Deadly Trust

by J J Cooper

  ‘Play it cool and we’ll be good, Major.’

  It seemed to Jay that the soldiers must have thought it an exercise drill. The Major slowed as he approached and gave a dismissive hand signal to one of the soldiers. The gates opened and neither soldier moved from their positions as the Land Rover rolled through the checkpoint.

  Jay slid down further and wondered what the soldiers had thought about the Major’s blood-smeared face. Guess they weren’t as well trained as he had expected. Then again, they were on front-gate duty. Perhaps his hypothesis about some of the soldiers thinking it was just an exercise was accurate. He decided to test the theory as the Major pulled out onto a main road.

  ‘Some of them have no idea, do they?’

  ‘Not all of them...’

  The windscreen shattered and the Major’s head hammered into the headrest. The vehicle swayed to the left as the Major toppled forward onto the steering wheel.

  ‘Shit!’

  The wheels on the passenger side caught the edge of the tar then the dirt on the edge of the road. Jay scurried to his feet. He knew at the speed the vehicle was going, it would flip and roll as soon as it hit the drainage ditch just a metre to the side. The vehicle edged closer to the ditch. Half a metre away, Jay braced against the rear of the vehicle. He bent over, foot on the rear tray.

  As the tyres hit the ditch, Jay jumped. He fell hard and let the momentum roll him into the mud-filled ditch. The Land Rover screamed as metal crunched and bits of glass shattered. Jay lay on his side in the mud and watched the vehicle flip and roll a few times over the ditch. It eventually came to a halt on its collapsed roof at the base of a pine tree. Wheels spun frantically and the engine gave a groan before cutting out.

  No need to ponder the Major’s fate. Dead before the vehicle left the road. He peeked above the ditch and dropped back down. There was about two metres before he hit the edge of a pine forest. Two metres to cover with a sniper still out there. Jay had given away his position by taking a peek. He crawled back the way they had come for about ten metres, paused and thought through the dilemma. The sniper had shot to the front and across the road. Crawling for ten metres wouldn’t be enough. Only a slight shift in angle. Up and over the ditch and two metres to cover with a couple of bad knees meant a high probability of getting shot. Jay didn’t like the odds.

  He turned and started to crawl back towards the sniper.

  TWENTY-THREE

  The overturned vehicle lay metres ahead. Mud covered most of Jay’s clothing and weighed down his boots as he continued to crawl forward. The ditch provided ideal cover, but he knew the sniper would be patient. That’s what snipers do. Going back towards the vehicle meant the sniper would have to traverse right from Jay’s last known location, especially as the obvious thing for Jay to do would be to crawl away from the sniper. Toni had escaped the container, but there was no explanation of how she’d got hold of a sniper rifle. If she was the sniper, she was right handed and it would be harder to bring the rifle back towards the right. If she wasn’t the sniper, odds were still in favour of right-handed shooters.

  The soldiers’ weapons had silenced. No doubt they were re-grouping in order to track their prey in a tactical fashion. Jay had become one of their prey. It wouldn’t take long to find the upturned Land Rover and its dead occupant.

  He stopped half a metre short of the vehicle and lay flat, catching his breath. The pistol remained mud-free and he checked the rounds. Not enough to go up against a company of soldiers, but enough to get out of Dodge and live to fight another day.

  The distance he needed to cover in the open was about a metre, from the edge of the ditch to the rear of the Land Rover. The tyres had stopped turning and the dust settled. Distant sounds of vehicles could be heard. No more time to waste.

  After three deep breaths, he launched onto his feet. One, two steps up the ditch. Three to the lip and dive towards the back of the vehicle. He rolled into the thick edge of the pine forest as a bullet pierced the thin skin of the Land Rover and spat off into the long grass beside him. The crack-thump echoed through the forest. Jay crawled forward on his knees. Splinters of bark showered his head as another crack-thump registered. It pushed him lower and into a leopard crawl through the grass. His heart pounded, sweat stung his eyes and adrenalin pushed him forward. It wasn’t the first time he’d been shot at by a sniper. Never got any easier to avoid.

