Fire Cult

by R. B. Shaw

  With Kless briefly stunned, the shattered Skymaster tore free and trundled forward out of control. The severed tail section tumbled along behind the dismembered aircraft, still attached by tough steel control cables. It looked like a disembowelled beast dragging its entrails as it tried to evade some carnivorous predator.

  ‘Those salvage pricks again!’ Kless pulled off power on the front engine and swore with rage as he saw the dense cloud of expensive white dust plume from the rear of the plane. ‘They’re not gonna ruin my plans!’ He thought out his options like a cornered animal. ‘My jetboat’s at the pier. It’s our only chance!’

  Tiana struggled frantically with the door handle. ‘No! Please, leave me here!’ she screamed.

  Kless braked the tail-less plane, then lashed out with a backhander to quieten her. ‘Shut up and get out! Make yourself useful and drive the wagon back over here. Reverse it up as close as you can to the cargo door and hurry!’ he ordered, pulling out his pistol. He jumped from the wrecked Skymaster and stormed angrily back over to the smashed Landcruiser.

  Kless grabbed a handful of Fang’s hair and wrenched his head back, then sneered at his dazed condition. He slammed Fang’s face back into the steering wheel and then pressed the pistol muzzle in Fang’s ear. He began to squeeze the trigger, then hesitated. A crowd of inquisitive labourers hurried over from the airport cargo shed. Too many witnesses.

  Though pinned in the wreck, Fang could do little to prevent the attack. He struggled unsuccessfully to free himself.

  Seiji recovered and his fist swung with lightning speed, knocking the gun out of Kless’s hand. ‘Leave him! Take your gold and go. Too many people have died.’

  ‘And you’re next, arsehole.’ Kless threatened as he snatched up the pistol. He grabbed Seiji’s shirtfront and shoved the pistol barrel menacingly between the dazed passenger’s eyes. ‘Listen, Samurai or Sushi or whatever your bloody name is. I’m taking the gold all right. If I see your face anywhere near me again, I swear I’ll give you an extra nasal passage, free of charge!’

  Not easily provoked, Seiji calmly assessed the situation. His reflexes would be quicker than an injured man with a gun. Realising Kless could not shoot in front of eyewitnesses, he hesitated no longer. As Seiji held the gunman’s steely gaze, he whipped the pistol barrel aside, punched Kless in the stomach, and then gouged his fingers into his eyes. Kless yelled and broke away, temporarily sightless. In sheer anger he kept lashing out haphazardly with the pistol before Seiji could retaliate further. A freak swing caught Seiji’s head and Kless pistol-whipped him until he fell out of reach.

  Tiana swung the old wagon alongside. She realised she had the opportunity to run Kless down but her resolve collapsed as Kless recovered his sight and turned.

  ‘Not here, you stupid bitch, next to the bloody plane!’ he demanded, then gazed in anger as the gentle breeze dispersed his powdered fortune.

  Tiana gasped as she saw Fang dazed and bloody at the wheel of the mangled Thunderbox. She thought he had been killed by the cult and ran over to check on him.

  Kless beat her back. ‘Get the bloody gold out and into the wagon. We gotta get it over to the jetboat now!’

  Tiana had witnessed his violence and treachery too often. She obeyed, hoping the diversion of the gold would keep him occupied and away from Fang and Seiji.

  Twenty minutes later, Lani throttled the Yamaha onto the airstrip verge. Jake saw the distinctive orange of the Thunderbox. ‘Head for Fang’s Landcruiser, it’s over there in the middle of the strip near Kless’s plane.’

  They stopped and gazed at the carnage on the airstrip, the whole area dusted white. Kless’s Skymaster lay idle, torn in two. The Thunderbox revealed buckled panels and propeller slashes. Jake carefully assisted Fang from the wreck. Seiji moaned alongside, semi-conscious.

  Blood smeared Fang’s face and arms. He looked wild and desperate. ‘Gimme’ the bike. Kless’s got Tiana and headin’ for the wharf. He’s gonna try and escape with the gold in his jetboat!’

  ‘Anything else I can do?’ Jake knew when Fang demanded something, you gave it.

  ‘Check on Seiji. Brave little bastard saved my life. Keep an eye on him and Lani. When the cops get here tell ‘em as little as possible. I’m goin’ after Kless in the Lahara!’ Fang gunned the accelerator and stood the bike on its rear wheel through first gear. He charged down the airstrip toward the wharf.

