Into the Fog

by Sandi Wallace

  He groaned. ‘Hospitals, clinics – what’s the status?’

  She answered, her words inaudible to Georgie. Pickett wound a hand, indicating he wanted her to speed up. Eventually, she stopped and he marched to one of the whiteboards supplied by Ando, everything about him held taut.

  Georgie sensed he didn’t like what the uniform had told him.

  He wrote in tight lettering: ‘Hospitals – nil developments,’ then demanded, ‘Family? Friends? How’s the alibi-check of local sex offenders going?’

  Georgie got up to stretch her legs and Josh slipped into her chair for a turn at reviewing the social media threads. It surprised her that Manthorp had excluded the boxer from the line search when his peak fitness had to be an asset. But the senior detective had given him a narrow-eyed look and an instruction to stay with her 2IC, piquing Georgie’s interest. What wasn’t being said openly about Josh, and did it connect with the investigation?

  Pickett’s voice distracted her. He growled, ‘Hello, anyone got anything for me?’

  Vikki came alongside and out the corner of her mouth said to Georgie, ‘Dean’s rude, isn’t he? Just as well Ness went for a lie down in the front of the house…not that I can see her sleeping.’

  Georgie was about to answer when Josh called, ‘Have a look at this.’

  ‘What? Have they found them? Are my babies okay?’

  Barefoot, Ness’s approach had been swift and soundless. She pushed past Georgie and reached Josh before the rest of the bodies crowded in.

  ‘Not good news, I’m sorry.’ He coaxed the mother into the chair beside him.

  Ness grabbed Josh’s hand. Mute, her eyes darted over his face.

  ‘What then?’

  A whistle shrilled through the bush, followed by shouts and crackly communication on portable radios. Franklin stopped and in a clumsy, mistimed reaction, the rest of the line halted too.

  While they waited, his heart pounded.

  Have they found them?

  The constant hard trudge on land that never seemed to level, navigating fallen trees, rocks and rivulets, on top of mounting strain had built a slick on his skin. He hadn’t noticed it before, but after they were immobile for several minutes the wind iced his sweat. He moved on the spot to keep his core temperature up.

  It’s taking too long. Can’t be good news. With any luck, it’s a false call.

  Franklin scanned around, anxious for signs of action or an announcement. He still couldn’t spot Sam and Kat and hoped they were holding up okay.

  Two blasts of a whistle were followed by flurries of calls and hand waves. Sam scrambled to her feet and copied. The line set off and she heard Kat gasp as she limped on.

  The searcher on Sam’s left said, ‘Can’t have found anything significant then.’

  Another man replied, ‘Better than a body.’

  Sam’s head throbbed. She was stressed about how her young friend was coping with the insensitive conversation.

  Kat yelled, ‘We’re not gonna find their bodies! We’re bringing the kids home safe.’

  The trackers in earshot silenced. Then a series of mutters started.

  ‘That’s right, love,’ a woman hollered, causing another hush, except for the tramp of booted feet.

  Sam recognised Ando as she stepped over a boulder, waded through a muddy patch and arrived next to Kat. She looped an arm over the girl’s shoulders in a rough hug.

  Ando’s expression was as steely as her wiry grey hair. ‘Believe it, folks. The kids are coming home.’

  ‘You don’t want to see this.’ Josh blocked the laptop screen from Ness.

  She pummelled his arm with her fists, a heart-breaking sight worse for her unbrushed hair and bloodshot, heavily ringed eyes on a deathly white face.

  ‘They’re my kids and I have a right to know everything about them.’ She made a raw sound.

  Georgie glanced at Vikki and they pushed through the cluster to circle an arm each around the distraught woman. She stopped hitting Josh, slumped forward and clung onto his forearm.

  Ness did have a right to the information, so Georgie checked the screen. ‘It’s a post on the local newspaper’s Facebook page.’

  Pickett broke in. ‘Look, I don’t think it’s constructive to –’

  She cut him off. ‘Ness wants to know.’

  Surprised when he didn’t argue she said, ‘The headline is “Police hold grave concerns for Savage children.”’

