The Word of God (28 page)

As soon as the message was written down Peter took the copy from Joy as she tore it out of her Field Message Notebook with its carbon pages. It was, as he had expected, the answer from the Black Monk to 656. The group trudged up another steep slope and down another dip, Graham now walking fifty paces in front as scout and Stephen well to the rear.

On the next steep upslope when they ground to a halt to get their breath back Peter finished the decoding and felt even sicker. He eyed the others grimly, then told them what it said.

“It is from the Black Monk to 656. It says: Search for cadets and follow them. Send Sir Richard to me. Report all sightings.”

“Follow them!” Joy gasped. “Oh no!”

“Let's move!” Peter said. Without waiting to see if he was obeyed he started walking.

As they panted up the slope Megan called to him: “They won't know which way we went will they?”

“I wouldn't bet on it,” Peter replied. “We didn't take any special precautions to hide our tracks.” It was something he was now regretting but when he thought
about it he could see that they were too concerned with just getting out of the area.

Confirmation came within five minutes. The radio began again as they crested the next rise. Joy again did the writing and Peter started decoding as he walked along. He had the message decoded by the time they halted on the next upslope.

“It is from 656 to the Black Monk and says: Enemy are moving west up ridge from Potts Bridge.”

“They are onto us!” Stephen said. He had the pistol in his hand.

“Oh my God!” Megan wailed. “We must get out of here!”

“Keep moving,” Peter said. As they started again so did the radio. Once again Joy wrote and Peter decoded as they walked. It was a very long message and took five minutes to copy. By this time they were approaching the knoll called ‘The Knob'. This was a sparsely forested conical hill. The road went up a long, steep climb to about half the height of the Knob before cutting right across the edge of a very steep grassy slope.

Once again their lack of fitness brought them to a standstill on the long steep upslope. Peter finished decoding. The others stood panting and waiting anxiously, their eyes fixed on him. Once again Peter felt his stomach churn and contract with fear. He had to swallow and lick his lips to speak and only with an effort managed to keep a quaver out of his voice.

“It is from the Black Monk to 65. It says: Six Five Five to drive to the Knob, Grid Reference 625027. Intercept enemy and hold them. Six Five Six and Six Five Three to follow up along ridge to join. Kill cadets and hold knight for questioning. I am moving with knight and Six One Four to next contact.”

“Kill the cadets!” Megan gasped.

Chapter 18

THE QUEST

“K
ill us! They won't will they?” Joy asked anxiously.

Sir Miles nodded grimly. “Yes they will. I am very sorry I got you into this.”

“You didn't,” Peter replied. “Now let's think this out.”

Megan shook her head. “No! We must get away!” she cried.

Peter frowned at her. “Take it easy! We don't want to run around like headless chooks. We need a sensible plan,” he replied. He was aware that his own heart rate had shot up and that he was feeling very pressured and flustered. The fear now crawled and slithered in his belly making him feel ill.

“But what can we do?” Megan wailed.

Graham took out the Beretta. “Fight the bastards!” he growled. “We have got three guns and should be able to make a good stand.”

The thought of shooting and death made Peter feel nauseous but he grimly conceded it was an option. However he shook his head. “Not until we have no other alternative. If need be we can just walk off down the slope into the bush and hide. As a first move we are going to dump these packs. Get extra food and put it in your webbing, then hide the packs over there in the grass.”

So saying he swung off his own pack and opened it. The others burst into frantic activity. Megan was sobbing with fear by this and Joy kept muttering. Only Graham looked happy and he kept looking around to ensure they weren't taken by surprise while they worked. Five minutes later the packs had been placed on the other side of a log in the long grass.

This time Peter remembered to tell Stephen to brush out their tracks so that the packs wouldn't be found. As soon as everyone had their webbing back on Peter signalled to start walking. All the while his mind had been busy trying to decide what the best plan was.

A glance at his watch told Peter it was 10:30. He increased his pace, slogging up the slope. Graham strode along beside him, map in hand. For the next two minutes they puffed up the slope until the road levelled out briefly. The Knob was now only a hundred metres ahead. A glance behind showed the group spreading out again so Peter slowed his pace.

