Little Girl Lost (20 page)

‘Yes, really. Tia, you’ve overcome the most shocking past. And you’ve made a new life for yourself. I will not let anything destroy what you have accomplished.’

‘Well, isn’t that just lovely,’ the sarcastic sneer from the doorway took them both by surprise.

Max spun to face the intruder, pushing Tia behind him to shelter her with his own body. The man standing in the doorway wasn’t as tall as Max, but he was heavily built. His clothes were stylish and his hair was neatly cropped. There was a tattoo on his arm. In an instant, Max knew who he was. The gang boss wasn’t holding a gun, but he exuded danger all the same.

‘Take it easy,’ Ned said. ‘We don’t want anyone to get hurt now, do we?’

The explicit threat to Tia made the hairs on the back of Max’s neck stand up. He cursed himself for leaving his own weapon back at the station, but he’d been coming off duty and this was supposed to be a date.

‘This doesn’t need to get nasty,’ Ned continued in that same sneering tone as he studied the items lying on the table. ‘I came to get what’s mine. The bike. That ring. The gun.’

Max opened his mouth to reply … then froze as Ned continued. ‘And her too, of course.’

He shouldn’t stare at the pub door. That wasn’t going to make Sarah appear. Pete lowered his eyes back to the beer in his hand. It was his first and he’d been sitting there not drinking it for almost an hour now.

She wasn’t coming. That was becoming very clear. He should have realised that when he saw her shake her head just before they were interrupted in the store.

He ran his finger down the damp side of the beer glass, watching the droplets slide down the glass onto the red and gold beer mat underneath. He should just go. Maybe if he gave her some time – a few days, a few weeks, maybe – she might forgive him. He was willing to wait as long as it took.

‘Is there something wrong with the beer, mate?’ Behind the bar Jack North was stacking clean glasses from the washer.

‘No. I guess I’m just not in the mood,’ Pete said.

‘Are you sure?’ Jack nodded in the direction of the door.

Pete looked up. Sarah was there, looking straight at him. He moved as if to rise from his bar stool, but before he could, Sarah slid onto the stool next to him.

‘Do you also want a beer that you don’t drink and leave on the bar to get hot and flat?’ Jack asked.

‘Yes, please.’

Sarah and Pete sat in silence until after Jack had done his duty and moved away to the other end of the bar.

‘I thought you weren’t coming,’ Pete said quietly.

‘I knew I was. You just won’t believe how long those people took to buy some cat food. It must be a pretty fussy cat.’

Pete blinked a little. Sarah was smiling at him. Joking. This wasn’t how he had imagined their next encounter. He had been sitting here trying to find the words that would convince her to give him another chance. The words he’d rehearsed now seemed totally inadequate, and had all vanished from his mind.

‘Look, Pete,’ Sarah continued. ‘I’ve known you since I was ten years old. In all that time, you have always been straight with me. And you have never done anything to harm me – or anyone else – as far as I know. You always did the right thing by everyone.’

‘But sometimes the right thing isn’t right,’ he said, with a slow smile as the memory of the first time she had said those words came back to him. ‘A very wise woman told me that once.’

‘And I was right.’ Sarah reached out to lay her hand over his. ‘Pete, I know you wanted to help Linda and the baby. But even if it had been your child, marrying her for the wrong reasons would only have hurt both of you, and the child, in the end. A child deserves to have parents who love each other and can be a proper family. I am so glad you finally recognised that. Should you have kissed me? Yes. Of course you should, because that was a moment of absolute honesty. For both of us.’

As she looked up at him from under her eyelashes, Pete felt the world shift once more. The earth was back on its proper axis. He let out a long slow breath.

‘So,’ he said barely able to believe what was happening, ‘if I was to suggest that we go out together some time. You’d say…?’

‘Yes.’

When it was right, it really was as simple as that.

‘And if I was to ask you to stay and have dinner with me tonight before I head back to the Isa?’

‘That would be a yes too. And before you ask, if you wanted to kiss me again before you left, that would also be a yes.’

Pete smiled as happiness replaced the uncertainty that he had been wearing like a cloak. He reached out to take Sarah’s hand. It felt so right in his. Their fingers twined together and, oblivious to the watchful eyes around the bar, he lifted her hand and touched his lips ever so gently to her skin.

He let go of her hand and only then did he finally lift his beer and take a drink. Sarah smiled and did the same with hers.

The phone at the end of the bar rang. Trish Warren appeared from the direction of the kitchen and answered it.

‘What? No. He’s not here. I don’t know where he is. Hang on, I’ll ask.’ She held the phone aside. ‘Does anyone know where Max is?’ she asked the bar in general.

‘Yes,’ said Sarah. ‘He’s having dinner with Tia. At her place in the mine compound.’