  Ness whimpered and dug her nails into Josh’s arm. Pale half-moons in his tanned skin showed how deep her fingernails bit. Georgie saw a flicker in one eyelid that would’ve been a wince on a person less disciplined in pain control, but he otherwise didn’t react.

  She read on, ‘“Air and ground searches have failed to –”’

  ‘Bulldust.’

  Georgie glanced at Pickett who’d flung his hands to the roof.

  ‘We haven’t even got the choppers off the ground yet, and the line search is far from over. Don’t listen, Mrs Savage.’

  He brushed by saying, ‘Excuse me,’ and drew Ness into the kitchen.

  While she listened to the murmur of their voices, Georgie scanned the responses under the headline.

  She spoke quietly. ‘Want to hear the comments?’

  She received nods from those who couldn’t see the screen and read, ‘“How awful for the parents. Doesn’t look good.”’ Her eyes narrowed but she managed to recite, ‘“There R sickos out there that love cute kids like these.”’ She had to breathe away a foul taste in her mouth, before going on. ‘“Praying for your safe return, Hannah, Riley and Cooper.”’

  Georgie met Vikki’s eyes, ‘Wish there were more like that…’ She turned back. ‘Next is, “Ring your mother. Typical Gen-Z selfish brats.”’ Her voice rose with, ‘“No food, no water, no phone, no torch, in their PJs, out in a storm…these kids r already dead.”’

  Her temples throbbed. ‘They weren’t in their PJs. They’ve just made things up!’

  She skimmed down. ‘They go on to attack each other. Can you believe this stuff?’

  The others drifted away with headshakes and drooping shoulders, leaving just Georgie and Josh.

  At the end of the thread, she moaned. ‘Do these people just lurk online all day?’

  ‘It gets worse.’ Josh brought up a new page.

  Chapter 27

  Hannah

  ‘Open your mouth.’

  Hannah felt spaced out. She wasn’t sure if the voice was real until fingers clamped around her jaw and forced her mouth open.

  OMG. Gross. He’s going to wee inside my mouth.

  She tensed, but then remembered her strategy and went floppy.

  ‘Open.’

  It sounded like High Voice. He stuffed something onto her tongue and Hannah tried not to react. She was afraid.

  ‘Eat.’

  She couldn’t work out what it was.

  Don’t eat it – it might be drugged.

  And she was only safe while she acted out of it.

  How long can a person live without food and water?

  Would she get brain damage from not eating?

  ‘Eat,’ he repeated, pushing the lump of food further into her mouth.

  Hannah gagged. She didn’t mean to let it happen, but her eyes popped open. Bright light made her shut them fast.

  ‘Don’t look at me.’ She wasn’t sure if the man sounded angry or worried. ‘Go on, eat it.’

  She chewed. Either the food had no taste or her taste buds were stuffed from being sick, but she decided the texture reminded her of bread. She swallowed, crying out at the pain. The effort left her tired…so tired.

  ‘Drink.’

  She turned away.

  ‘It’s water.’ He twisted her head back to straight and pried open her mouth, dribbling in some liquid. ‘You need water more than food.’

  Hannah gulped. It hurt almost as much as the food, but she drank more, although she still didn’t trust the man.

  Constantly stop-start
, the ground search was dragging out, mental fatigue taking its toll on the volunteer to Franklin’s left. He blocked her high-pitched babbling and tuned into tyres squishing on the waterlogged gravel as a vehicle approached. He waited until it was closer, then held up his palm.

  For four or five seconds, he didn’t think the driver would stop. Once the car was stationary, he walked to the driver’s side. The bloke stared until Franklin made a cranking motion for him to drop the window.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  Have you been on Mars?

  ‘You’re the ranger here?’

  The ute bore a Parks Ranger logo, so it was a fair guess. The man nodded, but still wore a confused expression, apparently bowled over by the long line of searchers.

  Cold pierced Franklin’s clothes and froze his skin. Wondering if the bloke was faking surprise he said, ‘Wanna hop out and have a chat?’

  He shuffled his feet to keep warm, while the ranger fiddled with something.

  What’s taking so long?