Graham pointed over the side of the ridge. “We could go down this spur here. It runs almost all the way down to Little Mulgrave.”

Peter leaned over to study the map and saw that Graham was right. It was only about two kilometres in a straight line.

Graham raised an eyebrow enquiringly. “Twenty minutes if we run. Half an hour at the most,” he added.

For a few seconds Peter weighed the options. Then, “Yes, we will do that. They will have more trouble finding and trapping us in the bush,” he agreed. They stopped walking and waited till the others had all puffed up to join them.

Joy looked worried. “What's wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. We are turning off to go down this spur to Little Mulgrave,” Peter explained.

Sir Miles frowned. “Show me on the map what you mean,” he asked.

Peter pointed out their location and the proposed route. Sir Miles bit his lip and looked at the map hard, then said: “You may do that, but I must go up the mountain.”

“Why?” Gwen asked.

“My quest. My next contact person is up there.”

Peter shook his head as anxiety gripped him. “Can't it wait? You could drive up with the police once we get to Little Mulgrave,” he said.

“No, I cannot wait. It is now very urgent. Sir Richard knows who to contact and where. He was there when Old Sam told me,” Sir Miles explained.

“Old Sam?” Gwen queried.

“The man in the red shirt. He is a gold prospector.”

Graham gave a short chuckle. “Gold prospector! We know all about that in the Mulgrave Valley,” he said, adding, “He needs to be careful though, most of the valley is off limits to fossickers because it is ‘World Heritage' National Park.”

Sir Miles smiled briefly. “That may be so. It would certainly explain why he was reluctant to explain his business, or to have the police involved. But I must get up the mountain before Sir Richard and the Black Monk. Where is a place called Gillies Lookout?”

Peter's mind flashed back to a drive with his Uncle and Aunt the previous year. He pointed up to the top of the range. “Somewhere up there.”

Gwen nodded. “I know where,” she added. “It is where the hang gliders have a launch platform. I was there only a month ago.”

Joy looked astonished. “Do you do hang gliding?” she asked.

Gwen shook her head. “No, but my boyfriend does,” she replied.

“Never mind boyfriends,” Sir Miles cut in. “I must get there quickly. Can you take me there?”

“Yes, of course,” Gwen replied.

“Which way?”

Gwen thought for a moment. “It will be quickest if we hitch hiked up the Gillies. We have to go in along a side road to Danbulla from the top of the range.”

Graham pointed to the map. “The lookout is about here. We went past it on that Senior Exercise. The track that runs up this ridge goes to it. We walked up that way.”

“Battling French and Indians all the way,” Stephen added. “It was bloody hard work and nearly bust me.”

Graham grinned. “Yes, it was a bloody good exercise.”

“But what about the police?” Megan asked anxiously.

Peter pointed over the side of the road. “Some of us go down to Little Mulgrave and the others go up the Gillies,” he replied. He did not like the idea of splitting the party but it seemed to be the best plan.

Graham supported him. “I agree. I will run down to Little Mulgrave to get the cops while you keep going.”

“I'm coming with you,” Megan cried. “I don't want to die!”

“Nor do any of us,” Graham replied with a thin smile. “But I don't see how you will be safer there than here.”

“There will be people, and the police,” Megan answered. She was now looking around, her eyes flicking anxiously for signs of pursuit.

“I can get there faster alone,” Graham objected.

Peter did not like that idea. He shook his head. “You probably can but take Megan anyway,” he replied. “And take Joy as well. Steve, you go too, to help protect the girls.”

“We don't need protecting!” Joy snapped indignantly. “Just give us a gun. Anyway, I'm not going. I am staying with you.”

“I was thinking of hitch hiking,” Peter replied. “If there are too many of us the drivers may not stop to pick us up, or we might have to leave some behind.”

“I don't care!” Joy stubbornly insisted. “I am going up the mountain.”

