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Craig woke to a pain in his neck and a pounding headache that came from being clobbered on the back of his head. It hurt like buggery, and it took a moment for Craig’s eyes to adjust, as he winced through the pain, rolling onto his back on the hallway floor.

The front door was open, allowing the breeze to carry a fine film of dust across the floor where his broken teacup lay. ‘Izzy?’

He sat up, rubbing the base of his skull to ease the pain.

There was the distinct sound of tyres popping and crunching on the gravel, but he didn’t hear an engine.

He crawled across to the door and used the frame to get to his feet, but it was too late. He couldn’t see them anywhere.

‘IZZY?’

Poor Izzy, she’d been right all along. Her fears that they’d find her now realised. And it was his fault, because she was only staying here to help him.

His heart hammered with a whole new kind of fear that left a horrible metal taste in his mouth. ‘ Think. ’

Even with his head pounding, Craig couldn’t run after her. But he could track.

Biting through the pain, he hobbled past the kitchen to the side bench near the back door. There, he slid on his hat, scooped up his phone and car keys, and chomped down some painkillers that had been sitting on the kitchen bench. He then scrolled through the phone numbers, to the new one Izzy had only put in yesterday. It was Finn’s.

‘Stock Squad,’ mumbled the gruff voice on the other end of the phone line.

‘Finn, it’s Craig. Izzy’s been kidnapped.’ The words alone made his heart skip in panic, but he wouldn’t let it overwhelm him. He needed to save his wife.

‘What the hell for?’

He grabbed a water jug from the fridge, slamming it shut behind him. ‘I’ve just found out Izzy’s been hiding out here from Everlight Energy. They’re a front for pilfering federal money.’ Craig quickly explained the story as he unlocked his gun cabinet and removed his rifle, grabbing a box of bullets. He slid his hunting knife onto his belt, as he gulped down water to rid that bitter taste of painkillers and fear, then slipped on his boots.

‘Everlight? The same company that bought Dane Carter’s place?’ Finn was shuffling paper in the background.

‘They’re trying to go national. And last night Izzy told me that the information she’s uncovered has the potential to ignite a political firestorm, that could threaten the reputations of several powerful figures.’

‘Are you kidding me?’ Finn’s voice just got a hell of a lot deeper with a lethal edge to it, too.

‘I wish I was, mate.’ Craig used the rifle like a walking stick to follow the tracks that ran down the back of the property, and not the driveway. He could see the direction they were taking. But it was the type of tyre tread that gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. ‘Finn, they’re driving an ATV. The same six-wheeler that was used to steal Wraith. I recognise the tread.’

‘ Dammit . Where are they headed?’

‘Don’t know, but I’m following their tracks now. They’re only ten minutes in front of me.’ Craig ripped open his ute’s door, tossed his rifle across the passenger seat with the box of bullets, and dropped heavily onto his seat behind the wheel.

‘URGH!’ The pain in his leg was excruciating. He saw stars as he tried to push in the heavy clutch. Huffing through the pain, he slammed the ute’s gears into neutral and was at least able to start the engine. He then wiped down the sweat from his face and prepared himself for the next bout of pain.

‘Can you drive?’ Finn demanded over the phone.

Craig didn’t answer that, gritting his teeth, pushing his leg down onto the clutch to at least get it into first gear, and the ute started rolling.

‘Craig, what are you doing?’

‘I’m following their tracks…’ Leaving the driver’s door open, he leaned down to study the soil while the ute rolled slowly across the rough terrain. ‘We’re about to lose phone signal. My house phone only goes so far, and we don’t get mobile reception out here.’

‘Do you have a UHF radio in your ute?’

‘I do.’ The air conditioning and car radio might not work, but his two-way radio did.

‘Good. Switch to channel 61 until I can get you kitted out with one of ours. In the future, you’ll get a satphone, too. Just keep following those tracks, and we’ll catch up. But do not engage. Do you hear me?’

‘Just get here. Now.’ Because Izzy’s life depended on it.