by Helene Young
That launched him on another tangent. Skype chats kept her sane and connected to her family while she was away, but there was no substitute for the real thing. Watching Dan worry a loose tooth with his tongue as he talked reminded her how fast he was growing up.
‘Cake time?’ she asked.
‘Yum. Nan made a chocolate one last night.’
‘Bet I know who licked the beaters.’ Kaitlyn bumped him with her hip as they walked through to the kitchen, making Dan giggle again.
‘Hi, Mum,’ Kaitlyn gave her mother a hug, feeling the fineness of Julia’s bones under the light cotton shirt she wore. Julia barely reached Kaitlyn’s chin now. Her soft cloud of hair had faded to an elegant grey; no sign left of the fiery red she’d passed on to her daughter and grandson.
‘Good to see you, darling.’
‘Good to be home.’ She smiled down at Dan, who was hopping from foot to foot. ‘Did you lick the bowl too?’
‘Yep, but Nan wouldn’t let me taste the cake hot.’
The older woman handed over a slice of chocolate cake. ‘Things taste better when they’ve rested.’
‘Ha.’ Dan fell silent as he licked the icing off the slice of cake.
‘Good drive home? I hope you didn’t worry. The phone’s still down.’ Julia shot a quick glance at her daughter. ‘I rang Telstra to report it again. They said someone would come tomorrow, or maybe the day after. You know what they’re like. The mobile was playing up as well so maybe it’s the whole district.’
Kaitlyn nodded as she reached into the fridge and snagged the cold water. ‘Typical. I found your note. What happened to the bus?’
‘The school said it broke down, but it seems they were short a driver. Speedy had been called out to fight a fire that was bigger than expected so he couldn’t get away. The bus company couldn’t find a replacement in time so the school principal thought it best to get parents to ferry the children home.’
‘And you should see all the smoke in town. The fire trucks were busy.’ Dan’s eyes were bright. There was nothing like a fire truck to bring a gleam to a small boy’s eyes. Dan had no idea they had the opposite effect on his mother. He was too young to remember that day in Canberra.
‘Really?’ Kaitlyn brushed some icing off her son’s cheek. The warm surge of love for this little being, her little man, was almost overpowering. She itched to hug him close and bury her nose in his silky hair. He leant away, trying to get more cake in his mouth before he spoke again. Kaitlyn ignored it, not prepared to reprimand so soon.
‘Yeah, and I think Speedy waved at me, too. He was in the beat-up old truck that rattles.’
‘Was he speeding?’ Kaitlyn couldn’t resist.
‘Nah, nothing fast about Speedy.’
She laughed and swatted him across the top of his head as he grinned at the familiar joke.
‘Homework?’
‘Yeah.’ It always fascinated her how clearly the inflection in his voice could do disdain.
‘Hop to it, then. Bring it in here so we can do it together.’
He slid off the stool and raced for his room. There was a moment of quiet in the kitchen.
‘How was your trip?’ asked Julia.
‘Good. Long. Lauren was the captain, so that’s always a riot.’
‘What’s happening next week?’
Kaitlyn grimaced. ‘Office. All week. That means driving down and back every day.’
‘Oh dear.’ Julia put some garlic into a pan and the aroma filled the kitchen. Kaitlyn sniffed appreciatively. She didn’t tell her mother about the new project. Julia would be upset, worried about her. It wasn’t worth it.
‘At least I’ve got four days off now. So, what have you been up to?’
‘A little trip to Cairns.’ Julia reached down beside her and deposited a familiar brown shopping bag on the bench. ‘Here.’
‘More clothes? Kaitlyn laughed, peeling the golden heart sticker off and seeing white tissue paper.
‘I think you’ll look gorgeous in them.’
‘For me?’
‘Just a little something.’ Julia turned back to the stove.
‘Thank you.’ Kaitlyn knew there was no point in arguing. Accept gracefully and ignore the feeling of being a charitable cause. Julia did have impeccable taste and a healthy bank balance.
‘I’ll try them on after I’ve had a shower.’
‘Here, Mum.’ Dan slid back onto the seat and dropped his books next to her elbow. ‘Maths?’
