Before the Storm

by Di Morrissey

  ‘Sweetheart. Please, try to stop fretting,’ said Steve gently. ‘Everyone is doing what they can.’

  Patrick waved away some flies with his fedora and clamped it back on his head.

  ‘Time to do the rounds and update my notes.’

  ‘He does have a way of getting people to open up,’ Steve said to Ellie as Patrick walked away. ‘I heard him chatting to some people he didn’t know and the next minute they were telling him their life story.’

  ‘He calls it just having a bit of a yarn, but he manages to get people to reveal a lot without them knowing it,’ said Ellie. ‘Roly says he would have been a good lawyer,’ she added.

  As the shadows started to lengthen, the campsite fell into a late-afternoon lull and Ellie felt the general mood turn to gloom, tears and fears. This was changeover time for the various groups assembled at the gathering point. Some weary people were packing up to go home, having been there since dawn. Ellie saw Sally kiss Ben and head back to her car, presumably returning to town for her evening news shift. Cassie and Steve were also leaving, and tried to persuade Roly to go with them.

  ‘Thanks. I appreciate your concern, but I am lieutenant to Captain Patrick. He’s determined to remain at the front line, so I will too,’ said Roly.

  ‘Good on you, Roly. But make sure you guys keep warm. Light rain is forecast for later,’ said Steve.

  Ellie had struck up a conversation with a journo from a metropolitan newspaper and a presenter from a TV morning show.

  ‘Your Storm Harbour Chronicle is a bloody good newspaper,’ said Phil, the journalist. ‘Lots of in-depth coverage, as well as big-picture stuff.’

  ‘Your grandfather is a terrific character. We met him earlier,’ said the presenter, who’d introduced herself as Rachel. ‘He has some great stories of his own. In fact, I think he’s worth a profile on TV. I might suggest that.’

  ‘How long are you staying up here?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘As long as it takes,’ Phil said. ‘Such an awful thing for the parents. I have a kid that age.’

  ‘I find it hard to stay objective doing the bad news stories. It takes real concentration to not get choked up. The news editor hates it when that happens,’ said Rachel.

  ‘They can be unsympathetic sods, news editors.’ Phil shook his head.

  ‘Well, I’d better get back, but it was nice chatting to you,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Might look you up if I come back for a holiday, it looks like a gorgeous town,’ said Rachel with a smile.

  The commander was speaking quietly to a small group who were preparing to make one last foray into the bush before it would be too dark and risky even with lights.

  ‘One press fellow and a local were injured slightly today. It’s rough country out here,’ Ellie heard him say. Then her phone rang and she moved away to take the call, seeing Jon’s name on the screen.

  ‘Hi, Jon, how are you and Maggie doing? Is everything all right?’

  ‘Well, it’s being kept very hush-hush, but Kathryn O’Neill was admitted to hospital yesterday.’

  ‘Oh no! What happened?’ Ellie said softly, turning her back and walking further away from the crowd.

  Jon replied, ‘It’s being kept a secret, apparently, but my cousin, who’s a nurse there, is finding out what the problem is. The family are not allowing visitors.’

  ‘Thanks, Jon. Keep me posted. I’ll tell Patrick if I can get him on his own, which mightn’t be easy.’ Then she added, ‘Maybe that’s why Ronan dashed off yesterday. But Ben is still here somewhere. I wonder if he knows. I hope it’s not serious.’

  ‘She’s in a private room, not the ICU, so that’s something. Try to keep in range so I can update you. My cousin is on duty till tomorrow morning.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks again, Jon.’

  Ellie kept walking away from the groups and the campfire to the spot at the edge of the forest where she’d found the best phone reception. She looked into the darkening bush as she dialled Heather’s number. If the elderly artist hadn’t heard about Kathryn, Ellie wasn’t going to say anything. It was a long shot, but Heather just might tell her some news if she had any.

  ‘Hi, Heather, this is Ellie Conlan.’

  ‘Ellie, how nice to hear from you. How are you?’

  ‘I’m good, thanks. I was – Oh my God! Sorry, Heather, I’ll have to call you back!’

  Ellie stabbed at the phone to end the call, and started to run.

