Like Twigs in a Storm

by Ross Richdale

  "I'm still annoyed with myself," Lavina said. "If I'd slowed..."

  "We would have been stuck half way down that steep section," Janice said. "I thought you'd roll down that bank, for sure."

  "What do we do now?" Lavina asked.

  "We'll need the old Land Rover's winch," Steve said as he walked around and examined the jeep. "If we try to drive out we could end up sliding down the slope" He reached into the cab and retrieved a torch. "I keep it under the dashboard,” he explained before he reached back and turned off the vehicle's lights.

  “How far is it back to the farm?" Janice asked.

  Lavina screwed her nose up. "Four or five kilometres. We've been climbing most of the time so the trip back will be mainly downhill. These tracks go in circles so if we continue we should arrive back at Upper Forks Road again."

  "And the cars?" Janice shuddered.

  "I wouldn't worry too much,” Steve said. “If we turn the torch off and keep near the trees, their headlights will give them away before they see us." He shrugged. "They mightn't even be here now."

  "Don't count on it," Lavina said. "They're looking for us and they're armed."

  She opened the driver's door, reached in for their jackets and handed Janice hers. "Even though it's a summer night, it will become quite cool before we reach home."

  She stared one last time at the stranded jeep. "Bloody stupid thing to do," she said. "Come on. Let's go."

  The trio, followed by two dogs who welcomed the opportunity to run around, stepped out along the lonely track. On both sides pine trees towered above them but the ground beneath was smooth and dry.

  "As long as we stick to the middle of the track and avoid the ruts, the darkness shouldn't hinder us too much," Steve commented as he squeezed the hand that slipped into his.

  "It's a lovely night," murmured Lavina. "If it wasn't for those gangsters." She grinned in the darkness as she felt Janice grab her other hand and one of the dogs brush against her legs. In the distance, a night bird called out its plaintive cry.

  *

  Pat Stein and Jane Frankton were the first off the helicopter that landed behind the farmhouse in evening twilight. They walked towards the house while six other armed police fanned out in every direction.

  "They did the place over, all right," Stein muttered as the pair walked through the house. "I doubt if it'll do much good but we'll get the fingerprint guys in."

  The police search was thorough and confirmed that two large sized cars had been in the drive recently and someone had been shot in the implement shed, the dogs had gone and there was no trace of Steve Garnet's jeep or any of the group. A quick radio message confirmed they were not at their known addresses in the city.

  "Blast!" Stein snarled and kicked at a piece of debris in frustration. "We pulled our people out too soon." He turned to a policeman standing nearby. "Get a sample of that blood on the ground, Constable. I want to know whose it is."

  "What about the painting?" Jane asked. "'Has it gone?"

  "That's a good point," Stein replied. "Last week after nobody took the bait, we decided to put it back in that cellar. We'll check."

  Moments later, they found Barrie lying in a pool of blood. His eyes flickered open as the light came on and he gave a weak smile of recognition. "You took your time getting here, sergeant," he spluttered. "I was beginning to think I'd have to walk out."

  Stein glanced at Jane. "Get a stretcher in here, constable," he snapped. "Let's get him to hospital.” After Jane left, he knelt down beside the wounded man and examined his wound. "Had a gun battle, I see, Barrie. You've lost a bit of blood there but it's mainly superficial. What happened?'

  Barrie grimaced. "Two car loads of them arrived, I was cut off and managed to hide in here. That's about it. I was in the woolshed by myself at the time. Well, I had the dogs with me..."

  "They've gone and so have Steve, Lavina and Janice, along with the jeep." Stein interrupted, "Can you shed any light on what happened to them?"

  Barrie frowned. "I never saw them. All this happened about noon. I guess I passed out."

  The stretcher party and another policeman arrived. He went straight to Stein. "Could you come to the road, sergeant? There are some interesting marks there."

  "Right," Pat replied and glanced back at Barrie. "We'll get you to hospital, lad and contact you as soon as any information comes through."