‘Hmm …’ A shower could wait. ‘What else have you got?’
‘There’s reading. He didn’t appreciate my choice,’ Julia chimed in. ‘It was baby stuff, Nana.’
‘Nothing baby about The Hobbit.’
‘But it’s not real.’
‘And Zac Powers is?’ Kait knew Julia battled to get Dan reading.
‘Muuum.’
‘Well?’
‘He’s cool.’
‘Ah, I see.’ She rolled her eyes at Julia, who turned back to the stove with a matching eye-roll. ‘So, maybe you can read me a Zac story, then we can read a chapter of The Hobbit together.’
‘Maths first?’
Kait saw the stiffness in Julia’s shoulders. ‘Reading first.’ Julia did so many of the hard yards, the least Kait could do was support her.
‘Okay,’ Dan huffed as he pulled a book from the bottom of the toppling pile. The tiny moment of tension that had raised its head was gone. Kait settled further onto the stool. Five minutes later she was absorbed in the latest adventure herself.
The background noise of Julia shaking the pan to loosen the crispy bacon blended with the hiss of the taps and the rhythmic chopping of vegetables. The three of them slipped back into a routine easily. Julia and Kaitlyn had been close before the fire. And afterwards? With so much they couldn’t share with outsiders, they’d turned to each other for comfort. They were more than mother and daughter, and Dan cemented them even closer.
An hour later he’d finished his homework and escaped to the yard.
‘I sent Daniel over to introduce himself to our new neighbour.’ Julia waved a spoon as Kaitlyn looked up sharply. ‘I sent a cake over. It’s the neighbourly thing to do.’
‘I think he might be the guy who stopped and helped me with the flat tyre last week.’
‘Really?’ Julia looked visibly brighter. ‘It’s good to know your neighbours.’
‘Well, yes, but we haven’t officially met him yet.’
‘Ryan. His name’s Ryan.’
‘It is my roadside rescuer. Still, we should have both met him before we let Dan go and annoy him.’
Kaitlyn’s pager beeped before Julia could argue.
‘How do these things work without phone lines? Maybe the mobile network is up again,’ she said, walking over to retrieve the pager. ‘Damn, they need me,’ she said, checking the message from the RFB. Before she could reach for her mobile it rang. ‘Hi, Kaitlyn speaking.’
The voice at the other end was familiar. The dispatcher from the RFB. She listened with a frown.
‘Kait, I’m glad I got through. The bloody phones are down all over the place. Can you suit up and help out tonight? We’ve got a fire burning towards the houses up from Rocky Creek on the other side of the highway. We’ve had crews out all day and we need numbers. I can’t get hold of most people.’
She sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. ‘Sure, sure. I can be ready in half an hour. Where do you want me? At the base?’
‘No, Speedy’s got the old truck. He’s just been to refill so he’ll stop by. I’ll radio him.’
‘Okay. Give me thirty minutes.’ She disconnected with a deep sigh. Dan was going to be devastated when he realised she wouldn’t be home for dinner. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t walk away from the threat of fire. She couldn’t.
‘Trouble?’ Julia asked.
‘Yep. Looks like the phones are down, so they’re short-staffed. And there’s been way too many fires for this time of year.’ Kai
tlyn chewed the inside of her lip. ‘I think there’s someone behind all this.’
‘Arsonist?’
‘It’s too early for schoolkids larking about. It usually takes them a couple of weeks of school holidays to get up to that much mischief, and then they’re only small fires. Holidays don’t start for three weeks.’
‘Have some food before you go.’ Julia was already scooping pasta into a bowl.
‘I’ll get changed first.’
Kaitlyn mulled it over as she pulled on woollen socks and long underwear. The bright orange rural firies’ overalls might be fire-retardant, but she wanted more protection than that. Some of the recent fires were harmless, just hazard reductions that got away. Others, like this, were too close to populated areas to be allowed to burn out. Too coincidental. Arsonists liked an audience.
Kait had firsthand experience with arsonists. She knew it could be the innocent-looking boy next door. It could be a man with golden hair, green eyes and a shy smile. It could even be a serving fireman, one of the men entrusted to stop fire spreading, destroying and killing.
