Deadman’s Track

by Sarah Barrie

  ‘It’s very important that you make the right decision.’ He let the envelope go, called out, ‘Bye, Indy! Nice to see you!’ then started the car and drove back out onto the highway.

  Tess stood staring after him. What would have happened if Indy hadn’t shown? Just what exactly had he had in mind?

  ‘Tess?’

  ‘Sorry,’ she said and walked unsteadily back to Indy’s car.

  ‘What did he give you?’ Indy asked.

  ‘I don’t know.’ She opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. A lump of lead landed in her stomach. ‘He’s bought me a ticket to Canada.’

  CHAPTER

  30

  Jai woke in a sweat. Riley was no longer tucked up beside him and he wondered when she’d snuck out. After the way he’d slept, he was surprised he hadn’t felt her leave the bed. Guilt hung over him. He’d wussed out of taking Evan into the respite home himself, instead calling for a patient transport van. He’d followed him in, of course, made sure he got settled into his room. But none of it had gone smoothly. Evan didn’t want to be there and he’d made sure everyone knew about it. He’d pleaded with Jai not to leave him there and it had taken two male nurses to restrain him when Jai had to leave.

  He got up and stood under the shower, wondering how his pop was going this morning. It wouldn’t hurt to call and find out. Once he was dressed, he found Riley in the kitchen with coffee and toast.

  ‘Morning!’ She jumped up, planted a kiss on his lips. ‘I wanted to let you sleep. You were tossing and turning all over the place last night.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be. Want me to make you some toast?’ she asked.

  He wasn’t the least bit hungry but his smile was genuine. Just having her there brightened him up. Pop would be okay, and Jai just had one more hurdle, one more thing to do and this might be over once and for all. ‘Yeah. Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.’

  She hummed as she placed the bread in the toaster. ‘I was thinking maybe I should spend some time with Dad tonight. He’s been through a heap. Want to join us?’

  Relieved, because he was wondering how he’d been going to sneak off if she’d insisted on staying, he shook his head. ‘That’d be nice but I’ll go see Pop, then I wouldn’t mind an early night.’

  ‘Okay. Ah … might we be going to do something special together soon?’ She had that look on her face again. With everything that had gone on he’d almost managed to forget she’d seen the ring.

  ‘Of course,’ he told her, mirroring her smile. ‘Count on it.’

  After breakfast, he watched her happily drive away, wondering how he was going to tackle the ring issue. Who the hell else would he be buying a ring for? Could he say it was an old one of his mother’s? That wasn’t going to work. He trudged back upstairs to make sure it was still where it was supposed to be—he had a suspicion she’d checked it out more than once—and found it still tucked in the corner of his drawer. Why had Pax put it in a brand-new box from the local jewellers? Jai recognised the name of the shop he walked past nearly every day. He was sure Riley would have too.

  He took the ring out and had another look at it. A simple raised diamond, a couple of smaller ones either side. A gold band. Traditional design. Pretty. He had a bit of an eye for valuing jewellery from working for Tank and he wouldn’t have put it at much over eight or nine grand. Why would anyone kill for it? Especially a bunch of millionaires. He rolled it between his fingers and noticed a small symbol engraved onto the inner edge. Shrugging, he put it back in the box. It didn’t matter, because an idea had struck. He dived into his wardrobe, found the backpack and counted out some cash. He’d spend it on a ring for Riley. If he bought one from the same shop as the box this one was in, if it was similar enough, hopefully she’d never know the difference.

  He sent Tank a text saying he had to duck in to see his pop’s doctor before work, hoped he wouldn’t hassle him over it, and twenty minutes later was standing in the jewellery shop.

  The woman looked up from her phone as Jai walked into the warm interior of the shop. Dawn, according to her nametag, frowned slightly, looking him up and down before plastering a polite but cautious smile on her made-up face. ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘Hi, yeah, I …’ He had a sudden worry that Riley might see him in the shop. Shit. He glanced around, decided she’d probably have gone straight to uni. No reason to think she’d be on the street. When he returned his attention to the sales woman she was clutching her phone, looking nervous. His behaviour probably had as much to do with that as his appearance. ‘Sorry—just don’t want my girlfriend to see me in here,’ he attempted to explain. ‘I want to buy her a ring.’

