The air-cooler that cooled the whole house hummed quietly, exchanging the tinder dry outside air for cool moist air inside, slowly cooling Rebecca now to the point where her mind began to calm her racing heart. The cooling air though was not cooling her burning desire for Cooper, as his hands lightly gripped her legs just above her knees. Her lower stomach area was vibrating as though violin strings were playing inside her. She could feel herself responding in an almost uncontrollable way to Coopers very presence and touch. Her fingers found his bare chest, almost involuntarily stroking the smooth, almost hairless skin. She realised with sensual delight that Cooper was not covered in coarse chest hair, but rather a thin down of natural, short hair that was so pale it was almost invisible. There was no mistaking the darker hair that began to gather on his lower abdomen, as her fingers trickled down his stomach to gently brush that darker hair of his belt line. She looked deep into his eyes as she heard him groan with a sound such as she'd had only heard once before as her betrothed had pulled away from her to go off to war all those years ago. That memory tried to crowd in on her suddenly, as though that lost soul had suddenly entered the room and was demanding what had once been his.
"No!" Cried Rebecca. "No no no, please, go away now. I loved you once, but I must live." She began to tremble all over and slid to her knees on the floor in front of Cooper. Cooper was more than surprised. Was she demanding he move away from her? How could she have loved him once? What did she mean? He wrapped his strong brown arms around her in a protective embrace and whispered to her.
"Rebecca, Rebecca, we must stop, before I cannot stop. I am only a man, and your beauty is overwhelming me with desire. I did not mean to hurt you, yet again, it was unforgivable of me. Those people are going to pay a high price for their schemes that brought you to this place."
Cooper slowly stood, carrying Rebecca upwards with him, still in his embrace. Slowly her senses were returning, and her mind was clearing. She still trembled slightly from the raw emotion that had gripped her, and although she knew she should be back on that plane and fleeing from this impossible situation, she knew equally that she would not. She was overwhelmingly drawn to Cooper, and she knew his reaction to her was equally strong - but she didn't know if it was love. He hardly spoke to her, and seemed to only be apologising for imagined wrongs when he did. This was not how it was supposed to happen. They stood, both trembling slightly, facing each other in that wide room. Rebecca tried to draw her breath to steady herself. Cooper too drew back slightly from her, a puzzled look in his eyes. He couldn't understand it. He was a man normally in charge of himself, of others, of his life. Oh, he liked women, but in his plans there was no place for a woman like this. Like this? At once tough - he would not like to meet her in opposition in the courtroom, yet at the same time, so intense and so passionate, and physically... He slowly looked her up and down, with no idea what his look was doing to her. 'Yes, this is a real woman.' He thought. 'Should I say something, before she slips away from me.'
"Rebecca, I have to tell you something. I have to..." He got no further as a tap tap tap on the front door frame spun him around. The world around them crashing back in like a tidal wave.
Standing in the doorway was a near naked Aboriginal man, his spears still in his right hand. His worldly possessions. Cooper recognised him immediately as one of the men, part of the Yandruwandha tribe native to this area who preferred to stick to their own ways, who roamed this vast area living their traditional life.
The man was in the shadow with the light outside, his colour making him but a deeper shadow in the doorway. Rebecca gasped and clutched at Cooper.
"It's ok Rebecca. I know this man. Something is up, or he would never have come into the station yard."
"Boss, you better come. Things not right out there." The man spoke slowly, not sure of the words to use, not used to the language, with a deep guttural voice that seemed to have come from a past age.
Rebecca had never seen or heard anyone like this man. He appeared to be so... Primitive, as though just stepping out of a land that time had forgotten. She shivered and clutched Cooper's arm. He put his hand over hers to reassure her. The mutual tension - passion of moments before had evaporated like moisture in this dry land.
"What's up, Yidniminckanie man?" These people used their own language, and as Cooper didn't know this fellows personal name, it was polite to use his tribal name. These men rarely came into the station homestead area. Cooper couldn't remember the last time he had seen any of these people here. The men may come in close to talk with the station hands sometimes on 'tribal' business, but their women and children never did, remaining a mystery to all. That was their way, and in this vast land, it was fine with Cooper. There was plenty of room for all.
The man in the doorway didn't say anymore, just turned and went and stood out in the yard, the scorching sun full on him, seemingly impervious to it. He waited for Cooper.
'Struth!' Thought Cooper. 'This is serious. Something bad.' He looked at Rebecca.
"Stay here. There is a gun cabinet on the wall there. Can you use a gun?"
'My God.' He thought, 'what have I brought her to.'
"Forgive me Rebecca, I can't take you with me outside. It's... 'Man's business.' According to their ways. I will be back in a moment. Unlock the gun cabinet," he threw her his keys as he headed for the door. "Load the two Winchesters, and anything else you can. ... You do know how?" Her violent nod reassured him. 'That's my girl!' He thought and hurried outside.
