Hidden Fire (23 page)

Dear God, if you've ever listened to me before, please listen to me now. Don't let them hurt that little boy
.

Hands on his hips and feet braced apart, Morgan stood on the top of the highest mullock heap he could find. He let his gaze roam over the site, across the Aboriginal village, and back to the entrance to the mine.

The children had gathered in the centre of the village under the watchful eye of the accompanying adults. From here, he could see Narri running a head count. Outside the confines of the camp, his men, those who lived on the station, did a thorough search.

Finally, John trotted up to him. “No sign of any strangers, Boss, although there's a deserted vehicle parked up the road under a group of Stringy Bark trees. No one seems to know whose it is. It's a rental so odds on it belongs to these two guys you want found.”

Morgan swore under his breath before he clambered down from the mullock heap. “Okay, keep your eyes open. And place guards around the site tonight. Oh, and send one of the lads to stand guard outside the mine now.”

John sketched him a salute. “Will do, Boss.”

Before Morgan could say anything else, Narri yelled for him from the village. He jogged across to her. “What's the problem, Narri?”

“Piri's missing. I can't find him anywhere.” She wrung her hands together and tears overflowed from her eyes. “He knows better than to wander off. Maybe he's with Missy Gili. I can't find her either.”

Morgan felt as if his heart had stopped. A lump of pure dread settled deep in his stomach. Ever since Piri's mother had died, and Charlie had brought the baby back to the station, Morgan had watched over Piri. Had helped raise him. Piri was like a little brother to him. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to him.

Anger whipped through him at the thought that maybe Jeremy had taken Piri. God help the man if he had, because Morgan wasn't certain he'd be able to contain himself if Jeremy hurt him.

Another thought intruded. What if Jeremy and his son were hiding in the mine? Maybe that's why the men hadn't been able to find any sign of them.

He grasped Narri's hands. “When did you last see him?”

“About an hour ago. I hollered at him ‘cause he was trying to get the other children to go into the mine with him.” She wiped at her wet eyes with the back of her hand. “What if he's lost in there?”

“We'll find him. Where's Charlie?”

“He's down near the mine.”

“Okay, you stay with the other women.”

Narri clutched at his arm. “Find my grandbaby, Morgan. And Missy Gili, too.”

Morgan took off running, yelling over his shoulder, “John, get the men together and meet me at the mine.”

Morgan had covered no more than six feet when a white, four-wheel-drive vehicle, with the distinctive blue insignia of the police force down the side, skidded into the campsite amid a cloud of red dust. All four doors opened and out jumped the local police sergeant and three constables.

Backtracking, Morgan held out his hand to the officer in charge. “Roy, it's good to see you. Thanks for coming out.”

“No problem, mate. You find any sign of those two blokes you told me about?”

“No, damn it. The boys discovered a vehicle hidden in the brush up at the old camping ground, but nothing else.”

“I'll send two of the guys up there and we can run the plates.”

Morgan shook his head. “Won't do you any good. John said it's a rental out of Winton.”

Roy pushed back his hat and grinned. “Then we'll have a description of the two of them. Only one vehicle rental place in Winton. In the meantime, the boys can disable the car so our friends can't get away.”

He waved over two of the constables and gave his orders before turning back to Morgan. “So how far did your boys search? Maybe we need to go over the whole area again.”

“We have another problem. Piri's missing. I was about to take the men into the mine to see if he has wandered in there.”

Roy frowned. “Hmm, maybe that's where our two intruders are hiding, too.”

Morgan grimaced. “Yeah, that's what I was thinking. And not only is Piri probably in there, but I think Gili is, too.”

“Okay, let's not waste any more time.” He pointed to the remaining constable. “James, you take half a dozen of Morgan's boys and go over the immediate area again. When the other two come back from disabling that car, send them straight into the mine.”

He gestured to Morgan. “I'll come with you. Lead the way.”

Morgan wasted no time in replying. Instead, he turned and jogged across the campsite, Roy at his heels. He crested the mullock heaps near the mine entrance and slithered down into the gully. At the bottom, Morgan and Roy ground to a halt.

