess!’
‘Huh?’ Another chopper swung into view, bringing the paramedics.
‘I’ll go first. You can lower the sled, then …’ Aaron’s voice faded in and out as her vision swam. She shook her head. Moved out of his way.
‘I can’t do it,’ she whispered.
‘What?’
‘I’m sorry! I can’t go over.’
‘Of course you can, just go!’ he snapped.
She turned away with another shake of her head then felt a shove from behind that catapulted her towards the ledge. Terror rocketed through her as she fell awkwardly and grabbed desperately for the rope. Clinging, pedalling her legs back from the ledge, she fought for safety.
‘Hey, are you okay?’ John asked, helping her to her feet.
She swung around on Aaron. ‘What was that?’ she yelled in disbelief.
Aaron’s face reflected surprise. ‘What?’
‘You pushed me!’
‘I—no. Tess, I tripped over your rope. Sorry if I bumped you.’
‘Is there a problem?’ John asked. ‘Because my wife and child really need your help!’
Aaron’s gaze was intense as he looked her over. ‘Just sit down, right here. You look like you’re going to pass out.’
‘Hey!’ one of the paramedics said as they rushed in. ‘What have we got?’
She could have sworn … She staggered out of the way to let Aaron and the medics work.
CHAPTER
11
From his kitchen window, Jai watched a car cruise slowly down the dark street, make a turn and disappear. Not a cop car, he reassured himself, not looking for him. He’d been checking over his shoulder all week, expecting Detective Denham to turn up. He’d been sure he’d get sprung, especially knowing they’d somehow gotten Pax’s likeness. He’d seen the detective show it to Tank and had wondered why Tank hadn’t said anything, but he wasn’t quite game enough to ask.
He’d pictured it all in his head, over and over: the arrest, the criminal record and the sick panic of trying to get Pop looked after. And maybe the worst one of all: losing Riley. She’d never look at him the same, wouldn’t want to be with him. And how could he blame her?
So he’d almost said no when Pax had approached him with another job offer earlier in the day. But after a brief wrestle with his conscience, need had won out. That last lot of cash had bought a decent amount of food and paid Evan’s new nurse David and two bills. They’d only pinched some stuff from a drug-dealing cheat. Why should he feel bad about that? It wasn’t fair people like her had that sort of money when he had a pop like his and the bills just kept coming.
So this time, Jai didn’t hesitate when Pax pulled up. He grabbed the pack Pax had left with him after last week’s robbery. He was dressed in black from head to toe and had bought his own gloves while shopping with Riley, a pair of warm black ones that would prevent the chance of any more fingerprints being left behind and keep his fingers from freezing off at the same time. He’d had a good excuse to pick up the balaclava too: it would be useful on the South Coast Track. Riley had laughed and said he’d make a good bank robber. He was damn glad she had no clue how close she was to the mark. He was already starting to feel like a pro.
‘Hey,’ he said, climbing into the car.
Pax nodded, glanced briefly at him. ‘Better,’ he said of Jai’s appearance, before pulling back out onto the road.
‘I got gloves and a balaclava, too.’
‘Great.’
There seemed to be a tension about Pax there hadn’t been last week. It made Jai’s stomach curl and his earlier confidence plummet. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yeah—yeah, it’s good. Just planning.’
‘It’s a boat, right?’
‘The chick that owns it is loaded. I want the diamonds, but you can have whatever ya want from the rest of it. There should be a decent amount of cash on board.’
Jai nodded and looked out the window. It was a quiet night. The supermarket had closed and the twenty-four-hour Macca’s was open but the drive-thru was empty. Everyone who was out at that time of morning was no doubt in the city, not in the suburbs. Pax turned onto the boulevard, passed the deserted Short Beach carpark and pulled over, killing the lights and idling the car.
‘Can ya see
anyone?’ Pax asked.
The houses that lined the other side of the road were dark and quiet. A sign warning they were in a neighbourhood watch area was attached to a streetlight, but there was no indication anyone was taking a late-night stroll or peeking out from behind closed curtains.
‘Nup.’
‘Me neither.’ Without turning the headlights back on, Pax drove off again, this time to duck into an unnamed road that led to a protrusion of land in the bay containing a park, scout hall, boat sheds and the local rowing club. He swung the car into a space behind the park’s public toilets, hiding them from the road.
‘Isn’t this a bit dangerous? There’s only one way in and out.’
‘We can’t be any further away on this one. If anyone calls the cops, they’ll go straight to the yacht club, not here.’
There was that jump in Jai’s gut again. ‘Okay.’ He got out of the car, pulled on his gloves, wore the balaclava pulled up like a beanie and followed Pax at a jog along the rock wall to a small jetty. A dinghy was tied to one of its pylons.
‘Here.’ Pax pulled a gun from the back of his jeans and handed it to him.
‘Whoa!’ Jai jumped away. ‘What’s that for?’
‘Would ya keep ya voice down and grow a pair?’ Pax hissed. ‘My contact said there might be a dog. A big bastard of a thing.’
Jai’s head was shaking of its own accord, his hands raised as though in surrender. ‘I don’t want to kill anyone’s dog, man!’
Pax shrugged and grinned. ‘Then let’s hope it’s friendly.’
‘What’s on the end of it?’ It looked like Pax had attached part of a torch to the barrel.
‘Homemade silencer.’ He spun Jai around, shoved the gun into the waistband of his jeans. ‘Remind me to take the safety off when we get there.’ Pax climbed down to untie the dinghy. ‘Let’s go,’ he ordered, when Jai just stood there.
‘Where’d this boat come from?’
‘You ask a lot of questions, ya know that? Get in.’
Jai awkwardly managed to get in without getting wet and felt the gun dig into his back as he sat. He nervously shifted a bit. Just how safe was it there?