Another surprise to be pursued at a later date. “Sure is. Lots of channels and what looks like a swamp among the trees. Anything could be down there.” They spiral down to one thousand feet and circle the area for a closer inspection. “This is the best area we’ve seen along the whole coast.” Jed makes a sudden decision. He increases the power and trims for a cruise climb all the way to five thousand feet, tracking northwest over the gulf.
Alex looks across at him with a question forming on her lips, but he beats her to it.
“I’m going to show you something Alex. If nothing else you can take back a memory with you!” At five thousand feet, well out into the gulf, he circles and sets the scene. “Imagine Karl flying a damaged bomber back on this course. He could be injured, the aircraft shot up, crew dead or wounded, one engine gone maybe. He’s navigating by dead reckoning and misses Darwin because he’s too far west. If you look out that way,” he says pointing to the east, “you can see how the sea and sky merge together. Can’t see the coast as such, but the bluff is just visible in the haze. He spots it and realises he’s west and turns toward it. The aircraft is dying, coming down at, say, two hundred to three hundred feet per minute.” Jed pulls the power back to set up a descent at ninety knots. “Your aircraft Alex,” he commands, but keeps his finger and feet lightly on the controls. “Now you can see what he may have seen!”
Alex maintains the descent, mesmerised by the sense she is experiencing the last moments of her grandfather.
“As we get closer,” Jed explains, “you can see that turning to the right of the bluff adds distance for a forced landing, the last thing he wants. So it has to be left of the bluff, but not too far. See how the country is too rugged on the other side of the channel. He would have to aim for a spot between the bluff and the channel.”
They fly the Cessna closer and closer to the ground, dropping ten degrees of flap and keeping the bluff in the same spot in the windscreen to maintain the angle of descent. Slowly the ground becomes clearer. They can distinguish the mangroves on the mudflats, the choked channel, the rock faces of the bluff and then individual trees.
“You can’t land here, there’s no room!” Alex snaps with obvious tension as they descend relentlessly toward the ground.
“No intention of landing,” he murmurs. “Just giving you a sense of what he would have seen Alex. My aircraft!” Jed commands decisively as he flies it down, closer and closer to the ground. He can sense Alex stiffening as the ground approaches, two hundred feet, one hundred and fifty, one hundred… until he finally thrusts the throttle lever forward and starts to climb. The engine sends a thundering roar across the landscape and the wheels skim the mudflats.
“What’s that?” Alex shouts, stabbing with her finger to the right of the nose. Jed catches the briefest glimpse before the canopy of trees swamps his vision. He hauls the aircraft into a steep turn, tracks back over the water and pulls the power for another low-level approach. This time he holds the altitude low, very low, giving them the opportunity for a better look. They head in, nose high, flap down, power on.
“There!” Alex points. “Under the trees!”
Jed catches another flash of the image. Straight lines of tail fins standing out from the normal shapes of nature. Dull army green, flat surfaces, more straight lines and then it is gone as they climb over the trees.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Alex cries. “It’s surreal, just sitting there under the trees.”
Jed pulls the aircraft into another steep turn, this time at five hundred feet, to inspect the country. Forest, swamp, mangroves and mudflats form a complex web defying penetration.
“Bloody hell!” Jed announces. “Our mystery pig hunter got lucky finding that! Whoever he was, I have to respect him!”
“Let’s have another look!” Alex demands and Jed flies on another low pass. The vision is there again, sitting undisturbed and peaceful under the leafy canopy of the trees behind a screen of vegetation.
“Maybe he found a way in during a dry spell,” Jed suggests.
“Let’s get back to Darwin!” Alex commands.
Jed is engrossed in locating the position on the map and marking a waypoint on the GPS. “Hold on just a minute,” he commands in turn as he finishes locking in the location. Relief washes through him as he realises he was right after all!
Alex looks over at him with a penetrating gaze. “You actually bloody did it!”
“Do I detect a hint of doubt?” Relief and excitement pulsate through him. He looks across at her and has to confess. “Good planning and a hell of a lot of sheer arse!”
