Millie nibbled her lip to suppress a giggle because she knew Jacinta hadn’t always subscribed to that theory.
‘Yeah, we know, but that’s what happened, and then when the little one wandered into the campsite we both sort of panicked. Didn’t want any trouble with the cops, so that’s why we left her in the shed,’ Col said.
‘But we fed her and made sure she was okay,’ Muz chimed in, garnering himself yet another glare from Col.
‘And that’s it,’ Larry said.
‘Yeah, what else would there be?’ Muz said with a frown.
‘Anyway, we’ll be off tomorrow morning. Won’t be round these parts again for a while,’ Col said.
‘Well, thank you for telling us the truth about Matilda,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘We can pass that on to Sergeant Ted and the Darleys. It’s a pity you don’t have time to meet them. I’m sure they would have loved to be able to thank you for bringing her home.’
‘We’re glad that she was found. It’s a dangerous place for a little kid out here,’ Col mumbled.
‘Thank you for the tea too,’ Alice-Miranda said as she tipped the last of the dregs onto the ground beside her.
‘You need to keep a lookout for that white ute we told you about before – with the dog cage. The man driving it could be dangerous. We think he’s taken a friend of ours hostage,’ Millie explained.
‘Hostage!’ Muz exclaimed. This place was a nightmare. The sooner they finished their job the better. The only reason they’d been at camp when the kids showed up was that they’d run out of parts and were waiting for the boss to drop some more. Hopefully he wouldn’t arrive in the chopper anytime soon, or they’d really be in trouble.
‘Why would the bloke take your friend?’ Col asked.
‘They’re looking for something,’ Millie said. ‘Something under a rusty beast.’
Muz looked over at the windmill. ‘Well, that old girl fits the description.’
The children turned their attention to the machinery.
‘Does it still work?’ Millie asked.
Muz and Col weren’t about to tell her that it did. Better the children didn’t know, given plugging the bore attached to the windmill would be their last job before they left the property.
The children all stood up and walked over to investigate. The windmill sat right beside another rocky outcrop.
‘Hey, look at this,’ Lucas called. He pointed between the stones to a gap almost big enough for a child to crawl through. ‘What do you think? Should I take a look?’
‘I wouldn’t go in there. It’s a perfect hideout for snakes,’ Hayden said.
‘Don’t even talk about them!’ Jacinta yelled, and made a run back to the four-wheeler where she climbed up to stand on the seat and stared out into the distance.
Larry grabbed a torch and lay down on her stomach to get a better look. She flicked the light on and shone it around. Sadly, there were no sparkles or twinkles. ‘Just a bunch of old rocks, as far as I can tell.’ There was disappointment in her voice. She didn’t know what she was expecting. Maybe a dazzling cave full of opals – but that would have been too easy.
‘Someone’s coming,’ Jacinta called. She could see a vehicle heading towards them in the distance, dust flying up behind. It was speeding from the east.
Alice-Miranda looked at Muz and Col, who didn’t seem especially excited to have more visitors.
She and Lucas clambered to the top of the rocks beside the windmill. They could see it too.
‘It’s a white ute,’ Lucas called back.
‘You say this bloke’s dangerous?’ Col said.
‘We don’t know for sure, but he could be,’ Hayden said.
‘Maybe you kids should hide and see how things play out. If your friend is with them, then hopefully Col and I can secure his release,’ Muz said.
‘Geez, what are you, a New York detective or something?’ Col looked at Muz and shook his head.
There was another rocky outcrop only about fifty metres to the west. If the children left now they’d be able to get there without being spotted, and then use their binoculars to keep an eye on things.
‘Take your bikes, kids. Go!’ Col ordered.
The children did as they were told, though not before they distracted the men long enough for Alice-Miranda to direct Millie to snap pictures of them and their ute – including the toolbox with Saxby Downs emblazoned on the side. At least the police could investigate what they’d been up to. A few minutes later, the children, along with Rusty and Blue Dog, were holed up behind the rocks, waiting to see what happened next.
