Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(10)

King glanced over his shoulder at the searchers. A group was preparing to go in, their orange overalls bright against the mass of trees. Falk could see a break in the tree line, where a path delved in. It was marked by a lone wooden beacon.

‘We know they went off track sometime on the second day because they didn’t make the campsite that night,’ King went on. ‘There’s a fairly large kangaroo trail leading off the main route. We think that’s where they went wrong. It only took them a few hours to realise it, but that’s plenty of time to land yourself in trouble.’

He looked again at his notebook and turned a page.

‘The details get a bit hazier from there on in. My officers managed to get what they could from them last night and this morning. A few holes that still need filling, though. When they realised they’d gone wrong it seems they floundered around, tried to work their way back. Easy way to make things worse. They were supposed to pick up food and water supplies at the second night’s campsite, so when they didn’t make it, the panic started to set in.’

Falk was reminded of what the attendant in the service station had said. It’s the panic that gets you. Makes it hard to trust what you’re seeing.

‘They were all supposed to leave their phones behind, but Alice had taken hers, as you know.’ King nodded at Falk. ‘Signal’s crap out there, though. Sometimes you get lucky, but not usually. Anyway, they wandered around until the Saturday when they stumbled on a disused cabin.’

He paused. He seemed about to say something else, then changed his mind.

‘At this point, we’re not sure where exactly that cabin is located. But they holed up in there for the night. When they woke up yesterday morning, the missing woman was gone. Or so say the other four.’

Falk frowned. ‘What did they think had happened to her?’

‘That she’d cracked the shits. Gone off on her own. There’d been some back and forth between them about the best thing to do. Apparently this Alice had been making noises about bush-bashing north to find a road. The others weren’t keen, and she wasn’t too happy.’

‘And what do you think?’

‘Could be right. Her backpack and the phone were gone along with her. She’d taken the group’s only working torch.’ King’s mouth formed a hard line. ‘And judging by the injuries and the amount of stress they’d have been under, between you and me, it sounds like there’d been a bit of aggro at some point.’

‘You think they fought? Physically?’ Carmen said. ‘About what?’

‘Like I said, there’s still a fair bit to be ironed out. We’re moving as fast as we can, under the circumstances. Minutes count out there. The search has to take priority.’

Falk nodded. ‘How did the other four find their way back?’

‘They struck a course due north until they finally hit a road, then followed it round. It’s a rough technique, doesn’t always work, but they probably didn’t have much choice. What with the snakebite and everything else. Took them hours but paid off in the end.’ He sighed. ‘We’re focusing on trying to find the cabin. Best case scenario, she’s found her way back and bunkered down there.’

Falk didn’t ask what the worst case was. Alone and lost among the perils of the bush, he could think of a string of possibilities off the top of his head.

‘So that’s where we are,’ King said. ‘Your turn.’

Falk got out his phone. He had saved the voicemail from Alice Russell as a recording and was now glad that he had. His screen showed no signal at all. He passed the handset to King, who pressed it hard against his ear.

‘This bloody wind.’ King covered his other ear with his hand and closed his eyes, straining to hear. He listened twice more before handing the phone back, his face set.

‘You able to tell me what you were talking to her about?’ he said.

The helicopter flew low again, shaking the trees into a frenzy. Falk looked over at Carmen, who gave a tiny nod.

‘We saw Daniel Bailey in the carpark back at the lodge,’ Falk said. ‘The chief exec of the company they all work for. His name was on that participant list you sent us.’

‘The boss? Yeah, I know who he is. He was on the blokes’ team.’

‘Did the men’s group have contact with the women’s group while they were out there?’

‘Officially, no. Unofficially?’ King said. ‘Yeah, I’m told there was some. Why?’

‘That’s what we’ve been talking to Alice Russell about,’ Falk said. ‘Daniel Bailey.’





Day 1: Thursday Afternoon


Jill Bailey could see the back of Alice’s head grow further away with every step.

They had been walking for only twenty minutes and already the left heel of Jill’s boots was rubbing ominously, despite the three-figure premium she’d paid for something described as ‘quick-wick comfort technology’. It was cold, but her t-shirt clung under her arms and a bead of sweat trickled down and pooled in her bra. Her forehead felt damp and shiny and she wiped it subtly with her sleeve.

The only person she thought might be doing it tougher was Beth. Jill could hear the rasp of smoker’s lungs behind her. She knew she should turn and offer a few words of encouragement, but at that moment, she could think of nothing to say. Nothing convincing, at least.