‘That can’t be right,’ Trish said, frowning. ‘I’ve got Blue here from the mine. He says that prowler is back hanging around the dongas. Near Tia’s trailer. He’s looking for Max. But if Max is already there, wouldn’t he—’

Sarah and Pete exchanged a look.

‘Can I talk to him for a second?’ Pete said.

Trish handed over the phone.

‘Are you sure you can’t see Max’s car?’ he asked the man on the other end of the line.

‘I can’t see it,’ Blue said. ‘But if he’s put it under the trees where he kept watch last time, I might not. Maybe I should go and have a look. But last time, Max said to get in touch with him before doing anything.’

Pete thought for a moment. Everything about this sounded wrong. He didn’t have Max’s police training to guide him, but some things don’t need that sort of training.

‘No, don’t go near Tia’s trailer or the car. If there is something wrong, you might make it worse. A couple of us are heading your way right now. Don’t do anything until we get there.’

‘All right.’

Pete handed the phone back to Trish. He looked around the room. Jack had already put down the glasses he was stacking and come out from behind the bar. Pete looked at him and nodded. They were obviously both thinking the same thing. They were the only ones present who had not been drinking all evening.

‘And I’m coming with you,’ Sarah said, getting to her feet.

‘No. You stay here. If there’s trouble …’ Pete started to say, but Sarah was one step ahead of him.

‘If there’s trouble, Tia will need a friend.’ She led the way out the door.

‘She’s not going anywhere. You will never lay a hand on her again.’ Max’s voice was steel.

Tia loved him for those words, but he had no idea what he was up against. He was still holding her behind him, using his own body as a shield between her and the intruder. Cold fear clutched at Tia’s heart. Ned wasn’t holding a gun, but that meant nothing. He’d killed one policeman and boasted about it. He wouldn’t hesitate to do it a second time. The thought of Max being hurt was more than she could stand. He was the one good man she had ever known … and if he was hurt or died because of her, she would never forgive herself.

Ned had changed since she last saw him. He was better dressed and more confident. Killing a cop had obviously turned him from the leader of a street gang into something bigger; a more seasoned criminal and a more dangerous man than he’d been back then. She looked at his face, and the almost maniac shine in his eyes, and felt an icy shiver through her soul. Ned was no longer just a nasty piece of work – he had progressed to truly evil. He wouldn’t need much provocation to kill again. He would probably enjoy it. Giving him back the things she had stolen would never be enough. There was only one way she could keep Max safe.

‘All right, Ned. I’ll come with you. Let’s just go.’

She felt Max’s body stiffen as she spoke.

‘No.’ Max began to move but in a heartbeat a gun materialised in Ned’s hand.

‘Sit down,’ he snarled.

Max froze and then slowly took a step backwards and lowered himself onto a chair.

Tia stared at the gun. It was pointed straight at Max and it was as steady as a rock. Ned saw her glance.

‘You didn’t think you took my only one, did you?’ he asked.

Tia knew from bitter experience what he expected. ‘No, Ned,’ she said in a quiet and submissive voice.

‘Now, be a good girl and pass me my things,’ he said.

‘All right.’

Tia reached out one hand to pick up the black velvet box. She snapped it shut and passed it to Ned. Never taking his eyes off Max, Ned took it. She flinched as his fingers touched hers. He slipped the box into his pocket.

‘And now the gun.’

Tia kept her eyes lowered as she reached for the gun. She deliberately avoided looking at Max. She didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face. Or even worse, acceptance.

‘No. Tia, don’t.’ Max’s voice was strong and defiant. ‘Look, Kelly. Quit while you can. You can take the Harley and the ring and run as far and as fast as you can.’

‘I’m not going without my gun.’

‘You know I can’t let you take the gun.’

‘And I am not going without her.’

‘If you take her, I will come after you. Nothing will save you.’ Max’s voice was cold, hard steel. In that moment, Tia understood that in his own way, Max was dangerous too. ‘It doesn’t matter where you go. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. I will find you. And God help me, if you have hurt her, I will kill you.’

Max spoke the words in a cold matter of fact tone that terrified Tia. She wanted to scream at him to stop. He was deliberately goading Ned. She knew only too well what happened when the gang boss lost control.

‘Oh, really,’ Ned sneered and the gun pointing at Max never wavered. ‘You don’t scare me. I’ve killed one cop. What makes you think I won’t kill another one? And way out here, there’s no one to stop me. I checked this place out. You’re the only cop. With you gone, I could just walk away. And I’d take her with me. I’m sure I’d find a use for her.’

The implication in his words made Tia’s stomach churn.

‘Please, Ned.’ She had to stop this. Now. Max would goad Ned into pulling the trigger. That hot lead would tear through Max’s flesh, taking his life. Her own life would end in the same moment, whether or not Ned pulled the trigger a second time. She would not let Max die because of her!