  Moments later he was at the gate where two powerful lights lit up tyre marks gouged through the roadside grass. "Those are the jeep's tracks and are quite recent, sergeant," a policeman reported. "Why would he skid all over the grass?"

  Stein frowned and walked along the road. "Here!" he snapped. "Look at these gravel marks. One of those cars was sitting in the middle of the road. I'd say they tried to stop the jeep and the driver cut through the inside, bounced back onto the road and headed up into the pine forest."

  He clicked on his radio. "I want more people up to Upper Forks Road," he ordered. "There are only two access routes into this valley. I want them sealed off. Nobody is to be allowed in, even locals." He turned as Jane stepped in beside him. "If they're in the jeep on those pine forest tracks the cars will have trouble following them,"

  "The painting's still in the cellar," Jane said.

  Stein stared at her. "I have a feeling these are the big bosses we've been trying to nab. I only hope we're in time and they haven't left the district."

  *

  CHAPTER 19

  By ten, Cathy had given up any chance of sleeping. She dropped the two tiny red pills the nurse left for her into a bowl of flowers and gazed around. Her room was dark but the corridor outside was lit.

  "Damn!" She rolled over for the umpteenth time, pinched her lips and made a decision.

  Within seconds she'd changed into her clothes, bunched up her blankets in a crude attempt to make it look as if she was in bed, and slipped into the corridor. All was quiet. The nursing station and main door were on her left, so she went right. Three quarters of the way along was a green exit sign that Cathy turned into. It led to side stairs. Moments later she was at an emergency door with push bars to open.

  If the door was alarmed she would be caught but she decided to risk it and pushed the bar down. The door opened outwards to reveal a small walkway between the buildings. A light lit the area up.

  "Good," she whispered to herself and stepped forward.

  The well-lit front of the hospital was silent. Vehicles cluttered around the parking area but nobody was in sight. It was only at that point that Cathy began to regret her actions. She shivered, more in apprehension than because of the temperature. She considered just walking back inside but decided to have one more glance around.

  There was a taxi parked by the main doors. She gulped and walked over to it. "Can you give me a ride home?" she asked the bored driver.

  "Sure, miss," he replied, folding his newspaper. "Been visiting, have you?"

  Cathy was about to think of some excuse for being there but realized the man wasn't really interested so she just muttered something under her breath and climbed in the back.

  Home at 23 Ashley Grove seemed strangely different. The floodlights came on as the driver swung in but everything else was in darkness. She paid her fare and let herself inside.

  The place was empty.

  Cathy walked through to the double garage. The jeep was gone but her mother's car sat in its usual spot. A wicked gleam came into the youngster's eyes. She'd driven the old Land Rover on the farm for months now; it was completely illegal but this was an emergency. She'd drive herself out to the farm.

  After methodically locking everything up and, with her pulse racing she sat behind the driver's seat and glanced at the controls. This was an automatic so would be easier to drive than the Land Rover with its clunky gears. She switched on the car lights and pressed the garage door remote and watched as it slid up on quiet rollers.

  So far, so good! She gripped the steering wheel and realized there was no key. Damn! Apprehen
sive of the darkness outside, Cathy walked back into the house, gathered the keys from their usual place and returned to the quiet garage.

  The car started easily. She backed out turned in the bay provided and used her remote to shut the garage door. The car responded far more easily than the Land Rover and Cathy became confident.

  Well sort of. She'd never driven in traffic before and there were three sets of traffic lights to get through before she reached the motorway. The first was green but the second red. Cathy braked too violently and almost stalled then jumped forward too quickly when the light turned green. However, she managed to reach the motorway without any major problem. Overhead streetlights lit the road and traffic was light. Cathy pressed the accelerator and the speedometer crept up to a hundred kilometres an hour, a hundred and ten. God she was going over the speed limit yet cars were zooming past. The motorway was easy to drive on but she realized the off ramp was coming up soon. She signalled, cut to the inside lane, and found herself on the narrow off ramp.

