More Questions Than Answers

[WYN100]

**PART 30 **

This is going to be SO incredibly cool !!" Danni beamed as she eased back ever more comfortably into the chair , the mirror faithfully replicating features that were certainly appealing on a regular daily basis but now positively shone with anticipation at what lay ahead . As the powder brush buffed its way across both cheeks Danni recalled how she'd sat and listened with increasing fascination as Todd had outlined his suggestion just less than a day or two previously Given the plight she was now facing following the almost literal poke in the eye the newspapers had provided her with, he felt now had been the time to offer for the first time some expansion and perspective on his family background. And in particular his father - who, as he related was the Managing Editor of a rolling TV news station just an hour or so up the coast near the city. It was a respected outlet of some long standing that supplied all the national satellite networks - so - as Todd had suggested slowly "....I'm pretty sure it would be JUST the sort of place to nail down YOUR side of things before all this stuff has a chance to get out of hand..." He'd paused, eyes scanning her semi-stunned features..."Oh, - you don't like the idea - sorry, it doesn't matter, just forget I ....."

"NO !!" Suddenly she was upright , eyes again lit with a twinkle of interest " I mean DON'T forget it !! - don't even dare TRY !! I think it's the BEST idea since..." she waved her hands in exasperation as though her minute on "Give Us A Clue" was about to elapse ... "since...Gucci handbags !!.."she smiled, having beaten the non-existent buzzer , and continued...,"but your FATHER !! - you never even talk about him - don't you...get on or something ?" Todd grinned - "No, there's no bad blood - I guess it came from the fact he always thought I should be a reporter like he'd been, and grandad before him - but truth is, I just didn't WANT to be - never once - and I think he kind of considers my job not much better than a higher-paid cabbie. So its as if every time he hears I'm booked on an open-ended assignment with a top professional name like yourself he has to crank HIS schedule up further and faster to show me what I'm apparently meant to be missing - therefore the chance to actually ever SEE each other gets less and less," the grin sustained as Todd hoped his explanation of the father-son dynamic had been clear enough. It had -and Danni was growing increasingly excited. This kind of "payback" opportunity was very much to her way of thinking - - and so iy was, here she sat in the TV studio make-up room, chattering enthusiastically to Todd who of course had driven her there that morning.

"Like I told you - he was fine about it. Like I also told you - I think he RATHER enjoyed the feeling of being my great benefactor for once - but hey, good luck to him with that. Quite lucky though - it HAD to be today really as from tonight they're doing some week-long special series on the state elections - and the moment would really have gone by then, anyway - wouldn't it ?"

She nodded assent adding "Well hey, I'm here aren't I - woman of the moment - what is it they say - pro-active, not re-active ?"

As she stepped down from the chair, the internal monitor relayed the start of that hour's main news bulletin. "Coastal News at 10, I'm Adam Birch. Our lead story this hour remains the boat explosion at Summer Bay -our reporter Tamsin Bennett is there.."

"Thanks Adam - the boat, believed to have been chartered by officers of the company looking to pipe liquefied natural gas ashore here took the brunt of the explosion. Demonstrators in small protest boats alongside were also caught up, but there's no firm word yet on any casualties though the police I've spoken to say fatalities can't be ruled out..."

"Twenty minutes to air for you Miss Sutherland !" The voice belonged to an extremely busy-looking production assistant clutching a detailed running order and wearing intercom headphones. A stunned looking Danni pointed at the screen and turned to Todd - "I can't stay now - I've got to get back home and see what's happening ! - but if I do that, bang goes my chance of answering all that rubbish...!" As she paused, a news ticker-tape detailing the explosion and the breaking facts related to it - while the main screen carried a booming news trailer - "Coming up this hour - author Danni Sutherland hits back at those newspaper claims - we have the exclusive live interview before 11 - don't miss it !!...her head turning slowly between tv pictures of the boat, and Todd alongside her, Danni felt events spiralling fast out of control....

"So- what ? You're telling me THAT's why I can't donate my kidney to someone- - someone I REALLY care about ??.." Irene's voice choked with emotion as Rachel patiently led her through chapter and verse on the hitch which had so spitefully seemed to de-rail what had looked to be such a perfect solution. "I mean when you said it was a no-no, I naturally assumed it must have been because of those years on the grog, but no....?"

"No -" Rachel's tone was soothing, but she was unarguably exhausted after an extremely long shift, and the emotional sensitivity of this particular situation was draining her wherewithal to its very lowest dregs. "The alcohol excesses obviously didn't help, but that's more likely to affect a person's liver than kidneys, as has been the case here." New concern flashed upon Irene's face and her eyebrows shot up.

"NOT, I hasten to add.." said Rachel quickly "..that there's any cause for concern over your liver looking at this - no, there's just SOME functional impairment, as well of course as natural wear and tear from the aging process.." Irene would normally have engaged in a little probing banter when the subject of her age was raised in any form, but Barry's situation and the recent events surrounding her donation bid had temporarily blunted that kind of edge.

Rachel continued "No, I think it's beyond question that the substances Cory planted in your food and drink eroded the ability of the kidneys to perform their primary function of channelling blood and consequently oxygen around the body - having found this if we keep a regular check on it, it shouldn't cause you personally any undue or immediate problems, but it's beyond question it renders the kidneys unsuitable for transplant - Barry's system is in a highly delicate enough state as it is without introducing an impaired organ into the mix - that's likely to end up benefiting neither of you. While the hallucinogenic element was primary among the effects of what Corey did, behind the scenes, there was a whole different agenda going on, - I'm sorry Irene - it was just such major quantities over such a concentrated period."

Irene shook her head slowly. She'd far from understood all the precise medical terminology, but the bottom line was very clear to her. "So not only did that twisted little mongrel get me sent to the funny farm, but he could have cost Barry his best chance of getting better...?"

"Yes, hugely unfair as that seems Irene, that's pretty much the way it is.....and as for Barry, time really is moving against us now...um, ah....I guess of course it would be Kim who'd....." - Irene's eyes were again misting with uncharacteristic tears, so she said " Maybe I'll just leave you alone for a little.....?"

She slowly exited, but having pulled the door only ajar, Irene was still able to hear her after just a few steps exclaiming "WHAT !!!! ...but, oh... RIGHT ...well that's awful - but , MAYBE...." Naturally curious, Irene had by now risen from her seat but before she could get more than a few paces, Rachel re-appeared at the door, her near-expressionless face fighting to suppress contrasting emotions... "Irene - there's something VERY , VERY major I need to fill you in on...and it's not good.."Irene moved closer "Rachel - you HAVE to tell me- this whole thing is ALREADY doing my head in, do you understand ?" Rachel went on, "I'll explain in a moment - but Irene - there MAY. just MAY be another side to this - one I need to tell you about VERY quickly...!" Irene felt her head spinning...what else could this day possibly hold...? She feared to find out.....

Paris Burnett smiled , shook his head almost a little incredulously, linked the fingers of both hands behind his head and stretched back luxuriously into the generously padded headmaster's chair on wheels.

Yes, this really was all going very well - remarkably well in fact. Yes he HAD planned it all meticulously , but so far this did seem to be progress on oiled wheels. Yes the diner endeavour had run into a mildly aggravating detour, but in the bigger picture, the likes of Alex Poulos registered somewhere on a par of a pygmy with a water pistol and didn't rate an entry even among his top 10 mental audit of priority items to be addressed, nailed and filed away.

