by Derek Hansen
Shimojo was surprised to hear his enemy speak Japanese. But it didn’t make any difference. He took a deep breath, exhaled, began to squeeze the trigger.
Red flinched at the explosion. Rosie screamed.
‘Red! Red!’
In the moment of stillness that followed she switched on her torch and pointed it at the prostrate form of Shimojo Seiichi.
‘Damn you, Red! Damn your foolish hide! See what you’ve gone and made me do, you damn fool!’
Rosie heard Angus’ voice and spun around. Angus crept cautiously up to them, stood shaking over them, the rifle still jammed hard against his shoulder.
‘See what you’ve made me do, you bloody madman!’
CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO
Mickey stood on Angus’ veranda drinking strong black coffee generously fortified with the Scotsman’s whisky. He watched the movement of lights below him as the Kotaku towed the stricken trawler into the safety of deeper water. Personally, he would have been happier if the Shoto Maru had foundered, but he had Red and Rosie to consider. No amount of PR, no matter how cleverly contrived, could counter the loss of the trawler. But the fishing company back in Japan had retained its asset minus one net and the fish in the trawler’s freezer holds, which would be confiscated. Both countries would treat the incident as regrettable, exchange Notes, and return to their trade negotiations. Briefly, New Zealand would have a new hero.
Angus’ bach had become a casualty ward, with both the Kotaku’s doctor and Rosie tending the wounded. Captain Shimojo Seiichi’s shoulder was shattered but at least he’d live to explain his actions. Again Mickey was relieved for all of their sakes. The ship’s doctor had finished with his human patients and turned his attention to Archie. The dog’s foreleg was shattered. Mickey glanced back indoors to see if Rosie had finished patching up the old trawlerman’s head. He wasn’t squeamish, but watching wounds being pulled open, cleaned and sutured wasn’t his idea of a pleasant evening. The boy Angus had rescued was helping her. Theoretically, these two Japanese were both under guard, but Mickey was happy to leave it theoretical. They posed no threat to anyone, and were clearly overjoyed just to be in each other’s company. He’d have to take them both over to Auckland for questioning, but he foresaw no problems. Angus and Rosie’s statements were clear and unequivocal, and the interpreter had given indications that neither the old man nor the boy disagreed with their version of events.
Mickey turned his attention back to the bay where the Kotaku and the trawler’s crew were fully occupied saving the Shoto Maru. He shook his head at the irony, took another swig of coffee and wondered if there was a divine being somewhere having a laugh at his expense.
‘Hello, sailor.’ Rosie came out to join him and leaned heavily on the veranda rail.
‘How are the patients?’
‘Which ones? I’m thinking of opening a practice. Red and Archie are asleep. Both need a spell in hospital. That bullet made a right mess of Red’s bum and the dog will probably need the whole of his shoulder removed. Your MO was wise to leave that to a vet. Pity it was his front leg. I have this vision of him toppling over every time he lifts a leg to pee.’
‘What about Shimojo and the crewman?’
‘Shimojo is heavily sedated and unconscious. The crewman will need plastic surgery. Did you get a look at his ear?’
‘Enough. Where’s Angus?’
‘He came and gave me a big hug, so I knew immediately that he wasn’t well. He’s quite convinced he’s going to gaol. At the very least, he knows that Wreck Bay will be overrun with police and reporters. He’s not sure which he fears most. I gave him a jab to stop his whingeing. He should’ve gone bye-byes by now. Well, that’s everyone accounted for.’
‘Not quite, Rosie . . .’
‘What’s the problem?’
‘Did you get my letter?’
‘What letter?’
‘This probably isn’t the right time.’
‘Which means it probably is. Let me guess, Mickey. Angus has told you I’m pregnant.’
Mickey nodded, held his breath.
‘Did he also tell you that you might be the father?’
Mickey winced, closed his eyes. ‘He alluded to it.’
‘Well, Lieutenant Commander, you can relax. I had my period ten days after you left. Sorry, stud, you put up a good show, but you might just as well have been firing blanks.’
Mickey exhaled, sighed, couldn’t stop himself from smiling. ‘Is that God’s honest truth, Rosie?’
‘Absolutely,’ she lied.
POSTSCRIPT
Wreck Bay never returned to normal after the police and press lost interest in it. The incident with the Shoto Maru had put the bay on the map and it became a summer destination for day trippers in boats and trekkers. A well-meaning Barrier Council set up picnic tables, which were promptly destroyed and consumed in a Stanley slow-combustion range. No attempt was made to replace them. The permanent population doubled nevertheless.