  Holding up Jon’s camera, which had been hanging around her neck, she began clicking images of Ben, who was trudging out of the trees, lit by the last glow of the sunset in an almost halo-like way. He walked slowly, bending forward as he balanced a child on his back. Peter’s arms were wrapped tightly around Ben’s neck, his legs dangling at Ben’s hips, and his pale face leaning against Ben’s shoulder.

  ‘Ben, Ben, is he okay? Peter . . . Peter . . .’ The crowd yelled to him.

  Ellie kept shooting as screams and shouts suddenly burst out around them. Everyone in the camping ground seemed to Ellie to have let out a collective breath of relief and now dozens of people were running towards the man and boy. A car horn and a siren went off.

  Ben lifted a hand in a halt sign as the boy jerked at the blaring noise and stared at the advancing crowd with some trepidation, then buried his face in Ben’s neck again. Ellie rushed to Ben and Peter, stopped and framed a shot, then clicked.

  ‘He’s okay,’ called Ben. ‘Where’re his parents?’

  ‘They’re coming,’ called the first person to reach Ben, and stopped respectfully so as not to scare the child.

  The Jensens raced forward. Luke lifted Peter from Ben’s back and the child held him tightly as the sobbing mother, almost fainting, fell against her husband and son, embracing them in a tightknit knot.

  The cameras and TV lights began illuminating the trio clinging together, a family again.

  ‘He looks so tiny,’ said one woman who was tearfully watching the little figure in his dirty camouflage combat pyjamas.

  Paramedics hurried over and wrapped him in a blanket, then they escorted Mia and Peter quickly to the ambulance. Around them, laughter, cheers and applause broke out. People were congratulating and thanking Ben and slapping him on the back as he walked slowly behind the paramedics.

  The senior ambulance officer lifted Peter from his mother’s arms. ‘Let us check how he is, Mia, but he seems pretty good to me,’ the woman said gently.

  Mia turned and, too tearful to speak, took Ben’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

  Ellie snapped a photo of Ben with Mia Jensen holding his hand in both of her own, tears streaming down her face, managing a grateful smile. Looking on, Luke was smiling. Straight away Ellie knew it was the hero shot for the front page.

  Patrick, slightly out of breath, followed by Roly, arrived at her side.

  ‘Bloody magnificent. Did you get shots? Quick, let me see them.’

  ‘Ben, Ben, tell us how you found him?’ Ellie and everyone else in the media was calling out, cameras, microphones and lights trained on him.

  Ben was encircled. Ellie noticed his arms were badly scratched and one leg of his jeans was torn. She turned her phone recorder on, held it up and then asked, ‘What made you go back down there, Ben? Alone, and with darkness falling?’

  Someone handed him a bottle of water and Ben sipped it before speaking slowly.

  ‘It was suddenly so quiet. I just thought that it would be good to go down alone, and then I might just hear him. So I set off. I walked for at least half an hour, I reckon. Then I slipped and rolled down a narrow ravine behind some boulders. It ends in a bit of a small creek, only a few inches of water, but there’s a tiny overhang you wouldn’t notice unless you were on the ground, or very small. It’s a shelter of sorts but hidden by bracken. I wouldn’t have seen it, but then I heard whimpering. I called out Peter’s name and he su
ddenly just peeped out at me. Gave me a shock, I can tell you.’

  ‘What did Peter do when he saw you?’ Patrick said.

  ‘He just stared at me for a minute. I didn’t want to scare him, so I said quietly, “G’day, Peter, how’d you find this special spot?” And he said, “Bobbly”. Took a bit of interpreting, but it seems he followed a young wallaby and fell down the ravine, just as I did.’

  Ellie looked at the circle of faces standing around Ben. Glancing beyond them, she saw the tall figure of a man a metre or so away. Ronan.

  His expression was impossible to read.

  He caught Ellie looking at him and turned his head back to Ben, ignoring her. And, Ellie realised with a shock, there had been no recognition in his eyes. He had no idea who she was. Who she really was.

  Ben was the hero, and would remain so, but she knew he’d never milk it or trade on it.

  ‘It was just luck,’ he was saying modestly. ‘I’m used to being in the bush, but with the light fading and not looking where I was stepping . . . well, it was a lucky fall, I guess.’