Returning here to Summer Bay High though ? Well that certainly hadn't been in the original plan of campaign - but if such a usefully ripe apple WERE to fall into one's lap at such an opportune time....? Well - one was hardly likely to shin back up the tree and re-graft it to the branch, now was one ?? Swivelling the chair a degree or two to the left, the smile returned. This place had certainly changed somewhere between little and not at all during the time he'd been away - hanging from the wall a document book of exam regulations and procedures he'd hung there himself - laced through with those little green thread treasury tags - DID anywhere but schools ever use those tags ?, he wondered idly. And the latest school photograph - looking faithfully just like the previous school photograph - and the one before that - except of course for the relentless progress of faces from the scrubbed and on-their-best-behaviour front row to the "I'm a prefect and don't I know it" back. Yes, certain things had altered of course - Irene was no longer the secretary...he paused, thoughts again dwelling on the name that meant so very much to him......but that wasn't for the here and now. He focused his thoughts once again and yet again the smile resurfaced, this time focusing on just how small a town this actually was - her replacement at the desk outside was none other than Madge Wilkins's niece Melanie - and OH what a party that would certainly have led to Chez Wilkins -and of course how that would have got under the skin of super spy Colleen ! - she of course never liked to feel her friend-cum-sworn rival had any more of a "hot-line to high places/people " than she did !

ANYWAY - gather your thoughts Paris ! he told himself - the department had asked him to stand in for Barry on an open-ended basis when they'd called his cellphone outside the diner - and of course, with Barry's health situation hanging in the balance, who was to say how long that would prove to be ? He leafed through the course/syllabus refresher documents that had been left on his desk, and began his mind running on practical educational lines. He'd had next to no time for that however when a purposeful, precise knock at the door claimed his attention. Sargeant McGrath's head poked its way through the gap, followed by the remainder of his sturdy, uniform-clad body.

"Good morning officer !" Paris greeted him smilingly - "I know its a highly cliched line, but to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure -do you send a formal welcoming party to all lost sheep who return to the Bay flock ?"

But there was no bonhomie returning his way in the policeman's expression, "I'm afraid this isn't a social call Mr Burnett - can I ask how long you've been here this morning ?"

"About an hour..." came the reply from beneath a curious, furrowed brow.

"Well, acting on information received, I've got a judge's warrant to search this office - you've no objection to that, have you ?"

"Well..."

But McGrath's question had been purely rhetorical, as he embarked on a quick, businesslike search, pulling open the cupboard and large metal draws before making finally for the headmaster's desk, sifting expertly through one draw there, then- straightening up slowly and holding a small folded package in his hands. Looking Paris steadily and evenly in the eye, he said "Mr Burnett I hope you've got a good explanation for this being here - in fact to my eyes, you've got quite a considerable amount of explaining to do....."

The surface of the sea was lapped by an eerie silence -eerie for its very depth and breadth - eerier still in that it followed such a stomach-churningly loud explosion so recently. What remained of the LNG "hospitality" ship remained marooned at a drunken angle -though still relatively upright -more or less at the point where the explosion had happened, while the surface of the water was flecked with a mosaic of random burning pools of white foam. Some of the debris remained floating, much had sunk immediately - the only audible accompaniment to the blast aftermath being the inappropriate cackling of the seagulls wheeling high above the damage scene.

On the beach - the scene was very different. Though the protest boats had travelled some considerable distance out before the explosion, the sinister and dramatic turn of events had taken some minutes to permeate among the disparate cliques preparing - as they imagined - to form a second line of resistance once the ship reached shore. Ric was continuing to hold forth to Belle about his evolving scheme to trap the "van gang" , Leah telling Morag how little she was bothered by Dan's recent behaviour - though clearly the longer she talked the more apparent it was that the opposite was true - and it was only when a plaintive cry from a solo Hayley shattered the air that eyes and attention were wrenched to the unfolding drama at sea.

Swivelling round, Ric paused only to utter a disbelieving "What the....!!" before beginning a headlong sprint to the jetty where a number of smaller vessels such as those used earlier by Alf, Kane and Scott remained moored.

"Ric - no !! - what are you DOING ??" screamed Belle, her eyes slowly focusing on the flames and debris spreading across the water.

"My GRANDDAD'S out there somewhere !!" he thundered back over his shoulder , a shoulder t hat was joined alongside in its desperate sprint almost as if from nowhere by that of Macca- just seconds previously his ute had screamed to a halt on the beach-side path. He'd quickly taken in the scene and was matching Ric stride for stride in an instinctive race to the boats. As they ran, Macca cut off the objection he could see forming on the lips of Ric and yelled "I'm coming too mate - - end OF !! - its going to be damn DANGEROUS out there and you AIN'T doing this solo !!"

Morag meanwhile was predictably starting to take organizational charge , tutting with barely suppressed frustration at firstly how long it took to achieve cellphone reception, then how long it took for the Coastguard Rescue service to answer when she finally did. By the time she managed both, Ric and Macca had made rapid progress out to the affected area. Above the random crackle of the flame-pools close by, Macca was again asking firm questions of his fellow co-would be rescuer.

"Have you got any idea what you're actually going to try and DO here mate ?? There are certain things you have to remember and remember GOOD after an explosion, ok ?? I mean....."

But his comments were getting little or no attention from Ric - whose attention was becoming squarely focused on a similar small boat to their own - an empty one - that was beginning to float towards them.

"OH - MY - GOD - that's granddad's boat !"

"How can you POSSIBLY know that ? It could..."

Without flinching his gaze, Ric intoned slowly "I just KNOW, ok, MATE !!"

Clearly struck by an idea, his next move brought more disbelieving opposition from Macca.

"What the HELL are you DOING . you drop-kick ??" - as Ric had started to climb from their boat into the other one.

"We're better off split up OK - no two ways about that now we're out here - Jeez there's Scott and Kane to find as well as them on the boat.." his latter remarks were coloured by a heavy gasp as he completed the vault from one small boat to the other, and - face set solid with determination - grasped the one remaining oar and began a somewhat haphazard course towards the smouldering base of the larger ship.

"NO !! you flamin DOOFUS .." bawled Macca, "I was going to say..."

He noticed Ric had stopped rowing and was sitting bolt upright, ears straining towards the stern of the vessel. The palm of Ric's hand was extended upright demanding silence, and as Macca strained similarly, his own heart thumped quicker at the distant, but undeniably familiar voice - - - of Alf !!

Ric resumed rowing, his pace increasing - his target area shrouded in some newly emerging smoke. Again demanding prime performance from his own lungs, he screamed at the departing small craft "But RIC - what I was going to SAY ! - you HAVE to remember - I've seen this before - when there's ONE explosion, there's EVERY chance of anoth....."

For the second time inside 30 minutes, the Summer Bay inlet was rocked to its core -as the emerging steam at the stern end began to flash red.......

[Skykat]

OMG! You blew them all up! I love this fic WYN100, it's taken me about 5 attempts to read it tonight because I keep getting waylaid but it was worth the wait. Great update!

[ldscott]

Great Chapter!

[WYN100]

**PART 31**

"Take her back in, you reckon?"

Phil Hamilton had been enjoying the surge of morning oxygen in his lungs . The Search and Rescue service boat was supposed to be given a full trial run-out at least twice a week, but a rash of summer incidents combined with a lack of sufficiently experienced volunteer personnel had meant this was the first full-blown test for upwards of ten days.

Joining Phil on the the trial was Ken Lewis - a younger man, and quieter, - almost studied by nature, but totally immersed in and expert at the rescue scenarios they encountered on a reasonably regular basis, especially during the high summer period.

"Yep, reckon so !" He called back across to Phil ,"She's purring like my granny's tabby !" Phil shot back a smile and turned back towards the steering area, only for his eye to catch a white illuminated section of the navigation board pulsing on and off and beginning to emit a high siren-like note. "Ah - see mate, we spoke too soon !" he exclaimed to Ken - "I blame that tabby myself !!" He picked up the short-wave radio telephone and held a short, concise dialogue with the base station. Noticing his colleague's suddenly far graver expression, Ken shot him an enquiring look.

"Ken mate - it's a biggie this time, that's for sure - let's get weaving !!"