Charlie squatted in the dust in front of the opening. Red coals filled the fire pit in front of him. In either hand, he held a small Melaleuca branch, the green leaves smoldering. He waved the branches around his head, trailing white smoke like a veil about his face.

As John and the men from the station rushed down the gully, Morgan held up his hand and signaled for silence. He rounded the campfire and hunkered down in front of the old Aboriginal Elder. Charlie's eyes had rolled back in his head, showing bloodshot white. Used to Charlie's visions, Morgan waited until Charlie finally lowered the branches and dropped his head forwards.

“What did you see, old man?” Morgan whispered. “Is Piri lost in the mine?”

Charlie shuddered and raised his head to stare at Morgan. “Piri's an important boy; special.” His voice trembled with what sounded like tiredness.

“Where is he, Charlie? Narri's about beside herself with worry.”

“Missus not worry. The old ones will protect Piri.”

Frustration clawed at Morgan's innards. His natural inclination was to hurry Charlie to disclose the results of his vision, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. The old man would get to it in his own time. Morgan just prayed he'd get to it before something happened to Gili or Piri, because he had a funny feeling that where Gili and Piri were, he'd find Jeremy Grissom.

“I saw
Gili lubra
coming and I see what's in store for Piri,” Charlie said. “He gonna be the next Guardian of the stone. Special boy.”

Okaaay, that explains Piri's fascination with the mine, but where the hell is he?

“Is he in the mine right now, Charlie? And for that matter, where's Gili?”

Charlie pushed himself to his feet and dusted off the seat of his shorts. “Missy Gili's inside and so is Piri, guarding the
Dreamtime Fire
. Boy and flame woman will find the two halves so
Gili lubra
can join them together again.”

Morgan gave a sigh of relief. Maybe if Piri was with Gili, they'd both be safe. All he had to do was find them. He turned to the entrance, only to have Charlie grab his arm and stop him.

“Grissom's in there, too.
And
his son. The old ones told me that man's driven by the spirit in the ring. I can feel his greed from here. He'll stop at nothing to take the fire away.”

Morgan frowned.
The ring
? Hell, maybe the legend concerning the ring was true after all.

A wash of rage flowed through him. His gut cramped, hands clenched, muscles bunched as if in preparation for a fight.

“I'll kill the both of them if they so much as touch Piri and Gili,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

“Vision gotta play out,” Charlie muttered, “but that's my grandson in there. Let's go get ‘em.”

Determination fueling his whole body, Morgan, with Charlie and Roy beside him, stalked into the mine. John and the men followed on their heels. As they strode through the area where Gili and he had camped the night before, Morgan grabbed the flashlight and handed it to Roy. Then he hoisted his hard hat with its attached light off the sandstone floor and jammed it on his head before heading down the tunnel where Gili had found the painting of the pelican.

He opened his mouth to call for Gili and Piri then stopped, his jaw snapping closed. He had a feeling that silence would work better right now, particularly if Jeremy and Whitey were on the scene.

A flash of opal highlights lit up the surface of the rock walls. The soft whisper of old voices wafted through the air. The spirits were letting Morgan know he was on the right track.

He lengthened his stride after cautioning the others to keep quiet. A sense of desperation filled him and he was finally able to acknowledge what had been growing inside him. It wasn't just Piri he would regret losing. It was Gili, too.

The flame woman had ignited a fire in his gut and it wasn't about to go out any time soon.

Eyes still closed, Gili groaned and tried to roll over. Pain lanced through her skull and she hissed through clenched teeth, raising a puff of red dust in front of her mouth. It caught in the back of her throat and made her cough, which resulted in the pain in her head escalating.

Hands clasped to her aching head, she lifted her face out of the dirt. “Okay, Gili, not in bed here,” she muttered.

She cracked her eyes open and pushed herself to her knees, wavering slightly as the world spun around her. Shoving her fingers into the pocket of her shorts, she retrieved the slither of opal. She opened her hand and beams of iridescent color filled the tunnel and drove back the darkness. The tumbled rocks and dusty interior of the mine gave a visual that slammed into her mind and brought back her memory quick-smart.

