Phantom of Terawhiti

by Des Hunt

After the mother had finished reading the animals’ names, Samantha asked, ‘Why don’t they show a dog? They attack kiwi.’

  ‘Maybe they can’t jump very high,’ replied the mother.

  ‘Yes, they can! Trixie can jump almost as high as me. A big dog could jump over that.’

  ‘Two point two metres?’ said the father. ‘Not a chance.’

  ‘What about that leopard?’ asked Harry.

  ‘I don’t know how high leopards can jump.’

  ‘Maybe it will come here and jump in, and eat that takahe,’ said Harry. ‘That will serve it right for being so mean.’

  ‘There is no leopard, Harry,’ said the mother. ‘People are just making that up.’

  ‘But what if there is? I bet it could eat that takahe in one bite!’

  ‘No, it couldn’t,’ said Samantha.

  ‘Yes, it could!’

  The father sighed. ‘C’mon, you two. I’ll race you back to the car.’

  That was enough to stop the bickering, and soon the whole family had disappeared around a bend.

  Jess turned to Zac. ‘Could Tasha jump high enough to get over that fence?’

  ‘Easily,’ said Zac, walking down the path. Then he turned back to her and chuckled. ‘But she’d need a lot more than just one bite to finish off a takahe.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  Zac and Jess sat in the café attached to Zealandia’s visitor centre. Zac was scoffing down a hot dog and chips, while Jess was chomping into a filled roll. A plate in the middle of the table held two slices of cream-filled cake for dessert. Two mostly empty drink bottles took up the rest of the space.

  The money for this feast, along with the entry to Zealandia, had been provided by Crawford when he’d farewelled them earlier in the day. He said it was a cheap way of getting some peace so that he could spend the day writing without interruption.

  ‘Make sure you thank your dad for this,’ said Jess. ‘Maybe he’ll shout us another one.’

  ‘If we annoy him enough, he will,’ said Zac. ‘He’ll do anything for The Book.’

  ‘What’s he writing about?’

  Zac rolled his eyes. ‘History: shipwrecks, gold mining, farming, anything that happened ages ago.’

  ‘Is it an historical novel?’

  ‘Dunno. I don’t think he knows yet. If it’s about all the things he’s been telling me then it’s going to be pretty boring.’

  ‘He should write a thriller,’ said Jess. ‘Terawhiti would be a great place for a thriller. He could have paua poachers, drug smugglers, battles between pig hunters …’

  ‘Neanderthals?’ suggested Zac.

  Jess giggled. ‘Yeah! Them too.’

  They ate in silence for a while before Jess asked, ‘Do you think they want to kill Tasha?’

  ‘The Neanderthals? I think they want to catch her alive so they can get a reward from Mikhail Popanov.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s a reward they want. I think it’s blackmail,’ said Jess. ‘If it was a reward, then that lawyer wouldn’t have lied about her. He would have asked for help to get her back.’

  Zac thought about that for a time. ‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘People could be annoyed at Mikhail Popanov having a big cat on Anastasia.’

  ‘More than annoyed,’ said Jess. ‘I read a bit where he was critical of zoos for keeping animals in unnatural conditions. You can’t get anything more unnatural than keeping an African animal on a boat.’

  ‘But Tasha’s not an ordinary serval. White ones have never been found in the wild. She must have been born in a zoo or something.’

  Jess shook her head. ‘Wouldn’t make any difference. People would still be angry.’

  ‘If it is blackmail,’ said Zac, ‘then it won’t matter whether they shoot her or not. A body would be just as useful.’

  ‘I know,’ said Jess, so quietly that Zac could hardly hear her. ‘Maybe more.’

  They parked their bikes and helmets in the car park beneath Karori supermarket. The ride from Zealandia to the shopping centre had been without incident. If the Neanderthals were out searching for them, they must have been looking elsewhere.

  Getting the supplies that Crawford had requested was easy compared with choosing food for Tasha. Would she like canned or dried; fish or meat; large or small? Did it have to be cat food, or would dog food do? The details on the packets were no use, as none of them had anything about servals. In the end they went for dog biscuits, which were better value.

