Safe Harbour

by Helene Young

  It took three days for her to find the words to say thank you and the look in his eyes when she did was its own reward. He’d ruffled her hair like he used to. ‘It’s what big brothers do,’ he’d said, his mouth not quite making it to a smile. Except that the feelings he stirred in her had nothing to do with a brother. She shoved them away, into the crevices with all the other pain.

  On his last day, he’d turned up early. It was clear from his pressed pants, business shirt and tamed hair that he was leaving. The three of them had sat at the small table in Gracie’s dorm room drinking instant coffee, reminiscing about Daisy Hill Dairy. His parting words stayed with her. ‘Darce, that little girl wearing yellow, with truckloads of attitude, had the world at her feet. It’s your choice now. The world’s still waiting, but it won’t wait forever. Your choice.’ She’d be forever grateful for his belief in her, for his friendship.

  She lay back on the prickly grass. The sun had worked its magic, the clouds were gone. She was looking at the patches of blue through the dark green leaves. A mosaic of memories. Could it be forged into something strong, something lasting? A noise made her turn her head. She sat up and strained to hear. A helicopter, flying low and coming in fast from the east.

  She sprinted to the patch of lantana and dived underneath it, the smell so evocative of hide and seek with a younger Noah and Grace. She burrowed further in as the chopper landed in the cleared patch at the back of the dairy. The blades were still spinning when two figures alighted. One in a suit. Stirling? What the hell? The other man, blond haired, dressed in dark pants and polo shirt, with a gun holstered across his chest, looked like a bodyguard. Shit! How did Stirling know to find her here?

  Darcy crawled forwards on her belly, the scrubby canes digging into her knees and elbows. Conor didn’t appear and she hoped like hell he’d hidden himself well.

  The chopper’s engine fell silent and a third man joined the group. He too was armed. They headed to the cottage, scanning around them as they went. It wouldn’t take long for them to find Conor if he was in there. The two bodyguards reappeared and there was a short discussion. The blond man headed across to the old dairy and the dark haired, beefy one jogged towards the barn. Darcy saw movement behind the barn. Conor!

  Sunlight glinted on the slope above. A car had turned onto the track and she squinted. Noah. Thank God. She was backing out of the lantana when she heard the car slide to a halt. Moments later its engine revved and she heard gunshots and the sound of shattering glass.

  ‘Shit.’ She was on her feet and running up the slope before she allowed herself to think about the danger.

  ‘Hello? Can I help you?’ she called out as she got closer. ‘Hellooo?’

  Stirling appeared at the door of the cottage. ‘Darcy, for Christ’s sake, why don’t you answer your phone?’ Some things never change, she thought, marshalling her composure.

  ‘Stirlo? What are you doing here? Were they gunshots I just heard?’ She stopped in her tracks, her hand splayed across her chest as though she’d seen a ghost. Her heart sounded like a dough mixer on high speed. The two men reappeared at a run round the side of the cottage as Stirling stomped towards her.

  ‘Gunshots? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m here to talk some sense into you since you don’t answer your phone.’

  How the hell could he lie so blatantly? She decided it was safer to ignore it than provoke him any further. ‘I’m out of battery, what do you want? How did you find me?’

  ‘Tracked your phone. I have helpful friends in the police force. That man you’re hiding, Conor Stein. He’s dangerous. You need to hand him over to the police.’ He gestured at the two men who were now standing with their arms crossed, their presence intimidating.

  ‘Police? Oh, Noah’s colleagues?’ She smiled her most disarming smile, the one she used for greeting a favourite but difficult customer, despite being furious with her father. ‘Hello, I’m sorry you’ve come all this way for nothing. Noah left with Conor about two hours ago. He was handing him over to the guys from New South Wales. He was meeting them at the airport. Did he forget to tell you?’

  ‘That’s not possible,’ the fairer of the two said, his accent clipped, precise. ‘Noah told us to meet him here.’

  ‘Really?’ Darcy frowned, certain he was lying. First-name terms with Noah? She didn’t think so. ‘I’m so confused. I obviously wasn’t paying attention to what he said. Maybe he’s coming back, then. I’ll leave you to it.’

  ‘Where’s your car?’ Stirling looked at the pink Holden. ‘Who does this belong to?’

