Chapter 6 #2
The roar of the wave made him jump and Mila flinched. When Radar said, “It’s receding,” Joker jumped out of the car.
“See you in twenty.”
It took no time to reach the edge of the town.
Piles of debris were in every direction and the roads were blocked.
Dobby drove as fast as he dared over the debris, hoping not to get a flat tyre until he couldn’t go any further.
He pulled the car off the road, turned it to face back up the hill and then got out. “Which way?”
Mila pointed.
As they picked their way across the broken wood, bits of coral and assortment of household appliances he put a gentle hand on her arm. “This isn’t going to be pretty. We might see dead bodies or hear people calling for help. I need you to stay focused at least until we get to the medical centre.”
She hesitated and then nodded. “All right.” She hurried through the debris, shoulders slumping as she took in the total devastation.
Dobby’s heart went out to her. She’d lost everything as well.
Mila hissed, hopping on her shoed foot and rubbing at her bare foot.
He scanned the area and trapped between two bits of wood was a muddy sandal.
He picked it up and handed it to her. “See if this fits.”
Her smile lit up her face. “That’s mine!” She slipped it on and did up the buckles. It would protect the bottom of her foot at least.
“Come on.” They had to keep moving.
They had another hour before sunrise and the village was dark and silent. Mila moved with determination, climbing over roofs and walls, heading towards the beach.
Christ, the devastation was complete. A bomb wouldn’t have destroyed this much.
It was starting to smell, a combination of dead fish, damp wood and forest decay.
As he followed Mila, his gaze roved. It was eerie how silent it was. He’d expected to see more death, but perhaps the residents had learnt from the last tsunami and hadn’t stuck around after the earthquake had hit.
Closer to the coast, the way was clearer. The waves had pulled the debris with them and the ocean was now full of flotsam and jetsam. A lot of fish had been helpless to resist the force of the wave and had been stranded on land when it had receded.
“It’s up here.” Mila stepped around a pile of rubble. Her eyes widened. “It survived.”
The building in front of them was the only concrete building in the town. The door had vanished and the glass windows were gone, but the building stood.
Now to discover whether the water had left any supplies inside.
“Let me go in first.” He gently pushed ahead of her.
It was unlikely anyone would risk coming back before the all-clear, but someone might be as desperate as they were.
“All right.”
He appreciated he didn’t need to waste time arguing with her.
The floor was damp and full of mud and rubbish.
Anything on the shelves was gone, but at the back of the room was a door into a hallway.
He scanned the ceiling. It wasn’t just the tsunami that had hit.
The earthquake may have done some damage as well.
He moved fast down the corridor. On the right was a treatment room with cupboards. The water still lay on the ground, but the cupboards were closed and a stretcher board was blocking the way.
Perfect. He passed the stretcher to Mila. “Can you carry this?”
“Yeah.” She took it and tucked it under her arm like a surfboard.
Quickly he opened a cupboard and grinned. Bandages, all still in plastic packaging. He radioed camp. “Medical centre survived mostly intact. Be back soon.”
“Copy.”
He gathered what Axle needed, shoving it into his pack. “Let’s go.”
Mila turned to follow him from the room and the stretcher knocked against the bench, brushing items to the floor in a crash.
“Sorry,” Mila whispered.
Dobby winced and held up a hand for her to stay still, waiting for the telltale sounds of someone coming.
He counted it out, mindful of the time they had before the next wave. Just as he was about to move forward he heard the pitter-patter of small feet. It took him only a second to place it.
Dog.
He pressed Mila back, putting her behind the door and placing a finger against her lips so she knew to stay silent.
She nodded, and he raised his rifle, waiting.
Voices called from outside.
Mila shifted closer, her breasts pressing into his side as she murmured, “They’re calling for the dog.”
For a second he was distracted by her closeness before his training kicked in. Agus’s men didn’t know where the dog was. That was a good start.
The dog crept into the treatment room, body low and tense. Would it remember the jerky he’d given it earlier?
Mila squatted, but he couldn’t focus on what she was doing. If the dog attacked, he’d have to kill it, which would bring the other men into the medical centre.
Something splatted right in front of the dog. It jerked back and then sniffed at it.
A fish.
Mila had thrown it a fish.
Smart thinking.
The dog wagged its tail cautiously and picked it up.
Another yell, closer this time and the dog’s ears pricked. It gave them another glance and then trotted out of the room with its prize.
Dobby exhaled, but still he waited as the voice yelled something else, followed by a thwack and a high-pitched yelp.
It was a weak man who hit an animal. He shifted, bringing Mila closer to his side, needing to know exactly where she was. They weren’t out of danger yet.
Another yell and Mila gasped, and then her terrified whimper struck a chord deep inside him.
“What is it?” he demanded, his voice low.
“The next wave is coming. They’re clearing out.”
Shit. He squeezed her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
He peered out of the door, scanning the front of the medical centre for movement.
Clear.
He motioned for Mila to follow him as they crept towards the door, Mila still carrying the stretcher under her arm.
Dobby reached the entrance and checked again for movement, but the dog and its handler were gone.
Behind him Mila was close to hyperventilating.
“Be brave and keep close to me,” he murmured. “We’re going to move fast as soon as the coast is clear.”
“Dobby, where are you?”
Joker’s voice sounded loud in his ear.
