Shield, page 6
“Thought you might need a hand getting back to the staff room.” She gestured to the walking stick.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” His ankle was a lot better.
They walked side-by-side back to the office. “Listen, a bunch of us are going for a drink after work on Friday to celebrate the end of term,” Patricia said. “Do you want to come?”
His muscles tightened. He hated saying no to anyone. “I’d love to, but I’m going to a bucks’ party.”
“Maybe we can catch up during the holidays then,” she said.
Jamie glanced at her. No thanks. Not after her comment this morning. “I’m going to be pretty busy. I’ve got a friend’s wedding and Mum and Dad always need help in the cheese factory.”
“Oh, I forgot your parents owned it.” She smiled. “It’s nice of you to help.”
Jamie held the staff room door open for her. “I need to make a couple of phone calls. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He continued to his office. Perhaps he should have made it clear he wasn’t interested, but Patricia could get a little spiteful when she was embarrassed. She’d get the hint eventually and hopefully it wouldn’t sour their relationship.
He shut his office door behind him and sat, then quickly sent Hannah a text to say he was running late. He then dialled the college coordinator’s number. “Hey Bec, it’s Jamie. One of the students asked if it’s possible to stay at the college during the holidays. He’s not certain he’ll be welcome at home.”
Bec sighed. “No one’s going to be there. I booked a trip to Bali after I confirmed we’d have no boarders.”
Damn. “All right. Thanks.” Jamie hung up. With that option off the table, hopefully he could talk some sense into Lewis’s mother. He dialled the number and introduced himself to Mrs Cross.
“Is Lewis in trouble?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“Not at all,” Jamie assured her. “He was a little upset when he came to see me this afternoon. He mentioned the last time he was home, he told you and your husband about his sexuality and Mr Cross didn’t take it so well.”
“He’s still saying he’s gay?” she asked.
Annoyance stiffened his shoulders. “It’s not something which will change, Mrs Cross,” he said. “Coming out to the people you love can be very stressful and people are generally certain about it before they do.”
She sighed. “My husband isn’t going to take this well.”
He took a breath to calm his anger. “What about you, Mrs Cross? Do you still love your son?”
“Yes. I do, but my husband is in charge of the money.” She sounded resigned. “He’ll cut Lewis off, stop paying for his schooling.”
Lewis still had six months before he graduated. “Mrs Cross, Lewis is a very smart young man. It would be a shame for him not to finish school.” He hesitated. What other options did they have?
An idea struck him. It would only delay the inevitable but if it saw him through school… “Lewis suggested not going home this holidays.”
“Can he stay at the college?”
“No. It’s closing for the break. I might be able to find him somewhere to stay though. If you agree to it.”
“Where?”
“My parents have a spare room and I can probably get him some work experience at my friend’s dairy.” He’d owe his parents big time.
“That would be fantastic,” she breathed. “If he’s got work experience, my husband would completely understand Lewis not coming home.”
“All right. I’ll make some more phone calls and call you tomorrow with details.”
“Thank you, Jamie. My son is lucky to have you as a teacher.”
Jamie’s heart squeezed. “You’re welcome.” He hung up. Time to call in those favours.
Half an hour later, he’d spoken to his mum, Kit and the college principal and received approvals from all of them. Lewis would stay in Lincoln’s old room, work at Kit’s dairy through the holidays and return to the boarding college when school resumed.
Jamie stood. He was so late. Hopefully Hannah had some work to do out at her retreat. He picked up his backpack and headed to his car.
On the way out to Hannah’s place, a car was parked at the side of the road, a man peering under its raised bonnet. Not many people came out this way, and while it wasn’t raining yet, the heavy clouds indicated it would start soon. Jamie pulled up and wound down his window. “Need a hand?”
The man waved. “No, I’m right.” Morgan.
Jamie grinned. If anyone could fix the car, it was the local mechanic. “See you later.” He continued to Hannah’s retreat, winding through her property past little turn offs to the various cabins, and eventually pulled up next to a large silver shed. Hannah’s white four-wheel-drive was already there and her large bull mastiff, Joe, bounded across to greet him.
