Kakadu Sunset (6 page)

So that’s all they were going to get. Ellie was conscious of Kane’s thigh pressed against hers and she moved away a fraction as the guys told Kane they were all locals.

‘Roster went up this afternoon.’ Heather winked at Ellie and leaned across her to speak to Kane. ‘You get a ground tour of the park tomorrow. I hear you’ve already had the one from the air today.’ A sexy little laugh that Ellie knew was purely for Kane’s benefit escaped Heather’s lips. ‘I’m stuck on office duty and you get to go exploring with Miss Ellie here.’

‘What’s the go?’ Ellie ignored Heather’s flirting. ‘Did you say grand tour or ground tour?’

‘Ground, sweetie. There’s a car in the car park down at Jim Jim Falls.’

‘How did it get there?’

Terry leaned over and spoke loudly above the noise from the now crowded bar. ‘We had a medical evacuation last week. Some guy broke his ankle.’ He shook his head. ‘It wasn’t just that he wasn’t fit enough to make the trek. Would you believe he weighed a hundred and fifty kilos? The idiot jumped off a boulder at the end of the track and busted up his leg. Had to be choppered out.’

Ellie frowned. ‘Are the falls open? Have the park staff finished the crocodile management already?’

‘Yep, they opened up the falls the other day. Crocs are clear.’ Terry drained his beer and stood up. ‘But no one’s had a chance to go down and get the car, so –’ Terry’s white teeth flashed in his dark-skinned face as he turned to Kane ‘– you get the pleasure of Ellie’s company and get to see one of the best places in the park. And I get to go check on crocodile traps along the West Alligator with old Bill. I know where I’d rather be.’

Kane shot her a strange glance and heat warmed Ellie’s cheeks as the laughter surrounded them. ‘You have a nice day out on the water, Terry. At least you and Bill get to go out in one of the air-boats. We’ll be stuck in a car most of the day.’ She turned to Heather. ‘How come you got office duty tomorrow?’

‘No kids booked into the crèche and Jan has to go to Darwin, so I’m in charge.’ Her grin was impish and Ellie resisted looking at Kane to see his reaction.

None of my business
. ‘Well, if we’re driving all the way to Jim Jim and back tomorrow, I think I’d better get an early night.’

Steve leaned across the table and placed a soda water in front of Kane. ‘Do us a favour, Els? Be a doll and see to Kane tonight, would you?’

Ellie felt her mouth drop open. ‘See to Kane?’

Heather giggled and Kane’s hands clenched on the table in front of him. Ellie waited for him to make a comment but Steve continued. ‘All I meant was, can you grab the key and show him where his room is, seeing you’re going down to the staff quarters? He’s in number eight, down the back along from your apartment. Keys are in the back of the till. Jan sent them over before she closed up the office.’

‘No worries.’ She stood and put her hand on Heather’s shoulder as she swung her leg over the wooden seat. ‘Night, all. It’s good to be back. I’ll look forward to Sunday night.’ She stood behind Kane and leaned down; it was hard to hear over the noise. ‘Are you ready to come now or do you want to hang around and someone else can show you the way to your room?’ She could almost read Heather’s thoughts:
Pick me, pick me
.

Disappointment flashed across Heather’s face when Kane stood up. ‘I’ll just finish my drink and I’ll be right behind you.’

Crossing to the bar, Ellie leaned over the counter and opened the till. The key was in one of the large change compartments. She reached over and pulled it out, then turned to find Kane had followed her. His gaze didn’t leave her when she held out the key to him. An unwelcome tremble ran down her legs and she scowled, and then instantly regretted it. Just her hormones going crazy.

‘Come on, I’ll show you where your apartment is.’ She forced a smile onto her face. ‘I thought you’d been here a few days?’

Kane’s fingers brushed hers as he took the key and Ellie looked down and saw that his nails were neat and clipped, with no grease staining his fingers. Certainly not the hands of a mechanic. She hadn’t noticed when they’d been up in the air earlier.

‘Yeah, but I only decided to take one of the apartments today.’

She strode off in front of him along the path to the staff quarters. ‘Come on, I’m . . . I’ll show you where to go.’ Ellie had been about to say she was tired and wanted to get to bed, but that would have sounded rude so she closed her mouth.