  ‘Mine’s in for a service. Muriel loaned me hers for a couple of days. You want a lift back to the Cove, Stirling?’

  ‘We’re not going anywhere until we get Stein.’

  ‘He’s not here. He’s probably already on a plane headed for Sydney. You’re too late.’ She rested her hands on her hips.

  ‘Darcy!’ Stirling moved a step closer to her and the des­peration in his voice made her look at him properly. Sweat beaded on his forehead. ‘It’s not just about Stein. You’ve got to help. They’ve taken Amelia. Kidnapped her.’

  Darcy’s mouth went dry. ‘What? Who did? Where’s Chantelle?’ Her thoughts flew to what had already happened to Rosie.

  ‘In Sydney. Beverley’s with her, thank God.’

  ‘So who took her? Conor can’t be involved.’

  ‘Conor?’ Stirling sneered. ‘First-name terms with scum from the Russian mafia? Stein would do anything to protect his fucking arse but no, it wasn’t him. Rod Reeves has taken her. We’re talking international crime syndicates with connections from Moscow to Sydney.’

  Darcy shook her head. ‘Why would he kidnap Amelia?’

  ‘Because he’s trying to force me to come here and get you to hand Stein over. Here.’ Stirling thrust his phone at her. Amelia was looking straight at the camera, her blue eyes wide with fright and the tape across her mouth an obscene scar on her pure skin.

  Darcy reined in her fear. She barely knew the child, but the implied brutality in the photo was terrifying. It sickened her. The kid didn’t deserve to have Stirling’s sins heaped on her head. ‘That’s sick, totally screwed up, but I can’t help you.’

  ‘Darcy, you don’t have a choice. You have to co-operate.’ His bodyguards moved closer.

  Darcy lifted her chin. ‘I’m sorry about Amelia, but I’ll say it again, Conor left with Noah and is no longer in the area. I can’t help.’

  She turned a dismissive shoulder and walked towards the car. When her arm was wrenched backwards she turned around, swinging only to find herself caught by the two men.

  ‘Fuck off,’ she screamed at them, adrenalin surging through her as she struggled to break free. ‘Stirling, stop this bullshit before . . .’ A hand clamped over her mouth but she managed to bite it, hanging on as the blond man tried to wrestle it free. His sidekick chopped the side of his hand into her kidney and she dropped to the ground gagging.

  ‘Don’t! Stop!’ Stirling was flapping his hands ineffectually. Lying prone on the ground with her fingers digging into the dirt as she struggled to breathe, Darcy was struck by the fact that her father was no longer a kingpin. ‘For Christ’s sake, don’t hurt her.’

  ‘Get up,’ the darker one said, motioning with his gun. The other man was rubbing his hand. Darcy thought she could taste blood. She moaned and tried to roll over, but her back muscles seized and she retched. Her anger was the only thing keeping her moving. ‘Get up,’ the man demanded again.

  She managed to rise to her feet, despite her trembling legs, and faced her father. ‘You’d kill me to save your latest offspring?’

  ‘No, but this is important, Darcy. You don’t seem to understand.’

  His arrogance was like a taunt. Her temper snapped.

  ‘Don’t fucking understand? Oh, I understand all too well what’s going on here. Your son died because you fed him an overdose of steroids as part of your grand plan for rugby league domination and then you covered it up,’ she yelled at
him.

  Stirling recoiled and she saw Rosie had told her the truth. Somehow the pain in her father’s face eased her anger down a notch. He was a fool, an arrogant son of a bitch who believed his own press, but his grief was no less real. She sighed. ‘Grant would still be alive but for your greed, your stupidity. What were you thinking, Stirlo? Was it really that important to win?’ He didn’t reply. The bluster, the bravado vanished. ‘Did Mum know? Was that why Grant was almost part of our family?’

  ‘It wasn’t like that.’ He sounded close to tears.

  ‘Oh, really? At least you’re not denying it.’

  ‘How did you find out?’ His shoulders slumped.

  ‘Rosie. You remember her, Aboriginal woman who loved me like a mother.’ Darcy saw her words hit home. ‘Rosie, who’s been beaten to within an inch of her life by someone’s thugs, decided it was time I knew the truth. I’m glad she did. Seems like I was the only one who didn’t know I had a half-brother. No wonder you left Banksia Cove.’

