The Innimincka Affair

by Robert Chalmers

  “Well,” replied Cooper smiling “that means you won’t be staying on at Innamincka I guess.”

  “Hmmm, no not really.” Replied Rebecca. “However, I do want to come out with you tomorrow morning, and for that reason, I suggest we call it a night. I’m glad, in fact very pleased, that we have finally agreed to… understand each other.”

  Without further discussion they rose and headed for the lifts. Rebecca got off first, and with a little wave and smile went to her room, Cooper to his on the next floor. They both had a lot to think about, each for similar reasons. Although they didn’t know it yet.

  Chapter 5

  The plane droned through the vast blue of the sky, heading almost directly west. The early morning sun rose behind them, throwing long shadows across the land from low mountains and hills as it climbed up into the sky. The golden light of the early sun slowly revealed a land of browns and dark greens. They had long since left behind them the long low mountain range that ran the length of the Australian east coast. It seemed more like the uplift to a vast escarpment than a mountain range, and Rebecca was entranced by the vast emptiness of the landscape that unfolded below her. They were following a main road it seemed. Well, it was the only feature she could make out below them, and it seemed to stretch away over the horizon in the same direction as their travel. There were occasional small tracks, and lesser roads, and now and then a cluster of building, their roofs shining in the morning sun. Rebecca looked across the small cabin at Cooper. He was concentrating on his flying, and only turned to smile encouragingly at her for a moment. He said, "I'll be with you in a moment Rebecca. I just have to set the controls to auto-pilot, and we can relax for a little while." Rebecca didn't reply, just turned her head to look out of the side window again. They didn't seem to be all that high. Not like the big jets. She supposed that these smaller aeroplanes were only permitted to fly at a specified height, to stay out of the main airline routes. although she didn't think there would be any passenger services out this way. It was obvious nobody lived down there. At last Cooper set the controls, after reporting to some unseen air traffic controller somewhere. He eased himself back in his seat and turned to Rebecca slightly, the better to be able to look directly at her.

  "I was just letting Toowoomba Air Services know who we are and where we are going. Compass heading, ETA and so on. It's a safety measure. If by some unfortunate chance we don't arrive, the authorities have some idea where to start looking for us. The flight was logged at Brisbane when we left, but that is a very busy airport, and little things like reporting our position somewhere along the intended route can often help in emergencies. This is a vast country, with very little in it out here, and even less where we are going." Rebecca must have been looking a little worried because Cooper continued.

  "Don't worry Rebecca. It's all just safety measures. We'll be fine. You will love the homestead I'm sure. I hope you will love it. I hope..." He stopped and swallowed. 'No' he thought. 'I must not say anything of my feelings. I can hardly believe them myself. I've only known her for a day. One day! Am I crazy? Have I been alone so long that I'm falling in love with the first pretty woman who crosses my path.?' He smiled weakly and sat back a little hoping Rebecca would say something. He loved the sound of her voice and could listen to her all day. She didn't say anything right away, just took in what he had said. What had he been about to say? What had he stopped himself from saying? She wanted to say a lot herself, but was too confused to think straight about it.

  Instead, she changed the subject entirely.

  "I still haven't heard back from my research assistant in London. I hope she gets in touch soon, there are things I need to know. Decisions I have to make. Oh! you do have internet out there don't you? I never thought. I've asked her to get me all the dirt on New World. There will be dirt. Any company that big, with so many branches, and only one - apparently - master, will have collected lots of dirty secrets. Kali will find them out. We have to get a grip on what they are up to. Did I mention I am going to drop them as clients? No? Well I am. Nobody treats me the way I was treated at that hotel and can expect me to continue to represent them. In fact, quite the opposite now Cooper. I am finding out what is going on, and I was only waiting to be as... isolated as we now are, so that I could tell you. No fear of anyone listening up here!"

  Cooper was very pleased to hear the news. Up to this point he had still had reserves, remembering that after all Rebecca was a legal person, and representing another party. So he had of necessity, to keep certain information in reserve. He had said in passing that people from New World had been on his property, but he had not said how he knew, or what he had found out they had been doing, other than a vague 'prospecting'.