  ‘Why do you think he didn’t hear us calling him?’ one of the volunteers asked.

  ‘I don’t think he could’ve heard the calls from the top of the ravine, and if I hadn’t fallen, it’s not likely he would have heard me either,’ said Ben.

  After a few more questions, everyone started to disperse, pack up and head home. Ben was escorted by a couple of paramedics to the ambulance to be checked out. Ellie stopped when she heard a car engine she recognised starting up behind her in the car park. Then she watched as Ronan sped away.

  The medical team had given Peter back to his parents for the moment. The little boy seemed to be taking the attention in his stride now that he was reunited with his stuffed toy, which he clutched as he was held in his mother’s arms.

  ‘He’s dehydrated, has a few cuts and bruises, but nothing’s broken. He’s incredibly lucky. A tough little fellow,’ said his father proudly. ‘But he’s still going to the local hospital now to be checked out.’

  ‘Ben too,’ said one of the paramedics.

  ‘Nah, I’m okay,’ started Ben.

  ‘Grab the lift, Ben, save Sally coming back to get you,’ said Ellie, smiling. ‘Let her interview you from your hospital bed!’

  For the first time Ben smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

  ‘Ben, just before you go,’ she said quietly. ‘Do you know about your grandmother?’

  ‘Yes. I found out after she was admitted. Sounds like she’ll be okay, it’s not serious. The doctor said they were just taking precautions, apparently. Ronan wouldn’t let me go and see her yesterday, claimed the hospital had said no visitors, but I don’t believe him. I’ll go in and see her now as I’m going to be there anyway.’

  ‘You’re the hero of the hour, I reckon they’ll let you do whatever you want,’ said Ellie.

  Patrick appeared beside her and shook Ben’s hand. ‘Good work, lad. When you’re ready, we’ll do a longer interview with you for the paper, if that’s all right. Maybe in the morning?’

  ‘Sure, but I don’t have much to add. I’ll be in touch.’

  ‘Right, thanks, mate. You better go over to the ambulance, and Ellie, we have to get back and put the paper together,’ Patrick said.

  ‘Guess who’s on the front page, Ben!’ Ellie grinned.

  ‘Don’t overdo it. I won’t hear the end of it from the mob at the park!’ said Ben.

  ‘Too late, old son.’ Roly pushed forward to pump Ben’s hand. ‘When the fans have all left, come round to my spot for a noggin.’

  ‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Ben, and with a wave, he left with the paramedics.

  ‘C’mon, get your stuff, Ell, I have a front page to write. Let’s get those photos to Jon and tell them we’re on our way,’ said Patrick, firing on all pistons. ‘Want a lift, Roly?’

  Much later, after watching the TV news at home with Sam, Ellie rang Heather to apologise for hanging up on her. Heather had no idea of the drama that had unfolded, so Ellie suggested she make sure she bought the next edition of the Chronicle. Nor did she seem to know that Kathryn was in the hospital, so Ellie didn’t mention it.

  After she’d ended the call, her phone immediately rang again. It was Sally.

  ‘Thanks for sending that recording of Ben for the news bulletin. He’s here now, out of the hospital, and we’ve done a long piece for the backgrounder program. Do you want to meet for a drink at the pub? Ben’s being shouted drinks on the house!’

  ‘That’d be great, thanks, I’ll head down. How’s Kathryn, do you know any more?’

  ‘Ben snuck in to see her. Seems she just had bad heartburn; ate something that disagreed with her and had some pain. Ronan’s wife rang the ambulance in case it was a heart issue. Susan was off duty at the time.’

  On her way to the pub, Ellie called in to the office where Patrick had a bottle of whisky open and was banging the keys of his computer like a maestro at a grand piano.

  Jon was busy editing and proofing the copy that Patrick was forwarding to him, while Maggie was on the phone, talking to the printer.

  ‘Patrick said they came from Horsham,’ said Jon. ‘I’ve been on Trove looking for background stuff. We have a copy of the photo that Patrick wanted, that old story about the siblings lost in the bush.’

  ‘The Cooper-Duff kids? Fabulous.’

  ‘Your photos are great, Ellie,’ Jon said as she put his camera bag down on the desk next to his computer. ‘Where’re you off to?’