‘There’s no place like home, is there love,’ Molly said to Ralph as the main homestead hove into view. But if they were hoping for a welcoming party, the pair was to be sorely disappointed.
‘Place looks a bit quiet,’ Ralph said as they turned the corner behind the big house and headed down the road to their home. ‘Thought the kids would have been out to say hello, or at least Rusty’d be waggin’ his tail for us.’
‘If the silly old phone battery hadn’t died days ago, I could’ve called, but it still doesn’t make sense that no one’s been picking up the two-way. Unless something’s happened,’ Molly said. ‘I knew I should have called before we left up north. I’ve got a bad feeling in my bones, Ralph Robinson. Something’s off.’
Molly and Ralph had left their family and headed for home a week ago. Sam, Rosie and the kids were on their way too, a couple of days behind. Buddy had got himself a mustering job up north, but was due to be finished before the weekend.
Ralph pulled up at the front of their farmhouse and the pair hopped out, stretching and creaking, complaining about their old bones and how long car trips didn’t agree with either of them any more.
Molly walked around to the back door and into the kitchen, where she popped the kettle on.
When she walked into the pantry, her eyes grew wide. She looked about, scanning the empty shelves.
‘Ralph!’ the woman called to her husband, who was lugging their suitcases inside. ‘Ralph, get in here.’
‘What’s the matter?’ he called back.
‘We’ve been robbed,’ she yelled. He thundered down the hallway from the front door and met her in the kitchen.
‘What did they take?’ he asked, glancing about.
‘Food, and lots of it,’ she said, and stepped aside so he could see the storeroom. There were huge gaps in the tinned stocks, and most of the pasta and rice was missing. There wasn’t a packet of biscuits left either. Ralph lifted the lid on the chest freezer to see that half their meat supplies had disappeared as well.
‘Better head over and see if we can find Barnaby,’ he said. Molly nodded. The idea that there had been strangers lurking about while they’d been gone didn’t sit well. She did a quick check of the sitting room and the bedrooms, but it looked as if whoever had been there was only after food supplies.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Molly said, following her husband.
The pair trekked down the winding driveway to the main homestead, where they were surprised at the back door by the note from Alice-Miranda and a bossy ginger cat.
Dan’s eyes struggled open and he realised that he’d been dreaming again. It had happened a lot since the accident, and he was beginning to wonder what was even real.
The pain in his leg was making him feel nauseous and he was sweating up a storm. If he didn’t get out of here soon, he never would. And given no one knew where he was, the likelihood of being rescued hadn’t crossed his mind.
Dan let his thoughts wander. He never imagined his life would have turned out the way it did. He was meant to be a farmer, not a miner. Maybe if he’d been born fifty years later, things would have been different. But not back in the days when blurring the lines meant facing the consequences – and they had been more than he could bear. You couldn’t help who you loved, and why should you. He’d spent a lifetime doing the only thing he knew that might make a difference, mining because he had to. And if he
managed this one last payday, he could shuffle off the mortal coil knowing he had at least done some good in the world.
‘No!’ Alice-Miranda wheezed as the driver of the white ute stepped out and was greeted by Col and Muz. She recognised the man immediately.
‘What is it?’ Millie demanded.
‘I think it’s Wally from the roadhouse!’ she exclaimed.
‘Maybe Muz and Col were telling the truth about the fight,’ Millie said.
‘I doubt it – they’re a pair of terrible liars,’ Larry said, but the fact that Wally was heading to their camp didn’t bode well. Had Wally been searching for Col and Muz as well as the treasure all this time? And why had he kidnapped Sprocket? What did the miner have to do with any of this?
‘Is Sprocket with him?’ Larry asked urgently.
Alice-Miranda panned the binoculars around, but she couldn’t see him. ‘I don’t think so – unless he’s in the back of the ute.’
‘Has Wally punched anyone yet?’ Lucas asked.
The others looked at the boy quizzically.
‘Well, you’d think if he was seeking revenge on Col and Muz, then he might come out swinging, given they said they’d made a mess of the bar,’ the boy explained.
‘True.’ The others all nodded.
