Chapter Four
Lee prodded the lump on his head and winced. This is what he got for letting his emotions get in the way. Before Nhiari his focus had been absolute. His one goal was to end Stonefish. Now, things were… murkier.
He’d considered letting Nhiari go when she’d tried to sneak out last night. It would have been easier than having to be on his guard all the time, and the ranges were so extensive she wouldn’t have caught him, but he hadn’t been able to.
Some part of him wanted to prove himself to her. To show her he wasn’t all bad. A delusional part of him was trying to convince himself they could have a future together when all this was over.
So he hadn’t played any games, letting her think she’d got away before catching up with her. He’d come right out and spoken to her.
He hadn’t expected to be pelted with a rock for his troubles.
Nhiari still slept, and that in itself was a miracle. He hadn’t put much faith in her request for a truce. Probably wouldn’t for a long time yet, but the fact she slept showed she trusted him to some degree. Or was regrouping.
After administering first aid to her ankle the night before, he’d convinced her to take his mattress and pillow and she slept curled on her side facing him. In her sleep her expression was calm. There were no furrows on her forehead or a downturn to her mouth. She seemed peaceful. Beautiful. Almost angelic.
He smiled. That would change when she woke, and he almost didn’t want to wake her, but they needed to reach the next camp before too many people were about. He didn’t want some random good Samaritan reporting they’d heard or seen a motorbike in the ranges that morning.
The sun’s rays were a smudge above the ranges and bushes were getting more shape and colour.
He moved over to Nhiari but stayed standing a few steps away so as not to startle her. “Nhiari, it’s time to wake up.”
She snorted and her eyes scrunched but didn’t open.
Cute.
“Wake up, sleepy head, or I might have to tie you up and leave you behind.”
That got her eyes open, but she blinked sleepily, gazing up at him. The morning they’d woken together, a smile had crossed her face and she’d stretched lazily, wishing him good morning.
Today however, her brain slowly ground into action as she shifted away and sat up, her stare now wary and unsure. She flinched as she put weight on her ankle and the rest of the sleepiness vanished in the pain.
“Careful.” He held out a hand to stop her from getting up. “You sprained your ankle, remember?”
She didn’t respond but took the protein bar he handed her. He moved away, giving her space and time to wake properly. Was she always this slow in the morning, or was it because of the lack of sleep the night before?
He wished he had more experience of her waking in the mornings.
Lee cleared his throat and ate his own protein bar while she reviewed her surroundings and then prodded her ankle.
He joined her. The cold pack had brought the swelling down and compression and elevation overnight had helped. “How does it feel?”
“Not as bad as last night.”
Good. “Keep it strapped at least until we get to the main camp.”
“Is that where we’re going?”
“Yeah.” He’d already packed most of his gear, and when Nhiari shifted to a nearby rock, he packed her bed.
“How far is it?”
“Not far.” He couldn’t help himself. Giving her too many exact details may come back to haunt him. She tucked her food wrapper into her pocket and struggled to her feet.
He hurried over to help her, and she let him, pressing her soft body into his side.
He ignored the pleasure coursing through him. This could all be an act. “Can you carry the small backpack?”
Nhiari nodded and slipped it on. He grabbed the heavier one and paused at the slope down. It had been hard climbing up it last night with Nhiari’s ankle unable to take any weight. “Maybe I should carry you down.”
She glared at him. “I can make it on my own.”
No, she couldn’t. He glanced around, looking for a branch she could use as a crutch, but there was nothing suitable. “You’ll need to lean on me.”
Nhiari pursed her lips, examining the slope, and tugged on her braid. Finally she said, “Fine.”
He slid his hand around her warm, lower back and her fingers brushed his neck, sending tingles down his spine, as she moved her arm around his shoulders. Slowly they made their way down the decline to where they’d left the motorbike yesterday. He uncovered it and then swapped packs with Nhiari, putting the day pack on his front so that Nhiari could sit behind him on the bike.
She didn’t cling, which was disappointing, but if she had grown up riding motorbikes, it wasn’t surprising. Her hands gripped the underneath of the seat behind her, not even touching him.