  ‘The pub. They’re shouting Ben free drinks and we’re going to celebrate. Want to come along?’

  Jon looked over to Maggie, eyebrows raised. ‘Do you need me for anything here, Mags?’

  ‘You go ahead, Jon. We’re just about finished, I think. I’ll hang in here and send the old boy home to bed,’ Maggie said, smiling.

  ‘Great. I’ve got a couple more things to do, then I’ll meet you there, Ellie,’ Jon said.

  ‘Perfect,’ said Ellie. ‘’Night, Maggie.’

  News had spread and the pub was jammed. Sally waved to Ellie.

  ‘We’ve nabbed the big table here. The whole place cheered when Ben came in, he didn’t know what to do,’ Sally laughed.

  ‘Jon’s coming along, he’ll be here in a tick.’

  ‘Oh, terrific. And Patrick?’

  ‘He and Maggie are still doing the paper.’

  Ellie squeezed in across from Ben and clinked glasses with him.

  ‘You deserve all this,’ she said.

  At that moment, a group came over to salute Ben.

  ‘Hey, we saw you on the news tonight! Well done, mate!’

  The group swelled and before they knew it a small party was in progress.

  Ellie didn’t stay long. The two eventful days had caught up with her and her elbow was aching. She said her goodbyes, blew a kiss and gave a thumbs-up to Ben, and went outside to her car. Then she stopped.

  A piece of paper was tucked under her windscreen wiper. Carefully she pulled it free, and found a message scrawled on it: I have information concerning council that may be of interest to you.

  Below the message was a phone number.

  Deep in thought, Ellie folded the note and put it in her phone cover. Under her tiredness and the huge relief after Peter’s recovery, she felt the stirring of excitement. They were getting somewhere with the development story, slowly but surely. And then there was Kathryn O’Neill. Why would Ronan have wanted to prevent his brother from seeing their grandmother? There was something strange going on, she just knew it. But right now, she’d had enough news for one day. She would think about it all tomorrow. Wearily, she climbed into her car and drove home.

  Pausing outside her grandfather’s bedroom door, she heard the sound of light snoring. Peeking in, she saw a rather contented expression on Patrick’s face, a
nd couldn’t help smiling.

  Quietly, she and Sam headed for bed.

  8

  The next morning Ellie and Patrick, with Sam in tow, went downtown for a celebration latte and were stopped every few metres by enthusiastic locals. The overflow of delight, curiosity for even the smallest details and the congratu­lations to anyone who’d been involved in

  the search and rescue consumed Storm Harbour.

  Patrick had taken a punt and upped the print run of the Chronicle, and the printer had worked through the night to have copies ready by mid-morning. Locals and now, it seemed, a growing stream of visitors, all wanted a souvenir copy. The photos on the front page, of Ben trudging out of the forest with little Peter clinging to him like a baby koala, the tearful, grateful mother clutching Ben’s hand, the generous Sikh volunteers and their food feast, and a drone shot of the weary searchers and rescue teams combined to tell an emotional story. Also, running over to page three was the parallel story of the other ‘lucky’ Horsham rescue and the tale of the Cooper-Duff children, with the historical photos Jon had found on Trove alongside the article.

  Once they’d settled at the Riverside Café and given their coffee orders, Sam settling comfortably in the sun at their feet, Patrick smiled at Ellie.

  ‘So, did you celebrate with Ben at the pub till the wee hours? I didn’t hear you come in.’

  ‘Actually, I only stayed for a while. I was exhausted. It was a huge day, but it turned out to be a happy one, didn’t it? Now, look at this, Poppy.’ Ellie took the piece of paper she’d found on her windscreen from her phone cover and handed it to Patrick.

  He peered at it then looked up. ‘Where’d you find

  this?’

  ‘It was under my windscreen wiper when I came out of the pub last night. It might be from Sally’s contact, her source in council. I’m not sure about that, of course.’

  ‘Are you and Sally still collaborating?’ asked Patrick.

  ‘We’re trying to. Although I have a feeling Sally’s not being completely forthcoming, and I haven’t had much to give her,’ said Ellie. ‘I’m keen to make contact with this person. See what they have to say.’