Chapter 43

CHAPTER

43

The two cars passed the sign announcing they were entering the national park. The roads gradually became narrower as they drove further into the park and higher into the mountains, eventually becoming a single gravel track. Matt cursed loudly as they were forced to slow down. Each time they passed a sign pointing to a campground, he hesitated, staring into the parking areas, searching for a familiar car.

‘We have to trust Brian,’ Bree said. ‘If anyone knows where Sally would go, today especially, it’s him.’

Matt nodded. The tension oozing out of him was like a dark cloud enveloping them. There were times Bree found it hard to even breathe. It would be so much worse for Matt.

‘If they’re not there, we’ll have to call the police,’ she said when she couldn’t stand the silence in the car any longer.

‘I know. I wanted to keep them out of this, for everyone’s sake. But she’s been gone for so long now. And it’s going to get dark soon.’

Ahead of them, Brian turned off onto an even smaller track, little more than two well-worn ruts.

‘If this gets much worse, we’ll need a four-wheel drive.’

Matt said nothing, his eyes fixed on the track. They’d travelled less than a hundred metres when the track opened into a clearing. Sally’s car sat in the middle of it.

Matt pulled up and jumped out. ‘Vicki! Vicki!’

The only reply was the sound of the rising wind in the branches of the trees.

‘Where is she?’ Matt asked Brian as he approached.

‘There’s a small waterfall.’ Brian hesitated and looked up at the sky. ‘Have you got a torch?’

Bree also looked up. Ominous clouds were gathering overhead. It was getting dark and the rain wasn’t far away.

Matt reached into the glovebox of the car and emerged with a torch. ‘Come on. Show us the way.’

Brian started to run along a small, barely visible path. Matt and Bree followed close behind.

***

Matt became aware of the sound of running water nearby. His steps faltered and terrifying images filled his mind. Surely Sally would keep Vicki well away from the water. She couldn’t be that far removed from reality.

‘Vicki!’ Matt called, straining his ears for a response. ‘Vicki!’ Nothing but the sounds of the wind and their footsteps hurrying up the path.

He was starting to gasp for breath when, ahead of him, Brian vanished over the crest of a small rise. When Matt reached him, he was stationary, looking across the clearing at a jumble of large rocks at the foot of a raging waterfall.

Sally was sitting on one of the rocks, and beside her—

‘Vicki!’ Matt flung himself towards them.

‘Daddy!’ Vicki jumped to her feet to run to him, but Sally grabbed her arm.

‘No. Don’t go to him. That man will bring you nothing but pain, Kim, darling. Nothing but pain.’

Matt slid to a stop, shocked by the wildness he could see in Sally’s eyes and the terror on Vicki’s face.

‘Sally. Sally. It’s all right.’ Brian’s voice was calming.

‘I know. They said Kim was dead. But I knew if I came here, I’d find her. That everything would be all right.’

Fear tightened its grip on Matt’s heart. He took a step forward, but Sally jumped to her feet and backed away, dragging Vicki with her. Vicki struggled, her face was streaked with tears.

‘Granny, you’re hurting me!’

The cry cut Matt like a blade, but Sally showed no sign of having heard it.

Still backing away, she held up one hand as if to ward off danger. ‘No. Stay away from my daughter. You can’t take her away from me.’

Matt stopped moving. Just a couple of metres behind Sally, the muddy bank dropped away into a roiling pool fed by the crashing torrent of the waterfall. If Vicki got too close, or Sally … If one of them slipped …

Brian stepped forward. ‘Sally. My love. It’s all right. You have to let go of her.’

Sally’s eyes lost a little of their wildness as she looked at her husband. ‘See, Brian, Kim is here. She’s all right. We have our little girl back.’

‘I’m not Kim. I’m Vicki!’ Vicki wrenched her arm away from her grandmother and started to run. Sally made a wild grab for her but propelled by fear, the girl was too fast.