In a massive show of faith while convalescing, Red told Rosie about the One-oh-five and the little man with the long rifle, and invited her to share his burden. The journey home from Burma began. On the fifth of May, 1967, Rosie gave birth to Archibald Hamish, who delighted both parents with his shock of red hair. The three of them forged a mutually dependent unit which suited Red right down to the ground and gave point to his survival. The unit was strengthened when Archibald Hamish acquired a sister whom Rosie could not resist calling Scarlett. Over time Rosie adopted Red’s regime because it was easier for her to change than it was for him, and she was already heading his way. Red still needed every part of his therapy, his exercise, his routine and his work, while Rosie concentrated on dispelling his feelings of guilt and his nightmares.
Archibald Hamish also acquired a grandmother in a quiet ceremony at Awana Bay, and never wanted for love, a slice of cake, or cup of cocoa. Angus kept up his writing and continued his regular patrols in search of foreign trawlers and German U-boats. However, the highlight of his days was telling stories to his adoring young audience, and revelling in the childhood that had been denied him.
Mickey Finn announced his engagement to Gloria Wainscott on New Year’s Day, 1967, and married her three months later. When Phil Scriven was promoted to a staff position, Mickey took over the fisheries protection squadron. He tried to give it the edge and impact needed to control incursions, but was frequently frustrated by lack of funds and political will. Nevertheless, the foreign fleet recognised the need for greater caution and the rate of incursions halved. Every summer he and Gloria took leave and stayed as guests in Rosie’s cottage. Angus even adjusted to that.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Sole Survivor is a work of fiction. The actual events and characters are all products of my imagination as are the Shoto Maru and Aiko Maru. That said, the background to the novel is a matter of public record.
Japanese fishing boats did fish so close in they could ‘scrape the oysters from the rocks’. Up until 1966 the New Zealand Navy’s fisheries proctection squadron did have only four patrol boats to protect their territorial waters, and their numbers were increased to six with the introduction of the twelve mile limit. The squadron did also acquire the Royal Australian Navy’s mine sweeper, the Kotaku. The Airforce did change over from Sunderlands to Orions during this period. And the New Zealand sheep farmers who sold their wool to Japan did carry a great deal of political clout, certainly more than New Zealand’s fishermen.
I have not the slightest doubt, however, that the actual naval officers in charge of the fisheries protection squadron, from Commodore Auckland down, were infinitely more capable than my creations, and I have nothing but admiration for the way they went about their work.
As far as I am aware, fewer than forty New Zealand servicemen were taken prisoner by the Japanese, none of whom were required to work on the Burma–Thailand Railway.
While there is a general store at Port Fitzroy and there was a fish processing plant at Okupu,
all the characters on Great Barrier Island are also products of my imagination. The one exception was the late Captain Fred Ladd, with whom I exchanged countless waves of greeting; he from the cockpit of his Grumman Widgeon, me from my favourite fishing possie on the breakwater. He was so closely identified with Great Barrier Island at the time that I could not possibly leave him out of this story.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to a number of people for their assistance which enabled me to write this novel.
First and foremost, Jeanette Schollum, who spent weeks unearthing and photocopying old newspaper reports, finding answers to all my questions – and there were plenty – and hounding the staff of the Royal New Zealand Navy Library in Auckland. I would also like to thank the library staff, because I know how persistent Jeanette can be.
Heartfelt thanks also the Leigh and Martin Gillard of Northall Cottage, Gooseberry Flat, Great Barrier Island, for taking me into their home, escorting me over the island and for filling my head to bursting point with local history and information on the island’s flora and fauna.
Special thanks to my agent, Margaret Gee, whose father, Able Seaman Allan Gee, worked on the Burma Railway as a prisoner of the Japanese. Margaret grew up with the after-effects and gave me invaluable insights into life in the camps, the camaraderie and the nightmares that continued long after the war ended, even though the process was very distressing to her.
Finally, thanks to editors Bernadette Foley and Louise Thurtell, who made production of this manuscript both stimulating and enjoyable.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DEREK HANSEN was born in England, raised in New Zealand and now lives with his wife and two children in Sydney, Australia. Derek turned to writing novels after a thirty-year career in advertising and met with instant success. His first two novels were best-sellers and published widely in Europe. Sole Survivor, his third novel, is one of his most ambitious projects.
ALSO BY DEREK HANSEN
Remember Me
Lunch with the Generals
Lunch with Mussolini
Lunch with the Stationmaster
Lunch with a Soldier
Something Fishy
Blockade
The Perfect Couple
SHORT STORIES
Dead Fishy
Psycho Cat
COPYRIGHT
HarperCollinsPublishers
First published in Australia in 1997
This edition published in 2016
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Derek Hansen 1997
The right of Derek Hansen to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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ISBN 978 0 7322 5747 7 (pbk)
ISBN 978 0 7304 9353 2 (ePub)
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Hansen, Derek, 1944– .
Sole Survivor.
ISBN 0 7322 5747 6.
I. Title.
A823.3