Flight of the Jabiru (34 page)

“Is that serious?”

“It stopped the engine running, didn't it?”

“Do you have any oars?” Lara asked in panic stricken desperation.

“No, but you might want to get that bucket out from under the seat and start bailing water.”

Lara went white. “Are you saying ... we might actually sink?”

“I have no idea. I haven't been out in this boat for months,” Burt said. He tried to restart the engine as Lara scrambled under the seat and found the bucket. By now her ankles were wet and she felt like she was going to faint in terror. Seeing her swoon, Jiana took the bucket from her and began scooping water from the bottom of the boat and throwing it over the side. In desperation Lara lent over the side and tried to push the water so that they might move nearer the shore on the far side.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Burt said crossly as he literally dragged her away from the side of the boat by the scruff of the neck. “One of those crocs will have no problem leaping out of the water to drag you over the side. In the process he'd turn the boat over and we'd all be finished.”

Lara was unceremoniously dumped on her backside in the hull of the boat. As she'd landed in water she had the immediate sensation that the boat was going down.

“Oh, God, we're going to die,” she cried, covering her face with her hands.

“We're not done yet,” Burt said determinedly as he kept fiddling with the motor, while Jiana was furiously bailing water.

Still sitting on the floor of the boat, Lara peered over the side. Several sets of crocodile eyes were watching them, waiting cunningly for the inevitable. Her heart was beating rapidly, which reminded her of something Rick had told her about crocodiles hearing the heartbeat of their prey from almost a mile away in the water.

“Do something, Burt!” she screamed again. “I don't want to die like this.”

“You're not the only one,” he replied, eyeing his young family on the riverbank.

Just then the engine spluttered to life again, and they set off. Lara stayed sitting on the floor of the boat, praying they made it to the other side.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Jerry thought Betty looked tired when he entered the store on the afternoon of February 20. He hadn't seen Colin or Monty in the hotel, so he suspected they were drinking in the underground air raid shelter. “How's Colin?” he asked, expecting she was going to tell him that her husband had been drunk since he returned from the city.

Betty noted the dark circles around Jerry's eyes and wondered if he'd had any sleep at all.

“Physically, he's improved,” Betty said softly. “He's having a sleep. At least he was when I checked on him half an hour ago.”

“What about his state of mind?”

“That's not so good,” Betty admitted.

“Does he feel guilty because he came home without Lara and Jiana?”

“He hasn't said it outright, but I can tell he feels responsible for what happened to them. He won't accept there's any possibility they're alive, and it's hard to argue the point when we didn't see the aftermath of the bombing. What's even more worrying, he won't have a beer. Not one!”

Jerry was shocked. “That's not a good sign,” he said. This was the last thing he'd expected to hear about Colin.

“Tell me about it. I was expecting he'd get blind drunk for days and I could've coped with that because that was the man I know. This non-drinker is someone I've never met before.”

“You're right to be concerned, Betty,” Jerry said, becoming even more worried.

“Charlie and Rex went to see Netta Chinmurra yesterday evening because I couldn't face her and convincingly tell her that I believed her daughter was going to come home. They told her about the Japs bombing Darwin and said that Jiana was missing. They told her to keep hoping that Jiana will come home, at least for now, but Netta was beside herself. I can't imagine the pain she's suffering. I don't know what I'd do if it was one of my kids. Charlie said the Aboriginals were holding grieving ceremonies last night.”

Jerry felt for Netta Chinmurra, but he still held hope the girls were alive. “Rex let me stay on his boat last night, but I didn't sleep a wink, Betty. I'd made up my mind that I was going to the city and tried to buy gas at the Corroboree settlement pump this morning. I was told by Gerry Eeles that what little gas they have left is being heavily rationed. Only essential services are allowed a small ration, which includes doctors. The rest has been requisitioned by the military. What I am allowed wouldn't be enough to get me to the city and back and still look after my patients in the wetlands.”

“Then we're not going to find out what happened to the girls, and I have to confess its torture not knowing. What about Rick Marshall? Have you had the chance to speak to him about Lara?”

“No, his boat wasn't at the jetty last night. He must be relocating a crocodile or doing a fishing charter.”

