Brandon looked at them both. “Matt, you can help guard the treasure.”
He looked as if he was going to argue, but Georgie squeezed his hand. “Nhiari’s a big girl. She’s been handling Lee all week.”
Matt shot Lee a look of disgust and then nodded. “Fine.”
He was one person who wouldn’t accept Lee into their group if he managed to escape gaol. Lee couldn’t come between Nhiari and her family.
Brandon showed him into the bathroom so Lee could have his first proper shower in weeks. Before Brandon left he said, “She trusts you.”
Lee nodded.
“I don’t.”
“Noted.” And he was happy Nhiari had so many people around her who would take care of her when he was gone.
As he showered, he noticed a shadow outside the window. Someone was guarding the exit and someone would be guarding the door as well.
After Nhiari had cleaned up, they went to the outbuilding which was built to house shearers at shearing time. The room was small with only a single bed in it and a small sink and wardrobe. Brandon dragged in a second mattress from the room next door, but made no comments. After Brandon left them, Lee gestured to the bed. “You take it.”
She shook her head. “I’m on guard duty, remember?”
He glanced at her. “I won’t escape.”
“I know.” Her assertion wasn’t convincing.
He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right, but he couldn’t. Nothing would be right after Saturday and though he wanted a last night holding her in his arms, he couldn’t. Not when he was already lying to her and someone might check on them. They had a game to play.
He lay on the bed, and she turned off the light, but it was a long time before either of them fell asleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Thenextdaywasinterminable and Nhiari’s fatigue didn’t help matters. She’d barely slept lying on the mattress in front of the door. She couldn’t stop thinking this was the beginning of the end for them.
Nhiari hated the fact she’d sent a tracker to Lee’s phone, and she was making plans based on the assumption he would betray her.
That wasn’t a healthy relationship in anyone’s world.
The only positive was she’d got her period.
Finally Dot received word the truck would be in Retribution Bay by mid-afternoon and they would load the cannon when it arrived. Debate was still raging over when the treasure would be loaded; whether the truck would make a stop at the Ridge on the way back to Perth, or whether the Stokes would take the treasure to town either today or in the morning.
The less time the treasure was unguarded, the better.
Lee was kept out of the discussions, but someone was watching him. Around mid-afternoon, Amy and the other women ganged up on Nhiari and insisted she get some rest and she’d slept for a couple of hours.
When she woke, it was around five o’clock and Dot called. Nhiari walked outside into the evening heat to answer it. “What’s up?”
“We tracked down Lucas’s plane in Newman, but it’s lodged a flight plan to Carnarvon this afternoon. It should land there soon.”
“Getting into position.” Like she’d suspected. Did Lee know the truth, or was Lucas keeping him in the dark as well?
“Yeah. Organised Crime have been back and forth all day,” Dot said, her exasperation clear. “We need to bring the treasure into town this evening and keep it at the police station overnight. The truck will pick it up in the morning.”
“And Lee?”
“He’s to be arrested and transported with the treasure to Perth.”
Nhiari felt sick even if this was part of the plan. “What support are the Organised Crime division giving in relation to the ambush?”