  Afterwards they wandered around the aisles looking for something that could be used for a water bowl. They were looking at plastic storage containers when Zac became aware that an elderly man was staring at him.

  ‘That one will do,’ he said to Jess.

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Yeah, it only has to hold water. C’mon, let’s get out of here.’

  They moved towards the checkouts. When he looked back, Zac saw that the old guy was following them.

  Their trolley contained too many items to use the express lane, which meant they had to join a queue. The man moved in behind them.

  ‘You’re that man’s son,’ he said.

  Zac shook his head without looking at him. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘Yes, you do!’ shouted the man. ‘You’re one of those Morrises. I’ve seen your photo in the paper.’

  This time Zac tried to ignore him, hoping the man would let it go.

  He didn’t.

  ‘Look at all that dog food,’ he shouted, his face now red with anger. ‘We had to get our dog put down because we couldn’t afford to feed her. That’s what your family has done to us.’

  By then the whole supermarket was staring at them. Jess turned around as if to say something.

  ‘Leave it,’ said Zac. ‘It won’t help to argue.’

  ‘Gutless, aren’t you!’ said the man, poking Zac in the back. ‘Just like your uncle. Won’t face up to what he’s done. We lost two hundred thousand. Two hundred thousand dollars that he stole from us.’

  ‘Leave him alone,’ said another voice, one that expected to be obeyed. Zac turned and saw that it was the security man who had been standing by the door.

  ‘No!’ said the elderly man. ‘I want him to know what his family has done to us.’

  A woman appeared. ‘Leave it, Dad,’ she said. ‘It’s not the boy’s fault. C’mon, let’s finish the shopping.’

  ‘I just wanted him to …’ he managed, before breaking down and crying. ‘I want them to know. They’ve got to know.’

  Zac turned away, distressed by what was happening.

  ‘Are you all right, mate?’ asked the security man, as the woman led her father away.

  Zac responded with the smallest of nods.

  ‘Come over here and we’ll open another checkout.’

  A short time later they were wheeling the trolley down the ramp to their bikes.

  ‘Has that happened before?’ asked Jess.

  ‘Not quite like that, but it’s happened.’

  ‘How do you feel about it?’

  ‘Horrible,’ said Zac, now close to tears himself.

  ‘Can’t something be done?’

  He shook his head. ‘No. It will just keep going on forever.’

  The journey home was in silence. The old man’s attack had taken all the joy out of the day.

  It wasn’t until they were approaching Makara village that either of them spoke.

  ‘Remember, I’ve got a wedding tomorrow,’ said Jess, who was leading the way. ‘I won’t be able to come over in the morning.’

  ‘That’s all right. I can feed her by myself.’

  ‘Make sure you give her plenty of water.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, of course I will. I know how to look after an animal.’

  Jess turned to frown at him. But instead of focusing on Zac, her eyes went wide at the sight of something further down the road.

  She swore loudly.

  Before Zac had a chance to turn, a vehicle roared from behind. It
was the familiar sound of the monster pick-up.

  As it pulled alongside, the passenger-side window came down.

  ‘Where is Tasha?’ yelled Ivan.

  Zac and Jess rode faster.

  The vehicle squeezed closer.

  ‘Where is Tasha?’ Ivan demanded again. ‘We know you got her!’

  Even though he was now riding on the verge, Zac kept going as if they weren’t there.

  ‘Tell me or you will be hurt!’ shouted Ivan. He said something to Yuri and an instant later the pick-up lurched sideways, touching Zac’s handlebars.

  ‘You do not have to suffer for her.’ Ivan was now talking quietly, wheedling. ‘Tell us where she is.’

  Zac grabbed hold of the side mirror for support. ‘We don’t have her!’ he yelled, his face just centimetres away from Ivan’s.

  ‘Yes, you do. I saw the paw prints. She was walking between you and her.’ Ivan pointed at Jess who was now riding in front of the vehicle.

  The pick-up moved over further. Plants on the side of the road whipped at Zac’s body. He couldn’t take much more of this.

  ‘Hold on, Zac!’ yelled Jess.

  ‘I can’t!’ he yelled back.

