Safe Harbour

by Helene Young

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’

  ‘Shut the fuck up, bitch,’ he snarled at her, moving into her space. ‘You’ve made the job very difficult.’

  She stared at him, her face impassive. There was no emotion in his blue eyes. The pupils seemed huge, the veins prominent in the whites of his eyes. He made Stirling’s offsiders look like a couple of ageing relics. She tried to swallow, but there was no saliva left and she could feel her knees knocking.

  ‘Bitch.’ The backhand caught her across her cheek and snapped her head round. Pain shot down her neck. She turned back to face him, grinding her teeth together.

  Gunfire rang out behind the buildings and someone started swearing. It wasn’t Noah or Conor and the relief made her knees sag even more.

  ‘Face down on the ground. Hands on your heads,’ the man snarled at her.

  ‘No.’ She had the name now.

  ‘Darcy, for Christ’s sake, do what you’re told,’ her father implored, tugging at her pants.

  ‘No.’ Darcy was seething. ‘Sergeant Phillips claims to be from the New South Wales police, Stirlo. I don’t believe he’s allowed to pull guns on innocent people in Queensland and since we have several witnesses, I’m guessing he’s bluffing.’ The black eye of the gun’s muzzle swung towards her father and Darcy’s resolve faltered.

  ‘He’s not police.’ Stirling was almost sobbing. ‘He’s one of Reeve’s fucking men. He’s Russian mafia. Please, Darcy.’

  ‘I can shoot him first if you like?’ The contempt in Phillip’s voice and the steady hand spoke of a man without scruples. His eyes were still expressionless.

  The sharp smell of urine made Darcy glance at her father. She backed down.

  ‘Okay, okay, don’t shoot the old guy. See, I’ll behave.’ Darcy clasped her hands around the back of her head.

  ‘Down on the ground. Last chance.’ His stare was unblinking and Darcy reluctantly sank to her knees.

  He pulled flexi-cuffs from his jacket pocket and tossed them at her. They landed on her boot. ‘Tie your old man up.’

  She hesitated. He shook his head, an almost imperceptible movement, then spun and fired at Stirling’s bodyguards. Darcy screamed before she could cover her mouth. Two quick double taps of sound and two men lay dead. In the aftermath she could hear Stirling whimpering and her blood roaring in her ears, deafening her.

  Her fingers wouldn’t work. Even with Stirling’s co-operation she struggled to get his hands into the plastic bands.

  Phillips watched without comment. In the distance more gunfire sounded and this time there was a cry of pain.

  ‘You’d better fucking hope that’s not my colleague,’ Phillips said, the gun still steady. ‘Ralph?’ he yelled.

  ‘I’m okay,’ his mate replied. ‘Bastards have a fucking gun. They’re holed up in that derelict building. Think I’ve hit one of them.’

  ‘I’ll be with you shortly.’ Phillips dropped another pair of cuffs at Darcy’s feet. ‘Put those on yourself.’

  ‘What?’

  He fired into the ground next to Stirling’s head. Sharp splinters of rock pierced her legs, burning like wasp stings. One sliced into her forehead. She saw blood bloom on Stirling’s scalp and cheek from dozens of little cuts. Her father turned imploring eyes on her and she fumbled to get her left hand cuffed. She had to use her teeth to tighten the one on the right. At least her hands were in front of her and not behind as Stirling’s were.

  ‘Down.’ Phillips motioned with the gun and this time she went, turning her face so she could see him. He stood feet planted astride. Fifty metres away, Stirling’s guards lay still. He’d aimed for their heads. The smell of blood took Darcy back to her early apprentice days when she’d had to learn to bone an animal. There was nothing she could do for the men now. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed convulsively trying to stem the bitter taste.

  Stirlo was whimpering and Darcy elbowed him. ‘Ask about Amelia,’ she muttered out the side of her mouth.

  ‘No,’ he hissed back.

  ‘You’ve got to.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘No what?’ Phillips sounded bored, but he was constantly scanning the area, his gun hunting for a target. Darcy didn’t want him to join the search for Noah and Conor.

  ‘Amelia. Where’s Amelia?’ She had faith Noah would be working on Plan B. She’d buy him all the time she could. ‘When does Stirling get his other daughter back?’

