Chapter Nineteen
“Bull?”
Tim jolted, dropping his arm from Lachlan’s shoulders to find Mark watching him with his usual impassive expression. “What?”
Mark’s forehead furrowed. “I said we need to put the Jet Ski away.”
Shit.
Tim nodded. He hadn’t even given it a second thought, running after Lachlan. Now he was standing there only wearing his jocks and wet life vest, and he had to make sure everything and everyone on the beach was okay. Not just Lachlan, as much as he wished he could just take him far away.
He squinted in the darkness and could make out Cody backing up a buggy to the water with the trailer. Damo stepped closer to Lachlan and gave Tim a nod, which he took to mean he’d look after him.
Tim couldn’t argue, so he hopped in the buggy Mark had started, and they zoomed across the empty sand, the headlights flashing over a forgotten beach ball rolling in the growing wind.
After they had the Jet Ski on its trailer and back into the garage, Tim tugged on his clothes, which he’d left on the sand in case he’d had to jump in. At least his hoodie was warm and dry even if his jeans were gritty with sand.
A cop called to him, and the next God-knew-how-long was spent dealing with the aftermath. Finally, everyone was in the tower, the shutters closed against the night. Liam had been taking Charlene for a walk and spotted the flashing lights, and he and Cody sat close together on rolling desk chairs.
Charlene must’ve sensed something was wrong, and she went around the room trying to lick people, making them smile. She nudged Lachlan where he sat staring off into the middle distance, and he absently scratched her head.
He’d changed into his street clothes—jeans and a T-shirt. Mark and Tim stood, and Mia perched on the long bench under the shuttered windows next to Damo and his clubbie boyfriend, whose name escaped Tim at the moment.
It was his job to help process the incident when all he wanted to do was get Lachlan home and take care of him.
“Anyone ever dealt with a drowning before?” Tim asked.
Most eyes went to Cody, who grimaced. “Yeah. It was different, though. She was fully dressed and already dead out past the rocks when I spotted her. It was still… It was hard.”
“We can’t save everyone,” Mark said quietly. “I know that as an ambo too. Sometimes, you try everything, but you can’t save them.”
Damo nodded. “It’s the worst part of the job, hey?”
Losing someone while they were on duty was the biggest fear of being a lifeguard. After so many years on the job, Tim should’ve been able to say something deep or meaningful.
Before he could even try, Lachlan whispered, “He was right there.”
They all waited, watching, and Tim wanted to throw everyone else out of the tower so he could pull Lachlan into his arms. He cleared his throat. “You did your best. We all know that.”
Lachlan’s eyes were locked on the floor. “I was so close. If I’d paddled faster and he’d come up one more time…”
“You paddled your guts out,” Tim said, his voice sounding too loud in the hush of the tower. It was always strange to be at the beach after nightfall. Felt wrong.
On the bench, his phone buzzed, and he reached for it. It might be the cops or—no, it was Teddy. Guilt stabbed between Tim’s ribs. Teddy had trusted him to keep the beach safe. He’d betrayed that trust twice now.
Because at the end of the day, it wasn’t Lachlan’s fault. It was his. He was in charge.
“I need to fill in Teddy,” he said. “Everyone should get home. Take care of yourselves. We’ll have a proper debrief later this week.”
“Lachie, why don’t you come to our place?” Cody asked. “We’ll order dinner.”
“I’m fine,” Lachlan said.
“Come on, mate.” Liam reached out a big hand toward Lachlan, but then Lachlan was ducking and disappearing out the door.
“Mate!” Damo called.
Liam hesitated. “Should we let him go?”
“No,” Mark said, and they piled out into the night, leaving Tim to ring back Teddy even though he wanted to shove them all aside and follow Lachlan.
“Hi,” Tim said when Teddy picked up on the first ring.
“It’s not your fault,” Teddy said instantly, and a fist lodged in Tim’s throat.
“Yeah. Fuck, I hate this.”
“I’ve been there. I know. What happened? What did search and rescue say?”
Tim filled him in on everything he knew. “Lachlan did his best.”
“Bloody right he did. How is he?”
“In shock.”
“We’ll make sure he gets support. Remind him about the counseling.”
He’d do a lot more than that, but Tim said, “Will do. I’ll be here in the morning before first light to make sure we’re ready to resume the search.”
“I know I’m not supposed to hang around work while I’m on leave, but…”
“See you tomorrow, mate.”
As they said goodbye, a text from Liam appeared:
Lachie was quick. We’re not sure where he went. Clearly wants to be alone, but we’re trying to find him.
