by Annie Seaton
The fear had lodged in her chest like a rock. Her eyes flicked from left to right as she drove down the hill from the staff village towards the airport. Despite the bright sunshine and the waves of heat shimmering off the tarmac as she drew closer to the exit and the freedom of the desert, she imagined shadowy figures wherever she looked. Maybe she needed to talk to someone professional about this fear that dogged her.
When she’d told Megan about Dad being murdered, it was as though a light bulb had switched on.
‘Oh, sweetie, no wonder you’re so uptight. How many people go through that sort of emotional trauma, and especially when you were still a kid? You poor thing.’
Maybe it was time to dig a bit deeper and face her fears. Ellie and Emma had got on with their lives, so why couldn’t she? Even Mum appeared to have got herself sorted when she’d spent that time with her in Port Douglas after she’d come back from Dubai.
‘Afternoon. Pull over please.’ The security guard—a new staff member that Dru hadn’t seen before—waved her off the road and stood beside the car.
Dru drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. All she wanted was to hit the highway and get out in the open spaces.
She forced a smile at the guard as she got out of the car. Three mine utes and a small delivery van were lined up in front of her on the approach to the building at the exit gate.
‘Is that all you’ve got?’ He looked at her bag on the back seat.
She gestured to the small backpack on the passenger seat. ‘Just the two.’
‘Can you grab them out and pop the boot please?’ Dru frowned when he pointed into the office behind the gate.
‘New procedures. Updated X-ray machine in the terminal to replace the old one we had here at the gate. Just take your bag inside, thanks. Have you been off site in the last week?’
Dru shook her head.
‘There’s a new body scanning process too,’ he explained. ‘Don’t worry. We’re not allowed to X-ray staff. The scanner is the same that you go through at any airport.’
Five minutes later, after her bags had been X-rayed in the terminal and she’d been through the new body scanner, Dru turned onto the unsealed road that would take her west to the Great Northern Highway, where she would then turn north and head to Kununurra almost two hundred kilometres away. A cloud of red dust hung in the air along the road in front where the delivery van had turned ahead of her. She slowed down until the dust settled. The other utes had turned south at the gate along the road to Wipporing from where the Indigenous workers did their daily commute.
As she drove, Dru’s nerves settled and she turned the CD player on, attempting to soothe her mood with some mellow classical music. Her thoughts were jumbled and she forced herself to look at the problem logically.
Connor—or Creeping Jesus as Rocky had christened him—didn’t have anything to do with Zayed. He was just a collar and tie man who took his job seriously.
Creeping Jesus. She bit back a smile. Maybe she’d lived under a rock for a while, but she’d not heard the expression before and when she was out on site she’d asked Rocky what he’d meant.
He’d stared at her for a moment, still in his bad mood. ‘Someone who puts on a big act to impress the bosses. They creep around watching what you do, and they’re dying for a chance to stab you in the back. Don’t be surprised if a heap of us get fired after his visit. It’s happened here before and you mark my words, that bloke’s been put in here to clean the staff out. Safety, be buggered. He’s up to no good.’ He put his hand up to his wrinkled face and squinted. ‘Bet you didn’t know he was watching you with night binoculars when you were out at the termite mounds the other night. I saw him on my way back in. He watched you for hours.’
Dru reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand and grimaced when it came away streaked with red dust. ‘I did actually.’
‘No shit? How did you find that out?’
‘He told me. I got hauled over the coals for being out there by myself.’ She grinned ruefully. ‘And he was right. I wouldn’t have let another crew member do it. But you know what? He was more interested in what you were doing out there over at the tailings dam.’
Rocky had spluttered and walked away kicking the rocks in disgust. ‘Told you, he’s up to no good. I’ve worked here for bloody thirty years, so he can bugger off back to wherever he came from. If I want to work by myself, I don’t care if it’s bloody dawn or midnight, I will. No slimy bugger’s going to tell me I can’t.’