  Rebecca continued, all the time drinking in the sight of Cooper sitting there focusing on all she said. She couldn't remember ever meeting a man in any circumstances who gave his whole attention to what she had to say like Cooper did. It was very flattering for one thing, and did nothing for the butterflies she still felt stirring inside every time she focused on him. She was sure she was falling in love with him. Not the rather bland love of the everyday, but a love mixed with the deeper passions of lust. For surely the stirrings deep within her in response to his looks, and the memory of his lips upon hers in the hotel were more than simple love. Even now, she was losing focus on what was being talked about, as she was thinking how lovely he looked in every way, and how very fortunate she was to have met him. If only the circumstances had been better. Oh if only.

  "I now consider myself no longer representing New World. Last night after we parted, I contacted the office and advised the other partners that I was terminating our dealings with New World. I outlined fully what had happened in the basement car park, and what you have told me of their trespass on your property. All partners are now in agreement, and New World have been advised of the termination. Apparently they were not best pleased, but we remain firm. I was advised also that as the head of New World was believed to be still in Australia, we should expect further contact from him They have no other means just yet of approaching you, and apparently still feel that I am the best person to do that. How they expect me to do that, when it is I who initiated the termination of the brief I don't know. Perhaps we will need to be careful, although how they would approach me out here... Cooper, it's so vast and empty!" Rebecca could see far ahead, and almost all around the horizon line in a nearly three hundred and sixty degree arch. There was nothing but parched landscape, as flat as a billiard table, all brown and grey. No real cover other than stunted low bushes that appeared as dots, like dirty green cotton ball puffs on the landscape. There appeared to be dry river beds crossing the landscape, but where they originated or where they went to she couldn't guess at.

  Cooper thought he detected a note of apprehension in her voice as she spoke. He thought to himself that it would not be good for anyone to try and approach them out on his home ground. It would go particularly hard on anyone who tried to approach Rebecca without having good reason to do so while she was in his care. He didn't feel he would be able to declare his love for her, but he would protect her with his life if necessary. Perhaps one day...

  "You need not worry at all, " he said. "I will make sure no one comes on the place unless by invitation. If you are contacted by email or otherwise, you have the opportunity to ignore such approaches. All phone calls will be taken by myself. So I suggest you relax. I have plotted a track that will take us over part of the Channel Country. You probably haven't heard of it, but it is an area in the south west corner of Queensland into which all of the inland rivers and creeks drain in the wet season. It's vast and largely unexplored, but even when dry as it is now being a spectacular sight. We should be approaching the area in about half an hour. We are making good time, as I have our speed set somewhat higher than normal."

  Rebecca relaxed visibly. She was not a woman easily frightened, but the head of New World and his henchmen had badly frightened her. With Cooper's roc
k solid presence beside her, she could face anything. The landscape unfolded below them, and slowly the area they were heading for came into view. It was quite unmistakable, looking like a vast river system estuary or delta. Rivers and streams in very complex branches merging and separating and flowing always toward the south west. The really strange thing was the lack of water. There was not a drop to be seen in the vast dry river system.

  "It's only during the occasional wet season in the far north that any water makes it this far down." Said Cooper. He seemed to be answering Rebecca's unspoken question. She felt as though he had been reading her mind. It seemed to go on forever, and as the plane slowly banked around to head south, Cooper added.

  "Not long now, and we will start to descend toward the homestead. Keep an eye out for the little township of Innamincka. You'll love it. Population of ..." Rebecca interrupted "Twelve!" and laughed. Cooper looked surprised. "How did you know?" He said.

  "Easy," Rebecca replied. "I looked it up last night." She laughed again, pleased with herself for showing Cooper that she cared enough to be interested in the place, or at least the area he seemed so much in love with. Oh how she wished he would have that light in his eyes when he spoke of her.

  Suddenly, there it was. A tiny cluster of ramshackle houses seemingly adrift in a sea of wilderness. No trees, nothing. A rough track leading in and out. What did these people do out here? There was obviously no industry or business of any sort. A very strange sight thought Rebecca. The plane droned on, and soon Cooper pointed a little to the left.