‘Thank you. Appreciate it.’ Kane’s voice was close and she stopped at the end of the path, surprised again to find him right behind her. His movements were stealthy and a shiver ran down Ellie’s back.

She didn’t know the guy or his background. Just because he had a job at Makowa Lodge meant nothing. Most of the time, Jock was happy to take on anyone with the right certificates. If he was ex-military, Jock would have jumped at the chance to add him to the staff. Generally, the retired service guys were great to work with, even though they never stayed long. Curiosity filled her and she decided to ask Jock about him tomorrow. Kane’s insistence that he was only there to look after the helicopters was a concern for her, so sussing him out with Jock wouldn’t be snooping into his past. After all, she’d be working closely with him, and it appeared he wasn’t going to be forthcoming if the conversation at the table was any indication.

‘What’s the go with the roster?’ His deep voice broke into her thoughts.

‘We have to go down and retrieve a vehicle. One of the lodge guests got hurt.’

He ran a hand through his short hair. ‘Yeah, yeah, I got all that. But why you and me? We’re flight staff.’

‘No, we’re lodge staff. Our primary role is to take the tourists up on scenic flights, or at least mine is.’ Ellie couldn’t resist the dig. ‘But at the beginning of the season, the bookings are usually light, so we take on other duties.’

‘As directed?’

‘You got it. Read your contract, did you?’

‘Well, as long as I don’t have to do childcare duties, I suppose I can cope.’

Ellie couldn’t help the bubble of laughter escaping her lips. ‘I think that’s the first thing we’ve agreed on today.’

Kane looked across at the narrow alley that led to the steps up to the staff apartments. ‘Where should I park my Jeep?’

‘You can bring it round the back if you’ve got a lot of gear to unload, but then you’ll have to park it down behind the kitchens when you’re finished.’ Ellie pointed in the direction of the restaurant. ‘Or in the main car park up the front. I’ll show you where to put it after I show you where your apartment is.’

‘Thanks. I haven’t got much to unload.’ He stepped to the left and walked along beside her. ‘I travel light.’

Yup, a fly-by-nighter for sure
. Well, Heather didn’t mind if they came and went. Ellie pushed away the thought.

‘Just as well, because the staff digs are nothing flash. Just the basics. Most staff choose to live off site. But I’ve lived at the lodge since I started work here.’

‘How come?’

‘It suits me.’ The gravel scrunching beneath their feet on the path was the only sound until they reached the staff quarters at the eastern edge of the complex.

‘The kitchen car park’s down that way.’ When Ellie lifted her arm and pointed, the sensor light came on with a sharp click, bathing them in sudden bright light, and her breath came out in a soft oomph when Kane shoved her behind him in one swift movement. He faced out to the path, peering intently into the darkness and shielding her with his body. Her face was pushed against his back and she couldn’t see a thing.

‘What the fuck are you doing?’ Ellie shoved him hard but it was like pushing into a brick wall.

Kane fell back. ‘I’m sorry. I thought that noise was . . . something else.’ The bright light illuminated his face and there was something in his expression that Ellie hadn’t seen there before. It was as though he was looking right through her.

‘What? Don’t worry, there are no crocs this far from the river, and the fence keeps the dingoes out.’

‘Forget it. I was wrong.’ He held her gaze, his eyes unsmiling. ‘It won’t happen again. I’ll go get my car.’

*

By the time Kane reached the top car park, he’d calmed down and his heart had stopped racing. Christ, one small sound and he’d grabbed her. A bloody security light had clicked on and he’d thought it was a sniper.

He got into his Jeep and drove down to the car park Ellie had pointed out, thinking about how to explain it to her.

The psychologist had warned him this might happen. He’d dismissed it, refusing to admit that he might succumb to post-traumatic stress disorder. Kane disagreed with all that psycho mumbo-jumbo bullshit. It was a weakness he didn’t accept; he was stronger than that.

It was mind over matter, that’s all it took.

Move on. Get over it. Life goes on
.

Getting in the helicopter this afternoon had been bloody hard. But he’d done it, so he supposed that was one achievement he could tick off the list on the way to getting his life back to normal. All he needed now was a shower to wash away his stress.

