Deadman’s Track

by Sarah Barrie

  ‘He wants the chopper to land.’

  After a moment Roberts replied, ‘Indy said to tell him we can’t land it.’

  Jared thought with the wind so much less intense than earlier they should have been able to, but wasn’t going to argue. ‘They can’t land it, Pax,’ he called. ‘Let her go. It’s over.’

  ‘It’s over all right. If I don’t get this ring to Cochrane, I’m dead anyway. Got nothing left to lose. What’s to stop me taking ya all with me?’

  ‘Cochrane’s back in prison, Pax. He’s not going to be getting anyone.’

  ‘Nah, he’s getting out. He’s waiting for me to get him that ring.’

  ‘That’s not going to happen. Put it down. Let her go.’

  ‘So ya can put me away for the rest of my life?’

  ‘You’ve killed a lot of people.’

  ‘Yeah. Yeah, I have. So what’s a few more?’ He fired again, this time at the helicopter. It pitched violently, rose. Jared’s heart stopped as Pax pointed the gun back at Tess’s head and sent him a smirk.

  Jai, filthy and bloody, appeared behind them and slammed into Pax, sending him sprawling. Jared sprinted the short distance and got a knee in the small of Pax’s back, wrestled his arm behind him and jerked it up, hearing the shout as he pushed it just too far.

  ‘Okay?’ he asked Tess, quickly looking her over.

  She nodded once, arms hugging herself. ‘Yeah.’

  Riley ran to Jai and threw herself around him. Indy’s chopper landed and she charged over as Jared pulled Pax to his feet.

  ‘Ya said ya couldn’t land!’ Pax spat.

  ‘We lied,’ Indy said.

  ‘I shoulda shot the lot of ya!’

  ‘Have you read Mr Orvist his rights?’ Indy asked Jared.

  ‘Forgot,’ he said, already looking for Tess.

  ‘We’ll take care of that for you,’ she said, and handed Orvist over to the other officers. ‘Emily?’

  ‘Just bruised,’ he said, and turned to see Aaron step back from Emily as she got to her feet.

  Tess was with them. Aaron stopped her to speak but her eyes moved past him and hit Jared’s. Her smile intensified. With a few more words, she stepped around Aaron and came to him. He grabbed her, taking some of her weight as she fell against him.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said.

  He held her, breathed her in. Everything within him gave a deep sigh of relief. She was alive. She was okay.

  Four more officers arrived—the boatload from Little Deadman’s Bay, Jared assumed. Indy spoke to them before walking over.

  ‘Jai needs a doctor,’ Tess said. ‘Pax really beat him up.’

  ‘I’ll take Orvist back with Roberts, get a couple more officers to take Jai back. I’m guessing Riley will want to ride with them. I’ll send a chopper back for you two and the others can hike back down to the beach, go back on the boat.’

  ‘Indy,’ Tess said. ‘I know you have to arrest Jai, but—’

  ‘He’ll be treated fairly,’ Indy said. ‘That’s all I can promise.’

  Jai and Riley approached them and Tess let go of Jared to hug Jai. ‘Thanks. You’ve got a really good tackle technique.’

  Jai grinned as much as his swollen face would allow, but it looked sad. ‘Finally did something right.’ Then he looked at Jared and Indy. ‘I need to tell you … about what I’ve done.’

  ‘We’ll get to it,’ Indy said. ‘Once we’ve had you checked over. Get into that chopper over there, okay?’

  Then the choppers were leaving and a small group were left alone.

  ‘Apparently I’m walking down to the boat with the officers,’ Aaron told Tess. ‘I’m sure if you wanted to come there’d be enough room on the boat for you.’

  ‘Honestly, Aaron, I don’t think I have another walk left in me,’ she said. ‘But thanks for everything you did today.’

  Aaron’s mouth was a thin line as he looked from Tess to Jared. ‘Fine. We’ll finish this later, Tess.’

  ‘Finish what?’ she said as he stalked off and disappeared into the trees with one last unimpressed glance over his shoulder.

  Jared sighed heavily and drew her back to him. ‘Are you up to telling me what happened?’

  ‘Possibly,’ she said. ‘Shortly. Not yet. Feel like a nice muddy stroll?’