  The woman’s features lost some of their tension. ‘Oh, an engagement ring? Do you have an idea of budget?’

  ‘It’s really just about the right ring,’ he told her, feeling good about having the cash in his wallet. ‘I have a design in mind. I’ve been saving some cash.’

  She smiled as he approached a cabinet and looked at a few designs. ‘Sorry if I seemed a bit off. You know about the recent robberies, those poor people on that boat and then the shop down the road? Can’t be too careful.’

  His stomach felt like lead but he nodded a bit, smiled through it. ‘Yeah. Terrible. I was hoping to find something like this one here, but with a couple more diamonds around the edges.’

  He walked out half an hour later with his choice. He needed to compare it to the original just to be sure, but he was fairly certain it was going to be similar enough. If it was a bit different, Riley would be bound to think she’d remembered it wrong, rather than considering there could possibly be two.

  He couldn’t quite keep the grin off his face for the rest of the day. He went in to see Evan, spent some time simply being with him as his grandfather lay glued to the small television set above his bed. It wasn’t until he got home that his good mood evaporated as he remembered what he had to do next.

  He took the ring straight upstairs to compare with the original. They were so alike, he had nothing to worry about.

  ‘Hey!’ Riley said. ‘What are you doing?’

  He jolted, dropping the ring in the drawer with the other one. ‘Hey,’ he said as warmly as he could. ‘Aren’t you spending the night with Tank?’

  ‘Yeah. I got dinner ready super early and wanted to surprise you by leaving some in the oven for you. I didn’t think you’d be home from visiting Evan yet. How is he?’

  ‘Good. I didn’t spend too long there. He was watching telly.’

  ‘Okay … hey, are you all right?’

  ‘Yeah, I just—’ She hugged him and he heard the bag from the jewellers scrunch in his pocket. ‘I just got home and really need to go to the bathroom. Hold on.’ He went into the bathroom, took the bag and receipt out and stashed them under the sink, then hung around another minute or so before flushing the toilet and coming back out. ‘Sorry, hi.’ He drew her in and kissed her. ‘And thanks. Dinner will be great.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  She’d made some sort of pastry-wrapped meat with a drizzly sauce and roasted vegetables.

  ‘Well?’ she asked, putting a plate in front of him.

  ‘Looks amazing,’ he said. ‘Smells amazing.’

  ‘Hope it tastes amazing. I’d better get back before I ruin the rest of it.’ She kissed him again. ‘I miss you already. See you tomorrow.’

  He waved her off, thought he should try and eat some of the delicious-looking meal she’d cooked for him. He really wasn’t sure about how the whole engagement thing was going to go down with Tank. A sudden crazy whim suggested he call Tank, let him know in advance there probably wasn’t anything to worry about. That the way his life was going, the ring was never going to amount to anything more than a gesture. Something for Riley to remember him by.

  He forced a few mouthfuls down. It was good, but his stomach was in too many knots to properly enjoy it. He sat on the kitchen chair, leg jiggling up and down as he thought abo
ut the drop, the instructions he had to remember. Pax hadn’t actually given him a drop-off time, but he didn’t think he’d meant this early. Did it matter?

  He got on Google Maps and had another look at the address. South Hobart, just a quick drive. No big deal, right? But the need to get it done sat heavily on his chest. Stuff it. He grabbed the ring and tossed it in his bag, picked up his keys. Tough luck if it was too early, he wasn’t sitting around any longer.

  He parked on the main street, where his car became just one of several others outside locked-up houses. A quick scan of the area revealed no one about. The street sign on the corner pointed to the correct NO THROUGH ROAD. ‘Okay,’ he muttered. ‘Let’s get it over and done with.’

  He climbed out, slung the backpack over his shoulder and decided against locking the car. If it went bad, he might need to get in quick.

  He walked as casually as he could down the freezing street. His breath came out in billowing clouds, his sneakers squeaked quietly on the path. He made the turn onto the road. The streetlights were few and far between, the buildings old. Graffiti marred a low brick wall that led to a demolition site, homes sat behind tall wooden paling or chain link fences and high shrubbery kept them hidden from sight.

