Outback Thunder (15 page)

She counted to ten
before answering.                                                                              

"I'm fine
Bran, just fine." Zoe tipped her head as a bunch of noisy cockatoos flew
over the waterhole. She stood and listened to her brother berate her for not
calling him and taking things into her own hands.

"If you've
quite finished with your little spit Brandon I'm calling in to let you know
where I am. South waterhole number eighty-two. No sign of Jonas yet so I'll
head east for an hour then set up camp. Over."

"You call me
as soon as you stop, Zoe. I can get the truck out to you if you need me."
She could hear the worry in his voice but she was more concerned with Jonas
than her brother’s bossiness.

"No worries.
Talk soon. Over and out." Zoe took hold of the reins and mounted the horse
again, tucking the radio in her shirt pocket. The terrain she was riding was
too rugged for the truck and they all knew that but she wasn't about to argue
with him. Once the storm hit there was no chance of getting a vehicle out here,
it would be stuck in the black mud before it got anywhere near her. Horses were
the only way around the farm during this time of year once the wet set in. With
luck she would find Jonas in an accessible spot. She turned Midnight east and
set off at a steady gallop determined to cover as much ground as possible
before nightfall.

By the time she
conceded it was getting too dark to continue, Zoe had come across nothing more
than the odd stray cow and a few kangaroos. She took the saddle from her horses
back and let him go, knowing that he wouldn't wander far from her. After she
had gathered enough firewood to see her through the night she sat down on a log
and called Brandon.

"Bran, do you
copy?"

"I'm here,
Zoe. Any news your end?"

"No, not a
thing. Have you tried calling him again?"

"Every five
minutes. I'm getting worried. This is so not like Jonas."

Her stomach
clenched and she breathed deeply pushing down the nausea threatening to
surface. "I'll find him, I have to."

"Keep in
touch, kiddo. I'll ride out at daybreak so let me know where you are
headed." Brandon signed off.

Too ill to eat,
Zoe made a mug of tea and sat watching the flames until her eyelids started to
droop. She rolled out her swag and snuggled in wishing it was sunrise already.

A heavy drop of
rain smacked down on her cheek quickly followed by another and another. Zoe
opened her eyes and cursed the rumbling clouds filling the sky. Lightning
cracked and lit up the dark dawn sky. The fire was almost down to a few glowing
coals sizzling under the onslaught of huge drops.

She shuffled out
of her swag and pulled on her boots before rolling her bed up and tying it
tight. Midnight was standing with his back to the breeze and his head hanging
low. Zoe grabbed his reins and he stood quietly while she saddled him up. Zoe
thanked Pete for adding the Drizabone and managed to get it on before she was
soaked through. Pulling her hat down hard on her head, she mounted her horse.

Another long
rumble filled the valley and she cursed. "Bloody outback thunder and rain.
The last thing I need right now." A crack of lightning startled her and
she shook her head. "I never used to be this skittish, must have gone soft
living in London."

Turning her horse
west, she pulled the two way from her pocket and gave the directions to
Brandon. "I camped at the same spot as last time and left you a marker in
case you miss it. I've turned west now and heading toward the gully
paddocks." She shivered, her legs now cold from the rain that had soaked
her jeans. "It's pouring now, no hope of a vehicle getting out here. Bring
a spare horse, Bran."

"On my way,
Zoe. Keep in touch, over and out."

She slid the radio
in her pocket and bowed her head against the wind, pushing her horse forward.

The wind drove the
rain into her face despite the wide brim of her Akubra. It dripped off her nose
and ran down the back of her neck. To think that yesterday it was sunny and
tropical. Now it was Mother Nature taking over and showing how much water she
could dump in a short space of time. Normally it was one of the things Zoe
loved about living where she grew up. The wet season gave the farm new life in
many ways. The rain filled the dams and turned the pastures green once more.
The hay paddocks grew ready for harvest and the stock filled out without having
to search for green food.

The thunder
rumbled over her head followed by the crack of lightning that hit a ghost gum
to her right. A large branch crashed to the ground, and the earth beneath her
trembled.

For hours, Zoe
searched only stopping to give Brandon an update on her position and let him
know that she was okay. She had searched the obvious spots along the way with
no sightings of the chopper or Jonas.

She told Brandon
that she was heading for Black Tree Gully next. If there was no sign there she
would call in and they would decide together the next search area.

Midnight plodded
along in the sticky mud, his hooves making squelching noises each time he
lifted his foot. They were down to walking now, the ground too slippery to risk
galloping unless it was urgent.

No point in
asking for trouble.

Zoe pulled her horse
up and surveyed the gully below her. She slid from the saddle to the soggy
ground and dropped the reins. Taking her hat off, she ran her hand over her
face wiping the rain away. Her eyes skimmed the trees for any evidence of an
accident or remains of a red and white helicopter hoping that she wouldn't find
any. She searched the area going over it grid by grid finding nothing.
Frustrated she started again, this time looking from left to right hoping that
going the opposite way her eyes might pick up something.

Shaking her head
Zoe jammed her hat back on and turned to mount Midnight and continue the search
when a flicker of light glinted in the dense trees below.

"Holy fuck,
that has to be him. Oh please, please let him be alright." She mounted and
turned her horse to the track that led down to the gully below, mindful she
could slip and land in a heap at anytime. With her heart pounding Zoe moved
down the hill.

When she reached
the bottom she breathed out a sigh of relief and stood for a minute to get her
bearings. Pushing through the thick undergrowth she headed to where she thought
the light had glinted off something. Her breath was coming in quick pants and
Zoe tried not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Jonas,
Jonas, answer me," she shouted her voice echoing back to her.