  Phillips finally showed some emotion. Puzzlement. ‘Don’t know anything about his daughter. Mr Reeves believed Stirling would lead us to Stein and he has. No one mentioned anyone called Amelia.’

  ‘Bullshit. Someone sent him a photo of her with tape over her mouth.’

  Phillips stared at her. ‘Not us.’ He turned away and walked towards the fallen men.

  ‘Stirling, I’ll show him the message,’ Darcy whispered.

  ‘No, leave it be.’ Stirling turned his head to glare at her, then looked away. She lifted her head and saw Phillips kick the two bodies, then walk to the corner of the building. Wiggling her hands underneath her, she managed to slide Stirling’s phone from her pocket. She thumbed through the messages until she found the photo of Amelia. Paul Freeland was the name across the top of the text. ‘Little one’s fine – upset about the tape but sleeping now. Yell when you want her taken home. P.’

  ‘Who the fuck is Paul Freeland?’ she snapped at her father, anger exploding in her. Stirling had conned her. He’d conned them all.

  ‘Paul Freeland?’ Stirling groaned when she held the screen close enough for him to see the message.

  ‘You arranged for one of your lackeys to kidnap your own daughter?’ His silence confirmed it.

  She heard someone running and risked raising her head. Ralph was sprinting to the old dairy. As he closed in on the building, he opened fire again. From the corner of the cottage Phillips added to the noise, firing off a couple of covering shots. A man screamed and this time she knew it was Conor. More gunfire came back from the dairy, making Ralph dive for the ground before he reached the building.

  ‘Shit,’ she muttered. She raised her hands to wipe sweat from her eyes and they came away red. The fragment of stone had cut deeper then she thought.

  Phillips was heading back covering them again with his gun. Darcy shoved the phone back in her pocket and lay still again.

  ‘Mouthy little thing, aren’t you?’ Phillips said, shoving his toe into Darcy’s side. She couldn’t stifle the grunt of pain. ‘Made this way more difficult than it had to be. Who’s with Conor? Another one of Daddy’s lackeys?’

  ‘Who else would it be?’ Darcy jumped in before Stirling could make it even worse. Where the hell was Noah? He was taking his own sweet time riding in on a white charger.

  ‘Your randy little local copper, perhaps?’ He smiled and she was reminded of the bared teeth of a mackerel, predatory and dangerous.

  ‘He’s in town picking up reinforcements. They’ll be here soon.’

  He narrowed his eyes and she could see him considering it. ‘Ralph?’

  ‘What?’ Ralph yelled back.

  ‘Wrap it up. We may have company coming.’

  ‘Stein?’ Ralph yelled. ‘You have one minute to get your fucking arse out here or we shoot the little lady.’

  27

  Noah was on his stomach inching up the slope from the creek when he heard someone yelling Conor’s name. His already-racing pulse hit overdrive. He had one hundred metres to go to reach the old tank and he was going to be in the open from the lantana bush. He had to make ground without being hit or giving Phillips time to shoot Darcy. He knew there was back-up on the way, but he had no way of knowing how close it was.

  He’d left Conor with two weapons and told him to pretend to be hit. He heard another scream and prayed Conor was acting. He saw Darcy lift her head at the sound and he willed her to look down the slope. Phillips was back at the corner of the cottage, waiting no doubt to get a shot at Conor if he appeared at the barn.

>   Stirling raised his head and glanced in Noah’s direction. It was a risk, but Noah raised his hand. For an instant Stirling did nothing, then he dropped his head down. Seconds later Darcy turned towards Noah. Her eyes, always large, looked enormous even at this distance. His chest contracted. It didn’t matter what the cost, he would keep Darcy safe. He raised his hand again and saw her shoulders straighten. He only hoped her belief in him was justified. He pointed to her left to where the Holden was parked. If she could wriggle closer to it, Phillips wouldn’t have a clear shot. He made a revolving signal with his hands and saw her head jerk in a nod.

  Time to go. He lunged to his feet, gun drawn, and sprinted up the slight slope. Darcy scrambled towards the car although Stirling was slowing her down. Phillips spun around, firing as he turned, and Noah felt a shot tug at his pants. He dropped to the ground, rolling, lurched to his feet and kept going. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen seconds, but it felt like he was running a marathon. Bullets pumped into the ground around him and he returned fire. Darcy had managed to get behind the car but Stirling was on his knees still short of the vehicle.

