“You do what you need to,” Arthur replied. “Just like we will.”
It was an interminable journey. Matt directed Sam off the main road and along a dirt track towards the ranges. Sam pulled up next to an abandoned Parks and Wildlife four-wheel drive.
Matt sprang out of the car. “Georgie!” His call echoed off the ranges. Matt swore. “I told her to stay in the car until we got here.”
Had Lee taken her?
Arthur slapped Matt’s back as he got out. “You just lost us the element of surprise.”
“He would have heard the car and seen the dust a mile away.”
Nhiari ignored them all and moved towards the range. The red rock was covered in shrubs as it stretched high above them, but a dark hole broke up the rock. A cave. Gretchen followed, with Arthur right behind her.
Nhiari pulled out her gun and Arthur shifted in front of Gretchen, knife in hand. “Stay behind me,” he murmured.
Behind them, Sam and Matt had caught up, and Sam had his gun out, moving behind some shrubs to come at the cave from the other side.
“Where are they, Lee?” Georgie’s voice echoed out of the cave.
“I told you, I don’t know.”
Gretchen froze. He didn’t have them? Then where were they?
Nhiari held up three fingers. Sam and Arthur both looked at her as she lowered one finger at a time, and on zero, they stormed into the cave. “Hands on your head, Lee.”
Gretchen was right behind them, and she blinked to adjust to the dim lighting. Georgie shrieked, as Matt charged towards her and dragged her out of the way. A slim Asian man slowly raised his hands.
Sam and Nhiari kept their guns trained on Lee as Arthur strode forward. “Where are Jordan and Cody?”
Lee’s gaze tracked everyone, acknowledging them. It lingered on Nhiari as he said, “They escaped.”
“What?”
Gretchen hadn’t realised she’d spoken until Lee looked directly at her. “Your son and his friend escaped their bonds.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how.”
The area was deserted. They could easily get lost, and without water, they’d be in real trouble. “Why didn’t you take better care of them?” She scanned the cave. Where would they have gone?
“What happened?” Arthur moved closer, his voice soft but demanding answers.
“I had the boys cable-tied in here,” he said. “They were safe, but I didn’t know if anyone from Stonefish was coming to get them, so I had to keep them tied.” He directed the last comment to Gretchen. “I heard someone approach, so I went outside to investigate. It was Georgie. I was gone five, maybe ten minutes.”
“I taught the boys how to get out of cable ties,” Arthur said.
Thankfully. The boys had escaped the enemy. “How long ago did you leave?” she asked Lee.
“It’s been fifteen minutes.”
She went to the mouth of the cave. “Jordan! Cody! Come out.”
“Where were they tied?” Arthur asked.
Lee motioned to the back of the cave, which had a tunnel running off it. Matt and Arthur examined the ground, Arthur shining his phone torch to get a better look.
“Everyone stay where you are,” Matt said. He moved over to the tunnel, shone his light down that way and then shifted towards the entrance. He glanced at Arthur. “Did you teach them to backtrack?”
Arthur nodded.
“Good job. There are footprints leading into the tunnel and ones leaving the cave.”