‘It looks like they’re having a chat,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘And he just sat down and Muz passed him a mug.’
‘Weird,’ Millie said, then gasped. ‘Oh my goodness. Do you think Muz and Col are working with Wally and we just gave them way too much information?’
‘Maybe they’re all in on the bore tampering and Saxby Downs is paying them to steal our water! What if the map had something to do with that and it’s not about the opals?’ Larry said, shaking her head.
Alice-Miranda frowned and set the binoculars down. ‘There’s something strange going on, that’s for sure.’
‘We need to get closer and see what that Wally guy is up to,’ Larry said. ‘And if we could find the map and take it back, then even better. Without it, he won’t know where to look . . . for whatever it is he’s looking for. Unless he thinks the windmill is the right spot?’
Alice-Miranda passed the binoculars to Hayden, who kept an eye on things for the next ten minutes or so.
‘I vote we do some reconnaissance and check out his truck,’ Larry said.
‘I’ll go,’ Alice-Miranda offered.
‘I’m not going into that camp again,’ Jacinta whimpered. ‘I didn’t like Wally when we met him at the roadhouse and I can’t imagine I’m going to like him any better now.’
‘Fine,’ Millie said. ‘You can stay here with the dogs and send a signal if it looks like we’re about to be caught.’
Jacinta sighed. That sounded like a lot of pressure. She wasn’t especially keen on that idea either.
Larry bit her lip. ‘We can’t all go. We need to have at least three people here with the bikes in case we need rescuing,’ Larry said.
The others all agreed.
‘Okay, I’ll stay,’ Lucas volunteered.
Jacinta smiled at the boy. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed.
The others all wanted to go, so they decided who would stay the only reasonable way they could. With a guessing game. Lucas scratched a number onto a rock out of sight for proof.
‘Okay, whoever picks the right number is the loser and has to hang back with us,’ Jacinta explained.
They got to three rounds before Larry lost with the number two. ‘I thought you would have picked thirteen for sure,’ she said.
‘Way too obvious,’ Lucas replied.
The children agreed that if they got into any trouble, a cooee would be the signal for the others to come for them on the bikes. And the same was to happen in reverse – if Lucas, Jacinta and Larry thought Alice-Miranda, Millie and Hayden were about to be caught, one of them would cooee too.
Alice-Miranda, Hayden and Millie crept from their hiding spot and wove their way through the scrawny shrubs until they reached the edge of Col and Muz’s campsite. Crouching behind a cluster of rocks, they peered at the men, who certainly didn’t look like mortal enemies. Wally was munching on a biscuit and sipping from his mug, though Muz wore a pinched expression and Col was pacing up and down.
‘So what are you lads doin’ out this way then?’ Wal asked.
‘Just passin’ through,’ Col said.
‘Got some work if you’re keen,’ Wally said. ‘Any good with a shovel and pick?’
‘What are we digging for?’ Muz asked.
‘Treasure,’ Wally said with a grin. He waved at a swarm of flies, then clamped his lips down on a stray, which disappeared inside his mouth. Wally took a gulp from his cup, swished it around and spat the tea, along with the fly, onto the ground beside him.
‘He’s gross,’ Millie whispered.
‘So where is this treasure?’ Col asked.
‘About ten feet away, if I have my directions right,’ Wally said.
Muz glanced at Col. ‘What’s in it for us?’
‘Let’s just say if you help me find what I’m looking for, you’ll have more money than you’ll ever be able to spend,’ the man replied.
‘You don’t have anyone else with you?’ Col said.
‘Yeah, but he’s havin’ a sleep in the back of the ute,’ Wally said. ‘Couldn’t risk him running off so I gave him something, but he should be up soon.’
The children’s eyes grew wide. Sprocket was right here.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ Hayden said. ‘But we’re going to have to move fast and you have to trust me. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been driving since I was six.’
Millie bit her lip as Hayden explained. What the boy was proposing sounded dangerous – and incredibly exciting. They needed to get a message to the others. She volunteered to go while Alice-Miranda kept watch and created a distraction.
