Chapter Eighteen
Nhiari relaxed her hold on the motorbike’s handle bars as she bounced over the ground. She’d forgotten she needed to let the bike find its way. The more relaxed she was, the easier the ride.
When she had to stop to open a gate, she radioed the Ridge. “No news?”
“Nothing,” Amy answered.
So as far as anyone knew, the police car was still heading into town. Still, she continued towards her parents’ place. She needed to get them out of the way in case things centred on their airstrip. No way was she allowing them to become hostages.
It took almost an hour to get there and by then the sun was nearing the horizon. She slowed as she reached the house and spotted Sam’s four-wheel-drive.
Good. She had backup.
Her father came out onto the verandah and she waved as she rode the bike into the nearby shed. He met her halfway as she walked back to the house.
“You want to tell me why I’ve got two military men in my kitchen?”
“They were just in case,” Nhiari said, hugging him. “Come inside and I’ll explain everything.”
He grunted, but followed her in.
The interior was cool and her mother handed her a glass of ice cold water as she walked into the kitchen. Nhiari sculled the refreshing drink.
She hugged her mother. “How are you?”
“Better for seeing you.” She squeezed Nhiari, and Nhiari felt a pinch of guilt for worrying her family so much.
Nhiari nodded at Sam and Sherlock sitting at the table. “Thanks for coming.”
“Dot didn’t explain why we’re here,” Sam said.
She sat and gestured for her parents to do the same. “Rodney changed his mind,” she said. “He went out to the Ridge just now, arrested Lee, and took the treasure into town with him.”
Sam swore and Sherlock said, “You all right with that?”
He wasn’t referring to the treasure. Trust him to notice. She pushed down her concern and nodded. “We weren’t sure whether they would steal the treasure immediately, so we needed backup in case.”
“Why here?” Sam asked.
“Because someone came around yesterday pitching a tourism idea to Mum and Dad and was interested in the airstrip.”
Sam nodded.
“This is about the dodgy man?” her father asked.
“Yes.” She brought up a photo of Lucas on her phone. “Was this him?”
He nodded.
Her stomach clenched at the thought of Lucas so close to her father. She turned to Sherlock and Sam. “Lucas is flying the treasure out. I suspect he’s going to use the airstrip here.”
Sherlock pursed his lips. “Might be he wants us to think that. Why else would he come and look for himself? It would make more sense to sneak in after dark or even just land on the day with no visual.”
“How far is the Coral Bay airstrip from here?” Sam asked.
“About five kilometres. Our airstrip is two kilometres in the opposite direction.”
“He wants us to split our resources,” Sam said.
She nodded. “Rodney should know what’s happening, and he still says the heist will happen at the boat ramp,” Nhiari said. “His men are in position in Coral Bay.”
“It’s what… ten kilometres between here and the boat ramp?” Sherlock asked.
“Yes.”
“So the truck turns off here with no one the wiser until it doesn’t show at the ramp,” Sherlock surmised.
“Organised Crime will track the truck,” Sam said. “But the plane has time to land, load the treasure and leave before they get here.”
“Smart,” Sherlock said.
“They’re not using my land,” her father said.
It was possible to set up an obstacle on the airstrip to force them to land elsewhere, but then Stonefish would know they were on to them.
“Dad, I need you and Mum to go into town tonight,” Nhiari said.
“They’re not scaring me off my land.”
“No,” she agreed. “But I need you both to be safe. I’m asking you to trust me and let me do my job. You can stay at Georgie’s or go to the Ridge.”
“You want us to go now?” her mother asked.
Nhiari nodded. The sooner the better.
“Now wait a minute—” her father blustered.
“Cecil, don’t you go arguing,” her mother interrupted. “These people are dangerous and we have to trust our daughter knows what she’s doing.”
“She might need my help.”
“We’ve got your daughter’s back, sir,” Sam answered. “We’re armed and trained for this kind of situation. You and your wife would only be a liability.”
He scowled and glanced at Nhiari.
“He’s right, Dad. I appreciate your desire to help, but I need to know you’re somewhere safe.”
“I’ll go pack our things.” Her mother left the room.
“They might not even come here,” Nhiari said, trying to console her father. “The man who came may be trying to spread our resources thinly.” She handed him Georgie’s key.
He grunted. “Fine.”
“Call me when you get there.” She walked her parents to the door and watched them drive away and then turned to Sam. “Park your car in the shed so it’s out of sight. Then we’ll go through our options.”
It was going to be a long night.
Lee sat on the wooden bench in his cell. There wasn’t room to pace in the tiny space and he needed to take stock of the situation. He rubbed his wrists, more out of habit than because he had any pain. He was uncuffed, so that was a win.
Something dug into his thigh and he patted his pocket. His eyebrows rose. His mobile phone. Rodney should have taken it from him.
He checked the corridor. Clear and no sounds coming from either direction. He took out his phone. No messages.
He typed a message to Lucas.
Under arrest. At the police station at RB. What’s the plan?
As he waited for a reply, he tested the door. It clicked open.
Lee frowned. He hadn’t noticed Rodney locking it, but this wasn’t an accident. What was Rodney planning here? Why hadn’t he told Lee what to do?
He cautiously closed the door again in case someone came to check on him. In the distance he heard Brandon and Dot talking in the main office.
I’ll let you know. When I send word, bring the treasure.
That wasn’t helpful, but he knew better than to ask for more details.
