Page 53 of Lost In Kakadu

Mackenzie waited for Charlie to tell him about it, but he didn’t, so he didn’t pry. “Right then.” Mackenzie pulled himself up. His legs trembled and he braced against the eucalyptus tree, fighting the urge to crumble into an exhausted heap. “Thanks for the pep talk. I’ll sleep by the fire. Are you okay here?”

“Why don’t you pull up beside me too? I’ll try not to snore.”

It was impossible to resist sleeping in the partially sheltered space. “Thank you.”

Mackenzie crawled atop the pile of clothes, rolled onto his back and adjusted a T-shirt into a pillow. He stretched out, feeling his muscles tighten in every limb. “Now this is luxury.”

“Sure is.” Charlie grinned.

The subtle crackle of the fire lured Mackenzie’s focus and he rolled to face it. The fire was another necessity he’d be lost without. He closed his eyes and welcomed sleep.

After what seemed like just twenty minutes, he opened his eyes to the chorus of birds and the sun piercing through the trees.

Jeez, it’s morning already.

He still lay on his side, facing the now extinguished fire. He was certain he hadn’t moved all night, as every muscle ached when he rolled onto his back.

Where the hell are you now, Tony?

His masseuse Tony had worked many intense knots from Mackenzie’s back, the downside of endless hours standing in a kitchen. A noise in the bushes jolted him back to the present and moments later, Abigail strolled into the clearing idly rubbing her neck.

Mackenzie had a positive feeling about the day ahead and the birds, blissfully chirping in the morning sun, bolstered his mood.

Today I’ll do a few things to make our campsite more comfortable.

Scrutinising their surroundings, several ideas formed. Charlie was still fast asleep and was lightly snoring when Mackenzie rolled out of bed and stretched.

His movements were stiff and disjointed, reminding him of a similar feeling when he ran the Bridge to Brisbane marathon several years ago. His reluctance at participating in the race was outweighed by his determination to prove the worth of their gym membership to Rodney.

Mackenzie remembered the sense of achievement when he completed the race and gloated about it into the early morning hours with several bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. However, the following two days were complete agony. His body deteriorated to the point where he needed help just to get out of bed.

But it was a good memory. . . a time when Rodney was there for him, helping him through his pain—a nurturing smile, a gentle touch, simple gestures that showed he cared. Anger over Rodney’s death bubbled to the surface, but he forced it down, determined not to let it ruin the positive feelings he’d had just moments ago.

“How did you sleep?” Abigail asked when he was within earshot.

“Good and you?”

“Terribly.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.”

“What the hell are we going to do? We’ve been here so long. I think they’ve given up.”

“No, they haven’t. Even you said they’ll never give up looking for you. It’s early days yet. They’ll find us.” Mackenzie croucheddown next to her. “I feel good about today. I don’t know what it is, but I think today’s going to be a good day.”

She glanced sidelong at him. “A good day would be me walking out of the beauty salon looking ten years younger.”

“See, you’re cracking jokes already.”

She looked at him deadpan. “I was serious.”

“Right. Well, I have a couple of ideas that’ll make us more comfortable. So why don’t you just chill out and relax. Get some sleep, or sun, or read or whatever. Okay?”

She frowned. Her expression pegged him as a mad man. “Don’t you want me to help?”

Mackenzie hadn’t expected this response. Up until now she’d been reluctant to help with anything. He considered her offer, but nothing came to mind. “How about I call you when I need your help?”

She nodded, her eyes downcast. She looked lost, almost forlorn.

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