  ‘I thought you didn’t want to go with the others. The chopper’s coming back.’

  ‘I just mean a few minutes in that direction.’ She pointed the opposite way. ‘I feel like sitting on top of the world for a bit.’

  She was too calm, too quiet. Shock, he thought, willing the chopper to come quickly so he could get her warm, get her dry and have her checked out. A walk was the furthest thing from his mind. He looked around, frowned. ‘Aren’t we already there?’

  ‘Follow me.’

  She took him to a spectacular view a short distance away, overlooking if not the world, then a decent portion of it. They sat on the ground, wind whipping their hair from their faces and freezing the feeling from their skin as they looked out over the broad expanse of the Southern Ocean and the breathtaking sweep of foggy plains so far below. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. Not so calm now, not so quiet as the first choking sob broke from her throat. He held her while she fell apart, purged herself of the horror of the last few days, until her sobs quietened and her trembling eased.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said eventually. ‘I can probably tell you the rest of it now.’

  He kissed the top of her head as she snuggled further into him. ‘Later will do.’ Then, after a few more moments while he guessed hypothermia could well be kicking in, ‘You ready to go back to find a bit of shelter somewhere?’

  She nodded. ‘I needed to ground myself for a moment, that’s all. This spot … I love it.’

  He flicked at a brown blob on his leg, and realised it was a leech when it didn’t come off. ‘I can see why.’

  Though her smile was sad, she managed one. ‘How can you top all this?’

  ‘I’ll show you later,’ he promised. ‘When we’re both warm and dry. Somewhere in civilisation.’ But he intended on coming back out here when he could appreciate it properly, the way a place like this deserved to be appreciated. ‘We could be the only people on earth out here.’

  ‘And in this weather, probably the only ones who would want to be,’ she joked. Then her face fell. She was exhausted, dead on her feet. ‘What he did—he’s a monster.’

  ‘He’ll pay for it.’

  She stared back towards the track. ‘I don’t know how I can ever go back.’

  ‘You will. He can’t beat someone like you. This is part of who you are.’ The sound of rotor blades broke the silence and a chopper appeared in the distance.

  ‘What do you know,’ Jared said. ‘They found us another one.’

  CHAPTER

  46

  Jared sensed the moment she woke up: the change in the regularity of her breathing, the slightest shift of her body against his. He’d been enjoying his own first few minutes of wakefulness, blocking out the events of the week before and simply being in the moment. Being with Tess, in his home, his bed. He wondered at how easy it would be to consider it their bed, how quickly she’d become the most important thing in his life. She was lying against him with her hair fanned out over his shoulder and her breath on his chest, and he wanted it to last a little longer. But she was getting restless.

  ‘Why are you awake?’ he asked in her ear.

  ‘It’s Sunday,’ she said sleepily.

  ‘That’s kind of my point.’

  He felt her smile and stretch languidly against him before turning her face up to his. ‘We’re both busy today.’

  ‘We’re both busy every day,’ he said, kissing her forehead. He reached over to his bedside table and picked up his phone, checked the time and groaned. ‘Want some breakfast?’

  ‘I’d take a coffee and an apple.’

  ‘Nope.’ He slid out of bed and dragged his fingers through his hair. ‘We’re up early on
a Sunday, we have a proper breakfast. After the amount of time I’ve spent at the station lately, I’m starting to think of it as a second home, but I’m not living on bad coffee and the lunchroom’s Anzac biscuits all day.’

  She rested her head on her elbow. ‘When do you think they’ll set a date for Pax’s trial?’

  ‘Can’t say yet. It’s a bigger case than just the particularly horrible piece you had to go through. He’s also wanted on some related charges back in Melbourne. He’ll be tried up there, I’d say, alongside Cochrane’s case. But the media attention should hurry things through.’

  ‘Hmm. I think the media’s as bad as anything else.’

  ‘It’s a big story. Unfortunately, the worse the crime, the more the interest it creates.’

  ‘I know Pax won’t ever get out of prison, but it seems too kind for him, too easy after what he put those kids through. They were only just starting their lives. I hope he at least wakes up one day and realises what he’s done. Feels some kind of remorse.’