  Headlights swept into the street along with a crunching of tyres that followed his progress before pulling up just ahead of him. His heart rate picked up when he identified the car. Cops. Shit. Tank’s talk of Pax using him as a scapegoat echoed in Jai’s head and he felt himself start to sweat and shake. Had all this been a setup? Should he run?

  The cop in the passenger side of the car stepped out and looked Jai up and down with the kind of stare he thought cops must learn at police school. ‘Evening. Mind holding up there for a second?’

  ‘Uh, why?’

  ‘We’re conducting some extra patrols in the local area due to some recent break-ins. Got some identification on you, bud?’

  Jai pulled his wallet out of his pocket, showed his driver’s licence and tried to act like it was no big deal. When the short stubby nails on the hand holding the backpack began to cut into his palm he forced his fingers to relax.

  ‘Thanks, Jai,’ the cop said, reading his licence. ‘Can I ask your reason for being out this evening?’

  Jai wasn’t sure, could he? ‘Just, um, heading home.’

  ‘You live around here then?’

  ‘Ah, yeah.’ Shit. The cop knew he didn’t—he’d just seen his licence. ‘I mean, I’m … going to a mate’s place.’

  ‘What’s in the bag?’

  ‘Nothing.’ He swung it off his shoulder, opened it. The ring and phone were in the front section, the main one was empty.

  ‘That’s fine, thanks, bud, don’t need to see it. Just wondered why you put your wallet in your pocket when you had a bag handy.’

  ‘Habit.’

  The cop nodded. ‘Have a good night. Appreciate your cooperation.’

  Cooperation? Like he’d had a choice. He was pretty sure they couldn’t just bail people up like that. He reminded himself it was at least partly his fault they were doing the extra patrols. But what now? The cop had returned to his mate in the car. They were still watching him.

  The house was at the end of the street. He couldn’t keep going past it because the road ended and if he didn’t go somewhere the cops were going to know he was up to something. So he ducked in through the front gate and took a second to lean back against it and catch his breath. He heard the car drive off.

  ‘Oof!’ The sound erupted from his lungs as the fist buried itself in his gut. Smack, his jaw exploded with pain. He stumbled sideways, tripped and landed heavily on a patch of wet grass, was dragged roughly back to his feet, then slammed against the wall. A gun barrel was pressed to his face.

  ‘Stop! You fucking idiot!’ a deep voice growled. He recognised it—the gunman who’d tried to shoot Tank. ‘The cops are on the street! They’ll hear the shot.’

  ‘Fuck,’ the one holding the gun muttered. The gun dug painfully into Jai’s cheek.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Jai spluttered. ‘I … had to bring …’

  The bag was ripped from his shoulder and tossed to the second man, who rifled through it until he found the box, opened it, pulled out the phone. ‘It’s all here.’

  ‘So what do we do with him?’

  ‘I’m supposed to get paid. Pax sent me.’

  ‘You really are a clueless sook.’ Another punch to the gut, then large hands wrapped around his throat.

  Everything hurt. He tried desperately to breathe, lashed out, kicked. The man’s evil eyes bulged with the effort of crushing Jai’s windpipe. As dizziness and pain and desperation took over, Jai got his hands up to those eyes and pushed his thumbs in hard.

  The relief of that first breath was painful and overwhelming. He got a hand on the gate and fell through onto the footpath. The hands he expected to drag him back didn’t come as he staggered up and started running. What was that about? He was pretty sure they’d been going to kill him. But Pax had said—he should never have trusted Pax; he wanted Jai dead, just like he wanted Tank dead. That’s why Pax had sent him here. He was cleaning up his loose ends.

  CHAPTER

  31

  Tess dropped another jumper on the pile of clothing littering her dining table and took stock of what else she might need. Food and equipment were spread out on her kitchen bench and her lounge and an assortment of shoes had been tossed carelessly on the floor. She couldn’t wait to get out on the trails, have some time away from all the recent drama, be somewhere Aaron couldn’t find her. But she had found herself wishing Jared was coming with them. She was going to miss him.

