‘Justin!’
Anna’s voice called him back again. Much as he wanted to explore this wonderful place where Anna was by his side, exchanging thoughts and feelings, he had to be a firefighter now.
‘Is there a road up there? Do you know?’
‘Yes. I have a client I visit near there.’
‘Can you direct me? I need to get closer.’
‘Sure. Ignore the next right. It doesn’t go that way. But the one after that will take you in the right direction.’
Justin increased his speed. They passed a turn-off and kept going.
‘It’s just ahead,’ Anna directed.
He braked to take the turn safely. The road was bitumen, but barely wide enough for one vehicle. Justin kept his speed as high as he safely could. The glow ahead of them was becoming brighter. He hoped it was because they were getting nearer, but feared it was really because the fire was expanding and taking hold in the tinder dry undergrowth.
‘I have to call this in,’ he told Anna as he touched the phone connection on his car console. ‘Call RFS HQ.’
There was a ringing tone over the car’s speakers, then, ‘Rural Fire Service, how can I help you?’ The phone was monitored twenty-four hours a day at this time of the year. And by a person, not an automated system.
Justin identified himself as an RFS officer. ‘I’m approaching a fire south-west of Scone. It’s north of Wagtail Ridge.’
‘We are on Castlerock Road, if that helps,’ Anna added.
Justin passed on that location. ‘It’s probably five K ahead of me right now.’
‘I have no reports on that yet,’ the voice on the phone said.
‘I’m about five minutes out. I’ll get back to you.’ Justin ended the call and concentrated on the road, which forked a short distance ahead. Castlerock Road curved to the left and a dirt road swung to the right.
‘Do you know where that goes?’
‘No.’
He hesitated then decided. ‘I’m going to try it.’
He braked and then swung the vehicle onto the dirt track. It was rough, but he stayed on it. After a couple of minutes, they crested a hill and Justin slammed on his brakes. The car slid to a stop.
Ahead of them, the road disappeared into a cloud of thick smoke. Flames spread on either side, the wind pushing the fire towards them. A tree burst into flames, sending a fierce shaft of light through the darkness. Justin flinched, then put the car in reverse and backed further away from the fire front. He hit dial on his phone again.
After reporting his GPS position and giving more details about the fire, Justin hung up and turned the car around.
‘I’m sorry about this, Anna. You take the car and head home. I’ll be fine here. I’ll join one of the crews when they get here.’
‘What? No.’
‘I’m sorry. Nothing about this evening has gone the way I’d hoped. But I can’t take you home. I have to stay here.’
‘Do you really think that’s what I meant? I know you have to stay, but I’m not leaving you here on foot in front of a bushfire.’
‘It’ll be safer for you to get out of here.’
‘And it would have been safer for me not to go near that injured bull. Now, how can I help?’
Justin hesitated, but only for a second. ‘There’s some gear in the back of the car. Come on.’
There was only one fireproof jacket in the back and Justin insisted that Anna take it. They each took shovels and protective gloves. Justin soaked a couple of bandanas with water from one of the bottles he always carried, and showed Anna how to tie it over her mouth. Then he placed his helmet on her head, nodding in encouragement.