  53

  Dave flew over the airstrip, then hovered in the coastal turbulence. Obviously a major accident held the crowd’s attention. ‘Kless’s plane’s still here. Something’s wrong.’

  ‘That’s Fang’s Thunderbox alongside!’ Jan advised.

  Dave scanned the chaotic scene. ‘Looks like he’s rammed the plane and tore the arse end right off it. I’ll land and find out what the hell’s going on.’

  Dave landed the helicopter well clear of the wrecks. The rotor blast lifted a white cloud into the air. He barged his way through the crowd and checked the Thunderbox and the Skymaster. He noticed the blood spots and a strange white dusting. A quick taste and Dave knew it was not flour. Granules of spilled gold dust sparkled on the floor of the plane’s rear cabin. He quickly questioned some witnesses, then ducked under the pulsing rotor blades and jumped back into the chopper.

  ‘What happened?’ Jan yelled above the din of the helicopter.

  ‘After Fang rammed the plane, he and Seiji were injured. Kless and Tiana loaded something back into the wagon from the plane then drove to the wharf. Gotta be the gold dust. Fang took off on Jake’s Yamaha to try and head them off. Jake, Lani and Seiji are down at the wharf.’

  ‘Kless’s jetboat! I left it at the wharf!’ Jan shouted back urgently. ‘He’s going to try and make a break in his jetboat!’

  ‘Right! I’ll fly directly to the wharf.’ Dave applied power in the Angry Egg and lifted off. ‘Maybe we’re not too late after all.’

  Jan pulled out the binoculars. ‘Both boats are gone.’ She focussed on the wharf. ‘Better land first. Jake’s waving to us near the old Ford.’

  Dave hovered briefly, then set the helicopter down on the pier near the fuel bowser. ‘Fill ‘er up while I check with Jake,’ he said to Jan.

  ‘What! Diesel?’

  ‘We’re in a hurry. Won’t hurt it.’ He left the engine running and hurried over to Jake and Seiji. ‘What’s happenin’ Jake?’

  ‘Kless got away with the gold in his jetboat. He’s got Tiana with him. Fang went after him in the Lahara.’

  Dave shook his head. ‘He’s got no chance of catching that jetboat. What are you doing now?’

  ‘Fang told me to wait for the police and tell them as little as possible.’

  ‘Good idea. What about you, Seiji?’

  Seiji had seen enough action for one day, but was still dedicated to his cause. ‘My mission is incomplete. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll return to the cave and exhume my father’s remains.’

  ‘Right, we’ll bring your share of the gold as soon as we can. Jake, get Joe’s Ford and assist Seiji anyway you can.’

  ‘Should be okay now.’ Jake nodded confidently. ‘We’re both survivors of the ceremony—they can’t touch us now. With the chief gone, there shouldn’t be a problem.’

  Seiji interrupted. ‘Keep the gold, if indeed you manage to get it. I’ll take this opportunity to thank you all for your assistance. Mr. Stark, your perseverance under adversity is something to be admired. After watching you in action, I suggest you have a contingency plan ready for major expansion into international salvage. I will be insisting any such crisis be offered to you and Avmar as priority.’

  Dave turned back mid-stride, intrigued. He never enquired about Seiji’s business interests. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I am director of Kagoshima Shipping and a major shareholder in South East Asia Airlines.’

  ‘Sounds fine to me.’ Dave was impressed. ‘I intend to complete this job, but we have other priorities at the moment. I’ll have to go.’

  Lani hurri
ed over from the Ford and stood near Jake. ‘Dave, please don’t waste time! Go after Tiana. Kless is crazy, he could do anything.’

  Jake agreed. ‘Go for it, Dave. We’ll look after things here. Lani will be safe with me.’

  ‘I’m on my way,’ said Dave. He ran back to the chopper, then lifted off in a cloud of coral dust and sand. ‘Jan, I’m gonna fly high. Keep the binoculars out and see if you can spot the Lahara.’

  Five minutes flying and Jan shouted. ‘There’s a foamy wake well out towards Madang.’

  ‘Okay, We’ll follow it. Try and get Fang on the radio.’

  Jan changed frequencies, talked for a moment, then turned to Dave. ‘Fang’s up ahead. He can’t catch Kless—he’s further out ahead somewhere!’ She scanned the rolling swells of the Bismarck Sea ahead. ‘What’s that brown contamination on the water?’