“A bit delayed. Car is about five hundred metres into the village.” He placed Mila’s hand on his shoulder. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and her breathing changed to longer breaths. She hadn’t given in to her fear yet.
“Need me to fetch it?” asked Joker.
“Yeah.” Hopefully the waves wouldn’t be as big anymore and the car would be above its reach.
He shifted away from the medical centre, and as he cleared the back wall, he spotted two men with powerful torches, leaving the area.
They shifted the beams out to the ocean and the dog was a smaller shadow beside them.
Then Dobby spotted the receding water.
Shit.
Using such powerful torches was a disadvantage. Anything beyond the beam would be impossible to see as their eyes weren’t adjusted to the darkness.
“We need to move fast,” he murmured taking Mila’s hand. “Stay out of reach of those torch beams.”
And pray they didn’t send the dog after them. He picked up two dead fish from the ground and handed them to Mila.
“Let’s go.”
She nodded and together they ran across the open ground. It only took a second before something they stepped on let out a loud crack.
Alarmed voices sounded behind them.
“They’re ordering the dog to search,” Mila whispered.
“Faster.”
They sprinted over the low debris and then climbed over a mound. Behind them came more shouts, but the men weren’t close enough to see them, and they were heading for high ground.
The dog on the other hand…
Its patter of paws was getting closer. Dobby turned as it launched its way over the mound. He raised his gun, praying he didn’t have to use it.
A fish flew past him and almost hit the dog. It was enough of a distraction to make it stop, sniff the fish, and chomp into it.
Dobby grinned. “Good aim.”
The dog sniffed the air and then wagged its tail with a little hesitation.
“Keep moving.” He backed away, and the dog didn’t follow.
The rumble of the wave was getting louder.
“Let’s go.” Dobby grabbed Mila’s hand and dragged her towards the car.
She called out something in Indonesian and he glanced back to find the dog following them and the wave had reached the beach.
Damn.
They stumbled over the debris and rubble.
The car was up ahead, but if Joker wasn’t behind the wheel, the wave might still catch them.
“Joker, you at the car?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re coming in hot.”
The engine roared to life.
“Give me the stretcher.” He ripped it from Mila’s hands. “Get in.”
She ran to one side of the car, and he ran to the other. He threw the stretcher into the rear as she closed the door behind her.
“Go!” Dobby ordered as he leapt inside.
“The dog—” Mila shouted as Joker accelerated up the road.
Dobby shifted across the back area and pulled her into his arms, partially to soothe, partially to ensure she didn’t jump back out in some daft rescue attempt.
“It’s following,” Joker said.
They both turned to watch the dog racing behind them, the wave at its tail. Mila sobbed, but the wave reached its peak and fell back, leaving the dog to continue after them.
“We need to lose it,” Dobby said as Mila shuddered and started crying in earnest.
“You’re safe,” Dobby whispered, rubbing her back and soothing her.
He glanced up and saw Joker’s sympathetic expression. They needed to get off this island. “Boat?”
“The tree it was tied to is gone, but I couldn’t find evidence of it being torn up. Might have been dragged out to sea.”
Damn. It was what he’d expected but it would have been nice to have the option open.
Mila’s sobs lessened. “I’m sorry. I’ll get it together in a second.”
He brushed a kiss against her hair. “Take the time you need. That was some scary shit.”
She laughed and hiccupped. “You weren’t scared.”
“Sure I was.” Pleased she was talking, he kept his tone friendly. “Joker, Mila saved our arses by feeding the dog.”
She made a sound of disbelief. “Hardly.”
“No, really. If the dog is properly trained, it’s told to bark when it finds what it’s searching for. You throwing the fish to it distracted it. We could have been stuck in the medical centre fighting off Agus’s men while the wave rolled in.”
Mila stiffened, then let out a shaky breath.
“Sounds bad ass,” Joker said.
Dobby flashed him a thankful smile. “High praise.”
She raised her head from his chest and suddenly they were eye to eye only inches apart.
Her sharp intake of breath had nothing to do with fear. Neither did the tightening in his body.
The urge to kiss her was overwhelming. He leaned forward and the car braked, throwing him off balance.
He glanced at Joker.
“We’re here,” Joker said. “Get the supplies to Axle and I’ll ditch the car.”
The mission. He had to keep the mission in the forefront of his mind and not be distracted by his attraction to Mila. “I’ll go. You take Mila to camp.” Some distance might clear his head.
Mila opened the car door, but she touched his arm. “Be careful.”
Her concern warmed his insides. She was far too appealing. He nodded and gave the stretcher to Joker.
He scanned the road. No sign of the dog. Hopefully it had returned home.
Joker led Mila into the jungle and Dobby accelerated away. Now he needed to find somewhere to leave the car. Ideally he’d find a spot to hide it, but the road was narrow and the drop offs were steep. He was about three kilometres from camp when he spotted a gap in the trees.
The ground was sloped, but not on an angle that would cause the car to roll.
He folded in the side mirrors with a touch of a button and drove in as far as he dared.
Before getting out he checked they hadn’t left anything inside and then quietly closed the door.
He walked back to the road to check how well it was hidden and then used his knife to cut a couple of fan palm leaves down and place them strategically over the back.
It wasn’t pretty, but most people wouldn’t be taking their eyes off the road to notice it.
He made note of the coordinates and then jogged down the road back to camp.
Now he had to get them off this island.