Secret Memories

by Horsnell, Susan

  He changed, grabbed his laptop, a cola and stepped onto his balcony. He stood for a moment, watching the surfers battle the waves. He’d never learned to surf. His father was always too busy to teach him and Rick had been more interested in the law. He was now in his third year of legal studies, one day he wanted his own legal practice.

  He placed his drink on the balcony table and dialed a number from the sheet he’d been given earlier.

  “Adam Bertana,” came a voice down the line.

  “Mr. Bertana, my name is Rick Masters. I’m a friend of Lyndsay Richards.”

  “The girl who’s missing in Kuringai.”

  “Yes. I have the next couple of days off and was wondering if you could give me a hand with a search?” Rick crossed his fingers. He knew the park well but not as well as the local aborigines.

  There was silence from the other end of the phone. “Mr. Bertana?”

  “If we’re going to spend the next couple of days together you better call me Adam.”

  “You’ll help?”

  “Of course. I was checking my diary. I don’t have anything on until the weekend. I’d be happy to help you. Where do you want to meet me and what time?”

  “In the car park at the entrance to the America Bay track. 7am too early?”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Adam.” Rick disconnected the phone. He was feeling much more positive now he had help.

  He flashed up his laptop and Googled walking tracks in the park. For the rest of the night he studied the terrain and made notes. He would be well prepared by the time he met Adam the following day.

  ***

  “You are obviously Adam,” Rick said as he stepped from his car and offered his hand to the tall Aborigine.

  “Yep, that’s me. Since we’re the only two here, you must be Rick.”

  “Got it in one.” Rick pulled on his backpack. He had food, water, several ropes and a first aid kit inside. Adam also picked his pack up from the ground and settled it onto his back. Rick suspected he was just as well equipped.

  The day was sunny and warmth was already clearing the mist of the morning as they stepped onto the bush track. They were surrounded by scribbly gum trees, wattle, acacias and a myriad of other plants as they slowly trudged north.

  Adam kept his eyes fixed on the ground and surrounding bush. “I doubt there will be any tracks after the storms but it doesn’t hurt to look.”

  “Do you know the park well?” Rick asked.

  “Better than most people but not as well as my ancestors. Sometimes I bring groups of kids through and show them the ancient carvings made by my people.”

  “I’ve seen the engravings of the woman with the whale and shark, also a goanna. You get a sense of presence of the ancient people when you stop there.”

  Adam glanced up at Rick. “Yes, as an aboriginal I feel it but it’s unusual for a white man to feel it.”

  They continued downhill scouring the landscape and calling Lyndsay’s name. Apart from lizards and other small critters scurrying about, there was nothing. They were approaching the bottom of the track but where it had once been was now gone. They stopped and took a long look around.

  “Landslide, big one too.” Adam said.

  Rick’s heart thumped against his ribs and his stomach did back flips. What if Lyndsay had been caught in the slide? Had she gone over the cliff edge, was she dead or was she lying injured somewhere?

  Chapter Three

  The sun warmed Lyndsay’s cold, weary body as she sat on a ledge outside the cave scanning the park and pondering her future. The area had been decimated by the storms. The landslide which had caused her accident hadn’t been the only one. The landscape had been rearranged, fallen trees and debris lay everywhere. Huge sections of mountain had collapsed into the river below.

  Her stomach grumbled in protest, she had eaten the last of her food earlier in the morning. With her ankle now slightly blue and three times its normal size, she couldn’t even scavenge for bush food.

  I’m gonna die. All they will find is a pile of bones. Lyndsay dropped her head into her hands and cried. She didn’t want to die out in the wilderness alone, Dylan needed her. Sure, her parents would take good care of him but it wasn’t the same. She tilted her head back and looked up at the clear blue sky. “Why isn’t somebody coming?” she screamed. “I can’t do this any longer, I need help.”