  Her father looked at her, tears in his eyes. ‘I couldn’t bear it. Everything I’d ever dreamed was gone, ripped away in one night.’

  ‘And Mum and I were just part of the background noise, an annoyance you didn’t need.’ The two men had stepped back when Darcy screamed at her father. They both looked embarrassed, uncertain of what to do next.

  ‘Beverley never understood me. She thought I was just a teacher, a footballer. She had no idea. And . . .’

  ‘And I was just a girl, a mini version of Beverley and worthy only of your contempt.’ Darcy was weary now. The truth about Grant didn’t change anything. He was still gone. Stirlo was still a narcissistic middle-aged man and Beverley would still only see the best in him. Did it matter any more? She’d left it all behind and Noah was right – there was more to life than looking backwards.

  ‘It wasn’t like that. You were a difficult child, your mother almost died in labour, then you were sickly. You took Beverley’s attention, all of it.’

  Darcy heard the petulance behind his words.

  The blond guy shuffled his feet. ‘Can we get on with this?’

  Stirling rounded on him. ‘I’m paying for your fucking time.’

  ‘Yeah, but you’ll miss the last flight out of Bundaberg if you don’t find this guy soon.’

  ‘Shit.’ Stirling turned back to Darcy. ‘Darcy, they’re playing for keeps. I want Amelia back. Where is he?’

  ‘I’ve already told you everything I know. He’s not here.’ In the distance she thought she could hear a quad bike on the dairy, but then the noise died away. She kept her gaze trained on Stirling.

  He sighed with a shake of his head. ‘There’s a cop at Noah’s police station at the moment. He’s Witness Protection and he says there’s no sign of Conor or Noah. Where are they?’

  ‘I’m here.’

  Everyone spun in the direction of the voice. Conor stood by the side of the building, hands deep in the pockets of his rumpled trackpants, his shoulders stooped. ‘No one should have to lose a child over this, Stirling. I know what that feels like. Rod Reeves is an arsehole for putting your little one in the firing line.’

  ‘Get him.’ The two men ran to grab Conor, who made no move to escape. Darcy was furious. Everything that had happened was now a waste. Rosie and Zeke were seriously injured, and there was no saying they’d give Amelia back anyway.

  ‘Conor. What the hell are you doing?’

  He looked tired, resigned. ‘I had to stop running one day, Darcy.’

  ‘But your testimony?’

  ‘They have all the physical evidence and I’ve recorded everything else I found out in the last six months. Maybe it doesn’t really matter if I’m there in person or not.’

  He sounded defeated.

  ‘You can’t just give up after all you’ve bloody well been through. Stop this martyrdom bullshit now.’ She wanted to stamp her foot. ‘Stirling. They’ll kill him. You know that.’ She went for the jugular. ‘And for all we know, Amelia is dead already. You’d better broker a deal with Rod Reeves.’ Darcy didn’t know where her courage was coming from. She barely recognised the sound of her own voice.

  ‘She’s right, Stirling. You need to see Amelia’s safe before you hand me over. Make the call. Tell him you’ve got me. Send him a photo if you need to.’ Stirling’s head snapped round at that and Darcy frowned. Something else was going on?

  Stirling pulled out his phone while the two men kept a firm hold on Conor.

  ‘You should be in it too. Just to prove it’s not a set-up,’ Darcy said, holding out her hand, then wincing at the pain in her side. He hesitated before handing it over. As Darcy looked down, a tall broad-shouldered figure in a familiar blue shirt crept from behind the barn. She struggled not to sag with relief.

  ‘Stand beside him. Do you want your stooges in the photo as well?’ She cast a withering glance at them and they looked uneasy as they moved aside. Her hands shook and she struggled to stay composed as Noah inched forwards.

  ‘Oh, this is different to mine. Do I need to focus?’ Noah had made it to the side of the cottage now, finger on his lip and gun in his hand. ‘Oh, wait, I think I’ve got it. A close-up maybe?’ She was babbling, but she could see Conor was balanced on the balls of his feet, an athlete poised to run. Did he realise Noah was there?

  ‘Damn, it’s blurred,’ she muttered. One of the hired help went to walk towards her and she held up a hand. ‘No, no wait. This’ll be fine.’ She took her time as Noah reached the corner closest to them. He was less than twenty metres away, his face grim, jaw set. He looked dangerous, focused. ‘Okay, smile. There. One more for luck.’

