Little Girl Lost

by Gover, Janet

  He moved slowly, looking carefully around him. He shone his powerful torch into all the darkest places, and called the little girl’s name until his throat was dry. The paths were clearly marked. Even in the darkness they would be easy to follow. But a little girl playing hide and seek wouldn’t want to stick to the paths. She’d probably dashed off into the scrub without thinking. By now she would be frightened and lonely. She’d probably try to find her way back to the campsite, but with no path to guide her, could be moving further and further away.

  The park didn’t have many real predators, but it was still a dangerous place for a child. There were a lot of poisonous snakes. But the greatest danger would come from the sun. Dehydration and sunstroke were a threat, even though it was not yet high summer. A little girl alone out here without food or water would weaken very quickly and a weak child was vulnerable. There were dingoes, wild dogs and feral pigs in the park. They would be a real danger to her as her strength failed.

  They had to find her – soon.

  Two hours later he was back where they had all started. Pete and Dan were already there and one look at their faces told him everything he needed to know.

  ‘There’s not much more we can do tonight,’ he said. ‘Dan, why don’t you head back to the ranger station? Call Trish Warren and let her know we need everyone tomorrow. First light. She won’t be afraid to wake people up and get them out here.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Is Quinn home?’

  ‘She’s just finished a shoot on the coast. Last I heard she was thinking of driving right through the night to get here in the morning.’

  ‘Dan’s partner is a photographer,’ Max explained to Pete. ‘I could use a good set of eyes in the spotter plane in the morning.’

  ‘I’ll call her when I get back to the station,’ Dan said. ‘She can stop at the Creek when she gets here.’

  ‘Great. Jess should have the plane on standby for first light. Then, if we don’t find Renee after a few sweeps from the air, I’ll send Jess to pick up a tracker.’

  ‘Sounds good.’ Dan turned towards his vehicle.

  ‘Bring back anything you think will be useful. We’ll set up a command post here.’ Max looked over at Pete. ‘Are you with us, Pete? Or do you need to get back?’

  ‘I’m here as long as you want me,’ Pete said without hesitation.

  ‘Thanks.’

  With a nod, Dan set off back to his car. Max spread the park map out over the bonnet of the police vehicle, and began to plan the search.

  ‘When we have more men and some daylight, we’ll divide into grids like this,’ he said to Pete, drawing lines on the map with his finger. ‘I’ll need someone back here to co-ordinate. And someone needs to stay with the family.’

  As if on cue there was a sound from the nearby motorhome. The sound of a woman sobbing.

  ‘This must be tough for them,’ Pete said.

  ‘Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel?’ Max said slowly. ‘And there’s always a measure of guilt. They feel it’s their fault the little girl is missing.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ Pete’s voice sounded harsh.

  ‘Don’t be too tough on them,’ Max said. ‘I don’t have any kids, but in this job I’ve learned that being a parent is hard work. You let your guard down for even a second and they can just vanish. Like Renee did.’

  There was no answer. Max glanced sideways at Pete. The younger man was frowning. His face set.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ Max asked.

  ‘No. It’s nothing,’ Pete said quickly. ‘I’m going to do another loop around some of those paths. Just in case.’

  ‘Okay. One of us needs to be awake all night, listening in case she’s nearby and calls out. But we both need to get some sleep. So let’s take it in turns to get a few hours rest. We’re going to need all the energy we can muster in the morning.’

  Pete didn’t reply. Max watched his tall lean shape vanish into the darkness, and then turned back to studying the map.

  She was alone in the darkness and she was terrified. She could hear noises. Somewhere out there were people who wanted to hurt her … or something worse. She had no home to go back to. If she was going to survive, she had to rely on her own wits. She was hungry and thirsty, but was too afraid to move. Then there was another sound close by. Too close. Over there, in the blackness of a doorway. A tall shape. A huge filthy hand in the darkness reaching for her as the sound of harsh rasping breath assaulted her ears.

