Blood Sisters

by Caroline de Costa

  For half a minute the owl and Scarlett gazed at one another. Then, without a sound, he rose into the air and disappeared into the park. Scarlett began to run towards Holliday Close.

  She knew perfectly well that logically there was no link between the owl and the whereabouts of Emily. Emily has not sent that owl, she told herself. But she was now convinced that Emily was in danger.

  ***

  Slowing down to a stop as she came to the bottom of Holliday Close, Scarlett took in deep breaths after the run. Clouds swirled across the moon. There were lights on in the McFadden house but blinds and curtains were drawn. The rest of the street was in darkness.

  Scarlett could also see that there was something about the McFadden property that was different tonight. Yes, that was it: the back gate was open. Wide open. Light spilled out from the house, but the backyard was as dark as the street. Scarlett could see that there was a truck parked by the back gate. A white truck, a bit bigger than a ute.

  Scarlett put her backpack down beneath a hibiscus bush and began to jog quietly up the hill, trying to see as much as possible without appearing to look at the truck itself. The truck had a big passenger cabin. As Scarlett got to the top of the Close she realised that this must be the truck they’d seen when they’d been looking down on the house on Sunday. There was a tarpaulin cover across the back tray which was partly open on one side. It wasn’t possible to see inside the tray; nor was there anyone about, and the yard was completely in shadow. The security lights that she and Emily had seen on Sunday must be turned off.

  The truck was parked so that it was close to the gate in the back fence. There was a light on in the building behind the house. As she came further up the Close she could read the logo on the side of the truck: ‘Teak Solutions’.

  She slipped further into the shadow of the hibiscus bushes. The truck seemed to have been put there to provide direct access to the building at the back.

  Then as she stood watching came the sound of men’s voices, and she froze in her hiding place. There was a rattling of locks and the door of the rear building opened. Someone began to come out and there was a sudden blaze of light as the security lights were switched on. There was a scurrying at the door, and Scarlett heard a male voice say, ‘Shit, Fang, put the damn lights off!’ and the lights went out.

  But not before Scarlett had seen that there were two men—and Emily. One man looked like Martin McFadden, from what she remembered of the photo and of seeing him through the binoculars on Sunday. The other was the Chinese man. And between them they were dragging Emily, her long hair falling down her back, her wrists and legs bound together, and her mouth gagged with tape.

  Scarlett clutched the hibiscus for support, trying to maintain her balance and not fall into the bush in her terror. Was Emily alive or dead? With the sudden brilliance of the light, and then its disappearance, she could now barely see what was happening, but she realised the men were bundling Emily into the back of the truck. She also realised that they would not be able to see her where she was hiding in the darkness. Then as they pushed Emily further under the canvas, Scarlett heard a little whimper. A great wave of relief swept over her. Em was alive.

  ‘Shut up bitch!’ said McFadden, and there was the sound of a slap. The tarpaulin was pulled across the top of the truck’s tray, and the two of them disappeared back into the rear building

  For just a moment Scarlett was frozen to the spot. Then her brain kicked in. The need for action was overwhelming but what was the best thing to do? She must call the police, now. But she couldn’t do that here—she’d be heard and found immediately. If she went back down the hill and around the corner, she would be in a better position to call, but then if something else happened to Em, she wouldn’t be here to see it. Even as these thoughts raced through her head, the door of the rear building reopened, and the Chinese man returned, carrying something large in both hands. He came towards the truck but not the tray again, instead opening the far side door of the passenger compartment and with a crash dropped his bundle inside. The interior light came on in the cabin and caught the handle of a shovel. The door slammed, and the man disappeared back through the gate.

  She would text Cass Diamond and if she didn’t get an answer immediately, she would make her way down the hill and call 000. Her fingers were trembling so much that she fumbled the message, keeping the phone hidden behind the bush so the flashing screen would not be seen. She wished she had Dorcas’s texting skills.