Rebecca raced to the cabinet on the wall as Cooper went outside. Fortunately for her, her father had been a gun owner on his farming properties in Suffolk, and had passed his knowledge to her. The guns were slightly different, but she noted with some thanks that they were basically all the same. She loaded the magazines, slightly in awe of the size of the bullets. These weren't 'Friday Night Specials' - These were heavy duty military size bullets.
She paused at the door. Cooper was standing casually in the presence of the aboriginal man, his gaze cast slightly down, yet attentive. The other man was using a mixture of sign and words to talk. Rebecca really wanted to know what was being said.
The aboriginal man suddenly looked at her directly. She knew it, as though she had been transfixed by his look. He raised his right arm and beckoned her to come. So startled was she that she just stepped through the door and went to Cooper. She still had one three-o-eight rifle in her hand though. The black man looked at it, and looked at her. Directly, in the eye. He smiled. Rebecca was startled, but kept cool, and just lifted her chin and looked at this ancient man. He may be ancient, but she was 'woman', and just knew that he would recognise her place here in this drama.
The man looked at Cooper for a long time. Cooper just stood there. He knew these people of course and respected their most ancient culture. When the aboriginal man decided to speak, he would.
"This," he indicated Rebecca, "your woman?"
Cooper never hesitated. He knew that to do so would have immediately seen Rebecca sent back inside, and probably created an unnecessary argument.
"Yes, my woman. She will be my wife." He gulped, and hoped Rebecca would understand what he had had to say.
The aboriginal man looked at Cooper, then at Rebecca. He smiled.
"Sure boss. She... No matter. Come. Men's Business. Leave her here, she be ok. Look." He swept his arm out in a gesture and a dozen people seemed to materialise out of the desert in front of Rebecca's eyes. Silent. Stationary, not a movement, bare feet on scorching sand, the wide circle of men with long wickedly barbed spears in their hands stood on the low sand ridges right out on the edges of the homestead property.
Cooper knew this was serious business. These people never, but never came into the station, and certainly never offered help for the people they considered invaders in the first place.
Cooper turned to Rebecca.
"Rebecca, It's important. Please, will you wait here for me. Go back inside immediately, out of the sun. Go now please.
Now. You will be perfectly safe. I assure you no one will get past," he swept an arm. "These men."
All Rebecca could do was nod and start back toward the house. Then in a slightly strangled voice said over her shoulder.
"Please, don't be gone long."
Cooper nodded and turned to the tribal man.
"Tell me."
"I show you." Said the man, as he turned and started to run at a trot out of the yard. Cooper had no choice but to follow at the same pace. Fortunately, he was fit. Very fit, and the effort was nothing to him. He looked back over his shoulder at Rebecca, standing in the middle of the yard. He hadn't seen them before, but he noticed two aboriginal women now converging on Rebecca. He almost laughed in relief, she would be fine. She would not be alone.
Chapter 6
Rebecca was not so sure though. The two women who had come into the homestead yard to be with Rebecca were the wildest looking women she had ever seen. She had no idea if they spoke English, and seemed oblivious to the sun on their near naked bodies. They were both charcoal black and their hair was long and straggly, sticking out from their head at impossible angles. Deep set eyes almost hidden under their thick bushy eyebrows made it difficult for Rebecca to read their expressions. Their mouths were set in huge grins though, and their teeth flashed as white as china in their dark faces. Rebecca was now standing in the shade of the wide veranda while the other two women stayed out in the sun at the bottom of the steps. She had no idea of protocols with these strange people. They made her think of aliens, so different did they seem to her. She looked out to the slight rise where she had seen the men, but could not see a soul. Nobody at all. The two women saw her looking and giggled. Rebecca couldn't help laughing in return. These women sounded rather like only girls, with that giggle. It was a universal language. She indicated to the pair to come join her in the shade. They hesitated, but slowly stepped up the few treads to the veranda, as though it was the first time they had ever been on steps. 'Maybe it was?' Thought Rebecca. As much as Rebecca was fascinated by the sight of these two women, it was plain that they were equally fascinated with her. They were obviously young women, now that Rebecca could get a good look at them. They whispered together in an incomprehensible language, pointing to Rebecca with hesitant fingers, and one of them came close enough to touch Rebecca's upper arm, and stroke her fingers across the skin. They were entranced by Rebecca's paleness, and one of them stood next to Rebecca so their arms could be side by side. They exclaimed over the difference for minutes, their language a complete mystery to Rebecca. Rebecca tried a little language teaching.
