He kept low, and slowly scanned his surroundings, looking for an odd colour or shape on the landscape. Or a movement. It had now been an hour since Tan had called, and chances were high he would have someone in place by now. He wouldn’t have expected Tess to arrive so early.
A hum reached his ears. He stared up, searching the sky for a drone or plane. Clear, but drones were difficult to spot. The hum grew louder. It was more of an engine—a boat engine.
Ed shifted to view the gulf. Sure enough, a silver dinghy motored towards the shore from Retribution Island with one person inside. Was it Tan? Would he risk being out here by himself? Surely he’d have some kind of backup—Lee?
Ed wished he’d brought binoculars. Dot wouldn’t be here for another half an hour. Taking his time, he studied all the places where someone could monitor the beach. The mangroves in front of him would make it difficult, but the rise over by Ed’s right was the perfect spot. As he watched, something moved about thirty metres away, its brown colour at odds with the red surroundings. The wrong colour for a racehorse goanna, and too low to the ground for a kangaroo, but it reminded Ed of an Akubra hat.
Someone was there.
The dinghy was still halfway across the bay. Ed crept backwards and, keeping low, he shuffled closer to his target, taking the rifle from his back and holding it in position. Inserting a bullet would make too much noise, but whoever was watching from the hill wouldn’t know the gun was unloaded.
His heart pounded and his hands sweated around the rifle. The mid-morning sun wasn’t hot but was high enough in the sky not to mess with his vision. He placed his feet noiselessly, and soon he was parallel to where he’d seen the figure. He clenched the rifle and moved closer. The dinghy’s tone changed to announce it was slowing. Not much time.
Ed immediately recognised the figure lying in the sand, eyes to a set of binoculars. He gritted his teeth, crouched, and shoved the rifle into the man’s side. “Don’t move, Lee.”
Lee barely flinched. “Ed, you shouldn’t be here.”
“I won’t let anyone kill Tess.”
“I’m not planning on it,” Lee replied, lowering the binoculars, and glancing at him. “I want to protect her.”
Ed frowned. Not what he’d expected Lee to say. He hesitated. “Why?”
Lee moved slowly, reaching for a pistol lying in the grass.
“Don’t move.”
“You take it,” Lee said. “Quickly now. Tan won’t mess around for long.”
Ed shuffled forward as Tan got out of the dinghy. When he glanced back at Lee, he found himself looking down the barrel of the pistol.
He froze.
“Get down, set up your rifle,” Lee said. “Tan will have a gun in a holster under his jacket.”
Ed blinked, confused. Lee wasn’t going to shoot him? He did as Lee ordered, lying down, adding two bullets to the rifle, and getting into position, all the while hyper aware of Lee and his gun.
“Aren’t you working for Tan?” Ed murmured.
Silence. “I work for Stonefish.”
Ed wanted to ask more, but Tess was getting out of the car. He prayed Lee could be trusted and aimed for Tan. Would he be able to pull the trigger if it came down to it?
***
Tess trembled as she shut the car door, the sound like a gunshot across the quiet landscape. What was she doing here? It had seemed like a good idea when she’d taken the car, but she’d had plenty of time to second-guess herself on the drive here, and during the long wait. She’d never expected Tan to arrive via boat, but at least he was alone.
“I want to know my father is alive,” Tess called.
Tan laughed. “You should have asked your mother if you could speak to him.”
Huh? “Your people have kidnapped him.”
“That’s what I told her to say, and she’s so obedient. She knows what happens to people who disobey Stonefish.”
Tess stared at him. Her mother had lied to her? But she must know Tan would kill Tess. She couldn’t breathe. “No! I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care. It’s the truth, but you won’t ever know.”
