Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(19)
‘So you run the program here on your own?’
‘Mostly. There’s another guy running a survival course a couple of hours away. We each cover when the other’s on leave, but most of the time it’s just me.’
‘And you live up here?’ Falk said. ‘Do you have accommodation in the park?’
‘No. I’ve got a little place in town. Near the service station.’
Falk, who had spent his formative years firmly in the back end of nowhere, thought even he would be hard-pressed to describe the handful of shops they’d passed as a town.
‘It sounds a bit lonely,’ he said, and Chase shrugged.
‘It’s not too bad.’ He was navigating the uneven path with the ease of someone who had walked it many times before. ‘I like being outdoors and the rangers are okay. I used to come camping up here when I was younger so I know the terrain. I’ve never wanted an office job. I signed up with Executive Adventures three years ago, been up here for the past two. It’s the first time this kind of thing has happened on my watch, though.’
In the distance, Falk could make out the distinct sound of rushing water. They had been walking slowly but surely uphill since they had set off.
‘How long do you reckon they have to find Alice?’ Falk asked. ‘Best case scenario.’
The corners of Chase’s mouth turned down. ‘It’s hard to say. I mean, we’re not talking winter conditions to rival Alaska, but it gets bloody cold up here. Especially at night, and especially with no shelter. Stuck outside, a bit of wind, bit of rain, it can be game over quite soon.’ He sighed. ‘But you know, if she’s smart, stays as warm and dry as she can, keeps hydrated, then you never know. People can be tougher than you think.’
Chase had to raise his voice as they rounded a bend and came face to face with a curtain of white water. A river tumbled over a cliff edge and into the pool far beneath them. The falls roared as they walked out onto the bridge.
‘Mirror Falls,’ Chase said.
‘This is amazing.’ Carmen leaned against the railing, her hair whipping across her face. The fine spray seemed almost suspended in the crisp air. ‘How high is it?’
‘She’s only a baby, about fifteen metres tall,’ Chase said. ‘But the pool at the bottom is at least as deep again and the water pressure is crazy so you wouldn’t want to go over. The drop itself isn’t too bad, it’s more the shock and the cold that’ll kill you. But you’re lucky, this is the best time of year to see her, she’s not as impressive in the summer. This year we were down to a trickle. Had the drought, you know?’
Falk clenched his hand with its slick new skin inside his pocket. Yes. He knew.
‘But it’s been good since the weather broke,’ Chase went on. ‘Great winter rainfall, so you can see why it gets the name.’
Falk could. At the foot of the crashing falls, most of the churning water was swept along by the river. But a deviation in the landscape had created a natural dip off to the side, an overflow into a pool that lay large and calm. It rippled gently, as its surface reflected the magnificent surroundings. An identical image, a few shades darker. Falk stood entranced, gazing down at the thundering white noise. Chase’s radio beeped on his belt, breaking the spell.
‘I’d better be getting back,’ he said. ‘If you’re ready.’
‘No worries.’
As Falk turned to follow Chase, his eye caught a splash of colour in the distance. On the far side of the falls, where the trail disappeared into deep bush, a tiny lone figure stared out over the water. A woman, Falk thought, her purple hat contrasting with the greens and browns of the surroundings.
‘There’s someone there,’ Falk said to Carmen.
‘Oh, yeah.’ She looked to where he was pointing. ‘Do you recognise her?’
‘Not from this distance.’
‘Me neither. Not Alice, though.’
‘No.’ The build was too thin, the hair poking out beneath the hat too dark. ‘Unfortunately.’
The woman couldn’t possibly have heard over the distance and the roar of the falls, but she turned her head sharply in their direction. Falk raised a hand, but the tiny figure didn’t move. As they followed Chase to the trail, he glanced back once or twice. The woman continued to watch until the trees closed in behind them, and Falk could see her no more.
Day 2: Friday Morning
Beth unzipped the tent door from the inside, wincing as the noise vibrated across the canvas. She looked back. Her sister was still sleeping soundly, curled on her side, her eyelashes long against her cheeks and her hair casting a dark halo around her head.
She had always slept like that as a child. They both had, almost nose to nose, their hair entwined on the pillow, and their breath shared. Beth used to open her eyes each morning and see an image of herself looking back. That hadn’t happened for a long time. And Beth didn’t sleep curled up anymore. Beth’s sleep these days was broken and uneasy.
She crawled out into the cold air and zipped the tent shut behind her, cringing as she slipped her boots on. They had got damp yesterday and stayed damp today. The sky was as grey and heavy as the day before. There was no movement from the other tents. She was alone.
She had an urge to wake her sister, so they could be alone together for the first time in . . . Beth wasn’t sure how long. She wouldn’t though. She’d seen Bree’s look of disappointment when Alice had tossed the sisters’ backpacks together in front of the same tent. Bree would rather share with her boss than her own sister.