Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense

by Brandyn, Suzanne

  Back in the lounge room she picked up the bowls and returned to the kitchen, checking her mobile phone on the way. There were no messages or missed calls. Anxiety worked through her and she walked to the front door, swung it open and stepped out.

  A blast of wind hit her face towing with it the strong scent of smoke. Leaves and twigs flew through the air. Nervousness wound through her and she wondered if the fire had changed direction. Aware of her predicament she mentally assessed the area. There wasn't any dead grass or timber lying close to the house or any trees overshadowing the rooftop. Most of the yard was cleared when the house had been renovated except for the dead grass on the other side of the fence. She glanced at the fence, ran her gaze over the grass and prayed the fires kept well away.

  She turned and walked indoors to the lounge room, hoping another news headline would let her know what was going on. She slammed to a stop when she spotted the video clip appearing as though the world was melting under the ball of the sun.

  The orange glow she noticed earlier in the sky held a terrifying colour of red. Trees, scrub, everything was alight. The fire ripped up the unsuspecting land, devouring everything and anything in its path, spurred along by strong north-westerly winds of up to one hundred kilometres an hour and it was heading in her direction. All the blood in Zoe's body slowed. Where was Jordan? Oh God no. She had to take care of his son.

  She froze as fear grabbed hold of her and rocked her senseless for what seemed like minutes. Her gaze fleeted about the room. How long did she have? She hobbled toward a lounge chair and settled onto its softness. She drew in small breaths, holding each breath for a few seconds, and then letting it out before she inhaled another.

  Her gaze flicked back to the television. The picture and sound was breaking up. She could hardly see what was going on let alone hear the newsreader. She picked up her mobile phone, but the reception had died.

  She wondered if Jordan had managed to reach Jade's house, and wondered if the house had gone up in flames...and...his parents. Were they safe? Were Jade and her children safe? Nausea grew in her stomach. She thought of Jordan's parents’ property but that was thirty minutes closer to town. She doubted it was under any threat...as yet. She had to have a plan. What could or should she do? Grabbing a torch on the way, she ran outside, and checked the front surrounding area. The smoke was growing thicker and she put a hand to her mouth.

  Thank God, Luke was asleep. What would she say to him? Would he freak out, become uncontrollable?

  After checking around the house, unable to spot anything imminent, she returned indoors and locked the door behind her. She went about making sure all the windows and doors were firmly shut.

  A nervous shudder rose up her throat. She'd never thought about a bush fire. She had no training in dealing with something as horrific, but natural instinct had her rushing to the bathroom and wetting a few towels. She dumped them on the breakfast bar when she returned, and grabbed a tea towel from a nearby drawer.

  She doused it with water from the kitchen tap and wrung it out before returning outdoors. Wrapping the tea towel around her mouth and nose, she ran toward one of the front hoses, turned it on and began drenching the house. She soaked the front veranda, soaked everything in sight.

  She turned in the direction of a sound and a shiver tripped over her skin. What was it? A roaring, although some distance away, wasn't like anything she'd ever heard before. It sounded like thunder, a tree crashing perhaps. Her heartbeat picked up and her body, saturated with perspiration.

  Rushing as quickly as possible, she finished hosing the back of the house, returned indoors grabbing the front mat on the way, and dropped it inside the door. She ran up the steps to one of the front bedrooms and peered through the window. In the distance, a distinct orange red glow had claimed the land and she thought of the animals, the koalas, the kangaroos and all the birds in harm’s way. The glow was still a few kilometres away, but the wind was pushing it right at her, in the direction of Montagreen.

  An ember attack was imminent. Her gaze stilled over the table and chairs under the tree. They were far too heavy to move. Her eyes filled with tears and fear did a good job of setting up an insidious shudder to course through her body. She swallowed, blinked the tears back and knew she had to remain strong. Fear or no fear, she had a child to care for and he was Jordan's son. She wouldn't...couldn't let anything happen to him.

