Chapter 17 #2
Dinner this weekend? You, me, Gavin … and I’m roping Hayden in too.
Brianna chuckled under her breath. Was Tilly playing cupid? Probably. Not that Brianna minded.
I’d love to. What night?
Saturday? Six-ish?
Done deal. I’ll bring wine, she typed back.
Looking forward to it. T xx
She smiled, the brief moment of warmth like a balm over everything else. Then she pulled back onto the dusty track, her heart thudding at the prospect of spending a Saturday night in the company of people she adored, one of them more than she probably should.
* * *
Across town, Hayden leant against the side of his LandCruiser, the early-afternoon sunshine glinting off the bonnet as his phone rang and Gavin’s name flashed up on the screen.
‘Hey, bud,’ he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.
‘Hey, mate, you got a minute?’ Gavin’s voice was low, serious.
‘Yeah, course. What’s up?’
‘I, uh …’ There was a lengthy pause. ‘… might’ve seen that mud map in your office.’
Hayden straightened, tension creeping into his spine. Gavin could only mean the hand-drawn map that Jack had left for Molly. ‘You what?’
‘It was sticking out from under the ledger we keep track of the livestock feed in. I didn’t mean to go snooping, mate.
But when Tilly told me about what happened at the café last week, with Craig and Tom being oddballs, well, there was something in me that fired alarm bells, and I felt compelled to look. That’s Jack’s writing, am I right?’
‘Righto.’ Hayden’s jaw tightened. ‘I was trying to keep you out of this,’ he admitted, voice low.
Gavin snorted. ‘Yeah, well, tough luck. If you’re in, I’m in. That’s what mates do.’
Hayden hesitated for a beat. ‘You sure?’
‘Damn straight I am,’ Gavin scoffed. ‘I appreciate you trying to keep me safe, but come on, mate. You really thought I wouldn’t notice something was off? We’ve known each other since we were running around in nappies, Pierce.’
‘True that.’ Hayden let out a dry laugh. ‘You always did have a nose for trouble. And a worse sense of self-preservation.’
‘Ha, fair play.’ Gavin chuckled, but only for a moment. ‘Tilly told me that Trev looked jumpy when he passed her in town yesterday. Didn’t even wave. Usually, he throws up a hand from the wheel every time.’
Hayden’s brow furrowed. ‘Interesting.’
‘Yup, it is. And he did the same to me this morning, on my way back from grabbing some fresh eggs down at old Jimbo’s place at sparrow’s fart, for me and the kids, before I came in for work. So, long story short, I seen that circle on the mud map, and put two and two together.’
‘I’ll need a bit more info to get the gist of what you’re saying.’ Hayden let out a short breath, his chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and concern. ‘I really didn’t want to drag you into something that might get ugly.’
‘Well, too late for that,’ Gavin said lightly. ‘Let’s just find out what the hell is going on in this little township of ours, and deal with it.’
‘I’m trying to, Gav. Just not sure which way to turn.
’ Hayden’s gaze swept the horizon, the fields stretching wide and quiet as if they held the answers just beneath the soil.
The weight of what he’d uncovered earlier still pressed hard against his chest, but Trev’s strange behaviour stuck in his mind too, like a thorn he couldn’t shake loose.
‘So,’ he said, voice low, ‘where exactly did you spot Trev this morning?’
‘Close to that boundary Jack circled on the map. Near the old cattle loading site.’
Hayden stilled, his shoulders tightening. That spot wasn’t just a mark on a page, it was the kind of place a man chose when he didn’t want to be seen. His stomach coiled, the unease settling heavier now.
Gavin let out a long, sharp breath. ‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’
Hayden’s jaw clenched. ‘That he’s either hiding something out there or checking to see if someone else already has.’
‘I can meet you there in a little under ten minutes,’ Gavin offered.
‘Yeah. Let’s move. See you there.’
Hayden quickly climbed into his LandCruiser, flicked the ignition and, pulling onto the road, sped towards the cane fields, where secrets, he suspected, were buried – but, hopefully, not deep enough.
Ten minutes later, he pulled off with dust trailing in his wake.
Gavin’s ute was already parked behind a screen of gum trees, half-hidden from view.
Hayden slowed then rolled to a stop beside it.
The driver’s door flung open, and Gavin stepped out with a pair of binoculars slung around his neck. ‘I come prepared.’ He gave the binoculars a steady tap.
‘So I see.’ Hayden raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. ‘Anything untoward happening out yonder?’
‘Nothing yet.’ Gavin pointed to the ground. ‘But there’s tyre tracks just up there. Deep ones. Fresh too.’
