Wilder Country

by Mark Smith

  Kas doesn’t respond. She gets up and heads out the front door. Stella goes to follow her but Harry holds her back.

  ‘You go, Finn,’ he says.

  I don’t know what more I can say to change Kas’s mind. I do think Stella’s plan is a good one, but there’s no way I’m going to stay in the valley. I’m heading back to Angowrie when all this is over and I want Kas to come with me.

  I find her sitting on the little stone wall outside the gates of the main yard. Her legs dangle over the side and she swings them back and forth, her heels hitting the wall. I pull myself up beside her.

  ‘I know,’ she says.

  ‘You know what?’

  ‘That Stella’s idea is a smart one. It’d be best for Hope.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell her that?’

  ‘Because then I’d have to make a decision.’

  ‘About?’

  We’re close enough for me to see the deep brown against the white in her eyes.

  ‘About staying here or going back to Angowrie with you.’

  ‘We’re a long way off that decision,’ I say. ‘We haven’t even found her yet. We don’t know exactly where she is, don’t know how we’ll get her away from Ramage. Let’s work that out first.’

  ‘Could you stay here, though?’ she asks. ‘If we got Hope back, could you stay here with us?’

  ‘I…’

  ‘It’s okay,’ she says, but I can hear the hurt in her voice. ‘Everything you have is back on the coast.’

  ‘Not just everything I have. Everything I had. It’s home to me. It’s where Dad’s buried. It’s where I feel the most like…’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like me, I guess.’

  The next morning, Kas and I hardly talk to each other. She doesn’t look at me over breakfast and then she heads out to the paddocks with Stella and Willow. She’s avoiding me. In the afternoon we work together, sorting seed potatoes in the shed, cutting them into halves and quarters ready to plant. Harry and Jack work alongside us. When I try to catch Kas’s eye, she looks away.

  ‘What’s up with you two?’ Jack asks, his knife working away without him having to look.

  ‘Nothing. We’re good, aren’t we Kas?’ I say, trying to lighten the mood.

  ‘Yeah, course we are,’ Kas says, but her voice sounds strained.

  The rest of the day is taken up with checking on stock and how much grain is left for planting. Harry reckons the paddocks are in good shape because the farmers have all been forced to work them through the winter. It was Ramage’s plan to have them provide food for his men in Longley.

  The working day is cut short by exhaustion. After sunset, I find Harry sitting on the cross rail of the cattle yards behind the house. His big frame, wasted from hunger and hard work, seems lost in his clothes. I climb up next to him and we both look out towards the top paddock and the ridge that rises above the far end of the valley.

  ‘You and Kas, you’ve been through a lot together,’ he says. He rubs the palms of his hands together then slides his wedding ring up and down his finger.

  ‘Yeah, we have. We’re pretty close.’

  ‘So are you…?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Sorry, Finn, it’s none of my business but you haven’t had a parent round for a while so if there’s anything you want to ask me, don’t hesitate.’

  ‘Thanks, Harry, but I reckon I’m good.’

  He sits his hands flat on his thighs then, like I’ve seen him do in the meetings. ‘So, are you having sex?’

  I blush. It’s not the sort of stuff I’ve ever talked to anyone about, but my curiosity gets the better of me. ‘Nah. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’m never really sure where I stand with her.’

  It’s easier not to look at him as I talk. I make as though I’m really interested in the grass below the fence.

  ‘It’s going to take time for her to trust anyone,’ he says. ‘She’s had a whole life of people taking advantage of her.’

  ‘But she knows I’m not going to.’

  ‘You know you’re not going to, but it doesn’t mean she knows it.’

  I hadn’t thought about it from her side.

  ‘What more’ve I got to do?’

  ‘Be patient,’ he says. ‘She’ll come around. Keep doing what you’re doing—show her you care, look out for her.’

  ‘I reckon she does more looking out for me,’ I say, thinking of the last couple of days.

  ‘There you are, then. You’re looking out for each other.’

  The back door of the house opens and Willow calls us in for dinner. As we walk towards the porch, Harry puts his hand on my shoulder. ‘Any time you want to talk, Finn, I’m here,’ he says.

