Page 146 of The Island

Night was coming.

All this time, Tom had been getting more and more agitated. He had finally worked out that they had given him a dud walkie-talkie.

He got it now.

He’d thought the O’Neills were really going to let them go, but when they’d taken him out here, whatever he’d seen had made him realize it was a trap.

Heather watched through the binoculars as he struggled and failed to get to his feet.

“They’re here! Run, Heather! Take the kids and keep running!” he yelled from broken lungs and collapsed back into the chair.

Two of the men hiding in the dirt immediately got up with their shotguns. Two others stayed put but moved enough so that she clocked them.

There were four of them dug into the ground around the tree; they’d been waiting for her in prepared foxholes.

Clever. Matt’s idea, no doubt.

Heather didn’t run.

Didn’t move a muscle.

“Thank you, Tom,” she whispered.

She lay down next to the rifle.

The O’Neills were waiting to spring a trap.

She could wait too.

Patience was her weapon.

She turned off the walkie-talkie and lay there.

Finally, big Ivan climbed out of his foxhole and waved to the others.

“I’m calling this, lads,” he said.

There were four of them, just as she’d thought: Matt, Kate, Danny, Ivan.

Kate took the opportunity to throw up. Matt leaned over and dry-heaved. “Bloody bitch!” Kate said. They all looked sick. The water had poisoned them, and Heather was glad they’d had to lie there so long feeling terrible.

Ivan walked over to Tom. He was carrying something in his hand.

His plan B.

It was a jerrican of gasoline.

“This is your last chance to do something, Heather!” he yelled into the spinifex. “Whatever your plan is, Heather, it’s not going to work. We’re bringing more dogs tomorrow. We will find you.”

“No cops have come looking for you, Heather! No one has any idea you’re here! We’ll bloody get you,” Kate said.

“This is petrol, Heather. You really want me to do this, or do you want to give up? Last chance!”

Heather swallowed hard.

“All right, then, watch this!” Ivan said as he poured the gasoline over Tom. They were going to burn him alive in the chair.

She had only one round left. She couldn’t kill all four of them.