The Cadet Under-Officer

by Christopher Cummings

  ‘I need that brown notebook. My life depends on it!’ he thought. ‘So I can’t run, not yet.’ He had no money and no passport and with that book in the hands of the police - no future! He shivered. Where was that damned girl? Was she in Townsville or Charters Towers? Were they fools searching empty bush?

  With an effort of willpower Bargheese got up and went to the office. The storeman, a fat, bald man smelling of beer and sweat, sat beside the radio. Bargheese telephoned Watton at his home. The Manager had no news and was angry at Bargheese’s efforts.

  Bargheese then went to the dining hall. He and the pilot were the only two there and the cook was surly and the food poor. Randall excused himself as soon as he could saying he had to service and refuel the helicopter ready for the morning.

  Bargheese went back to his room. He lay on his bed turning the problem over and over in his mind. Sleep crept up on him in the midst of near despair.

  -----

  “Mr Bargheese! Mr Bargheese!” Someone was knocking loudly on the door of the prefabricated hut. Bargheese rolled over and groaned. His head throbbed and his mouth was dry. He got up and went to the door. His watch said it was only 11pm. Fearfully he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the small automatic pistol.

  “Yes! Who is it?”

  “It’s me Mr Bargheese, Jake Evans. We got a girl, an’ she’s got the missing briefcase. We got it here!”

  Relief flooded through Bargheese. He pocketed the pistol, opened the door and stepped out.

  “Show me at once!”

  CHAPTER 19

  CAPTURED!

  Miss McEwen had been deeply worried for two days. She had been really surprised by Graham’s revelation of hiding the girl and even more surprised to find the girl was Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s story had filled her with horror and fear and this led to worry and caution. Being a careful person by nature she hesitated from acting at once.

  It wasn’t that she was indecisive. It was just that the dangers were so real she did not wish to take risks until she had more information on which to act. Her initial reaction had been just to drive Elizabeth to the army camp and hand the problem to Capt Conkey. As another alternative she thought about driving her to Townsville and handing her and the briefcase over to the Federal Police. But it was the knowledge that this was what Jack Schein had been trying to do when he was chased and killed that made her hesitate.

  She had carefully read the material and picked up as much information as she could about the search operation before deciding. She had even done drives to the Army Camp and to Bunyip Bend as ‘dry runs’ to test the opposition’s procedures. On the second of these she had deliberately taken a girl with her, Cadet Woodhouse, but there had been no problems at the check points. These experiences made her confident she would have no difficulty at any roadblock as long as she only had the briefcase.

  Miss McEwen then made careful alternate arrangements by having copies made of all the written material and by dividing the other evidence into four lots. Thus she was confident that even if, by some unforseen chance, she failed to reach the authorities the information would.

  She was also sure that leaving Elizabeth hidden as a cadet was the best plan. It should only be needed for another night. She had every confidence that Graham Kirk would act sensibly to protect his cadets while protecting Elizabeth. This made her smile as it was pretty obvious the CUO was romantically smitten by Elizabeth (or perhaps by the situation!). ‘That’s a pity really,’ she thought. ‘It makes him blind to the real ties of affection he has with Margaret Lake.’

  The teacher smiled again. Margaret was such a sensible girl in most ways but, like most girls, love was her weak spot and she was devoted to Graham. ‘If only the blockhead could see it!’

  Sandra felt it was a pity she hadn’t had an opportunity to tell Captain Conkey the true story when he had visited them on Black Knoll but she was confident she would get an opportunity down at the First Year’s bivouac. ‘There should be an opportunity to speak to him in all that bustle without attracting the attention of these crooks,’ she thought.

  As soon as the vehicles had driven away from Black Knoll she had prepared to go. She was touched by the deep concern for her welfare in the CUO’s face and voice when she’d told him that if she had to she was going to drive to the Federal Police in Townsville that evening. She had tried to sound confident but inside she had been gripped by fear. She told herself to stop being silly. No-one would stop her or suspect her but it didn't work. The feeling of dark horror wouldn’t go. She had smiled determinedly and kept her voice cheerful and her movements brisk as she prepared.