  The next few days pass quickly. The nightly meetings are taken up with preparations to defend the valley. In the meantime Kas and I gather as much information as we can about what to expect when we leave. There’s a coolness between us that feels awkward. She doesn’t say anything, but I know she’s thinking about what’ll happen if we make it back to the valley with Hope.

  We’ve decided to go the quickest way, via the plains, rather than trying to get back to Pinchgut. Harry tells us about the railway line that runs next to the highway as it heads west towards Longley. It’ll be dangerous country to travel through but we’ll only need to make our way about twenty kilometres before we swing south, back towards the main range and Swan’s Marsh. We’ll check there first, in case Douglas is telling the truth and Bridget Monahan has been entrusted with Hope.

  Food is running low so the farmers decide to harvest some of the winter crops early. This means some extra food to take with us. We’ve made no decision about when we’ll leave, but the time is getting close.

  Late storms delay us, pushing through the valley, with sheeting rain that fills the river until it breaks its banks. Everyone welcomes the rain, even though it means working in mud up to our ankles. We know it will keep Ramage in Longley a little longer and give the farmers more time to regain their strength.

  The three prisoners are forced to work alongside everyone else. They whine and complain their way through each day but no one gives them any sympathy. Jack threatens to shoot them if they don’t shut up and get on with their work. Me and Kas are treated as equals, given our share of food and encouraged to take part in community meetings. Slowly I see Kas dropping her guard, becoming less suspicious of them. And I notice the way the younger men, Vic and Sam, look at her. They sidle up to her during breaks in the sowing, chatting with her while they eat their lunch. But each time, she moves near to me and we look like a couple, even if I don’t feel like we are.

  Another week passes and we know we have to leave. Rowdy is improving by the day but there’s no way he’ll be able to come with us. Willow takes over caring for him and she promises she’ll have him fully healed by the time we come back. Whenever that might be.

  Harry has a plan to deal with Ramage. It makes sense. ‘Sooner or later,’ he says at the next meeting, ‘Ramage’ll come with his men but we don’t know when. I’ve talked with Jack about this and I reckon we should let one of the prisoners escape. Allow him to get back to Longley and tell Ramage what’s happened.’

  Conversations break out around the room but Harry shushes them. ‘Think about it,’ he says. ‘If we can lure Ramage here, we can be prepared for him. Capture him or’—he hesitates—‘kill him. It also buys some time for Finn and Kas to find Hope.’

  Jack speaks up. ‘I’ll guide Kas and Finn as far as Swan’s Marsh. From there, they’re on their own.’

  ‘So, who do we allow to escape? And how?’ Rachel asks.

  ‘Of the three of them, Douglas is the most stupid. I doubt he’d see through it. We could take him out on a work detail close to the valley entrance, make it look as though we’re not watching and let him take off. He won’t hesitate if he gets the opportunity,’ Jack says. ‘We’ll give him a few hours head start, then I could set out with Finn and Kas.’

  Ever
yone is looking from one person to another in the circle, weighing up the plan.

  Finally, Simmo says, ‘It’s not ideal and it could stuff up if Douglas doesn’t make it back to Longley, but it might just work.’

  ‘Ramage will have his raiding parties out on the plains as soon as the weather eases,’ Jack says, ‘so Douglas will only need to find one of them. From there, we have to rely on Ramage being a vengeful bastard and I reckon that’s a safe bet.’

  All of this talk has been going on around us but now Harry asks Kas and me what we think.

  ‘I agree with Simmo,’ Kas says.

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ I say. ‘And thanks for taking the risk for us.’

  Kas nods in agreement.

  Kas and I leave the meeting anxious but excited. We’ll be on our way soon. Neither of us is looking forward to travelling into Wilder country but there’s something that burns deeper than the fear of getting caught—the promise we made to Rose, to bring Hope home.

  The weather begins to ease again. We get a couple of sunny, dry days and the river drops a little. Everyone has been forbidden to speak about the plan for fear of the prisoners picking up on it. Kas and I have packed and we’re ready to go. We’re getting edgy now.

