Page 13

Chapter Thirteen

A shrill bird call interrupted Mackenzie’s sleep. He opened his eyes to see a crow clinging to the shredded edge of the cabin wall above him. The bird’s sleek, black feathers glistened in the morning sun and its menacing red eyes stared at the outline of Rodney’s lifeless body beneath the T-shirt Mackenzie had draped over him.

Mackenzie snapped his hand and the bird squawked and flew to a nearby eucalyptus tree.

He looked over at the old man’s slight frame. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at Charlie, looking for signs he was still alive. It seemed like ages before Charlie’s chest finally moved, ever so slightly up and down with a shallow breath. He sighed with relief.

Mackenzie rolled onto his side and as he stared into the dead fire he thought about their plans for today. He’d never really believed this moment would come, but with no sign of a rescue, they couldn’t put off burying the bodies any longer. The burden of having to bury the man he loved weighed heavily. His eyes burned and tears spilled down his cheeks. They fell as dark spots on Rodney’s jacket.

The jacket had once been the centre of one of their biggest fights. Rodney had worn it, rather than a more appropriate suit, as his choice of outfit at Mackenzie’s most important night as a chef. The grand opening of his stylish new restaurant had been the culmination of years of work, but it had been marred by Rodney’s choice of wardrobe .

Mackenzie inhaled a deep breath and smelled Rodney’s aftershave on the denim. He smiled to himself as he remembered Rodney arguing with him over the jacket but, of course, it had become his favourite piece of wardrobe. Mackenzie eventually grew to love seeing him wear it. He looked carefree in it, a pleasant contrast to the stiff collared suit he wore daily as a lawyer. With a burning heart, he decided he would see Rodney in it one last time after all. He’d bury Rodney in this jacket.

A crow cawed, loud and obnoxious, from the tree line, bringing him back to the moment. Abigail stretched awake, sat up, and glanced at Charlie. Their eyes met and she mouthed ‘good morning’. She untangled herself from the bedding and crawled out into the morning sun before getting to her feet.

Mackenzie strolled toward her. “How’d you sleep?”

“Terribly. How’s Charlie?” A crease lined her cheek from the way she’d slept.

“I think he slept okay. I heard him snoring once or twice.” He kicked at a log in the fire pit, and it crumbled onto the cold ash. “Let’s get this going.”

Mackenzie surveyed the surrounding area. The grassy area was about the size of a squash court, but beyond that loomed dense, virgin bush with thick vines hanging like giant spaghetti twisted into tangled tapestries. Masses of grey beards hung below moss-coated branches and slivers of sunlight punched through the canopy labyrinth creating a mottled pattern on the rotting leaves of the forest floor.

We were fortunate to have crashed in this clearing.

Mackenzie kicked the ground with the heel of his shoe releasing a chunk of dark brown earth like it was a slice of rubber.

Digging a grave is going to be hard work .

Abigail walked to his side. Wet eyelashes rimmed her red eyes, and she had a ribbon of hair clinging to her freshly applied lipstick. “Are we burying them today?”

She must’ve read his mind.

“I think we have to.” His stomach turned with that admission.

A loud cry had them both gasping. Mackenzie dashed to Charlie who lay flat on his back with his hands on his chest, his eyes wide open.

Mackenzie knelt beside him and gently touched Charlie’s forehead. “Hey, mate. How’re you feeling? ”

“Could be better.” Charlie’s voice was barely audible.

“Well, you’re here with us now. We have plenty of food and water and we should be rescued today. So, hang in there.”

Charlie reached out with a shaky hand and clutched Mackenzie’s wrist. The old man’s crippled fingers dug deep, surprising Mackenzie with his strength. “Did you bring my satchel?”

Mackenzie tried to picture which case he was talking about. “Do you mean your suitcase?”

“No. My shoulder satchel. It’s tanned leather with a metal clasp at the front. I had it in the plane.” Fear showed in his pale blue eyes.

“Um, I didn’t see it.”

“You must find it. I need it.” Charlie’s fingers trembled as he pleaded.

“Okay. Calm down, buddy. I’ll get it after you’ve eaten.”

“No. Now!” Charlie released his grip. “Please?”

Mackenzie feared Charlie was about to cry. “Okay, I’ll go right now.” What’s so important about that satchel? He patted Charlie’s bony shoulder and turned to Abigail. “You stay with him. I’ll get the satchel and come straight back.”

She touched his forearm. “Be careful.”

