Dudes Down Under

by Suzannah Burke

  She was too busy exploring the cave to be bothered with strange happenings.

  * * *

  Ed Guest pulled the buggy to a stop under low-hanging palm trees and gazed at the open ocean in front of him. So this was the secret the owner kept to himself. Ed couldn’t blame him. The surf beach lay ahead of him, with the waves thundering in to meet the sand which had no foot prints or any other sign of human inhabitants. He laughed to himself. “Robinson Crusoe never had it so good.”

  The Dudes side of the Island was protected by the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef. This side was on the eastern edge of the island, missing the reef and open to the wild waters of the South Pacific Ocean.

  It was growing darker. That’s odd, he thought, as he glanced at his Rolex. Yeah, what’s the deal?

  It was only ten a.m. He looked up at the sky and was not too thrilled with the massive bank of cloud heading in his direction. It looked a fair way off but was already turning the daylight an eerie grayish-green. Dammit, he didn’t want to head back. What the hell, a little rain shower would be no problem.

  He stripped of his shirt, grabbed his towel from the buggy and headed for the surf.

  * * *

  Ginny reluctantly decided to leave the cave. She had a thermos of coffee in the buggy and was hanging for a smoke.

  She dove cleanly back into the water and resurfaced near to where she had first entered. She shook her hair from her eyes, wiping them dry on her towel. She wiped them again. “What the hell?”

  The air around her was static. She could feel the hair on her arms standing on end. The rainforest light wasn’t dappled as it had been before. It had grown murky, tinged with the color she knew meant a storm. The canopy of tangled vines amid the tree-tops blocked her from a clear view of the sky. Ginny knew better than to ignore the feeling in the air. A tropical storm could be damned dangerous, especially if you were out in it and exposed.

  She hopped into the buggy and headed back the way she had come. Once clear of the canopy, she stopped, climbed out and took a good look at the threatening mass of black swirling in her direction.

  “Oh, shit, shit. Cyclone. Fuck! Where in hell did it spring from? It was way too early in the season for one of these bastards. Yet Ginny knew in her guts that this was no ordinary storm. The color of the sky and the smell in the air was a giveaway. She stood still, barely breathing, and listened. Nothing - not a sound, not a bird, not an insect, nor the huge bat colony she had heard earlier. Utter silence. Oh, bloody hell. She knew that meant it wouldn’t be long. The creatures all knew way ahead of the humans.

  She jumped in the buggy and drove, fast. Needing to slam on the brakes as she rounded a corner, she sighted another Dudes buggy parked haphazardly under some trees. “What the - ?”

  Oh hell, don’t tell me. Some guest is out in what’s coming? She looked around. Seeing no one, she spotted footprints leaving the grassed area into the sand and on down the beach. “Fuck!”

  Ginny had to sit and think for a second. She lit a smoke, inhaled deeply and made her decision.

  She doubted there would be time enough to get back to Dudes. She had to find whoever it was, and damned fast, or they would both be in serious shit. She pounded on the horn of the buggy, but the wind, which was picking up by the minute, simply carried the sound away.

  Ginny unlocked the gun locker under the back seats and took out the rifle. She fired off two shots and waited. A figure emerged from the surf quite a way up the beach. She jumped back in the buggy, drove it down on to the hard-packed sand, and headed for whoever it was as fast as she dared.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, Skeet, but this thing is too huge. I can’t let you or the others risk a search party. Bad enough with two missing. I can’t allow any more of you to take that risk. I’m going. I know this place better than anyone on the planet. I will find them. Tell Doc to load up a large first aid kit and fresh ammo, will you, please? I’m gonna throw on jeans and a windbreaker.”

  “Lucy, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t go on your own. I know what you’re saying, kiddo, but be sensible. You have a responsibility to all these people here, not just Ginny and Ed Guest. I’m sorry, mate, but think about it clearly and stop lettin’ your damn emotions get in the way.”

  “Skeet, I can’t just bloody sit here and do sweet f-all!”

