Wisps of Cloud (22 page)

"I reckon that'll be the pilot and sidekick," Clive said. "Call up and see what happened."

"No," Karla replied. "They will contact us if necessary. We don't want to distract them."

"Good thought," Clive replied. "Hope everyone's okay!"

They waited. Nothing happened! The mobile remained silent, no more rifle shots were heard and the pair below had long disappeared from view.

Karla reached for the mobile that was immediately answered.

"Troy! What is it?"

"Two more are walking in by foot."

"Got it!"

"You okay?" Karla asked.

"Yes. Have four apprehended. That leaves one plus the two you reported. Be vigilant. There will be another helicopter coming in soon but don't worry, it is one of ours. Thanks."

The mobile went dead.

"I heard what he said," Clive replied. He turned to Flossie. "Keep guard, Girl," he said and grinned at Karla. "If anyone comes up the ridge Flossie will know. I reckon she can hear a sparrow tweet at a hundred paces."

Ten minutes slipped by before Flossie stood up, wagged her tail a couple of times and gave a tiny yelp before sitting down.

Clive frowned and patted the dog's ears. "What is it Girl?"

Flossie looked up at him and wagged her tail. Her behaviour was unexpected.

"Someone's coming but Flossie thinks it's a friend," Clive said. "If it was a stranger she'd be whining and droop her tail."

Karla heard a thrashing sound though the trees below. Someone was definitely coming and they appeared to be in a hurry and made no attempt to hide their movements. Clive touched her arm and signalled her back. She slunk  into a small dip between some ferns and lay down. Flossie came too, but seemed reluctant about having to hide. Clive held her by the collar and frowned. Her behaviour was still out of the ordinary in this situation.

Suddenly, a man burst out of the trees below. He was pulling himself up, and had his head down as he  used the tussock to grab. Karla could hear him gasping for breath as he almost slipped, recovered and heaved himself up the quite steep slope a few metres below them.

Karla heard a clicking sound and turned. Clive had his rifle held and had just used the bolt to bring a bullet into the firing chamber. He stood and aimed it at the man below.

"Just stop right there, Ted. I have you covered." Clive called in a loud grim voice.

The man gasped and scared eyes looked up at them. Karla had only  met him a few times but instantly recognised who it was. The man was Ted Wilton, her predecessor at Top Plateau School!

*

Not one but two helicopters flew in. Both were military craft with the Royal New Zealand Airforce  black Kiwi within a
black circle insignia on their dark grey fuselages and the white words 'Air Force' along the base. One was larger than the other

"The big fellow is an NH90," Clive said. "Powerful brutes that can hold up to twenty crew and passengers. The other is an A109 light utility 'copter." He grinned. "The little one seems to be coming to us."

Karla didn't really know a lot about aircraft but watched, fascinated as the larger machine dropped down into the valley and like the rescue helicopter that took Ryan and herself to Masterton hospital, hovered above the bush before moving slowly over until it was above the marijanua plantation. She switched her attention to the smaller one that was directly overhead and appeared to be coming down nearby.  The peak they were on  had a small flat area about half the size of a football field where the helicopter touched down. A crewman jumped out and ran across to them.

He introduced himself but Karla never caught the name as she shook his hand.

"We've come to pick up your prisoner," he shouted above the muffled roar of the helicopter's engine and nodded at a sullen Ted Wilton sitting sullenly on the ground.

Ted glowered but seemed resigned to his fate as he obeyed the aircrew man and headed towards the helicopter. As he walked past Karla he stared at her with an unexpected look of kindness on his face

"Enjoy your time at our little school. It won't be there forever. Time waits for nobody, you know."

Karla was about to ignore him and turn away when the man's words made her think. Of course, it had to be!

"You're the one who firebombed the school, aren't you?" she gasped.

Ted Wilton hesitated for a moment and stared at her from under his shaggy eyebrows. He looked  as if he was about to say something but instead just shrugged and climbed into the helicopter where another crewman was waiting.

The pair watched the helicopter rise into the air and head away before Clive spoke.

"We were friends for years, you know. The change came gradually over the last couple of years but I'd never thought he'd be capable of what he's done."

"Get in with the druggies?" Karla asked.

Clive nodded. "That too but blowing up the school. It all fits in, doesn't it?"

"I think it does," Karla replied.

"Oh I'm sure he did it. I suspected him from the beginning but Lois told me to say nothing unless I had proof. I never got any so said nothing. Being in with the marijuana plantation growers was a complete surprise, though"" He shrugged. "I guess when your career collapses so suddenly you give up and blame society for your own failings." He looked melancholy for a moment before cheering up. "Fooled, Flossie, too. She thought he was just a friend coming up to have a chat like he's been doing all her life."

The mobile rang and interrupted their conversation. It was Troy who listened as Karla told about Ted before adding his own news. "We seem to have most of the gang then. We'll be here a while destroying the crop so you can both go home, if you wish. We'll hitch a ride out with the air force guys. Thanks for everything. I'll contact you both when we have more info about the outcome."

Karla repeated the information to Clive who nodded. "Okay, let's go home. Perhaps we c
an pick up Ryan on the way and get Lois to put the kettle on for us all."

"Yes," Karla sighed. "It's been quite a day."

She started the quad bike and they headed home.