He rode slower than he normally would, conscious of the extra passenger, not wanting a sudden jolt to unbalance her and for her to fall off. The journey took almost thirty minutes and the sun was well and truly above the horizon, but on this side of the ranges, there weren’t any cars about yet.
He pulled into the small cave where he left his motorbike and switched off the engine. Nhiari was off the back almost before he’d stopped but grabbed onto the seat for balance as if she’d forgotten about her sprained ankle.
“Give me the pack.” He’d decided not to leave anything behind in the bolt hole. People would search for Nhiari until she could call off the search and he wanted nothing they could stumble upon.
He hefted the pack onto his back and helped her to the entrance. “Wait here.” He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed him. She wouldn’t get far with her ankle. Quickly he brushed out the tyre tracks, hiding their presence.
Nhiari perched like a sentinel on top of a rock at the entrance to the small cave. Stunning.
“It’s a short hike in.” Nothing he could do about that. “I can carry you, or you can use me as a crutch like we’ve been doing.”
She shook her head, scanning the ground. “Pass me that.” She pointed to a thick stick, which would be long enough to be used as a crutch.
He ignored the hurt at her not wanting to touch him. “Do you promise not to hit me with it?”
Her lips twitched in a smile, and his heart leapt in response. “Yes, I promise.”
He handed it to her, and she ripped off the side branches to make her crutch.
Though he missed having Nhiari’s body close to him, she seemed far happier with the stick, cautiously making her way over the terrain.
Lee took the lead through the bottom of the canyon. This pass had exits on both the west and east side of the ranges, as well as a canyon running south for a distance. Plenty of escape options should he be discovered.
Nhiari didn’t speak as they walked, but as they reached a trickier section her grimaces of pain spoke volumes.
“Let me help.” He stepped closer and she held up her hand.
“I can manage.”
Her autonomy meant a lot to her. He scowled, but continued until she whimpered in pain and he couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Either you let me help you as a crutch, or I carry you.”
“How much further?”
“About the same distance as we’ve come.”
She panted and he handed her a water bottle.
Nhiari gulped the liquid down and scanned the terrain. “All right.”
He didn’t smile, or show any signs of his elation in case she changed her mind. Instead he tucked the bottle back in his pack and slid his arm around her waist. “Let’s go.”
It didn’t matter that she didn’t want to be near him. What mattered was they had a tentative truce which could hopefully blossom into a partnership to take down Stonefish.
After half an hour Nhiari came to a halt. “Where the hell is your camp?”
He smiled. “About another hundred metres.” He pointed ahead to where the morning sun shadowed the rock.
She squinted, looked at him with suspicion and then moved towards it. He helped her over the last section, which had larger boulders. It had been hard navigating it in his four-wheel-drive. Finally they ducked into the shade of the cave.
Nhiari scanned the area, and nothing on her face gave away how she was feeling.
Lee tried to see it the way she would, ignoring the nerves which cared about her opinion. His one-room tent was set up at the back where it was out of any breeze that might blow this way. It was also the flattest area of the cave and while one door faced the front of the cave, the other faced the tunnel leading into the ranges. A small camp fire was set underneath a fissure in the rock which allowed the smoke to escape, and his four-wheel drive faced outwards, allowing him a quick getaway if needed.
What she didn’t see was the car and the tunnel both had bug-out survival packs in them in case he was caught unaware. “It’s not much, but it’s home for now.”
“It’ll do.” She sighed as she sat in his camp chair, which was next to the unlit fire.
Lee hesitated. This cave was larger than the one the boys had been in. “Will you be OK here? It’s not too enclosed?”
Her eyes showed their appreciation. “It’s bigger than a double garage. I’ll be fine.”
Good. He didn’t want to have to move, but he would have.
He shifted a larger rock so she could elevate her ankle on it and then went to the fridge in the back of his car and got out two bottles of cold water.
He handed her one and she raised her eyebrows, impressed. “You really have everything you need. How do you keep it running?”
“Solar blanket.” He pointed to the cord running out of the cave. Over his two months here, he’d never seen another person in this area, so he kept it uncovered.
“How do you restock?”