  Harry and Jack are waiting on the porch one morning. Jack has a small pack on his back and he carries a rifle.

  ‘Vic and Steb have headed out to the valley entrance with Douglas. Today’s the day. Be ready in an hour,’ Jack says.

  Kas and I grab our things. Stella has baked some bread with the last of the flour. I don’t want to take it but she insists.

  ‘You’re going to need every bit of strength you can muster,’ she says.

  When we are just about ready, we go in to see Rowdy. He knows something is up. He tries to get to his feet but I soothe him with a scratch under the chin.

  A knock comes at the door and Jack calls, ‘It’s time.’

  Stella stands in the kitchen, one hand on the table, the other rubbing the fuzz on her scalp. ‘You two come home safe. Promise me.’ She hugs us, one then the other. She holds Kas a little longer, kissing her on the top of her head. ‘And look after each other,’ she says.

  I go to shake Harry’s hand but he’s having none of that. He wraps his big arms around me and holds me tight.

  Willow stands back by the washroom door, looking at her feet and biting her lip. Kas squats down in front of her. ‘Hey, fighter,’ she says, ‘you keep everyone safe here, won’t you?’ Willow nods, still unable to look at Kas.

  Finally, Willow runs across the room and throws herself at me, burying her face into my chest. She pulls me down and whispers in my ear, ‘I love you, Finn.’

  ‘Keep practising every day with that bow,’ I say. ‘Remember, shoulders back, right arm high—’

  ‘And breathe,’ she says.

  The rest of the community has gathered in the yard to see us off. Simmo shakes my hand and wishes us luck, while the twins gravitate to Kas. Jack is already at the gate, giving us the hurry-up.

  ‘You bring that baby home safe, now,’ Rachel says.

  The sun has some sting in it by the time we go through the gates and begin the walk out along the track. Jack reminds me a bit of Ray—the way he used to walk, with short strides on bowed legs—though Ray always seemed closer to the ground. My heart burns in my chest when I think of Ray and the way he must have died. I wish I’d been there to help him. After all he’d done for me, I should have checked on him during the winter. I owed him that much.

  After about an hour’s walking, the valley starts to narrow. The willows thicken along the river and the ridges on either side press in closer. Ahead of us, there’s a wall of dense bush, gums and acacias. The track is blocked by two huge fallen trees but Jack leads us down closer to the river where a rocky path winds its way through the undergrowth for a couple of hundred metres. Finally, the bush starts to thin and we get glimpses of sky and plain.

  Jack stops and gives a whistle. An answer echoes through the bush. We hear movement in the scrub and Steb and Vic appear, with big smiles on their faces.

  ‘Did he take the bait?’ Jack asks.

  ‘Course he did,’ Steb says, laughing. ‘Took off straightaway; couldn’t believe his luck.’

  ‘How far did you track him?’

  ‘Till he hit open country. Couple of ks. He knew which way to go. Like a rat up a drainpipe, I reckon.’

  ‘We’d best not stuff around then, eh?’ Jack says. ‘Stay close. It gets tricky from here.’

  There’re no formalities with the men. Jack leads us off and Vic and Steb melt back into bush. Within a few minutes we’re pushing through chest-high bracken and scattered stringybarks. We don’t appear to be following any track but Jack doesn’t hesitate, pushing diagonally downhill now, veering west. Soon we have a clear view of the plain, broken only by stands of cypress trees that shelter the remains of farmhouses.

  When we reach the beginning of the open country, Jack stops and we sit for a while. It’s good to get the weight of the packs off our backs. My shirt is wet with sweat and Kas’s hair is plastered to the side of her face.

  ‘You need to get your bearings,’ Jack says. ‘You’ll have to find your way back on your own.’

  Kas and I look at the way we’ve come, both thinking the same thing—how will we ever find the valley again?

  ‘Out there,’ Jack says, pointing towards the plain. ‘You see the closest windmill, the one with tanks next to it?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I say.

  ‘Now look a k further north. There’s another windmill. No tank. Just the windmill. See it?’