He sat and considered the options. Lucas still wanted the treasure, so at some stage Lee was expected to break out of here.
The heist would happen tonight.
He would have to neutralise Brandon. His gut swirled. From what he could see, a door led from the back area into the offices where Brandon would be with Rodney and the treasure.
With the rear exit leading to a locked car park, the most likely escape route would be straight out the front door.
Sounded like something Lucas would have the balls to do.
He lay on the hard bench and put his hands behind his head. There wasn’t much he could do until he got word from Lucas.
He closed his eyes and rested.
It was past midnight when Lee’s phone finally vibrated.
Meet you outside in 10. Bring the treasure. Tell Rodney it’s now.
His heart raced. Right. It had been quiet for the past couple of hours, and he didn’t know where anyone was.
He tucked his phone into his back pocket and pushed the door open. Slowly he moved down the corridor and peered through the window into the office. Brandon sat in a chair facing away from him, talking to Rodney.
Where was Dot? Had she gone home, or was she in her office?
The treasure sat in the middle of the main room, so it wasn’t something he could sneak out without Brandon seeing.
Not that Lee expected anything else. Brandon wasn’t stupid.
He peered into the room again and took stock. He would have to come into the room at ninety degrees to Brandon, which meant he couldn’t sneak up on him. It would have to be fast.
He crouched down under the window and moved to the other side. The corridor came out in another room and on the bench lay a taser gun. Lee turned it on in relief. He could disable Brandon without causing him permanent injury.
Next to them was a set of handcuffs. Lee tucked the cuffs into his back pocket and crept to the door which led into the office. This was when he would find out whose side Rodney was really on.
He listened to the conversation in the room.
“Have you got any stories about Dot and Nhiari from the academy?” Brandon asked.
“We didn’t hang out in the same crowd,” Rodney replied, a chill in his tone.
Because neither woman would have a bar of him. Lee hated the idea of tasering Brandon, but it was far preferable to knocking him unconscious or shooting him.
Lee exhaled and then stepped into the room, shooting the taser at Brandon. Brandon had time to turn, widened his eyes before the taser hit him in the chest then fell to the ground, jerking.
Rodney whirled, hand on his gun.
“Lucas says it’s now,” Lee yelled at him as he followed Brandon to the ground, making quick work of handcuffing Brandon to the desk. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Amy would kill me if you were hurt.”
Brandon glared at him but hadn’t quite got control of his muscles yet.
“Catch.”
Lee turned as Rodney threw a tie to him, which he used to restrain Brandon’s feet. Rodney was already carrying the bags of treasure towards the door.
Lee took Brandon’s gun from his shoulder holster and checked it was loaded. He tucked it into his pants and then hefted several of the backpacks.
It would take a couple of trips.
Brandon was already tugging against his restraints. It wouldn’t hold him for long.
Lee ran outside as Lucas pulled into the car park in a four-wheel-drive. Rodney threw his bags into the boot and ran inside for the second trip.
Lee followed suit.
Brandon had already broken the ties on his feet and was working on his handcuffs. Shit.
Lee grabbed the last couple of bags. “It’s not safe for you to follow,” he murmured and ran back outside.
By the time he’d thrown the second load into the back, Brandon was at the door of the police station.
Shit.
Lee slammed the boot shut. Rodney opened the front passenger door and the crack of a gunshot made Lee flinch. His eyes flew to Brandon, who was still in the doorway unharmed.
Rodney staggered back from the car, his hand on his chest, eyes wide in disbelief.
Lucas had shot him.
“Get in, Lee!” Lucas called.
Lee’s heart pounded, but he moved on auto-pilot towards the car. Dot raced out of her house behind the police station wearing pyjamas and holding a gun.
No time to help Rodney. Lee leapt into the car and Lucas took off before he’d shut the door.
More gunshots and Lee ducked as the car peeled out of the car park and headed north.
“What was that about?” Lee looked back, his breath coming fast. Dot and Brandon both crouched next to Rodney. They would call an ambulance.
“Rodney was working for Organised Crime.”
Lee blinked as he clicked his seat belt on. “Yes. That was his job.”
Lucas shook his head. “No. He was double-crossing me. There’s a team of Organised Crime men in Coral Bay ready for tomorrow.”
Lee frowned. “Why weren’t they here to stop us?”
“Because I didn’t tell Rodney the entire plan,” Lucas said.
That couldn’t be right. “But he left me with my phone and the cell unlocked.”
“I told him to after he’d fetched you from the Ridge.” Lucas looked at him. “Did you think I’d let my nephew rot in gaol?”
Perhaps Lucas didn’t suspect him. That was good.
But he was surprised Rodney hadn’t split his team and kept some in Retribution Bay. Perhaps people were waiting on the outskirts, heading south.
Except they were heading north, around the peninsula.
“Where are we going? Did you decide to take the boat after all?” There was a boat ramp on this side.
“No. There’s a road south this way which will take us to an airstrip.”
The Yardie Creek track. They hadn’t considered it as it was four-wheel-drive only and the truck wouldn’t have gone that way. “Coral Bay?” Lee asked.
“No. There’s a station to the north.”
Nhiari’s parents. Lee’s skin prickled. Her father would investigate anyone on his property. Lucas would shoot him.
Somehow he had to stop that from happening. Could he stop Lucas now before they reached the property?
Not at this speed. It would be too dangerous. He’d have to wait until they slowed on the dirt track.
And hope for the best.