Kakadu Sunset

by Annie Seaton

  ‘Yes. We’ve timed it well. Between tours. Don’t worry, the crowds will be back when the next bus arrives.’ She pointed across to the lone car parked on the other side. ‘That looks like the vehicle we have to retrieve over there.’

  He parked beside it, and Ellie jumped out and checked the number plate. ‘This is it.’ She held the keys up. ‘I’ll drive that one back seeing you’re used to driving the Cruiser.’

  Kane climbed out of the car and looked around. The car park was a large square and was fenced in with low timber. A few trees lined one side and there was no sign of a river or a waterfall. Red dirt was furrowed in deep lines from the tyres of large vehicles and the dust clung to his boots as he followed Ellie around to the back of the four-wheel drive.

  The sky was low and dark, but the air was still, as taut as a bowstring. As the first puff of wind rustled the leaves of the small trees along the fence, the distant sound of running water carried across to him. Ellie lifted her face to the sky and Kane watched as she took a deep breath with her eyes closed. She tipped her head to the side for a moment as though listening for something.

  ‘There’s no rain in that sky. We should be right to walk in if you want to.’ Ellie had opened her eyes and her head was still tipped to one side. Her gaze was fixed on his face but her eyes were curious.

  ‘To the waterfall?’

  ‘We can have our lunch down at the falls before we drive back to the lodge. It’s about a twenty-minute hike each way although it’s a bit rough at the far end. Reckon you’re up to it?’ She leaned into the car and pulled out a small nylon backpack, slipping it over her shoulders. ‘Unless you want to eat here and head back sooner?’

  Kane sensed this was a test of some sort, and he shrugged. As long as he had time at the end of the day to go and visit Mum. ‘Fine by me. Might as well see the waterfall after the long drive down here.’

  Half an hour later, he was regretting his decision. Pain hovered over his hip like a knife. He hadn’t expected boulders the size of small trucks. Ellie had left him behind and rock-hopped like a wallaby about fifty metres ahead, lightly jumping from rock to rock across wide gaps. By the time he pulled himself over the last stretch and the biggest boulders, the sun had come out and perspiration was running down the back of his neck. The heat and the pain in his hip had drenched his shirt. Finally he pulled himself over the last boulder onto the sand and looked around. They were in a massive clearing. Ellie lay back on a large flat rock watching his approach.

  ‘Hell, this wasn’t what I expected.’ Up at the top of the escarpment, a single, narrow ribbon of water trickled down the rock face to a large pool. The water was dark green, but crystal clear. Kane let his gaze wander around the huge expanse of pure white sand edging the pool. Towering red cliffs rose majestically on three sides of the gorge. Strolling over the sand, and forcing his leg to bend, he stepped up to the flat rock where Ellie was stretched out sunning herself like a lizard. Her long legs hung casually over the edge of the rock and her head was tipped back, making the most of the warm rays. Despite the pain in his hip, a rush of blood headed for his groin and he turned away. He lowered himself onto the hot surface and lay back, focusing on the cliff top above him.

  ‘High, isn’t it?’ Ellie sat up and passed him a small bottle of water as Kane caught his breath.

  ‘Now I can understand how that tourist broke his ankle.’ He looked back over the way they’d come in. ‘Some of those big rocks aren’t very stable.’

  ‘Have a good look around, because we’re sure to have the helicopters down here sometime in the next couple of months.’

  ‘It must be a killer to bring a chopper between those cliffs.’ Kane lay back on the rock and looked up at the top of the escarpment. ‘Have you ever landed in here?’

  ‘Sure have. It’s a challenge, all right.’ She laughed with a wave of her hand and the sound was pleasant. ‘I think I came in here four or five times last season. I also helped the national park crew bring the walkways back into Twin Falls at the beginning of the dry season. The crosswinds are tricky, especially when they’re blowing from the west.’

  ‘I’ll make sure your bird is in tiptop condition for you then.’

  ‘How come you don’t fly anymore?’

