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  ‘How was the farm today?’ Oliver asked, taking his place at the head of the table.

  The table was big enough for six, but Laura was an only child. Deep down, she thought her parents wanted more children. Maybe a son. But it’d just never happened.

  ‘Good. The cattle were fed this morning and I fixed that fence down near the edge of Wimerack. I finished off this month’s paperwork too,’ Cara replied lifting a spoonful of soup to her mouth.

  Laura’s father nodded, ‘good to hear. Can’t have the paper work falling behind.’

  Oliver lifted his glass to his lips and sent a wink Laura’s way.

  Her eyes gleamed, ‘yes we most certainly can’t have that. Otherwise it’ll be bed with no food or water.’

  ‘And then we would have to listen to your complaints all night,’ Oliver continued.

  ‘And that’ll be disturbing our much needed beauty sleep.’

  Oliver turned, flashing his teeth at her. ‘What are you saying? That I’m not beautiful?’

  The corners of Cara’s eyes crinkled as she suppressed a laugh, ‘oh really you two you are as bad as each other.’

  Laura’s eyes flickered to her father’s face and the two grinned at one another.

  ‘Card’s after dinner?’ he asked Laura.

  ‘You’re on.’

  ~

  ‘You do not have twenty-one! That is twenty!’ accused Laura.

  Cara watched her husband and Laura from her place on the couch, in the middle of their very important Friday night game of cards. Tonight, it was thirty-one. They sat opposite one another, cards flat on the table, and staring each other down. She was laughing uncontrollably, because as usual, Oliver was cheating.

  Oliver’s hand flew to his chest, ‘I am offended that you would doubt my mathematical skills.’

  ‘Three tens are thirty.’

  ‘No, a Jack it is actually eleven, not ten,’ her husband insisted.

  ‘You liar! I have the rule book right here.’ Laura cried, snatching up the book from the table. She flipped it open and found the page she needed, ‘see! A jack is ten.’

  He picked up a pen, reached out, and changed the ‘0’ to a ‘1’ yelping, ‘I win!’ as he did so.

  Laura’s mouth fell open and she lunged for the closest cushion she could find. Grasping one tightly, she swung it at Oliver, showering cards down over them. Oliver grabbed for the pillow under Cara’s head. Cara sat up, retreating quickly from the lounge room while the two battled it out.

  ‘Make sure you put that room back to the way it was!’ She called out from her and Oliver’s bedroom.

  All fell quiet and Cara was expecting it when the door swung open and the two came hurdling onto the bed, attacking her with cushions. She shrieked and snatched up her own pillow, fighting back and laughing.

  ‘You two will be the end of me!’ She mumbled as they flopped down onto the bed.

  ‘Okay, come on Kiddo, better go clean up the lounge and head to bed.’

  ~

  Saturday morning was a hot, bright one. For winter, anyway. Laura settled herself down on the couch, pretending to read. Really, she was tuning in on her parents conversation. She’d noticed them acting quite strange lately. Only little things such as their ‘knowing looks’ and secretive conversations. She listened to them talk and laugh with one another while her mother prepared to leave for work at the Shrine Hotel in the city. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

  ‘I’ll see you this afternoon Laura,’ Cara said and planted a kiss on Laura’s head before heading for the door.

  ‘I’m going up the mountain this afternoon. So I’ll see you when I get back,’ she replied.

  Just as she was about to turn back to her book, something seemed to flash across her mother’s face, and she paused, returning her gaze to her mother. Was it a look of hope? Or of something more? Laura couldn’t be sure.

  It disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and once again her mother was smiling at her. ‘All right sweetie.’ She reached for the door. ‘Be careful.’

  Laura listened as the two passed through the door, mumbling to one another. She strained her neck, trying to catch their words.

  ‘Oliver, this afternoon is our only chance,’ her mother said. It sounded as if she was pleading with him.

  ‘I can’t allow it Cara, not this. It’s too much. I love Laura, but we are her best shot. Who knows if they will even keep their word?’

