Blank, page 24
“Better me than him.”
“Like I said – nothing personal. You’re an acceptable loss.”
“Except you failed. I’m still alive.”
“That’s not a problem,” she claimed. “You and I will simply fly back to Canberra after the dust has settled.”
Luckman laughed. “Are you gonna make me?”
“Of course not. You’ll come with me voluntarily.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because once you’ve had time to think about it you’ll realise it’s the right thing to do.”
“You just tried to kill me. What the hell makes you think I’d go anywhere with you?”
She considered him coldly. “Clearly that option’s no longer on the table. What needs to happens next is very straightforward, Captain. The General and his allies need time to convince the Government that betraying the Americans was in the national interest. Until then, you need to keep your mouth shut. If the Chinese discover Pine Gap was destroyed without the authority of the Australian Government, they will never contemplate a strategic alliance. Put simply, you will have stopped one war but started another.”
“Why is Shearer so hell-bent on appeasing the Chinese?” Luckman asked her.
“Were China to invade Australia, it is unlikely the Americans would come to our defence.”
“Especially now we, err, someone blew up their base,” Pat pointed out.
“We are at the mercy of the People’s Republic at a time when Australia is the only continent on Earth not facing widespread nuclear meltdown,” said Warrington. “That makes us very valuable real estate. If the Chinese don’t become our strategic partners, they’ll become our conquerors.”
Forty-Eight
As is so often the case with return journeys it seemed as if very little time had passed when they reached the homestead where they had left the police. Several extra units and a scientific van were now in attendance. Luckman’s first impulse was to continue on without stopping, but he realised this amounted to stealing a police vehicle. He was going to need Pollock’s cooperation in the days ahead.
The detective walked over to the car as they pulled up. Luckman wound down a window and screwed up his face in disgust as he was hit by the ripe stench of the corpses.
“I see you’ve picked up a hitchhiker,” said Pollock.
Bell kept the pistol low and out of sight.
“If it’s OK with you,” said Luckman, “I’ll hang onto the car for another hour or two.”
Pollock sighed. “Yeah, I s’pose so.”
“Thanks.”
Pat wound down the driver’s window. “Where’s Warigal?”
“He’s still here with me.”
“We’ll sort it Pat,” Luckman assured him, knowing full well the Paulson murder inquiry was about to fall off the police agenda completely.
“Listen Curtis, the town services have just been shut down. Power, water, the lot. They’ll be out indefinitely.”
“That’s all I bloody need,” the detective cursed, but he immediately grew sceptical. “How the hell would you know about that before I do?”
“Somebody blew up Pine Gap. I reckon that had something to do with it.”
“Are you shitting me?” exclaimed Pollock.
“Oh and one more thing. This woman tried to kill me.”
Pat leaned out the window and pointed at the bullet hole. “She shot your police car.”
“I’m taking her to hospital now because her arm is broken. But she’s dangerous. She needs to be under police guard.”
Pollock shook his head in disgruntled bemusement. “Anything else? No don’t tell me, I don’t wanna know.”
Luckman checked his watch. “It’s now half past four. I’ll meet you back at the station in two hours.”
Detective Pollock waved them off without another word.
“I’m not sure he believes you,” said Pat.
“He’ll find out for himself soon enough.”
“Telling that cop about me was a mistake,” Warrington told Luckman tersely.
Luckman turned on her. “Now you shut your mouth and listen to me. There’s a whole town of people here in need of help. You may not give a damn about that but I do. And I don’t have time to sit by your bedside to keep an eye on you.”
The 4WD lurched as Bell swung the car off the dirt road and back onto Larapinta Drive for the last leg of the trip to town. Mel clutched nervously at Luckman, wrapping her arm around him, burying her head in his chest.
“Which way to the hospital?” asked Bell.
“You need to take me to Shearer’s plane first,” Warrington insisted. “So I can call this in.”
Luckman thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, all right. But we do it my way.”
The airport was deserted. They had to force open the perimeter gate to access the tarmac. Security was non-existent. No alarm sounded, no guards came running as they made their way to Shearer’s jet.
“What’s your code name?” Luckman asked her.
“Finch.”
“And what’s your signal to let them know the base has been destroyed and I’ve been eliminated?
“I’m to say: ‘It’s nightfall in Alice.”
“Will Shearer be there to answer when you call in?”
“I doubt it,” she said.
“OK little Finch, so here’s what you’re going to do – you let whoever’s on that radio know it’s mission accomplished, but insist on speaking to Shearer personally. Say whatever you have to, to get him on the radio.”
“All right,” she agreed cautiously.
“If the next voice I hear is not Neil Shearer, I’ll put a bullet in your skull and leave you in the desert to feed the dingoes. Are we clear?”
She nodded. Bell guided her into the co-pilot’s seat and sat down next to her. There was only room for two in the cockpit, leaving Luckman looming behind Warrington like the angel of death as she hastily adjusted the radio headset.
“Once Shearer’s on the blower you keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking,” he told her.