“There were some Yanks in town yesterday. Apparently they called in the pub when Rick brought them back from a fishing charter. They'd been on two day's leave, so of course they hadn't a clue that Darwin had been bombed until Monty told them. They left in a real hurry, presumably to get back to base. Charlie went down to the jetty to see Rick, but his boat had gone again.”

The store door burst open. “Hello Betty, Jerry,” Rick said breathlessly. “I'm looking for Lara. She's not at home or in the schoolroom. Do you know where she is?”

Betty glanced at Jerry. “We were just wondering where you were, Rick,” she said.

“I was out fishing yesterday and had engine problems ... I ended up staying out all night because it got too dark to make any repairs. I hope Lara wasn't worried. Do you know where I can find her?”

Betty thought he sounded desperate to tell Lara some exciting news, which made telling him the truth even harder. “We don't know where she is, Rick.”

Rick looked confused. There weren't too many places to disappear in Shady Camp. “Maybe Rizza knows something,” he said, turning for the door again.

“Darwin has been bombed by the Japs,” Betty blurted out.

Rick turned to face them. “When did that happen?”

“It happened while Colin was in town with Jiana and Lara,” Betty said, watching his features become stricken.

“But they're all right, aren't they?” Rick looked at Jerry for confirmation. “They're all okay, right?”

“Colin is resting, Rick,” Jerry said.

“So where's Lara?”

“Colin came back from town without the girls,” Betty said.

“What?”

“At this point, they're missing,” Jerry added.

“Missing! What does that mean, exactly?” He looked at Betty again.

“Colin couldn't find them in town. The place was bombed pretty badly, but we can't think the worst until we know for sure.”

“Did Colin check the education department building where they were going to collect their pays?”

“He went there,” Betty said gently. “The building had been bombed, Rick. There was nothing left of it but rubble.” Tears welled in her eyes again as she thought of how hard it had been to explain the situation to her children. They'd all become so fond of Lara and were terribly upset.

“We don't know for sure that they were inside the building at the time,” Jerry added.

“Then where are they?” Rick yelled angrily. “If they were walking the streets, unharmed, Colin would've seen them. It's not like Darwin is a big place.”

“It sounds like it was absolute chaos in the city, Rick, and thick with smoke. The Red Cross was picking people up. He could've missed them easily,” Jerry explained, hoping to calm Rick.

“Did he try the hospital?”

“No one could get near the hospital because it had been badly damaged,” Colin said from the open doorway leading to their living quarters. He came towards them, his expression tortured. “Patients were being brought outside to be treated while damage to the inside was assessed. The Red Cross was picking up people, probably taking them to military barracks to be treated, but I don't know for sure. I lost track of time, but I must've drove around for nearly an hour...”

“You believe they are alive ... somewhere, right?” Rick asked directly. “You don't think...”

“To be honest, no, I don't think they made it,” Colin said emotionally.

Rick gasped.

“I think they were in the education department building,” Colin claimed. “If they'd been wandering the streets, I'm fairly certain I would've seen them.”

Rick stumbled backwards and the color drained from his face. He looked like he was on the verge of vomiting. Without another word he turned on his heel and left the store, slamming the door behind him.

“You shouldn't have been so blunt, Colin,” Jerry said. “Especially when we have no proof the girls are dead.”

“There isn't likely to be any proof,” Colin said angrily. “I saw the building they were in. You didn't. Believe me, there's nothing left to identify anyone.”

Needing to do something proactive, Rick assessed his fuel situation with frustration. He didn't have enough in reserve to get to Darwin Harbor, but he'd be damned if he was going to let that stop him finding Lara. He'd steal fuel if he had to, but that was a last resort. Instead, he went to see Rex Westly. As soon as Rex opened the door to him, and saw the look on his face, he knew he'd been told about Lara and Jiana. They were all in shock.

“Have you any spare fuel?” Rick asked, coming straight to the point. He didn't have to tell Rex why he needed it.

“I'll see what I have,” he said. “I know it's not much, but Charlie might have some.” If there was anything he could do to help find the girls, he was willing to do it, and he knew Charlie felt the same.

Rick was topping up his fuel tank with what Charlie and Rex had given him when Jerry approached the boat. “I want to come with you,” he suggested.

