Thirst

by L. A. Larkin

  ‘It’s a head camera,’ Robert said. ‘You’re seeing everything he does.’

  The street looked terrifyingly familiar to Luke.

  The cameraman stopped and glanced up and down. Not a single window was lit; all the inhabitants were asleep. The houses, although hard to make out, reminded Luke of the Federation cottages and brick terraces in many Melbourne streets. His body suddenly burned. ‘No!’

  Luke’s heart almost stopped as the man stepped over a low picket fence and walked down the side path of a single-storey weatherboard cottage. It was Jessica’s house.

  ‘My son! Leave my son alone!’ Luke tried to stand but Wei’s strong grip on his shoulder pushed him down. ‘Robert, what is he doing?’

  ‘That’s up to you.’

  Luke watched as a hand gloved in black leather worked with a crowbar to force open the lower frame of an old sash window. Luke hoped the frame might squeak as it opened, possibly alerting Jessica, but no one else appeared. The man ducked low and stepped into the lounge.

  ‘Stop him,’ pleaded Luke.

  The camera clearly carried its own dim spotlight. It was enough to see Jason’s favourite robot toy on a low plastic table in one corner of the lounge room. Next to it was a child’s palette and a painting, the paper warped under the volume of watercolours used. On the wall, his mother had displayed some of his work. This small room was the thoroughfare between the two bedrooms at the front of the house and the dining room, kitchen and bathroom at the back. The boy’s bedroom was the first down the hallway.

  ‘You kill the boy,’ warned Vitaly, ‘I kill you!’

  ‘Robert, don’t do this,’ said Maddie. ‘Not a child. Don’t hurt a child.’

  Underneath Luke’s parka his muscles were as taut as a high-tension wire. He struggled to free his hands. His wrists bled but he didn’t care. ‘Tell him to stop,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘I’ll do what you want. I’ll make the call.’

  Robert nodded, his arms folded across his chest. ‘Indeed you will. But just to make sure …’

  Outside Jason’s room, Luke could see a soft glow under the door from a night light to keep the bogeyman away. Except this bogeyman was coming in.

  Enraged, Luke charged at Robert. Vitaly roared like a bear set upon by dogs and hurled his mighty bulk into the soldier guarding him.

  Wei smashed his rifle butt into Luke’s back, over and over. Despite the onslaught, Luke managed to stand. He kicked high and hit Wei in the face. The captain staggered backwards, wailing, his nose broken, eyes screwed up in pain.

  In the commotion, no one had noticed that Maddie was free of her bindings. She lunged for Robert’s pistol on the table. She grabbed it with both hands and turned it on her captor, but her wounded leg made her stumble and a soldier knocked the gun away. She fell forward, clutching her fingers.

  Automatic gunfire shredded a gash in the tent roof. They all ducked to the floor. Soldiers piled on top of Luke and Vitaly.

  ‘Control them!’ yelled Robert, who’d fired the rifle.

  Luke struggled but was pinned down.

  ‘I will kill your son!’ shrieked Robert.

  All three stopped thrashing, and Luke twisted his head so he could see the screen. The assassin was in Jason’s room. On the polished floorboards in front of the bed was a circular rug, in the same pattern as the bedding: penguins on icebergs. The man walked quietly towards the bed and stood for a moment observing the sleeping boy: dark hair, pale skin, he made soft yappy noises in his sleep as if he were dreaming and trying to call out.

  ‘You are disgusting!’ Vitaly exclaimed.

  The assassin leaned over Jason Searle and placed a large piece of gauze over the boy’s mouth.

  ‘God, no!’ his father yelled.

  Jason moved his head, and for an instant opened his eyes. Then he passed out.

  ‘Chloroform,’ Robert explained coldly.

  The assassin shifted Jason’s limp body so that he lay flat on his back and made himself comfortable on the boy’s bed. He removed the pillow and placed it on his lap, ready to suffocate the boy when ordered.

  ‘He’s waiting for instructions,’ Robert continued. ‘He can wait there until sunrise, if need be. But I can’t. You must convince Winchester to call off the SAS now. If you fail, or if you try to warn him, your son will die.’

  T MINUS 3 HOURS, 30 MINUTES

  10 March, 8:30 am (UTC-07)

  Luke’s choice was terrible: save his son or the lives of millions. But not both. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the pillow in the assassin’s lap.

