Martin opened a bottle and let him sip the cool water. “You got it then, I see.”
“Yes… It’s hot out there.”
“I told you. You’ll be glad you put the tarpaulin over the plane.”
Joe was right. Without it there, survival time would be greatly reduced. He could see the sun clearly now as it started its descent into sunset. In a few hours it would be too dark for the planes to see them. Perhaps they would have better luck tomorrow. It had to be tomorrow. Their survival depended on it.
CHAPTER 8
By mid-afternoon with still no news, Kate was feeling composed enough to speak to Jennifer on her mobile. She had no intention at this stage of telling her what had happened, just that she had called in at the airstrip to see if Martin had arrived and would be a little late picking her up. Elsie volunteered, but Kate shook her head; she wanted to wait until they were home before she broke the bad news.
She was almost through when the door opened. She immediately thought of Philip, hoping he could set her mind at rest, but it was a tall well-dressed man. She recognised him straightaway as Martin’s boss, Larry Kingston.
“I must go, dear. Get a taxi home and I’ll see you soon,” she said, finishing her call and looking up at a nervous expression.
“Sorry if I interrupted something,” he said, sitting down opposite her. Elsie asked if he wanted a drink and he shook his head. “I just thought I would come in to see how you’re doing. You must be devastated.”
“I’m better now,” Kate replied. “It’s the waiting that’s worse.”
“I know. We’ve got two planes and a helicopter searching the Sandy Desert. They should be there by now, so we’re expecting to hear something any time soon.”
“Thank you…that’s reassuring.”
He looked as though he was floundering. He had no idea what to say. It was the first time the company had lost a plane and he had no reference point.
“I gather this latest contact has narrowed the search, but I’m afraid it’s still a lot of desert to cover.” With the same breath he realised that was not what she wanted to hear and there was a slight lapse of communication until the door opened again and Philip walked in. The relief on both their faces was quite obvious.
“Oh, here you are, Larry,” Philip said, joining the group. “I see you’ve met Martin’s wife, Kate.”
“Oh yeah,” he said, easing himself up off his seat. “We’d already met at the company party…remember.”
“You’re right…I forgot about that,” Philip acknowledged.
Larry finally worked himself upright and took hold of Kate’s hand. “I’m sorry I can’t stay any longer, but you take care now. If there’s anything you need, just let Philip know and we’ll do our best to sort it out. A moment, Philip.”
They walked over to the door and after a short discussion Larry left and Philip returned to the easy chairs.
“What’s the new information?” Kate asked, as soon as he sat down again.
“I’m sorry, Kate. I was on my way back to tell you. That idiot likes to take credit for the slightest information, when all the time he has no idea what’s going on.”
“So there isn’t any news?” she interrupted.
“Sorry again…there is. When I was called away, it was to tell me a radio ham had contacted us. Apparently he picked up a radio message from Joe’s plane.”
“Oh, marvellous,” she shouted. “So they’re alive.”
“It was only a short message, Kate. They’re down and we have another coordinate to fix their position. I’ve radioed the planes already searching, so keep your fingers crossed; they might even spot them before they leave.”
“What do you mean, before they leave?”
“You don’t need to know all these details, Kate.”
“But I have to…what else have I got?”
“All right, Kate…you have to understand the crash site is nearly three hundred kilometres away. It takes almost two hours to get there and they have to leave two hours before it gets dark. But if we don’t find them today, they’ll be out there again first thing in the morning.”
“I know, Philip,” she said, with a sad finality in her voice. “I know this is in no part the company’s fault; it was just one of those days. And I know you’re doing everything you can, thank you.”
Philip took hold of her hand. “Kate…you and Martin are family.”
She glanced at her watch, “I think I’d better make a move, Elsie, if you don’t mind. Jennifer will be home by now and I have to tell her.”
“Yes, of course, Kate,” Elsie replied. “Would you like me to come home with you; just in case you need any information?”
“No, thank you, this is one of those private things. A lift to my car would be fine; I’ll manage from there.”
She stood up and Elsie and Philip followed her back to the entrance. “What about Adam, your son?” Philip asked before she left.
“Yes, I know…that’s another call I have to make.”
Jennifer was standing by the lounge window waiting for her mother when she pulled into the drive. She rushed into the hall and opened the front door. She could see by her mother’s puffy face and red eyes that something was wrong and was impatient for her to step into the house.
“What’s happened?” she cried out.
Kate refused to answer until she had removed her coat and settled Jennifer into one of the easy chairs. For her own part she needed a stiff drink. She went over to the drinks cabinet, took out the bottle of scotch and poured herself a double. Then she returned to the chair opposite Jennifer and swallowed a large mouthful.
“There’s no easy way to say this, Jennifer. Your father’s plane crashed in the Sandy Desert this morning in that terrible storm.”
Jennifer looked blank. She heard what her mother said, but her brain seemed not to accept it. Then when it did finally sink in she let out an awful scream. Kate jumped up, took the couple of steps to her daughter’s side, and sitting on the arm of her chair, put her arm around her. She had cried herself out earlier, but still had space to absorb Jennifer’s sobs.