  Graham had said, “You take care, Miss.”

  “I will. See you later tonight, or tomorrow morning. I’ll be as quick as I can,” she had replied. To hide her worry she picked up her webbing, pack and briefcase and walked off to the station wagon. When she got to the car she found her heart was pounding as though she’d run a race. She put the pack, webbing and briefcase in the boot and told herself not to be silly. For a minute she sat behind the wheel before starting, with her eyes closed while she calmed herself.

  With a silent prayer Sandra started up and carefully drove down the hill. At the bottom she turned right onto the Canning Road. Almost at once she came in sight of the NORMAC vehicle parked at the junction. Her heart sped up again and her hands became slippery on the wheel. The security man was the same one she had seen earlier. He was talking on his vehicle radio and just waved his hand as she drove past.

  At the junction Sandra turned right and went along the gravel road to where the First Years were now setting up their bivouac at Canning Junction. A work party was busy erecting three tents. Nearby were parked a Land Rover and a NORMAC vehicle. ‘Is that Capt Conkey’s vehicle?’ she wondered. She could not see him. A niggle of anxiety caused her to start worrying.

  Parking the car she walked over to where the 2ic, Lt Mel Maclaren, was supervising a group of cadets. He turned and grinned. “Reminds me of a story my grandfather told me,” he said.

  “What’s that?” Miss McEwen asked, trying to act natural within the hearing of the NORMAC security man.

  “During World War Two it was. He said that the Australian Army was just like ‘Worth’s Circus’ but had more tents,” Mel replied.

  Miss McEwen laughed. It was such a relief from the tension. Then she looked around and said, “Where’s the OC?”

  “You just missed him. He and Jill drove back to camp with a sick girl,” Mel explained.

  “I didn’t see him on the road,” Miss McEwen replied, unable to hide a frown.

  Lt Maclaren pointed along the river bank. “He took that track there, wanted to check it out for a lantern stalk location,” he explained. “It joins the highway near the bridge.”

  “Thanks. I need to speak to him,” Miss McEwen replied. Without further explanation she got into her car and set off back the way she had come. By this time the sun was setting and her anxiety was increasing. The knowledge that she had to once again pass the NORMAC checkpoint at the road junction sent her heart rate up and made her palms sweaty but as before the man just smiled and waved. It made her feel silly it was so easy. She drove up the hill to the top of Bare Ridge. There were more vehicles there. Suddenly a huge black thing leapt into her vision from the tree tops. She swerved in fright and put her nearside wheels into a shallow ditch before her conscious mind registered the fact that it was the helicopter which had just lifted off and flown low overhead. She steadied her car back on the gravel road and looked at the group of four or five men standing at the two vehicles.

  They were either talking or watching the helicopter and only one, Martinez, looked up and gave her a wave. ‘This is ridiculous,’ Sandra thought. ‘Here I am at the very centre of the spider’s web and all I get is smiles and waves!’ She wanted to laugh but it came as a sort of sob.

  Two minutes later she reached the Highway. There was a huge yellow dump truck parked there and two men she had never seen, in
overalls and yellow safety helmets. One waved her to stop. With beating heart she pulled up and smiled brightly.

  A miner said: “Sorry to stop you Miss. We’re looking for a girl.” He eyed her army uniform uncertainly and wasn’t sure how to go on.

  “Yes I know. I’m Lieutenant McEwen of the cadets. Your people have been with us most of the day. I’ve just come from your search HQ with Mr Falls up there. I’m just going over to the Army Camp,” she replied, forcing herself to sound cheerful and natural.

  This satisfied the miner. “That’s OK Miss, sorry to hold you up.” He waved her on and his friend gave a cheerful and cheeky grin.

  Sandra turned left onto the Highway and accelerated. There wasn’t another vehicle to be seen. The bush looked lovely in the red glow of the setting sun. Another two minutes of driving and she was over the rise and slowing to turn into the army camp.

