Dead Tropics (33 page)

As the boat pulled away from the jetty, I turned back to Mike. He struggled beneath two corpses on the bottom of the boat. Grimacing, he held one corpse at arm's length as it snapped its teeth above him. The other lay pinned beneath Mike's body at a right angle, its arms clawing at Mike's face and shoulders.

Pulling out my parang, I stood beside him and with one slice, decapitated the creature below him.

"Thanks." Mike grunted, throwing the other corpse off him. Scrambling to his feet, he calmly put a bullet through its' brain and threw it overboard.

Moving to take control of the boat, Mike smiled tiredly at me. "Good job."

"Thanks." I responded weakly, finding a seat before my legs collapsed under me. "Could you tell it was my first time starting an engine?"

The clouds that had been so heavy with rain all night finally released their burden. Rain dripped down our faces as we pulled away from the pier. As we drew parallel with the group on the beach. Mike switched off the engine. I looked at him in surprise.

"Lori, there's something we need to talk about."

I flushed. "Mike, I'm sorry...God, I'm just not ready for another man in my life."
Another place, another time. Why did life have to be so complicated?

"Lori." He interrupted. I stopped, hearing a deep sadness in his voice I had never heard before.

"Mike?" Foreboding filled me.

Rather than answer me, he pulled off his shirt. As I blinked at him, startled, he turned his back. Even in the dim pre-dawn light, I could see the small bloody wound on his shoulder as the rain dripped down his smooth skin.

My mind couldn't, wouldn't, accept what it was seeing.
It's not a bite, it couldn't be.
Slowly, Mike turned back to face me. As I raised my eyes to his face, he shrugged, an ironic lift to his lips. "I guess we're out of miracles."

6

"Mike?" I whispered. A silent cry spun repeatedly in my head.
No, no, no.
Not Mike, not my Mike.
"Please tell me that's not a bite."

He pulled his shirt back on and sat down beside me. "I wish I could."

I gazed at his profile as he stared at his hands, grappling with his own thoughts.
He's going to die.

It seemed impossible. In just two days, his face had become as familiar to me as my own face in the mirror - the square jaw with the dimpled chin, the curve of his top lip that hinted at an inner romantic, the broken nose and the calm grey eyes that seemed to read me like a book. How could it be possible that I would never look upon that face again?

Oh God, this can't be happening.
Tears blurred my vision. Mike looked up, rain dripping slowly off his face. He reached out, cradling my cheek in his hand.

"Tears for me?" He asked, his thumb gently stroking the tears away.
It's raining, how can he tell?
I wondered vaguely as I tried to blink the tears away.

"Yes, tears for you, you bloody idiot." I hissed fiercely at him as the tears turned into uncontrollable sobs. My body shook with the violence of my grief. Why couldn't I stop?
Oh Mike, Mike, Mike.

Mike gathered me into his arms, covering my face with soothing feathery kisses. I flung my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his with hungry, desperate need. He pressed his lips hard against mine as his hands entwined in my wet hair. I wanted,
needed
, to feel his lips, his hands, his body against mine. I gasped as he traced my neck with his mouth, hands kneading my hips against his. He murmured endearments against my lips and kissed away the tears that mingled with the rain.

"I would have loved you for a lifetime, Lori." He whispered against my hair. It was too much. My heart felt as if it would break. I leant my head against his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart.

"Please don't leave me, Mike." I knew it was a cruel, childish thing to say but I couldn't help myself. I was already grieving my loss, even as he stood before me, still alive and healthy. "Oh, God, I'm sorry, Mike. That wasn't fair of me. God, you're the one who was bitten and yet you're consoling
me! But it's so damned unfair
!"

"Sssh." Mike pressed me closer to his chest. "It is what it is, Lori." We clung to each other silently for a long moment.

With a sigh, he slid his arms away from me and stepped back. In my eyes, I let him see all the things I couldn't say. His eyes softened as he smiled that familiar, slow smile. His eyes rose as he stared over my shoulder at the horizon. I followed his gaze and saw the soft glow of the dawn lighting the distant skyline. We had run out of time.

Mike straightened. "Do me a favour. When we get to the beach don't tell the others."

I swallowed a painful lump in my throat. "Why?"

"I'm not leaving with you." He held up his hand to forestall my protest. "I'm not going to make you guys responsible for putting me down when I turn and I
sure
as hell don't want you to remember me as one of
them
. I want to be able to leave without a fuss."

Without waiting for a response, Mike restarted the engine. My stomach churned with the need to say something and the helplessness of knowing that nothing I said would change anything.

As Mike brought the boat close in to shore, I did a quick head count and saw with relief that everyone on the shore was accounted for. Mike put down the anchor and we waded out into the shallows.

"Thank God!" Kaye cried as she hurried forward. "You were out there for so long - I thought something had gone wrong!"

I avoided looking at Mike. "We're fine but we really need to get going."

Michele stopped before me and grasped my hand tightly. "I was so worried, mum." Her eyes were shiny with tears.

I squeezed her hand. "I know. I'm sorry, but I'm fine."
My heart is broken but I'm okay.

Jessie shyly smiled at me as she paused with Phoebe in her arms. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm tough," I smiled. "like you."

Mike came up beside me and rubbed his dog's head. The sadness in his eyes made my eyes sting. I looked away quickly.

"I want you to have Phoebe, Jessie. She seems to have taken a shine to you." I heard Mike murmur. Jessie gasped in delight. I walked away, eyes blurring.