  He saw the sadness enter her eyes and wished he could erase it. ‘It’s unlikely. People are either capable of feeling empathy or they’re not.’

  She nodded, sighed. ‘I’m not looking forward to the funerals.’

  ‘No, but I’m relieved we found Chris’s body so his family can give him a proper burial. I’ll be there with you. Come on, don’t do this to yourself. You’ve been through enough.’ He tipped her chin and kissed her lightly. ‘Are you still catching up with Riley today?’

  ‘Yeah. She wants to go for a trail ride. She’s worried about Jai. The prosecution are going for twenty-five years.’

  ‘I doubt that will happen. Jai made a mistake under exceptional circumstances, then he risked his life to save yours, confessed, is remorseful and is willing to testify against Orvist.’

  She smiled, relieved. ‘And it sounds like he has a couple of cops in his corner.’

  ‘He’ll go to prison. That’s unavoidable. He’s everything I just said but he still killed someone, someone innocent who didn’t deserve to die. I’m not completely in his corner, but we’ll weigh in. See what we can do for him.’

  ‘Riley will stick by him. She was so angry, but those two have a bond that’s almost unbelievable for their age.’

  ‘They’re going to need it if their relationship is going to survive what’s coming next.’ He pulled her up. ‘I’ll be in the kitchen making breakfast.’

  He made her pancakes, something he hadn’t eaten since he was about twelve years old. But she’d said she liked them so he’d gone and bought the kind you just add water to and shake. They turned out surprisingly okay.

  When she left, he tossed the plates in the dishwasher and had a shower, his mind well and truly back on what he needed to do. Cochrane, who the team had taken to calling ‘cockroach’, had a damn good lawyer keeping them busy, and he doubted Orvist would ever talk. He got a text from Indy making sure he was on track to head in and he replied telling her he was. Then he grabbed his keys and stepped out the front door.

  Pain exploded in his head, knocking him to his knees. A dark shadow moved in front of him and another strike came, hard, a kick to the gut. Again, again. There may have been more, but the world dissolved as he lost consciousness.

  Tess sat in her apartment sipping her second cup of coffee with Riley. ‘So you’re still keen to have a ride today?’ she asked.

  Riley’s eyes lit up. ‘Absolutely! If you really don’t mind. On the trails?’

  ‘I want to take my new filly out anyway. It’s much more fun with company.’

  ‘Great. Later this afternoon I’m meeting Jai at the hospital. They’re letting him see Evan.’

  Tess’s smile dropped in sympathy. ‘I heard he had another stroke.’

  ‘The day we got back. And he’s gone further and further downhill. It’s only a matter of hours, the doctors reckon.’

  ‘That’s so sad for Jai.’

  Riley shrugged. ‘He loves Evan. His whole adult life has revolved around caring for him. I was thinking—and I know it sounds terrible—but I thought that when Evan passed Jai would finally be free. Now it’s just the opposite. He’s going to prison.’

  Tess wasn’t sure what to say, then her phone rang so she picked it up, frowning at the caller ID. Aaron. Damn it, he hadn’t contacted her since she got back. She’d hoped he’d given up and flown out already. She thought about letting it ring out, before deciding he might show up if she didn’t answer. ‘Fine,’ she muttered and accepted the call.

  ‘Hey, Tess,’ Aaron said.

  ‘Hi. I … thought you’d be in Canada by now.’

  ‘I’m supposed to be flying out in a few hours. The thing is, a couple of tourists have gotten themselves disorientated in the heavy fog out at Mount Field. They’re okay, just cold, wet and miserable and looking for someone to go out there and bring them back. They managed to hike up to a good enough spot this morning to get some reception to call us on a phone with very low battery. I reckon they’ve ended up somewhere by that nice little lookout spot over Lake Seal by the sounds of it.’

  ‘It’s almost impossible to get lost in that location. And what are they doing there, anyway? The circuit’s been closed for maintenance for the last couple of days, hasn’t it?’

  ‘The problem is they don’t speak English very well. I think they had as much trouble understanding me as I had them. And yeah, they shouldn’t be out there.’

  ‘So why are you calling me?’