  Kane shrugged. ‘Personal decision. I enjoy the engineering side of the choppers.’

  She tipped her head back to take a long drink of water. In contrast to her tanned arms, her slim neck was white and Kane let his gaze linger on her lips when she wiped off a drop of water.

  ‘If I hadn’t been away, I probably would have helped out with the crocodile management before they opened the falls up.’ She held his gaze and her tone was challenging. ‘If you’re still around next year, you’ll get to see it. We bring those big traps in by air, because there’s no other way in. Hopefully we won’t need to bring more in this season.’ Ellie shivered. ‘I don’t know how people can swim here, even if they reckon the crocs have been “managed” out.’

  ‘Is that why you’ve been away? Don’t like doing it?’

  She shook her head. ‘Had some family stuff to do.’

  ‘A swim sounds like a great idea.’ The cold water would ease the blasted pain in his hip too.

  ‘Oh, God, no. Please.’ She unscrewed the cap from her water bottle and passed it over to him. ‘Tip some of that on your head if you need to cool down.’

  He returned her worried stare. ‘Don’t waste your water. If swimming bothers you that much, I’ll just go down and have a splash in the shallows.’

  Ellie grabbed his arm and Kane looked down at her long slender fingers as they circled his wrist.

  ‘Please. Didn’t you see the traps on the way in?’

  ‘I was too busy watching where I put my feet,’ he said. The warmth from her fingers was sending another lazy swirl of desire kicking to his groin. He lifted his gaze back to her face and a pleasant rush went through him as he caught her staring at his mouth. He realised she was serious. ‘You really do worry about them, don’t you?’

  ‘You would too if you’d seen what they can do to a person.’ Ellie let go of his arm and stretched across the rock to reach for the backpack. ‘Sandwich?’

  Kane nodded and took the packet she passed over to him.

  She pointed up to the bend in the narrow river. ‘The first traps are up there. All the areas stay closed to tourists until the wet season waters fall to a level where the crocs are less likely to be moving around. The national park rangers have to see if any have moved in during the wet. They put baited traps and foam buoys in the water.’

  ‘Foam buoys?’

  ‘Yep.’ She nodded. ‘Crocs are curious creatures and will have a chew on a buoy. So they have to get rid of them before the tourists can come in. The traps are big and sometimes they’ll put a big animal in there . . . maybe a donkey or a wild pig.’

  ‘Sounds like complicated work . . . and dangerous?’

  ‘Yep. Sometimes it’s not successful because crocs can be territorial. There are stories of them travelling hundreds of miles to come back to a favourite spot.’ Ellie looked at him and the colour ran up into her cheeks. ‘I’m sorry. I tend to rabbit on a bit. Where did you work before you came here?’

  ‘All over the place.’ Kane avoided a direct answer. ‘Any more sandwiches?’ Ellie caught his eye again as she passed another packet to him but this time her expression was clear. She was well aware that he was avoiding anything personal. He didn’t want to share. What he’d been through was his own business and the last thing he wanted was more sympathy. If it wasn’t for his mother being ill, he wouldn’t be visiting her either. He didn’t want to hear any more questions about what had happened. Or any more accolades about his supposed heroic status.

  Christ, he just wanted to forget it and get on with life.

  ‘Come on, let’s go back.’ He wolfed down the sandwich and stood. Kane’s pleasure in the day had dimmed.

  The look that Ellie threw him as she slipped the backpack over he
r shoulders added to his mood. She opened her mouth as if to say something and then obviously changed her mind.

  She didn’t show him the crocodile traps as they walked back over the rocks and through the monsoon forest.

  Chapter 7

  Saturday

  Arnhem Highway

  David had left their SUV at home in the garage last night and taken a bus to the airport where he’d picked up the rental car. Gina had booked and paid by phone with her credit card as he had instructed. He’d parked two streets away, walked down two blocks and come in through their back garden. This morning he got up early, retrieved the car and had bundled them and their luggage in before sunrise – the kids awake and excited about their adventure to Kakadu. Gina had watched, her lips set in a straight line, as David had looked up and down the street, but it was as quiet as always. No one knew where they were going and he’d made sure that not even a chance remark to neighbours could alert anyone who might enquire.