“Sorry you had to hear it like that. I had to and I know what it feels like. They contacted AMINCO after the plane went down so they’re on the ground. Now they just have to find them.”
Still sobbing, Jennifer looked into her mother’s eyes. “It’s a big desert, Mum; how are they going to find them all the way out there?”
“I spent all afternoon with them. They know what they’re doing, and they’ve narrowed the search area down considerably. They’ll find them.”
“What about Adam?” she questioned. “You’ve got to tell him.”
“I know, dear. Just one more drink and I’ll ring him straightaway.”
Following another agonising discussion with her son, Adam, Kate was beginning to become exhausted. Supported by another drink, she spent the rest of the evening explaining to Jennifer exactly what had happened during the storm that had merged with an unexpected cyclone. Jennifer was insatiable. Her appetite for detail was difficult for Kate to satisfy as she didn’t have the information required. They filled the evening with one scenario after another. Despite a need for sleep, they were waiting for Adam’s plane to arrive. The Red-Eye was due in at 3:00 am.
It had been six months since Adam’s last visit during mid-term break and he looked different. Kate spotted it straightaway as he left the arrival gate. It was like looking at a young Martin: the same mop of light-brown hair above a pale narrow face, slim athletic build and that loping gait. It was plain to see he was his father’s son, even down to the nervous tic in his cheek.
Jennifer ran towards Adam the moment she saw him, flung her arms around his neck and gave him a great big kiss. As they walked back to Kate, she could see Jennifer was crying and Adam was holding her close. They separated and Adam dropped his holdall on the ground and embraced his mum. He held her as tightly as he could and tears burst from Kate’s eyes. Jennifer joined in and the
three stood for moments hugging each other in the middle of the airport lounge.
Feeling conspicuous, they broke apart, walked out of the airport complex and headed for the parking area.
“I heard about the cyclone,” Adam said, getting into the car. “It was all over the news. Even the bit about it merging with your storm; it must have been a terrible experience. Did it do any damage to the house?”
“Not that I’ve had a chance to notice,” Kate said, stopping at the car park kiosk and paying the fee. She drove out and turned left into Old Broome Road.
There was no traffic on the road at that time, except the car behind her. They separated at the roundabout. She turned left onto Gubinge Road and it went straight on. Adam had been distracted for the moment and as soon as she headed for Cable Beach he relaxed; he knew where he was.
“What time did you get the news?” Adam continued.
“Not now, Adam,” Kate said. “Let’s get home first, make some drinks and something to eat if you’re hungry and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Sorry, Mum…I know it must be terrible for you.”
Kate pulled into the drive, clicked the remote to open the garage door and proceeded on inside.
“That’s new,” Adam said, as she switched the engine off and closed the door behind them. “When did you have that done?”
“Good heavens you’re wide awake,” she said, nudging Jennifer as they got out of the car and opened the door to the hall.
“Sorry…it must be the adrenalin.”
“For your information, your father had a man install it last month. He said it was his Christmas present to himself,” Kate said, walking through to the kitchen and switching the kettle on.
“It’s a bit early for Christmas,” Adam said, dropping his bag onto a chair.
Kate stopped by the sink and started crying again. “He made a silly remark when I said the same thing. He said, ‘I’ll get it now…just in case something happens before Christmas.’ Wasn’t that a silly thing to say?”
Adam and Jennifer both hugged their mum.
Breaking away when the kettle popped, Jennifer sniffed and said, “Of course we all know he was talking about how expensive it was at Christmas.”
Kate started preparing the mugs for their tea. “Oh dear, you look terrible,” Kate remarked to Jennifer as she picked up her mug.
“Yes, I feel it. If it’s all right with you two I think I’ll get off to bed.”
Kate, then Adam, kissed her on the cheek, after which Jennifer tiredly left them.
“What on earth possessed Dad to go on that small plane?” Adam questioned casually as he sipped his tea.
“Can we change the subject, Adam, please? I know you love your dad; we all do, but I’ve been crying most of the day and I would just like a rest.”
“Sorry, Mum…why don’t you go off to bed?”
Kate looked up at the kitchen clock. “It’s 4:30 am… who’s going to sleep at this time after all that’s happened today.”
“Jennifer obviously can.”
Kate reached across the table and took hold of his hand. “Thank you for coming, Adam. I need you both around me at the moment.”
“Where else would I be? I shall stay here for as long as it takes and tomorrow…sorry, later today, I’ll go with you to the airstrip and we’ll find out what they’re doing about finding Dad.”
“No, Adam…they know what they’re doing. They don’t want hysterical relatives under their feet. Philip, that’s the Operations Manager, said he would keep me in the loop. He’ll ring me when they have some news.”
“I just thought you’d like to be there when it came through.”
“I spent hours there yesterday and every time the door opened or a telephone rang, it was terrifying. I know I’ll be pacing the floor here, but it won’t be as bad. Now please…can we change the subject?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down?”