Oh God, Piri.

With a heartfelt moan, Gili crawled on hands and knees until she was up against the wall of the tunnel. She winced as sharp rocks dug into her exposed flesh. She ignored them. It was the least of her worries.

She dragged in a deep breath and, clenching her teeth, used the natural handholds in the stone surface to pull herself to her feet. Dizziness attacked her and she swayed, hanging on to the rocky surface until her head cleared a little.

Once she was certain she wasn't going to fall on her rear, she pressed a shaking hand to the back of her head. It came away covered in blood. That must have been one hell of a rock that Whitey had used.

No time to worry about that either. She had to find Piri. Who knew what Jeremy had done to the boy?

Following the path the painting of the pelican pointed to, the way lit by the opal flashes, she ventured deeper into the mine. As she stumbled along, using the wall for support, she had a sense of time running out, but she couldn't go any faster. She'd lose her way and be no help to Piri at all.

Suddenly, the pelican tattoo on her shoulder heated up, quickly followed by a fluttering sensation as the bird moved its wings. This time she felt it curve around her neck. She no longer had any doubt that it was alive.

The tunnel reverberated with the dirge-like sound of a didgeridoo. Muted at first, then increasing in intensity.

Wisps of white danced in the air, coalescing into the figure of an elderly Aboriginal man, his flowing white beard a thick curl of the ethereal smoke. He beckoned with outstretched hand and Gili knew she had to follow.

She closed her eyes as a burst of wind whipped through the tunnel and stirred up the dust. Although God only knew where the wind came from; she was too far from the entrance. When she looked again, the white outline of the old man twisted and turned. Spinning faster and faster until a spiral of mist formed above him. With a red flash, the outline disappeared and something else had taken the old man's place.

Gili's mouth dropped open. Despite the seriousness of finding Piri, a sense of wonder filled her. This was truly magic; the magic of the ancient ancestors, because in the old man's place, hovering about three feet above the floor of the tunnel, was a pelican with a rainbow-colored beak. Not totally solid because she could see through the wings, but substantial enough she had no trouble making out what it was.

The bird squawked, flipped around and started floating down the tunnel, its wings barely moving. Gili didn't hesitate. She followed.

The tunnel opened up into a massive cavern. Gili stopped at the entrance. The rock roof soared above her head, highlighted here and there with flashes of color. An old fire pit ringed with blackened stones sat in the middle of the cave and around that were the writhing figures of the old people. Piri's ancestors—the spirits that guarded the
Dreamtime Fire
.

One of the figures separated itself from the group and floated across to where Gili stood. Gili recognized her. It was the woman from her visions.

The mist thickened, the woman's features taking on greater definition. Her sensual lips broke into a wide smile and she held her hand out to Gili.

This is your time, Gili lubra
.

The words weren't audible, but Gili heard them loud and clear. As the woman moved closer, Gili held her arms wide and waited, somehow knowing what was to come.

The woman danced closer. Gili closed her eyes and felt hands grasping her shoulders, the brush of a kiss on each cheek. Then the misty spirit merged with her, consumed her, until she felt full to overflowing; her skin almost too tight to contain the energy within.

She opened her eyes and released a deep breath. Strength flowed through her veins. Courage filled her. A primitive sense of vindication surged with every beat of her heart. And she knew that, somehow, Jeremy and Whitey would not win this battle. The old people would protect their own.

“Get back down here, brat.”

Jeremy!

Despite the strength from the possession of the Aboriginal woman, Gili felt her heart stutter at the sound of Jeremy's voice. She ducked behind a large boulder so he wouldn't see her. He stood in front of the fire pit looking up at a tiny figure perched on a ledge about ten feet above Jeremy's head.

Piri had managed to get away from him and had taken the piece of opal with him. Now he perched on the ledge holding the opal in his cupped hands. Gili had no idea how he'd managed to climb so high, but she needed to get to him. She couldn't see Whitey, but he'd be around somewhere. What she needed was a distraction.