  "There we are; you will see it more clearly soon. The runway is right next to the house."

  Cooper climbed the plane in a slow bank out to the south and came around while dropping steadily toward the cluster of buildings. Suddenly he let out an expletive.

  "There is another aircraft n the runway! I don't recognise it either. Rebecca, I don't suppose you know it by any chance? Your people maybe?" Rebecca peered carefully at the other aircraft and the symbol painted on the tail. She recognised it from her paperwork.

  "That's a New World plane. I can't believe it. They have all been told that I am no longer managing their case." She looked at Cooper, his face set in a worried frown. "Do you think," she continued "that they haven't found out yet? Or are they going to press ahead with trying to convince you directly do you think?"

  "Just a moment Rebecca, I need to study this carefully." Cooper replied, and instead of trying to land directly, he took the plane in really low and fast from the rear of the house a long way out. The house seemed to rush at them and Rebecca ducked behind the dash board in fright as the plane roared across the roofs of the house and sheds, wheels almost touching the shimmering metal. Cooper pulled the controls back and the plane climbed sharply and banked now to the right coming around in a long curve to line up on the front of the house. They raced toward it again, barely above the ground. Rebecca thought they were going to crash directly into the front door when suddenly the aircraft lifted and roared almost in a direct climb upward. Cooper was twisted around in his seat trying to look back over his shoulder. He levelled off at some altitude, and Rebecca tried to get her breath back. She was trembling like a leaf, and almost unable to breathe for the fear that gripped her. Her hands hurt from gripping the bar on the dashboard in front of her. A 'panic bar' Cooper had called it jokingly when they had climbed aboard. Now she knew why. She had trouble letting it go. She didn't know if she actually should let it go.

  "Are... are... are you finished Cooper?" She could hardly talk, her jaw seemed frozen. 'What on earth was he trying to do?' She wondered. Cooper had the plane in a wide arc now around the homestead. He looked at Rebecca, his face grim.

  "Something is very wrong down there Rebecca. There should be people running everywhere after that exhibition. There is nothing. Not even dogs, and there should be dozens of them." That had an immediate calming effect on Rebecca. She asked. "But you have staff down there don't you? Do you have radio contact at all?"

  "Yes to both questions. I am a little reluctant to use the radio though, because it's not a private channel. I think I will risk it though. I'll see if I can raise the manager, William. He should be there, and he should have come outside in the first case when he heard us."

  Cooper tried half a dozen times to raise anyone on the separate station radio mounted on the console. There was no answer. There was still no sign of anyone on the ground.

  "Let's land Rebecca. But, be prepared for a quick take off again if we have to." Rebecca nodded in agreement. She was quite happy to get on the ground. In fact, she preferred being on the ground.

  Cooper brought the plane into a smooth landing and stopped at the end of the runway, fairly close to the other aircraft. It was a similar model to theirs, built to carry six people comfortably. They sat there for a time with the engines idling, the props a spinning blur in the bright sunlight of mid morning. They were facing the homestead, and only a couple of hundred yards from the front fence around the house proper. There was still no sign of anyone moving about the property, either in the house - the front door was wide open, or about the yards and sheds.

  "Hmmm," said Cooper, almost thinking aloud. "Could be that they have all gone for a drive down to the water hole. Although it's a bit early for that. I'm assuming for the moment that this is a friendly visit. they would hardly come out here in an aircraft that is easily traceable if they were up to no good." He sat for a moment longer. Then asking Rebecca he said,

  "What do you think Rebecca. You were in fact the last one to have any contact with anyone from New World. Did you think them... stupid? Or just plain ordinarily aggressive?"

  Rebecca had to think for a moment, and try to see the situation from a dispassionate view.

  "No, I don't think they or at least, anyone running the company are stupid necessarily. Just aggressive and perhaps ruthless business people. Shall we go and have a look?" She was unbuckling her seat belt as she spoke. In truth, she would be pleased to get on the ground again. She looked at Cooper to see what his thoughts would be. He nodded, not really taking his eyes from the house. He taxied the plane in closer to the front of the house, now just a few hundred feet away. As he unlocked his side door, Rebecca did the same. The propellers were now stationary, but she noticed that Cooper had left everything set for any eventuality, including a quick getaway.

