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Hopefully with Gina as a passenger.

Heather had promised her she was all right. She had food and water and the hut Heather had left her in was locked. The river hut was about two kilometres past Bill’s house at Black Jungle Springs. It had once been a residence but now the family used it as a fishing shack in the dry season.

Ellie knew the area well; it was on the South Alligator River scenic flight run. The only thing that worried her was how close the hut was to the water. The place was a crocodile haven. If Gina had somehow managed to escape during the night . . .

She swallowed, pushing the thought away. Surely she would know not to go wandering along the edge of the river.

Please God.

Ellie opened the hangar and took a quick look around. It had been locked up and everything looked okay. Maybe she had left the gate unlocked in her rush to get away from that jerk yesterday. She grabbed her small first-aid kit and ran for the helicopter and threw it in onto the passenger seat. A quick pre-flight check was enough; neither machine had been up since she’d refuelled and checked them yesterday. Ellie ran her hands along the skids, checked the rotors and looked over the fuel tanks. Still good; everything in place.

She closed her eyes for a second as an image of Kane doing his three checks pushed into her thoughts. Yeah, she’d probably been too hard on him. She’d apologise later.

Chapter 34

7.15 am Saturday

Near Black Jungle Springs

Gina had finally drifted into a light doze just before dawn. The baby had given an almighty kick in the middle of the night and she’d sobbed with relief. The discomfort was welcome because she knew her baby was alive.

She woke with a start as a bird screeched near the window. Sunlight bathed the room and she opened her eyes and looked around. Her head throbbed with a dull ache behind her temples and her mouth was dry again. Her hands were still bound in front of her stomach; she’d given up on trying to pull them loose in the early hours. Now that it was light, she could see the knot and where to pull at it. Pins and needles pierced her skin but the pain was welcome. It spurred her on. She lifted her wrists and used her teeth to work at the soft towelling tie. The baby kicked again as she grunted and strained. Finally the knot loosened and she was able to pull her hands free. She flexed her fingers as the blood rushed painfully into them. When they stopped burning and the numbness had gone, she braced then pushed herself slowly to a sitting position. Her back ached from lying straight on the hard bed all night.

She reached for the half-full bottle of water and her hands shook as she unscrewed the cap. The water was cool and sweet and soothed her parched throat. When her headache had eased a little, she rolled over to her knees, supporting the baby with one hand and using the other to brace herself on the wall as she rose to her feet.

The hollow ache began low in her back and Gina took a deep breath. When it spread and gripped her belly like a vice, she leaned against the wall with her eyes closed. A trickle of warm fluid ran down her legs. She took another deep breath as the contraction tightened her belly at the same time as the low rumble of an engine reached her.

Gina clutched her stomach as she stood, and crossed the room to the window. A black SUV had pulled up on the road beside the house and a tall man dressed in dark jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt got out of the driver’s side.

Thank God. Whoever he was, he could get her out of here. She needed to get to a hospital. She ran to the door and lifted her hands to the lock. Her fingers fumbled as she hurried.

‘Help! Help me!’

The man turned to her with a smile as she opened the door. She sagged with relief as he walked across from the car, but the relief was short lived. The baby pressed down on her bladder and she fought the building pressure as a shaft of pain speared down her right leg. Another contraction.

He stepped up onto the first step. ‘Mrs Johnson?’

‘Yes. But, how do you –’

Oh, Dio. He knew who she was.

‘What a pleasure to meet you.’ His eyes were cold as he put his hands together in front of him. Before she could push the door shut and lock it, the deep throb of an approaching helicopter vibrated through the small building. As he turned to look up, she slammed the door and ran.

A line of cupboards with a small sink and stove ran along the back wall of the room she was in. There was an external door at the end of the cupboards and when she reached it, she flicked the lock over and pushed it open. Two narrow concrete steps led down to an open expanse of overgrown grass which edged the thick forest. Gina shivered. She couldn’t bring herself to step outside. Her feet were bare and she would be exposed and in full view.

Her speed was limited by the contractions and she could have another one any minute. Her breathing hitched into frightened sobs as she turned from the open door and quickly crossed to the door at the side of the room. It led into a small bedroom, but there was nothing in there and nowhere to hide. She looked from side to side as she hurried back into the larger room. The front door shook as the man pushed his weight against it. Gina ran back to the small kitchen. A tall pantry was situated on the other side of the small stove and she pulled the door open. The bottom shelf ran the width of the double door and she crouched down and squeezed herself in. Putting her hand beneath the door, she pulled it shut just as the front door burst open. At the same time, the helicopter roared over the house and the building shook. She bit her lip and held her breath as the next contraction built.

*

Ellie banked her bird to the left and looked down to the monsoon forest below her. She’d been in the air for fifteen minutes. The silver sheen of the South Alligator River glistened to the north-west as she swooped over the top of the Gunbumbuk range. She was only a few minutes from her destination.

Please. Please let Gina be okay.

As the forest cleared and she approached the wetlands signalling the edge of the river, Ellie glanced down at her watch; Jock would be in the office by now. She flicked the radio switch and called the base.

‘Ellie to base. Ellie to base. Come in Jock.’

The reply was instant. ‘Ellie, where are you? What are you doing up so early. Did you have a sunrise flight?’