He pressed his lips together. She wouldn’t like his answer.
“I thought you were going to share information with me,” Nhiari said when he didn’t speak.
He shifted closer and sat on a rock. “I will tell you, but I need you to promise me you won’t take any action against them.”
“For aiding a known criminal,” Nhiari clarified.
Lee nodded.
“I can’t guarantee that.”
“You’ll want to when you discover who it was.”
Her stare was hard. “Georgie was helping you all this time?”
Georgie was the obvious answer. “No.”
She sat back, thinking things through. Finally she asked, “Who then?”
“Your word she won’t be mentioned in any of this.” It was his one non-negotiable.
“I’ll do as much as I can.”
“No, your word, Nhiari. I can’t risk her.”
Hurt flickered across her face. “You want me to protect your girlfriend?”
“No!” Her hurt gave him hope she still might care for him. “I don’t have a girlfriend. But this person means a lot to me.”
She studied him for a long moment. “All right.”
“Thank you.” He took a breath. “Lindsay has been helping me.”
Nhiari frowned for a split second and then sat straight. “Lindsay from the supermarket?”
“Yes.”
“Why would she help you?” Her incredulity was clear. “She knew you were wanted by the police. There’s no way Lindsay would break the law and go against Dot.” Her voice rose and with it was defiance, as if she couldn’t be wrong.
He hated to disappoint her again, but he wouldn’t lie to her. It was time to tell her the truth. “Because of who my father is.”
This time he saw all of her questions, but she simply said, “Start explaining.”
He appreciated her attempts to control the conversation, to take back some of the power by not deigning to ask the questions. “Do you know much about Lindsay’s past?”
Nhiari shook her head. “She’s owned the supermarket since we were kids. Dot worked there from the time she was old enough to work. Never married, never had any kids.” Her eyes widened. “Dot said she had one true love, but he couldn’t marry her because he had family obligations.”
Lee nodded. “That man was my father.”
Nhiari gave herself a moment to absorb the information. Lindsay had been a constant in her life since she was young, and she’d given Dot hope and love when Dot had had none from her own family. There was no way either of them would want Lindsay to end up in gaol.
But Dot would feel so betrayed by the woman she considered a surrogate mother.
Had Stonefish manipulated Lindsay like they’d manipulated so many other people? “Can you prove it?”
He pulled out a folder from his bag and handed her three photos. “These are my father and me.”
The first showed a man in his twenties holding a toddler. Both had similar features to the man sitting across from her; same small nose, dark, rounded eyes, and a grin that was full of life and fun. She couldn’t help smiling back.
The second photo was of both of them older; Lee was in his late teens and dressed in a military uniform and his father had grey in his hair. The smiles had faded. Both expressions were serious.
She glanced at him.
“Singapore has compulsory military service. That was just before I went in.”
The last photo was much more recent. Both were dressed in suits. Lee looked much as he did now, and the suit fitted him to sexy perfection, showing his lean figure. His father’s hair was grey and thinning and he’d aged significantly in the ten or so years since the previous photo had been taken.
“Tess’s sister’s wedding last year,” Lee said.
That made sense. Tess was Ed Stokes’ partner, and she’d been on the run from Stonefish earlier in the year. Lee had first become a suspect after Tess had recognised him at the Ridge, and then they’d realised they’d both been at the same wedding.
“I brought the photos to show Lindsay, so she knew I spoke the truth about who I was.”
Nhiari passed the photos back. “Your father came back at the beginning of the year and promised Lindsay he was leaving his wife and coming back to her.” He’d broken her heart a second time when he hadn’t returned.
Pain crossed Lee’s face. “That was his plan. He told me when he returned to Singapore about how he’d fallen in love when he’d been backpacking through Australia. How he’d wanted to marry her and stay in Australia, but his parents had already arranged his marriage to my mother. He would bring great shame to both families if he was to refuse. The two families had been doing business together for generations.”
“Stonefish,” Nhiari breathed as everything clicked into place.
Lee nodded. “Father married my mother, and I was born a few years later.”
“You’ve been part of Stonefish Enterprises since you were born?” He had to be high on the ladder if his father had married into the company.