*

With the big event to be held on Easter Saturday, Karla completely forgot another important item in her life. In New Zealand, the first term usually ended so the holidays included Easter. This was complicated by the changing Easter dates but this year wasn't too bad with the school closed for two weeks so she would have a week afterwards for their honeymoon. Yes, it was to be her wedding day and everything had slipped into place. Her father would be there but her mother who lived in Australia sent her regrets. On Ryan's side, both Anne and Alan Doyle would be coming and, somewhat unexpectedly, Trish had accepted an invitation to attend.

At lunchtime on the last day of the term she had just released the children for lunch. It was a cold wet autumn day and as usual in these conditions, the eighteen children under her care had their lunch in the spare classroom. She was in her office, now with a corridor separating it from the staffroom when without even a knock, Sharon burst in.

She took off her soaking raincoat, commented about the terrible weather and sat down in a chair. "You've got until four, you know."

Karla frowned. "What's important about four?"

"You forgot? I told Dillon you had."

"Forgot what?" Suddenly it dawned on her. "My contract runs out and applications for the permanent position here closes at four? Oh hell, with the wedding and getting Ryan on his feet, it slipped my memory."

Sharon grinned. "It's meant to be confidential but I heard that there are nine applications for the position and with it going up to a two teacher school next term, I wouldn't be surprised if more applications aren't on the computer right now."

Karla stared at her friend. "So there will be competition?" she asked. The thought of having to go back to Tui Park as senior teacher loomed like a dark shadow in her mind. According to Chrissy, since Murray's return the place had become worse. He completely ignored her but she was terribly unhappy there and had been applying for other positions to get out.

"Yes. Some pretty good ones, too."

Karen caught her friend's eyes. "Okay, I get it. Dillon has to go by the book and sent you along to motivate me."

Sharon blushed. "Something like that. Your previous application and CV is on the school computer from when you first came. All we need is your signature."

Karla frowned. "Well, lot's happened over the last two terms, far more than I anticipated…" She noticed Sharon's face drop and couldn't stop herself smiling. "Okay, where do I sign?"

Sharon shoved a document on the desk and pointed to an empty line at the end. "You're on the selection committee, you know."

"For my own position?"

"No, you know the junior room teacher's position is also closing at four. Got five applications, too. Want to see them?"

"Why not?"

Sharon moved in front of the computer and a moment later a list of applications for the junior room came up. There were seven names now, all in alphabetical order but Karla had glanced at the middle of the list first. She lifted her eyes and saw the name Christine Ancell at the top.

"Oh my God, Chrissy's applied. Except for saying she wanted to get out of Tui Park, she never even hinted that she would," she gasped.

"Thought you might be interested," Sharon said. "Know any of the others?"

Karla reread the other names. They were all female and nearly all young teachers who had recently graduated. "No."

"Appointment committee meets tomorrow night. You'll have to leave for the principal's appointment part but will be able to vote for the junior room teacher."

"Is that fair, I mean with Chrissy being a personal friend?"

"Of course it is." Sharon grinned. "Sometimes you're too damn honest for your own good."

"Okay. Thanks Sharon. I thought you might have applied for the position."

"Me! Lordy no. Being the relief teacher for you and helping Dillon on the farm as well as looking after my kids more than fills my time." She stood up and slid into her wet coat. "Well, back to the storm outside."

She squeezed Karla's arm and left.

*

Two nights later Karla called Chrissy on her mobile.

"Hi Karla. My dress is finally fixed." Chrissy who was going to be Karla's bridesmaid, sounded excited.

"That's great but I'm ringing in my official capacity as principal and member of the school appointments committee."

Chrissy's cheery tone dropped. "Go on," she said cautiously.

"As incoming permanent principal I wish to inform you that you have been appointed as the teacher in the…"

"What?" Chrissy interrupted with a scream over the mobile. "And you're the permanent boss, too?"

"Yes," Karla replied. "You have five days to accept or decline the position. You may not be released from Tui Park in time for the new term but …" She heard sobbing coming from the mobile. "Chrissy, what's wrong?"

"I applied for over thirty jobs in the last term and Noeline who's still staff representative on the Board of Trustees here, told me in confidence that Murray was giving poor recommendations about me when principals of schools where I applied contacted him. There was nothing in writing but Noeline was pretty certain that it was happening."

Karla felt anger arise in her body. "Well, you can forget about him now. He can't stop you from coming here."

"Oh Karla. Thank you. See you on Friday."

"Sure will. Take care now."

She clicked off and grinned. Even if Chrissy had been a stranger, her qualifications and experience would have put her at the top of the list for the position, anyway.

*

On Easter Saturday at five to four Karla stood in the staffroom of Top Plateau School dressed in a traditional white bridal gown.

"I'm ready, Dad," she said to the tall grey-haired man beside her.

Gary Spicer smiled at his daughter. "It's quite an achievement, isn't it, My Dear?"

"Me deciding to get married after years of opposing the idea?"

"That too. But deciding to keep your surname. What does Ryan feel about that?"

Karla grinned. "It was part of our agreement but he doesn't mind." She chuckled. "Some of the locals are more conservative but are too polite to comment." A roar of engines made her rush to the back door and look out. "The old rascal," she muttered.

Twenty or more high powered motorbikes throttled in at little more than a walking pace, circled the playing field and stopped in two lines between the crowd that had moved aside to let them in. Big Red and the HiWay Weeds had arrived in full gang attire! This was except for the pair on the leading bike. The leader wore a dark suit, tie and had a neatly trimmed red beard. His pillion rider wore a long gown and was hardly recognisable as Frisky.

"Locals?" Gary asked with raised eyebrows.

"Friends," Karla replied. "But you knew they were coming didn't you, Dad?"