Mackenzie dashed along the same path they’d travelled the day before, noting the temperature was even hotter than the previous couple of days. He wiped sweat from his temple. High in a tree, he caught sight of two yellow birds with long, black beaks trotting along a mossy branch. He paused to watch them for a few seconds.

He cocked his head at a strange noise, a distant thump, thump, thump .

His heart exploded in his chest as he turned and ran.

“A helicopter!”

It sounded like a big chopper too. The thump was heavy and slow. He imagined a large army helicopter with two propellers travelling slowly overhead.

“Here we are!”

Thump, thump, thump . It was getting louder.

“Here. We’re down here!” He ran, waving his arms in the air like crazy and ignoring the branches whipping his skin.

He dove into the clearing. “A helicopter. We’re saved. ”

Abigail was at Charlie’s side and snapped toward him. “Where?”

“I heard it. Help me make the fire bigger.”

Mackenzie tossed anything he could get his hand on, onto the fire. Clothes, wood, scraps of rubbish, Rodney’s suitcase. “We’re saved, Charlie.”

He grinned at Abigail.

“I told you they wouldn’t give up.” For the first time since he’d met her, her smile lit up her face, changing her appearance completely.

“You were right.” Caught up in the moment, he hugged her to his chest, but released her quickly when he realised what he’d done. “Keep throwing things on the fire.”

The fire grew quickly, and thick black smoke floated in great clouds up to the sky. Mackenzie stepped back to watch it and was certain it was escaping the tree canopy. He couldn’t hear the chopper anymore but wasn’t fazed. The smoke would get their attention.

He glanced at Abi. She was at the luggage with her makeup case open in her hand.

“What’re you doing?”

“Getting ready. I can’t look like this when I’m rescued.”

Mackenzie shook his head. He couldn’t imagine being so uncomfortable in your own skin that you had to hide behind makeup.

He crawled in beside Charlie. “We’re saved, buddy.”

“They took their time.”

“Won’t be long now, though. They’re probably working out where to land.” He touched Charlie’s shoulder. “We’ll have you in a hospital in no time.”

The fire was a blazing inferno now with flames leaping into the air and thick smoke rolling skyward. He moved to the clearing to watch it rise. “They must see it.”

Abigail walked toward him. She was in high heels now. Her hair and makeup were perfect. She’d even changed into fresh clothes. “Where are they?” She grinned with carefree excitement, obviously not feeling any of the apprehension Mackenzie was.

“Looking for a place to land, I guess. Let’s pack up our gear.” But as he shoved things back into suitcases a gnawing dread built within him. The rescuers were taking too long, and they hadn’t given any indication that they’d even seen them .

Wouldn’t that be the first thing they’d do?

Rodney’s suitcase was nothing but a skeleton now and as the things beneath it burned away and crumbled to ash, it settled further down. Mackenzie looked over at Rodney. He wanted to believe he was finally taking him home, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“What’s happening?” Abigail looked ridiculous as she sat on her suitcase with her high heels on, and her handbag clutched under her arm. To her right were the charred remains of the fire, to her left was the crumpled wreck, behind her was dense virgin bush, but Abigail was oblivious to it all and looked perfectly ready to step into a limo.

It had been over an hour without any sign and Mackenzie was convinced the rescuers hadn’t seen them. “We were too late.” He drove his hands through his hair.

“Who was too late?”

“We were. With the fire. The smoke. They didn’t see it.”

“What?”

“They didn’t see us. They’d be back by now.”

She stood. “Are you serious?” Fear crept into her expression.

“They would’ve let us know we were seen. Hovered above, dropped something down to us. They wouldn’t just leave without a sign.”

“Oh God.” She fell back onto her suitcase, staring at him wide eyed. “They missed us?”

Mackenzie had no idea what to say as his mind turned over all the likely possibilities.

Maybe they were low on petrol and left to refuel?

Were they getting help?

Maybe they landed a long distance away and were now walking back to them.

But the most obvious explanation was they hadn’t seen them.

“Jesus Christ!” He screamed at the sky.

“What are we going to do?”

“Nothing we can do. They can’t see us. We can’t contact them. It’s bullshit.”

“They might come back.”

“That might’ve been our one and only chance.”

Mackenzie sat by the fire and watched, heartbroken, as the last of Rodney’s suitcase crumbled to ash and vanished .

Was that what’s going to happen to us?

Are we destined to disappear without a trace?