  She lay down on the ledge, too weak to fight any more. “Good Bye my sweet, innocent Dylan, goodbye Mum and Dad. I love you all so much.” As wildlife scurried around her, Lyndsay allowed darkness to sweep her away.

  ***

  Rick and Adam sat on the edge of a ledge where the walking track had once been. They perused the changed landscape as they devoured sandwiches and guzzled water. The sun was high in the sky and the conditions were steamy and hot.

  “Where do you suggest we try next?” Rick asked Adam.

  Adam sat quietly thinking for a moment. “I’m going to hope she didn’t go over the edge and I think we should begin walking in circles, crisscrossing the track.”

  “Beginning here?”

  “Yeah. If she was caught in the slide, there are lots of trees. She might have been lucky enough to grab hold of one.”

  Rick voiced his fear. “But if she hasn’t gone over in the slide, why hasn’t she turned up?”

  “Maybe she was caught on the edge of the slide and got injured,” Adam attempted to reassure him.

  “Maybe.” Rick wasn’t convinced.

  They packed all their rubbish into their backpacks and as afternoon closed in, they began a methodical search. They covered the ground for hours, the temperature began dropping and the light faded. They’d found nothing.

  “Time we called it a day,” Adam told Rick.

  “Let’s check near that ravine up ahead first.”

  “Alright but we need to make it quick. We’re a fair distance from the track and I don’t want to try and negotiate it in the dark.”

  The two men traipsed through the dense bush. Adam suddenly glimpsed something red in the dull fading light.

  “What’s that?” he asked Rick?

  “What’s what?”

  Adam rushed ahead. “Look, over there. Something red. Looks like a body.”

  The men dashed through the bush, it scratched and tore at Rick’s legs. He didn’t care. If there was a chance it was Lyndsay lying out there, he had to get to her. They stood on the edge, the ground had fallen away and left a ravine about twenty feet deep and ten feet across. Rick could see it was a female’s body on the other side, even though she was partially obscured by small bushes.

  “Lyndsay!” Rick shouted. There was no response. She lay motionless “Lyndsay!” he tried again. Nothing. “We have to find a way to get to her Adam.”

  “Do you have your mobile phone?”

  Rick pulled it from his pocket. He spun around, holding it up, then down, but there was no signal this deep into the park. “No service.”

  “Okay. Let’s think.” The men walked in circles, peering into the ravine, glancing back up the embankment, trying hard to figure a way across.

  “The only think we can do is head back up the hill, find where the ravine ends and cross through the bush.” Adam said.

  “Fine, let’s go.” Rick began following the edge of the ravine pushing thick bush out of his way as he went.

  “It’s gonna be dark soon,” Adam said with concern.

  Rick stopped and faced him. “I’m not leaving Lyndsay out here alone for another night. I have a flashlight, food and water. You head back and alert the emergency services to come get us in the morning.” He pulled a paper from his pocket. “This is her parents contact details and the detectives names at the Narrabeen station. Can you let them all know?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sure about leaving, Rick. What if you fall or get injured? You don’t even know it’s her.”

  “Who else would it be? I’m staying. You can decide what yo
u want to do but we’re wasting time and I need to get to her.”

  “Okay. I’ll head back and call it in. Be careful.” Adam reached into his backpack and removed a bottle of water, some muesli bars and a sandwich which he handed to Rick. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Adam headed in the direction of the track. “You be careful too,” Rick called to his back.

  Rick worked his way through the dense bush, the light was fading fast now that the sun had dropped behind the horizon. The thought of Lyndsay being hurt and alone propelled him along. He prayed he didn’t become lost. Finally the ravine tapered away and he was able to begin his descent towards where they had seen the body and flashes of red.

  He stumbled and tripped, falling to his knees on more than one occasion, as he picked his way along in the darkness. It had become cold, a chill wind blowing in from the river, so he pulled his all-weather jacket from his pack, slipped it on and zipped it up to his chin. His flashlight scanned up ahead.

