He shakes his head half heartedly.
His mind is still elsewhere.
I kiss Marco gently on the mouth, flipping a middle finger at the man outside.
???
Pulling out onto the road, I indicate out of habit.
Indicating to no one.
The road is empty as always.
And that's when it clicks.
The tree on the corner.
The fuel stop.
A passenger door opening before he leaves her behind.
Marco is reliving it.
His head turns the other way as we pass the pub on our right.
Not out of fear this time, but reclamation.
The tree line ends.
Red dirt greets us on either side.
And then, the cattle grid beneath our tires.
A green welcome sign faces the other way.
I increase my speed to one hundred.
The narrow open road is one straight, eternal line.
It stretches as far as the eye can see.
Longreach 215km, says the GPS.
Marco slips the phone from his pocket, holding it at an angle.
He’s filming the power lines.
Once again, they lead him out of here.
But this time, with his head held high.
This time, he isn’t running.
Because he’s no longer a captive.
???
The sun is setting now.