  ‘Your director’s line is ready,’ Robert said. ‘You’ll be on loudspeaker.’ He held the satellite phone close to Luke’s mouth and ear. ‘One word out of place, and King kills your boy.’

  Luke registered the name but realised it was probably fake. Wei’s head shot up in surprise, which worried him more. If a mercenary like Wei had heard of this assassin, then God help Jason.

  Winchester answered after just one ring. He had been working through the night.

  ‘Luke, where the hell are you? You’re not on the Basov and Bolshakov won’t tell me what’s going on. Are you searching for Maddie?’ His voice was hoarser that usual. Lack of sleep.

  Luke’s heart was racing. He had to get this right. ‘I’m sorry, Andrew. I had to do it. But we’ve found her. She’s alive and well.’

  Winchester sighed with relief. ‘Thank God for that. Does she need medical attention?’

  Luke sensed danger. He couldn’t allow anyone near the camp. ‘No, she’s fine. Her leg’s healed well. I’m with Vitaly and Alrek from the Basov. We’ll help her back to the ship.’ Alrek’s name stuck in his throat. The poor man.

  ‘That’s a miracle.’ Luke detected incredulity in the director’s gravelly voice. ‘Where did you find her?’

  Luke looked up at Robert, who mouthed ‘abandoned’, and then signalled Luke to keep talking.

  ‘She was at their abandoned camp, sheltering. That’s how she survived. There’s nobody else here. It looks like they’re long gone.’

  ‘Can you repeat that? Did you say the camp is abandoned?’ asked Winchester, his astonishment obvious.

  ‘Yes. It looks like some kind of research camp. Seems they were drilling for ice cores, not oil. There’s nothing to indicate mining either.’ The words tumbled out quickly but Luke hated the lies. ‘From the chopper marks in the snow, it looks like they were airlifted out. Probably on their way home by now. So there’s no need for the SAS.’

  ‘That’s not your decision, Luke.’

  ‘Sorry, Andrew, I just know what a big deal it is to get the military here, and I don’t want you embarrassed. Not to mention the cost.’

  ‘Since when have you worried about embarrassing me?’ Winchester paused. ‘What’s going on there, Luke? You’re not telling me everything.’

  Luke shot a look at Robert, who was pointing at the monitor. King sat on Jason’s bed, the pillow poised. Luke swallowed a lump that felt the size of a country. ‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘I had to find Maddie to clear my name. If you don’t believe me, ask her.’

  Robert frowned and then nodded. He placed the phone next to Maddie’s face.

  ‘Hello, Director. It’s Maddie Wildman here. I’m fine, and very thankful to Luke and the guys.’

  ‘Maddie, it’s so good to hear your voice. What happened?’

  ‘Um, they took me from Bettingtons. On a sled. Their doctor checked me over. Then … they left. As Luke said, they were helicoptered out.’

  ‘Were they the same people who attacked Hope?’

  ‘I think so. But for some reason they didn’t kill me.’ Maddie glanced at Luke. The story was lame.

  ‘What did they want?’

  ‘I have no idea.’

  ‘They had guns?’

  ‘Yes, automatic rifles. But they treated me well.’

  ‘Where were they from?’

  She glanced at Luke again, unaware of how much he had already told Winchester. ‘I’m no
t sure – possibly China.’

  ‘And you’re okay with Luke and the others escorting you back to the Basov?’

  ‘Of course. I’m fine. Seriously, Andrew. We don’t need the SAS. Far better to manage this through diplomatic channels.’

  A pause. ‘Thank you, Maddie. I’d like to speak to Luke again.’

  The phone was pressed against Luke’s ear. ‘Luke, you’re a stubborn son of a bitch, but for once I’m glad you ignored me. It’s good to have Maddie back.’

  ‘Yeah, well, when I get back to Hobart we’ll have a celebration, like we did for my last birthday. You drank me under the table, remember?’ Despite the sub-zero temperatures, a trickle of sweat meandered down Luke’s temple.

  ‘Er … that’s right, your last birthday.’ Had Winchester noticed Luke’s deliberate mistake? ‘Truth be told, I’ve been up all night trying to get Defence to cooperate. They’ve been wanking on about international relations and how we can’t go accusing Chinese citizens of murdering Australians without evidence. Bloody bureaucrats.’

  ‘So the SAS isn’t mobilised?’