  Cathy forgot to brake and went clean though into a small dark side road. She swung the wheel; the car careered right across to the wrong side of the road, shuddered and returned to the correct side. Luckily, no other vehicle was close.

  She cursed and regretted her decision to drive the car. But it was too late now. She was committed.

  The road was dark with no overhead lights. Cathy fumbled around, pressed the stick by the wheel and the lights switched to high beam. White lines with shiny cat's eyes made the driving easier but Cathy slowed. Cars roared past and one blared its horn.

  "Same to you buddy!" Cathy snarled and continued on.

  She reached The Lower Forks Road and the white lines disappeared. It was like driving into a tunnel. Soon, too, the bends began but Cathy was in luck. No cars appeared in either direction. It was as if she was alone in the world. Cathy estimated it would take about fifteen minutes to reach the farm, began to regain her confidence and went a little faster until she arrived at the gravel road.

  The car swerved and stones banged the floor. Cathy braked and screeched to a stop. The narrow road with tall grass blowing along the edges appeared scary, not the friendly road home she remembered. She bit on a fingernail and edged slowly ahead.

  Two bends later, she passed a side road. She knew the next turn off was Upper Forks Road.

  "My God!" she cried after she drove around the next bend. Upper Forks Road was lit up by blue and red flashing lights. A police car was parked across the turnoff. In a panic she pushed the accelerator and just kept going along Lower Forks Road. She saw a policeman gazing at her as she zoomed by and expected to hear a siren wailing any moment. Another bend appeared. She braked, swung too much but managed to get around. She drove on until she came to a small pull off area.

  "What do I do, now? Come on, girl. Think!"

  She remembered that Number Two Line Road cut across and joined Upper Forks Road just before the forest. It was hardly used anymore and, as far as she could remember, only had a woolshed half way along it.

  Cathy gritted her teeth, realized her sore foot was aching but this was no time to wimp out. She drove slowly on and, a kilometre later, turned into the side road where another shock met her. It was so narrow the car would hardly fit. She slowed, engaged low and proceeded at a speed so slow the car would jerk stop and start forward again. A cutting on the right glared in the headlights while, to the left the land dipped away into blackness.

  Ten nerve-racking minutes later, the thirteen year old was beyond the crest of the hill and winding down to the next valley. She could see the dark outline of the pine forest as she turned left. Ahead lay the long circular route through the forest, the patch of bush then home. Cathy glanced at the dashboard clock. It was after midnight. Her mum was going to growl hell out of her for leaving the hospital and taking the car. She was in deep trouble. She wiped a sweaty hand over her forehead, noticed the star-studded sky overhead for the first time and headed for the forest.

  *

  Accompanied by the two dogs, Janice walked back along the dark road with only the silhouetted pine trees to guide her. She stumbled on a rut, just stopped herself falling to her knees and continued on until she saw something in the starlight ahead.

  "Steve, Lavina," she said. "A car's coming."

  "Back into the trees," Steve said. "Go in beyond at least three trees before you stop."

  They'd been walking along Upper Forks Road for almost an hour and Janice had volunteered to go a bend ahead with the dogs. Her precaution had paid off.

  *

  It was pitch dark under the trees so only by using their arms; the three could make their way forward. Soft pine needles accompanied by the unique smell of pine trees made the brief journey almost pleasant as Lavina, with her hand in Steve's, edged forward through a gap between two trees and continued further until they found a small embankment to crouch behind. She called the dogs in and held Bunt's collar while Steve did the same with Spotty.

  "Quiet, girls," Lavina whispered and strained her ears for the sound of incoming vehicles.

  "They're coming back," Steve whispered.

  A blaze of lights shone as two vehicles appeared. They were travelling slowly and Bunt growled softly. Then Lavina saw why. Several people were walking beside the cars and torchlight beams danced through the trees.

  "Get down and look away," Steve said.

  Lavina saw Janice's terrified eyes a meter away.

  "Come on out!" a voice so close it made Lavina jump echoed through the forest. But she gripped her dog and stayed still. Any movement now could mean instant discovery.