There was no sound
other than the drizzle of rain landing on the already soaking vegetation and
the suck and plop of her horse’s hooves. "Jonas."

Zoe scanned back
and forth through the scrub looking for any sign of life.

"Z-Zoe?"
A voice called faintly through the bush.

"Jonas,"
she screamed and pushed her horse forward. They broke through a thick patch of
bush into a small clearing. The chopper was tilted to one side, its rotor blade
broken and hanging like a torn bird’s wing. The door was hanging open and Jonas
was propped up inside on an angle, blood running down his deathly pale face.

She slid from her
horse and ran toward him great gulping sobs coming from her throat. Zoe gripped
the door of the chopper and peered in at him. There was a gash across his
forehead that gaped open, showing white bone. He was gripping his left arm
against his body. As she gazed at him unable to believe he was alive, the tears
came. Gut wrenching sobs escaped her lips and she lifted a hand to still them.

Jonas sighed and
tried to smile at her but it ended in a grimace instead.

"God, Jonas.
You had me so worried." Zoe sniffed and wiped the snot and tears from her
rain-soaked face.

She reached up and
brushed the hair from his forehead. "I can't believe I found you. You
scared the shit out of me." Zoe leaned in and laid her lips gingerly on
his calmer now the initial shock had receded and the survivor instinct kicked
in. "Is that arm broken?"

"Yeah, pretty
sure it is."

She wiped more
tears from her face with the heels of her hand and gave a shaky laugh.
"What happened?"

****

Jonas closed his
eyes and groaned as another rush of pain washed over him. He had almost given
up hope of being found and the sight of Zoe made him regret every cross word or
thought he had aimed in her direction. He could almost forgive her the last
wasted years they had been apart. He opened his eyes and licked his dry lips.
She was beautiful and it hit him hard in the guts. He loved her desperately.
Not just lusted over her body but deeply loved her and wanted her by his side
for the rest of his life. Now he just had to get out of here and convince her
they were meant to be more than friends. He was ready to commit and do the
whole marriage and kids thing. Something she had wanted years before.
I just
hope to hell I'm not too late.

"What can I
do, Jonas?" She looked in the cockpit. "Do you have a big first aid
kit in here? I've only got the basics."

"Yep,"
he nodded his head and regretted it when his vision went blurry. "Under
the seat, um, sorry." He breathed slowly through his mouth until the pain
abated. "Phew, that hurts the head. Under the other seat there is a pretty
big one."

Zoe took off her
Drizabone and flung it over the front of the chopper and added her hat to the
pile. Then she walked around to the other side and climbed up on the rail to
open the door. He watched her struggle to get in on an angle and retrieve the
kit. When she scrambled out he breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes
again.

"Here, have a
sip of this," she said holding a water bottle to his lips. "Just a
small sip, okay?"

"Thanks."
Jonas let the water trickle down his parched throat. He startled when her
fingers touched his forehead, exploring the cut. He knew it was still bleeding
and he was growing weaker by the hour. He hadn't been able to do anything to
help himself, slipping in and out of conciseness.

"Sorry, but I
think I need to clean this up before infection sets in. It doesn't look too
good and we need to stop the bleeding."

Zoe opened the kit
and rummaged around until she found what she wanted and stood back up with a
tube of saline in her hand and a handful of wipes. She twisted the top off the
saline and leaned over him. The coolness of the liquid was soothing and Jonas
started to relax, the thought of being safe easing his tense muscles.

Zoe wiped around
the cut before getting another tube of saline. She held a folded wipe above his
eye and squirted the liquid in until she seemed happy with the result. Jonas
watched her fold another bandage and tensed when she taped it over the wound
keeping pressure on it. He winced when she pressed a little bit too hard.

"Sorry, but I
want it to be covered and it would be a good idea to stop the bleeding before
we even attempt to move you." She gazed into his face, a small frown on
her forehead. "It's pretty bad. I reckon Doc is going to want to stitch
that one real good." She stood back and admired her handy work.
"You'll have a devastating scar to show off." Zoe tilted her head to
one side and locked eyes with him sending warmth through his frozen pain
wracked body.

"Thanks."

"Now, your
arm." She frowned again and Jonas tensed his fingers around the broken
limb reluctant to have anyone touch it.

"I think it's
a clean break if that is any help." He watched Zoe find a triangle bandage
and cock her head at him. "What?"

"I don't want
to move you but I'm not sure how to do this."

"You'll have
to climb back in the other side again." Jonas chewed on his bottom lip
while he thought. "I will have to sit forward to give you room to put that
sling on."

"Are you
going to be okay?"

"No, it hurts
enough now but at least when you put the sling on at it will be more secure
than me holding it. Every time I doze off I let go and jar it. One big dose of
pain will be better than a heap of little episodes."

***

Zoe lifted her
chin in the air and wiped the rain from her face before squaring her shoulders.

I can do this,
I can.

She went around to
the other side of the chopper. Gripping the door frame tight, she climbed in.
Once she was settled in the tilted seat she turned to Jonas. "Okay, here's
what we are going to do. When I give the word I want you to lean forward. I'll
slide this under your arm lifting it as little as I can, tying it up."

Jonas nodded but
said nothing. The sweat was breaking out on his forehead but he held it
together while she spoke.

"Then you can
sit back and I can pin the corner of it up, okay?"

"Sure."

Zoe held the sling
out in front of her to get it straight so she caused him as little discomfort
as possible. "Okay, lean forward."