She knew because the last arsonist she’d met had been her husband, killed by a fire he was accused of lighting, a fire that burnt out hundreds of kilometres of plantation pines, two outer suburbs of Canberra, and took the lives of five other people, including that of her father, Stephen.
Chapter 13
SPEEDY turned into Happy Jack Road, smiling. His lucky night. Kaitlyn Scott was going to fight fires with him. She’d joined the rural firies about three, going on four, years ago, and in all that time he’d never once had the pleasure of being alone with her in the truck.
‘How lucky can a guy get?’ he asked out loud. He changed the radio station to some easy-listening music and cranked up the air-con. Through the trees he could see glimpses of light. Not everyone appreciated the design of Kaitlyn’s ugly house, but he did. He could see why she’d built what she’d built. She was thumbing her nose at the fire. More power to her. The lady had guts and brains. And she was a bit of a looker, underneath the plain clothes and trademark plait. Plus she had a nice laugh and she wasn’t afraid to share it.
No snobbery in her, unlike some of the other prats around. And Daniel was a good kid. He kept a special eye on Dan. No harm was going to come to that one. The radio crackled with chatter between some of the other crews. A bloody busy day. Fires on three fronts. Nothing too serious, but enough to keep them busy. Of course, the conditions were forecast to deteriorate in the next few days. The fire warning was already at ‘extreme’. There was only ‘catastrophic’ to go.
The front door was open and he drove up to the garage. ‘Nice,’ he murmured, looking around at the sparse but elegant garden. Kaitlyn was backlit as she came out to meet him. Speedy could see her mother hovering behind her. Now there was a beautiful woman, despite her age. She must have been a hell of a looker when she was younger. And her daughter had the same smile.
He leant across and pushed open the passenger door. ‘Kait, nice to see you,’ he said, extending his hand. Her skin was cool, the fingers long and strong. He made sure not to hold them too long.
‘Hi, Speedy. Sounds like a busy night.’ She clicked the seatbelt in as she finished talking and he was back on the road before he replied.
‘Been a busy day, too.’ He didn’t bother keeping the note of fatigue from his voice. ‘Let’s hope it’s not too late a night.’
‘Lucky I’m not working tomorrow, I guess,’ she said with an easy smile. There was no hint of complaint, but he knew she hadn’t been home long. He’d seen her car go past when he was leaving Rocky Creek to refuel.
‘Lucky you, then. I’ve got the school run tomorrow morning.’
‘Yeah, heard you missed it today.’
‘Sorry about that. The fire was getting away from us and there were a couple of newbies out there. We need more crew.’
‘Hard to get good people, I guess, when we all have such busy lives.’
Speedy grunted. ‘I hear there’s at least one new guy joining. He’s living out in Jerry’s place, near you. A Sydney metropolitan firey who’s on sick leave. Hope it’s not bloody stress leave.’
Kaitlyn half laughed, the sound almost throaty. ‘Ryan. He stopped and helped me change a flat tyre the other day. At least you’ll save on pick-ups if we’re both available.’
‘Just great.’
‘Cheer up, he’ll run rings around people like me. Maybe we can all learn something.’
‘Or he’ll get his crew injured, or worse, ’cos he doesn’t understand wildfires.’ Speedy knew he’d been too harsh when Kaitlyn didn’t reply. ‘Sorry. But I’ve seen too many heroes in my time who don’t know what they’re doing.’
‘Guess we’ll wait and see,’ she replied. ‘So far I’ve only seen professionals up here.’
‘Yeah, most are, but there are always nutcases around. Seems to me there’re too many fires at the moment.’
This time she didn’t look across at him. Shocked? Angry? Nope, she was considering his words and he’d bet a fiver she agreed. He warmed to the topic.
‘I’ve done twenty-seven call outs since mid-October. That’s almost one a day. I know I’ve only lived here for five years, but I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘I know.’ She sounded thoughtful. ‘We’ve only been here five as well, but maybe I haven’t paid enough attention in past years.’
‘At least most of these fires are in areas where they don’t do too much damage. Then every once in a while you get one like this.’