"Do you speak English?" She asked them both. The two young women stood silent, now staring at Rebecca as though she were the alien. "Hmmmm." Said Rebecca. She smoothed her hands in a downward movement over her breasts and said "Woman." Then pointed at each in turn, making the universal 'hour glass' shape with her hands, and repeating "woman". The two women nodded and giggled again lightly, all smiles. They repeated a word, at the same time indicating each other and Rebecca, but try as she could, she could not catch nor repeat the word. The language was beyond her. It was just too different. She had no idea what to do now, given that there seemed no way to communicate with these strange people. She decided to finish loading and checking the rifles. The two women could sit in here in the shade of the veranda if they wished, but Rebecca was not going out into that sunshine again, although she was now finding it easier to breathe. The shock of the hot dry air after hours of air-conditioning had been just too much. She would be ok now though. The two young women were already sitting cross legged on the veranda, looking quite comfortable, and watching Rebecca. She smiled at them and went back inside and finished loading the rifles. She put the safety catches on, and rested the rifles against the book case just inside the front door. She didn't think she would need them, with those tribal men out there watching for intruders. It was a mystery for the moment, as to where everyone had gone. That New World aircraft on the dusty runway said very loudly that people from that company had arrived, but there was no indication of where everyone had gone. Perhaps Cooper would find out. Rebecca hoped he would be safe. She had no doubt he trusted the aboriginal man, but she had had personal contact with those thugs from New World, and she knew without a doubt they would be big trouble for anyone who crossed their path.
Rebecca drew a chair up to the door and sat, gazing out into the day. What a desolate place this was. Not a blade of grass to be seen. Just red dust and sand, and a tufted, spiked grass that seemed to grow in clumps scattered randomly about the landscape. There was some evidence close about the house that the place had seen a woman's touch at some point in the past, but it had been a long time ago. She suddenly felt like weeping for Cooper, growing up in this stark loveless place, with no soft beauty around him. There were old garden beds in evidence, faded and peeled white paint on stones now scattered about only barely marking boundaries. Cooper’s mother had died when he was very young she knew, and it looked like his father never married again. Who could blame the few girls he had brought home for fleeing as fast as they could. Cooper was a lovely man, one who obviously appreciated the finer things in life, but didn't know how to bring those things into his life out here. She looked about the large lounge room, almost the full width of the massive house, and seemingly as deep. But she couldn't help thinking that it looked like a well kept workshop. Like a place where only men had lived for many years. Could she bring life back to this place she wondered? Could she make it a place of love and refuge for Cooper and her and their children? She flushed at the direction her thoughts were going. The two aboriginal girls looked at her and whispered between themselves. One got to her feet and came to Rebecca and softly patted the back of her hand, saying something softly in her own language. Rebecca knew she was being reassured, and smiled in thanks to the girl.
"Well, there is no denying it." She said aloud and got up. "I had better make up my mind. I could love this man, but could I love this place?" She found the kitchen and located a large jug of water in the refrigerator and some glasses. These she took out to the girls and offered the water and glasses to them. They handled both very carefully, but quickly poured themselves a drink each and thankfully emptied their glasses. They sat down again in the shade, carefully placing the jug and glasses by them. They seemed content to wait. They were there to keep Rebecca company it seemed, and to watch for anything untoward. They were certainly doing that Rebecca could see. Their eyes were never still, scanning the surrounding plains constantly. She didn’t know where the men had gone, but could only assume that Cooper was fine. He knew these people and would be safe with them.
Rebecca realised that her suitcase and laptop, everything she owned in fact was still in their aeroplane out there on the runway. The doors open and the heat haze shimmering like a ghostly water pool across the runway. She hoped it wouldn’t destroy her laptop and other personal effects. The thought of laptops brought her back to earth. Cooper would surely have a computer system here in the house. She went in search of it. She found it in the office toward the back of the house. The room was large, and it was apparent that all of the station business was conducted here, Rebecca hoped that the computer didn’t require any fancy start-up passwords. Sure enough, a flick of the switch and the screen came to life. She smiled with appreciation as she spotted the Skype icon on the desktop. She could talk to her associates and her researcher, and try to get a handle on what was happening. Fortunately, her researcher, Kali, answered on the first attempt.
“Kali, what have you got for me? You wouldn’t believe what’s happening out here. You wouldn’t believe where I am right now.” Rebecca stopped as Kali held up a hand to silence Rebecca.
“Thank goodness you called Rebecca.” She said, “You have to have nothing to do with New World. They are involved in some very shady dealings, and I have uncovered, that they are trying to get hold of that cattle property, not for cattle ranching, but nuclear waste storage - without the government knowin
g. Without any government knowing. It’s worth billions to them if they can get the deal through.” Rebecca was momentarily speechless.
“How did you get hold of that?” She asked in surprise.
“You know that arms dealer I go clubbing with sometimes? He’s back in town. He really likes me.” Kali smiled a cat-got-the-mouse smile and added. “He really likes me. When I casually mentioned New World, he got real interested in them, and not me. So I … uh, steered the conversation back to me, and in the meantime he kept talking in a distracted way about what they were up to. I have it all recorded.”
The Innimincka Affair Page 7