Morag's exasperated but dogged attempts to summon assistance via her mobile phone had finally struck a vein of success. At the sixth time of asking the signal had behaved well and long enough for the call to be laid to the rescue service switchboard, setting into well-oiled motion the path of Ken, Phil and by now their back-up vessel also, towards the site of the blast-ridden LNG craft. Their angle of approach and moment of arrival could scarcely have been more opportune, shielding them as it did from the rogue second blast, and permitting the skilled rescue routine to unfold firstly around the periphery and then swarming on board the big boat. Watching from the distance to which his own small craft had been swept back by the second explosion, Macca could only marvel at their skill and speed of operation. On board , Phil had organized a head count - and the picture unfolding was one of almost miraculously less human cost than may have been the case. The back-up boat crew were helping familiar faces from the protest contingent - bruised, shocked, unsteady - but mercifully very much alive. Sadly there had been one fatality -a sheet had respectfully been placed over the body of the American Matt Murray, and Ken was now phoning details of his death through to the hospital. Such then was the scene that greeted Macca once he'd eventually been able to pull up alongside, lash the boat safely tight and eagerly clamber up the access side-steps. "This it, mate ?" he enquired of Phil, indicating those sitting or lying in the central upper-deck area.

"Yes, we always centre things like this when it's possible - simpler all round and I reckon most of them need the air too, after all that smoke !"

Still shaking his head at the nature and pace of events, he gave a nod across to Kane and Scott, both receiving minor first aid attention, noted too the figure of Alf, lying still somewhere less than wholly conscious, then stopped as a cold, probing spear of doubt fizzed abrasively through him.

Clasping Phil by the elbow he asked urgently "Where's Ric Daulby, mate ?" Phil's brow wrinked and he gave a shrug - "like I said mate, this is IT from in and close around this boat - and I should be getting on with dressing some of these wounds...?..." As he pulled away, Macca felt every shred of the relief and renewed equilibrium he'd been building up start to hurtle downwards at breakneck speed , and as they did, a voice deep within him was shrieking - "Where the HELL was Rick ????......"

The pieces were being seamlessly slotted together in the mid-morning atmosphere jigsaw at Hampton's, the newest and largest department store at the Yabbie Creek mall . The subtly dipped muzak was colouring the air, interspersed by persuasively voiced sales-snatches promising 50 per cent reductions across the board in the clothes department. The aroma of coffee , having had time to brew, develop and expand was now wandering with quiet intent out of its birthplace at the Starbucks franchise precisely placed near the door, and ready to home in on its defenceless targets. They were of course the day's very earliest shoppers, whose stated intention to enter, buy and leave was without any shadow of a doubt about to be fatally hi-jacked by the lure of a late and its potent partner in crime- the newly-baked apple Danish. At and around the perfume counters, the combined effects of multiple tester sprays had begun knitting together in the alluring but invisible cloud designed to draw in a steady collection of purchasers through the day - indeed a number of young mothers with children safely deposited at school were earnestly moistening their wrists with varied scent, and listening with eager attention to the sales-ladies mellowing their usual haughty air to inform Madam that "this brand could have been invented just for her !"

And in the electrical and hi-fi department -an extremely eye-catching item was under consideration. The combined MP3/minidisc player with detachable Ipod option was being examined from all sides, with murmurs of approval - leading to a final decisive grasp and tuck between right arm and rib. The stylish combination was slotted onto the cashdesk - the attendant looking up with a pleasant smile of greeting, asking "Just this one, Madame ? Lovely model, isn't it - we've not long had them in ! If there's nothing else then, that's just exactly 799 dollars. Debit card ? That's great, thank you."

A few seconds later, she was accepting back the signed payment slip with 'Martha J. McKenzie " swept across it in ballpoint pen, and smiling at the system's proud new owner added "Thank you Miss McKenzie, hope you enjoy it like I know I would !" Receiving an enthusiastic smile in return, the attendant drifted off to the far side of her display counter to assist a middle-aged man in search of headphones. Had she looked behind her, she would have observed the bag containing the sound system being placed carefully on the floor - while the tall-blonde-girl who'd bought it tapped out a text message which read "Worked like a charm ! I'm on the way........"

Tasha had plenty to mull over internally as she made her way along the thin, meandering path bordering the woods and bush area behind the caravan park. She was glad of the opportunity for some fresh air therapy given all that had happened in the previous 24 hours, and ultimately almost glad too that Robbie had decided not to come with her. Yes, she loved him and all, but BOY did he go to extremes sometimes ! Of COURSE she understood his shock at what he'd heard from that JED guy, but firstly it may well not turn out to even be TRUE, but even if it WAS, there was no point in ranting and raving at Beth like that, was there ?

Pausing to gently help a spectacularly tangerine-coloured butterfly that had become wedged between a large dock leaf and an awkwardly-shaped twig, she reflected further on Robbie, emitting a rueful sigh as she thought how once he'd become wedged in a situational cul-de-sac, it would take the most elaborate cutting and digging gear the council's construction department possessed to dig him out. Smiling with genuine pleasure as she saw the liberated butterfly surge to freedom in a series of dips and glides like a newly-skimmed stone, she found herself envying its freedom and the unfettered backdrop against which it lived its life - she doubted severely whether there was A Robbie equivalent of the butterfly world sitting nursing injured pride back at the nest - or wherever butterflies DID live ?- while the rest of the family were expected to flutter gingerly past for fear of further offending the pride-injured one among their number !

No, their priority would remain constant - see and enjoy as much of every single inch of the colour and option-rich countryside as was conceivably possible. Almost to her own surprise she emitted another long, almost careworn sigh. As she did, the butterfly sighted a luxury option balcony seat high on top of a distant acacia, and with an enthusiastic swerve and burst of speed was gone from view. For a few seconds the keen chill of disappointment of losing a friend invaded the pit of her stomach - wherever its destination had been, her reflex internal thought was how much she'd have preferred to be going there with it, rather than staying behind in this colder, harder world where the main hurdle to be jumped always seemed to be the complex unpredictability of the people in it...

Shaking herself back to reality, she gave the now far-departed butterfly a wave of genuine affection and good wishes for its future, before realizing almost with some disbelief that amidst all her private thinking as she walked, she'd almost reached her destination. A long-ago placed road sign, forced up at an uncomfortable angle by the intervening years of undergrowth beneath it declared "Seacrest Avenue" - checking the newspaper clipping she confirmed that was where she needed to be, with Mrs Valentine the lady she'd be seeing about the home jewellery business details. It was scarcely the busiest or most cosmopolitan location in the Summer Bay region, two small cottages on one side, and another two opposite - that side boasting too the modern "luxury" of a woefully small, tired-looking filling station whose one pump hung apologetically from its stand, looking as if it would have struggled to remember anything at all about the last time it had been flourished into filling action, let alone the rapidly-vanishing date when that had occurred.

She was feeling warmer and more positive inside as she tapped on the cottage door. This jewellery business was something positive and creative she could pour herself into -her smile retained as the door was answered by an auburn-haired girl of around 16. Still smiling, despite a minor and unquantifiable itch at the back of her mind that she'd seen the girl somewhere before, she was shown into a small but immaculately tidy back room, where her nostrils detected the vaguest aroma of lavender.

With a sudden semi-shiver, she turned her head sharply leftwards towards the door, where the quick and unsettling rush of breeze announced the arrival of Mrs Valentine - whose voice thrust a chilling and immediate blast through to the very marrow of her bones "Tasha ! Well how GOOD to see you again !!" The door suddenly seemed an imposing distance away....