  ‘They will. They would be banished to hell if they didn’t.’

  Laura heard her father let out a deep sigh, ‘I just- I can’t-‘ his voice cracked and Laura’s heart began to race. Hell? What were they talking about? Who were they?

  ‘Hey, hey, all right, not this afternoon.’ Cara’s voice was soft, soothing.

  ‘Thankyou.’

  Sweat broke out on Laura’s neck and nerves flit through her stomach. She settled back down into the couch, pretending to read again as she listened to the car start.

  Her father returned, briefly translating to her that he’d be out fencing most of the morning and left before Laura could ask a single question.

  ~

  The blazing sun was beginning to set and a cool evening breeze was sweeping through the trees by the time Laura reached the top of Wimerack Mountain on Saturday evening. The view was magnificent from the peak.

  Laura stood tall, taking in the fresh air, reenergizing herself for the hike back down later. She welcomed the cool air against her sweaty, hot skin. It felt nice, refreshing. She loved her home. The unbelievable sight that stood before her made the sore legs and aching muscles from the climb worth it. She loved sitting upon the mountain, watching the sun set, allowing her mind to wander. It was peaceful. She felt free.

  Laura observed her farm house nestled amongst the trees. As she watched on, she caught sight of her father out on the tractor feeding the cattle hay. Her mother was most likely home by now.

  Her eyes swept over the land and she noticed a sudden flash of light - the sun reflecting off something.

  It was a small silver car crawling down the driveway. Laura smiled as her Dad stopped his feeding and went to greet the passengers despite running out of light to complete his duties.

  She turned away, staring out across the other side of the mountain. There was an enormous drop on this side. It led down into a rocky, bushy basin of mess. There was only one way down and if she wanted to take it, it was necessary to know how to rock climb.

  She didn’t have the courage to attempt climbing down there yet but she planned to, one day. Her father taught her how to rock climb in the climbing studios in Corin but she was yet to take on a real life structure. Her father promised her long ago that one day, they would go together.

  She stretched out her sore limbs and yawned lazily. The sun felt nice as the last rays of heat from it shone down on her back. She continued studying the rocky abyss below, searching for the best route she and her father could take.

  She heard the definite sound of a gunshot ring out across the land. She assumed it was someone out hunting. It wasn’t unusual for this time of night. But that was when she heard it. The scream. The unmistakeable high-pitched cry that belonged to her mother.

  Chapter Two

  Forced Into Change

  A jolt of electricity shot through Laura’s body as the scream tore through the air, startling her and sending her sprawling towards the edge of the cliff. She threw herself to the left, gripping onto a jagged piece of rock and holding on with all her might as her legs swung down over the side.

  She was breathing heavily and watched the rocks and dust she stirred up plummet towards dark depths below.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she swung her leg up, hoisting herself back over the side of the cliff and dragging her body a safe distance from the edge.

  Stumbling to her feet, she sucked in a heavy, shaky breath, and tore through the shrubbery to the opposite side of the mountain. When she reached the beginning of the overgrown track, gasped.

  Her mother’s cries were almost audible from the top of Wimerack, and Laura watched helplessly as she was dragged roughly through the dirt by her feet and away from Oliver’s limp body.

  Cara scrabbled at the dirt, searching for something to use as a weapon. She was putting up an incredible fight, but she was evidently not strong enough to fend off the three people dragging her.

  Fear speared through Laura and her feet seemed to act on their own accord, taking off down the track.

  A scream tore from her throat, ‘MUM!’

  She was down the first quarter of the trail in record time, dodging branches and soaring over rocks the whole way. She almost couldn’t feel the burning in her lungs or the aching of her legs as she pushed herself to go faster. Her mind was a blur of silent screams and unanswered questions.

  For only a moment she allowed herself the luxury of removing her gaze from the track to the scene that was unfolding before her. She could only see a swirl of dust where the car had been.

  ‘NO!’ she yelped as she leapt over a fallen log.