  A glow caught her attention, and she noticed a spot fire beside the front fence. Alarmed at what was happening, she shot from the room, checked to see if Luke remained asleep and found he was unaware of the disaster closing in around them.

  As she bolted down the stairs, she thought it odd that small fires were popping up so close to Montagreen. Was there someone about that purposely lit all the fires? That thought almost had her tripping over her feet, but she steadied her balance and headed into the kitchen to wet the tea towel for a second time. She had to check outside.

  Rushing toward the front door, she tied the tea towel around her face before dashing outside noticing more spot fires, springing up in the front yard. Embers rained down over the surrounding area.

  Horror pricked at her nerves. She dashed toward the hose, turned it on full and sprayed the few smaller fires, and then attempted to extinguish a larger fire. A few minutes of battling the smoke and flames, her eyes stung, and she reached up and rubbed one eye with the ball of her fist. Her lungs burnt, and she began to cough.

  Pleased the spot fires were out, she dashed into the house and shut the door, resting her back against the timber, coughing against smoke filled lungs.

  Oh God no. What's going to happen to me, to us? She walked up the stairs, and crept into the spare room. Luke stirred, but didn't wake, and she left the room to head down into the kitchen to try the landline.

  It was dead. She turned. The lights began to flicker and she spied the torch she'd sat on the kitchen bench top. A few steps and she held it in her hand seconds before everything went black.

  She flicked on the torch, and stumbled into the laundry, found another torch and placed it on the coffee table. What else could she do? She couldn't prevent the dangerous shudder thrumming through her body, as she made her way into the lounge room and realised the television had also died. The power was out. With no power, no phones, and if the fire grew closer to Montagreen, what hope did she have? What hope did Luke have of surviving?

  With the torch in one hand, she rummaged around in a drawer for candles. She purchased the fancy things while in Tamworth thinking she could use them for a fancy dinner for her and Jordan.

  After setting two candles in a candelabrum, she walked up the stairs and sat it on a side table next to where Luke slept. If he woke up and the house was in darkness he might get a fright, and she didn't want him running scared outdoors and getting lost.

  Making her way downstairs, light caught her attention and she ran the rest of the way toward the window. A spot fire was metres from the veranda. She swung the front door open, and blindly grabbed the hose as the torch light flickered in all directions.

  This fire was the biggest and took several minutes to extinguish. Water was pumped from two dams to the tanks when they emptied. She wondered when and if she'd run out of water. Would the fire move closer, consuming the pumps as well?

  A sliver of fear shot up her spine, as she tried to survey the area through thick smoke. Relieved there were no fires close by, she headed indoors, dropping the hose on the doorstep.

  Trying to keep her tears at bay, she wondered what her family had thought knowing they were trapped in the house, knowing they were about to be burnt...to...death. Her body shook with involuntary muscle spasms and she thought she'd pass out. She swallowed and got a hold of herself.

  If she left the house, the road could be blocked. What if they became stranded?

  What could she do? She recalled Jordan telling her to stay indoors, telling her not to leave the house, although her first thought was to flee before the fire reached th
em. She sucked back a shuddering breath, knowing she had to keep her wits about her if she wanted to survive.

  Chapter Nineteen

  'Relax. Stay calm. I can do this,' Zoe muttered, as she leaned against the front door. Taking a few moments to steady her nerves, she shone the torch beam up the stairs.

  'It's so dark. Why are there candles burning in the hallway?'

  Oh God no, Luke. 'Um...it's okay, sweetie. There's a bit of a problem with the power, but I think it'll be back on soon. I put the candles there so you could see when you woke up.'

  'I need a drink of water.'

  'Um. You go back to bed and I'll bring some up.'

  'Okay. Thanks.'

  Making sure he returned to the bedroom, with her heart hammering at express speed, she dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a few bottles of water and ran upstairs.

  'Here you go,' she said, and passed a bottle of water to Luke.

  He took a few sips, and as she screwed the cap on the bottle he snuggled up and fell back to sleep. Her shoulders dropped, and she covered him with the sheet before leaving the room.