  ‘Because Craig had a bad asthma attack last night. His wife called from the hospital, asked if I’d man the phone until he got back to me. I said yes because what were the chances we’d get a call, right? And I thought he’d have been right to take over again by now but I can’t get hold of him.’

  Hell, she hoped Craig was all right. ‘Then send out an alert, see who responds.’

  ‘Look, Tess, I’m literally trying to walk out the door and by the time I get an alert out and responses start trickling in—if they do—it could take hours, and it’s such a simple task. They’re cold and tired and just need pointing in the right direction. I don’t have any right to call you, I know, but I really need to make that flight. Could you please just run out there and grab them?’

  She huffed. Her riding time was about to evaporate, but she relented because she wanted him gone. ‘Sure, of course. No problem. What are their names?’

  ‘I think the guy might have said Zhang. Thanks, Tess.’

  ‘No problem. Enjoy Cana—’

  ‘You know, I really do wish you’d decided to come with me. It could be the best move you’ve ever made. It’s not too late.’

  ‘It’s not going to happen. Have a nice flight. Good luck over there,’ she added, though she didn’t really care.

  ‘Shame. See you, Tess.’

  ‘I hope not,’ Tess muttered, ending the call.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Riley asked.

  ‘A couple of tourists need help getting back in off the Tarn Shelf Circuit out at Mount Field. Sorry, but I’ll have to postpone our ride.’

  ‘You’re doing a rescue?’ Riley asked, eyes wide.

  ‘It’s not a rescue as such, just a lift back to civilisation.’ But she messaged Indy anyway, because it was habit to let someone know, then put her phone back in her pocket. ‘I’d better get going.’

  ‘How far is it?’

  ‘At a tourist pace, the whole track can take anything up to eight hours, but it sounds like they’re not too far in. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

  ‘I’d like to come. If that’s okay.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘I feel like I should go back out into some wilderness, but for a couple of hours, you know? Just to do it. And if we’re helping someone else it’ll give me something to focus on other than myself.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘So that was Aaron?’

  ‘Craig’s been sick. Aaron has been standing in. Almost feel sorry for him that this landed in his lap today.’<
br />
  ‘But you’re taking it.’

  ‘Which is why I said almost.’ She sighed and got to her feet. ‘I’d do just about anything to make sure he gets on that flight and leaves the country. It’s going to be cold. Let’s get some gear.’

  It didn’t take them long to get out the door and onto the road. Patches of ice on the road to the park made their journey slow.

  ‘I’m glad it wasn’t this bad on the South Coast Track,’ Riley commented.

  ‘Higher altitude here. Further from the coast. That said, I’ve seen snow on the Ironbound Range.’

  ‘It’s hard to believe it doesn’t just blow off. I nearly did.’

  Tess grinned, pleased Riley was talking about the trip she hadn’t been able to bring up since they returned. ‘Okay,’ she said, pulling up. ‘Let’s go get them.’

  Tess grabbed her backpack of supplies and led Riley down the track.

  ‘It’s gorgeous out here!’

  ‘One of the world’s best day hikes. According to Aaron they could see Lake Seal so we’ll go this way first, hope we spot them.’

  They walked around a roadblock with a sign warning the track and ski tow hut were temporarily closed and kept going.

  ‘Why do they call it Tarn Shelf?’ Riley asked.

  ‘A tarn is a mountain lake. There are loads of them up here. Mostly frozen right now.’

  Riley was pulling ahead, enjoying herself. ‘I thought it would be harder than this to go back out into the wilderness. But it’s so lovely.’

  ‘Let’s see if you still think so a few more kilometres in,’ Tess teased as the sharp sting of icy wind hit her face.

  ‘I don’t see a sign of anyone,’ Riley said after a while. ‘Maybe they found their way back.’

  ‘Aaron thought they’d be in an area just ahead.’

  They walked for another few minutes, then stopped.

  ‘This is it. The lookout over Lake Seal,’ Tess told Riley. They stood behind a pile of colourful snow-capped boulders and gazed at a vista of mountains with a long, snaking lake below them. ‘It would have been handy to have a phone number but Aaron said their phone was almost dead,’ she said, then, ‘Hello!’ she called.