  The noise of the rifle shots was replaced by that of fast approaching vehicles.

  Jay pushed forward, punishing his elbows as they landed hard and his knees numbed.

  He figured he’d crawled around twenty to thirty metres before the search vehicles found the overturned Land Rover: less than a minute before they came looking for him. If he popped up now the sniper may still have sight of him and take a shot, although it was bound to be limited due to the thick pines and long grass. To sit tight meant almost certain discovery and capture by the soldiers. If the sniper shot, the soldiers would turn their attention away from Jay. Worth the chance, if he wasn’t shot in the process.

  He pushed up and staggered forward. Morning light cut beams through the pines as Jay zigzagged in and out of them. Adrenalin fuelled his heavy legs. He cut left and a whip cracked against his shoulder. The bullet embedded into a thick pine to his front. He dropped as another crack-thump raged like thunder through the forest.

  Shouts hailed from the road before the soldiers returned fire onto the sniper’s position. The plan had worked at a cost of a bullet.

  Blood soaked through his fingers as he tightly held the wound. Enough blood to register pain, but not enough to warrant panic. He lifted the collar of his overalls and inspected the gash. Maybe a couple of stitches at most. They’d have to wait.

  Crouching, he continued to zigzag his way through the forest as fast as his heavy legs would go. The shooting behind became more distant. He slowed to a walk and kept pressure on his wound. Every few steps he glanced back, worried the soldiers would turn back towards him. He hoped the sniper saw him go down and think it was permanent. His throat started to dry and his breathing levelled.

  It took another fifteen minutes before he hit a dirt road. Going left would more than likely take him back to the main road near the army reserve depot. Not a good idea to be popping his head up around there for the time being. He turned right and paralleled the track for forty-five minutes until he came to a junction. His parched throat begged him to turn right towards the main road. Again, he paralleled the track, this time for less than twenty minutes, before hitting the main road.

  From a concealed spot, he held his breath and watched an assortment of vehicles parade by in sporadic bursts. He ducked lower as a siren approached from his right. It grew louder then softer as an ambulance sped by. Probably on its way to deliver the Tongan to hospital. They certainly took their time calling one if that were the case. Definitely no need for wailing sirens to collect the Major.

  Jay needed water but waited another twenty minutes. Smart. In that time two police vehicles and a tow truck with a compressed army Land Rover on the back had passed.

  A sign ahead was too far to make out the writing. Deciding left as the only option, he kept low and made his way towards the sign.

  By the time he had passed the sign his mouth was completely dry. The sign indicated an ideal spot for refreshments. Australia Zoo was five hundred metres ahead.

  Stiffening knees slowed his pace and it seemed a lot longer than five hundred metres by the time he stopped opposite the zoo’s entrance.

  The problem with overalls was the lack of a suitable spot to hold a pistol. He untied the laces of one of his boots, took out his credit card and placed it in a pocket, dug the pistol in beside his ankle and tied the boot back up.

  With the road clear in either direction, he stumbled across and up to the entrance of Australia Zoo. It seemed his luck was coming to an end. The shutters were down. He walked by the huge wooden cut-out of Australia and checked the board for the posted timings. He checked hi
s watch. It wasn’t there. Shit, he thought, on both accounts. He guessed maybe another two hours before opening.

  A quick look around and he saw what he needed – a tap. He hobbled over, unhooked a hose and dropped it into a garden bed. Mud and blood flowed from his hands and into the compost. He drank greedily to quench his thirst. He splashed the cool water onto his face; the movement made him grimace as his stiffened shoulder responded. He dug his left hand under his collar and placed it on the wound. It had stopped bleeding and only a small amount of red appeared on his hand after he removed it. He ducked his head under the tap and scruffed his hair.

  Someone approached from behind.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  ‘You right there, mate?’

  Jay swung around. Two security guards stood staring at him. Nothing threatening about their body language. Inquisitive looks across their middle-aged faces. Same uniform – khaki pants, short-sleeve button-up shirts, work boots and thick belts that held matching walkie-talkies. One guard with a moustache, the other clean-shaven. Probably the only way to distinguish them as security from the rest of the staff was the cloth tags saying SECURITY on their Akubra hats and breast pockets.