They were approaching the top of the long descent to Rocky Creek and they could see the smoke billowing in the darkening sky. Flames were leaping from eucalypt to eucalypt, devouring the tall timbers in a blazing shower. This one was a long way from being controlled.
Speedy swung the tanker off onto the verge and pulled it to a stop. An instant later their doors slammed in unison. With helmets and safety gear in place, they had the hose out and running in less than three minutes. Speedy heard the relief in the voices over the radio. Three trucks might just pull this one back.
He and Kaitlyn worked side by side, gradually pushing the fire back on itself, over already blackened earth. Gain three feet, lose two. Most of the large trees through this section had been shattered by Cyclone Larry a couple of years earlier. Those trunks were now dried-out hulks, deadly time bombs waiting to explode as the fire engulfed them. All the weary firefighters could do was keep battling and hope the shrapnel didn’t find them.
One of the few saving graces was that the wind was at their backs and dropping as the sun sank behind the Great Dividing Range. Speedy coughed, feeling the burn in his throat reach irritation level. He’d need a drink soon. The roar of the fire had subsided to a rumble. Still sounded like a freight train, but not so close any more. Smoke made his eyes water, but he resisted the temptation to wipe them. Nature did a better job than his filthy gloves. He yelled to Kait, his voice hoarse.
‘Drink! We need water.’ He saw her nod, but turn back to the line she was working on. Stubborn, too. He added that to her other good points.
His kit was in the cab along with hers and he dug around to find her camel pack. Her jacket carried a whiff of perfume. He could almost taste it on his tongue. Then his fingers found the straps to the water bag.
‘Here!’ he yelled and waved it at her. This time she came towards him. They both gulped greedily from their bags. Out the corner of his eye he saw a tiny rush of water on her chin. It was unbearably erotic and he turned away.
‘Reckon we’ve got it this time.’ He spoke to distract himself.
‘Hmm.’ She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, leaving a smear of charcoal across her cheek. ‘Provided the wind doesn’t get into it tomorrow.’
‘Forecast for a wind change, so it should be easier.’
‘I see no sign of rain on its way.’
‘Nah. Won’t see anything significant until January at the earliest.’
‘Hope the fo
recasters have got it wrong then. The countryside is tinder-dry.’ She dropped her pack back into the front of the truck. ‘How much longer before we run out of water?’
Speedy checked the gauge on the side of the tank. ‘Another half-hour, max.’
He could see the other crews working the adjacent flank of the fire. That meant they’d not only pushed it back, but narrowed it as well. The houses further up the hill behind him would have a sleepless night, but they’d be safe.
One crew checked in on the radio. They’d run their water tank dry and were heading home. Exhausted from a long day, they weren’t coming back. Five minutes later, they stopped by.
Max was the leader. ‘Can’t understand it. This bloody thing was all but out, then it flared up again. I’ve reported it to the police. It didn’t do that by itself. It had some help.’ He spat on the ground. ‘Some bastard’s out there watching us run round like ants and laughing at us. He’s going to get someone killed soon.’
Kaitlyn was silent after they drove away. She looked worried, but Speedy had no comfort for her. The second crew called in to say they were going to refill and they’d be back.
Speedy clipped the radio back on his belt. ‘Just us for a while.’
Kait nodded. ‘Any point in laying a trail further back so there’s a bigger fire break?’
He looked where she was pointing and considered the slope of the land. She was right. If they took that parcel out as well there’d be a good 500 metres of burnt ground before the start of the residential blocks. A hell of a lot easier to defend. She went up another notch in his estimation.
‘Better do that while we’ve still got water to control it.’
‘I’ll keep the hose then,’ she said, with a half-smile he could only just make out. ‘I’m not overly fond of the torches.’
‘No worries, love. I’ll handle that. Necessary evil.’
The drip torch was a vital piece of equipment. It laid a trail of fire from its glowing wick that could shape the burn. Speedy enjoyed using it. At the same time he also fully understood its power.
The temperature had dropped with sunset, but the heavy protective clothing that kept the fire out also kept the heat in. Underneath the coat he could feel his armpits were wet with sweat.