  Her shoelace had unknowingly come undone somewhere along the descent, catching in a piece of the hard bark. Her body was whipped around and she kicked out at the log. She flailed about in the air until finally her left shoulder slammed into the ground with a chilling crack.

  She cried out in pain, but that wasn’t the end of it. The world spun around her as she tumbled through the dirt and down the rest of the mountain at an alarming speed. Then, the world stopped altogether as she struck a rock with an excruciating thud. Her throat was raspy and dry and her screams came to a halt as the wind was knocked right out of her. She lay there, stunned.

  Groaning with pain, she realised her mother would be long gone by now. Her stomach was in an anxious knot, and she felt sick to the bone. The terror was slowly consuming her as she began to comprehend what had just happened.

  Her thoughts were invaded by the realisation that her mother was abducted and she couldn’t form any realistic reason in her mind as to why those people decided to take her.

  On top of that she didn’t have any idea what she was meant to do now. All that innocence she’d just had, all that freedom, was so rapidly taken from her. Now she felt trapped; trapped in a world of confusion and lost until she found her mother.

  Who had taken her, and why? That was what she wanted to know.

  She attempted to lift herself up on her elbows but winced in pain. They were scraped raw and so were her knees. She managed to prop herself up against the rock and began inspecting her wounds. When she saw her left arm she cried out, and suddenly the throbbing from the deep gash engulfed her. She looked away quickly, not wanting to see the shredded flesh around the cut.

  She could feel something warm dribbling down her temple, and a metallic taste filled her mouth.

  Blinking hard, she forced back the tears. I will not cry. There was no point. No one was around to hear her.

  Except…

  The scene from the top of the mountain remerged in her mind, and realisation dawned on her. She was up and running in an instant. Everything disappeared. The pain, the worry, the world around her. The adrenaline was once again kicking in.

  She was slow and clumsy as she climbed through the fence of the first paddock, dragged herself under the next one, and sprinted through the trees, willing herself to move faster and faster. And then, she was only meters from the house, the body of her father in sight.

  Without caution, she vaulted over the low fence of her house yard and dashed across the driveway.

  She dropped to the ground, sliding through the gravel on her knees and skidding to a stop beside him.

  ‘Dad!’ She gasped, ‘Dad, wake up! Dad!’

  That was when she noticed the thick, sticky, crimson red substance flowing from a wound in his stomach. Blood. She knew from the first look that he had already lost a lot of it. She remembered seeing bullet wounds in animals before, but never anything quite like this. The tears were streaming down her face before she even realised she was crying.

  ‘Dad,’ she whispered as she took his hand and sobbed.

  She couldn’t believe she was seeing him like this. His usually bright, happy face was now pale, with dark shadows around his eyes. Almost unrecognizable. His breath was shallow. He stirred lightly, trying to roll onto his back.

  She gasped, ‘Dad?’

  She helped him to roll over and moved closer to him, brushing the hair from his eyes.

  ‘Kiddo, are you okay?’ he asked, his voice shaky, barely above a whisper.

  ‘I’m fine Dad but you? What do I do?’ Laura didn’t know first aid but she did know that she needed to halt the bleeding. She began taking off her jacket but her father stopped her.

  ‘Darling, there is nothing you can do,’ he whispered.

  She shook her head, her eyes glassy, ‘no,’ she murmured, ‘no I can get help.’

  He took her hand, ‘Laura, I love you.’

  ‘No. No don’t say goodbye. I can get help! I can get the ambulance! You can’t leave me!’ Her voice cracked as she shouted the words, reaching for her mobile in her back pocket.

  It was smashed beyond use. She threw it away angrily and shifted onto her feet, preparing to get up, but her father pulled her back down.

  ‘Stay with me,’ he begged.

  ‘I’ll get the phone, I’ll call for help.’

  She managed to half stand up and at the same time tried to pry her arm free from her father’s grip, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not when he was begging her like this.

  ‘Laura, listen to me. They won’t get here in time,’ he paused, coughing painfully.