Millie bolted back towards the rocky outcrop where the lookouts were hiding, while Hayden crept around to the first white ute – the one that belonged to Muz and Col. He reached in and took the keys at exactly the same time Alice-Miranda threw a rock, which thudded onto the dirt. The three fellows turned to look.
‘Probably a roo – there was a big mob of them out here before,’ Col said.
Moments later, Hayden was in the driver’s seat of Wally’s ute with Alice-Miranda beside him.
‘Buckle up,’ the boy said, and started the engine.
‘What the heck!’ Wally leapt from his camp chair and ran towards the vehicle.
Hayden grinned at the man as he reversed at top speed before slamming on the brakes and crunching the car into gear. ‘Sorry, Sprocket.’ He apologised to the man, who they assumed was asleep under the tarpaulin.
‘Come back here, you little brats!’ Wally shouted, then looked at Col and Muz. ‘Don’t just stand there, you idiots.’ Wally raced over to the other ute and jumped into the driver’s seat, Col hopping in beside him while Muz leapt up into the tray and grabbed the rollbar.
Wally reached for the ignition.
‘Keys, where are the blasted keys?’ he demanded.
‘They were in there, I swear,’ Col said. ‘The kids must have taken them.’
The ping of two-stroke engines filled the air and the four motorbikes flew out from their hiding spot.
The convoy streamed across the desert, a plume of red dust filling the air. Rusty and Blue Dog were perched on the back of Millie’s and Lucas’s four-wheelers – thankfully used to this sort of travelling.
The children continued for at least five kilometres before Hayden brought the ute to a stop and the others caught up.
‘Wow, that was incredible!’ Millie panted. ‘I don’t think my heart’s ever beat so fast.’
Larry pointed at the girl’s mouth. ‘Bugs.’
Millie ran her tongue over a smattering of dead insects that had been caught in her teeth. She used her finger to wipe them away, then grabbed a drink bottle and took a swig, spitting the menagerie onto the ground.
‘Mr
Sprocket!’ Alice-Miranda called as she jumped out of the passenger seat and lifted the tarp. She found tools and boxes of tinned food and two eskies in the tray, but the man wasn’t there.
‘Oh no, Wally was lying,’ the girl gasped.
‘He could have murdered him and left him for the pterodactyls to pick over his bones,’ Jacinta said, then began to cry. ‘I hate the outback. I want to go home.’
‘Is there any blood in there?’ Lucas asked, putting an arm around Jacinta.
Alice-Miranda shook her head. ‘I can’t see any.’
‘Sprocket’s way too smart to let an idiot like Wally do him in,’ Millie said. ‘I bet he escaped.’
Larry’s attention turned to the other matter at hand. ‘Did you find the maps?’
Alice-Miranda nodded and ran back to fetch them from in the centre console.
She laid the two half pages on the open tailgate side by side, looking at the whole picture for the first time.
‘Wally said the treasure was at the windmill,’ Millie said.
Larry pored over the locations. For the first time, she could see things clearly.
‘That’s the boab and I think that’s the windmill – near those rocks,’ she pointed at the map, ‘but the “X” is further east. Hayden, do you remember any junk out that way?’
The pair racked their brains.
‘The water on the table boasts a colourful feast, where Hope Springs eternal beneath a hungry rusty beast,’ Alice-Miranda recited. ‘Could a hungry beast be some kind of digger perhaps? If they made them long enough ago to make sense with this map.’
Larry looked at her brother. ‘There’s an ancient steam shovel – it was used to build the road to Oodnadatta. Dad said it broke down and was just left there. We haven’t been out to that part of the property in ages, but that could be it!’
The children hopped back onto their bikes and Hayden jumped into the ute.
He whistled and Rusty and Blue Dog leapt into the tray. Then he looked at Alice-Miranda. ‘Are you coming with me?’ he asked.
Millie caught the girl’s eye and raised her brows, but Alice-Miranda ignored her. ‘Sure,’ she said, and scrambled into the cab.
Alice-Miranda in the Outback Page 17