Page 4 of Lost In Kakadu

Oh my God! He’s the other man who’d been arguing under the plane. The one who’d stormed off.

“Good morning, folks.” His voice was a tortured baritone. “My name is Dave Wilkinson, and I have the pleasure of being both your pilot and tour guide for the coming week. We’re waiting for three more passengers, then we’ll be on our way. Make yourselves comfortable.” He turned and bounded down the steps like a ten-year-old gymnast.

Abigail whispered in Spencer’s ear. “Oh my God, Spencer. He’s one of the guys I saw arguing by the plane. Do youstillthink it’s safe?”

“Of course it is. Don’t be ridiculous.” His look of scorn hurt more than she cared to admit.

Fighting a powerful urge to run, Abigail removed an emery board from her bag and filed her nails to distract herself. Two more men walked toward the plane. The taller man had honey-blonde hair and Lennon-like sunglasses, and a frown that pulled his eyebrows into a straight line.

The other man’s slicked back hair glistened in the sun, and his olive skin and almond-shaped eyes indicated mixed cultures. He moved with athletic comfort, and flashed very white, even teeth when he laughed.

The blonde-haired man stepped into the cabin first and when his friend joined him, they moved to the seats behind Abigail. They chattered continuously but stopped as a hulking copper-haired man sidled through the entranceway, holding a bulky TV camera in front of him. Madonna groaned when the newcomer scratched at his groin.

Abigail nudged Spencer and rolled her eyes toward the redhead.

The big man paused. Madonna looked up at him with hatred in her eyes. “My day just gets better and better.” Her voice was loaded with sarcasm. “What the hell happened to Adam?”

“Looks like he and Kimba were sharing more than coverage. They’re both chucking their guts up. You and me are gonna be stuck together for a whole week, baby. Get used to it.”

“Just do your job and it’ll be fine. And don’t call me baby.”

“Sure thing—boss.” The word leered off his tongue, resentful as much as suggestive.

“Shut up and get ready. We’ll do a report along the way.”

Each time the redhead took a step, the plane groaned under his weight. At the back, he flopped into the last spot and plonked the camera between his legs.

Abigail felt sorry for the old man beside him—his body literally spilled out the sides of the seat.

A sharp noise at the front of the plane made Abigail jump.

Spencer chuckled. “It’s just the baggage door closing.”

She glared at him. His sadistic grin showed he enjoyed her discomfort.

The pilot reclaimed her attention, hauling the stairs up into the cabin. “Hello folks, my name’s Dave Wilkinson, and I’m your pilot and guide. The Kakadu gods have blessed us with clear skies and mild winds, and we should have a pleasant flight before we land in beautiful Kakadu National Park. But first, as we’ll be together for the next five days, how about we all introduce ourselves? Let’s start with you, Toni.”

The girl flicked a dreadlock and twisted around to the rest of the passengers. “Hi, I’m Toni. I’m studying to be a park ranger.” She waved a delicate hand, then gestured to Madonna in the seat behind her.

“My name is Madonna. I’m a travel reporter for ‘Going Places’.”

The giant redhead butted in. “Yeah, and I’m Tom, the unlucky bastard chosen to be the shark’s cameraman.”

Madonna flashed her middle finger at him.

Abigail stared at the reporter.Maybe this trip won’t be boring after all.

The older man cleared his throat, cutting into the momentary silence. “I’m Charlie, and I’m hoping to find a plant whichcould be Australia’s contribution to the antioxidant phenomenon.” He buzzed with wide-eyed excitement and peered at his audience as if expecting them to ask questions. After five seconds of silence, he nodded at the two men in front of him.

The dark-haired man spoke. “Hi everyone, I’m Mackenzie and this is Rodney, and this trip has been on our ‘must-do’ list for several years.”

After a moment, Dave gestured to Spencer.

“I’m Spencer Mulholland, and this is my wife. Abigail.” He managed to make her name sound like an afterthought.

“Right then.” David rubbed his hands together. “Welcome, everybody. Keep your seat belts buckled, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.” He turned and jumped into the pilot’s seat.

Abigail clutched her chest. “Where’s the safety briefing?” Her throat was so dry she could barely speak.

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