  SOS hello this is scarlett smith im at the top of holliday close in bayview house of martin McFadden he has kidnapped emily who is tied up in his truck can u pls send help

  Scarlett pressed the send button, switched the phone onto mute then crept across the road towards the truck. There had been no sound from the men for a few minutes so maybe she would have time to talk to Emily and tell her help was coming. The tarpaulin cover was still only partly across the tray and the tailguard was down. But just as she was cautiously lifting up the cover on the road side she heard the metallic sound of the door locks again and realised that the men were coming back. The dog was with them now; it must have been taken off its leash. There would be no time to get back into her hiding place across the road and anyway the dog might pick up her scent. There was only one thing to do. Quickly she swung herself up over the tailguard onto the back of the truck and under the cover. As quietly as she could she rolled herself down to where she could feel Emily’s shape stretched out. Her right hand touched Emily’s hipbone, recognising the soft hollow of her stomach under her T-shirt. She reached for Emily’s hand and squeezed it, not daring to speak, even in a whisper, but sure that Em would know it was her.

  She heard the men coming towards the truck again, bringing something else—she could hear something being dragged along. Something heavier than the shovel then. The dog was with them now, apparently running back and forth, barking. Scarlett squeezed herself as close as she could towards Emily and as far away as possible from the exposed opening of the tray cover. She heard the cover being pulled back and then something else was pushed in with them. Scarlett cautiously put out a hand. It was another body. Also, still alive, warm. She could feel the gagged mouth, and long hair in a ponytail. Scarlett passed a hand gently down the person’s arm and found hands tied together, small hands. This was a woman. The woman did not utter a sound, but Scarlett could feel her fear—her pulse was racing and she was trembling all over.

  Then the cover was pulled back into place, the tailguard closed and there was the sound of the snap fasteners on the cover being done up.

  ‘Just the guns now, Fang,’ said McFadden’s voice, and Scarlett felt the unknown woman next to her tense like a whip. Both men could be heard walking back into the rear building. The dog had quietened down; Scarlett hoped it had gone back into the yard with the men.

  She took out her phone and cautiously shone the light around her, making sure the cover was in place. Then looked into the terrified faces before her: Emily, and to her right, Marcie. Scarlett put her finger to her lips. She tried to look encouraging, but her heart was beating wildly and her breaths came short and fast.

  Then she looked down at her messages. Thank god. There was a reply.

  Got message we know house on our way Diamond

  She quickly texted back marcie here too. She gave a thumbs up and managed to smile weakly at the other two, although she knew there was very little time for the police to find them.

  21

  Cairns

  Friday 31st August 2013

  Cass had stood clutching the towel around herself as she read the message again. Then she heard Jordon from the kitchen.

  ‘Mum!’ he called.

  She ran into the kitchen to find there was someone else there with Jordon. Her son was standing with his arm around a girl with a wide smile and long black hair. Jordon was holding a pizza and there was a six-pack on the counter. Denzel was dancing around in excitement. So many people here to see him!

  ‘Mum, this
is Mindy.’

  ‘Hi Mindy, ah, great to meet you but, umm... I have an emergency, a kidnapping, gotta go. Jordon can you come with me and text Drew, I need you. Get in the car!’

  ‘Hell, Mum, what about Mindy?’

  ‘She can stay here. Won’t be long.’

  ‘No,’ said Mindy firmly, ‘I’m coming too’.

  Cass had no time to argue. ‘Okay, but we have to go now! Bring Denzel!’

  Jordon dropped the pizza on the kitchen bench. ‘Mum, get some clothes on. I’ll get the car out.’ He picked up her keys. ‘Come on, Min! Hope this won’t be too exciting for you.’ They raced out together to the car, followed joyously by Denzel.

  Cass flung on jeans, a dark top, and sneakers, hastily unlocking her gun and strapping it on. She grabbed her mobile and ran out the front where Jordon had brought the car. She jumped in as Jordon moved over to the passenger seat and dropped her mobile into his lap. Mindy was in the back holding an excited Denzel by his collar.

  As she drove out onto McLeod Street she instructed Jordon to reply to the most recent message. ‘Say I know the house and I’m coming.’

  ‘Okay.’ Jordon did this in half the time it would have taken his mother. She drove steadily down McLeod, concentrating on slowing her breathing as she went, as she’d learnt in taekwondo.

