Promise of Hunters Ridge

by Sarah Barrie

  She cursed her imagination. Someone was likely just trying to keep water out of the place. She made it right around, checked the doors, saw one was not quite closed. If someone was trying to keep the weather out, that wasn’t going to help. Curious, she decided to peek in.

  As she approached, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She looked around again, listened. ‘What is wrong with me?’ she muttered.

  She put her ear to the door, feeling stupid. No noise. She gave it a tap. The door squeaked and moved an inch. She waited a beat, then shoved it further. Darkness greeted her, and a stale and dusty smell. A beam of light shone through a small hole in the plastic at the closest window. She put down her camera and got hold of it, pulling it down.

  Dust swirled up in the light shining through. As her eyes adjusted, she decided the space looked more like an old schoolroom than a church. It had probably had many uses. She fought to make out a picture at eye level on the wall. It was still too dark. She turned around and fully opened up both doors so she could see. And when she turned back, her breath stopped.

  ‘Oh my god.’ Photos of hunters posing with dead women lined one wall, and a row of ponytails hung from another. Knives, a collection of deadly looking blades, women’s handbags, clothing, an old laptop on a dusty desk …

  ‘Shit. Shit. Shit.’ She slowly backed up, going outside, every sense on full alert.

  Heart in her throat, Mia raced to the car and climbed in, locking the doors, snatching her gun from the glovebox and pulling out her phone. No signal. Of course not.

  She reached for the ignition, looked around again. She should close the doors—give Ben time to get out here without alerting Rob she’d been there. Stuff it. She needed to get out of here.

  Her camera.

  She’d left it in there. A silent debate screamed in her head. ‘Damn it.’

  Weapon in hand, she pushed out of the car, ran up the steps and grabbed it. She shut the doors on her way back through, and in her rush, pulled them too hard. They slammed back into position with a loud bang.

  Frozen, she listened, waiting for Rob to appear. Nothing. Then a thumping sound from a building hidden by acacias and tea trees she hadn’t noticed earlier had her legs moving. It could have been an outside toilet. Was he here, in the loo, while she’d …? She reached the car. The banging intensified but no one was coming out. The door, she noticed, was shaking with the effort of whoever or whatever was inside.

  Someone is trying to get out. Indy came straight to mind. What were the chances? This place had to be Rob’s, so they were probably fairly good.

  Or was it just a ruse Rob was using to get her over there?

  She swung around, then around again, pointing her gun in the direction of every sound as she made her way quickly and quietly back to the car.

  No one had emerged from the outbuilding.

  Locked in her car, she hesitated. What if it is Indy in there and I leave her here?

  She turned on the ignition and waited, checking the windows, the rear-view mirror. Still, Rob didn’t appear. Cautiously she pointed the car towards the building, and drove over the bumps in the grass, mowing down thin-branched foliage until she was right outside.

  The door was padlocked. Rob couldn’t have padlocked himself in there. Mia wound the window down a fraction.

  ‘Indy?’

  More banging was followed by urgent, muffled noises.

  ‘Indy, is that you?’

  The muffled pleas sounded female. That was enough to convince Mia. She opened the car door slowly and examined the padlock. It was large, but the old wooden latch looked less strong.

  ‘Hold on, I’m going to get you out.’

  How? Still moving cautiously, she made her way around the back of the car, opened the boot and found the handle for the tyre jack. With one last check of her surroundings, she moved back to the outbuilding and brought the jack down hard on the latch. It moved a fraction. She hit it again, again. Splinters of wood began to crack.

  Another sound alerted her to an approaching car. Dust rose above the trees.

  ‘Shit!’ Her heart jumped through her chest, her pulse scrambled.

  She hit the lock again, again, more and more desperate, brought the handle down too close to the building and swiped the skin from her fingers. She tried again. When the lock gave with a splintering crack, she reefed the door open.

  Indy was blindfolded, bound and gagged, tied to the roof of the old bush toilet. A nasty wound scarred her temple.

  ‘Indy, it’s Mia. He’s coming.’ Mia struggled with the blindfold and gag.