  Zoe walked into the main bathroom, and began to fill the bath tub. If the pumps get damaged at least they'd have some water, to drink, or to use to douse any flames. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last long.

  As the tub filled with water, she dashed into one of the front rooms, and pulled the heavy curtain aside. Her mouth gaped. The flames were closing in and now several spot fires flickered on the other side of the front fence. The sky was aglow with red and yellow, as dark black clouds swirled about. Evil in appearance, a doomsday picture consumed anything in its path. Was this the end? Was this the end to a story gone wrong? Her story. She shuddered at the thought.

  She went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bath, turning off the taps when it was full. She prayed, not for herself but for Jordan's son. He was just a kid. Surely nothing bad would happen to him. Then she remembered Benjamin and a deep ache hinged over her heart.

  She walked into the bedroom where Luke was sleeping and sat down onto an old armchair. Was this really the end?

  Candlelight flickered through the doorway into the room and Zoe listened. She held her breath, trying to hear the sounds of the devastation encroaching on the property, but it was silent. Not daring to leave Luke's side she thought of Jordan and wondered if he managed to protect Jade's property. Did he know the fire was closing in around them, that Montagreen was also under threat?

  Almost one hour had passed, and her curiosity grew. She took a torch, went to the window and eased the curtain aside. She squinted, and looked closer, peering around. The angry golden glow had shrunk. She rushed down the stairs, headed toward one of the back windows, and peered out. There wasn't a glow in sight. She hesitated, unsure if she'd imagined something so inconceivable.

  No...no...no. It would have been impossible to imagine a firestorm so horrific, so huge like the one she spotted. Following the light from the torch to the front door, she dragged it open and shone the torch about, surprised to find the front yard in darkness. She headed toward the end of the veranda. A golden glow lit up the sky to the west. The wind had changed direction. She dropped her shoulders, shuddering with disbelief. Tears of relief followed, as she stared at the last remnants of the fire as the wind chased it down the mountain, away from Montagreen.

  As the after-effects of shock set in, she went indoors and locked the door, wondering how long it would be until the power was reconnected.

  They were safe, for now.

  Zoe didn't dare sleep. Hours later, she blinked and jerked into awareness when a sound filtered into awareness. She pushed up from the lounge, walked toward the window, and almost dropped with exhaustion when she spotted Jordan in uniform climbing from a fire truck. He strode toward the house and she grabbed the windowsill, feeling as though she was about to fall.

  A loud knock resonated throughout the house, and using the wall for support, she stumbled to the door and swung it open.

  'Oh God Zoe. You're okay. Hell, look at you.'

  She managed a forced grin, briefly looking down at her blackened clothes. Then she fell into his open arms, and inhaled the acrid scent of smoke over his clothes, no doubt a reflection of her own. She pulled back a little, and shone the torch upwards over his dark face.

  'You don't look too good either. It's so good to see you Jordan. So...good.'

  'Is Luke okay?'

  'Yes...he's fine. It changed direction. It...changed direction. The fire...it changed direction,' she blurted, under great sobbing upheavals, against his chest, into his chest. Her hands clawed at his jacket, as she tried to get closer.

  'I know. Shush. It's okay.' His arms enclosed around her. 'It's okay now baby. It's all okay. The guys are putting out spot fires. It'll be under control soon. Don't worry.'

  He dropped his arms, and she stepped back, but he took her hand.

  'Luke is asleep upstairs.'

  'You know what? I pictured him asleep. He could sleep through anything.'

  He grinned and gathered her in his arms. 'I knew I could count on you.'

  'Your parents. Jade...are they okay?'

  'All safe and sound. Snuggled up at Mum’s for now.'

  'So...the the fire down that way?'

  'It too fizzled out, thanks to a firebreak Tony put in last year.'

  'How did you...was the road to Montagreen blocked?'

