Would taking Lee there ruin the place for her?
“Maybe we can get Lindsay to provide some clothes for you at the next drop off,” Lee added.
Nhiari glanced at him. “She could get them from my house.”
“No. Someone may be watching it. No one knows about my connection with Lindsay and I won’t put her in danger.”
His loyalty struck a chord with her. “All right.”
She followed him back down the tunnel to the cave but lagged behind. Lee could do it in the dark, but she was still learning the path and her ankle slowed her. Nhiari was about ten metres behind when he yelled.
Fear spiked as voices rose over the unmistakable sounds of fighting. Shit. Who had found them?
She hurried forward, peering into the entrance to take stock of the situation. There was still a faint glow from last light, and she spotted Lee grappling with an older man with dark skin. Her mouth dropped open, and she moved forward as her father yelled, “Where is my daughter?”
He had Lee in a head lock and at his words, Lee stopped fighting back.
Nhiari ran forward. “Dad! What are you doing here?” Her heart lodged in her throat, but whether it was fear for Lee or her father, she wasn’t certain.
Lee’s face was changing colour.
“Nhiari?” Her father glanced at her but didn’t loosen his hold, as if confused she was standing there in front of him.
“Let him go, Dad. You’re choking him.”
“He kidnapped you.” But he loosened his grip and Lee sucked in deep breaths.
Lee could get out of the hold and hurt her father, but he didn’t. He merely watched her and waited. “Dad, we’re working together. Let him go and I’ll explain.”
Her father studied her a long moment before letting go of Lee and stepping back. Lee rubbed his throat and turned to face his attacker.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr Roe.”
Her father grunted. “Explain, Nhiari.”
“How did you find me?” Nhiari asked, still not quite believing her father stood in front of her in glorious outrage.
He snorted. “I can follow a track, though he made it difficult, which is why it’s taken me so long. What’s going on here? If you’re all right, why haven’t you called your mother? She’s frantic.”
Nhiari smiled. It was so like him to say it was her mother worrying.
Lee brought over a camp chair and handed him a bottle of water. “Would you like to sit?”
Her father squinted at him with suspicion but took the water and sat.
“Lee did kidnap me, but we’ve come to an agreement.” She hesitated. He knew nothing about Stonefish. “We’re working together to stop a group who are doing bad things in Retribution Bay.”
“Are you safe with him?”
“Yes,” Lee answered. “I won’t hurt your daughter, Mr Roe. You have my word.”
Her father stared at him for a long moment. “I don’t know you. I don’t know what your word is worth.”
Nhiari appreciated her father’s candour. “Lee saved Matt’s life a couple of months ago.”
Her father raised his eyebrows, but to stop him asking more questions she continued, “I’m sorry I didn’t call.” She should have, or at least asked Dot to phone them.
“Your mother has been worried out of her mind, and Matt has been too.”