  ‘Get out of here,’ Indy’s voice was dry and raspy.

  Mia fumbled with the ties around her legs and hands, but got them loose. A quick check over her shoulder showed an old brown car coming into view. She instantly recognised it as the one she’d seen outside her place in the city, but she didn’t stop to think about it. The knot securing Indy to the roof gave.

  ‘Get up, quick, we have to move.’

  Mia threw another glance over her shoulder. And looked directly into Rob’s eyes through the windscreen of his car. His face was so brutally damaged it was horrifying, as was the smirk that made its way across it. In pure panic, Mia lifted her gun and fired. Rob reversed the car in a cloud of dust back down the trail and out of sight.

  Indy collapsed as she tried to move. ‘No feeling in my feet.’

  ‘Okay, the car’s right here.’

  They’d staggered a couple of paces when a voice drifted towards them.

  ‘Nice to see you again, Mia.’

  A large hole blasted into the wood above their heads, driving them back from the car and behind the outbuilding.

  ‘Don’t worry, Mia,’ Rob called out. ‘Not gonna shoot you, just don’t need the cop anymore.’

  Mia pointed the gun in the direction of his voice and fired some warning shots. She dragged Indy up then fell on her again as more rifle fire exploded. ‘Can you get up?’

  Indy didn’t look good, but she nodded, then wobbled to her feet and took a step before dropping to her knees again.

  ‘We need to split up. I’ll hide—distract him if I need to—while you get back to the car and get far enough out of here to find some reception and call for help.’

  ‘Are you nuts? He’ll shoot you!’

  ‘My circulation’s kicking in. I’ll be fine. Go.’

  Mia didn’t believe her. The woman was weak and she was betting it was the head injury, maybe dehydration. She looked around the side of the outbuilding and made a decision. ‘I’ll try and draw him away from you, while you get to the car. If he comes this way instead of after me, I’m coming back.’

  ‘Who’s the cop?’ Indy said, but Mia was already moving. She needed to lead Rob away from Indy. She headed towards the back of the church.

  ‘You’re not going to shoot me? What do you want?’ she called.

  ‘I thought we had a deal.’

  She spun, gun out, searching. Where was he? ‘I was never going to do that.’

  ‘It’s not too late to change your mind.’

  She fired at the sound of a cracking branch a few metres ahead. ‘Why’d you take Indy?’

  ‘Insurance. If I had trouble with you, I still had a runner.’ This time the voice came from her right, startling her.

  ‘Where are you?’ she demanded with a mix of frustration and snapping nerves. ‘There’s not going to be any more hunts! Brent Boland gave up the list. It’s all over.’

  ‘Now that’s just not true. I’d know.’

  With every painstakingly quiet step, she moved closer to the car, several feet away in the clearing. She took a deep, steadying breath, and with one last scan of the landscape, turned and ran.

  Her hand was on the door when she heard him behind her.

  The pain as Rob smacked the butt of the rifle into her jaw was like an explosion inside her head. She fell, dazed.

  He leant over her. ‘You see that? Never give me enough credit. I’m a hunter,
Mia, and you’re predictable, that’s your problem.’

  Dazed, hurting, she watched Rob head in Indy’s direction.

  He started thrashing through the overgrown grass, calling Indy as one might call a stray pet. Mia pressed a hand against her throbbing jaw and used the other to get to her feet. She lifted her gun with a shaking arm and pressed the trigger. Nothing happened. She’d used up her bullets.

  Helplessness, anger and bone-numbing fear for her friend slammed through her system. The car was still idling, so she got in and threw the gun on the floor. Putting the car into drive, she aimed at Rob, and floored it. The little car wasn’t powerful and the ground was rough, but by the time Rob turned around, it was too late. He bounced onto the hood and over the car, disappeared behind her. She slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding hitting a tree.

  Indy got to her feet just a couple of metres away, stumbled to the door and fell in. ‘Go.’

  ‘I don’t know where he is.’

  ‘Where’s your gun?’

  ‘Empty.’

  ‘Then go.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘If he’s dead, he’ll still be dead when we get back. If he’s not, he has a loaded rifle. If he’s lost that, it’ll be a hunting knife. We’re unarmed and I’m not in any state for hand-to-hand combat. Go.’