  There, I can see the red again. Hold on Lyndsay, I’m coming. He hurried as fast as he could to her side and dropped to his knees. He shone the light over her. Her beautiful face was filthy, covered in dirt and dried blood from a myriad of cuts and scratches. Her lips were cracked and burnt. Her hair was a tangled mess, small twigs held in its grasp. He shook her gently. “Lyndsay, wake up sweetheart.”

  ***

  Someone was shaking her and calling her name. Had she arrived in heaven?

  “Open your eyes for me sweetheart.”

  The voice again. It was a nice, deep rumbling voice, filled with kindness but she wanted to sleep. She wasn’t ready for heaven.

  “Lyndsay, come on. Open your eyes.”

  The shaking became more insistent. She swatted at the hand. “Leave me alone. I want to sleep,” she grumbled in a croaky voice, her throat dry and parched.

  Rick relaxed slightly when she spoke. He reached in his pack for the first aid kit. “Where are you hurt?”

  “Everywhere,” she mumbled. Her eyes still tightly closed.

  “Can you sit up?”

  “No, I want to sleep.” Her stomach growled loudly.

  “Lyndsay, I need you to open your eyes and look at me. I have food and water but you can’t have them until I know you can sit up.”

  “Why do I need food and water in heaven?”

  Rick smiled. “Sweetheart, you’re not in heaven. You’re in the National Park and we have finally found you.”

  Found me? Someone has found me? I’m not dead? Slowly she opened her eyes and peered into her rescuer’s face. Such a kind, handsome face. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Rick. Rick Masters.” He ran his hands gently over her body. He couldn’t feel any obvious injuries or broken bones.

  “Rick Masters,” she murmured. Why did the name sound familiar?

  “Why couldn’t you get out of the park? Your parents said you were an experienced hiker.”

  “Broken ankle.” She winced as he helped her sit up.

  He shone the light down on her feet. Her right ankle was so swollen it looked like it was ready to pop. It was certainly broken, and badly.

  “I have help coming in the morning. They’ll have a stretcher to carry you out.”

  “Okay. Can I have water, please?”

  He handed her a bottle of water and she gulped thirstily before wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, catching stray droplets.

  “Thank you, for finding me.”

  “You’re very welcome, sweetheart.” He waved the flashlight around and noticed the entrance to the cave behind them. “Have you been in the cave?”

  “Yes, I found it when I stopped falling and crawled to it to get out of the storm.”

  “What happened?” He angled the flashlight up off the ground and wiped her face over with sterile wipes.

  “I got caught in a landslide. I thought I was going to go over the edge but a branch from a tree snagged me in time. That’s what broke my ankle.”

  “Better a broken ankle than dead at the bottom of the cliff.” He spread ointment over the cuts and scrapes. She shivered with cold. “Let’s get you into the cave. I have a small exposure blanket in the first aid kit which will help keep you warm.”

  She attempted to roll over to crawl back to the cave but Rick stood, scooped her into his arms and carried her inside. Her head rested against his broad chest. For the first time in days, she felt safe. He carefully set her down on the cave floor.

  “I’ll get my pack and be straight back.” He disappeared into the darkness but reappeared seconds later.

  He dropped to his knees next to Lyndsay and pulled a foil blanket from his pack. “Here, wrap this around you and it well help keep you warm.” He draped the blanket over her shoulders and pulled it tightly around her slim frame. He held it together just below her neck. “Hold it here while I’ll get a safety pin from the first aid kit.” He lifted one of her hands to guide her to where the ends met. “Your fingers are like ice.” He rubbed her hands briskly between his own until they felt a bit warmer then located a safety pin to hold the ends of the blanket in place.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “Do you think you could eat something? I have some ham and cheese sandwiches and a couple of muesli bars.”

  “I would love a sandwich and some more water.” She was dehydrated from lying under the beating sun all day.

