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56
THEN
‘Tonight’s the night, Ula,’ I said as I made tea with her. ‘You remember the plan?’
Ula nodded. We had been discussing it for some time, but I wasn’t sure if Ula fully understood that we needed to implement it tonight. It had come quickly, and with more of the women being shipped off the island, we needed to act – and fast. But Ula had been showing signs of slowing down recently, as though she were ill or maybe giving up herself. I needed her to be strong and stick to the plan.
‘I need everyone to stay at the camp. No one is to leave. If you see anyone try, you stop them in any way you can. I will be down there on the beach. You must come when you are done. We will leave together, you understand?’
Ula nodded again. There were days when she was more vocal than others, and today was not one of them, but I knew we hadan understanding now, and I knew I wanted to help her as much as I wanted to help myself.
I had been taking a tiny amount of petrol each morning before anyone woke and storing it in a container I’d buried in the woods in a spot no one had ever set foot in before, except maybe Adi.
I had set up bunches of dried grass all around the perimeter of the camp, which I would douse with petrol before anyone arrived. Ula’s instructions were to come down to the camp after we had eaten and set the grasses alight. Eventually, the whole of the outside of the camp would go up in flames whilst I made a run for it to the boat, which Ula would have dragged along from the other side by hand during dinner. Prior to that, I was to go to Camp Z and free Kai and the other Cupcakes. Before that, I was to find the key. And that I was going to try and do tonight when Avril was drunk and delirious on kava.
The plan was set.
There was a buzz in the air as the camp prepared themselves for the departure of more of the women. It was nothing I could put my finger on, just a feeling, like they were different people to the ones they usually were.
I hadn’t brought much with me in my rucksack, but I made sure I had put a couple of bottles of water in there. I knew I would head straight for the next island, but I could only hope that I could manage it. It would be just Ula and I in the dark, and she was in no state of mind to be guiding us through the South Pacific waters. I had stood at the top of Totini so many times these last few weeks, I knew which direction to head in. I could see the neighbouring island from the cliff edge and had performed the manoeuvres hundredsof times in my mind. All I needed was courage and a little bit of luck.
I had to think of myself and no one else. Trying to save anyone else other than me and Ula was not top priority, yet my conscience could not let those men die here.
It was time for dinner, and my stomach was churning. I was running the plan over and over in my head, worrying about everything. What if Ula decided to stay in her hut? What if she came too early? What if the camp were prepared for ambushes and both Ula and I were to end up as prisoners in Camp Z?
All I knew was it was time to get out of here. I didn’t want to exist in this prison anymore. I had to leave.
Avril was sitting at the campfire looking drowsy. I felt the dread spill through my body. I could have choked on the anticipation.
The dinner I had cooked was served and when my bowl reached me, I gazed down at the contents. I could feel eyes on me every minute of every day but I wasn’t sure if I was just being paranoid now. The kava came out again. I made sure I poured more for Avril and then other women too so it didn’t look as though I were only trying to get her drunk. Avril was showing some signs of looking a bit woozy but nowhere near the level of drunk I needed for her to show me where the key was.
I made my way over to her, and slipped down in a seat beside her. I stayed with her, engaging her in conversation from time to time, making sure she was filled with kava. There was a little music. I tried to pull Avril up to dance.
‘Noooo,’ she groaned. She was too tired apparently.
When it seemed that everyone was also tired and the women began to retreat to their cabins ready for an early start in themorning, I turned to Avril and asked, ‘Shall I walk you back to your hut?’
She looked at me, a glint in her eye. And I realised I had asked in a way that had sounded seductive. Had I wanted it to come out that way? Was I playing with her? Would she succumb, as this could be our last night together? Avril had been playing with me for weeks. I was sure if I entirely offered myself to her, she wouldn’t decline me.
She held out her hand and I stood to help her. I caught Lola looking at me, a defeated, arrogant look about her.
She scooped her arm through mine and we walked up the steps to her cabin.
‘I’m so tired,’ she said and sank onto her bed.
I hovered above her, not knowing what to do, waiting for a sign. My eyes were already scouring the room for where Avril might keep a key. It had been a while since I had been inside Avril’s cabin and it seemed as though she had begun to pack a few precious items into one crate. She patted the space next to her on the bed, feebly. I knelt down next to her and then lay my body on the mattress. It felt strange but her arm swept across me and pulled me in towards her so our faces were almost touching. Her eyes flickered; she was barely conscious. My heart quickened. This was my opportunity.
‘Kiss me, Sadie.’ Avril’s voice was barely a whisper, but she nudged her way towards me until her lips were touching mine. I accepted her until our mouths were moving in sync. My gut tightened as images floated through my mind: the men in the prison, Clara, James.
I hated her.
She managed to pull her head back enough so that she could see me.
‘You’re not as into me as I am into you.’
‘I ...’ I went to defend myself, to say I was tired.
‘It doesn’t matter. I’m afraid it’s too late.’ She turned her whole body to face the wall. ‘I cannot give you the key to Camp Z.’ She let out a loud yawn. ‘There is no longer a key. I threw it in the South Pacific Ocean weeks ago.’