  Her mobile pinged. ‘She says someone called Marcie is there too,’ Jordon reported.

  ‘Bloody hell! Okay, now call Drew. He’s at work. His number’s in the contacts list.’

  When Drew answered she told Jordon: ‘Tell him that the schoolgirl, Emily’s, been kidnapped by McFadden. She’s at McFadden’s house right now. She’s in the back of a white truck at the top of Holliday Close. Marcie is there too. Scarlett is somewhere there close by but able to text. I don’t think she’s been caught as well. Yet. I’m going there now.’

  ‘Scarlett? There’s a girl called Scarlett?’

  ‘Yep. Red for short. Drew knows who she is.’

  ‘Okay. At the end of this conversation Jordon reported: ‘Drew says he’s going there straight away and getting a squad car. He sounds a bit pissed off at those girls.’

  Cass took a deep breath and spoke over her shoulder. ‘Sorry Mindy. I don’t usually work from home like this! It’s just that I got a direct call from a friend of this girl, she had my mobile number. My colleagues will handle what has to happen and I’ll keep you away from any trouble. I just need to make sure they get to her in time.’

  ‘Umm... Okay!’ said Mindy rather nervously. Jordon turned and squeezed her hand.

  Cass was thinking fast. Those girls must have been doing some investigating on their own. Bloody kid detectives! Somehow, they had found McFadden and got involved with him. Kidnapped, in fact.

  And Marcie? Had she been somewhere in Cairns for the past week? With McFadden? In Cairns? Or somewhere else? Was McFadden part of a trafficking syndicate? With the furniture imports as a cover? If Emily had been kidnapped by them, she must have seen something, or been onto something.

  That something must have included finding Marcie.

  And possibly even other women? Damn, why hadn’t those girls just called the police? Or had things just happened too fast?

  Cass’s mobile rang. Jordon answered.

  ‘It’s Drew,’ he relayed. ‘They’re on their way. A squad car and Drew in a dark blue Falcon. Heading out right now.’

  ‘Good!’ said Cass. ‘We just need to get to the house and make sure the girl’s still there. I believe she’s actually in the back of a truck parked outside a house we’ve been interested in. Hopefully, our people will be able to rescue her unharmed. Once I know they’re at the site we can go back home. Then I can meet you properly, Mindy.’ She glanced at Mindy through her rear-view mirror. Mindy gave an emphatic thumbs-up as Jordon typed a further message to Scarlett.

  They had reached the highway. Cass swung the car onto it, going south towards Bayview. There was the sudden ping of a new message in her mobile. Jordon opened it and read it out to his mother.

  ‘Bugger,’ she said. ‘Sorry, change of plan! We’re going to have to follow!’

  ***

  In the back of the truck Scarlett carefully stretched her limbs. Though it was cramped and stuffy there was enough space for her to move her arms and legs. The first thing she did was to pull off the tape gagging the two girls, first Emily and then Marcie. As she did so she indicated vigorously that they should make no sound.

  Then she turned her attention to their bonds. Marcie’s hands were tied tightly together with a coarse, yellow string. Scarlett had to balance the phone against her own chest so she could use both hands to slowly prise open the knots and release her. Tears came to Marcie’s eyes as her hands were freed but she did not utter a sound, just rubbed her wrists briskly.

  Emily’s hands were doubly bound, with wire as well as the yellow string. Scarlett was just starting on undoing the string when there was the sound of a door opening and the men coming towards the truck. Quickly Scarlett turned her phone face down to hide the lit-up screen. The door of the passenger compartment was opened, some objects flung in, before the door was slammed shut. Then there was the noise of the back gate closing. Scarlett braced herself, ready to jump out and run if she was discovered in the back of the truck. She decided she would try to zig-zag down the hill and into the neighbour’s house while screaming at the top of her voice. Hopefully, by that time Cass, and maybe other police, would have arrived. Also, hopefully, the men wouldn’t try to shoot her. Or set the dog onto her.