“What frequency?” Bell asked her.
“Dial up 121.55 megahertz,” she said.
Bell tilted his head questioningly. “That’s only 50 kilohertz shy of the emergency channel.”
Warrington nodded. “Just enough to ensure no-one else will be listening.”
Bell adjusted the radio. “Right you’re good to go,” he confirmed.
He flicked a switch and the radio crackled to life.
“Finch calling Fairway. Finch calling Fairway, over.”
“Go ahead Fairway, over.”
“It’s nightfall in Alice, over.”
“Roger that Finch.”
“Urgent request Fairway – get me Tiger Woods.”
“Say again Finch, over?”
“Tiger. Woods. Now, dammit.”
Luckman leant across the dashboard and switched off the transmitter so they couldn’t be overheard. “Nice work, Finch. Now you keep your beak shut.”
He flicked on the transmitter as the unmistakeable voice of General Shearer boomed through their headphones.
“Woods here. What’s going on Finch?”
“I’m afraid your Finch has had her wings clipped, Tiger,” Luckman informed him. “Now listen carefully: I’ve fulfilled my end of our deal. Now there’s something you are going to do for me.”
* * *
After depositing Max Warrington under armed guard at hospital it was dusk by the time they pulled up in Paulson’s driveway. Pat hopped out of the car and vaulted over the fence. The gate swung slowly open and on Luckman’s instructions Bell drove the 4WD to the garage at the rear of the house.
Luckman turned to face Mel. “I need you to understand me,” he told her. “I can’t stay with you all the time. But I will never be far away.”
She smiled inanely. But as he moved to get out of the car she began to wail like a child.
“It’s OK,” he reassured her.
He lifted her hands and placed them on his temples. She had been inside his head before.
“Read my thoughts,” he told her, repeating the words over and over again like a mantra. “Remember who you are. See yourself through me. Remember.”
He touched her face lovingly and kissed her with the force of a thousand hellos and goodbyes. When their lips parted he thought he caught a moment of recognition but it was gone too quickly for him to be sure. He hadn’t brought her back. But he was certain it was possible. Perrurle had told him as much. She stared at him silently as he retreated. He had at least managed to calm her down.
Through the side window of the garage they saw the Army truck still inside. Both the roller door and the side entrance were locked. Luckman tapped the door and examined the doorframe. Both metal. He picked up a large terracotta pot and smashed the window, cleared the jagged edges of the pane then swung himself through the gap and unlocked the side entrance.
“Paulson used the truck to escape from Altern,” Luckman explained. “Now the psychic defence shield is down people will start remembering what happened. I figure it might help calm them down if they see the Army is still here to look after them.”
“An Army of two,” said Pat.
Luckman smiled. “The cops are going to need all the help they can get.”
The town was engulfed in an inky darkness broken only by the light of the moon as Luckman and Bell arrived at the front of the police station. A crowd had gathered. Several people held torches, some held candles. A minor cheer arose as people noticed the Army truck pulling up but Luckman could already sense the confusion and anger in the air.
There didn’t appear to be much in the way of constructive communication between the townsfolk and the officers of the law. The cops were bunkering down. Uniformed police barred the station’s entrance. Pollock was nowhere in sight. The crowd quickly pressed in on the Army truck and Luckman had to urge people to step back so he could open the door and climb out of the cab. He spotted relief on frightened faces at the sight of his Australian Army uniform. These were business people, councillors and other locals old and smart enough to recognise an emergency when they saw one. These were the people who would need to keep cool heads in this crisis. They would be essential in spreading the word on what was about to happen. Using the running board as a perch, Luckman held up his arms to call for silence.
“My name is Captain Stone Luckman, I’m with the Australian Army. Firstly I can assure you everyone is safe. I have just come from the airport where a short time ago an emergency evacuation order was enacted.”
Evacuation? The implication of the word spread quickly through the crowd.
“The planes will be here by early tomorrow,” Luckman continued. “But I need help from every one of you good people to maintain calm and order. The safest place for everyone tonight is in their own homes. From nine o’clock tonight a strict curfew will be in force. The police and the Army will be out in force on the streets to ensure peace is maintained. I need you all to go to your friends and family now and spread the word. There will be a town meeting in Todd Mall tomorrow morning at eight AM.”
“How do we spread the word?” someone yelled back. “The phones don’t work.”
“Nothing works,” yelled someone else.
“You have cars, you have legs,” said Luckman. “You are the leaders of this community. Do your duty. Spread the word.”
Forty-Nine
The bite of the morning sun had ruddy faces glimmering with sweat and concern as the entire population of Alice Springs packed into the Todd Mall tighter than a Big Day Out mosh pit.
Curtis Pollock was waiting for Luckman behind a hastily erected stage on which the town Mayor was failing valiantly to address the barrage of questions that were already being thrown at him.
“He’s just confirmed the power won’t be coming back on,” Pollock explained, his voice raised to counter the hubbub, made even louder by the clattering petrol generator that was powering the PA system.