  With a short sharp scream, Tia sat upright, sleep falling away from her as she stared wild-eyed at her surroundings. Her heart was pounding as she tried to control her panicked breathing. She looked around her, taking in the bland walls of the trailer, the small kitchen with its fake wooden cupboards and the table with the motorcycle helmet sitting on it.

  She swung her feet down to the floor and ran her hands through her hair. What a nightmare. It had taken her back to the dark days in the squats. She had run away from home when she was only fifteen. That was when her stepfather had started taking too much notice of her. She shivered as she remembered the way he had looked at her and that night he had walked into her room when she was in bed and her mother was at work. She’d fought him off that night, but knew he’d be back. Her mother would never have believed her, so she had run away and never gone back.

  Of course, running away hadn’t been a picnic either. She spent a long time living in squats and trying to feed herself by stealing. In those early days, when things were really bad, she’d been reduced to looking in the wheelie bins behind restaurants. She’d learned quickly that expensive restaurants threw away a lot of really good food. She’d also learned the hard way that if she was going to survive out there, she needed some sort of protection against the gangs that ruled the streets. Little had she known how that would turn out.

  Tia got up and pulled back the curtains covering her window. The sky was still dark, just the smallest suggestion of dawn appearing on the horizon to the east. Somewhere out there was another small runaway. A little girl, lost and afraid, as she had been when she set out on her own. That little girl needed to be found. She needed to be protected and brought back to her family.

  Tia headed for her tiny bathroom. There was no way she’d get back to sleep now. She packed anything she thought might prove useful into the panniers of the Harley. She hesitated for a moment, thinking about the gun hidden under the bench seat. A gunshot would be a sure-fire way of attracting the little girl’s attention or of bringing help if Tia found her. But the gun was also something she wouldn’t be able to explain to Max. Reluctantly she left it behind, consoling herself with the thought that Max would have a gun. And some of the other men would too. The searchers didn’t need another gun. They needed more people. By the time the sun peeped over the horizon, she was well past the town and on her way to the Tyangi Crossing National Park.

  She slowed down as she entered the park, suddenly aware that she didn’t know where to go. She paused outside the ranger station. A man emerged. He was wearing a uniform, but this one didn’t cause her any concern. He wasn’t a cop.

  ‘Dan Mitchell,’ he introduced himself as he approached her. ‘If you were planning to go hiking, I’m afraid the park is closed today.’ He raised the sign he was holding in his left hand. ‘I was about to post this.’

  ‘I’m here to help with the search,’ Tia said quickly. ‘Unless you’ve found her?’

  Dan shook his head. ‘I think we’re going to need all the help we can get today. It’s going to be a hot one, and that little girl hasn’t got any water.’

  ‘Just tell me where I can be useful.’

  Following Dan’s directions, it took Tia about ten minutes to get to the campground. She instantly recognised the huge motorhome. And the police car parked nearby. By the time she’d parked her bike next to it, Max
had appeared from the direction of the motorhome.

  ‘Tell me how I can help,’ she said by way of greeting.

  He looked tired, she thought. But very determined. He exuded a strength and competence that must be a great comfort to the people who needed him.

  ‘Do you know the park at all?’

  ‘No,’ Tia said. ‘I’m a townie so I don’t know how to handle the bush, but I do know how to organise things. I can help with food and water and keeping track of the search parties. Who has gone where, that sort of thing. I could even stay with the family, if you think that would help. Whatever you need me to do, just let me know and I’ll do my best.’

  He nodded slowly, his dark eyes softening for a moment. ‘Thanks, Tia.’

  He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder for a second. It was just a fleeting touch, but it held a world of comfort and encouragement and thanks. She welcomed it as she had never welcomed a man’s touch before.

  Perhaps if it had been Max’s hand reaching for her in the squalor of the squat on that dark night, her life might have been very, very different.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‘There are a couple of large Esky water coolers in the storeroom. Fill those and take them too.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum.’ Sarah found the polystyrene coolers on the top shelf. She quickly filled them with water and added them to the growing pile near the front door of the store.