She took a step towards Ned. ‘I’ll go with you, Ned. I’ll do anything you want. Come on. Let’s go.’

‘Tia. No!’ Max’s voice was a ragged cry.

Ned’s eyes flashed from one to the other. ‘Oh. So that’s how it is? Tia, you replaced me with a pig. Still, he’s not your first, is he? I always thought you liked it when I sent you to do them.’

Bitterness rose in Tia’s throat.

‘Come on then, girl. Bring me the gun.’

She couldn’t look at Max. She took the plastic bag with the gun from the table and handed it to Ned. He kept his eyes glued on Max as he tossed the gun gently in his hand, then tucked it into his belt.

‘All right. Now for the bike. Keys.’

Tia pointed to the shelf where the keys lay.

‘Well, get them. Go on.’

She did as she was told. The room quivered with tension. She wanted to scream. But she had to hold it together. She had to get Ned away from here before he snapped. Because when he did, Max would die. And she would be to blame.

‘Let’s go,’ she said. ‘Let’s get away from here. The bike’s just outside. We can go now.’

‘Yeah. Let’s go.’ Ned grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. Across the room, Max tensed and started to rise from his seat.

Ned jammed the gun into Tia’s neck. She bit back a scream.

‘Listen to me. Both of you,’ Ned said. ‘Let’s keep this nice and quiet. We don’t want to attract any attention. That would get messy. I’ve got more than enough bullets for everyone. Tia, baby, it’s good to have you back.’ Ned’s eyes never left Max, but he ran his hands over her body in a way that brought bile rising in her throat. ‘You are going to lead the way. I want you to open that door and slowly step outside. One false move from you, and I shoot the cop. And you.’ He glared at Max. ‘You will stay right where you are. If I see your face in that doorway, I’ll put a bullet in her. Do you understand?’

Tia wasn’t sure she could walk down the stairs. Her knees were shaking too badly. She risked one last glance at Max. His face was calm but cold. His eyes steely and fixed on Ned. She would never see him again, but at least she would not have to blame herself for his death.

She put one foot on the top step.

‘Slowly now, bitch,’ Ned said as he hovered in the doorway. ‘You don’t want to make my finger twitch, do you?’

Tia lifted her foot. Her head still turned towards the interior of her trailer, she felt down for the next step.

Suddenly hands reached for her out of the darkness. They grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. As she fell her shoulder hit the edge of the metal door, sending a shaft of agony through her left side. Then the air around her exploded with the deafening sound of a gunshot.

Tia screamed.

Max felt the bullet pass very close to his cheek as he flung himself across the room, his ears ringing from the gunshot in such an enclosed space. The moment that Tia had fallen, Ned’s gun had wavered just for an instant, but an instant was all Max needed.

His shoulder hit Ned’s legs just above his knees, his hands groping for the second gun tucked into the man’s belt. Ned staggered with the force of the impact, and together they tumbled backwards, through the open door and down the trailer steps. He heard Ned grunt with pain as his ribs slammed against the metal edges of the stairs. As they fell, Ned twisted and Max hit the earth first with a bone jarring crash that knocked the breath from his body. He didn’t care. All he wanted to do was stop this creep from ever touching Tia again.

Ned was still clutching his weapon. But there was another one. Max had to get that gun.

Ned was on top of him, his weight crushing Max’s chest. With both of his hands, he grabbed the hand holding the gun and began to force the arm back. Ned was strong, but Max fought him with every fibre of his being. Tia was out there somewhere. It didn’t matter what Ned did to him, as long as Tia had time to get away. The weight on his chest was making it hard to breathe. He knew he had only a few moments before the lack of air began to drain his strength.

Something made Ned turn his head, giving Max the chance he needed. Letting go of Ned’s wrist, he slammed the heel of his hand hard into Ned’s chin, putting all of his anger and fear and determination into a single blow. Ned’s head snapped back. The hand holding the gun wavered. This was the opening Max needed. With one hand, he grabbed the gun, twisted the barrel away from him. The other hand groped along his own body for something he’d felt there. The other gun, still in its plastic bag, had come loose from Ned’s waistband as they fell. Even as Ned regained his balance and he brought his gun back to bear, Max grabbed the plastic bag and slammed the cold hard metal into Ned’s face with every ounce of strength left in his body.

At that moment, something moved in the corner of his vision, and Ned’s weight was lifted from his chest. Taking huge gulps of air, Max staggered to his feet, helped by an unexpected hand. Still holding the gun encased in its plastic bag, he blinked, trying to comprehend the scene in front of him.