  In that instant Noah launched himself at the minders, storming across the bare earth. ‘Police,’ he yelled, as they turned towards him. He took the blond one down with a swinging fist. Darcy saw blood fly from the man’s mouth as his head snapped back under the force of Noah’s punch. He slumped to the earth. Noah rolled him face down and got a knee in his back. Conor had elbowed Stirling aside and pounced on the other man before the bodyguard could draw his weapon again. Darcy should have felt relief, but she was too wound up for that.

  ‘Don’t even think about helping them, Stirling. I’m recording it all for posterity.’ Darcy stepped closer to her father, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tremor in her voice.

  ‘No,’ he snarled at her. ‘If Amelia dies, I’ll . . .’ He ran out of words.

  Darcy shook her head. ‘If Amelia dies, it’s because of your own actions, no one else’s. You took the handbrake off this train wreck sixteen years ago. It’s been gathering momentum ever since.’

  ‘Darcy? Are you okay?’ Noah had his man in flexi-cuffs and a savage expression on his face.

  ‘I’m fine.’ She didn’t know what else to say. She was hurting in body and spirit, but Noah didn’t need to know that now. For an instant his face softened as if he saw through her lie. Then it hardened again.

  ‘Conor, I’ll throw you a pair of cuffs. Darcy, help him put them on.’ She shoved Stirling’s phone in her pocket and did as he asked.

  Stirling seemed out of his depth, torn between anger and weary resignation, but he made no move to intervene. It took several attempts for them to secure the other bodyguard, who continued to struggle. Finally they had both men tied up and Noah relieved them of their weapons.

  Stirling leant against the Holden with his arms crossed, looking sulky more than angry.

  ‘Send the photo, Stirling,’ Noah said, dusting off his pants. ‘Let them know you’ve got Conor, but I’d be asking for proof that they’ve returned your little girl safely before I made any arrangements to hand him over. The police will be here shortly to collect your friends. You’ll need to come in for questioning as well.’

  ‘My helicopter can’t stay here,’ the blond man complained.

  ‘Well, you’re not flying it out, mate. There are laws against taking pot shots at policeman in Queensland.’

  ‘That was him, trigger-happy idiot.’ The pilot gestured
at his prone accomplice.

  ‘Really?’ Noah inspected the weapons he’d collected. ‘Both have been fired – guess that means both of you are responsible. Be interesting to see what they pull from the door of the car.’

  ‘This is bullshit! Stirling, fix it.’

  Stirling shook his head. ‘I’ll get you a lawyer.’ A car could be heard coming down the track at full speed. ‘Too late to do anything now.’

  Noah straightened up as Darcy turned towards the sound. ‘No!’ he yelled, already moving towards Conor when the black four-wheel drive drove straight at them. ‘Run, Darcy, run!’ He pulled Conor clear before the vehicle ploughed into their two captives, flinging them either side of the wide bonnet. ‘Run!’ Noah yelled again as the big vehicle stopped, wheels locking on the loose dirt.

  Stirling clutched at Darcy. ‘Fuck, it’s Rod Reeves’ men.’

  One of the downed men was swearing and moaning as he struggled to get to his feet. His mate was motionless. Darcy felt incapable of moving, frozen by the violence she’d just witnessed.

  The passenger door of the black vehicle flew open. The oversized man she’d last seen standing on her front verandah jumped from the vehicle and raced after Noah and Conor. It galvanised her and she started to run, but she was too late. The vehicle reversed, wheels spinning, engine screaming. It fishtailed for an instant, then rocketed back, blocking her path. Darcy hauled her father to the left, dragging him in the direction of the cottage just as the car came to a halt. The other man who’d paid her a visit that night emerged from the vehicle, gun drawn. ‘Come on,’ she urged her father, but Stirling stumbled and she had a hard time keeping him on his feet.

  ‘Stop. I’ll shoot.’ An instant later a bullet slapped into the building, sending pieces of timber spiralling into the air. Darcy was dragged to the ground by Stirling, who was gasping in panic.

  ‘Good choice,’ the gunman said. Darcy wrenched herself free of her cowering father and staggered to her feet. She was trying to remember the name the man had given her.