"I DID do the right thing didn't I ??" It was far from the first time Danni Sutherland had asked Todd Allison that technically unanswerable question since she'd made the decision and they'd left the TV studio at high pace. Despite the serious nature of the unfolding crisis that had engineered their flight, Todd Allison allowed himself a two-fold internal smile, firstly contemplating how any reply other than one of total agreement would have been received by the stressed author, and secondly how his father would now be coping with the 5-minutes notice cancellation of his hourly priority "NewsPeak" feature - he could already hear the tone and content of the phonecall he'd inevitably receive very soon - but rolling his eyes he dismissed both thoughts summarily from his mind, concentrating instead on mollifying his current employer .

"Yes absolutely - let's get the radio on, maybe they'll know some more ?"

As it happened, they didn't - the bulletin only re-iterating what they knew already, that there'd been several injuries and an unconfirmed report of one death (it was too early for them to officially confirm the sad passing of Matt Murray) - frustratingly vague facts that only increased Danni's desire to return to the Bay just as quickly as possible."Isn't there any way we can go QUICKER ?" came the irked voice from behind the driver, who raised his eyebrows and felt his usually ample and well-above average store of patience start to ripple a little unevenly. Retaining a commendably civil response artillery he replied "Well, seeing as you ask, I DO know a very small and secluded little path off this route that WILL get us down a bit quicker and straighter to the beach area, but just bear with me ?"

The reply seemed to satisfy her at least temporarily, for which he gave quiet internal thanks. These were difficult, small, tight roads, and while he felt he was coping with them well under the circumstances, his regular calls to duty as a stress counsellor were far from helping. Consequently it was with an internal groan he heard behind him "You SURE leaving like that was the best thing to do ? I mean if that Hayley starts her tricks again ??..." He felt a finger jerked into his ribcage, and turned for a split second, intending to respectfully suggest she kept such misgivings to herself, respect the answers he'd given on the subject, and just let him drive ! That split second however was enough for another car, going at pace, to appear around a sharp bend, seemingly destined for a sharp impact with their front wing. With a skill borne of a number of years expert driving Todd heaved the car out of the potential crisis zone, but even as they both began to heave deep and ragged sighs of relief at the escape, they looked simultaneously over their left shoulders just in time to see the other vehicle lurch crazily across the carriageway and over the closely adjoining sheer cliff side - taking occupants Peter and Dan Baker with it.....

[Skykat]

Wow! Intense stuff. This is so littered with cliffhangers I'm on the edge of my seat after ever chapter. Please update soon.

[WYN100]

Wow SKYKAT - going to AUSTRALIA - that'll be AWESOME !! - you have the BEST time there - hope I don't lose my regular reader tho' !! lol

**PART 32**

Paris Burnett thumped the palms of both his hands down on the dusty interrogation room table, and for roughly the dozenth time since he'd been brought there by McGrath that morning heaved himself out of the chair and began striding up and down the ten or so paces that the cramped and inadequately lit space allowed.

"This is ridiculous !!" He began - it had become a familiar refrain to PC Trudi Styles, sitting at the administration desk in the corner. She philosophically readied herself for a recital she'd become very used to - and she wasn't disappointed - or rather more probably was, in a strictly literal sense.

"I'm taking over the headship of Summer Bay High today !" he declared - "and one hour in, what happens ? I get hauled out of my office in full view of staff and pupils alike on some absurd non-issue, dragged here, then left for another three hours..."

"ah, at least he's updated it..." thought Trudi idly, head still bent over her reports.

But not much...!!

"So instead of starting my job, I have to put the school in charge of the ENGLISH teacher - because Sally Fletcher's away who knows where and uncontactable -while I'm left here twiddling my thumbs and not a sign of action on the horizon - it really is TOTALLY unacceptable...!"

He thudded himself noisily back into the lone chair, emitting an exasperated sigh of cyclonic proportions that made a small spider making its way jauntily up the table-leg hastily re-think its route and scurry back down in alarm.

Trudi raised her head as placidly as she could manage. He wasn't the ONLY one who could play the " repeat "game she thought with perhaps a trace of mischief in her determination. "Mr Burnett - as I've told you, Sergeant McLeod's been called away to an incident at the beach harbour, I've really no idea how long he'll be......can I perhaps offer you a cup of tea... or anything....?"

Paris raised his head slowly and with mounting resentment, his eyes locking onto Trudi's face as surely as if he were the warplane and she the defenceless target. The explosion was undoubtedly NOT far distant. Its early shockwaves emerged...

"TEA ?? You keep me incarcerated in this dreadful place for hour after hour and you think all's made well by the offer of TEA ??...Well let me tell YOU..."

The flow of onrushing vitriol-laced lava was halted by the door opening and Jack Holden striding in. His conversation with Martha had extended late into the night with no resolution, but the dramatic breakfast-time summons to the beach explosion drama had been annoyingly diverted via an essential quick return to the police station to pick up his gun, radio. and some other assorted documents. On arriving the desk constable had informed him of the situation regarding Paris - and there'd been another development too. And so it was that Trudi and the enraged displaced headmaster turned to hear him say "Mr Burnett I gather you've been held here a long while and I'm afraid it mat have to be a while longer yet.."

He raised an admonishing finger to halt Paris's inevitable protest.

"But there IS someone here who thinks he may have something to say that could be of value to you.."

With a renewed interest and alertness Paris twisted his head past Jack and behind him to the doorway which held......a smiling Alex Poulos.....

"Hello Paris...I think we need to have a chat....."

"Will you STOP doing that !!" - Matilda's tone wasn't exactly hostile - but it betrayed a growing exasperation both with the situation, and Lucas's attempts to practice slip fielding with the DVD remote control box. He'd begun by lobbing it just a few inches in the air but the trajectory had steadily increased until the last attempt had not only come close to scraping paint from the roof on its way up . Sadly Lucas's catching skills hadn't shown a similar increase and the long-suffering box had landed some five feet distant from the unfortunate fieldsman, clattering wildly into a clutch of their unwashed breakfast dishes which scattered in alarm at the intrusion - sending a small side-plate hurtling onto the carpet where it glared up at them - offended but miraculously unbroken.

The morning had already held its share of drama with news of the boat explosion, and though they remained eager for news of the missing Ric, word from the hospital that Scott was largely unharmed had been reassuring, Beth and Tony heading off there to check on him. Lucas and Matty were of course still under orders to lie low and take things easy following the recent restaurant , but neither of their characters sat well with indoor confinement at the best of times , and restlessness had set in predictably early.

"Sorry, sorry !!....! with hands raised in conciliatory surrender , Luke collected the displaced items, replaced them on the table, and nimbly hopping onto the sofa next to her, squeezed her hand, smiled, and easing back into the soft cushion, smiled and said "It is kind of cool just having some time to ourselves though, isn't it ? Don't know about you, but my head's full to bursting sometimes with all that goes on round here !"

Enjoying the squeeze, Matty snuggled closer, returning the smile and adding "Yep, and we still don't know exactly why Kit's back yet either, do we ?" She lent across, kissed him gently on the lips, sighed contentedly - and then in true Matilda style said "But I still feel like DOING something today - and while they're out, it's our best chance, you reckon ?"

His nod of response was slightly qualified - and anyway, he'd enjoyed the direction the last minute or two had been taking ! .

"Mm yes, but they said..."

He could though also tell that the impetus was moving quickly away from him. Matty was by now sitting straight and upright, eyes sparkling with anticipation as she ushered in the appetite for adventure.

"Dah - they said..!! what they don't know won't hurt them ! ..of COURSE !!...I KNOW what we can do - just remind me about that you overheard in the hospital - - you know, about what Leah thought about Amanda and stuff...!"

His brow wrinkled for just a moment - he'd still have been more than happy to make the sofa the base for their morning's activities- but in response, said "Oh right.. well I'd slipped past that old buzzard of a matron just to go have a bit of a nosey, and I heard Leah saying stuff something like VJ was ill coz he'd taken some way serious drug like maybe coke or something while he was IN Amanda's car.. I couldn't hear the BEST and of course they couldn't see where I was, but when Rachel I THINK was telling her something back about who she RECKONED Amanda was mixed up with in doing it, the buzzard turned up at the end of the corridor, so I had to scoot..."