“Who cares how it happened! We found it!” She holds up her hand for a high five and Jed responds, still in shock at the glimpse of the aircraft.
He turns the Cessna to fly parallel to the coast before making a turn to line up on the stretch of beach to the southwest. “I’m going to try a landing. I’ll touch the wheels and I need you to check how far we sink. Look out your window. I’ll watch my side. If it looks good I’ll land, otherwise I’ll do a go round,” he calls, still holding her fingers intertwined with his. He releases her hand, drops flap, powers back to fifteen hundred rpm and gently kisses the main wheels onto the mud flat while holding the nose high. It is looking good and he reduces power just as the main wheels start to sink into the sand.
Alex sees what is happening and calls out, “It’s too soft!”
Jed feels the aircraft hesitate and hits the power. The aircraft shudders and jerks, the nose drops and the wheel touches the mud. He pulls it back up as the prop bites into the air, hauling them reluctantly back into the sky.
“Damn! Have to give that a miss! Let’s go back to Darwin and regroup!” Jed decides with a racing pulse as he climbs the aircraft to cruising altitude for the run back to Darwin.
“That was close! A shame we couldn’t land. We’ll still have a celebration tonight!” Alex decides, giving him the most appraising look yet and touches his hand resting on the throttle in a moment of confused feelings. “Take us back. Take me to Darwin,” is all she can manage.
The simple gesture works wonders on Jed. Any residual stress disappears instantly. He flies the aircraft on wings of elation and doesn’t notice her state of reflection. Even if he did, he still wouldn’t know what to do with her.
Chapter Sixteen
After the destruction of Cyclone Tracey, modern Darwin transformed into a beautiful and tropical cosmopolitan city. Darwinism, the theory of evolution that includes human behaviour, is not nearly as pretty. Its basic principles continue to shape the way we think and interact. Many men still regard women as sex objects and many women tend to regard men as objects of success and security. This shallow, stereotypical behaviour makes evolutionary sense but clouds the interaction between men and women.
Neither Alex nor Jed fit the usual pattern. They sit opposite each other after dinner under the palms on a verandah restaurant, looking out over the harbour. They are mellowed by good food, a pleasant wine and the sweet satisfaction only success in a high stakes endeavour can bring. A gentle cooling breeze whispers in from the bay and plays with the strands of hair falling over her left eye. Her eyes remain a contradiction of the dark shadows Jed has noted before as well as the sparkles of life and humour that flare unpredictably.
Jed’s apparent contentment hides unresolved tension. He is struggling and the wine isn’t helping. He is aware of her sensuality, but the attraction he feels runs deeper. It is an ephemeral mix of womanhood, intelligence, strength, gritty determination, humour and mystery mixed with a hint of vulnerability. It is only day three of their venture. Already he is wishing that women came with handling notes like Delta Tango Romeo. How about a book titled, Handling Women for Male Dummies? It would be a bestseller if it was ever written.
Jed eyes her thoughtfully. He will never admit it, but he fantasises about her. If he could only get past the armour she has built around her, but the threat of that cursed Skyraider keeps obliterating his intentions.
“How are you feeling?” he asks gently, aiming to build on the insight he discovered only this morning.
“Elated? Excited? Amazed? I can’t believe what we saw under the trees! It was so surreal. A plane! His plane! I never really believed it was possible, but it is real. How will we get to it? We must make sure it’s the right one.”
She sits in a relaxed pose, legs crossed and elbows resting on the arms of the chair, cradling a glass of wine between her fingers. Her left leg is crossed over her right, the foot moving sensually in a small arc as she flexes the muscles in her leg. Jed admires her under the influence of good food and wine. He runs his eyes casually from the end of her foot, up her leg and waist to her face, where their eye contact lingers for a few seconds.