  ‘Arseholes,’ Philips swore and turned his gun on Stirling.

  Noah reached the old tank and dived behind it. As protection went it wasn’t much.

  ‘Mr Reeves is going to be very upset.’ Phillips sounded pissed off.

  ‘Don’t shoot, please,’ Stirling pleaded. ‘I got Stein for you. He’s here.’

  Phillips laughed. ‘You listening, Stein? This is for you.’

  He turned and fired. The impact spun Stirling around, blood spraying in an arc as he fell face first. The silence was shocking, broken only by a stifled cry from Darcy.

  Noah surged to his feet and fired as he rose. The first bullet caught Phillips in his right shoulder and his gun flew from his hand. He was already reaching for another weapon at the small of his back when Noah’s second shot hit him high in the thigh. Screaming as his leg shattered, Phillips collapsed in a heap. Noah ran to the first gun and scooped it up. Darcy was still sheltered behind the car and he signalled to her to stay there.

  ‘Phillips?’ Ralph sounded like he was heading back from the dairy.

  Phillips was moaning now, but still groping for his second weapon. Noah got to him and kicked his hand away, grabbing the smaller weapon before rolling him face down. The movement tore another scream from Phillips as he clutched at his leg with his good hand. Noah knew he’d need medical attention quickly or he’d bleed out.

  Noah stooped to check on Stirling, but he was sure from the way the man had fallen he was dead. Justice maybe, but it seemed cruel that he should die like this. The pool of blood hadn’t yet managed to soak into the ground. There was no pulse. Noah looked up and met Darcy’s stricken eyes. She had her fist pressed to her mouth.

  Someone was running now and Noah crouched, steadied his aim, ready.

  ‘He’s got a fucking gun,’ Phillips managed to scream. The footsteps stopped with a stumble as he continued. ‘Stein. Get Stein.’

  ‘How bad?’ Ralph asked.

  ‘Bad.’

  ‘Fuck.’

  Noah needed to shut Phillips up, but his moral compass didn’t allow killing a man as he lay bleeding out in a derelict farmyard. He cast around for something to gag him with, all the while listening for Ralph’s footsteps. As soon as Noah got to his feet, Phillips started yelling warnings again. Noah strode over to him and landed a swinging punch on the man’s jaw. It was enough to stop the words. Awkwardly he removed his own shirt, keeping his gun ready.

  He didn’t notice Darcy move until she was next to him, taking the shirt from him with her cuffed hands. He jerked his Leatherman from his belt and used the blade to slice through the plastic. Her brief smile was enough as he stowed the tool again. Between them they gagged Phillips. Her fingers fumbled and she was breathing rapidly. Shock had to set in. For the briefest of instants he grabbed her hand, held it tight in his, willing his strength, his love into that touch. Her cheeks were streaked in dust, a trail of blood trickled down from her forehead. She squeezed back and he saw echoes of the devastated teenager he’d dragged from the wild ocean, and the young woman he’d hauled from a filthy squat, but this time he wasn’t walking away, wasn’t letting go.

  He grazed her knuckles with his lips then let her hand fall. He still needed to tie Phillip’s hands to stop him removing the gag. Stirling was wearing a tie, but Noah was reluctant to move the body to get to it, especially with Darcy so close. Her eyes kept straying to her father’s fallen figure.

  A loose stone rolled near by. Ralph must have decided to check on his colleague after all and was edging closer to the corner of the building. Noah gave Darcy a small push towards the car. It took another more forceful shove before she went. Phillips was watching him through slitted eyes just waiting for an opportunity. Noah smiled grimly as he yanked at the other man’s belt, tugging it free as Phillips resisted. He gained small satisfaction from the man’s muffled moan of pain as he hauled Phillip’s bloodied hands behind him and lashed them with the belt. It wasn’t perfect, but it would hold.

  The rattle of stones came again and Noah crept towards the building.

  ‘Phillips?’ Ralph sounded close and Noah knew that he’d be able to hear the stifled cries from his accomplice.

  Noah reached the front of the building and grabbed a length of decaying timber in his left hand. Sweat was running down his chest and he brushed the back of his fist across his forehead. Where the hell is my back-up?

  A phone rang and Noah tensed.

  ‘Where the fuck are you?’ Ralph growled an instant after the ringing stopped.

