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Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald Extract
Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald Extract
McDONALD
SHOCK WAVES
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But then white blinked orange and the car turned down
another street. Everything fell into darkness again.
‘Let’s go.’ The words were said calmly, without panic, as
one of the others passed him on the way to the ute. ‘Now.’
He knew not to argue.
The last few steps to the car were the quickest he had
taken that night, and he yanked open the door, tumbling
inside. Warmth from the heater stung his freezing nose and
made his fingers burn with cold as he brushed the rivulets
away from his eyes.
‘Good job,’ the leader told him. ‘Now let’s get out of
here. Fast. We’ve got ten minutes.’
‘Did you see that car?’ he asked. Surely, they could hear
his heart pounding. Weren’t theirs?
The gears grated as he shoved the stick into first with
shaking hands. There was no getting around the panic
that was rising now. They couldn’t go back, even if one
of them wanted to. Everything they’d worked for had been
set into motion.
‘Wouldn’t have seen us.’ The answer was from the back
seat. ‘Too far away.’
He pulled at his face mask and tried to rub his wet
cheeks dry.
‘Put that back on.’ The instruction was gruff from the
back.
‘It’s wet.’
‘Wait until we’re on the open road. There might be
cameras on the edge of town.’
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that had kept him going. That duty had always fired Dave
on, along with every other copper he knew.
‘Anyway, son, I’m not dead yet. Stage four melanoma
doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence, so I’m told. Plus,
I’ve still got a few things I want to do here.’
‘But the chemo knocks you around?’
‘Yeah, gives me a bit of a tickle from time to time.’ He
threw Dave a glance. ‘You saw that first-hand. But that’s
not gonna stop me, is it? Wouldn’t stop you either.’
Dave nodded again, and waited, his mind ticking over.
‘Right, enough of this talk,’ Bob said after the silence
had stretched out for an almost uncomfortable length of
time. ‘What about these horses?’
Without answering, Dave got up and tipped what was
left of his cold coffee down the sink and poured another
one as he thought about Bob’s statement.
Wouldn’t stop you either.
Bob was right. His responsibility was to help.
Dave hoped he wouldn’t live to regret the words he was
about to say. ‘Well, if you’re feeling up to it, I’ve probably
got something a little more meaty.’
Bob raised his eyebrows. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve been
holding out on me, son.’ He took his handkerchief from his
pocket and mopped his brow, before taking a long drink
of the water Dave had placed in front of him.
‘I don’t know that holding out is quite the right term,’
Dave said with a grin. ‘How about we get back on the
road? Just you and me, like we’ve always done. You’ve got
a two-week break on your chemo, haven’t you? So let’s
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the stone that had found its way through his veins and into
his heart and sat there constantly now.
Bob clapped a heavy hand onto Dave’s shoulder. ‘Shit,
mate, I’ve been caught up in my own stuff. I had no idea.’
‘You’ve had more important things on.’ Dave glanced at
the speedo, making sure it was a steady one hundred and
ten. He knew the patrol cars loved hiding on the side roads,
or driving slowly along the highway, catching people who
thought the laws weren’t for them. Even as an officer, he
mostly liked to obey the rules that were for everyone. Not
necessarily the ones inside the force, though.
‘When did all this happen, son?’
Dave hated the rough-gentle tone of Bob’s voice. He
swallowed. ‘Last week. Bec’s birthday.’
‘Bitch,’ Bob breathed. ‘Bet they did that on purpose.’
Dave shrugged and changed the subject. ‘I had a letter
from Mum.’
If what was left of Bob’s eyebrows could have shot off
his forehead, they would have. ‘Your mother? Geez, son,
what else have you been keeping from me? When was the
last time you heard from her?’
‘Who knows. My brother has disappeared, and she wants
to know if I can help look for him.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I haven’t answered her.’
Bob snorted. ‘Why am I not surprised? Has anyone told
you that you are the epitome of an ostrich?’
‘Not since the last time you did.’
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Bob shook his head as the forest line made way for
open paddocks covered in a rich, deep green of wheat
crops with grey granite outcrops and the occasional large
salmon gum tree.
‘Well, you’ve just strengthened my resolve not to die,’
Bob said, a laugh in his voice. ‘I was pretty keen on that
anyway, but you’ve just proved you still need me around.’
Dave let out a bark of laughter. ‘If that’s what it takes,
mate, I’m happy to have a screwed-up personal life for
you to fix.’
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