Society casts a cold eye on ogling and has no flattering term for it. In the wrong circumstances it can be seen as threatening, not the prelude to flirting. A man game enough to keep up the eye contact after being discovered just may have the courage to be worth getting to know. Alexander notes the reflection and respect in his gaze and is not offended, although she would like to see a replay of his thoughts.
“We have to get there on foot Alex. We could take a helicopter, but I doubt things would stay secret for long. You can guarantee souvenir hunters would be there in a flash and start stripping it. Tomorrow we can get some camping gear and get on the road the day after. How badly do you want to get there?” His tone contains a hint of evaluation. They are close to the goal and the last thing he wants is to be held back by someone who can’t take it.
She senses that he is judging her. She doesn’t like being judged by anyone and feels herself slipping into challenge mode. “Camping!” she exclaims. Adding teasingly, “The very least I need is one of those camper trailer things with a four-room tent, one for me, one for you, one for dining and one with hot water and flushing amenities.” She watches carefully as something starts to boil inside him that he struggles to keep in check. He is so easy to play there is almost no fun in it!
“I’ve always been happy with a swag and a billy of tea! If you want a mansion I can arrange it!” he replies, still missing the glint of humour in her eyes. Why does everything have to be so bloody difficult? A camper trailer with annexes! Putting that up every damn night! Then he sees her watching him carefully with a steady gaze. She’s watching, waiting for a reaction! Suddenly he gets that he is being played. He is a bloody slow dimwit! Relax boy, just relax, he chides himself. Now understanding the rules of the game he decides to play along.
“Okay, we’ll get a palace for you Alex and I’ll do the floor,” he agrees, testing her reaction.
She eyes him carefully, judging how far he can be pushed. “Can I have one of those blow-up double mattresses and a pump?”
“That’s actually a good idea. It’ll keep you off the ground so you won’t be plagued by the Kalkarindii Desert Bug. It’s a nasty little brute that lives in the red sand and loves to crawl into warm, damp places to lay its eggs. When the larvae hatch they like to nibble on fresh, living flesh while they transform…” He sees the look of humour driving the shadows away, bringing sparkles to her eyes. “Hope I’m not putting you off Alex?” he asks, feigning concern.
“Oh come on!” she says, leaving no doubt she finds the idea ridiculous. “Anything else?”
“Not much to worry about I guess. Bound to be crocs, but if we camp back from any water they shouldn’t bother us too much. The wild pigs can get a bit agro and like to get active at night, but that won’t be a problem as we’ll be asleep. Best to take an empty can to bed though in case the bladder needs release. The snakes like to hunt at night when the ground is cooler so it doesn’t pay to go walking around in the dark.” That has some truth in summer, but he isn’t going to clarify that detail.
The look of disbelief is faltering a little so he adds a bit more, “The ticks are real bastards! Burrow right in and carry all sorts of diseases. We may have to wash ourselves down with tropical-strength Aerogard.”
“Ticks!” Now she looks genuinely worried.
This is good; he relishes her discomfort. Her eyes are very attractive enlarged with concern. How much mileage can he get out of this? “Don’t worry Alex. We can hire another vehicle to carry all the gear. We can drive one each. A cook won’t go astray as we’ll be busy erecting the camp and blowing up the mattresses every night. It’ll be great to sit down to a meal after all that exertion.” He studies her, trying hard to stay serious but the trace of a smile finally escapes.
She notices it and gives a chuckle. “Okay, you win that one! You may be a principal but you can be a right devilish bastard! I’m glad to see you’re not as boring as I thought you could be.” The mischievous sparkle has returned to her eyes.
He recognises a variety of possible meanings behind her comment, but suppresses the images. “By the end of this trip, that devil has to go back in the box because I go back to work. The conservative mask has to go back on.” A hint of regret lies behind his words. He knows his adventurous escapes are a means for his real self to experience brief freedom.
“Let’s make the most of it then! Here’s to you,” she announces, picking up her glass to clink against his. “Congratulations. Whether it was sheer arse or not, you did it! Thanks.”
They enjoy the wine as they eye each other appraisingly. He thinks she is really something but the next few days will really test her out. She is obviously good in her world but how will she cope with the unforgiving realities of the Australian outback?