  Rick pulled out a pack with the sandwiches and handed her half. He watched her as they sat eating quietly. She hasn’t aged much at all. If anything, I think she’s even more beautiful.

  Lyndsay lifted a bottle of water to her lips and drank thirstily before screwing the lid back into place and setting it back down on the ground. “Your name’s familiar, have I met you before?”

  Rick had been dreading this question. He was hoping she wouldn’t remember him, after all, they only shared two classes in school. He took a deep breath. “We were at Narrabeen High School at the same time. We had the same English and Science classes.”

  “I don’t remember you.” She dragged her eyes over his body. He was the tallest, most handsome man, she’d ever met. He had a voice that washed over her like warm water and even in the dim light, she had noticed his piercing blue eyes. I’d never forget you if we had met before. “Are you sure you have the right Lyndsay?”

  “Yeah. I was a pretty forgettable kid in high school so it doesn’t surprise me that you don’t remember who I am.”

  “Rick Masters, why is your name so familiar?” Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the name rang a bell.

  Rick decided to put her out of her misery. He could see it was bothering her that she couldn’t remember. “Picture this. Short, hair that looked like it was cut around a bowl, because it was, glasses, pimples, overweight.”

  She raised a hand to her mouth. “That Rick Masters.”

  “Yep. That was me.”

  “I remember you used to sit up in the back of the stand and watch me play netball. You were always alone and I felt so sorry for you. You never came and spoke to anyone so I never found out why you were there. By the time I came out of the change rooms you were gone. I wanted to speak to you but I didn’t want to embarrass you with everyone else around. My, you have changed.”

  Rick laughed. “Nature and a bit of hard work.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a Senior Constable at Manly Police Station but I’m in my third year of law. I want my own law practice eventually. How about you?”

  “I was studying Psychology but had to defer when I found out I was…” she didn’t want to finish the sentence.

  “You were pregnant with Dylan,” he finished quietly.

  “Yes. His father wanted the pregnancy terminated but I refused. He left. I just broke up with a guy I had been seeing for over a year because he said he wanted me but not Dylan.”

  “Your parents said that’s why you came out here.”

  “Yes, I needed to think. I left the track to follow a baby
kangaroo I thought was injured and the landslide hit. I’ve been holed up in this cave ever since. I’d given up on anyone finding me. Why are you here alone?”

  “I saw your picture on a poster attached to a pole when I was going for lunch yesterday. I talked to the two detectives on the case and asked if I could spend my days off looking for you. I know the park really well and they said they weren’t having any luck so to go ahead. They had been searching on the other side of the ravine. I came out here with Adam, one of the local aborigines who agreed to help me. After we spotted you, he went back to alert the emergency services while I came for you.”

  “I think the ravine was formed by the landslide.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was too.”

  “Why were you searching over this side? There aren’t any walking tracks.”

  “We weren’t. Adam and I had decided to search in a circular pattern and it was just on sunset when he spotted something red. When we moved closer we could see your body. I had to track back up the hill to the end of the ravine so I could cross over.”

  “I’m so glad you found me.” Lyndsay was shaking with cold, her teeth were chattering.

  “You’re still freezing.” Rick swept her onto his lap and leaned his back against the wall of the cave. He pulled the blanket tighter around her as he cradled her close. All those years he had dreamed of holding her in his arms and now he finally was. “Try and get some sleep.”

  Lyndsay snuggled into Rick’s chest. Her shivering stopped, she felt warm and safe. Closing her eyes, she drifted into sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Rick hadn’t slept much with Lyndsay snug in his arms and her head resting over his pounding heart. She had moaned in pain on and off, getting medical help was becoming urgent. He didn’t like the look of her foot.

  The sun was just poking its head over the horizon when Lyndsay opened her eyes and gazed at him with a sleepy expression. “Hi,” she murmured. Her head rested against Rick’s chest. Being able to hear his heartbeat throughout the night had been comforting.