  ‘You have to! It’s not far now!’

  Alongside him Ivan looked to the front and swore.

  The vehicle squeezed closer.

  ‘Tell me!’ screamed Ivan. ‘Tell me! Or you will die!’

  Zac let go of the side mirror, expecting to be crushed between the pick-up and the bank.

  ‘Tell me!’

  Then the bank was no longer there. Nor were the trees. The whipping had stopped and the way ahead was open.

  ‘C’mon!’ yelled Jess. ‘Up here!’

  Zac looked up and saw her halfway along a sloping side road. He swung the handlebars and turned onto the road. Yuri in the pick-up tried to do the same, but the curve was too sharp for the big vehicle. Its tyres squealed for a moment before crashing into a concrete sign that said Makara Cemetery.

  Jess let out a whoop; Zac kept on pedalling. He knew that the crash wouldn’t halt the pick-up for long.

  At the top of the rise the land opened to reveal a large mown area. Some of the lawn was lined with gravestones; others had paths that led nowhere, or, at least, not until more people died.

  Zac followed Jess along a wide road lined with cars. To the front of them was a group of people listening to a minister.

  She didn’t stop until they were almost part of the gathering. A couple of people turned around and frowned at them. Jess just smiled. She leaned close to Zac and pointed back towards the entrance where the Neanderthals’ pick-up was slowly coming into view.

  ‘They won’t come over here,’ she whispered. ‘We’re safe if we stay close to people.’

  ‘What happens when they leave?’ asked Zac.

  ‘We leave with them.’ A pause. ‘Or I do.’ She pointed towards the wind farm, visible over the heads of the gathering. ‘You’re going that way. There’s a track out onto South Makara Road. The Neanderthals will never know where you went.’

  Zac wasn’t so sure.

  ‘I’ve had enough of this,’ he whispered. ‘They know we’ve got Tasha. We can’t keep her hidden forever. We need to tell someone.’

  ‘Not yet!’

  ‘Then when?’ Zac opened his arms. ‘Look at me! I’m covered in scratches. My clothes are ripped. Dad will know something’s going on. What do I tell him?’

  ‘Make up something!’ hissed Jess. ‘Just don’t tell him about Tasha.’

  He glared at her. ‘I will if I have to.’

  Jess’s face softened. She put a hand on his arm. ‘Please, Zac,’ she said softly. ‘Not yet. I want to have one more day with her. Promise me you won’t do anything before Monday.’

  Zac looked away. He was past the stage of making promises. As far as he was concerned the sooner it was all over, the better. He was beginning to wish he’d never found the silver bowl. It had only led to trouble and he sensed it wasn’t over yet. Ivan and Yuri wouldn’t give up easily. Not when the only thing stopping them was a couple of kids.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sunday morning Zac got up early to feed Tasha. He should have done it the night before, but he hadn’t been able to find the energy or the desire.

  A feeling of hopelessness had settled over him as he’d ridden through the wind farm back to the homestead. It wasn’t just the trouble caused by the Neanderthals; the old man’s attack had been a reminder that the Morris family was hated all over the country. They might be able to avoid some of the anger by hiding away on Terawhiti, but sooner or later they’d have to return to a normal life. Then they’d be exposed again. People like the old man weren’t going to forget in a hurry.

  The weather seemed to match his mood as he stepped outside, carrying the pack of food. Clouds raced across the sky from the north; it threatened to rain at any moment. Out at sea, whitecaps scuttled over water greyer than the sky.

  For a moment he considered taking his bike so he could rest the heavy pack on the carrier. But the thought of lifting it over two gates changed his mind. Instead he took the shorter route, walking across the paddocks and through the stream.

  He stopped at the front of Hermit’s Hole. Something was different from the morning before: there was a gap between the door and the wall. It wasn’t quite big enough for Tasha to pass through, but still he knew they hadn’t left it like that. He approached and unhooked the latch with caution.

  Instantly, the door leapt towards him, smashing into his body and throwing him to the ground. An animal rushed past, to disappear in the trees.

  Zac pushed himself up and moved inside — Tasha had gone.