  There was another massive dumper parked there and another miner waved for her to stop but when he saw she was an officer in uniform in an army car turning into the army camp he waved her on and gave a mock salute as she passed.

  So far so good! She drove up to the guardhouse and after checking with the civilian caretaker drove on in the dusk through the deserted camp. It was dark enough for her to need her headlights by the time she reached the HQ and Q Store. There was no-one there but there were lights in the kitchen. To her concern there was no sign of the OC’s vehicle.

  As she got out of her car the QM, Lt Hamish Hamilton, came out of the kitchen with a cup in his hand.

  “Hello Sandra. What brings you to the ‘bright lights’?”

  “I am looking for the OC,” she answered.

  Lt Hamilton shook his head. “You just missed him. He and Jill left about five minutes ago.”

  “Where have they gone?”

  “To Charters Towers. They had a sick girl and were taking her to hospital,” Lt Hamilton explained.

  Sandra bit her lip and cursed her bad luck. ‘I must have just missed them on the highway,’ she thought. But what to do now? ‘I could phone the Federal Police from here,’ she thought. And she was strongly tempted to discuss the situation with Hamish but even as this thought crossed her mind a NORMAC security man appeared at the door of the HQ. Hiding her disappointment she made up her mind.

  “I’m going to Townsville. I need to change. Any food left?” she asked. She realized she was both hungry and thirsty.

  “Sure! I’ll heat something. Be ready in ten minutes,” Lt Hamilton replied. The QM went back into the kitchen sipping his coffee. Sandra had no authority to use the army vehicle for the trip so she transferred the briefcase to the boot of her own white-painted sedan. She had driven this down from Cairns as she planned to spend the second week of her holidays with her sister in Townsville.

  Twenty minutes later she walked into the kitchen, having showered and changed. She now wore a casual print frock, pale pink flowers on white cotton. The QM was sitting with three cadets who had been too sick to go on the march and were left in camp. He got her a plate and hot food and they sat and he talked while she ate.

  Lt Hamilton knew she had a sister who was also a teacher so her saying she was just going to town to see her sister didn’t cause any surprise or questions. Sandra had trouble eating though, as her stomach was a bundle of butterflies. She managed two cups of strong, sweet tea and that helped settle her. As she finished she looked at her watch and saw it was just after 7pm.

  Lt Hamilton stood up. “I’m going to watch the news on TV,” he said.

  “I’d better get going. Thanks for tea. See you later,” Sandra replied. She stood up and smoothed her hands down her dress, then walked to the fly proof swing door, her white shoes clacking on the concrete floor. Outside it was a lovely evening, very quiet and peaceful. A glance showed the NORMAC man sitting in the HQ and the sight sent her nerves fluttering again. ‘Oh, I wish I had been able to speak to Capt Conkey,’ she thought. She knew he would be upset at not being informed but other than driving to Charters Towers and trying to find him there, or waiting at the company bivouac, she could not see what else she could do. ‘The sooner the police have this stuff the better; and I can be back by daylight with luck,’ she told herself.

  She checked her purse, then took a few deep breaths like a swimmer about to dive into cold water. A minute later she was on her way. Her car headlights lit up the bush and store sheds and made it seem darker than it was.

  The caretaker gave her a cheery wave and then she was on her own and it seemed a very dark and lonely world. A car went past as she came to the highway. She slowed and stopped to talk to the miner at the dump truck who signalled with a torch. He was bored and wanted to go home to his family and was easily satisfied.

  Sandra turned right onto the Highway and accelerated. As she did she wiped perspiration from her brow and told herself not to be silly. Then she settled down for the drive to Townsville. ‘Only an hour or so,’ she kept telling herself. But it was lonely on the road. There were absolutely no farms. Just dark bush, and the occasional red glow reflected from the eyes of beef cattle beyond the fences.

  Sandra’s car nearly hit a wallaby which bounded across the road but she didn’t slow down. A truck passed going the other way. Then a car. Otherwise there were no other lights. She told herself that was good. ‘I don’t want any other traffic. I just want a trouble free drive.’