“So am I,” Stephen replied.

“Oh stop arguing and let's get out of here!” Megan wailed, tears now running down her face.

Graham nodded. “OK, Megan, you come with me. You others do that. Have you still got your gun Sir Miles?”

“Yes I have,” Sir Miles replied, tapping his pocket. “Now let us move please. If Sir Richard has reached the Black Monk they may be driving up the mountain already.”

Graham gave a wry grin. “Don't try to hitch hike with them,” he replied. He handed Peter the Beretta. “At ‘Action', safety on. OK, come on Meg, down the mountain!”

Graham turned and walked into the bush followed by Megan. Peter watched them go with mixed feelings. He liked to have Graham around during a crisis but knew it was the best way.

At least Steve is still with us,
he thought, knowing that Stephen was a good man to have in a crisis.

Then he felt the weight of the pistol in his hand and experienced an instinctive revulsion to having the repulsive thing. With a sigh he slid it into his pocket and started walking.

The road levelled out at that point to curve to the right around The Knob. A narrow bench cut carried the road across the face of the hill. As they walked Peter alternately watched ahead and behind. He also glanced over the side frequently to see if he could see any sign of Graham's group. They were nowhere to be seen as the timber was much thicker down in the re-entrant they had vanished into. The slope was very steep.

“Good view,” Gwen commented as they walked along.

Peter glanced back. The whole valley lay below them and he realized he could see all the way back along the valley to the Pyramid. The sight made him shudder. Then a movement caught his eye. He stopped abruptly and stared back through the trees.

A kilometre back he glimpsed two black clad figures walking along the road behind them. For a second fear dried his throat and he had to swallow to speak. He pointed: “Devil Worshippers! They are catching us up.”

The group resumed walking as fast as they could. Peter knew he was scared and wanted to run but also knew he had to pace himself or they would end up exhausted. Joy panted gamely along behind him. From time to time he turned and gave her a reassuring grin. He knew now that he cared deeply for her.

The road curved left around the hill side and headed directly towards the ridge which led right up to the top of the range. The Gillies Highway was only a few hundred metres ahead and they reached it after three minutes of rapid walking. At that point the dirt road did a sharp turn to the left and went through a short, deep cutting.

As they did, Gwen glanced back and then shook her head. “Oh! Look at the view! I can see right down to Gordonvale.”

Peter looked and then smacked his forehead. “Oh! We are nongs. We are now right up high. We should be able to get mobile reception now. Try again Gwen.”

Gwen nodded and took out her phone and turned it on. At once her face lit up. “We have service!” she cried happily. She began to tap in Inspector Goldstein's number while they continued walking.

At the sound of a vehicle Peter glanced ahead. He noted bitumen and saw that they were now only ten metres from the Highway. As the group reached the bitumen road on the outside of a sharp curve two cars went roaring past going up the mountain.

Made it!
he thought. Even as he did another car raced past going up the mountain.

“Stop the next car that comes along,” Peter said. He walked quickly out to the edge of the highway and looked hopefully down it. The sound of a vehicle's engine warned him. He stepped out and raised his arm.

The vehicle, a black 4WD came fast around the bend but immediately started to slow.

Good!
thought Peter. Then his brain registered what he was seeing and a stab of pure terror lanced through him.
Oh no!

His eyes registered that the driver was a man in black who was staring at him in astonishment. “Devil Worshippers!” Peter shouted.

The vehicle swung sharply towards them and screeched to a halt.
It's going to hit us!
Peter's mind reasoned, panic surging. Frantically he pushed Gwen aside and then took a desperate dive to his left to avoid being struck. As he rolled on the rough gravel beside the bitumen he noted that Gwen had fallen on her back right in front of the vehicle and was now desperately flailing with her arms and legs. Even as Peter's mind registered what he was seeing he noted her roll over and start scrabbling under the wheels of the vehicle.

“My phone! I've dropped my phone!” Gwen cried.

Peter saw it, lying on the bitumen right in under the chassis. But he also saw the driver was climbing out of the vehicle.