Matt stepped forward and dropped to his knees and Vicki flung herself into his arms.

He pulled her to him, holding her small body tight against him and burying his face in her hair. ‘Vicki. You’re safe. I’m here now. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you. I love you, Vicki. I love you so much, honey.’

‘I love you too, Daddy.’ Vicki’s sobs tore his heart into tiny pieces as she clung to him as if she would never let him go.

He was barely aware of Brian moving towards Sally, talking softly, until his voice took on a tighter tone. Matt looked up. Sally had backed away from Brian and was now standing close to the edge. Too close.

Still holding Vicki, he stood up, mind racing, searching for a way to help the woman.

Bree appeared at his side. She put a hand on his arm and he understood. He put Vicki on the ground.

‘Stay with Bree, honey. I need to help Granny.’

Bree’s hands fell to the girl’s shoulder and Matt forced himself to step away. But not towards Sally. Instead, he moved closer to the riverbank, downstream from the pool. If Sally fell …

He kept his eyes fixed on his mother-in-law. She had gone from looking angry to seeming confused. She looked at him, then at her husband.

‘… Brian?’

‘I’m here, my love. Everything will be all right. Just come to me.’ Brian held his hands out.

‘I don’t understand.’ She was glaring around her like an animal poised for flight. ‘No. No. You can’t take her away from me!’ She took a step back. ‘Where’s Kim? I want Kim.’

‘It’s time to come home with me, Sally. I’ll look after you. I’ll take care of everything.’

‘No.’ Sally turned as if looking for a place to run. Then she took one more step.

‘Granny!’ Vicki’s scream echoed around the clearing.

Sally’s foot slid and she teetered on the muddy edge of the bank, her hands reaching for something to steady herself, but there was nothing. Clumps of mud and grass at the edge of the bank gave way, falling into the churning water to be swept away by the current.

With a terrified scream, Sally followed them, sliding down the bank towards the torrent below.

Brian dived forward, reaching for her. His fingers caught hers and for a moment it looked like he would save her. But, almost in slow motion, Sally’s fingers slipped through his.

Brian’s cry of anguish was almost drowned by the splash as Sally hit the water.

Matt was already moving. He sprinted the last couple of metres to the riverbank and flung himself on the ground then slithered as far forward as he dared. He reached out, grasping for Sally. The water was starting to sweep her away but Matt lunged for her, grabbing her hand. As the water threatened to take them, Brian slid feet first down the bank. He stepped into the water, sinking immediately up to his thighs.

‘Sally! Sally!’

He reached out and Sally caught him with her free hand. Both men pulled with all their strength, scrambling backwards onto the bank. Sally’s grip on their hands became firmer as she came free of the water’s pull.

‘Come on, Sally. You can do it.’ Brian’s voice was edged with desperation and fear.

With a final surge of effort, Sally was out of the water. The three of them scrambled away from the edge to collapse on the muddy ground.

‘Granny!’ Vicki broke from Bree’s grasp and ran across the clearing to fling herself at her grandmother.

Sally struggled to a sitting position and, acting purely by instinct, put her arms around Vicki.

Breathing heavily from the effort, Matt also struggled into a sitting position. Beside him, Brian was still gasping for air. All three were soaked with cold water and covered with mud.

Sally was shaking. The wildness in her eyes faded and she looked around. ‘Brian? Matt?’

She looked down at the distraught child in her arms. Her hand flew to her mouth and she began to rock, loud sobs racking her body, which now seemed frail and weak.

In a heartbeat, Brian had his arms around her. He helped his wife from the ground and guided her away from the water to sit on a fallen tree.

Vicki sat next to her, her wide, frightened eyes never leaving her grandmother’s face.

‘Oh, what have I done? I am so sorry.’ Sally buried her face in her hands and her heart-wrenching sobs seemed about to tear her apart.

‘Don’t cry, Granny. Please don’t cry. I love you and I’ll look after you.’