Matty was growing excited "Yes of COURSE !!- then when Mum came to visit later that day we were going past Amanda's room and with the door open I could hear her on the phone to someone - talking sort of urgent, and a bit cross, you know..? - Mum was ripping on me for eavesdropping , but I DID hear her saying she'd do something JUST as soon as she could, and something about I think it was maybe Garret's Ridge..? make any sense to you ?"

Lucas shook his head. It HADN'T made any sense to him, but with Matty already on her feet searching for her coat, he could make a fairly confident bet that at much of his morning was going to be spent in search of the just-mentioned Garrett's Ridge. Matty further speculated that with Amanda having only been released from hospital the previous day, this morning would in all likelihood be her first opportunity to do WHATEVER the phone call had been about. Reaching the door just behind her, Lucas insisted "Look Matty, there IS one more thing before you go stomping off...."

In full-on operational mode by now, she paused, hands on hips to say "Which is...?" His answer was to slip an arm around her and embark on another kiss - longer, slower and even more tender than the earlier two - one from which she emerged slowly and emitting a highly contented purr. "Mmm , Lucas Holden now you really ARE tempting me....but we're still going !" His shrug was coloured with an indulgent smile - he hadn't really expected any different...they departed.....minus Matilda's mobile phone, left tucked at the fringe of the kitchen table. While she'd said earlier that what Beth and Tony didn't know wouldn't hurt them. it was a shame the same could by no means be said for herself and Luke....

Lynsey Benson hadn't known what to make of the guy who'd come knocking at her caravan door fairly early that morning...bright, young, certainly - but with that indefinable "not a child any more" quality about him. From Van 48 he said he'd come - right over the other side of the park, apparently - a side she'd yet to visit, and didn't much care care to either, running as it did along the dark shadow of the adjoining woods, and - she'd fancied- on something of an incline. You couldn't be too careful with a young one, could you ? And that young one was already making a firm friend of the newcomer - relating proudly his progress on Gameboy and gravely enquiring whether he shouted for Hulk Hogan or Kurt Angle.

"Brandon, give the man a chance !! - are you here on business or pleasure ?" Diesel halted only briefly before replying in only a slightly faraway fashion , "Oh business, definitely - you know that unfinished sort, where your mind just keeps itching...?" She gave a short, dry laugh and nodded - yes she certainly DID know, especially where Flynn was concerned, that was for sure !

She brought him a cup of coffee, but even as they sat down and talked, she still couldn't quite make up her mind about him He seemed harmless enough though, setting up a real rapport with Brandon, and talking easily about his late arrival there the night before, meaning he needed filling in on the showerblock situation, the laundry, the heating and similar day-to-day related issues. As anyone does when able to respond usefully to a request for information. she felt a small glow of useful achievement, telling him how the showers ran as a structural add-on to the main house, joined at a 90 degree angle heading back towards the drive and main road. If her own residence had been of longer standing, she'd doubtless have added a cautionary word about Colleen and her legendary "mobile home", but doubtless that would come.

During the course of their conversation, he noticed that she herself was far from perfectly relaxed, shooting regular glances out of the small caravan window - then, with little daylight between the events, he heard a car arriving outside, slowly crunching the adjacent gravel - and then Lynsey was gone, murmuring briefly how she wouldn't be long. It was of course Flynn's car, returning fresh from the trauma of Auburn Cove with both Sally and Jesse on board. It was therefore however possibly the lowest item imaginable on Flynn's priority list to exchange small-talk with that woman at that particular moment, so he ushered the other two inside through the brisk morning air , dismissing her with a few curt and barely civil words, hurrying inside himself to lay on some warmth and refreshment for Sal and Jess so they could relax after the disturbing events of the last fifteen hours or so.

"You know, some people ...!..." she began, re-entering the van...but only Brandon, happily nibbling a chocolate cookie drinking milk through a straw, and reading his wrestling magazine remained. Shaking her head still more metronomically, she gave little further thoughts to the whereabouts of the guy who'd seemingly disappeared in as just a sudden way as he'd arrived.

Even if she HAD continued that train of thought, it was highly unlikely she'd have hit on his actual accurate location - in the upper level of the shower-block, loosening the sealant on the gas water-heater pipes so that lethal carbon monoxide fumes were already starting to travel through the large heating and air vents, directly into the main house.......

The search for Ric was being stepped up. The rescue vessel had deposited all the survivors back at the beachside where the majority had been transported swiftly to the hospital for tests. In addition, the state-of-the-art police patrol boat had been scrambled from Yabbie Creek and was playing a full part in scouring the waters for any sign of the missing teenager. The situation had left Morag in a state of indecision - she'd had to call upon her ample reserves of courtroom severity to order Alf into the waiting ambulance and off to the hospital when he'd at first insisted on staying and helping with the search for Ric. Her heart though had been dragging her to head to the hospital with him - - Alfred might SEE himself as some kind of indestructible Indiana Jones of Summer Bay , but even his body couldn't escape the effects of time, and a next door proximity to a major blast plus 30 minute immersion in the early morning coastal waters most CERTAINLY required a thorough check-up to monitor any possible ill-effects ! Eventually though she decided that with the likes of Scott and Kane also headed to the hospital he would at least be among friends, while she could hopefully add an active presence of continuity to the search effort here at the beach.

The stricken LNG craft was now moored close by at the harbour and one by one the earlier beach protesters plus those who'd been at sea were departing in different directions, being replaced by a makeshift police control room assembled outside a van that had arrived on the beachside path. Morag spared a particularly searching glance for Macca as he shrugged off all offers of medical assistance, heading instead to a shabby car parked further along the path where he entered an animated and seemingly rather aggressive debate with its driver, a man in his late 20s with short, swept-back black greasy hair. After a bout of finger-pointing, Macca strode away to his own vehicle which left seconds later amid a guttural engine roar and cloud of exhaust fumes.

Morag watched his departure with a thoughtful, faraway expression before snapping back into fully attentive mode as a conversation of equally potent interest began unfolding in front of her. One person who'd been at the very heart of the seaborne drama - Dylan-was having to wait for his health-check. Seeing that he was very luckily suffering little more than cuts and bruises, he'd been pulled to one side by McGrath and a sergeant from the Yabbie Creek based Water Police - they had several questions they'd been waiting more than eagerly to ask.

"So Mr Russell, how many people knew about your trip this morning ?"

"Oh-ah, well - all the guests obviously, the crew and just one or two back at our engineering centre ..." he paused briefly , indicating the beach with a somewhat aggrieved general sweep of the hand - "plus of course - somehow ! -the enlightened folk of dear old Summer Bay and their oh-so-generous welcoming committee !"

The other officer cut in sharply "And how long had it been in the planning ?"

Dylan paused, running an oil-stained hand through hair matted with grease and blown around wildly by the ravages of the previous few hours .

"Oh, I'd say a week, maybe ten days tops - but it was just sheer rotten luck for that pumping pressure to fly crazy like it did today - remember these are early days for this project -I'll bring in the best technicians in Australia to get it nailed down before we start pumping, I can guarantee you that, gentlemen !!. Saying that though, who could possibly have foreseen..."

McGrath exchanged a sharp, meaningful glance with the Yabbie Creek officer who nodded in response as his colleague delivered a reply that evinced an involuntary gasp of shock from the listening Morag- - - -

"Mr Russell, whatever your structural problems with the pipeline may or may not prove to be - our early investigations have shown one thing very clearly - - - today's blast had nothing to do with faulty gas pressure - the explosion was caused by a bomb !.."

Not for the first time that morning, Dylan's legs lurched suddenly and disturbingly beneath him.....

[ldscott]

A bomb!

Great chapter, please post again soon!