Jamie ruffled Joe’s head and walked over the concrete verandah to the shed door. “Hannah?”
“Come in.”
He walked into the dusty-smelling shed and found her cleaning the little kitchenette. She turned, a bright smile on her face, small tufts of blonde hair peeking out from her blue beanie. “Hi, JJ.”
“Sorry I’m so late.”
“No worries. I figured I’d do a bit of cleaning while I waited. It’s dustier than I realised.”
“You didn’t have to,” he said.
“I don’t mind.” She put down the cloth. “The fridge is still running. I’ve been leaving drinks in there, but I’ll take them out.”
“Keep them there,” Jamie said, touching her arm. “I appreciate you helping me, Hannah. If you need to use the place for work, go ahead. I’ll be at the college most days anyway.”
“All right.” She gestured him to follow her. “The bathroom has to be cleaned still, but I tested the hot water and everything seems to be working fine. The water tank outside is full.”
The bathroom was a small room next to the kitchen with a shower, toilet and basin, but he didn’t need more. The main room was partitioned from the shed portion by a row of bookcases and there was plenty of space for his bed and furniture. It would be a little draughty, and probably a bitch to heat, but at least it was his own space. A place he could bring Elijah if it got that far.
“The air con is reverse cycle,” Hannah continued. “But I generally piled on the quilts rather than leaving it running all the time.”
He nodded. “I’ll add more to my rent to pay for electricity.” His phone signal was strong.
“I used a dongle for internet when I lived here,” Hannah said. “It was good for surfing the net, but I didn’t bother with streaming services. You’re stuck with normal TV.”
He chuckled. “I’ll manage.” His e-reader was full of books he hadn’t got around to reading.
She handed him a key. “When are you going to move in?”
The sooner the better. “I’ll ask if I can borrow Dad’s ute tomorrow.”
“I can help you move and Mai’s probably free.”
He grinned. “That’d be great.”
“We’ll meet you at your parents’ at four-thirty.”
“Thanks, Hannah Banana.” He hugged her.
She stiffened slightly and then relaxed. “You’re most welcome.”
He walked her out and watched Joe leap into the back seat of the car. When they’d driven off, he went back into the shed.
A big airy space, all of his own.
Jamie huffed out a breath, calmed the anxiety jiggling in his stomach. If he was moving in tomorrow, he should clean tonight.
He grabbed the bucket Hannah had been using and got to work.
***
Elijah rubbed the ache in his shoulder from where he’d been shot a few months ago and then hunched forward to check the sky as he drove home from work. The deep grey-purple clouds hung low and the wind whipped the trees back and forth. Night was falling rapidly and a storm was coming. He’d review the bureau of meteorology website when he got home. Chances were high the SES would be called out tonight if the storm was bad.
He turned up the heating, wishing he’d put on his red puffer jacket before he left Kit’s instead of leaving it on the backseat.
He pulled into the dirt driveway of his little fibro shack. The wind pushed him towards his door. Yeah, definitely needed to prepare for a call out. He flicked on the lights, put the kettle on to boil and pulled his tablet towards him. A quick search confirmed wild weather on its way. He got out the torch and some candles and left them on the kitchen bench. Then he made sure his SES gear was ready to go.
Dinner next while he still had electricity. Adam would be at work until late so Elijah made himself a pizza and curled up on the couch. The wind outside buffeted the house and the branches of the overhanging eucalyptus scratched the tin roof. Elijah winced. He should have trimmed it back. As he reached for the remote, the heavens opened and rain hit the roof like gunshots, so loud he couldn’t hear the television.
A flash of light illuminated the street outside and it was quickly followed by a boom of thunder.
Not the kind of night you wanted to go out in.
Why had he joined the SES?
As if reading his thoughts, his phone beeped. Call out.