“I knew nothing about the shady parts growing up. Dad worked a lot and Mother spent most of her time socialising and shopping. I was raised by a nanny, though Dad made as much time for me as he could. We’d do things just the two of us and he always encouraged me to try new things, wanted me to do well at school.” He picked up a rock from the ground and rubbed the dust off it.
“What was your dad’s role at Stonefish?”
“He headed the shipping side of the business. Paid people to look the other way when certain containers came into the harbour.”
He might have been the person who had threatened Tess’s family.
“Dad didn’t want me to be involved. He encouraged my photography and suggested I could make a career of it.” Lee sighed. “But Mother heard and they had a massive fight. She said my only destiny was to take over the family business. She made me swear I would do it.”
How could any mother want her child to live a life of crime? “Did she know the truth?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Dad never spoke about work at home.”
“So, what did your dad do?”
“He waited until she went away for the weekend and told me the truth about Stonefish. He explained the history and said it wasn’t a life he wanted for me. He had tried to escape when he went backpacking in Australia but hadn’t been able to.”
The wistful smile on his face tugged at Nhiari’s heart. “How old were you?”
“Sixteen. It was just before I had to register for compulsory service. He knew the only way for me to escape Stonefish was to sign up for longer service. So that’s what we planned.”
A child still. “What did your mother and the other members of Stonefish do?”
“Mother was furious and wouldn’t speak to either of us for almost a year. Uncle Lucas congratulated me on my service.”
Lucas. It was the first time he’d mentioned that name. She didn’t react, just waited for him to continue.
“I managed two rotations in the army before my mother put her foot down. She demanded it was time I learnt the family business.” He sighed. “I had no excuse. I started learning the legitimate business.”
Nhiari would love to arrest his mother for her involvement in this.
“Dad wanted to get us both out before I did anything illegal. He started building a case against the company, looking over the history to find different angles so we could both walk away without gaol time.” Lee smiled. “My ancestor was a pearl diver on the Retribution when it sank in Retribution Bay.”
Nhiari’s eyes widened. Everything came back to the damned ship sinking in the 1870s. The start of settlement in this area. She tried to remember what Tess had told her about the event. She had also been related to a pearl diver on the Retribution, but not part of Stonefish. “There were three pearl divers, weren’t there?”
“Yes. Tess’s ancestor, my father’s ancestor and my mother’s ancestor.” His thumb rubbed the back of the stone. “Tess’s ancestor went her own way, but the other two pooled the money they got from their portion of the treasure they found to start a shipping business out of Singapore.”
The start of Stonefish Enterprises over a hundred and fifty years ago.
“When Dad was going through the old history, he discovered a journal written in Dutch. He had it translated and found it was from another ship that went down in Retribution Bay a hundred years before the Retribution did.”
“The ship that was recently discovered?” There was a team from the maritime museum coming to document it this week.
He nodded. “It was the captain’s journal and talked of more treasure he’d buried on the island. Dad thought if he could find it, we could both leave and start a new life somewhere else. He could come back for Lindsay, and I could do whatever I wanted.”
Didn’t they have enough money from their work with Stonefish? It all sounded a little too na?ve for what she knew about the company. No way would they just let them go.
But the mention of treasure sparked a memory. Jordan had been kidnapped after allegedly taking a gold doubloon to school. She’d forgotten about it in her rush to find the boys. Chances were high the Stokes had already found the treasure. It was probably one more thing they had kept from the police. She would have words with her brother and their friends when this was all over.
“That’s when Dad returned here to search and discovered Lindsay was still here.”
All very romantic. Not at all like the cut-throat organisation she’d dealt with most of the year. “What happened?” Lindsay was very much still in Retribution Bay.
Lee stood and prowled around the space, circling the cave without saying a word.
Nhiari watched him, recognising the emotion of his movement though he was very contained, his steps measured, no arms waving.
He sat back down. “Stonefish murdered my father.”
Nhiari’s heart jolted not just at the news, but at the deathly cold way he spoke. She was momentarily speechless before her manners kicked in. “I’m sorry.”
Lee glared at her. “Not as sorry as Stonefish will be.”