  “I know that, Luce, better than anyone. But listen to me, okay? You need to be here and keep everyone calm. We both know this is gonna be a bad one. The barometer is still dropping. I gotta get going now or I won’t be able to get out at all. Just pray like crazy that I find em both in time.”

  “I’m going with ya!” said Rebecca.

  “Darlin’, no you are bloody not. You need to keep Cyril and Sadie from getting’ all thingy. Ya know what they’re like in a storm, mate. You got to watch em both. Give 'em a few stiff drinks each and, with luck, they’ll sleep right through it. Has Cyril got his Pooh Bear?”

  “Yeah, of course, and Sadie has Tiger. But, more importantly, they have each other. They’ll be okay.”

  “Can’t chance 'em going all troppo on us, mate. You stay. I haven’t got time to argue. I’m outta here.”

  Skeet left hurriedly, and Rebecca and Lucy could only stand and watch him go.

  Chapter 30

  “Where did Skeet rush off to in such a hurry? Why are we here instead of in my bungalow? I don’t like this at all. Something fishy about this, Sadie, my dear.”

  “Hmm, yes. Rebecca looks a little concerned as well. Are they having a party? A pajama party perhaps? The band are warming up. Goody, I do love music.”

  “Oh, wonderful, Sadie, me too. Oh, we have so many interests in common. It’s simply amazing, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, Cyril, I believe we are truly lucky to be such close friends, and so quickly.”

  “Yes. About the close friends thingy ... well, do you suppose it may grow to be … gulp! … more than mere friendship?”

  “Only time will tell, but we certainly do have a fun time together, don’t we?”

  “Oh yes, yes indeed. I feel like a drink. How about you, my sweet?”

  “Oh, I always feel like a drink, Cyril.”

  “That’s my girl!”

  “He-heh. Now you are making me blush.”

  “On you, red is good.”

  “I wonder what these folks are getting all tensed up about. Have you noticed?”

  “Yes, I have. Oh, looky, here comes Rebecca with a tray of drinkies. Ah, that’s more like it.”

  “Well, you two. I have a few drinks for all of us. I’m happy that you are so nice and calm, my good babies. Drink up, they're your favorites.”

  “Why wouldn’t we be calm? This is a pajama party, isn’t it? I mean, everyone’s almost wearing jammies and the band are playing, hmm?”

  “Oh, my absolutely to-die-for favorite drinky, banana daiquiri. Yummy!”

  “Yes, well done, Rebecca. I do like this JD stuff. Where do you suppose Skeet went?”

  “Yes, that’s odd. He’s normally right in the midst of everything.”

  “Oh my, and I’m still wearing yesterday's t-shirt. How embarrassing!”

  “You look wonderful, Cyril. Simply super, in fact.”

  “Flatterer.”

  “He-heh.”

  * * *

  Lucy watched the radar screen with a tight knot in her gut. This monster was heading straight at them. She got onto the base radio. “C3-C3, this is Dudes checking in. What are we looking at here? Over.”

  The radio crackled back. Lucy could barely make out what Tod at the weather station was saying,

  “Lu … imately two … rs. Wind gu … exp… 300 mi … cate g… over!”

  “C3, say again.”

  “It … ad Luc … we … … … …”

  “Oh, fuck. This is not good.” Speaking aloud helped a little. Lucy tried again and again to contact the mainland base. Not a chance. Okay, Lucy girl, you are going to have to talk to these nice folks.

>   She hurried out of the office and looked around for Charlie. She gave him a smile and he excused himself from the group and made his way over. ”What is it? How bad?”

  “Bad, real bad. If what I just heard is correct, we are going to get hit directly by cyclonic winds at 300 miles an hour. That’s the biggest I have ever heard of.”

  “Jesus! Will this place hold up?”

  “Hell, I hope so. I had it built with this sort of thing in mind as well as bloody tsunamis. The main damage will be outside. Each of the bungalows has a metal shutter system that will slam down as soon as the wind gusts hit 40 miles an hour. They are supposed to be able to withstand a bomb blast. I guess I’m about to find that out. This place will, or should, be okay. The windows are completely shatter-proof and the bunker upstairs is completely reinforced. We have plenty of food, water, and medical equipment. It may take days for anyone to get to us from the mainland.”