  ‘On stand-by. They haven’t had the go-ahead yet. I’ll update them on the situation. I suspect an international force is the likely answer. But now the culprits have left, I guess the pressure’s off a bit. Just don’t go moving any evidence, okay?’

  Luke watched Robert’s face. His captor nodded his approval.

  ‘Okay, goodbye, Andrew. We’ll talk again when we’re back on board the Basov.’

  The call ended and Luke looked from Maddie to Vitaly. He may have saved his son but he had condemned them all to death. Nothing could stop the detonation now, and there was no longer any reason for Robert to keep them alive.

  ‘Get their stench out of here,’ Robert ordered in Mandarin. ‘Get rid of them and make sure their bodies are never found.’ The soldiers started to shove them towards the tent’s exit.

  ‘Wait,’ called Luke, struggling hard. ‘My boy – you’ll keep your word?’

  Robert glanced at the screen. He appeared to be making up his mind.

  ‘He’s a little boy. Let him be,’ begged Maddie. No reaction. ‘What would your mother think?’

  The leader rounded on her in fury. ‘You know nothing of my mother!’ His face was screwed up in hatred.

  ‘I heard you talking about her. Sound travels through tents,’ Maddie explained. ‘Robert, she loved you and protected you. She wouldn’t want you hurting a little boy, would she?’

  Robert’s features softened, and he seemed unaware of the people watching him. He spoke into his headset and ordered the assassin to abort the mission.

  T MINUS 3 HOURS, 16 MINUTES

  10 March, 8:44 am (UTC-07)

  Luke, Maddie and Vitaly tramped across the Pine Island Glacier, flanked closely by four guards. Their crampons – returned to them for the trek – crunched into the ice. They were walking to their deaths.

  The wind blew a thick layer of white crystals across their path, which swirled around their legs like angry wraiths. On the featureless ice, there was nowhere to hide. With their hands bound and guns trained on them, escape was impossible. Two guards walked behind them, while the other two, including Captain Wei, were on a snowmobile. Wei had some surgical tape over his broken nose.

  Vitaly broke their silence. ‘Fuck! I not have a good day.’

  Maddie and Luke couldn’t help but smile at the understatement.

  The soldiers were too far away to hear their captives’ conversation, but still Luke kept his voice low. ‘My hands are almost free.’ He had removed his gloves. The colder his hands were, the more likely he could slip the bindings. He felt a click as his left thumb dislocated.

  ‘I try. Mine are too fat,’ said Vitaly.

  ‘I’m going to reason with Wei,’ Maddie said. ‘See if I can get him to see sense. He looked shocked when you talked about the flooding.’

  ‘Yeah, but he’s a mercenary,’ Luke replied.

  ‘What have we got to lose?’

  She pretended to stumble so that Wei caught up with her. She kept pace with his snowmobile’s slow crawl.

  ‘Where did you learn English?’ shouted Maddie, so she could be heard above the rumble of the engine.

  The Captain eyed her suspiciously. ‘Quiet.’

  Luke peeked around. He admired Maddie’s resilience. Despite their plight, she was stubbornly determined to live.

  ‘So where are you from?’ she continued. ‘Which province?’ She repeated the question in her faltering Mandarin.

  ‘It no matter. Keep walking,’ he replied in English so Maddie did the same.

  ‘I’m from Brisbane.’ She had eye contact with Wei. She had to get a rapport going. ‘My next-door neighbour’s from Yunnan province. He introduced me to Yunnan tea. Delicious. Do you know it?’

  Wei shook his head.

  She tried a different approach. ‘My uncle grows olives.’ Wei looked blankly at her. ‘He’s a farmer.’ She translated the words into Mandarin.

  Wei nodded and said, ‘Yes, my father farmer.’

  ‘Where is his farm?’

  Wei hesitated.

  ‘We’re going to be dead soon,’ Maddie said, ‘so it doesn’t matter what you tell me.’

  ‘Fujian province. He grow rice.’

  Luke glanced around again. A glimmer of hope.

  ‘Is that near the coast?’ Maddie continued.

  ‘I not understand.’

  She screwed up her face. Luke knew that look. She was trying to remember something. ‘Sea,’ she said at last, in Mandarin. ‘Is your village near the sea?’

  ‘Yes. But it has wall to stop sea.’