[WYN100]

**PART 33**

It had certainly been a very big 24 hours for all three of them, and it was now without doubt developing into a warm and sultry afternoon outside .Flynn though was a little taken aback to see just how quickly his passengers of just a few minutes previously had been hi-jacked by drowsiness.

Smiling to himself, he adopted a pronounced hoarse whisper and progressed on exaggeratedly 'tipped' toes, past the sofa where Jesse had perched like a rather bottom-heavy capital L, across to the chair, where Sally, still wearing her thin outdoor jacket and with clutch bag dangling increasingly limply from her fingers seemed also to be drifting into a comfortable doze.

"Don't you two worry then !", hissed Flynn theatrically "....the slave will do all the work - don't give it a second thought !" It didn't seem like either of them remotely were, so smiling in a mildly mystified fashion he continued on towards the stairs, reshuffling the bags from hand to hand. He paused at the door , and looking back to see both the others completely oblivious to life around them, shook his head again and began climbing.

As he did, the tiniest dart of disquiet began to stab at his subconscious. It may have come from the rapid slide into drowsiness of his two travelling companions, or possibly from a recent seminar he'd attended on "Home Health - the hidden risks" It had run them through routine cleanliness issues, risks from falls and other such problems - but it was a section on ventilation that was inching its way back into his mind- and the very vaguest concern that was scratching like an insistent mouse at the corner of his senses. He'd now paused halfway up the staircase. They'd said it was tasteless and ALMOST odourless- ALMOST - ALMOST -ALMOST- eyes wide he was now inhaling - firstly deep and experimentally - then - slamming the meter down to virtually zero, the words cascaded menacingly into his brain - "OH MY GOD " - they'd been sitting down there 25 minutes or so all told - CARBON MONOXIDE !! - bags tumbling around him, he vaulted the stairs three at a time, and sprinted into the living room. Pausing immediately alongside Sally, it all began to make chilling sense. Her face had become pale and pasty and she was now in semi-consciousness and muttering something about ...her head....he froze - another classic symptom of carbon monoxide exposure was quick-onset headache !.

He swerved past the sofa where Jesse lay with a very similar aspect to him and headed desperately towards the door. But Diesel had prepared well and with harsh cunning - he knew there was just one main entry and exit door at the caravan park - he knew the level of pollutant he'd released was high - he knew how long they'd already been in there - as Flynn lunged, his foot caught the leg of a chair and as he hit the floor with a sickening thud to his shoulder, his tortured upturned glance at the glass-panelled door-top took in the seemingly slow-motion image of Sally's tormentor locking the door from the outside - his eyes locked onto Flynn's in what he clearly intended to be registering final triumph via the fume-filled room................

Jack had exercised a less than enthusiastic discretion about the latest unexpected swerve in the Paris Burnett situation. With a short, stiff nod at Trudi Styles to join him, he turned for the door with a curt " We'll just leave you alone for a few minutes " to the new arrival and the fuming occupant, the snap of the closing door signalled his departure.

Paris immediately executed the "upward jerk" with which Trudi had become so familiar, but the indignation which had previously propelled it was now replaced with aggression, indeed vitriol towards its new target.

"Well well Mr Burnett..." said Alex slowly, proceeding a few thoughtful strides inward, without moving too far away from the main door. He retained the self-satisfied smile that would have infuriated men in situations far more favourable than Paris's, but any further aggravating outpourings from the Poulos Dictionary of Complacent Smug were snapped off by the sharpest of incisions from Paris - - "Cut the bull. idiot - what the hell are you doing here ?" Not even the ever-loyal Brodie would have said Alex's finest qualities were mood-sensing or vibe awareness and those sceptics would have shared some knowing looks of successful prediction as Alex made a gesture of mock panic self-defence and responding "Whoaa - don't bark too loud - I'm of a nervous disposition you know !" Still keeping a careful distance from the other man, he continued slowly - "Now the way I looked at it was this - you've found yourself in a spot of bother, right ? Very careless of course, but I can help - - ..." His eyes flicked quickly to Paris's face to gauge the reaction, but being a little discomfited by seeing two eyes of cold fury fixed steadily back at him, his gaze flicked quickly away again,

"Now then, Paris my friend.." - Burnett's fingernails dug deep into his palms at that inaccurate description - "the way I see it is like this -if you agree to drop out of buying the diner here and now - I tell these cops you confided in me you've had business rivals looking to discredit you in all you do and this is just the latest example - but " - the unfortunate smile returned - "if you DON'T -I go straight out there and tell them I've spoken to kids at the school who say you've been offering them that stuff since you've been back in town - seems a good deal, eh ? So what do you say ?"

Five tense seconds - seeming like fifty-five elapsed before Alex became acutely aware of what Paris said. Goaded beyond endurance by the way his day had unravelled into chaos around him, Burnett had leapt from the interview table in one single highly-charged leap, pinning Alex's arm up tight behind his back and hissing viciously in his ear " What I SAY, you little louse is this - this will seem like nothing - next time I see you outside of here, you look out - ooh, I don't know - I may just have to..." - twisting the arm still tighter behind the back - "KILL you, now what do YOU say to THAT, my FRIEND ..?" - he let out a sudden gasp of surprised alarm as he was pulled away and spun back to his seat...not by Alex...but by Jack Holden, who'd quietly re-entered the room that vital one minute earlier....

Lucas had remained reluctant - Matilda somewhere between persuasive and positively domineering. It was a battle that the male candidate was never likely to win - and so it was that "Operation Amanda" was embarked upon. While the unwilling foot soldier dawdled at the rear, Lieutenant Matilda had the battle-plan laid out in her characteristic efficient and ongoing style. Firstly she's led them to a hillside clearing called Lime Ridge not too far along the main access road to Stewart's Point - and an ideal look-out spot down to Amanda's house - despite his lack of enthusiasm for the outing, Lucas was impressed at her preplanning. "Wow, I never knew this was here -well impressive - you kept this quiet !!"

"Preplanning is everything young Lucas, knowledge is power and all that - watch and learn !!" And watch they did, sitting close together on a small stone bench. As five minutes faded to ten and ten to twenty, Lucas's enthusiasm began to wane, but just as he was emitting a doleful "Look this is interesting and all that Matilda, but can't we head off down the diner for a shake or someth.....Ug !! -wha ..????"

He had indeed received a shake, but of a far earlier and very different variety to that which he'd imagined. The battalion leader had grabbed his shoulder and was pointing triumphantly downwards saying "See !! See !! -she's going out - this it'll be IT !! - YES !!"

Lucas- quite reasonably- held up his hand in restraint and said "Whoa ! - could she not just be going out to get some milk or something ??"

The brief troop rebellion was brusquely waved away by the newly invigorated commander who was already choreographing the next troop manoeuvre . "This will be IT !! I just KNOW it - AND we know where she's GOING !!"

And so it was that the duo arrived via a short-cut to Garrett's Ridge, a small inconspicuous link road between the bush area bounding the back of the surf club and the main highway that curved off towards Mangrove river. A bunch of lush overhanging trees provided ample shelter for the lookout duo - ideal too hide the strangled squeak of triumph emitted by Matilda as - after a ten minute wait - Amanda's car eased slowly past them and came to a slow, cautious halt around two hundred yards further on. Even Lucas was becoming slowly convinced now - a conversion further cemented a minute or two later when Matty's craning head shot back into the rear-tree area they were inhabiting, agog with excitement , and hissing "There's-another-car-there !!! - I'm going up to look !!"

"Matty - no !!!" - Lucas gestured urgently that she needed to reverse that decision there and then - but not for the first time that day, he was left grasping air as she ghosted off to the left, keeping a close route inside the tree branches until she reached a spot which allowed a view but still protected her from sight. But , fixing her eyes on the SECOND car, after her eyes became fully acclimatized to the subdued light, she COULD see....!!!.....