  “Well then, we will all be fine. Try not to worry, darling. Come and have a stiff drink. How long before it hits?”

  “I couldn’t hear them properly, but if my radar screen’s accurate, at the rate it’s heading in, I would say one hour - two at the outside.”

  “Okay, let’s not worry these folks before we have to, Lucy. They will be safer here than anywhere else.”

  “Can you get Doc to come in for a second please, hon?”

  Charlie gathered her into his warm arms and held her tight. “Dudes will come through just fine, Lucy.”

  “Dudes? Jesus, I’m not worried about Dudes. We have three people out there.”

  “Three?”

  “Yeah, Skeet went out there to find Ginny and Ed Guest.”

  “Skeet will find them. They’ll be okay, sweetheart. You just gotta believe that, okay?”

  She hugged him tightly and gave him a shaky smile. “Sure, sure. They’ll be just fine.”

  * * *

  Ed Guest waited and wondered what the hell was going on. He’d heard the gun shots and was now watching somebody in a buggy speeding towards him. It was Ginny.

  “Hey, little girl, was that you with the gun?”

  “Oh, Mr. G. No time to explain. “That,” she said pointing at the ever-growing black mass, “it’s heading straight for us and it’s a bloody big one. C’mon, jump in. We got to find some cover, and damned fast.”

  “It’s only a storm. Nothing to worry about.”

  “What? Hey, Mr. G, you might know a lotta shit that I don’t, but I DO know a cyclone when I see one. Now get in the bloody buggy.”

  “Cyclone?”

  “Yeah, you know, big things that kill people. Get in the buggy or I swear I’ll leave ya standing there with ya mouth hangin’ open.”

  He climbed in and held on.

  The wind had stopped. Nothing moved. No sounds. Dead inert silence. Ginny knew they didn’t have long before hell arrived.

  She stopped for a brief moment and turned the buggy around in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, what are you doing, girl? Dudes is the other way.” Ed guest was clearly unhappy.

  “Okay, I’m gonna do this once. Only once. We don’t have enough time to make it back to Dudes. I am taking us to the only place we may have a hope of reaching in time, the only cover around here. I am not going to ask your permission to try and save your rich fat arse. If you want, climb out and have a damned board meetin’ with the cyclone. You go right ahead. If you stay, you do exactly what I say and ya don’t ask why. Are we clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, now hold on.”

  Ginny spun the wheel and headed up through the rainforest track she had used earlier.

  She jumped out of the buggy, and grabbed another rifle and ammo from the gun locker.

  “Right, we have to go for a swim. I want you to swim on your side. I don’t care if you go under. The guns have to be kept above the water line. You got that?”

  “Bu - ? Yes.”

  “I’ll go first and return to swim with you. Watch what I do. Copy it when I say the word.”

  Ginny dropped the rifle on the bank and slid into the water. She lay on her side, with the rifle in her other arm held as high above the water as possible. It was a standard life-saving maneuver, only slightly modified. She reached the edge of the waterfall and clung close to the edge of the rock wall, careful to shield the rifle. The climb wasn’t easy, carrying the gun, but she was strong and nimble. She pulled herself up onto the ledge and shoved the rifle, barrel first, into the covered space, then dived in and swam quickly back to Ed.

  “Hand me the gun,” she panted. “I’ll do it again. You swim alongside in case I tire or need help.”

  He did as he was told with no questions, and they were soon sitting inside the mouth of the cave behind the waterfall.

  “Shit, I need a smoke and a stiff drink,” said Ginny. “You okay?”

  “Yes, are you certain this is necessary? I mean, how bad can it be?”

  She was about to explain just how very bad it could be but decided he’d find out soon enough and shut her mouth. “We will not be able to stay this close to the entrance. Come on, we need to move further in.”

  * * *

  Skeet looked at the sky again and wished he hadn’t. Fuck, where were they?