  ‘Dad!’ Laura sobbed kneeling down again. It hit her at that moment that he was right. They wouldn’t make it out to their farm quick enough.

  Oliver managed to draw in an agonizing breath, ‘you don’t have much time. They will be back for you soon.’

  ‘Who will? The people who took Mum?’

  He nodded once because that was all he could manage.

  ‘There is a group in Corin,’ he coughed again, ‘they live at a place called the Grand Manor. They will keep you safe. They will help you find your mother.’

  ‘Why did those people take her? Why are they coming for me?’ She whispered, holding his hands tightly.

  ‘You are powerful, Laura. You are strong.’ He murmured.

  ‘I still don’t understand,’ her voice squeaked and she tried to remain calm for her father’s sake.

  ‘When you get to the Grand Manor, ask for Estella and Leo. They will tell you everything.’

  She nodded, biting her trembling lip, ‘how do I get there?’

  ‘The address is in the office under the bottom draw. Everything you will need for now is in there,’ he managed to say, ‘I want you to promise me something Laura.’

  ‘Anything.’

  ‘I want you to get to safety,’ he hesitated, reaching up and wiping a tear from Laura’s chin. ‘Promise me you will get to safety,’ he looked at his daughter and smiled, ‘and promise me you will find your mother.’

  ‘Yes I promise Dad, I promise,’ she choked on the last word. She knew what was coming, but every fibre of her being was hoping it wouldn’t.

  He took hold of both of his daughter’s hands, ‘Laura, I love you okay? Never ever forget that,’ he squeezed her hand, ‘stay strong, Laura. For me.’

  ‘I love you too Dad,’ she said softly. A silent promise.

  He smiled, and then, without warning, his hands fell away, and he took his last breath.

  ‘No, Dad, NO!’ She wailed, hugging him tightly, ‘DAD!’

  She sat there hugging him to her chest, howling, praying that he would wake up.

  He didn’t.

  ~

  She stayed like that for what felt like hours, although it couldn’t have been more than half of one. She was unable to do anything else. After a while, her cries turned into silent sobs and her ears picked up the sound of a machine. It was coming closer.

  She sucked in a shaky breath and raised her eyes, catching sight of a motorbike roaring down the driveway, kicking up dust behind it. She let go of her father and scurried backwards into the house. Hiding on the other side of the front door, she peeked through the stain glass window and watched the bike approach.

  Cautiously, she backed into the house until she was in the kitchen and out of sight. She ran for the desk in the office and ripped the bottom draw from its place.

  Indented in the hard wood floor was a latch which she turned and opened. Inside was a backpack. Heaving it onto her back, she quietly made her way back to the kitchen and peaked through a window, pain searing through her.

  The rider, a boy with a dark mop of hair, was striding towards her father. As she watched, she dried the tears from her face. She couldn’t cry any more. Now she had to be strong. For her Dad, like he asked.

  There was an air of innocence about the boy. How could he be dangerous? He looked far from it. But she trusted her father, no one else.

  The boy bent down and felt for her father’s pulse, frowning. He must have realised what she already knew.

  Looking around, he straightened up and made his way to the entrance. She rose from her hiding place under the window and darted through the hallways, escaping through the back door.

  She took off running straight for she sheds where her father’s Ute was, and was tackled to the ground.

  ~

  Laura twisted and turned in the boys grasp as he managed to roll her over and pin her arms to the ground.

  Then, the adrenaline wore off and she couldn’t fight any longer. She was shouting for help but she knew it would do no good. No one would hear her.

  Finally she opened her eyes, which she didn’t realise she closed, and looked up into the boy’s face. She was defeated.

  ‘Whoa Ace, stop your moving there,’ he snapped.

  ‘What do you want?’ She growled.

  The raw skin of her knees and elbows stung and she was bleary with pain, but she didn’t allow him the satisfaction of knowing that.

  ‘For you to stop moving,’ he countered irritably and his grip tightened on her injured arm. She winced but bit back a cry.