AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER EIGHT
SIERRA’S FEET ACHED. She hadn’t realized she would be tramping through the bush all day when she’d left the house this morning. If she had, she would’ve put on her hiking boots and a proper pair of light-but-tough walking pants. As it was, her Converse sneakers had done the job, but were now pinching her toes painfully, and causing a blister to form on her left heel. Not that she cared. If it meant finding the little girl, she’d keep walking all night in these shoes.
It was now well after dark. Her stomach rumbled painfully, but she ignored it. The cold was seeping through her thick Gortex coat now the sun had disappeared. But she ignored that, as well.
“Time to call it a day.” The familiar voice came through the thick bushland. Tom Hubbard was leading this team, as well as organizing all the other teams. He’d said he couldn’t just sit back at HQ and watch on while everyone else searched. Sierra could understand that sentiment completely.
But were they really calling the search off? The thin stream of light from her flashlight bobbed along the track in front of her, as she made her way towards the team leader. Reed had given her the light out of his car before he left a couple of hours ago to report to Don, and she joined up with the SES volunteers in this group. The other police teams would’ve arrived from the mainland by now and he and Don had to bring them up to speed. Reed said no one was on dispatch in the office at the moment, as all hands were needed on deck for the search. That made it harder to communicate with his other officers, especially as cell phone reception was so patchy on the island. He’d hated to leave the search, but the debriefing couldn’t wait.
Sierra made her way into a small clearing where other volunteers were gathering around Tom. Her flashlight lit up their bright-orange high-vis vests, and for a second, they looked like a multicolored pack of brightly plumed birds all flocking together. She stumbled over a small log as she entered the clearing and held back a curse. Her legs ached, and she could feel exhaustion creeping in. But she would’ve kept searching until dawn if she had to.
“Is everyone here?” Tom asked, his voice broadcasting over the top of Sierra’s head into the surrounding scrub. There were a few muffled replies as the last of the stragglers arrived, the light from their flashlights or headlamps mingling with the growing glow around the huddle of humanity.
“Sorry, folks, but it’s SES protocol. We don’t search after dark. We can’t put the lives of our volunteers and professionals at risk.”
There were a few grumbling complaints from the back, and Sierra echoed their dismay in her head.
“I know, I know,” Tom placated. “I’ve heard it all before.” He sounded tired and Sierra looked up to catch a glimpse of his lined face in the bright lights of everyone’s flashlights. There were lines around his eyes, she could see them clearly even though his shaggy hair and bushy beard. This thing was taking a toll on him, like it was taking a toll on everyone. She’d have to see if she could catch him later and have a quick chat. Let him know they were all in this together.
“But we’re not giving up. Those of you who are up to it, we’ll re-assemble back at the fire station in Penneshaw at five A.M. sharp. We’re going to keep looking until we find this girl.”
Sierra’s shoulders slumped. She knew he was right, there were good reasons to call off the search. One of the most important ones being that a vitally important clue might be missed if they continued to search in the dark. So why did it feel so much like defeat?
She only half-listened as Tom continued, “If you hike out to the road, a bus will be along shortly to pick you up and take you back to Penneshaw. Go home, get a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. We need you all back tomorrow.”
There was a rustling sound and Sierra’s mouth began to water. She’d recognize the sound of a bag of candy being opened anywhere.
Tom’s voice boomed out over the top of the surrounding crowd. “I know it’s not much, but everyone is welcome to grab a candy for the trek back to the bus.”
Sierra joined the queue filing past Tom, who had an extra-large bag open in his hand. But just as it was her turn to put her hand in and grab one, she noticed the label and flinched away.
It was the same brand as the wrapper she’d found at the side of the road this morning. She shook her head and kept walking, Tom giving her a confused look as she went. But how was she supposed to explain that?
Was there a connection? Should she tell Reed? Those candies were for sale in all the supermarkets, they were common and easily available. Surely it was just a terrible coincidence?
Sierra followed a group of three other people out along the narrow track, her mind whirling with questions. Uncertainty mixed in with the horrible cold lump that’d been sitting in her chest cavity all day, ever since she’d heard the news.
“Hi, luv. Is that you, Sierra?” a voice called from behind. She stopped walking and turned around. A thickset figure emerged out of the gloom. She caught a glint of reflected light from his glasses and immediately knew who it was.
“Evan. Hi. I didn’t know you were with this team.”
He fell into step beside her, and she could hear by the rasp in his breath he was working hard to keep up with her, so she slowed a little. “Well, of course I came straight out here. I want to help find that poor little girl.” Sierra couldn’t see his face properly in the flickering lights of everyone’s torches, but it was enough to know he looked much like a beaten basset hound. Which was how she felt as well. How they all felt. Hollow and defeated.
“It’s just so terrible, don’t you think?” he continued. “That poor girl’s family. I saw her, you know. Yesterday. The whole family came in to buy a postcard. They were so lovely together.” Evan was rambling, almost stumbling over his words in his haste to get them out. “I gave the two little girls a candy each, and the little one, she was so happy when I gave it to her. The older sister, she wouldn’t take it until her mum said it was okay. Smart girl that one. But I can’t believe what’s happened. What do you think, luv? Do you think she just wandered off?”
What was it today? Every time she turned around someone was talking about candy. It must be all a huge fluke, she was reading too much into it. Sierra didn’t feel like chatting to anyone right now, least of all the well-meaning, but interfering, Evan. She gave a resigned shrug of her shoulders. But he wasn’t deterred and kept up a constant stream of one-sided babbling as they made their way back to the road. She gave a grunt every now and then by way of reply.
The bus was waiting for them as they emerged from the bush, a bright bubble of light in the dark night. As they went to get aboard, Evan grabbed her arm and she flinched at the strength behind those plump fingers.
“You are coming back to search tomorrow, aren’t you?” His eyes bored into her from behind his spectacles. “I mean, we need all the help we can get to find little Jessica.” He was still gripping her arm, and she had to resist the urge to shake it off. What was it with this guy and touching her? His sense of personal space was seriously off, all of a sudden.
“Of course, I am,” she agreed.
Finally, he let go of her arm. “Good. That’s good. I’ll probably see you then,” he said as he followed her up the stairs. She chose an empty seat next to an older lady up the front and after a second’s hesitation, Evan moved off, farther into the back.
Nearly an hour later, Sierra parked her car in the main street of Kingscote, right out the front of the local fish and chip shop. She was starving, and the thought of a pile of steaming-hot chips and some freshly grilled fish had her mouth watering. But the dilemma of what to do after she’d eaten was still swirling around her mind. It was another thirty-minute drive out to her house. Perhaps she could give Kylie a call and see if she could stay at her house tonight. It’d save a lot of time if she didn’t have to drive home and them back again tomorrow morning. She sometimes stayed over after a girl’s night at the Queenscliff pub. Other times they get together at Rhianna’s place in Emu Bay, and Sierra would often spend the night there afterwards as well. But Kylie’s place would be the obvious one to stay at tonight. Kylie might also have a spare pair of boots she could lend her so she could keep searching tomorrow. Sometimes it was a bonus, having a friend with the same-size feet.
It was a good plan. She’d buy herself some dinner then give Kylie a call.