Three men were holding Ned. Pete was behind him, one arm locked around the man’s neck in a firm strangle hold that had Ned gasping for every breath. Blood was pouring down Ned’s face from a deep gash caused by the barrel of the gun. Jack North was holding one of Ned’s arms. One of the miners had the other. Tia’s shift boss, Blue, was standing next to him, holding Ned’s gun. A couple of feet away, Sarah stood with Tia, one arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Max stared at her for several heartbeats, just to assure himself that she was all right. Her eyes, bright with tears, met his and the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. He could breathe again. She looked shaken and pale, but safe. That was the only thing that really mattered.

‘You all right?’ Pete asked Max between clenched teeth, without letting his hold slacken on Ned’s neck. The gang boss’s eyes were open but Max could see the fight quickly dying out of him.

‘I’m fine. Blue, give me that.’ He held out his hand for the gun. ‘Now, can you go to my car. It’s not locked. There are handcuffs in the glove box.’

‘On it.’

By the time Max had engaged the safety on both guns, Blue was back with the handcuffs. Max took them.

‘Turn him round,’ he instructed the men holding Ned. They did and he snapped the cuffs in place. Ned flinched as the metal bit into his flesh. Max didn’t care. If the cuffs were a little tighter than was comfortable, it was no concern of his.

Jack and Pete were still holding Ned’s arms. They turned him around again and Max looked the man squarely in the face. He saw fear there, the bravado of the past wiped away by the realisation he was well and truly trapped. He felt a surge of anger. This man had threatened Tia; had laid his filthy hands on her. Max’s hands clenched into fists as his body tensed.

‘You know, if you felt the need to hit him again, we would understand, wouldn’t we guys?’ Blue said. ‘In fact, we probably wouldn’t even see you do it.’

Max thought about how good it would feel to smash his fist into Ned’s face. To hurt him as he had hurt Tia so many times. And to pay him back for a colleague, shot dead while doing his duty. This man who had styled himself on a national icon was nothing but a lowlife. He would deserve anything Max could throw at him.

‘No.’ Max stepped back. That wasn’t the person he was. There was no difference between hitting this man and the sort of brutal police behaviour he had always despised. ‘That would be wrong. He’ll get what he deserves. But he’ll get it in a courtroom and a prison. He’ll be paying for this for the rest of his life.’

Blue frowned. Then he swung a hard punch into Ned’s gut. With a grunt of pain, Ned fell to his knees, jerking forward as he gasped for breath.

‘That’s what you get for threatening Tia. She’s one of us and we protect our own,’ Blue hissed through clenched teeth.

Max laid a hand on the miner’s arm. ‘That’s enough. All right. Pete. Jack. Can you get this guy in the car? I don’t use the cells very often, but this time it will be a pleasure.’

As the men dragged the prisoner away, Max could finally turn his attention to Tia. He took one look at her tear-stained face and opened his arms. She stepped into them, as if she had always belonged there. He held her close, feeling her shoulders shaking.

‘It’s all right now,’ he said gently. ‘You are safe.’

‘I thought he was going to …’ Her broken voice was muffled against his chest.

Max gently pulled her away and looked down into her face. ‘That was a very brave and very stupid thing you did. Saying you would go with him.’

‘I didn’t want him to hurt you. I would have gone with him gladly to save you.’

Max’s heart contracted as she spoke. Lost for words, he pulled her close and ran his hand gently over her face. Her emerald eyes were wide and damp. He gently kissed them dry. He felt some of the tension flow from her body. He held her for a few moments more, but that was all the time he had. He still had to deal with Kelly. He let her go, and returned to his duty.

‘How did you all end up here?’ he asked Sarah as they all gathered around the police car. Ned was inside, the door shut and both Pete and Jack standing guard.

‘Blue saw the prowler again,’ Sarah said. ‘He tried to contact you. When he rang the pub, I knew you were here so we figured there might be a problem. We came to see if we could help.’

‘We saw what was happening,’ Pete continued. ‘We waited until Tia was coming down the stairs, and we grabbed her to drag her away from him.’

‘We figured maybe we could rush him … or something,’ Blue finished, looking a little uncertain.

‘That was a foolish thing to do,’ Max said, shaking his head. ‘But I’m very grateful. Thank you.’ He reached out to shake the men’s hands. ‘You can all be my wingmen any day.’

It was time to get going.

‘All right. Jack, can you come in the front with me. Just to keep an eye on him. Pete, could you take both the women back into town. I assume you have a car here somewhere.’

‘We came in Jack’s,’ Pete said. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get Tia and Sarah into town.’

He heard Sarah whisper something to her friend. The words knight in shining armour didn’t make any sense, but they made Tia smile. It was a forlorn smile, but it lifted his heart.

‘Blue, I need you to make sure no one goes near the trailer. I’ll be back later to seal it up.’

‘Got it.’

Max watched Tia walk with Pete and Sarah towards their vehicle. Just before she got in, she turned to him. Her lips moved a little. He couldn’t hear her, of course, but he knew what she was saying.

Thank you.