  Then trouble struck!

  She was coming down a long gentle curve to the left when the steering wheel began to vibrate and wobble alarmingly. Sandra had to decelerate quickly to keep control of the car.

  A puncture! Luckily her headlights picked out a gravel area on the left just before the small concrete bridge across Five Mile Creek. She eased the car off the road and stopped. When she turned off the motor it was very quiet and without the headlights the line of trees along the creek bank looked black and menacing. Leaving the parking lights on Sandra stepped out.

  Sandra opened the boot and began fumbling in the dark to get out the jack and wheel spanner, regretting that her torch was in her webbing. She shivered. Something whooshed overhead, wings beating - owl or fruit bat! It gave her a fright and she had to restrain an impulse to get back into the car.

  After a few minutes she had the jack under the front left side and was kneeling in the dust and gravel trying to position it, to the ruin of her dress, when headlights came across the bridge from the direction of Mingela and Townsville. The lights swept over the car and then swung back and she heard the squeal of brakes.

  Sandra stood up and dusted her dress, the headlights full on her as a Landcruiser pulled up facing her car. She was very conscious she was a woman alone - quite enough to be frightened of in normal circumstances until she knew whether the people in the car were friendly or not. Then her blood chilled and her throat constricted as two men got out and walked into the light.

  NORMAC Security Men!

  “Got a bit o’ trouble Miss?” said one. He spoke with an Irish accent.

  Sandra forced herself to stand still and to speak calmly. “Yes, puncture,” she managed to get out while gesturing at it.

  “Lucky we came along then Miss. There be some nasty fellows travel these bush highways. We’ll soon have this fixed. Lend a hand Jake.”

  Sandra was flustered. “It...it’s alright. I can do it.”

  “Nonsense Missy. Why ye’ll be spoilin’ yer dress and all,” the Irishman replied. He shone the torch on the wheel and then on the jack. “You’ve got the tools here then - what about yer wheel wrench?” He knelt and pushed the jack into position.

  “In...in the boot,” Sandra stammered in mounting alarm. The other man, Jake, had already walked around to the rear, shining his torch into the car as he did.

  The Irishman called, “Get the wheel wrench and spare tyre, Jake me boy.”

  “Righto Mick,” the man named Jake replied. He bent into the boot. Sandra didn’t know what to do and stood silently praying the man would find nothing suspicious about the briefcas
e. She heard him pushing it aside and then he appeared with the wheel wrench and crouched to help his friend.

  Mick jacked while Jake removed the hub cap and loosened the nuts. After a minutes work Mick began unscrewing wheel nuts with his hands. “OK Jake. Get us the spare, mate,” he instructed.

  Jake walked past Sandra who tried to stay calm. She knew it would seem odd if she tried to help get the tyre out of the boot and all she could do was talk about nearly hitting a wallaby. She heard Jake rummaging in the boot and then he appeared with the spare tyre and put it down. Sandra relaxed a bit.

  Jake took the flat tyre to Mick and then turned to face her. “What did you say your name was Miss?” he asked.

  “I didn’t. It...it’s Sandra,” she replied. Jake nodded and walked back to the rear of the car. She went with him.

  The briefcase was on the ground.

  “It’s alright. I can do this. You are very kind,” she said, aware that there was a tremor in her voice.

  “Sandra. That’s a nice name,” Jake said in a way which sent darts of alarm through her. He ignored her offer of help and put the flat tyre in the well the spare had been nested in. Then he picked up the briefcase and put it in the boot. His torch shone full on it and he kept his right hand on it. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this briefcase would you?”

  Sandra froze. The man had obviously looked in it. It had not been locked. She couldn’t answer and the torch shone full in her face. Mick called to Jake to help him tighten the wheel nuts.

  Jake called back: “Come here, Mick. I’ve found something very interesting.” His voice was heavy with menace.

  Sandra turned and ran. It wasn’t quite blind panic but she knew she had to get away, into the bush, to hide.

  Jake let out a cry. “Grab her Mick! I’ve got the briefcase!” he shouted.