  Mia put the car in reverse, then had a heart-stopping moment when the shrubbery she’d ploughed through to get here made it difficult for the car to get out. The engine revved, then with a jerk the car jumped back over the mess and she spun around, heading back down the driveway.

  ‘I can’t see him anywhere.’

  ‘Which means he’s not dead. Keep going. Where’s your phone? As soon as we get any sort of signal, I’ll call everyone in.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘You’re just going to have to tell me where we are. And what on earth you’re doing here.’

  CHAPTER

  18

  ‘This is silly, I want to get out there,’ Indy complained. She was sitting in a hospital bed with a drip in her arm and an impatient attitude. Mia couldn’t blame her. She’d spent too much time in hospitals since all this began to want to waste more in one. She moved the icepack she was supposed to be holding against her jaw and winced.

  ‘I agree. Let’s bail.’

  ‘Easy for you to say, you’re allowed to go.’

  ‘You’re both just lucky you’ve got hard heads,’ Ally said. ‘Indy, there’s no way you’re getting out of here this afternoon, so suck it up. Mia, put that icepack back on.’

  Mia exchanged glances with Indy and did as she was told.

  ‘I should call Cam,’ Ally decided. ‘He’s not going to be impressed he wasn’t filled in.’

  ‘I didn’t want to cause a fuss,’ Mia explained.

  ‘So you send a text saying Indy’s fine, come visit the hospital. Nothing about you or what had happened.’

  Indy shifted in the bed and winced. Mia sent her a concerned look. ‘Are the painkillers helping with that head injury?’

  ‘Are they helping with your jaw?’

  ‘At least you’re not dead,’ Ally said. ‘I thought you said he wasn’t going to get anywhere near you?’

  ‘That was the plan. But I was stupid. I walked straight into that house. Everything was supposed to happen after the date, so I didn’t think. You have to think. You can’t drop your guard for a second.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Mia promised.

  Ben appeared in the doorway and the force of his stare blew through Mia like an explosion. It didn’t waver as he strode into the room and pulled her to her feet for a short, hard hug.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  Then she was released and he bent over Indy, hugged her too. ‘I am so sorry.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Indy said.

  ‘Look it.’

  ‘It was hardly your fault. I should have listened to you in the first place. Should have been more careful.’

  ‘Careful? He tasered you.’

  ‘No kidding. I felt it. Can I help you look for him now?’

  ‘No. You have to stay here until tomorrow. You’re dehydrated and suffering from exposure and concussion.’ He gently brushed her hair from her injured forehead. ‘Why did he hit you over the head?’

  She grinned. ‘I wouldn’t shut up.’

  ‘Trust you. I need you to both tell me what happened.’

  They went through it, were interrupted twice by Ben’s phone. On the third call he got to his feet. ‘I can’t stay. I should be out there already but I had to see you both.’ He gave Indy a peck on the cheek. ‘Get better.’ Then he turned to Mia. ‘Stay at Ally’s tonight—no, don’t argue. Please?’

  She nodded. ‘Sure.’

  ‘Okay.’ He looked at her a few seconds longer, just looked, then he squeezed her shoulder and smiled. ‘See you soon.’

  When he left, Ally turned to Mia with a strange look on her face. ‘We’re going to have to head off too. Rebecca can’t feed the horses this afternoon and I didn’t leave any bottles for Chloe with Cam.’

  ‘Do you want a magazine or something before I go?’ Mia asked Indy.

  ‘Nah, I think I’ll just sleep. Thanks.’

  Looking at her, Mia decided it was the best thing for her, and nodded. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  She followed Ally out of the hospital, aware of the strange vibe coming from her sister. When they got into the car, she said, ‘What?’

  ‘Do I … know the full story here?’ Ally asked as she buckled up.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean the thank-god-you’re-all-right look Ben was wearing when he couldn’t take his eyes off you in there. My heart just about stopped.’