Dru reached over and turned the air conditioning up. Even though the sun was low in the sky, the heat of the desert was still warming the interior of the car to an unbearable level. Ahead the sky glowed red as a pall of smoke hung low from a fire at the Smokey Creek Station, the only outpost of civilisation between the mine and the Great Northern Highway. Twenty more kilometres and she’d be off the dirt and sharing the main road with the never-ending stream of grey nomads on their way north from Purnululu National Park.
At one point earlier that afternoon, she’d broken into a cold sweat and her thoughts had got the better of her. What if Zayed had tracked her down and someone was waiting for her in Darwin at her apartment? If anything happened to her she wouldn’t be missed until she failed to report back to the mine in two weeks' time. Sure, Mum would be worried when she couldn’t get in touch with her, but her family was used to it. As she let her imagination run wild, the familiar anxiety lodged in her throat. Maybe she needed to put something in place? Tell Meg she’d text her every couple of days and if she didn’t hear from her there was something wrong. If she said that to Emma, her overprotective sister would insist she move to Queensland. She’d not mentioned a word to Emma, Ellie or her mum about why she’d left Dubai, even though she’d spent a couple of weeks at Port Douglas before coming to Matsu. Jeremy and Emma had just got back together and had been the focus of everyone’s attention, and Dru was happy about that. She’d never been one for talking about herself so Mum readily accepted that she simply hadn’t liked living in the Emirates.
She clamped her fingers on the steering wheel and she shook her head, angry at the direction of her thoughts.
God, I need this break.
An hour and a half later, she turned into the small bustling township at Kununurra. With wariness still clutching at her, she bypassed her usual motel—no point being predictable—and headed for a caravan park at the edge of the small lake on the southern side of the Victoria Highway.
What would she find in her apartment in Darwin? Could Zayed have found her? If Connor knew where she’d come from, maybe it was just as easy for Zayed to find where she’d gone? The things he had said to her that last afternoon still made her tremble. If it hadn’t been for Megan and Sam getting her on the late Qantas flight, she’d probably still be there in Dubai. With Zayed’s money and connections, anything was possible.
Another piece for his collection of beautiful things.
She needed help. She needed to talk this out with a professional. Megan was right. It was the way they’d lost Dad that still put bogeymen in every part of her life. God, for years she’d almost jumped at her own shadow.
‘Just the one night? I’ve got one cabin left but it’s one of the dearer ones down by the lake with a view of the water. Is that okay?’ The receptionist smiled as she waited for Dru to answer. She’d just caught the office before it closed up for the evening.
‘That’s fine.’ She quickly filled out the paperwork and took the key that the young girl handed over.
‘Have a good evening. There’s a pizza night on over by the pool tonight. It’s already started but it’ll go for another hour or so.’
‘Thanks.’
Dru parked outside the cabin and grabbed her bag from the car. As she stood on the steps of the compact one bedroom cabin, she drew in a deep breath and looked over the lake. Above the water, the setting sun had painted the sky a palette of soft gold and misty blue, the low line of dark trees on the other side of the lake crea
ting a perfectly symmetrical reflection that provided a border between the silver water and the sky. Small birds with long beaks were dipping in and out of the water on her side of the lake and a family of ducks glided past silently. Soft laughter reached her from the lawn as the grey nomads’ happy hour got under way. Serenity trickled in slowly and she took a deep breath. Rational thought overcame her worry and for the first time since Connor had asked her about Dubai, the pressure on her chest lessened.
Her fears were irrational. How could she possibly take a leap of imagination and link a safety officer at the mine with Zayed in Dubai? Connor had thrown her with his question. There would be a simple explanation for how he knew she’d worked in the Emirates. He’d probably sussed out all the staff leaders before he started his job, but she still wasn’t happy about anyone having access to her information.