  Her father emerged from the rear of the shop, carrying a couple of boxes of health food bars.

  ‘These will help. The searchers will need to keep their strength up.’

  Sarah nodded. ‘Trish is organising food. Sandwiches for lunch and—’

  She stopped. What happened after lunch depended upon how well the searchers fared. Maybe they would have found the little girl by lunchtime, or maybe they would still be searching into the evening and night. Sarah didn’t want to even think about that possibility. One night in the bush was hard enough for a lost child. Two was almost unthinkable.

  She opened the front door of the store just as two cars, both full of people, sped past in the direction of the park. The sun was only part way above the horizon, but the search teams were already gathering. She carried the first armload of supplies to the green station wagon parked at the kerb and was stowing them safely in the back, when she heard her father’s voice.

  ‘Hi, Doc.’

  ‘Hello, Ken. Sarah.’

  Adam Gilmore was carrying a large first aid kit. He handed it to Sarah to put in the car.

  ‘I can’t come out,’ Adam said. ‘I have a patient at the hospital. An injured child and I can’t leave him. Everything you might need is in there. I’ll be close to the phone. You can get a message to me via radio to the Mount Isa police. Max and Dan know how.’

  ‘Thanks. With luck, we won’t need you,’ Ken said, causing Sarah to freeze.

  ‘Dad, you’re not going out there.’

  ‘Of course I am,’ her father replied. ‘They need all the help they can get.’

  Sarah became aware of her mother standing in the doorway of the store. The big ginger cat was rubbing against her legs, demanding attention, but he was being ignored. Her mother’s eyes were fixed on the small group by the car, and her face was white with fear.

  ‘Dad. You’re not up to this. You have to look after yourself.’

  ‘There’s a lost child,’ Ken said in a firm voice. ‘They are going to need all the help they can get looking for her. I’m coming!’

  Sarah looked at the doctor. ‘Please talk some sense into him, Adam.’

  ‘She’s right, Ken,’ Adam said slowly. ‘You’ve just finished chemo. You shouldn’t be stomping around in the bush. You need to rest.’

  ‘But I want to help!’

  ‘It won’t help if you collapse out there – then there’ll be two people needing to be rescued.’

  Sarah saw her father’s shoulders sag at the harsh truth of it. Without a word, he turned and walked back, past his wife and into the shop. Gina threw a grateful look in Adam’s direction.

  ‘Take care out there,’ she told Sarah as she turned to follow her husband into the building.

  Sarah blinked back a tear. She hated the truth of it as much as her father did. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  ‘You were right,’ Adam said quietly. ‘He needs to take it easy.’

  ‘Adam,’ Sarah turned towards him. ‘How is he? Really? What are his chances?’

  The doctor held her gaze for a few seconds. ‘Sarah, I’m going to be honest with you. His response to the chemo has been good, but it might not have been good enough. All we can do now is wait. He’ll have some more tests soon and we’ll have to wait and see what they show. If we’re lucky, we’ve beaten it. If not … well, let’s just say it’s a good thing you came home.’

  Sarah bit back the fear and the pain. ‘Thanks for being honest with me.’

  ‘Of course. Now, when you get out there, tell Max that Jess will be taking the plane up when it’s full daylight. She’ll have Rachel Quinn with her acting as spotter. A plane isn’t as good as a chopper in these circumstances, but there isn’t a chopper anywhere close. The plane is better than nothing. It’s worth a try, at least.’

  ‘I’ll tell him.’

  Across the road, the front door of the pub swung open to reveal Trish Warren. She waved at Sarah.

  ‘Trish looks like she’s ready to load the food for the searchers,’ Sarah said.

  ‘I won’t hold you up,’ Adam said.

  Sarah started the car and swung it across the road, to where Syd was carrying boxes and Eskys down the stairs.