He stopped behind the kitchen, hefted his kit bag to his shoulder and walked slowly up the steps to the verandah. Ellie’s eyes were narrowed as she looked over at his car.

‘That’s your Jeep? That was
you
this afternoon?’ she asked when he reached the top step.

Shit, what now?

‘Out at the old mango farm on the Arnhem Highway. It
was
you, wasn’t it?’

‘Why? Is there a problem?’

She turned her head back to stare at him and her expression was decidedly unfriendly. ‘You sprayed me – and my car – with gravel when you roared out of the gate like a boy racer.’ Her voice was icy, and it matched her eyes. They regarded him unblinkingly, as cold as flint. ‘What were you doing there anyway?’

‘None of your business. Wait a minute. That was you parked by the gate?’ Now her hands were on her hips and her chin had lifted. ‘What were
you
doing there?’ he said.

‘Looking.’

‘Looking at what?’

‘The house.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t see your car until I reached it or I wouldn’t have driven so fast. Jock asked me to get to the base quickly.’

‘Why were you there?’ she persisted. ‘At the house, I mean?’

‘I was visiting my mother.’

‘Your
mother
?’

‘She moved in there with her husband last month.’

‘Her husband?’

‘Yeah. They moved here while I was –’ He caught himself. No one needed to know where he’d come from. They generally turned him into some sort of a hero or something as soon as they heard Afghanistan. A hero was the one thing he wasn’t.

Her brows drew together. ‘Hold on, Panos Sordina is your
father
? I thought your surname was McLaren.’

‘He’s my
step
father. They’ve only been married a few years. And what’s with the twenty questions?’ Now she was getting under his skin. Not only bossy and sassy, but a sticky beak as well.

Ellie pushed past him and headed along the verandah, without answering. He grabbed her arm; no one was going to treat him like that.

‘Would you like to tell me what’s bugging you?’

She stared at him as she turned. ‘That was the farm where I grew up. Sordina bought it from my . . . my family.’ A dull light came into her eyes as he held her gaze and she moved out of his grip. His fingers tingled where he’d held her. ‘You’re in number eight, third on the left.’

Without another word, she strode along the verandah to her own apartment three doors away. She pushed the door open and went inside. The door closed with a loud
click
behind her.

Kane shrugged and called out before he thought better of it. ‘And it was a pleasure to meet you, too,
babe
.’

He made sure his voice was loud enough to be heard through the closed door.

Thursday night
Parliament House, Darwin

David Johnson didn’t remember the elevator’s descent to the lobby, just the sensation of the frigid air-conditioning blowing on his neck when he stepped through the doors. He clicked the remote control key of his SUV, threw his briefcase on the back seat and climbed in, then sat there for a moment and let the heat warm him. The aftertaste of whisky lingered in his mouth. Never again would he drink it without reliving the feeling that crawled through him at Fairweather’s threat.

David opened the window after he started the car, letting the hot wind of the tropical night blow through his hair.

He didn’t care about Fairweather’s threat to go to the media. That was part of his everyday life. But the threat to his family . . .

David took his position very seriously, and his integrity had seen him through difficult scenarios and many hard decisions. He was all about what was best for the Territory. He would play along with Fairweather and then vote as his conscience – and what was best for the Territory – dictated.

Blackmail wouldn’t wash with him.

Not now. Not ever.

He turned the car out of the parliamentary car park, waved to the security guard and headed for home as the words ‘you have two weeks’ pounded through his head.

Two weeks. Two weeks
. Nowhere near long enough to give considered thought to the two issues and liaise with the committees.

How dare the bastard put me into this position?
But the faces of his children kept filling his vision. David had no doubt that Fairweather would follow through with his threat. He’d seen the power the man wielded over the past two years and knew he would do anything to get his own way.

Anything
.

A cold feeling settled in his gut as he drove along the deserted road. He slowed as the light turned to red in front of him. As he waited for it to change, David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time since he had been Chief Minister, he was unsure of the direction he would take. But one thing he was sure of; until the discussion took place about the mining exploration, he was going to send Gina and the kids out of town. She’d argue but that’s the way it was going to be. When it was over, he’d join them and they could have a family holiday for a few days.