Adrenaline surged through him as he scoffed the slice of pizza, switched off the television, and hurried into his room to dress in his orange uniform and steel-capped boots. Ugh. Orange was so not his colour.
He swiped another slice of pizza on his way out the door and pulled up the hood of his jacket. The rain was coming in sheets. He’d be soaked before he got to his car.
Shrugging, Elijah clicked his car unlocked and dashed to it, the rain blowing in his face and down his collar. He slammed the door shut and sat for a moment breathing heavily. This was not going to be a fun night.
With a sigh, he drove the short distance to the headquarters and headed inside where a half dozen other people gathered in the briefing room. No Jamie. His ankle was probably still injured and he had further to drive to get into town.
Not that Elijah wanted to see him.
Siobhan raised her voice over the rain on the roof. “Morgan’s not here, because it’s his place that’s been hit. The roof has lifted and rain’s flooding in.” A loud clap of thunder and Siobhan looked skywards with a grimace. “We need to be careful on this one, people. The wind’s strong and the lightning is dangerous. You listen and you take precautions.” She scanned them, her eyes resting on Elijah. “This your first roof?”
He nodded.
“You stay on the ground. Let’s go.”
Relief filled him as he climbed into the land cruiser and drove the short distance to Morgan’s house. Morgan was already outside, tying a ladder to the eaves. Elijah carried the big tarps which would cover the gap in the roof closer to the house. It was hard to see with the wind blowing the rain into his face and the temperature had dropped. Around him, volunteers shouted to each other.
“Elijah!” Morgan called.
He hurried over and took the plastic tubs Morgan shoved at him. “Come with me.”
He jogged after Morgan and into the house, stopping at the entrance to shake off the water before he continued.
“Mary!” Morgan called.
A middle-aged woman hurried down the hallway. “Good. You’ve got more buckets. This way.”
Morgan stopped her at the kitchen. Water rained down the walls and the whole ceiling sagged with the weight. He swore. “Get the kids. Move the car onto the street and sit in there. The ceiling’s not going to last long.”
Mary twisted her hands together. “Julia’s scared. She’s hiding under her bed.”
Morgan sighed. “Put buckets under as many leaks as you can,” he said to Elijah.
“It’s worse in the bathroom and the office is leaking too,” Mary said.
Elijah nodded. “I’ll see to it. You get the kids out.” He placed several buckets against the wall and then went along the hallway. In one of the bedrooms, Morgan was on his hands and knees peering under the bed.
“Come on, sweetheart, we need to get out. You can watch what the guys are doing on the roof.”
Elijah smiled at his gentle tone. Perhaps Morgan wasn’t as brusque as his father. Julia was crying, babbling in fear. Mary saw him at the door and said, “She doesn’t like changes to her routine.”
Oh. That could be hard. He continued to the bathroom, wanting to help as much as he could.
The rain had let up and his fellow volunteers yelled to each other and there was the thud of someone on the roof. The bathroom ceiling was also bowing dangerously low. He placed a bucket in the centre and as he left the room, Morgan and his family hurried down the corridor.
“Don’t be long,” Morgan told him.
“I’ll just do the office.” Elijah walked inside and took stock of the situation. The room was small with a desk in the middle covered in greasy spare parts. He grinned. Morgan obviously brought his work home with him. A few lines of water ran down the walls and a damp spot spread on the ceiling, but at least it wasn’t bowing.
“Elijah!”
His heart jumped as he turned. That sounded like Jamie. “This way,” he yelled back peeking out the door and moments later Jamie strode down the hallway towards him carrying a couple of tarps, looking totally hero-worthy. Damn.
“What are you doing?”
“Waterproofing the office.”
“Take the other end of this.” Jamie handed him a corner of the tarp and together they draped it over the furniture.
Working quickly, they positioned the other tarp and the buckets to catch the worst of the leaks. Elijah grimaced. The carpet was already soaked. It wouldn’t be fun to clean.
“What now?” Elijah asked.