As the others waded through the water towards the anchored speedboat, babies in arms, I fought to contain my emotions. Mike moved towards me with shuttered eyes.

"Time for you to go, too, Lori."

My throat tightened in panic. It was too soon. I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Mike, please, don't do this. Maybe you won't turn..."

He smiled wryly. "I think we both know that's not true."

I gazed at him, trying to soak up every detail of his face, the way he was looking at me, the light in his eyes. My shoulders sank in defeat.

"Goodbye, Mike." I whispered.

With a small nod of acknowledgement, Mike passed by me and started walked up the face of the dune. Impulsively, I called after him. "I could have loved you for a lifetime, too, Mike."

He turned and grinned that familiar crooked grin at me. "Well, hell, maybe next time round, eh?"

I watched Mike until I could no longer see him, all the while hoping against hope that he would change his mind. As he disappeared over the top of the dune, I cried out his name, but he did not turn back.

Feeling a weight on my chest that made it hard to breathe, I forced myself to turn away and wade out to the boat.

"Where's Mike?" Ken frowned as I pulled myself in.

"He's not coming." I forced out numbly. "He was bitten."

"Oh no..." Kaye stared at me, a hand rising to cover her mouth.

I shrugged, struggling to breathe past the tightness in my throat.

"Such is life."

****

Overloaded as it was, the speedboat surged rapidly through the water making for Jorge's Patch. As the sun rose above the horizon, I could almost hear the tick tock of my waterlogged and now defunct watch.
Go, go, go,
it seemed to shout at me. With every mile we put between Cairns and us, the more anxious I became. Are we far enough away yet? How far away do we have to be?

"Carrying this amount of weight, we've probably only got a few hours of petrol. If we don't intercept Joe's boat within the next hour, we're going to have to think about heading for one of the islands to refuel." Ken observed. Michele sent me an anxious look.

"We'll find him." I reassured her.
We have to.

Half an hour later, the drizzle ended, much to our relief, allowing the warmth of the day to dry our clothes. We scanned the horizon for any sign of a fishing boat.

"Are you sure this is the way Uncle Joe and Uncle Andy went?" Michele asked, binoculars glued to her face.

"Unless they changed their plans when they were underway, yes." It was the first time the thought had occurred to me, and I felt sick at the knowledge that we might miss them altogether.

Twenty minutes later, Lucas spotted a boat on the horizon. As Ken set the speedboat on an intercept path with them, Michele stood beside me at the front of the boat.
It had to be them.
As we neared the fishing boat, I strained my eyes to see the name on the side of the vessel.

"It's the
Sea Princess
!" I yelled. "It's their boat!"

Michele screamed and hugged me excitedly. We danced in a circle like kids - not the easiest thing to do on a crowded speedboat.

The
Sea Princess
slowed and stopped as we neared them. Bumping against their hull, we waved and yelled at the faces appearing over the side. The speedboat seemed so small next to their boat.

"Lori? Michele?" Joe's disbelieving voice drifted across. "What the hell?"

I searched the faces of the men gathering at the edge of the boat until I found his familiar thin face. I beamed him a smile of utter relief.

"Uncle Joe!' Michele screamed, a cry quickly taken up by Sarah and Alex.

"Kaye!" Andy appeared beside Joe, looking bewildered. The noise rose to chaotic levels for a few minutes as his wife and children greeted him ecstatically.

The captain of the ship stepped forward. "Would any of you like to explain to me what is going on?"

"Yes. May we come on board, first?"

He nodded. Minutes later, the speedboat was tied up alongside and the group had started to move across. I lingered for a moment and then, without really knowing why, I unwrapped the pistol from its' waterproof covering and stuck it in my belt. Maybe I just felt naked without a weapon these days.

Stepping onto the boat, I saw my brother embracing Sarah and Alex tightly, a look of dismay on his face.

His eyes found mine over her head, a look of confusion and disbelief in them. Then he stood up and strode over to me. I found myself enveloped in my brother's arms. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around him and allowed the comforting feel of his embrace to seep through my body.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern, pulling away to search my face. "Lori, what the hell
happened
?!"

I sighed. "It's a long story."

Turning to Michele and Lucas, I asked them to take the babies and Jessie downstairs and find something to feed them. It had been a long night for all of us.

Sitting around the deck, Kaye, Ken and I outlined the situation to the captain, Joe, Andy and the three other men who had been on the fishing expedition. There was silence for a long time after we finished.

"It did seem odd that we couldn't raise anyone on the radio..." The captain murmured. A tanned, rugged man in his forties, he seemed competent and sensible. "But I'm sorry, you must understand that this story is
beyond
incredible."

I nodded, looking at the stunned faces around me. "I know. But it's the truth."

He nodded grimly. "Maybe." He stood up decisively. "But you must realise that I cannot take your word at face value."

I nodded. "Take us down to Townsville and then you will soon find out what we're saying is true."

He snorted. "Going several hours out of my way to verify your story would make me a laughing stock. I can be back in Cairns in no time and then I'll see for myself if there is any truth to your story."

Ken bolted upright before I could open my mouth to protest. "Are you crazy? Did you hear anything we had to say about nuclear bombs about to be dropped?"

The captain nodded. "I heard you. You have to be mistaken."

Kaye, Ken and I looked at each other with various degrees of frustration and anxiety on our faces. We knew that it was madness to go back. How the hell were we going to convince this man who now held our lives in his hands?