  His attention shifted to Ando who came up to flank him.

  The SES officer huffed a breath, swelling her bright orange coveralls. ‘Howdy, Kev. Been trying to get you on the phone…’

  Franklin heard the driver’s door squeak, then the bloke alighted.

  Ando whacked the ranger’s shoulder in an amiable way and did succinct intros. ‘Kev, Franklin from Daylesford.’

  The men shook hands. The ranger’s grip was strong. Franklin waited for Kev to take the lead. He figured that if the bloke really had no idea about the search, he’d bombard them with questions. But he just gazed dumbly, making him socially inept or dodgy.

  ‘You know why we’re here, of course?’ Frustration and urgency made Franklin sound pissy.

  Kev did a headshake and Franklin’s suspicions multiplied. The bloke should’ve been more than aware of their search. He should’ve been virtually leading it. The National Park was his responsibility and nobody else could know it as intimately.

  ‘I just got back. I live here as well as work here…’

  ‘Where have you been today?’

  Kev frowned. Instead of answering, he swept his eyes over the landscape. The wrinkles between his brows deepened as he glared at an SES volunteer leaning on a long stick.

  Finally, he strung some words together. ‘You know, you people shouldn’t even move a stick from its original place in a National Park. And I hope you’re keeping to the trails…it’ll be an environmental disaster if you all trek through willy-nilly. Just as bad as the mountain bikers we get around here. The environmental damage they do is horrendous. You know, we had to get bulldozers in recently to demolish their illegal jumps and clear away their rubbish.’

  Bulldozers to fix environmental damage? That’s fucked-up thinking.

  Franklin stared at the ranger. He didn’t like him, but that didn’t make him guilty of anything except for not being a people person, which the fella’s job description suggested anyway.

  ‘Do you understand the historic significance of this site?’ Kev spoke more excitedly. ‘Bushfire destroyed the original homestead back in the 1930s, of course, but it’s imperative to safeguard the servant’s quarters and even more so, the flora and fauna. Once lost, these can never be replaced.’

  When the bloke launched into the history of the rhododendrons, Franklin held up a palm, ready to butt in.

  Ando beat him to it. ‘I’m sure that’s all very interesting, Kev, mate. But we have three missing kiddies to worry about.’

  The ranger flinched. Hard to tell if it was because Ando cut him off or it really was the first he’d heard of the missing kids. Franklin watched him more intently, reading the nuances of his expression and tone, searching for signs of guilt.

  ‘Missing kids?’

  Franklin nodded. ‘Three children from Daylesford. They’d been staying at one of the properties that abut the park.’ He waved up the hill in the general direction. ‘Last seen Wednesday afternoon.’

  Kev was virtually albino in the first place, which seemed strange for someone who must spend most of his life outdoors, but his face changed to a sick paste colour.

  ‘Holy moly.’ He wobbled and Franklin caught his elbow to stop him falling.

  Kev lifted a rough-skinned hand to his forehead. His mouth moved without sound, then he swivelled away and dry-heaved once, twice. His body convulsed as he let out a cry. Vomit splashed the muddy ground. He hunkered with hands on his knees and panted.

  Ando studiously watched the searchers and Franklin kept a safe distance in case Kev lost it again.

  A minute or so later, the ranger turned his head and pierced Franklin with panicked eyes. ‘I saw them.’

  As the day had lengthened, more bodies crammed into Upalong and Georgie was finding it tough to concentrate amid the constant voices, ringing phones, chat and crackle on portable radios.

  After hours of straining at photos and files on the internet it felt like grains of sand scratched her eyes with every blink. Queasiness was as persistent as her eye burn, but now and then her stomach tossed in response to a clash of body odour, fragrances and food. Just as well she hadn’t eaten, although she’d certainly drunk too much coffee.

  Georgie recovered from another wave of nausea to notice that icy air and tobacco aroma clung to the clothes of many of those around her. Although nobody smoked indoors, plenty ignored the owner’s request to keep his grounds smoke-free. Georgie itched for a cigarette.

  But she knew she wouldn’t stop at one.