“I want to know why you didn't drive to town to find Lara and Jiana as soon as Colin came back without them,” Rick demanded. Clearly he'd been thinking about it.

“That was my first instinct, but I have a responsibility to the people in the wetlands and the city was still being bombed. Regardless, I should've gone. Now my gas has been severely rationed because what's available is going to the military.”

“It's best you stay here in case this place is bombed,” Rick said.

Jerry understood. “Good luck,” he said. “My opinion is unimportant, but I believe Colin is wrong about the girls being killed, so I'll pray you find them.”

Charlie had warned Rick about sailing at night. He said the Japs were likely to have boats and submarines in the gulf. Rex had been worried that the Japs might still be bombing Darwin and warned Rick to be very careful. Rick listened to what they had to say, but nothing was going to stop him taking the chance to find Lara and Jiana. Nothing!

It was dark by the time Rick made his way through tidal channels that emptied into Chambers Bay, and headed for Cape Hotham, where the lighthouse flashed a warning to keep clear of the rocks along the coast. He then had to traverse the Vernon Islands into the Beagle Gulf, but he knew the route like the back of his hand. He'd made the same trip countless times, although usually in daylight hours. Thankfully, there were clear skies and a stiff tail breeze, and just enough moonlight to see where he was going. It also made it a bit easier that he didn't have to contend with a storm, but he was even more relieved that he didn't see any Japanese boats.

As Rick steered his boat through dark seas, he kept thinking about Lara and how much he loved her. He looked up at the starry heavens and prayed she was alive because he couldn't believe he'd never seen her again and he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

Rick didn't go into the main harbor of Darwin. Instead he pulled into the small inlet at Doctor's Gully, where his friends George and Stella Caroll lived. It was already close to midnight.

After tying up at the small jetty, he crept up to the darkened house. He didn't want to wake the Carrolls so he decided he would begin walking to the hospital. He was just about to round the corner of the house when something nudged his shoulder blade. Turning, he found himself confronted by the twin barrels of a shotgun. His first thoughts were that the Japanese had invaded by land. Before he could make out who was holding the gun, torchlight shone in his face.

“Rick! What the Hell...”

Rick recognized the voice. “George,” he said, squinting in the light. “You're blinding me.”

“You're lucky I didn't shoot you,' George said, horrified by how close he'd come to pulling the trigger. “ What are you doing sneaking around in the dark?”

“Who is it, dear?” Stella Carroll asked as she came around the side of the house.

“It's Rick Marshall,” George replied.

Stella was dressed in black. Even her blond hair was covered with a black scarf. She was also armed, but her weapon of choice was a garden pitchfork. “Hell, Rick, you're lucky George didn't shoot you,” she snapped.

“So I believe,” Rick said. “Since when did you own a shotgun, George?”

“I've had it for years, just never thought I'd need to use it. You scared the life out of me when I saw a boat pull up at the jetty. I thought we were being invaded.”

“I thought you were a looter,” Stella offered.

“I'm sorry I frightened the both of you,” Rick said, wondering what he had come up against if the two of them were armed and defending their home.

“It's not safe in the city,” George said more tersely than he intended. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“The woman I love is somewhere in the city,” Rick declared. “I'm not leaving until I find her.”

George was startled by this news, as he knew Rick to be a confirmed bachelor with fishing as his first love. “It's madness to be here, Rick. We've been bombed three times now. The city is near deserted apart from a few civilians and military personnel. If the woman you are looking for survived the bombings, she's probably left by now.”

“Unless she can't get out because she's injured,” Rick suggested. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Lara was dead, even though Colin was convinced she was.

“We've been getting what information we can, so I can tell you she's probably been evacuated if her injuries are not too bad.”

“And if they are serious?”

“Then she'll still be here in the city most likely.”

“I heard the hospital was damaged. Are they still treating injured people there?”

“The hospital was bombed, but part of it is still in use. I don't believe anyone there lost their life,” George said. “The harbor was the main target on the first raid. Many lives were lost there. There were more than forty ships at the wharf. The hospital ship the
Manunda
was hit, although not damaged badly. Several people aboard were killed though, including a nurse. I believe the ship is being used to treat some of those injured in the city.”