She span back round , and with another surge of triumphant excitement, swarmed back along the protected route she'd just taken , till she arrived back at the spot she and Lucas had been...."Lucas ! - Lucas ??..."

With chill fingers tightening around her heart, her eyes fixed on a cellphone - Lucas's without a shadow of doubt...but looking wildly around, there was no mistaking it - as a scuffed patch of ground near the dropped phone indicated in particularly mysterious fashion- Lucas himself had very much disappeared............

McGrath was becoming decidedly frustrated . The temporary incident room that had been set up at beachside was proving less than ideal logistically, with clouds of sand frequently being whipped in through the larger open end of the force trailer which was housing the exercise . In addition, groups of sunbathers, surfers and blends of the two were beginning to congregate on the sands, intent on seeking out the best spots for the day, but bringing with them sound systems and speakers of notably beefy dimensions, and with the Sergeant's musical inclinations far indeed from the pulsing combinations of Green Day, Bon Jovi and others being raised around him, the attendant Constable was having to be sent from the door on regular dispersal missions.

However, once he'd gone, the door area was quickly being filled by a variety of passing faces and expressions ranging from puzzled to curious and occasionally derisive, the latter variety often providing accompanying observations such as "Hey - get this - CSI Summer Bay !!" , and the weary effort some deluded humorists never tire of "..hey see, I SAID they'd catch up with you in the end !!" The rotating constable was arriving back ever-more red faced and besieged-looking , and after about the third rotation of incidents, McGrath's attempted preservation of "distance dignity" collapsed with an aggravated hurl of his pen down onto the desktop and three heavy strides to the door and a full-throated shriek of "GET RIGHT AWAY FROM HERE !!" All a little excessive given that the latest set of interrupters were a small, white-haired grandmother guiding a pushchair containing a bright-eyed two year old boy towards what she'd believed to be an ice-cream van.

And - as McGrath, shoulders starting to stoop just a little - made the few paces back to the van, he was confronted by his third recurring problem, Belle Taylor . On perhaps ten previous occasions that morning, she'd halted him demanding news of the search for Ric in increasingly strident and belligerent tones. "You MUST know something by now !!....what the hell are you all DOING ??....I'd do better MYSELF .." were all now familiar etchings inside the officer's skull and the temptation to provide a colourful response of his own was becoming all but overwhelming. But - by a noble effort of duty and willpower , he was able to breathe in heavily , count well past twenty and repeat a familiar "The search is continuing - you will know when WE know... now PLEASE .... I've been attempting to interview Dylan Russell in there most of the MORNING - so keep well AWAY ! - Thank you !"

And, given the way the day had unfolded, McGrath must have felt positively indulged after five uninterrupted minutes with Dylan as he resumed the long-delayed push for any possible suspects Dylan may be mentally harbouring - but progress may have been another thing again.

"Look Sergeant McGrath - it's already been a very long and demanding day, I've got a great deal of work facing me after all this, and as for suspects, I've told you..."

"But THINK Mr Russell, has there been ANYTHING suspicious concerning ANYONE that's set you thinking....?"

"Nobody !!"

"Nobody AT ALL ??.."

"Oh PLEASE - NOB........"

A thought of some high impact had clearly clattered into Dylan and was sweeping across his face - McGrath leant forward in hopeful anticipation ..."Mr Russell ?..."

Having semi-sprung up, Dylan had subsided back onto the chair, wiping his hand slowly across his forehead.

"When I say no-one, it's just hit me, I mean no-one....possibly UNLESS...!."

A blood vessel pumped prominently in the corner of the officer's forehead - his breathing grew stronger - the previously abused pen snapped in his grasp.....Yabbie Creek Senior Sergeant McGrath NEEDED that "unless ...."

[WYN100]

Irene hadn't left the foot of Barry's bed for anything other than brief bathroom visits from the time he'd been returned to the room following his "bolt from the blue" kidney transplant just a few hours previously. A permanent if vague suggestion of moisture highlighted the corners of her eyelids, and the grip she'd taken on the lower bedrail spoke of someone who believed that if she let go then she, Barry and the bed would all be flung back instantly to the pre-operation corridor of uncertainty, where the tick-down to potential disaster had appeared louder, starker and sharper with every minute that had passed.

But NOW - NOW it was all so different . The explosion on the LNG boat - the tragic demise of American Matt Murray - and the blessing that he'd actually carried a DONOR card - NOW things were back on track and she was positively NOT going to drop THIS china doll till it was finally and totally repainted and back in her hands where it belonged.

THIS was the important stuff of life she told herself in repeated, short, determined lines - NOT arguments over space in life for raising Chloe Fraser nor still the late seep of detail over the situation with his first wife. Here was a man who'd made her feel loved, important, confident, and, yes - attractive again - and how ridiculously near had she got to letting it all go up in flames !

She smiled the thin, cautious smile she'd refined almost to an art-form as she looked up on hearing a slight rustle at the door courtesy of the incoming Doctor Green.

He smiled back - a shade brief and fractionally diluted perhaps, inducing in her what had become another near-reflex action during these past few tense days of asking "Everything's OK isn't it, doc ? I mean, he's...?"Dr Green raised his palm in mild restraint "No problems here Irene - from all the signs he's coming on just fine.."

He ticked a box or two on Barry's bedside chart , examined some of the computer readouts - and squatted down on the chair next to Irene's.

"But...."

Her face closed with alarm again. Swivelling towards him she said with quickly rising anguish "Doc, Doc, DON'T be giving me 'buts' please, whatever you do - a minute ago you said he was going fine, didn't you ?" He hurried to reassure her on that point . "No Irene, like I said - in so much as we can EVER be confident about such things, all Barry's vital signs seem to be pointing in the right direction. We have had a call though - from the States. "

Her face registered an uncomprehending air he attempted to dissipate .

"It was from the family of Mr Matt Murray...."

A small bulb illuminated - "Oh, you mean the poor guy who was the...."

"Donor, yes...but I do have to say poor isn't a word that figures large with the Murrays - seemingly Irene they're a very large - and very wealthy family...."

Irene couldn't fathom in precise detail where the doctor was headed with this - but the delay wasn't prohibitive..

"They're not altogether happy with what's happened - yes he DID have a donor card, and we naturally believed it to be an International one..."

"And...?"

"WELL...it now appears it was only valid for use in the USA - because of course so many Americans don't actually even have passports and never see themselves going all that far. So....it seems they're rather unhappy with us - AND the world in general - that what they regard as a "family kidney" if you like , has ended up half-way around the world ."

Irene shrugged a little blankly " Bit late now then, isn't it !"

"Ah, Irene, let me toss in a couple of other descriptions I've picked up about this family - large and wealthy I already told you - apparently they're also seen as being rather powerful, and - I quote - a little unpredictable..."

He gave a short, rather nervous dry cough , "And right as we speak - some of them already on board a plane heading for Australia - they say they want the full chapter and verse on the guy who's got 'their' kidney - and - ah - anyone 'significant' in his life too....

Barry's breathing - clear, controlled, resonant, had by now become the primary audible element in the small room. With a growing feeling of shadowy unease, Irene realized her own breath had become proportionately LESS relaxed over the recent minutes - DECIDEDLY so....

After what he'd considered to have been a wasted morning of chasing his tail for nothing but cheap public entertainment and semi-ridicule, Sergeant McGrath now finally felt he was getting somewhere. He wrote eagerly as Dylan began to expand as far as he was able over some calls he'd remembered receiving from a rival energy company in the weeks leading up to the explosion flashpoint.

"Well no - not what you'd actually call THREATENING - maybe a tad AGGRESSIVE perhaps - stuff like how I'd be far better selling out to them than I would be launching the LNG etc etc - it all just seemed so out there that I didn't give it much of a second thought...not at the time, anyway..."