  ‘Probably floating pumice spewed out during the eruptions. There’s a wake trail through it. Should be the Lahara.’

  Jan soon caught sight of the big cruiser as it powered through the swells of the Isumrud Strait in a long trail of foam. Jan leaned out, peering below. ‘Fang’s at the helm.’

  Dave cursed silently. ‘As powerful as it is, the Lahara can’t make half the speed of the jetboat.’

  As they passed over the Lahara, Jan scanned the waters ahead. ‘Dave, there’s another faint wake through the pumice, almost on the horizon.’

  As the water cleared of pumice contamination, it released a turgid unfathomable energy beneath the slick surface. The ocean seemed restless as it heaved and slowly bulged with the viscosity of heavy dark oil.

  Even in the helicopter it took another five minutes before Dave saw the small bouncing vessel at the head of the long foamy wake. ‘I’ll stay low and slow. I don’t think he realises we’re following.’

  Gradually they overtook Kless from astern. He stared straight ahead, still unaware of the helicopter. Though built for smooth river waters, the slippery jetboat tackled the big swell and wavelets with ease. From behind, the jetboat looked so smooth and swift, it almost seemed to float above the surface. Only a creamy wake streaming from the stern indicated the drive unit powered it across the water.

  Two figures clung to the speeding craft. Tiana sat on the bench seat, her long legs draped over the boxes and bags of gold dust. Her silken black hair whipped in the slipstream. Kless stood at the wheel. His legs flexed like shock absorbers on the bouncing hull in rhythm with the pounding waves. Suddenly he turned, the din of the helicopter briefly louder than the boat’s engine. The shock made him fumble and he swore up at his tormentors. The jetboat briefly slewed sideways then powered off erratically trailing a rooster tail of spray. Ahead lay a vast shallow reef, just covered by crystal clear water. The herringbone sandbanks beneath were tainted a milky cerulean.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ Jan frowned. ‘The reef’s right in front of him.’

  ‘The reef’s obvious from up here.’ Dave explained. ‘He can’t see it from sea-level.’

  Jan saw the distant puffs of smoke. ‘He’s got his pistol out, he’s shooting at us!’

  ‘I’ll keep weaving and drop back out of range. He’s a bloody fool leaping waves in those shallow reefs and not watching where he’s going.’

  One small exposed reef surged higher out of the water in the trough of a passing wave. The jetboat smashed into it and the forward hull tore open on impact. The momentum of the jetboat carried it on and it flew skyward briefly before crashing back into another wave. Tiana and the gold containers tumbled forward into the prow. Kless could no longer keep the damaged hull planing. The sudden inrush of water and displaced weight pushed the bow low in the water.

  The boat grew heavier and slower with the increasing weight of water. As it came off the plane, it reluctantly floundered on. Lower in the water, more exposed jagged holes drew in the surging sea. Kless could not prevent the vessel’s nose diving into the waves and it began to founder beyond the reef.

  Dave watched the frantic activity. ‘He’s slowly sinking. Just a matter of time.’

  Kless reloaded. He began shooting wildly and tried to evade the chopper with repeated tight turns. Dave followed in the helicopter like a shadow, a bird of prey waiting to pounce. Kless pulled the throttle back. He made a vital decision to try to save the boat. He left the wheel and ran forward, losing precious time and speed.

  Dave orbited steep and low around Kless and Tiana, the rotor blades almost clipping the wave tops. ‘They’re trying to stop the leaks by stuffing seat cushions into the tears in the prow.’

  Jan shouted desperately. ‘… And there’s the Lahara. It’s catching up. Hurry, Fang!’

  A big wave hit the jetboat and Kless fell forward. He dropped his gun as he tried to avoid hitting the dash panel.

  ‘Quick, Jan! Take control!’ Dave saw his opportunity. ‘Let out the winch cable, then fly in low and drop me in the water!’

  Jan carefully hovered the chopper behind the jetboat. Dave dived into the sea, swam close and hooked the helicopter’s winch cable around the jetboat’s transom. It continued to fill with water and slowly began sinking by the prow. As Dave fought to get aboard, Kless regained his footing and fended him off with an oar. Tiana made a futile attempt to push Kless over the side. He turned and punched her brutally on the cheek. She fell unconscious face down on the flooded floor of the sinking jetboat.