An almighty crash. Jamie glanced at the ceiling. “That isn’t good.”
They both hurried along the corridor where dust floated out of the kitchen. A pile of ceiling rubble and insulation was in the centre of the room on top of the kitchen table. Elijah winced. The hole in the roof was covered by an orange tarp, but the weight of the wet insulation had been too much. “Do we clean it?”
“We need to shut the power off first.”
Elijah followed Jamie outside to the mains box and flicked a switch. Morgan strode over to them. “What’s the damage?”
“Kitchen ceiling collapsed,” Jamie told him. “Want us to clean it?”
“No, I’ll do it later. We’ve got another call.”
“We’re finished here?” Elijah asked.
“Yeah. The guys are packing up.”
“Where are we going?” Jamie asked. “I’ve got my car.”
“Alyse Wilson’s place.”
“She lives down the road from Jeremy, doesn’t she?” Jamie said.
Morgan nodded. “I’ll meet you out there. I need to assess the damage and check my family’s OK.”
“Stay here,” Elijah said. “I’m sure we can handle it.” He glanced at Jamie for confirmation.
“Yeah. You’ve got more important things to worry about tonight.”
Siobhan ran up. “We’re ready to go.”
Elijah jogged to the land cruiser.
The wind was still wild, but the rain came in fits and starts and the thunder was a rumble in the distance. Elijah was squashed against the side of the car next to two very broad and wet men. With the heating on, the cab was beginning to steam.
“What are we facing?” one of the guys asked.
“Tree branch has fallen on the roof, cracked the tiles,” Siobhan replied.
It was a ten-minute drive out to the Wilson place. “Elijah, how are you with a chainsaw?” Siobhan asked.
“I manage. You should see my sculptures.” He grinned.
“Great. You can get on the roof this time.”
His smile vanished and his stomach churned. Maybe he should tell her he wasn’t good with heights. No, the first time was probably an anomaly. Now he knew what to expect, he’d be fine. He dealt with chainsaws and bad weather as part of his normal job. This was the same, only higher.
He let out a shaky breath.
The land cruiser’s headlights illuminated the white karri branch covering half the roof. A man was already up there and a woman with gloriously red hair was on the ground staring at him.
Someone swore. “Mark doesn’t know shit about what he’s doing.”
“Yeah, but don’t tell him that,” Siobhan said. “Otherwise he’ll never get down. Leave him to me.”
As Elijah jumped out of the car someone yelled. He spun around as Mark’s arms flailed and almost in slow motion, he fell. Memory transported Elijah to a different night, a different location. Sitting on the theatre balcony balustrade, trying to pretend his heart wasn’t breaking with Alex standing there, his arm wrapped around his husband’s waist.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be sitting there.” Alex had reached out to him and Elijah flinched, overbalancing, and suddenly it was him falling, flailing to the ground.
The thud as Mark hit the ground brought Elijah back to the present, as did the roar of pain that quickly followed.
Mark was still alive. They both were.
The redhead reached him first and as she squatted next to Mark, he backhanded her and she flew back into the mud.
Bastard!
Elijah ran to her, ignoring the screaming, cursing man and squatted. “Are you all right?”
The woman looked at him, blood coming from her nose, tears and a flash of anger in her eyes. She nodded.
“What the hell, Mark?” At the angry shout, Elijah glanced behind. Jamie stood over Mark, hands on his hips, fury radiating from him.
“I’ve broken my leg,” Mark growled.
“Good.” The woman muttered it so softly, Elijah almost missed it.
“It doesn’t give you the right to hit Alyse.”
Elijah warmed at Jamie’s outrage and turned back to Alyse, holding out his hand. “Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”
Her grip on his hand was light and he hauled her to her feet. When she swayed, he wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’ve got you, honey.”
She flinched and then leaned into him as he helped her inside.
The small brick farmhouse had high ceilings, with those corner air vents common to old houses. Elijah wiped his feet on the door mat and said, “Which way to the first aid kit?”