Hayden took a few steps, then his eyes narrowed as he scanned the imprints. ‘You reckon this was from Trev’s ute?’
‘I reckon it’s definitely possible,’ Gavin said, his usual friendly expression now tense. ‘Let’s go see if we can find anything.’
They walked towards the gap between the tall swaying cane, their boots crunching over brittle undergrowth.
The afternoon was thick with heat and humidity, and the sweet scent of cane sap clung to the air.
Moving deeper into the fringe of the plantation, Hayden spotted the old cattle ramp off to the left, half-rotted, barely standing.
Near it, a patch of disturbed earth caught his eye.
‘Here,’ he said, crouching.
Gavin joined him. ‘Someone’s definitely been digging.’
Hayden reached down and brushed the loose dirt away. Not enough to uncover anything completely, but enough to reveal the corner of a black plastic tarp.
They looked at each other.
‘Did we bring a shovel?’ Gavin asked.
Hayden gave him a sideways glance. ‘Do I look like I came prepared?’
‘Well, it’s your lucky day, Pierce, because I’ve got a crowbar in the tray.’
‘Good on you, Gav.’
‘I’ll go grab it. You stay here and keep a lookout.’
‘Will do.’ Hayden rose and brushed his hands on his jeans. ‘But be quick about it. I’m not sure how long we have before someone comes back here to get this.’
As Gavin jogged back to his ute, Hayden scanned the surrounding area.
Every tree, every shift in the breeze felt like it might be hiding something, or someone.
The cane rustled softly, but it wasn’t the wind that unsettled him.
It was the knowledge that whatever they were about to uncover had been deliberately hidden, carefully buried.
He rubbed a hand across his jaw, stubble scratching beneath his palm, heart beginning to thud harder.
The tarp, barely exposed beneath the dirt, seemed to pulse with secrets.
Whatever was buried here, it had weight.
Purpose. Danger written all over it. His gut twisted as his thoughts veered to Molly, and then, unbidden, to Brianna.
Christ, if this whole mess spiralled any further, they could get hurt.
Molly had already lost too much. And Bri – he couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her.
The idea of losing her now, before he’d even got the chance to tell her how much she meant to him, tightened something sharply in his chest. A flicker of memory surfaced.
Of Casey, her sweet laughter echoing in the paddocks, and the way she used to brush Duchess as she hummed to herself.
Losing her had left a void he thought would never close.
And now, with Brianna filling that gaping chasm, one that had almost swallowed him whole …
Oh god, he couldn’t go through this again. Not with her. Not with this raw, rising thing between them that felt as terrifying as it was undeniable.
Gavin returned, crowbar in hand. ‘This will do the trick,’ he said, dropping to one knee.
Hayden joined his mate, and together they worked in silence, prying the soil loose and peeling the edges of the tarp back bit by bit.
The earth was damp, clinging to their fingers and boots.
Sweat trickled down Hayden’s back as he leant in, revealing what lay beneath.
It was a large metal toolbox. More significantly, a locked metal toolbox.
Hayden glanced at Gavin. ‘I don’t suppose you got anything for this?’
‘Sure do.’ Gavin fished a multi-tool from his pocket. ‘Let’s find out what’s in there.’
It took some coaxing, but eventually the latch gave with a soft clunk.
Hayden flipped the lid open. They both stared in shock.
Inside were several weapons. Two old pistols, a sawn-off shotgun with a taped grip, and boxes of ammunition tucked into the bottom corners.
And wedged beneath one of the ammo packets, wrapped in a waterproof canvas, was something else entirely.
Hayden carefully reached in and pulled out a sealed container.
Inside it was a set of slim glass vials.
The labels were faded, but clear enough.
He knew each as veterinary-grade anaesthetic.
‘Well bugger me.’ Gavin leant closer. ‘Is that what I think it is?’
‘Sure is. Looks like sedatives. Strong ones,’ Hayden said, brows furrowed. ‘The kind used in horse racing. Maybe for illegal matches, or to rig results.’
Gavin blew out a slow breath. ‘Jesus. This goes deeper than just debt and threats.’
Hayden stared at the vials, anger simmering low in his chest. His gut twisted.
Horses weren’t just animals to him. They were his life.
His livelihood. He bred them, trained them, trusted them, adored each and every one he’d bred, raised, saved.
The thought of someone drugging such majestic creatures, dulling their instincts, using them like disposable tools for profit, made his blood boil.
‘Trev and Joe are always hanging around the TAB when they’re not at work.’ Hayden fought to keep the rage from making him do anything rash. ‘Never thought much of it before, but now? It fits. Maybe they weren’t just watching races, maybe they were making sure the races ended the way they wanted.’