  Light swung across where they had been mere seconds before, stopped and slowly swung back. Lavina found herself trembling. If they had left any footprints, surely they'd be seen.

  "Come on out!" the voice boomed again. "We found your jeep so know you're there."

  The next noise was so loud and terrifying Lavina could only hold her mouth to stop a scream. A shot was fired from somebody less than ten meters away. She could see the red flash and the resulting crack of the explosive rang in her ears. But she felt something reassuring. An arm, Steve's, hugged her close. No, two arms. Janice's trembling arm was also around her waist.

  The dogs crouched beside her, soundless with bristling hair. Lavina could tell they were on high alert, ready to attack, if ordered.

  The lights swung back with shadows of the trees flicking over them. Reflected light from the cars lit everything as bright as day. Four people walked by and a voice hissed. “I tell you, they'll be going the other way.”

  "We searched there," came an angry reply. "The only alternative is back up the track the jeep came down."

  "That's hardly likely. Why don't we just wait until morning?" The voices blended into the night and became incomprehensible and the two cars rolled forward until only the red taillights could be seen. The forest returned to darkness.

  The arms around squeezed and Lavina felt a small kiss brush her cheek. "Oh Steve," she whispered but a second later jumped in fright again. A second shot had been fired but this was around the bend.

  Bunt growled and Lavina could feel the dog's trembling body. "We're safe, girl," she whispered. "The bad men have gone!"

  Without talking, they made their way back to the road and continued the journey away from the direction the enemy had taken.

  "You two stay here. I'll drop back in case they return," Steve said.

  "No," Lavina snapped. "We keep together now. We mustn't be too far from the edge of the forest. Then it's only a few hundred meters to Lower Forks Road. Once there, we can head to the neighbour's place."

  "Okay," Steve said. "Keep to the outside edge."

  They were winding downhill now with a small cliff on the inside and trees below but vision in both directions was blocked by bends. Gradually, courage replaced nervousness and the dogs appeared their normal tail wagging selves again. They reached a level section that disappeared into darkness ahead.

  Sudde
nly, Bunt began yelping and, followed by Spotty went charging ahead out of sight.

  "What the..." Steve grumbled. The sound the dogs had heard reached his ears. "Another car," he said. "Get into the trees."

  Everything was a blaze of lights again. A vehicle was in front coming straight towards them but was travelling in a strange wriggling motion.

  Lavina dived into a clump of grass and turned to stare back. She could hear the dogs barking but it was that joyful bark like when they were playing, not the bark of aggression. The car came up and flashed by; brakes were applied and it shuddered to a stop. Lavina rose to her feet and squinted through the contrasting darkness and light from the headlights. It couldn't be.

  But it was. It was her own car!

  The yelping dogs ran up to the stationary vehicle in excitement.

  A window wound down and a small voice called out. "Mum, Steve, are you there?"

  "Cathy!" Lavina screamed. She ran to the car flung open the driver's door and pulled her daughter into her arms.

  "I'm sorry, Mum," Cathy said. "I couldn't just stay in hospital not knowing what happened. I had to come and find you."

  "And you drove the car from town?" Steve's awed voice sounded as he tucked his arms around them both.

  "Yes...don't be mad at me." Cathy sobbed.

  "My God, Cathy, for rescuing us?" Lavina found tears in her own eyes. "How could we be mad?"

  "Slide over," Steve said with a grin. "I'll drive." He held the back door open, the dogs followed by Janice and Lavina tumbled in and Cathy scrambled across to the front passenger seat.

  "I saw the dogs," she explained to Lavina and Janice while Steve concentrated on the driving. "The dogs recognized the car. I was so relieved."

  Janice grinned. "The dogs knew you were coming well before we did."

  "And you drove right through the city and out here?" Lavina repeated. "You're only thirteen!"

  "But I've driven the Land Rover for ages," Cathy wiped her eyes and grinned.

  "But the hospital?" Lavina said.

  "When nobody answered my mobile phone calls and you didn't visit I knew something was wrong."