  Jan saw what happened and cleverly applied power, tugging on the winch cable. The stern of the jetboat lifted, causing the water to cascade forward and allowing Tiana to breathe. The unexpected lift threw Kless off balance before he found his gun beneath the water in the hull.

  With the inclined angle, the gold boxes and bags tumbled further to the front. One slid under the forward deck, snagged and tore open. A twinkling cascade of gold dust sparkled in the water. The gilded sparkle faded to verdigris green as the gold dissipated and sank in the prow. It caught Kless’s greedy attention. He felt the boat tilt as Dave clambered on board. Dave ducked the swinging oar and winded Kless with a heavy punch.

  Fang arrived and drew the Lahara alongside as close as he dared. He panicked as he saw Tiana face down in the ruptured hull. ‘Dave! Tiana’s hurt. She could be drownin’!’ His shouts were lost in the din of the helicopter.

  The increasing weight of water now threatened to pull the chopper down into the big swells. Jan applied power and coaxed the awash jetboat closer to the Lahara. Fang managed to toss two grappling hooks across and secure them. Every time Kless got to his feet, Jan again applied power to lift the stern and toss him off balance.

  As Dave rolled Tiana over, Kless caught him by surprise. With a powerful punch to the jaw he knocked Dave over the side. He found his pistol and again started shooting wildly at the helicopter. Despite the rotor blast, and Dave rocking the side of the boat, the helicopter suffered gunfire damage. A bullet pierced the survival kit and caused a smoke flare to ignite. More bullets hit the engine and the small jet turbine immediately lost power. The cabin filled with choking red smoke from the ruptured flare.

  Large banners of red smoke vorticed out from the chopper and coiled back down through the rotors in dramatic swirls. Tiana recovered and again tried to stop Kless. He punched her savagely over the side, saw Dave in the water and aimed the pistol at him. Dave reacted quickly and plunged beneath the surface.

  Tiana clambered up the other side of the jetboat and pulled out the emergency flare gun. She aimed carefully and fired. The gunshot rang out, louder than the din of the stricken chopper. Kless dropped his pistol, both arms back, groping for the burning red flare embedded in his back. He staggered around in agony and saw Tiana, the smoking flare gun still in her hand. With all his remaining strength he kicked her back into the water.

  The helicopter dropped too low to auto rotate. In desperation, Jan attempted to restrain the fall by applying full remaining power. Flying blind in the smoke-filled cabin, she tried to land on the deck of the Lahara. The rotor blades ripped away the mast and thrashed the port side of
the cabin. Only one skid reached the deck and the helicopter rolled unbalanced toward the water. Everyone dived for cover.

  Dave tried to swim clear of the uncontrolled helicopter. ‘Jan! Get out!’ he screamed, then turned urgently to Tiana. ‘Dive down as deep as you can! It’s going in!’

  Kless struggled to his feet and tried to jump over the side. The flare in his back still burned. The whirling rotor blades ripped away at the deck of the jetboat and its lone occupant. Broken blade stumps tore at the hull and whipped up a huge cloud of spray amid the red smoke. The torn rotors shredded the deck of the sinking jetboat and swept Kless out into the water. The burning flare glowed briefly as his mutilated remains sank below the surface.

  The damaged engine of the helicopter finally failed with a wrenching screech. The torn hull of the jetboat and its gilded cargo began to slip below the waves. The ruptured cabin of the helicopter started to follow. Clouds of red smoke plumed from the wreckage as it lay on its side. A landing skid caught and tangled with the bow rails of the lacerated Lahara.

  Tiana quickly swam to the apparent safety of the Lahara. She started crying as Fang hauled her aboard.

  Dave surfaced in a panic and clung panting to the hull of the Lahara. ‘Where’s Jan?’

  ‘The chopper hasn’t sunk, it’s sittin’ on the wreck of the jetboat.’ Fang shouted back. ‘Hard to tell with the smoke. She must still be trapped in the cabin.’

  Dave swam to the tangled jumble of expensive wreckage, and peered into the swamped, smoke-filled cockpit. He called urgently to Fang. ‘I’m gonna drag her out before the whole lot sinks! When I’ve got her, start cutting the landing skid away from the railings or the Lahara will roll over!’

  The stable sanctuary of the Lahara was now destroyed. It wallowed in the sea, reduced to a remote leaning platform miles from land. As Dave helped Jan from the cockpit, Fang feverishly attacked the tangled skid and handrail with a crash axe.