  'I was going nuts with concern thinking you'd get in your car and drive into town. Yes. The road up this way is blocked, by now they'd have it cleared.'

  She squinted, looked at him. 'How did you get here?'

  'There's a fire trail. It's a bit rough. Your father put it in years ago. The fireys maintain it from time to time. You father said there had to be more than one-way in and one-way out. A person has to have choices.'

  Zoe grinned at the remembrance of her father. 'He was a man of riddles.'

  'Those riddles made sense as I grew older. We were too young to understand what they meant back then. Can I see Luke?'

  'Oh. Yes. Come on.'

  Together, they walked upstairs and stopped beside the spare room. Jordan shone a torch over his son who remained asleep. 'Yep. He's dead to the world. I always said he'd sleep through a tornado.'

  'Oh don't say that. I wouldn't know what to do if a tornado hit.'

  Jordan grinned, and shot her a wink. 'I might build us a tornado shelter.'

  'Us?'

  'Yes. Us. Zoe, I've thought long and hard about this. I was so worried about you, stressed to the max, and I prayed with all my might you’d be safe. Thoughts of you consumed me all night and the early hours of this morning. Will you marry me, Zoe Montgomery?'

  Her entire body pricked with tingles of delight. She knew she could trust Jordan, knew he'd never let her down, and she also knew she could take care of his son under any circumstances.

  'Yes. Jordan. I will marry you. Remember when you said it to me that day? You said one day we would marry.'

  'And I meant every word of it. I want to marry you soon.'

  'We can run Montagreen together.'

  'I like that idea.'

  'We need to find out about the house fire first. The one that killed my family.'

  'I know, but I'll be waiting with a gold ring on a red velvet cushion under the fig tree.'

  'Dad. Dad. Is that you?'

  Jordan walked into the room. 'Yeah matie. It's me. Are you okay?' He walked toward his son, sat down on the bed and reached out, touching his shoulder, giving it a few rubs.

  'Are we going home now?'

  'No matie. Sleep now. It's still early in the morning.'

  'Night, Dad.'

  'Night.

  'Will you be here when I wake up?'

  'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else son.'

  He got up, turned and walked to the door, reached out and hooked an arm around Zoe's waist.

  'Come here you.'

  She stepped into his arms. 'Yes.'

  'I need to tha
nk you...'

  'Jordan. Jordan. You up there?'

  He glanced at Zoe. 'Later.'

  'Yes. Later. Come on.'

  They walked down the stairs.

  'The fire’s contained.'

  'Good to hear.'

  While Jordan spoke with the other fire fighters, Zoe made her way to the lounge room window.

  ***

  The fire truck pulled away from the property and Zoe didn't think she could stand any longer. A warm hand snaked around her waist from behind, and she felt the warmth of Jordan's body against her back.

  'Come on. You need to sleep.' He took hold of her hand, and led her upstairs.

  'I can't think straight.'

  'I know. You're exhausted. A few hours’ sleep and you'll be fine.'

  The bedroom door was open, and they walked toward the bed.

  'Shower. I need to shower.'

  He led her into the ensuite, where he reached out. 'Come on. Arms in the air.'

  She lifted her arms, and he stripped her top over her shoulders, before reaching down and undoing the zip on her jeans. When Zoe stripped off, she heard the shower running and stepped into the refreshing water.

  Jordan stepped in behind her, and his hand rubbed soap over her back, down her legs. She could scarcely keep her eyes open.

  'I think you should do the front. I might not be able to contain myself.'

  Zoe took the soap, and after washing her body, she turned.

  'I can do your back.'

  'Are you sure?'

  He edged to the side, and while she washed his back he craned his neck sideways kissing her lightly on the cheek. 'Keep it up and we won't make it to the bed.'

  Fatigued and unsteady on her feet, she managed to step from the shower to reach for a towel. She heard Jordan behind her, quickly dried herself as best as possible and wrapped the towel around her body, tucking the edges in under her arms. As she turned she noticed Jordan was dry and had slung a towel around his hips.