  Maddie moved fractionally closer to Wei. ‘You understand that if the ice breaks up, the sea will rise and flood your village. Your crops will fail, your drinking water will be contaminated … um …’ Maddie was searching for a simpler word. ‘It will be full of salt. I mean, you won’t be able to drink it.’

  Wei waved his gun, shooing her away. ‘No, you lie.’ A soldier shoved her back into line.

  ‘I tried,’ said Maddie, shrugging despondently. ‘How are you going with the ropes?’

  ‘Almost there. One more tug,’ said Luke. With head jutted forward, his back and arm muscles strained as he gritted his teeth. For a fraction of a second his arms jerked up his back as he freed his hands. ‘Done,’ he panted. He pushed the rope up into the cuffs of his coat so his guards wouldn’t notice.

  ‘Look.’ Vitaly raised his chin as he stared straight ahead.

  In the distance, a line of poles ran parallel to the crevasse. The more distant flags were a hazy shadow of the nearer ones. All three prisoners squinted. The brightness hurt their unprotected eyes.

  ‘Looks like they’re taking us to the Fitzy,’ Luke said.

  ‘Zhopa!’ Vitaly swore under his breath.

  ‘Fantastic!’ Maddie said sarcastically. ‘So if the bullets don’t kill us, the explosives will. Any ideas, anyone?’

  Both Vitaly and Maddie were looking at Luke when his face broke into a huge smile.

  ‘Why do you look like a man who just had the best sex?’ Vitaly asked.

  ‘Because we’re not going to die,’ Luke said. ‘Before we get to the Fitzy, there’s a slot, hidden beneath a weak snow bridge. I surveyed it back in October. That’s how we get away.’

  ‘I’m not understanding this,’ said Vitaly.

  ‘We can jump through the snow bridge into the crevasse, then escape by climbing out. It’s shallow, maybe only two storeys deep.’

  ‘This is a long way down. We could die. Ice is very sharp.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe we will. But if we don’t, we’re gonna die for sure. This is a firing squad. I’d rather take my chances with ice than bullets.’

  Maddie chewed her lower lip, unconvinced. ‘Are you sure the slot hasn’t changed since October?’

  ‘No I am not,’ Luke said. ‘All I can tell you is that the bottom of this crevasse was like a bowl and should soften our fall. Regardless,
this slot is our only chance of survival. You have to trust me.’

  Her face muscles relaxed into a smile. She leaned into him and gave him a gentle nudge. ‘This is totally insane. But, you know …’ She paused. ‘I will trust you.’

  Luke was so taken aback that he almost forgot to pretend his hands were still tied. He wanted to put his arms around her and hug her. ‘That means a lot to me, Mads.’

  The ever-practical Vitaly chipped in. ‘How do we climb out? No axe, no rope.’ He eyed a soldier who carried a long loop of rope over his shoulder.

  ‘Leave the rope and axe to me,’ said Luke. ‘The slot is up ahead. You can see it, where the snow sags. It’s now or never.’

  They followed his line of vision. A large area of ice, the length of a cricket pitch, appeared to have sunk a few centimetres. As a result, the snow looked slightly grey.

  ‘Mads, when we get there, stumble. Tell them you can’t walk any further. Beg them to get on with the execution. To do it then and there. Vitaly, you tell them you want to pray.’

  ‘You want me to pray?’ Vitaly looked astonished.

  ‘Yes, you need your hands free in front of you. They cut your ropes, you hold Maddie and jump through the snow. Protect her injured leg. I’ll follow.’

  ‘Okay, Maddie?’ asked Luke.

  Her eyes sparkled. ‘What the hell! Let’s do it.’

  ‘Vitaly?’

  ‘Da.’

  Within seconds, Maddie staggered, groaned and then fell. Her hand rested on the edge of the sunken surface ice.

  ‘Get up!’ Wei ordered, stopping his snowmobile.

  Maddie clutched her wounded leg. ‘I can’t. My leg. Just get it over with, will you? For pity’s sake? We’re near enough to the crevasse.’

  ‘If you’re going to execute us, just do it,’ pleaded Luke.

  ‘I must pray. I pray before I die. You please free my hands. I will not go anywhere. You have guns.’

  ‘You want to die now, you die now. But no pray,’ said Wei.

  ‘Captain, please,’ pleaded Maddie. ‘A man’s last wish should be honoured.’