  As Rebecca opened the door, she gasped. The hot air assailed her like a physical presence. It was only mid-morning, but already it was so hot and dry that she had trouble drawing breath after being in the coolness of the air-conditioned cabin. The heat of the land was shimmering in the distance like a vast lake, and causing shapes and objects to appear as though they were floating in that vast shifting sea. The sun was already scorching the top of her head, even though her naturally thick hair should have provided some protection. Rebecca thought of herself as being reasonably tough, but she had not been prepared for this. She looked for Cooper and saw him already walking slowly toward the house. He looked over his shoulder for Rebecca just in time to see her stumble from the plane, trying to clutch at the wing for support, she had missed her final step on getting down from the plane. He had hardly noticed the heat but it suddenly came to him that Rebecca was not used to it. He moved quickly back to her and steadied her. He escorted her into the coolness of the deep interior of the house. The air cooler was humming quietly in the roof space, blowing cool slightly moist air throughout the house. The interior of the house was at least twenty degrees cooler than outside. Cooper noticed this, as he didn't normally have it this cool. Of course, others had been here before him. He indicated to Rebecca to sit on the long sofa in the centre of the room, and pulled a bottle of water from the cooler by the sideboard. He grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom and soaked it with the water, and began to bathe Rebecca's forehead, temples and neck with the cool damp towel.

  Rebecca was sitting upright and cooling quickly. She really had been surprised at the sudden temperature change as she stepped o
ut of the aircraft. She looked at Cooper. Then she really looked at Cooper. He was standing in front of her, with his shirt open and his beautiful tanned body in stark contrast to his long white trousers. He had used the damp towel to wipe his own skin to cool it in an almost reflex natural action. Such a muscular powerful body showing his breathing in a very defined movement of his torso. Rebecca gasped in a shock of emotion and powerful desire. As suddenly as the heat had assailed her outside, this desire assailed her again in a much different way. Cooper dropped to one knee and took her in his hands by the shoulders.

  "Rebecca," he asked softly in a worried voice. "What's the matter? What can I do?"

  Rebecca struggled to regain control, and said in a voice husky with burning passion,

  "You can let me go, and do your shirt up, please. Oh Cooper, what is this place? What have you brought me to?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper. She didn’t mean the countryside.

  She could feel his hands on her burning into her flesh like hot irons, arousing her to a trembling state that threatened to engulf her. She couldn't struggle any more, the intensity of his gaze holding her transfixed. Cooper slowly released his hold on her, his hands dropping to rest on her thighs just above her knees. She gasped as another shock ran through her.

  "Rebecca, you have me worried, I've never seen such a reaction to the heat out here in the outback. Business can wait, I should get you airborne again and back into the cool air of the aeroplane." Cooper could feel her trembling beneath his hands, totally ignorant of what was truly going on in her mind. It was not desert heat - it was body heat that was causing Rebecca to shake. He had totally forgotten for the moment even why they were out here. He slowly stood up, his attention wholly on Rebecca. She was so beautiful. Her eyes seemed to change colour with her emotions, and her voice now had a husky throatiness to it that was setting him on fire. Was that desire he could see in her eyes; now so dark they were almost colourless with a deep almost black intensity. He could feel a desire responding within him that took him completely by surprise, an emotional response he had never experienced before with a woman. He knew instinctively he was losing the grip he had on his resolve to meet with this woman on purely business terms. He cursed the people who had sent her to him instead of some slick, grey suited lawyer that he would know how to deal with. Within the same thought he applauded their foresight in realising that a young man like himself would be much more inclined to react favourably to a woman of Rebecca's quality and beauty. But what could he offer her? He struggled with the dilemma. It seemed everything he did with this woman caused an adverse reaction. First emotional upset now physical trauma as he had neglected to realise that someone like Rebecca who came from very protected surroundings, air conditioned office, chauffeur driven cars - again air-conditioned, would never last a minute in the oven like climate he called home. He was a fool he thought, and cursed himself for his blindness. How could he resolve this situation and for once in his life do the right thing by this so lovely young woman.