Page 21 of Lost In Kakadu

“Why not?”

Mackenzie threw his arms out in frustration. “What if they turn up and the drugs are gone?”

She put her hands on her hips. “We’ll just deny any knowledge of them, and they’ll think the pilot got rid of it.”

“Let’s just leave it for now.” Holding his palms up, he backed away. “We’ll be rescued soon, then the police can handle it.”

Mackenzie was amazed how quickly the sun disappeared below the trees, morphing the sky into a brilliant burnt orange colour. Achorus of bird songs intensified and as it grew darker, crickets joined in.

They were destined to spend another night in the bush.

“I can’t understand why they didn’t come today.” His tone was more aggressive than he intended.

Abigail shrugged. “Me neither. What would be taking them so long?”

“I don’t know.” Clenching his jaw, he looked at the collection they’d removed from the cargo hold; two sacks of flour, eight coffee tins, a bag of sugar and, after the four they’d already eaten, just forty-four cans of baked beans.

His stomach twisted with hunger. “I hope they’re here tomorrow, or we might have to do something with them.”

“Who?”

He groaned, annoyed that he had to spell it out. “The people in the plane.”

“Like what?” Her eyes bulged. “Bury them?”

“We can’t leave them like that, or the flies will ...” He lowered his gaze.

“Oh God.” She covered her face and burst into tears.

Fighting his own urge to cry, he placed his hand on Rodney’s suitcase and a lovely warmth emanated through the fabric.

Closing his eyes, Mackenzie did something he hadn’t done in eighteen years.

He prayed.

Chapter Nine

Abigail sat on her case, curled her legs to the side and stared at the flame fingers twisting together and stretching for the night sky. The coals glowed like bright orange crocodile skin and popping sounds interrupted the silence.

Mackenzie sat cross-legged beside her and the bulge around his calf jogged her memory. “How’s your leg?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Frowning, he rolled up his jeans and unwrapped the T-shirt.

Abigail flinched at the ghastly wound. “Oh my. That looks terrible.”

The cut was in the middle of his calf and more swollen and bruised than it had been earlier. With all the dried blood around the gash, it looked hideous.

“It’s nothing. It looks bad because I haven’t washed it. At least the bleeding has stopped.” He rolled his jeans down and reached for the bean can in the fire.

With a shirt wrapped around her hand she took the charred can from Mackenzie and hesitated before scooping out a couple of beans. The warmth was like a slice of heaven in her mouth, and she grinned at him. “They’re much better warm.”

“I reckon.” His smile was genuine.

The flickering flames made his beard stubble appear thicker, blending it with his olive skin, and she noticed a tiny scar that ran belowthe left side of his mouth. As if reading her mind, he touched it, and she shifted her eyes back to the fire.

They finished sharing the can and Mackenzie tossed it into the flames creating a frenzy of floating sparks.

As the glowing sparks carved an orange path into the black sky, Mackenzie’s comment about burying the dead invaded her thoughts. “I can’t bury Spencer here. He wouldn’t want that.”

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