  The other team must be on its way, Noah thought.

  ‘They’ve shot Phillips.’ Another pause. ‘I fuckin’ know that. Just get here. Stein’s still on the property.’

  Noah knew he had to finish it. Two more men would stack the odds against him. Even with the extra weapons from Stirling’s henchmen, he didn’t have many shots left. He looked behind. Darcy watched from beside the Holden. Phillips had wriggled around as well.

  Noah hefted the hank of timber and charged around the corner. Ralph’s gun hand was slack as he talked on the phone and Noah slammed the wood across his knees, bringing it up to meet the man’s chin as he fell. Ralph still managed to get a shot off before Noah grabbed the weapon and twisted free. The phone clattered on the stones and Noah swooped on it.

  ‘Don’t bother coming. They’re both dead now.’ He hung up the call just as the sound of an incoming helicopter filled the air. It was low and fast.

  The Black Hawk flew in over the top, with masked men in black already descending on fast ropes. The rotor wash pummelled them all, swirling dirt into a maelstrom as the sniper swung out of the aircraft on his harness. Noah knew the drill, had done this many times himself. He sprinted back to Darcy as the Special Emergency Response Team set up a perimeter

  He brushed her hair back from her forehead. Her hand touched his bare waist and he couldn’t stop the yearning that ran from head to toe.

  ‘I’ve got your back,’ he said and her emerald eyes gazed into his with a trust that broke his heart. He urged her down to the ground, as the SERT team screamed orders, menacing them all with weapons.

  He waited for the shouting to stop before getting to his knees with his hands high facing the leader of the team. The sound of the chopper faded as it orbited low to the east. The only other sounds were Phillips sucking air like a drowning man and Darcy breathing fast beside him.

  ‘I’m Sergeant Noah Moreton. I called for your assistance.’

  ‘Hey Uni, it’s been a while.’ The leader of the group walked towards him, weapon on his hip, the muzzle now trained on the ground.

  ‘Gandalf,’ Noah replied with a tired grin, slipping back into the nicknames and camaraderie that defined the tough men of SERT. ‘Too long.’ He reached out and the two men gripped hands, slapped shoulders. ‘Glad you’re here.’

  ‘Bet you are.’ Gandalf pushed his g
oggles up onto his forehead. ‘It’s our operation now.’

  ‘We need medical assistance: gunshot wounds.’

  ‘Right.’ The leader snapped out orders as the group secured the scene. The team medic came forwards to attend to Phillips. ‘Who fired?’

  ‘I did.’ Noah handed his gun over and nodded at Phillips. ‘And I believe he shot the other three. That’s his gun over there. There’s another guy around the corner. Banged up but otherwise unhurt.’

  Gandalf looked around. ‘Which one’s the whistleblower?’

  ‘He’s hiding out in the woods behind the old dairy.’

  He grunted, then issued instructions into his radio and several of his men left their positions and ran towards the trees. It was chaotic until the SERT team could confirm that there was no one else onsite.

  Darcy sat on the ground, her back against the car door, one of the SERT officers standing guard beside her. Noah was desperate to talk to her, but he still had a job to do.

  A filthy, rumpled Conor finally appeared, dwarfed by the bulky figures escorting him.

  Gandalf eyed him up and down, then pointed at one of his team. ‘The New South Wales boys are waiting at Bundaberg airport. The chopper can take you there now. I hope to Christ you’re worth all this effort.’

  ‘I doubt that.’ Conor turned to Noah. ‘Thanks. For everything.’ They shook hands and Noah reached across to clasp his shoulder as well.

  ‘Just finish this once and for all, Conor.’

  ‘I will.’ Conor gestured towards Darcy. ‘May I?’ Noah looked across to Gandalf who nodded. Conor picked his way over and crouched next to Darcy. She took his proffered hand and managed a smile. ‘You have a hell of a lot more courage than me,’ Conor said. ‘Don’t let life pass you by.’ He pressed a hard kiss to her temple. ‘Don’t let love pass you by either.’ He got to his feet and headed for the Black Hawk without a backwards glance.

  Noah met Darcy’s eyes. A sad smile hovered on her lips. Uncertainty filled Noah.

  ‘Uni?’ The team leader had obviously been talking to him.

  ‘Sorry?’