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‘Ya’d better believe it, ya stoopid bitch. Ya’ll do jist as I say. An’ I can ‘andle me mate, don’ you worry ‘bout that.’ He laughed as he went up the steps two at a time and into the main building.
* * *
Dusk settled and the last rays of light turned the scattered trees and bushes into stark silhouettes. Petri arrived at the junction and decreased his speed as he proceeded down the track. When he was about a kilometre from the buildings he stopped, switched off the lights and continued on in semi-darkness. He looked at his watch. It was just on seven and light was fading fast. He pulled into the bushes and brushed away the tyre tracks before setting off on foot towards the buildings.
He could just make out the perimeter fence, two metres high with a chained gate. It seemed a strange sort of set up but Petri thought that if the dogger kept supplies some sort of security might be necessary. The distinct chug-chug-chug of a diesel generator broke the evening silence. Cautiously he walked towards the sound. As he drew nearer it was joined by the sound of human voices. He was still too distant to hear what was being said but a male voice was shouting. A dog barked.
Petri moved off the track into scattered scrubby bushes and spinifex. He wanted the occupants to remain ignorant of his presence. There was no knowing what to expect from the pugnacious dogger and his family. He dropped to a prone position near one of the small sand ridges that provided some relief to the generally flat land. He was now only a short distance from the entry road, close to a point where the perimeter fence changed direction and where the locked gates were situated.
It was now too dark to discern details. Regardless, he knew that he’d never be able to reach the creek without making his presence obvious. Perhaps on foot, but he was going to need the auger, and that meant taking the four-wheel drive.
He was just about to go back to his vehicle when someone came out of the building. The figure silhouetted against the interior light showed that it was a woman.
The dogger had a wife? Petri thought she might be more approachable than her aggressive husband. A second figure emerged from the building. It was a child, crying and running to its mother. The woman turned, picked up the child and went back into the building.
From where Petri was lying, c
lose up against the fence, he could hear raised voices from inside. There was a loud slap then the door flung open. The woman emerged followed closely by the child. She held the upper part of her torn dress with one hand and what appeared to Petri to be a bundle, or perhaps another smaller child, in the crook of her other arm.
Petri was now certain that it wasn’t a good time to make contact with the dogger or his wife. He headed back to his vehicle, trying to think of a way to resolve his dilemma. Perhaps if he made contact in the morning he could persuade them to let him through to sample the creek, especially if he spoke to the wife. After all, he had already come down the track and seen the station. Legally he knew there was little they could do to stop him since he was on legitimate business. Even so, the dogger’s attitude and the gun made him hesitate. He had to work out how best to approach them.
He started the walk back to his vehicle.
* * *
Petri was woken early by the sound of an approaching vehicle. It was the dogger. Petri readied himself for trouble but the vehicle drove straight past without slowing. He was glad that he had driven his vehicle well into the scrubby bush to make his camp difficult to see.
Petri decided to take a chance. If the dogger was gone all morning, and the wife was amenable, he might be able to collect his samples before the man returned. He packed up camp in record time and headed for the station, arriving at the locked gates within minutes.
The place was silent. The distinct and comforting noise of the generator was missing. Not even the morning bird chorus had started. He hooted to attract attention.
Katherine was trying to fix her dress that Karl had torn during the assault the previous evening when she heard a car horn blast. She looked up. She hadn’t heard Karl leave the compound earlier.
Not wanting to upset him or give him any cause for anger, she hurriedly pulled the bed away from the door and looked out. She was shocked to see Karl’s ute gone and a very unusual looking vehicle outside the gate. If not another mate of Karl’s or Benjamin’s, it could be her opportunity to escape.
She dropped the dress, not caring about her lack of clothing, ran from building barefooted, Carolyn running beside her.
Petri got out of his vehicle and walked up to the gate. He could hear the woman screaming something not quite comprehensible. His eyes opened wide with surprise at the wild looking woman with large bruises on her arms and exposed upper body. His carefully planned explanations for the reasons for being there were lost as his eyes and mind focussed on her breasts and bruises. He opened his mouth to speak the words were stopped by the breathless shout of the woman as she ran up to the gate and grabbed at the wires.
‘Please, help us! Please, I need help.’
P etri stuttered, ‘Why, what’s the matter? Are you okay? What’s happened? Has your husband beaten you?’ He was reluctant to become embroiled in a domestic situation out in the bush.
‘He’s not my husband. I’m a prisoner here, both me and my children. That man is a psychopath. Just look at what he’s done to me,’ she said, pointing to her bruises.
‘The dogger’s not your husband? What are you doing here? What do you mean, a prisoner?’ Petri was doing his best to avert his eyes from the woman’s exposed body but the large bruises were clear.
‘It’s a long story, goes back years. I really and desperately need to get out and I don’t know how. I was kidnapped. I’m a prisoner. Karl’s going to be back soon. He left his dog in the building so he’s not gone for long. He doesn’t usually go out this early. I beg you, please help me! We’re not safe, not me, not my children. I’ll get the children; we must get away from here as fast as we can. Karl’s really very dangerous. He’s got a gun and —’
‘Yes, I know. I met him yesterday and I saw the gun in his ute. He went down the track about ten minutes ago. That’s why I came. I thought you were his wife and I could get your permission to collect —’
‘We must hurry. I’ll get the children.’
‘How do we open the gate, have you got a key?’
‘No, I don’t. I’ll get some things and try and climb over. You take the children. I’ll pass them over to you. Please.’ She turned and raced back to the building she had come out of earlier.
Doubts circled around in Petri’s head. If she was truly a prisoner, should he just break down the fence? What if she was the weirdo? She seemed desperate enough for her story to be true. And her accent clearly indicated she was not of the same ilk as the dogger.