  Mia thought about that, and her own reaction to his behaviour. ‘He just puts so much pressure on himself to be perfect. He blamed himself for Indy, and if anything had happened to me, he would have blamed himself for that, too. He’s been out of his mind worrying about her.’

  ‘Yeah, but not that long ago you were barely speaking to him. Now he’s dragging you in to hold on to you like his life depends on it and you’re not only not surprised, you held on too. What’s going on?’

  ‘Honestly, nothing. I don’t know why I held on. I was fine, then Ben came in and all I wanted to do was fall in his arms and lose it. It’s stupid. It’s just a delayed reaction or something.’

  ‘Or something,’ Ally agreed. ‘That same something had you telling him what Rob threatened you with. You put your life—and Chloe’s—in his hands by doing that. And I’m glad you did. It was the right decision, but you kept that locked up like a vault all this time.’

  ‘I hope it was the right decision. He’d all but figured it out anyway.’ She looked at her hands. They weren’t steady, so she closed them into fists. ‘It’s just a reaction,’ she told herself quietly again.

  ‘You’ve been shot at and smacked in the jaw, and you hit Rob with your car. All that’s going to make anyone unsteady. But the thing with Ben … you’ve been at each other’s throats for so long …’ Ally’s voice trailed off and tears welled in her eyes.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  She took a couple of deep breaths and laughed at herself. ‘Sorry. Just thinking about what could have happened to you today. And it was such a relief not to have you fighting with Ben in there. You’re going to need him to keep you safe in case Rob’s not finished.’

  ‘He’ll never be finished. Not until he’s caught or killed.’ Mia’s face hardened. ‘I wish I’d hit him harder. The car didn’t get up enough speed.’

  Ally gasped. ‘Mia.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I’m worried about you. Shane made you tougher, but Rob’s turning you into someone else again.’

  Mia sent her a reassuring smile and brightened her tone. ‘That’s not true. I just want to be ready. He’s put us all through so much, he can’t win now. This time it has to end. And it will.’

  * * *

  E
bony swallowed a bite of barbecue chicken pizza and looked at Mia’s face thoughtfully. ‘You know, I think that bruise is the mirror image of the one you had on the other side after the hunt.’

  ‘Pretty close,’ Mia agreed.

  ‘I reckon Rob’s got to be feeling pretty bruised and battered,’ Indy said. ‘I wonder if he broke anything.’

  ‘He got away pretty quick,’ Mia said. ‘I doubt it.’

  ‘Adrenaline’s good at keeping you going short term. But a couple of days on, he’s going to be feeling it. Shame you didn’t plough him all the way into a tree.’

  ‘See?’ Mia said to Ally. ‘I’m not the only one.’

  Ally swallowed and shook her head. ‘I didn’t say I didn’t want him dead—or at least caught. I just don’t want you thinking you have to do it.’

  ‘I think he actually meant to keep his promise,’ Indy said. ‘He was going to use me for the hunt he’s been setting up—if you killed Ben.’

  ‘Maybe. Who knows with him? He did just leave me to go after you. I could have run away.’

  ‘I think he knows you better than that,’ Ben said. He was watching her closely; he’d had an eye on her all night. It was disconcerting. Not entirely in a bad way. ‘He knew you’d try to help Indy. He used that to try to disable you without losing her.’

  ‘And he failed. Again,’ Mia pointed out. ‘I just hope he doesn’t go to ground too long.’

  ‘He’s probably going to until he feels a bit better,’ Indy said. ‘But you can’t take any chances now.’

  ‘I agree,’ Ben said. ‘No more staying down at the cottage by yourself.’

  She couldn’t hide from Rob—wouldn’t. But she knew better than to argue right now. ‘I’m still minding Chloe tomorrow night, right?’ she asked Ally, changing the subject and earning a thoughtful look from Ben.

  Ally shook her head. ‘I can’t even think about that after what just happened.’

  ‘But you’ve booked?’

  ‘A week ago. It’s not important.’

  Mia sent her sister a stern look. ‘It’s Cam’s birthday. Of course it’s important. And it’s just dinner and a movie. I’ll be up here on the hill with the futuristic alarm system, Ben’s not far away. We’ll be fine.’