  She returned her concentration to her gear. She didn’t think she was missing anything, so she stood her pack up and started organising in her mind. Then a knock on her door had her stepping around the pack to open it. ‘Hi,’ she said to Jared.

  He dropped a kiss on her lips and smiled down at her. ‘Hi. I know it’s late, but I’ve been trying to get out here all day.’

  She wasn’t surprised at his amused grin. She knew how she looked: her hair was bundled on top of her head in a messy ponytail, her tee had been chosen purely for comfort and her cargos were too well worn. She led him further into the apartment and waved her hands at the mess. ‘Welcome to chaos.’

  ‘You can’t possibly be carrying all this stuff,’ he said.

  ‘You’d be surprised what will fit in a pack. I’m preparing for two weeks, because we could get held up and even if we don’t, someone’s bound to not take enough or wildlife will pinch something somewhere along the line. The packs start off heavy, get lighter as we eat our way through supplies.’

  He looked at the table covered with packets of dried foods, wraps, Cup A Soups, instant noodles, muesli bars, chocolate and some glucose lollies. ‘Most of this stuff doesn’t look very appetising.’

  ‘Trust me, after hours of slogging through wilderness, Easy Mac never tasted so good.’

  He touched her face gently. ‘Indy told me what happened with Aaron. If I’d known, I would have been there.’

  ‘I know. She didn’t tell you at the time because she was worried about a confrontation.’

  ‘She’s one to talk,’ he scoffed lightly. ‘How are you holding up? You’ve had a lot thrown at you lately.’

  ‘I’m … looking forward to some time in the wilderness.’

  ‘What’s it like out there, really?’

  ‘It’s the best place on earth,’ she said without hesitation. ‘There’s nowhere else like it in the world. I don’t want them to get caught up in how wet and cold and muddy and difficult it can be, which is why I pushed for going at an easier time of year. But it’ll still be an unforgettable experience.’

  ‘You really love it,’ he said.

  ‘I wouldn’t do it otherwise,’ she said with a grin. ‘Too bloody difficult.’

  ‘You want some help?’

  ‘I need to double package all the food, do a final check of my
equipment, get everything in my pack … yeah. Thanks, that’d be great.’

  As she gave him a quick lesson in packing supplies, the light rain that had been hitting the window became a heavier, almost thunderous, sound.

  ‘Are you sure you’re taking enough comfort food?’ he joked. ‘Because one bar of chocolate and a few jelly beans just doesn’t seem enough.’

  She pulled a face. ‘I should make you come with us.’

  ‘I would,’ he said and pulled her to him, ‘but there’s this killer running around making a nuisance of himself, and someone’s got to catch him.’

  ‘Hmm.’ She linked her arms around his neck. ‘Shame. Little tent, long dark nights …’

  His fingers convulsed against her waist. ‘That’s just cruel.’

  She rubbed her lips against his. ‘I think you should be reminded what you’re going to be missing.’

  He chuckled. ‘That won’t get your packing done. And it’s getting late.’

  ‘Didn’t I tell you?’ she asked, looping her arms around his waist. ‘I’m a pro. Packing won’t take long at all.’

  ‘No, but I might,’ he said against her lips. ‘Once I get started with you, I might take a really, really long time.’

  How was she supposed to think about packing when he made that sort of promise? ‘You’d better get started then.’

  Tess woke and slowly stretched, feeling every wonderfully sore muscle. Jared was still sleeping beside her. Neither of them had meant for him to sleep over, it just hadn’t seemed worthwhile him going home by the time they were done with each other. Somewhere in the middle they’d managed to eat and get her packed up. She closed her eyes tight, opened them again, just to make sure it wasn’t a dream. He looked so peaceful in sleep.

  Outside, light rain fought with thick fog, just the sort of swirling, cold conditions created for lazy mornings indoors. She wanted to burrow deeper in the covers, but she was going to have to get up. She considered waking Jared, decided that could complicate the getting-out-of-bed process and fought back the temptation to do it anyway. She extricated herself carefully from the blankets, headed straight for the shower.