  ‘Yeah, I see it.’

  ‘When you’re coming back this way, walking east, keep an eye on the two windmills. When they line up, that’s when you turn into the trees, head uphill. That marks the valley entrance.’

  The plain is crisscrossed with what must once have been fences. There’s no movement out there other than the wind rippling through the long grass, which is a rich green after the winter rains. The Barton River snakes its way across the plain, marked by the red gums that line its banks. Closer to us, powerlines show the old highway and, parallel to it, the raised bank of the railway.

  We rest back on our packs now, enjoying the warm sun. I pull out Stella’s loaf of bread and break off small portions for each of us.

  ‘You’ll need to make that last,’ Jack says, refusing the piece I offer him. He stares out across the plain as though he expects to see something out there, or someone.

  ‘Have you always lived in the valley, Jack?’ I ask.

  He takes a deep breath and busies himself untying and retying his bootlaces. ‘No,’ he says.

  We wait.

  ‘I farmed out near Freshwater Creek, north-east of here. My wife and I, we had three kids. Tim, he was the oldest, twelve when the virus came. Then Maisy and Noah. Ten and seven.’

  ‘Did they…?

  ‘All of them. My wife, Belle, she went first, then the little ones. I thought Timmy was going to be okay. We survived as best we could but then the people came from the city, from Wentworth, from all over. The Sileys among them brought the second wave of the virus. It was worse than the first. Timmy died within a couple of weeks.’

  I shoot a look at Kas. She shakes her head. The whole time Jack’s speaking he doesn’t look at us once, just stares at the ground, talking in short sentences.

  ‘I headed west. Found the valley by chance. Took to the hills to avoid the raiding parties, the gangs. Couldn’t believe my luck. The community took me in.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I say.

  ‘It’s okay, son. It’s been shit all over. Everyone’s been affected one way or another. You’re no different from me.’

  Kas flinches, but she doesn’t say anything.

  Jack’s on his feet, keen to get moving again. ‘We’ve got a solid day’s walk ahead of us until we turn away south again. Keep your eyes open. This weather’ll be bringing the Wilders out.’

  The walking isn’t
too hard; we’re moving mostly through bracken and stands of manna gum. We cross half a dozen small creeks, all flowing strongly after the rain. They give us the chance to refill our water bottles and splash ourselves to cool down.

  By nightfall, we’re still walking parallel to the highway. We’ve seen no one all afternoon but as the light falls away we pick up the glow of fires, three of them at intervals across the plain.

  ‘They’re on the move,’ Jack says. ‘I dunno how far north Ramage controls but he’ll use this spring and summer to expand his territory. Pity help anyone out there.’

  We can’t risk a fire. We’ve pushed a few hundred metres back into the trees and found a sheltered spot by a creek. We eat some dried meat and a little more of the bread, then collect armfuls of bracken to make ourselves comfortable. Jack moves off on his own while me and Kas hollow out a space to sleep. It’s cold. The wind has picked up and roars through the higher branches of the trees. We snuggle down, huddling together for warmth. I lie behind her with my arm around her, moulding my body to hers. She rests her hand on mine.

  I haven’t slept in the open for while, not since we travelled to the valley from Angowrie. It’s uncomfortable after the bed at Harry and Stella’s but eventually exhaustion gets the better of me and I drift off to sleep.

  I’ve forgotten how noisy the bush can be in the morning. The wind’s dropped and the screeching of cockatoos and the laughter of kookaburras fills the air.

  We pack quickly, have a bite of bread and meat, then we’re off again. Jack has said nothing since last night. He motions us to follow him back down to the tree line. When we reach it, we turn west again, moving at a good pace, Jack in front, Kas in the middle, then me. I like walking behind her, watching her strong legs under the weight of her pack.

  I almost walk into the back of her when she stops suddenly. Jack has one hand in the air and the other pressed to his lips. We drop down for cover. I haven’t seen or heard anything but Jack has his ear lifted to the breeze. We slide our packs off and crawl forward. A fallen tree gives us some protection closer to the open paddocks. We hunch in behind it, listening.