  ‘It should all fit on the back seat,’ Sarah said.

  It was a tight fit, but eventually they had all the food and even more water on board. Water was the key to survival in the outback. Sarah didn’t want to think about that little girl who was without it.

  ‘Good luck,’ Syd said as he opened the passenger door for his wife. ‘I’ll be standing by the phone. Tell Max he can route all calls through me and I’ll make sure the messages get to wherever they need to go.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Trish said, grasping his hand. ‘We’ll find her.’

  Sarah watched the exchange between the pair, marvelling at the obvious affection between them even after what must have been several decades of marriage. When she was married, that’s the sort of marriage she wanted. The sort of marriage her parents had. Then she remembered her mother’s face. Her father’s illness was taking a huge toll on the woman who had loved him for so many years. Sarah blinked back the tears again.

  She hopped behind the wheel of the car, barely waiting until Trish was comfortably settled beside her before accelerating away from the town.

  She sped past Pete’s truck which was parked facing north, the direction he should have gone last night.

  It looked like he was once again becoming a knight in shining armour for a little girl. She only hoped that Sir Knight would really come to the girl’s rescue.

  The little boy’s eyes were huge and red ringed from crying. He sat on the steps of the motorhome, watching as the searchers began gathering. Pete’s heart went out to him. He stepped away from the others for a few minutes, and walked over to crouch down beside the boy.

  ‘You haven’t found her yet, have you?’ The boy’s voice wavered.

  ‘Not yet. But we haven’t given up. Not by a long shot. We’re just getting ready to start an even bigger search.’

  ‘It’s all my fault.’ The little boy’s voice broke and fresh tears ran down his face.

  Pete resisted the urge to gather the crying boy in a hug. ‘I’m Pete,’ he said. ‘You must be Dustin.’

  The boy nodded, sniffing.

  ‘Well, Dustin, tell me why you think it’s your fault?’


  ‘Mum and Dad were arguing. They were yelling at each other a lot so we went outside. Renee was really upset. She gets like that when Mum and Dad fight. I tried to distract her and said we should play hide and seek. She’s not very good at it and the first time I found her really really fast. I told her she had to try harder.’

  ‘Ah. And you think that’s why she’s lost?’

  Dustin nodded, biting his lower lip in an effort not to cry.

  ‘You know, Dustin. I don’t see it quite like that.’

  ‘You don’t?’ The tiny voice quivered a little.

  ‘No. Let me guess … Renee is always getting into trouble for wandering off, isn’t she? She’s inquisitive. Likes to explore and look at new things.’

  The boy nodded.

  ‘And I bet she doesn’t play one game for very long before she wants to do something else.’

  Another nod.

  ‘Well, there you go. I bet she saw something. Maybe a pretty bird. Or even a kangaroo. And she forgot about playing hide and seek and went to look at it. That’s how she got lost.’

  The small tear-stained face that looked up at him was hopeful. ‘Do you really think so?’

  ‘I know one thing for a fact, Dustin. It wasn’t your fault. Okay?’

  This time the nod was a little more confident. ‘Can I help to look for her?’

  Pete felt as if his heart was about to explode. Was this what being a father was all about? He could see the new hope in the boy’s eyes. Had he done that? And was it wrong to raise hopes that might yet be dashed? The boy’s sister might never be found; or she might be … He didn’t let his mind travel that road. He looked at Dustin who was bravely biting back his tears. Pete silently promised that he would be there for the boy as much as he could. If his parents were the kind who were too busy fighting to notice their kids, Pete would do whatever it took to make these next hours easier for Dustin. First he had to find Dustin something to do. Something that would make him feel like he was part of the rescue effort.

  Sarah and Trish were at the other side of the campground. Someone had set up a trellis table in the shade of a small stand of gum trees. The two women were stacking boxes of food and water on the table and handing packages to the searchers who were getting ready to set out. Pete needed to start searching too. But there was something else he had to do first.