“No, I don’t. Anyway…how is this going to affect your studies? You’re not missing out on any exams, are you?”
“No, Mum…except for an exam in January, I’m all finished.”
“I thought it took seven years to become a doctor.”
“This is only the written part of my tests, Mum; I now have to move on to the physical side and then, if I pass all my exams, I do my internship in a hospital.”
“And you’re doing all right?”
Adam nodded his head. “Professor Slater has high hopes for me. That’s what he says when he sees me slacking off.”
“You don’t do that often, do you?”
“No, Mum…I’m fine. Don’t worry; you’ll have a doctor in the family before you know it. Well, at least in the next three years.”
Kate left the table, placed her mug in the dishwasher and made her way out of the kitchen and into the lounge. Adam did the same and followed her. She was standing by the drinks cabinet. The earlier drinks had worn off and she poured a generous glass of whiskey. She glanced back at Adam in one of the easy chairs and lifted her glass at him to see if he wanted one. He nodded.
As she passed him his drink she sat down opposite and took a gulp and sat back, expecting a response. He just looked at her lovingly and sipped his drink.
“That’s the first alcoholic drink I’ve served you,” she said.
“Well, I am twenty-two, Mum. I’ve been drinking for some time. Mark you, I don’t usually drink neat whiskey. I’m a Bacardi and Coke man.”
“There’s plenty of soda if you want it.”
Adam was about to continue the conversation when they heard a loud bang. It appeared to come from upstairs and he jumped out of his seat, placed his drink on the coffee table and rushed out of the room. Kate took her last gulp and followed him.
He was already on the landing when there was another bang, louder this time and it came from Kate’s bedroom nearby. He rushed into the room just as Jennifer was about to open one of the doors onto the balcony. He could see a large crack in the glass and an overturned metal chair leaning up against it.
“Don’t open the door,” he shouted.
He was too late. As Jennifer slid the door back she was caught in a blast and thrown back into the room. Kate had just arrived, and screamed, “What’s going on?”
Adam picked Jennifer up, saw that she was only shaken and went directly to the partly open door. The force of the wind blowing into the room almost took him off his feet until he grabbed the bedrail. He used it to lever himself onto the dressing table next to the door and then onto the doorframe. He stood there clutching on for dear life and Kate tried to reach him.
“Stay back, Mum. I’m going to try and get these chairs inside.”
She sat on the bed next to Jennifer. They could feel the force of the wind coming through the door as Adam inched his way onto the balcony. It was furious outside. He could see papers and shredded vegetation whirling about in small spirals in the pools of light from the street lights. A man in a white van to his right had been attempting to deliver his papers, but had now given up and was just parked.
“Careful, Adam,” Jennifer called out.
Fearful that he might be sucked over the railings, Adam spread his legs and hung onto the door with one hand while he manoeuvred the first chair into the room.
Kate jumped up and pulled it out of the way. He then grabbed the other chair and dragged that inside also. The small table was something else. It was too large to go through the gap, so he tipped it on its side and once back in the room, he pulled it in after him and quickly closed the door.
He fell exhausted onto the floor, lying there gasping for breath.
Kate kneeled down beside him brushing his damp hair out of his eyes. “I didn’t know it was raining as well,” she said, beckoning Jennifer to get a towel out of the en suite. Then they heard a rattling cascade of torrential rain.
“Listen to that,” Jennifer said, returning with the towel.
As Kate kneeled down on the carpet she brought her han
ds up to her face and started sobbing. It was deep and uncontrollable. Jennifer and Adam tried to console her. She leaned against them in a wretched state. “Oh my God,” she let out, “it’s started all over again. How are the planes going to take off in this?”
CHAPTER 9
When Martin slowly opened his eyes there was only the barest glimmer of sunrise breaking through Joe’s window. The plane was lifting slightly on one wing. He thought he was dreaming; reverting back to that last moment they were in the air before the Cessna ploughed into the Sandy Desert.
He could still hear the crumpling of metal, the propeller blades digging into the ground and then the deathly silence. Only this was no dream. There was no silence; only the whip-like cracking of the tarpaulin striking the windscreen.
Martin turned to Joe. He placed his hand on his neck and felt a pulse, but Joe looked terrible. His skin was pale and waxlike. His breathing was shallow and Martin noticed there was blood on his lips again. He picked up the hanky he’d left with him and wiped his mouth. Joe stirred. His eyelids fluttered. He was alive.
“What time is it?” he rasped, with a rustling chest.
“I don’t know,” Martin replied. “My watch was broken in the crash.”
Joe chuckled, “That’s not all we broke.”
“By the look of the sky I’d say dawn’s not far off,” Martin said, loud enough to be heard above the racket outside.”
“What’s going on?” Joe said, seeing the tarpaulin lashing the windscreen.
“I think the wind’s picking up,” Martin said.
Joe went silent for a moment. He seemed to be listening.
“It sounds as if we’ve got another storm coming through. You’d better get out there Martin and tie everything down; or it will tear that tarpaulin to shreds.”
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