  Time had crawled since the search party had set off. The investigators working inside had hit numerous walls and not one solid lead, while reports from the search had been spasmodic, sketchy and equally negative. The choppers had taken off just an hour ago. It wouldn’t be long before the next severe weather front grounded them.

  Georgie and Josh’s efforts for the day merely proved that the world was full of deviants. She would hate Ness and Duane to become aware of what some people were saying about them and the kids. This latest thread made her wonder if they’d stumbled on a badly disguised paedophile site.

  ‘Need some help?’

  She glanced up at the young cop who’d spoken. She rose for introductions, stealthily closing the computer she was using in her search for Rick Savage and tucking it under her arm.

  ‘Perfect timing.’ She pushed the other laptop towards the female techie from the Computer Crime Unit saying, ‘I was ready to throw it out the window.’

  She left Josh and the techie to go through the social media situation and went outside, hoping the bracing air would revive her.

  ‘C’mon, mate.’ Ando slapped a hand across the ranger’s brawny shoulders. He made a whump sound and went even whiter.

  ‘You want some water, Kev?’ Franklin tried to sound matey, though he wanted to shake the bloke.

  Time somehow seemed to be going fast and yet slow today. Every minute that ticked by without news of the Savage kids sat in his gut like a dead weight.

  Just as for murder cases, the first hours were crucial in missing persons inquiries. He remembered a poster at one of the cop shops he’d worked at. It said When someone goes missing, a day spent waiting is a day lost. That the paper was yellowed, curled and faded with age, had one corner torn off and multiple pin marks in the other three made the message all the more potent.

  We’ve already lost nearly two days! He’d better spill it now or I’ll do something I regret.

  Ando spoke. ‘Kev. Harden up.’

  Franklin’s eyebrows lifted: again, she’d spoken for him.

  ‘We need to know when and where you saw the kids and anything else that can help us find them before –’ The SES officer waved at the sky.

  Franklin caught her meaning. The wind had picked up, swirling in gusts that whipped the treetops. Added to the sharp drop of several more degrees and growing rumbles, nature threatened to shut down their search.

  ‘I saw –’ The ranger broke off to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand
, then tried again. ‘I think I saw one of the kids.’

  Kat surged forward and Franklin blocked her with an arm. He’d missed her approach.

  ‘When?’

  ‘Where?’

  Franklin ignored his daughter and Ando, who’d talked at once. He glared at the ranger. Maybe time had distorted and all this had really only taken minutes, but it felt as though they’d wasted an hour with this bloke, who’d now changed his tune.

  ‘Which is it?’ he snapped. ‘You said you saw them just before…now you’re saying you think you saw one of them?’

  Kev leaned against his ute. ‘I saw a girl.’

  ‘When was this?’ Franklin asked.

  ‘I’m not sure…about seven yesterday morning?’

  Kat struggled against Franklin’s arm and yelled, ‘What did she look like?’

  ‘I didn’t see her properly because of the fog. You know how it was?’ The ranger glanced at Ando, seeking an ally.

  She gave a terse nod.

  ‘She was running around.’ He scrolled a finger across the area. ‘I figured she was up to no good, vandalising the place or with the mountain bikers, erecting more jumps or the like.’

  ‘You chased her?’

  What Franklin supposed passed for a blush on an albino tinted Kev’s cheeks.

  ‘Umm, yes. Well, you see –’

  Franklin didn’t want to hear bullshit. ‘How did you know it was a girl if you couldn’t see her properly?’

  ‘She…’ Kev cringed. ‘She screamed when I touched her.’

  Franklin’s eyes flared.

  ‘I…I told her to stop and grabbed her, but she twisted away and ran off.’

  ‘You’re certain it was a girl?’

  Kev nodded repeatedly. ‘Her scream was squeaky, high, young, if you understand me? It definitely sounded like a girl’s voice, not a woman’s. And she seemed too small for an adult.’ The ranger pointed at Kat. ‘She was shorter and thinner than her.’

  ‘And you’re sure you didn’t see what she looked like? Even though you got close enough to work out she was shortish and thin…and you were within grabbing distance?’