Jed is willing to give the search for the aircraft a go. It will certainly be exciting and bloody hard. Just the way he likes it. She says she wants to find this plane, but from experience it is never an easy thing to do in practice. “Let’s go to bed,” he announces, standing and walking off to their rooms. He senses she isn’t behind him, turns around and sees her standing, hip out and arms crossed, eyes narrowed to points of steel. “Our separate beds!” he corrects with instantaneous awareness. “We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Let’s go then,” she agrees, happy she has taken the opportunity to make a stand.
He walks alongside Alex to their rooms, acutely aware of her, but wary of her unfathomable and unpredictable behaviour. This is going to be a repetition of last night! he decides.
Neither will admit it, but each is aware of the tension between them. They arrive at his door and stand in front of it, facing each other.
He could slice the atmosphere with his Mulay survival knife. He wants to lean forward to kiss her, but hesitates. What will she think of him? Never has he felt so aroused, so ready for the intimacy of intercourse, but still he waits. He fears such a move could spell disaster.
She waits for him to lean forward and kiss her, but he doesn’t. The tension is palpable and connects them like a condom stretched to its absolute maximum. The moment intensifies and she feels herself closing her eyes. He leans toward her when they are interrupted by the sound of a door slamming further up the corridor. They stop and look at each other in shocked silence, until finally a husky, “Goodnight,” escapes his lips.
Stepping back, they go into their separate rooms.
Jed leans against the door and curses. What was he doing? He almost gave in and she’ll think he is just another prick after sex, or worse, that he has the seduction techniques of a hairy gibbon.
He would have loved to know that behind her closed door Alex holds her head in her hands in frustration. Bloody hell the chemicals flooding her system felt so electrifying that she swore they couldn’t be legal! What got into me! Her weakness in that moment is a new feeling. But how does she handle it?
In the safety of their rooms, they throw their clothes off and climb into bed, each cursing their weakness and wondering about the Pandora’s Box they are on the verge of opening.
Chapter Seventeen
The morning is spent hiring camping gear and stocking up on supplies. The four-room tent doesn’t get a look in, replaced by two swags and extra sleeping mats.
Maybe they won’t all be needed but Jed is used to fly camping overnight on hunting trips so extra light gear is a habit. Alex is more of a camper than she let on. It all packs easily into the Landcruiser and then they go their separate ways. Jed heads out to the military museum on East Point and the Darwin Museum while Alex says she needs, “Girl time.”
Who knows what girl time means? Jed wonders, Shopping, hairdressers, beauty parlour, whatever! They will meet at the bar for a drink at seven and then a meal, before leaving Darwin behind the next day.
Jed makes an effort dressing up for the night, although he doesn’t have a lot to choose from. Black trousers, the same black R. M. Williams boots given a good polish and a white shirt has to do it. The unbuttoned shirt exposes his Maori hook necklace with the blue paua shell insert. He checks himself in the mirror, wondering about the hook. Stuff it! That’s me, and walks out the door.
He finds Alex in the bar, checks his watch to see it was only two minutes past seven and already there are three men hovering around her. The live band has started and is pumping out some 80s music as background. He walks up just in time to hear the guy with the suit and grey hair turn to one of the men and ask whether he would mind if he has a dance with his wife. For fuck’s sake, his wife! They are just hangers on, drawn to her like moths to a candle and she is making the most of it, feeding them the eyes and the upturned look and… What the! He hears the most sultry, sexy southern American drawl he has ever heard!
“… and what is a woman to do on these hot, sultry nights when all you want to do is slide under a sheet soaked in ice water, cooling the skin but firing the soul.”
The stranger grabs her hand and leads her onto the dance floor. Jed gets a drink and watches the guy try to handle her. Bloody poor effort! She can do a lot better than that! He comes back just as the song finishes. He tries to break into the group but she ignores him, pandering to her group of admirers as they commiserate with her about the heat.
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