  ‘Just a small precaution.’ Maybe he was being overcautious but he didn’t trust Fairweather. ‘You know what politics is like . . . and the media. This is a big week and I’m just being careful.’

  ‘No, I don’t know what politics is like. That’s your life. And if you would tell me why or how we have to be “careful”, I could be careful too, without having to travel away from home in the middle of the night.’ Gina had stared at him, her beautiful eyes full of concern, and David tried to reassure her.

  ‘It’ll be a good rest for you. One last chance to take some time for yourself before the baby. There’s a day spa and a crèche for the kids. Two weeks of doing nothing. Order in room service, sleep when the kids nap. You can have a total rest. You’ll enjoy the luxury suite by the pool. We’ll have a good time.’

  ‘We?’ She was softening a little.

  ‘I’ll be with you both weekends. You can go off and get pampered and I’ll sit with the kids this afternoon.’

  The forgotten feeling of being the most important person in his wife’s world came rushing back when Gina reached over and wrapped her fingers around his.

  ‘No, sei la mia anima gemella. We will spend the weekend together before you go back to your office to whatever is so important.’ Her voice was soft and David smiled at her and squeezed her fingers.

  ‘You know you are my soulmate too, bella. Don’t ever doubt that.’

  He’d thought of nothing but the safety of his family over the past twenty-four hours as he’d tried to prepare for the upcoming environmental committee meeting. The drive along the Arnhem Highway had given him a couple of hours to focus on the carefully worded position statement. Even though Kakadu was a national park administered by the federal government, the government of the Territory still played a major role under the recent amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The environmental impact statement for the proposed mineral exploration on the northern edge of Kakadu had been submitted by Black Coal Holdings.

  ‘Are we nearly there?’ Andrew’s loud whine pulled David’s mind from the response he was drafting in his head.

  ‘Daddy! Are we nearly there?’

  David nodded absently and the sound of a game resumed from Andrew’s iPad in the back seat.

  He glanced across at Gina; she’d dropped her Kindle and was dozing, her head on the leather headrest of the hire car. Her olive cheeks were lightly tinged with a rosy flush as the sunlight played on her face. She breathed softly through gently parted lips, and her hands were folded protectively over the soft swell of her pregnant stomach. She was more beautiful now than when he’d first met her.

  A muscle clenched in David’s gut. Was he doing the right thing by bringing them down here?

  The boundary change and the exploration licence votes could be brought forward. Maybe his vote wouldn’t make any difference anyway? He wondered what Fairweather was capable of – how many others did he have in his pocket? Maybe he should have gone to the police after that comment about his children. But David didn’t trust the influence that Fairweather had with the police either.

  It could be the end of his career if the seabed mining approval went public before the approval was reversed. He’d set that in motion yesterday. David gripped the steering wheel and stared at the straight road ahead. Christ, he’d seen enough politicians across the country take a fall recently. The corruption commission hearings down in New South Wales had put paid to the careers of many.

  ‘Daddy! How much longer? I need a wee.’

  ‘Almost. Can you hang on for a few more minutes?’ David pushed away the thoughts filling his head and tried to focus on his family. ‘How about an ice-cream when we get there, buddy?’

  He had emails to read when he got there; his phone had been dinging non-stop all the way down the highway. Gina had offered to read them to him as she often did when he was driving but he’d shaken his head. She’d shrugged and given him a strange look, before turning back to her Kindle.

  The possibility of spending time relaxing with Gina and the kids was becoming less likely every time his phone dinged, but David knew he needed to focus on family for the next two days. He didn’t want to lose his wife’s respect too.

  The promise of ice-cream quietened Andrew and there was silence from the back seat except for the low music from his game. They’d been on the road since dawn and were now only a few kilometres from the resort. Gina was not happy that he was going to leave them there when he headed back to the city – alone – on Sunday night.