McGrath was eager to tap this newly unearthed seam of information lest it should suddenly run dry.

"Now Mr Russell it's VERY important you think hard here - can you remember the NAME of this company ??"

It had already been a long, demanding and traumatic day for Dylan, and sitting in a cramped and uncomfortable police van on an increasingly hot Summer Bay afternoon would have been low indeed on his list of preferred locations.

His deep sigh achieved little other than semi-dislodging a notice about remembering to get your bicycle code-stamped that was pinned loosely on the corkboard hung on one side of the van.

"Mr Russell, you must appreciate..." insisted McGrath..

The only thing Dylan could see himself appreciating at that moment was being served steak and chips and a lager while in a hot bath and having his toes massaged by Kirsty Sutherland - but he couldn't somehow see the irascible officer appreciating a share of that kind of information. After another brief but difficult silence, both their heads swung round instinctively on hearing the back door opening and the constable who'd earlier been on day-tripper dispersal duty had returned from his period of liaison with the Search and Rescue crews.

The constable looked a little pale and spoke with a slight hoarseness to his voice.

"Sarge, the guys on the boat called - they said to let you know they found a body...."

The jaws of Dylan and Sergeant McGrath dropped in unison, and with one simultaneous thought of "RIC...!!...??.." clamped eyes on each other. The "immobilized moment" only shifted at the sound of another noise, and standing there at the door behind a wholly stunned and disbelieving face was Belle Taylor.....

Tasha had felt her feet hit by a semi-meltdown , as if gripped by unseen and unrelenting hands from beneath. A cocktail of emotions began to rampage through all sounding personal attack alarms as they went. Disbelief disputed the leadership with fear - fear jarred starkly against disbelief, and disbelief hunted frantically for the exit strategy that was nowhere to be seen on the table of options.

It was him - it just HAD to be him.... and yet - how COULD it be ? She'd come here full of interest and optimism to meet a Mrs Valentine about joining or starting a home jewellery business ... and so.. hard as it pounded on the door of reason, here was the element her brain was simply refusing to register. How did that scenario leave her here in a small cottage at the far end of the Bay where nobody actually knew where she WAS , and facing a figure who'd loomed so large in so many of her nightmares AND troubled, trance-like daytime moments of late - - - "J-Jonah.... ??" H

He smiled and raised his hand, as if pleading a swift "not guilty" to the heinous charge levelled against him,,

"No Tasha, no - honestly - NOT Jonah - I'm JACOB..although I admit where twins are concerned - yes, we broke the jelly mould and trampled on it - even I sometimes do a double-take when I go in a room and he's there ...it's just a bit...."

"Uncanny.....?" she volunteered, still bewildered by the likeness - but just beginning to get the smallest impression of sincerity radiating from this guy sitting just alongside her - she'd also begun to fancy she was seeing hairline and fractional differences in the face that was so hauntingly familiar to her - maybe a smoother sweep of the jaw, a slightly kinderquality to the eyes..?

"Uncanny !! - the very word !! Give that girl a prize !!" he joked ...."I CAN get you a drink, can I ? Or maybe something to eat ? I'm guessing you must be getting pretty hungry ?"

She halted. It did seem forever since she'd eaten - but how weird did THIS seem ? At a house under at least semi-false pretences, and being offered lunch by a guy she'd seemingly never met, yet who was the very image of a a guy her every nerve and instinct screamed at her to avoid.

Regular observers of Tasha's success ratio in decisions over scenarios potentially harmful to her would have felt resigned rather than surprised that after an internal debate of sadly relatively few seconds, she chose the path under the neon-lit "Could perhaps be very risky"

Smiling a little more easily she said slowly..."Well Jac..."

"Jacob .."

"Yes, Jacob - I don't suppose staying for a little to eat could do any great harm..."

"Phew...!!" He fanned his brow in mock relief.."That's awesome.... I'll sort out a snack...." He jumped up and began heading for the room just to the rear of them, which had the appearance of a kitchen..Before getting there, he paused. "Now it doesn't take Australian Mastermind 07 to know you'll be wanting some answers....about..."

He spun his hand round as if searching for the correct phrase... "about all...this..."

She nodded slowly, as he responded.."and you'll most certainly get them...that's the least you can expect in my book.!"

The over-naive smile settled again on her face as he entered the kitchen. As he did so, he felt the vibration of his mobile phone - on silent mode- in his pocket. Taking it out to read a text consisting solely of "????????.." He slowly and carefully tapped "reply" and entered one of his own. It read, "Like clockwork...."......

Once Jack had left to deal with the boat explosion and all the issues spinning off it, Martha had headed as quickly as possible to deal with the chaotic bedroom scene that so clearly betrayed her guilt in travelling through Jack's private and police documents, so many of which still lay carelessly tossed to the floor and resting in corners.

One major priority dictated her thinking - to leave no trace of the personal private investigation she'd been conducting - though a small corner of her ever-curious mind still pressed her to continue tracking down the identity and significance of the guy at the cinema...who ?.....why...?.....what ...?

Arriving at the house as she had , she slipped quickly into the bedroom and commenced the clean-up operation. Sifting the documents as presentably as possible, she gave a small sigh of disappointment, recognizing most of them from her previous fruitless search, but acknowledging the necessity to restore order in what could be a limited space of time forced her to act with some haste, forming piles as efficiently and compactly as the situation allowed before jamming them back in Jack's personal cupboard. The job was almost completed when her senses somehow collided with a stab of recognition and familiarity. Attached to the corner of one of the documents with a paper-clip was a passport-sized photo of a guy -dragging away the sheets on top of it, the stab of recognition grew sharper and more immediate - it was HIM - the guy from the cinema- and the car incident in the alley nearby. Giving a little gasp she peeled away the photo and prepared to read the typed document underneath it.

"I think you'll need to be giving that to me, won't you...?" Her gasp of moments previously was as an ant's whisper in a tornado compared to the shriek she emitted involuntarily on hearing the voice of he who had stolen in noiselessly behind her as her back faced the door -but it had been jammed into silence within seconds as the hand was forced over her mouth - a hand that as she twisted urgently round she could see belonged to the very guy in question - the subject of the passport photograph that he'd snatched from her along with the accompanying document. It was crossing her mind fleetingly to try and resist when she noticed with an involuntary shiver of fear- that his other hand was holding a gun - some kind of small automatic pistol. Even as the full implications of the situation she found herself in began to crash around her mind, he was dragging her closer to the adjoining window where he swatted back the curtains and gave a thumbs up sign - clearly a pre-arranged signal of imminent exit - to the driver of a car outside. The muted roar of the accelerator pedal being depressed floated through the smaller open window just above them - but what was visible to neither from their position behind the glass was that the pedal had been pressed by a nervy and unsettled occupant of the drivers' seat - - - who was none other than her own brother, Macca....

[I love music]

This is a really well written fic and I think a lot of people are missing it, which is a shame, so I’m taking it back to the top.

and the weary effort some deluded humorists never tire of "..hey see, I SAID they'd catch up with you in the end !!"

with an aggravated hurl of his pen down onto the desktop and three heavy strides to the door and a full-throated shriek of "GET RIGHT AWAY FROM HERE !!" All a little excessive given that the latest set of interrupters were a small, white-haired grandmother guiding a pushchair containing a bright-eyed two year old boy towards what she'd believed to be an ice-cream van.

NOT Jonah - I'm JACOB..although I admit where twins are concerned - yes, we broke the jelly mould and trampled on it - even I sometimes do a double-take when I go in a room and he's there...

You do ironic humour really well.

It might be an idea if you did a short summary at the top of each chapter. Doesn’t have to be of the whole fic, just a summary of what previously happened with the characters in the earlier chapters. I think the main reason most people are missing reading this is because it’s a bit difficult sometimes to figure out what’s going on, especially if it’s been a long time between updates.