  ‘Hi, guys. Looks like I’m early.’

  The security guards frowned in unison. Probably a reaction to the large crimson patch on Jay’s overalls.

  The one with the moustache said, ‘You okay? Is that blood?’

  Jay glanced at the stain. ‘Yeah. Nicked myself as I was climbing out from under my car. Got bogged over the road and I’ve been trying for a couple of hours to dig my way out. To no avail, of course.’

  ‘Want us to call you an ambulance?’ the clean-shaven one asked.

  Jay grinned. ‘It’s not that bad. Besides, kinda embarrassing.’

  The security guards looked at each other before the moustached one said, ‘I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you come inside? We’ll have one of the first-aid girls have a look at it. You can tell us what happened and we’ll organise to get your car out.’

  Jay had only been to Australia Zoo once as a young boy with his father. The hospitality was great when Bob senior was in charge. It had grown to legendary status under Steve and the expansion into a world-renowned zoo. Good to know the hospitality hadn’t changed since Steve’s unfortunate death.

  ‘Sure, guys. That sounds great. I’m Jay.’ He moved forward and offered his hand.

  The moustached one said, ‘I’m Andy and this is Rod.’ He moved to shake Jay’s hand but stopped. ‘Best not shake in case we cause more damage.’

  Jay nodded. He knew it would hurt before offering his hand. Willing to put up with the pain to match the hospitality already shown.

  ‘Very thoughtful. Thanks, Andy. Pleasure to meet you both.’

  ‘Okay, Jay. Let’s get that shoulder looked at,’ Rod said.

  Jay followed them around a corner and into a side entrance of the zoo. The medley of animal sounds was merely background noise from outside. That changed as soon as Jay walked through the doors. Elephant calls in the distance, birds in the foreground making a ruckus, a mix of other wildlife noises welcoming the morning attention of the zoo staff.

  ‘Feeding time for most of them,’ Andy said. ‘They quieten a bit by the time visitors arrive.’

  What struck Jay the most was the amount of staff walking around carrying garden tools, pushing carts with bags of feed and chatting to one another. Those who noticed him smiled and didn’t pay any attention to his dishevelled state. Either an indoctrinated state of ‘smiling for the customer’, or the employees actually enjoying what they got paid for. Jay figured the latter. Clearly, any role at Australia Zoo would be highly sought. He wondered how his life would have turned out had he chosen an apprenticeship with the zoo instead of joining the military. A life of dealing with temperamental officers versus a life of dealing with temperamental animals. Maybe even pros and cons on that front. Interrogating terrorists and enemy combatants certainly seemed a fraction more exciting than coaxing cheeky monkeys down from their perches.

  They arrived at a first-aid room and Jay got a sense of deja vu. Rod left the room to find the first-aid person while Andy gave Jay a run down of the zoo layout.

  Rod returned with an attractive young lady decked out in the same uniform as the security guards, minus the security patches. She introduced herself as Jo and helped lower his overalls over his arms.

  Jo gave a quick visual inspection of the wound before saying, ‘You have a small chunk of meat missing by the looks of it. Should get to a doctor and get it stitched up.’

  ‘Can you do it here?’

  She smiled. ‘The vets could, but I’m sure there’s an insurance type of dilemma with that.’ She made her way to a set of drawers, took out some bandaging and antiseptic cream. She put on a set of surgical gloves and went to work cleaning the wound.

  Andy asked, ‘So what were you doing out there anyway, Jay?’

  He had his story ready. ‘I’m heading to Fraser Island next week. Just bought a four-wheel drive and thought I should check out its capabilities before my trip.’

  The men gave a chuckle before Rod said, ‘Hope you’re planning on cancelling the trip. Sand is just as bad as mud to be stuck in.’

  ‘A minor setback,’ Jay said and smiled.

  A teenager carrying a till from a cash register came to the door. ‘Excuse me, Andy.’