  ‘What if the baby comes early? Is there even a hospital out in the wilds here?’ She’d widened her green eyes at him and placed her hand on her stomach. ‘I’ll be by myself with the children. I’ve only got eight weeks left. You do know that, don’t you?’

  ‘Of course I do, and no, it won’t and yes, there is.’ David had pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the lavender fragrance that always calmed him. ‘And it’s not the wilds. It’s only a couple of hours away from Darwin. You’ll be fine.’

  ‘Why all the secrecy, David? Why do we have to hide?’

  The wheels of the car hummed on the tar as the sun rose in the winter sky, and the dawn light touched the charred savannah grasslands that had been burned off along the highway. The morning mist hung eerily as the watery sun tried to break through the smoke-laden fog and David tried to forget the emails waiting for him, and his briefcase full of papers in the boot of the hire car, as they turned right at Jabiru and sped down the Kakadu Highway towards Makowa Lodge.

  *

  Gina checked into the lodge while David waited in the car with the kids. They’d paid for Friday night so they could get an early check-in this morning. It was still early and there were no other guests at the reception desk.

  ‘Welcome to Makowa Lodge, Ms Perini.’ The pretty Aboriginal girl behind the counter had a deep, husky voice. She took Gina’s credit card and swiped it over the terminal, before handing over the security card for the room. ‘I hope you enjoy your stay with us. There are many activities on in the lodge, and there are brochures in the compendium in your room outlining the tours available.’

  ‘Thank you –’ Gina glanced at the girl’s name badge ‘– Heather.’

  ‘And make sure you look at our day spa. It’s won national awards.’

  Gina smiled and nodded before she put her credit card away. ‘So I have heard. I will, thank you.’

  She decided to see if there was an appointment available at the day spa this afternoon. David could look after Andrew and Binny. Then they could have a romantic dinner in the room tonight after the children went to sleep.

  David had parked the hire car in the middle of the car park and Gina put up her hand to shade her face from the sun. Despite the early hours, the heat was lifting in waves from the concrete. She smiled as the children’s happy giggles reached her. They would make the most of the weekend together and then she would try to enjoy the rest of the time when David was away.

  She shook her he
ad as he slouched down in the driver’s seat and pulled the baseball cap low over his eyes.

  ‘It’s okay, James Bond, it’s only me.’ Gina opened the door and looked at him with a wry smile.

  David flicked her a glance and didn’t acknowledge her joke, and she turned away to the back seat. There was only so much she could take of this ridiculous behaviour. ‘How about we go and find some ice-cream after Daddy unpacks the car?’

  The squeals from their two children showed her that someone still loved her anyway.

  ‘Which building?’ David started the car and she looked at the security card.

  ‘Over there. Block C.’ Gina checked the lodge plan that the receptionist had given her and pointed to the building on the other side of the pool.

  ‘Good.’ He reversed the car and drove across the car park before parking in the shade. The lodge was in the shape of a crocodile and they were in the wing at the end of one of the back legs. He came around, opened her door and held his arms wide as she stepped out. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have parked closer. I didn’t think.’

  ‘You haven’t been doing much of that lately,’ she said, but the feel of his arms around her and the steady beat of his heart against her cheek as he pulled her in for a hug softened her mood a little. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that you have me worried with all this . . . this secrecy.’

  David dropped his head and brushed a light kiss across her lips. ‘You take the kids inside and I’ll unpack.’

  ‘What if someone sees you? Is that safe?’

  David cupped one hand around the back of her head and pulled her close. Gina stared at him and a shiver ran through her at the expression in his eyes. Uncertainty and . . . something else. This was not the man she’d shared her life with for the past ten years.

  ‘Please don’t hide things from me, David.’

  He held her gaze for a minute and then let her go. ‘I promise.’ Gina opened the door and leaned in to unbuckle the children from their car seats.