  He drove like a madman, searching for any sign of either buggy. He came upon one parked under the palm trees near the beach. He climbed out and took a good look around. Tire marks along the edge of the sand headed down the beach. He followed them in his own buggy. They veered off and back onto the road. He had passed no one on the road heading towards Dudes.

  He started ahead and kept going, hoping like crazy that Ed Guest was with Ginny. That girl knew her way around a cyclone. He remembered sadly that her older brother and an uncle had been killed in one that destroyed the city of Darwin on Christmas Day many years ago.

  Cyclones were frequent unwelcome visitors in the northern tropics. Most of them blew out before crossing the coast, some did not. Ginny had survived several of them.

  * * *

  Lucy walked out on stage, and silence ensued. “Okay, folks. Here is what we have. That huge mass that you can see outside and to the east is a tropical cyclone. It is a large one. I will not try to underplay the ferocity of something this big. What I will tell you, and very gladly, is that this place was designed and built to withstand whatever it throws at us. However, we may be in for a lot of noise, and those of you that are feeling anxious may like to bed down for the duration. Up the fire stairs is another level – up, not down. The architects decided that an underground bunker was more likely to weaken if the water came up high, so we have comfortable beds all ready, a very large generator if we lose power, food enough to get us through to the next century, and water and whatever else you may fancy to drink laid on. All of us here at Dudes have lived through tropical cyclones. We know the nature of the beast. It will become rather frighteningly noisy - that is unpleasant, but not deadly. The windows are reinforced to tolerate a bomb blast and not shatter. If you wish to watch Mother Nature at her angriest, you may. It is scary, I will not kid you. However we are safe and secure, and the mainland will be in touch with us as soon as this one is over. The staff are all fully trained and at no time are you to attempt to exit. The shutters will be down until the all-clear is sounded and we have done a full recon of the external damage. Thank you for your attention. I and my staff will answer any and all questions you may have. Right now I am going to have myself a long cool drink, light up a smoke and watch. I estimate we have around another half an hour.”

  Lana Peters and the film crew were over near the floor-to-ceiling windows. They were all set up and ready to roll. Lana called out, “Lucy, girlfriend, what the hell is that?” She pointed skyward and Lucy joined her quickly. Lucy sucked in a lung full of air. “Oh, hell. That, Lana, is the large colony of bats from the other side of the island.” The sky was darkened by them. They numbered in their thousands and they were all heading out to sea, fast.

  Lana
looked at her new friend and whispered, “That’s not so good, is it?”

  Lucy was about to lie and changed her mind, “No, that’s not a good sign. They know it’s bad.”

  “Did you hear what she said, Sadie? Don’t be scared. I’ll look after you.”

  “Oh, you are so brave. Cyclone - shit, I’ve never seen a cyclone, oh except in that movie ... what was that …? Oh well, it was soooo forgettable.”

  “Yes, well, I know all about these things. I saw the movie, and the shower scene was too devastating. I won’t let him get you. Bring him on, I say.”

  “Um, Cyril, him who? What shower scene?”

  “The one in the movie. You know, she’s showering and he flings back the curtain and has that huge knife. Eeeewwww! And to think I thought it was fiction.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, I’m quite sure I thought it was fiction.”

  “Why would everyone need to be inside, then?”

  ‘Would you wanna be outside with Anthony Perkins in or out of the shower? Ugleeee! He’s no Al.”

  Chapter 31

  Skeet knew he was out of time. He also knew it was too late to do much about it. His best chance would be up in the rainforest. If he could wedge the buggy between a couple of those ancient trees and crawl in underneath it, it might offer him some cover.

  The air temperature plummeted and he watched in helpless fascination as the rain hit and the noise of an out of control train hit him full on. He pulled on the seat belt strap and swung the buggy to face the devil, giving it the minimum amount of the vehicle to hit. The demon screamed and unleashed hell. It picked up the buggy as if it were a toy, and threw it and its passenger swirling into the air.

  * * *

  “Put your head down,” Ginny screamed, unheard above the roaring beast. It hit. The impact of the wind lifted the waterfall and parted it like the Red Sea, so that the horror of what was happening would not be shielded from their eyes.