  But the men were not interested in their human cargo, at least not yet. They got into the front of the truck, started the engine, and the truck set off down the hill. It was now making enough noise to cover quiet conversation in the back. At least they seemed to have left the dog behind at the house.

  ‘Shit!’ whispered Scarlett. ‘Shit, shit, shit!’

  She reached underneath herself and found her phone. She punched in another message to Cass Diamond.

  ‘I’m texting Cass Diamond,’ she told Emily. To Marcie she whispered: ‘The police are coming. It’ll be fine. Just stay quiet.’ Marcie nodded, her face pale, still trembling.

  Scarlett pressed Send on her message: in back of white truck leaving holliday close with emily & marcie both tied up will follow with google maps on my phone can u follow men have guns

  She passed the phone to Marcie.

  ‘You hold that still, so I can see Emily’s hands,’ she whispered. Marcie nodded and took the phone. In the half-light Scarlett suddenly noticed that there were burns on Marcie’s face. They looked like cigarette burns. What the hell had been going on? Tears pricked at the corner of Scarlett’s eyes, she felt shocked and horrified by what her friend must have suffered at the hands of these brutes. She hoped that Cass Diamond really was on her way, with a whole lot of big strong policemen as well.

  The truck lurched to the right and then the left. They must be heading towards the highway. It was difficult to see and difficult to keep her hands steady enough to pick away at the knotted string. It was also very stuffy under the cover of the tray, and there was a strong smell of oil. Lots of small loose objects, screws and bits of wood, rolled around on the floor of the tray with every movement of the truck.

  Then abruptly the truck stopped. Scarlett braced herself for the arrival of one or both of the men at the side of the truck. But they must have been at the traffic lights because in a moment they started up again, turned right and began to move much faster. The road was smoother now, so Scarlett’s task easier—the yellow string finally yielding to her, but the wire was very stubborn. It was impossible to see the ends clearly to untwist them, especially as the truck was now gathering speed. Emily spoke quietly.

  ‘Try Marcie’s feet. If you can do that and she’s completely free, that will be good.’

  There was the soft flash on the phone of a message. ‘Where r u?’ Scarlett read. She flicked back to Google Maps. It took her a few moments to orientate herself. They were
on the Bruce Highway on the outskirts of southern Cairns.

  Scarlett typed quickly: bruce highway pst woree big white truck red signs we are under cover in back men don’t know im here. She sent the message off to Cass who texted back: OK following keep us informed.

  ‘The police,’ she said to Marcie, who now seemed much less frightened and even gave a small smile. Scarlett reached down and began to undo the string tying Marcie’s feet. Marcie bent up her knees so Scarlett could reach her feet more easily, rubbed her hands and began to help with the untying. After a few moments, Marcie was completely free. Scarlett checked Google again and saw they’d passed through Edmonton. There was another stop at red lights. It was quieter in the truck and Scarlett pressed her finger to her lips and waited before texting again.

  @xroads edmonton going straight on I think

  A moment later the truck started up and Cass’s reply came back: attagirl

  Scarlett had another go at Emily’s wrists, but the wire was tightly wrapped and with nervous fingers, it was impossible. She could not find the ends or get a grip on any part of it. There was string around Emily’s calves which Scarlett managed to untie but her ankles were still bound with the wire. She noticed dried blood on Emily’s jeans which were torn. and pulled up one leg of the jeans to see deep teeth marks in the flesh. Emily nodded.

  ‘That dog,’ she whispered. ‘Got me when I was behind the back wall. I’m so sorry. We should have just done what Erin told us.’

  Scarlett put her mouth to Emily’s ear and whispered: ‘Blue, we’re going to get out of this’.

  Emily nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘Kiss me,’ she said, and Scarlett leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth. Marcie seemed unsurprised by this.

  The truck slowed a bit and Scarlett looked at Google Maps again. They were approaching the turnoff to the Gillies Highway: an area where there was a lot of rainforest, steep drops from the range above them and dirt tracks that petered out to nowhere. In fact, Scarlett remembered, that’s where that guy was found murdered a couple of years ago. Wayne something. They never found who killed him... maybe it was McFadden who did it. She shivered. She texted Cass again.