But why did he mention Dubai specifically? Was he just trying to get a rise out of her? Thoughts went round and round in her head as she stood beneath the shower trying to scrub away the sweat and the red dirt. She washed her hair, wrapped the second towel around her head and pulled a cool halter-necked dress from her bag. Pizza by the pool would be easier than driving into a grocery store in the small township. She’d noticed the restaurant at the edge of the garden; it would do her good to blend in with the crowd and relax for a change. Her flight didn’t leave until one pm tomorrow and that would give her plenty of time to sleep in and pick up the gift for Adam’s wife before she headed for the airport to catch the commuter plane to Darwin.
Dru squeezed the excess water from her hair and brushed the knots out. Water from her damp hair trickled down her bare back as she slipped on a pair of sandals. She stepped out onto the verandah and took a deep breath, the evening air heavy with the smell of fresh mown grass. Not a particle of red dust to be seen here apart from the fine covering that had stayed on her car. No point getting it washed; it would go into the car park at the airport at Kununurra for the two weeks she was in Darwin, and then she had to traverse that road again on the way back to Matsu.
Locking the glass sliding door of the cabin, Dru put the key into her change purse and walked down the steps. A small village of swags and tents dotted the lawn at the edge of the water and she glanced curiously at the cars parked at the end of the row. There were a couple of Matsu utes parked beneath the trees, the company logo recognisable in the fading light. She shrugged; it was a big staff and maybe some of them came up here for a break instead of flying west.
Bamboo torches flared into soft flickering flames defining the path from the cabin to the outdoor eating area by the pool. Country and western music with twanging guitar riffs and mellow voices filled the air. Purple insect zappers crackled at each end of the long bar as the night insects launched themselves at the light. The pool glistened in the soft light as the last swimmers climbed out and the buzz of conversation was loud over the music.
She slipped onto a stool at the end of the bar closest to the door; God help her, before Dubai she had never even thought of escape routes. Now she was filled with disgust at her own weakness.
‘What can I get you, love?’ Interest flickered in the eyes of the barman as he waited for her order, but she looked down at the wooden counter top. It had been polished to a high gleam and she ran her fingers over the smooth timber.
‘White wine, please. With a glass of ice on the side.’
He nodded as he pulled a glass from the fridge and filled it with ice.
‘Are you eating here tonight? Good seafood pizza on. Fresh prawns just down from Wyndham.’
‘Sounds good.’ She looked up and let herself smile.
Lighten up, Dru.
‘Go and find yourself a table. We’re busy tonight but there’s a couple of places left over by the pool. I’ll bring your drink over. You’ll have to share a table. Just ask, we’re all friendly here.’
Dru looked at the ground as she made her way to the pool. She was well used to the attention she got; not many women were over six foot tall. Once upon a time she’d stood straight and enjoyed the looks, but now she’d give anything to be pint-sized and able to blend into a crowd.
Maybe in her time off, she’d go and see someone in Darwin. Maybe it was time she admitted her weakness and stopped putting on this brash exterior.
‘Two seats here. Are you by yourself?’ A middle-aged woman with a tanned face and a chin-length bob of blonde hair patted the empty chair at the end of the table where two couples were seated.
‘Thank you, and yes I am.’ She pulled out the plastic chair. ‘I’d be happy to join you.’ Her voice was hesitant. ‘If you’re sure?’
‘Don’t be shy. Rob and June are at the end here, and I’m Chrissie and this is my husband, Pete. We’re all on the road together.’
‘Nice to meet you. I’m Dru.’
She sat and smiled at the barman as he followed her and put her drink on the table. He pulled out an order pad and looked around but his gaze settled on Dru.
‘So folks, pizza all round? How about I just bring enough for the whole table?’
Chrissie looked over at Dru and put her head to the side. ‘You happy with that, Dru? You’re not quite a grey nomie, but it’s what we do. You’re more than welcome to join us.’
‘What some of us do,’ her husband interrupted. ‘Don’t forget the others cooking in their vans.’
Chrissie waved her hand dismissively. ‘You meet all kinds on the road, but we know how to have fun.’