  Outside again, he ran to the group of trees where the animal had disappeared. He stopped when he met the wall of darkness within. Slowly, shapes became visible, waving in the wind. Then, as his eyes adjusted, he made out something moving differently to the others. It was an animal scratching at the leaf litter, forming it into a heap.

  He brought his hand up to his chest, as if to still his pounding heart. ‘Tasha,’ he said, ‘I’m so, so sorry.’

  She finished her toilet before looking up. As she moved towards him, she chirped twice. The apology had been accepted. Together they walked back to Hermit’s Hole.

  Zac sat on the floor with Tasha’s head buzzing in his lap. She’d had a big meal and drunk lots of water. After that she’d returned once again to the trees to relieve herself.

  It had never occurred to him that she would be unwilling to go to the toilet in her home. The previous evening, while he’d been consumed by self-pity, she would have been struggling to control herself. The wood of the door was shredded where she’d tried to scratch her way out.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said again, nuzzling the fur between her ears.

  The purring paused as she lifted her head to look him in the eyes. ‘That’s all right,’ she seemed to be saying. ‘You’re forgiven.’ Her head lowered and the purring resumed.

  He ran his hand along the length of her back, enjoying the softness of the fur against his palm. When he reached the tail he lifted his hand and did the same along her tummy.

  ‘You’re getting fat,’ he said. ‘Your body’s bulging. Too much steak, I think. We’ll have to watch what we feed you.’

  Then something moved inside.

  Gas, thought Zac. She gets gas the same as I do. We definitely will have to watch what we feed you.

  Except the movement didn’t seem to worry Tasha. If anything she began purring louder.

  He studied her, wondering what thoughts she was having. She seemed totally relaxed, without a care. Was a full belly and an empty bladder all she needed for contentment? Did it not matter to her who granted these things? Would the Neanderthals be just as acceptable if they provided for her needs? Zac tried to envisage Yuri sitting on the ground with Tasha purring in his lap. The image didn’t work.

  What would happen if the Russians did get hold of her?

  Even th
e thought of it was enough to make him shiver. Yet he knew it was likely to happen. They might not know where she was, but they were getting closer.

  Somehow, the Neanderthals seemed to know exactly where he and Jess were going. First they had turned up at the mouth of the Karori Stream. Zac had earlier put that down to coincidence, but now there were the two encounters on Makara Road.

  Then there had been the one last evening, following his escape from the cemetery. After he’d ridden up the track to the wind farm, he’d needed a rest to get his breath. That was when he saw the pick-up racing down the road towards the gate. They’d stopped and checked the lock before searching around for another way in. By then Zac was hiding behind the tower of a turbine. They wouldn’t have seen him, but he had no doubt they’d known he was there. It was almost as if they had a …

  ‘Tracking device!’

  He said it so loudly that Tasha jumped up.

  ‘Sorry, Tasha,’ he said, getting to his feet, ‘but I’ve got to go. I’ll be back later.’

  Tasha yawned and moved over to her bed where she stretched out and promptly went to sleep.

  Zac left.

  He found it taped under the seat of his bike. A black box, about half the size of a mobile phone. It had the word ‘Pet-Tail’ moulded into the plastic. There were slots for a belt or collar to slip through, suggesting that it was designed to be used on an animal.

  Zac’s first thought was to open it and take out the battery. But that would surely let the Neanderthals know that their device had been discovered. Instead, he removed it from under the seat and placed it on the barbecue table. Now that the thing was off his bike, maybe it could be used to trick the Neanderthals. The first step was to find out how it worked.

  Downloading the manual was easy; interpreting it was trickier. Eventually he worked out that it was basically a global positioning system — a GPS — connected to a SIM card. Texting the card with the message where r u triggered the GPS to calculate the location and text it back as a latitude and longitude. Free apps were available for most phones that would then show the place on a map or globe. It was that simple.

  It would also be simple to modify. If Zac exchanged the SIM card for one of his own, he would be the one who could use it, not the Neanderthals. Maybe he could use it to track Tasha in case she ever escaped. The problem was, he didn’t have a spare SIM card — but Jess might. He’d have to ask her when he saw her on Monday.