“You better get up there.”
Luckman nodded and climbed onto the stage. He gazed appreciatively at the thousands of angry and confused faces and thought there might yet be some hope for the future.
He gestured to the Mayor, indicating he wanted to take a shot at speaking to the mob. The poor man eagerly gave up the microphone and stepped into the background.
“Hello, my name is Captain Luckman. I’m from the Emergency Rescue unit of 6RAR Battalion, now based at Amberley near Brisbane. As most of you are now aware, there has been a major global catastrophe. The Prime Minister has placed the nation under martial law. Until further notice I am in command of all civil authorities in Alice Springs. The failure of this town’s infrastructure is just the beginning of what you are about to confront. Many of you will have noticed a squadron of C-17s landing this morning. In precisely three hours, the Australian Army will begin the permanent evacuation of Alice Springs. You will each be allowed one suitcase of belongings. No more. The Army will coordinate the evac operation. You are to wait in your homes or gather at one of five pre-determined evacuation points.”
* * *
Within 24 hours more than half the town’s population had flown away never to return. The operation ran entirely to plan. Being a town with a deep connection to the military, Alice Springs was one place where a strong show of force on the streets proved reassuring to the vast majority of the town’s residents. Thus there was no panic or disorder. Their oasis in the desert had dried up and it was simply time to leave. People did as they were told because no-one wanted to miss their allotted spot on a military transport.
Luckman had barely slept since the start of the evacuation.
But with the operation in hand and the arrival of a wary and reserved senior officer by the name of Major Mike Brogan to take over command, he gratefully stood down and figured on grabbing a few hours’ rest before sorting out departure arrangements for his friends.
Brogan had not mentioned a word about Pine Gap, although he must have been fully briefed on the situation. Luckman wasn’t about the raise the subject himself. He updated the Major on the evac and then left him to it. He was still driving the police four-wheel-drive – Pollock had told him he might as well keep it.
Pat Williams appeared at the back door to Paulson’s house as Luckman pulled up. “Look who the cat dragged in.”
Luckman smiled wearily. “How is everyone?”
“Better than you by the looks.”
He wasn’t about to argue. “How are those town camps going? You sorted them out yet?”
Pat rolled his eyes. “Half the blackfellas reckon they wanna stay put. Reckon they never had electricity or running water in the first place.”
“Have any of them ever actually lived off the land?”
Pat shrugged. “A few of the old fellas. We’ll get ’em out eventually when they realise the shops won’t be reopening.”
Maxine Warrington was in the lounge room spoon-feeding Mel from a bowl of porridge. It was a struggle, partly because her right arm was in plaster and partly because Mel ate like a newborn child. Most of the porridge seemed to be dribbling down her chin. She smiled when she saw Luckman.
“How’s she been?” he asked Warrington.
“Fine. Not a peep actually.”
“Has she tried to speak?”
Warrington shook her head. It had been a calculated risk allowing her into the house. But he had forced Shearer to place Warrington under his command and above all else she was a soldier – he trusted her to obey orders. She longed to obey orders. She didn’t have it in her to kill him. She could have done so already but had fired her gun and missed. While his game of chess with the General was far from over, for now at least it was safe to trust Warrington as an ally.
In the meantime, several questions remained unanswered. With the shutdown of the Others’ psychic defence system a mental fog in Luckman’s reasoning had also lifted. For the past several hours a question had begun to crystallise, one he knew he should have asked several days ago.
“Hey Pat, something is bugging me. Why was Clarence Paulson the only person in Alice Springs to lose his memory from the Sunburst?”
“He thought he was immune to its effects. And he didn’t trust the Others, so he chose to stay behind.”
“What would make him think he was immune?”
“Beats the bejesus biscuits out of me,” Pat admitted. “It’s the only time I’ve ever known him to be wrong about something.”
“That’s one helluva time to make a bad judgment call,” said Warrington.
“Which is sort of my point,” said Luckman. “He was utterly convinced he alone would remain unaffected. Why?”
“Why do you care?” asked Warrington.
“I dunno.”
“Don’t worry about it now,” Pat told him. “You’re dead on your feet. Get some rest.”
Fifty
The wind was so strong it almost knocked him over. The sky was grey. The whole world was grey, like it should be raining, but the air was tinder dry. He was on a rooftop. There was a crack that ran through the centre of the building, a catastrophic flaw that surely indicated imminent collapse.
He realised the structure was swaying like it would topple at any moment. Something about it was familiar; he’d been here before. The arc of the exterior finally jogged his memory. He was standing in the middle of a perfect circle. It was the roof of the Focal building.
A perfect circle. The words echoed in his head like they ought to mean something.
He knew he needed to get to her before the building collapsed, but he couldn’t remember which part of the circular structure he should descend to get to her apartment.
He looked around for his ropes. Panic rose in his chest as he realised he didn’t have any with him.
What was he thinking? How did he hope to rescue her from a perfect circle without the necessary equipment?