  Both of the security guards turned.

  ‘Hi, guys. Sorry to interrupt. Just thought I should tell you that there’s some army people out the front. They’ve been knocking on the store’s door.’

  ‘Great,’ Andy said. ‘Must have got my message about their goddamned shooting this morning disturbing all the animals. Excuse the colourful language, ladies.’

  Jay’s heart skipped a beat and it seemed that Jo noticed his hidden anxiety. She gave Jay a quick sideways glance as she applied more antiseptic cream to the wound.

  Andy turned towards Jay. ‘We’ll be right back. They’re a pain in the butt, that lot. Haven’t stopped making noise since they set up camp. Never even bothered to come and introduce themselves. And considering the support Steve gave to the troops, it’s plain disrespectful.’

  A quick plan came to Jay as the security guards started towards the door. ‘Andy? Rod?’

  They stopped and looked back.

  ‘I want to thank you for all of your help. And I need to tell you both something before you head out there.’

  Again, they frowned in unison.

  ‘There’s no four-wheel drive stuck in the mud.’

  Jo had placed a bandage on and was applying the tape when she stopped.

  ‘The truth is, I’m a Sergeant with the SAS and am in the middle of some advanced training. Escape and evasion. I managed the escape from down the road and now I’m in the middle of the evading. Although this is an exercise, I’d really prefer to avoid going back there for a while.’

  ‘What happened to your shoulder then?’ Rod asked.

  ‘I escaped this morning while it was still dark. I was running through the pine forest and tripped. Something hit hard into my shoulder. I didn’t realise it was bleeding for a while. Look, this is a real test for my career. I’ve only just come back on squad after a year out recuperating.’

  ‘Recuperating from the wound in your hand?’ Jo asked.

  Jay looked at the gunshot scar in his hand and then held his hand forward for the guards to see. ‘Correct. Iraq.’ He looked from Jo to the security guards. ‘I need to get back overseas. I’ve some unfinished business.’

  Andy came close and looked hard at the scar on Jay’s hand. ‘You being up front with us now?’

  ‘I am.’

  Andy rubbed his chin. ‘Why don’t you stay here, Rod? I’ll go chat with the army boys and see what they have to say.’

  TWENTY-FIVE

  An anxious wait in silence for the next fifteen minutes before Andy returned, alone.

  ‘You’re in luck,’ Andy said. ‘Had they apologised for the no
ise and let me know what they were doing here, I would have thought about handing you over.’

  Jo had finished with the bandaging and cleaning up. ‘I’ll get you some clothes,’ she said.

  ‘Hang on,’ Jay said. He fished into his pocket and took out his credit card. Jo waved her hand to let him know not to worry about it and walked out.

  ‘So what did they say?’ Rod asked.

  ‘Tell me something,’ Andy said to Rod. ‘Can you smell alcohol on him?’ He nodded towards Jay.

  Rod leaned forward and smelled the air around Jay. ‘Only antiseptic cream. Didn’t smell any before either. Why?’

  ‘Those boys tried to convince me that two of their soldiers got very drunk last night, started shooting blank ammunition everywhere, stole an army Land Rover and crashed it. One guy lost a couple of fingers and another did a runner on foot.’

  That would explain why the area wasn’t swarming with police, Jay thought. They had obviously removed the dead Major from the crash and said the Tongan was driving. The roof of the vehicle was shattered and the bullet hole in the windscreen would have disappeared into a thousand shards as the Land Rover rolled. Gave them a good reason to get the Tongan to hospital as well.

  ‘I heard sirens earlier,’ Jay said. ‘They must have crashed a vehicle coming after me.’

  ‘That’s what I figured. I sent them on their way and called a friend at the local police station, who confirmed a rollover. Single occupant missing a couple of fingers. No reports of anybody else in the vehicle when it crashed.’

  ‘I hope he’s okay,’ Jay said, hoping the opposite of the Tongan.

  ‘What I don’t get,’ Andy said, ‘is why didn’t they tell me it’s an escape and...’ He raised his eyebrows, looking to Jay for the right word.