“Fuck!” The shout punched out of Tim. Lachlan couldn’t be alone. He spun around, searching for the tower keys, grabbing them and leaping down the three steps, ignoring the twinge in his knee. He wrenched open the door and Ryan crashed into him.
They bounced back and asked in unison, “Where is he?”
Ryan shook his head. “He won’t answer me. Damo said he took off.”
Tim’s stomach dropped. “Have any of your mates heard from him?”
“Nah. I don’t think he’s talked to them since Daz’s night out.” Ryan cringed. “When we acted like arseholes and Lachie had to stop Daz from bloody drowning. Now this. Fuck. I’ll check his place.”
“You have the key?”
“I know where the spare is.”
Tim ran a hand roughly through his hair. “It wasn’t his fault.”
“I know! ’Course it wasn’t!”
“Right!”
“Okay!”
They were yelling at each other like usual. Tim took a deep breath. “I’ll check the beach.”
“The boys already looked.”
“I’ll look again. I’ll text you. Unless I’m blocked?”
Ryan swiped at his phone and tapped. “Unblocked. He didn’t drive, so he can’t have gotten far. Unless he took a taxi, but I dunno. Can’t think of where he’d go if he’s not here or home.”
An awful, horrific thought stopped Tim in his tracks as he flipped off the tower lights. His blood ran cold. “You don’t think… He wouldn’t hurt himself?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. Not Lachie.”
“You’re sure?” Fear made Tim want to spew. “People don’t always know. He’s beside himself. It can be a spontaneous decision sometimes if someone’s—”
Grabbing Tim’s arm, Ryan said, “I’m sure. Not Lachie.”
Tim nodded and managed a breath. “Okay. I’m just… He’s out there in the dark.” What was he even saying?
“We’ll find him.” Ryan was still gripping Tim’s arm, and he loosened his fingers—then squeezed reassuringly and repeated, “We’ll find him.”
Ryan thundered down the wooden stairs. In that moment, Tim loved him so damn much he could barely breathe. At the railing, he shouted, “Ry! I’m proud of you!”
In the light of the lone security light, Ryan blinked up at him. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say!”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“Okay.” Then Ryan was gone, calling, “Lachie!” as he ran.
Tim texted Liam and Cody, who told him they’d check the south end again. Earlier clouds had cleared, and the moon was almost full. Waxing? Waning?
Tim had no clue, but at least it was bright enough that he could see the cresting waves. Squinting, he couldn’t spot any shapes on the sand that might be a person as he headed north.
He forced himself to walk and check carefully. Running off half-cocked wouldn’t help anyone. “Lachlan!” he called, and paused to listen. With the westerly wind, the sand was already chilly under his bare feet and made him think of winter.
There was only the crash of the surf followed by a soft retreat. The ocean’s rhythmic, merciless heartbeat. That drowned kid was out there under the surface in the darkness.
There was a chance they’d never recover him depending on the currents. Tim would have to examine the charts later. He prayed the body was still near Barkers, and they’d be able to get closure for his friends and family.
And for Lachlan.
By the time he reached the rocky spit at the north end, Tim was positive Lachlan wasn’t on the north half of the beach. He’d passed the others, who were still searching with no luck.
He texted the update to Ryan, who responded the house was empty and that he was driving around Barking.
Cody texted that the south end of the beach was clear and Damo and his boyfriend were checking the running trail that snaked south along the coast.
Where the hell had he gone? Waves crashed in the darkness, putting Tim even more on edge. There’s no way Lachlan would’ve gone into the water.
What if he’d gotten too close and a rogue wave had washed him out?
Mind spinning with worst-case scenarios, Tim turned to the water but only took a few steps before a thought occurred. The day that girl was missing, Damo had wanted to search…
Tim’s pulse jumped—the cave! Lachlan had known where it was. Said it was a good place to think.
Scrambling up the rocks, Tim used his phone’s flashlight to pick his way, ordering himself to slow down after his foot slipped and a mess of stones scattered to the boulders below.
“Gonna have to get search and rescue out here for me in a minute,” he muttered. Salt spray from waves hitting the boulders below carried on the wind and filled his nose.
It was normally a comforting, familiar smell, but tonight, he wanted to find Lachlan and get him safe on dry land, far, far away from the sea.
Hell, he didn’t even remember where this cave was. He was following what seemed to be a sort of path—rocks worn from locals who’d hopefully been climbing to where he needed to go.
What if Lachlan ran out here in the dark and slipped? What if Tim never saw him again?
As much as Tim knew he was letting his imagination run wild, the panic gripping him was all too real.
They’d only just started.
In that moment, Tim knew he couldn’t let Lachlan go.