‘They’re the ones who’ll have a longer trip than us because they don’t eat out every night.’ He nudged his wife affectionately.
Dru smiled as the happy banter and teasing washed around her. It was comfortable. Normal.
A family with three young children were at the table beside them and Dru watched as the youngest clambered up onto her father’s lap. A shaft of nostalgia pierced her chest as she remembered the few family holidays they’d had when her life had been normal.
‘Stop brooding.’ Meg’s voice interrupted her thoughts and for a moment it was as though she was here next to her. She looked away from the family and focused on the conversation at the table.
‘So Dru, do you have an RV, or are you a backpacker?’
She frowned. ‘An RV? Oh, I know. You mean like a Winnebago? One of those easy ones that you don’t have to tow?’
Pete laughed over at Rob. ‘That’s right. We’ve got an RV but this bugger here has an almost thirty-foot long van.’
Rob smiled at her. ‘He’s exaggerating as usual. It’s a twenty footer.’
Dru laughed along with them. Sweet relaxation flowed through her and she leaned back in the chair. ‘I have to confess. I’m not camping, I’m in a cabin. I’m just here for the night before I fly to Darwin tomorrow.’
‘So we were all wrong. As soon as you appeared at the bar, we had you pegged as an RV driver. We’re a pretty boring lot. We’re all experts at labelling people as we travel around. Keeps us entertained.’
‘Sounds lovely and uncomplicated to me.’ Dru’s hair was almost dry now and she reached into her pocket for a band and pulled it into a ponytail. Her hands were steady and her heart was beating a steady and slow comfortable beat.
She smiled again as Pete, who appeared to be the wag of the group, described some of the characters they had come across on the road.
‘Disco Dan was at Litchfield over near Katherine. He didn’t ever come out of his van and he played Abba songs at full volume until midnight every day.’ Pete’s voice was full of mirth.
‘And then Wally the Wanker was parked behind the four of us in Darwin.’
Chrissie wagged her finger at her husband. ‘Don’t be rude, Pete. Dru doesn’t need to know all about that.’
‘Well, he was. He was a know-it-all, and besides that, he wore all those gold chains and all he wanted to do was tell us about his real estate all over the country. Not a real bloke in my books.’
‘Your intolerances are peeking out again, darling.’
&
nbsp; ‘Didn’t believe a word he said. Anyone with that sort of dough wouldn’t be staying in a caravan park. All he wanted to do was tell us about his trips to Bali and the stuff he imported for the stores he reckoned he had.’
‘I bet I know what he was really importing.’ Rob grinned. ‘Lots of call for that funny weed in Darwin.’
This time it was June who chastised her husband. ‘Look you pair, it’s all right for you to joke around when it’s just us—’
Dru picked up her drink and rubbed her thumb up and down the wet surface of the glass. There was a strange buzzing in her ears, and June’s voice faded into the general noise of the outdoor area. She closed her eyes as the back of her neck prickled.
‘Dru?’
She startled as the deep voice came from behind her. Icy fingers clutched at her heart as she turned and looked up into the serious face of Connor Kirk.
Chapter 13
Connor stood at the bar and scanned the crowd. Dru was sitting at a table on the far side of the manicured lawn with a small group. She was wearing a brightly patterned dress tied around her neck, and her damp hair hung low on her bare back. He worked his way past the crowded tables in the bistro and walked along the path that led to the pool. As he drew closer to her table, her laugh reached him and he paused for a moment. She was a damn attractive woman.
Connor forced himself to chill, quickly arranged his lips into a grin and kept his voice warm and friendly as he approached the table. ‘Dru!’
She turned to him with wide eyes.
‘What a coincidence,’ he said. ‘I thought you flew out to Perth this afternoon?’
All week he’d been thinking about Dru’s reaction to the question he’d asked her about Dubai. Was it fear? Or guilt? He’d rung the company since, but gleaned little information apart from the fact that she’d worked there at some point in time, and no, sir, unfortunately we cannot share any further information without legal reasons.