be hiding and there wasn’t another soul
or house in sight.
The rain fell harder,
slapping on the car’s roof. Cold seeped through her clothes, chilling her bones
now that the engine had been turned off, and she shivered. “Er…is there power?”
She didn’t dare ask about toilet facilities.
Harrison chuckled.
“Somehow I get the impression you’ve never been camping.”
Madeline exchanged an
equally horrified glance with her brother. In unison they said, “No.”
And that was true.
Camping out here in the middle of nowhere where, God only knew what kind of
man-eating beasts prowled not to mention the snakes, was not really the same as
squatting in untenanted buildings in a city.
“You’re in for a treat.”
Harrison’s voice rang with enthusiasm.
Staring about her,
Madeline doubted it. The place gave her the impression of complete isolation.
Any minute, she expected to see an ax-wielding maniac dash out of the trees.
She peeped at their driver from the corner of her eyes. What was his real
agenda? Was he a friend or did he have some ulterior motive?
And more to the point,
what had possessed her to trust him?
Harrison started the car
again and drove under the lean-to where he parked.
“Brrrr. I’m freezing,”
Matty said, opening his door.
Before she could raise an
objection and request Harrison drive them back to Karim, Matty hopped out of
the car. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and made a dash for the front
porch, leaping over the rapidly forming puddles of water.
Madeline felt rather than
saw the glance Harrison threw at her before he also got out of the car,
shutting the driver’s door quietly behind him. Instead of heading straight for
the house, he went to the rear of his pickup and flung back the canvas canopy.
“Come on, sis,” yelled
Matty as he opened what apparently was an unlocked door and disappeared inside
the cabin.
Her heart hammering
against her ribs, she zipped up her overcoat and after pulling the hood over
her head, followed her brother.
The front door made of
thick planks opened into a communal living space. Although small and even
without the lights switched on, the stone fireplace and woolly throw rugs
covering the two sofas gave the cabin a homely appeal. A tiny kitchenette
dominated one corner of the room and there was a door on either side of the
fireplace.
“Home sweet home. At
least for a few days.” A bunch of bags and blankets landed at her feet and
Harrison reached around her to flick the light switch.
The glow from the lone
bulb overhead illuminated the room. Harrison paid no intention to her. Instead,
he hoisted up the bags once more and tramped through the room to one of the
doors opposite.
“Only one bedroom and
it’s on the small side, I’m afraid. You can sleep here, Madeline. Your brother
and I will have the couches. The other door leads to the loo and the shower.
We’re on tank water though, which means you’ll have to be sparing with wash
time.” He dumped the bags again onto the floor then walked back to the front
door where he slung off his oil-skin and hung the dripping garment from a
timber peg. “Shoes off, please, Matt. Saves me having to wipe mud off the
floor.”
“Sorry.” Matty grinned
and surged up off the sofa to toe his boots off near the door.
Silently, Madeline copied
him and also hung up her wet overcoat. She picked up the pile of blankets and
moved to the nearest sofa where she laid them down neatly.
Harrison raked her with
an encompassing glance. Heat bloomed under her skin. What must he think of her?
Dressed in a pair of old sweat pants and a flannel shirt, and with her hair
loosely tied back into one braid. She didn’t have a slick of makeup on her
face—such a stark contrast to her outfit of last night. Hugging herself, she
turned away from his intense gaze.
“No trophies of deer or
bear heads?” Nodding, she indicated the bare timber walls.
“I’m no hunter. I’m a
conservationist, remember?” He
or house in sight.
The rain fell harder,
slapping on the car’s roof. Cold seeped through her clothes, chilling her bones
now that the engine had been turned off, and she shivered. “Er…is there power?”
She didn’t dare ask about toilet facilities.
Harrison chuckled.
“Somehow I get the impression you’ve never been camping.”
Madeline exchanged an
equally horrified glance with her brother. In unison they said, “No.”
And that was true.
Camping out here in the middle of nowhere where, God only knew what kind of
man-eating beasts prowled not to mention the snakes, was not really the same as
squatting in untenanted buildings in a city.
“You’re in for a treat.”
Harrison’s voice rang with enthusiasm.
Staring about her,
Madeline doubted it. The place gave her the impression of complete isolation.
Any minute, she expected to see an ax-wielding maniac dash out of the trees.
She peeped at their driver from the corner of her eyes. What was his real
agenda? Was he a friend or did he have some ulterior motive?
And more to the point,
what had possessed her to trust him?
Harrison started the car
again and drove under the lean-to where he parked.
“Brrrr. I’m freezing,”
Matty said, opening his door.
Before she could raise an
objection and request Harrison drive them back to Karim, Matty hopped out of
the car. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and made a dash for the front
porch, leaping over the rapidly forming puddles of water.
Madeline felt rather than
saw the glance Harrison threw at her before he also got out of the car,
shutting the driver’s door quietly behind him. Instead of heading straight for
the house, he went to the rear of his pickup and flung back the canvas canopy.
“Come on, sis,” yelled
Matty as he opened what apparently was an unlocked door and disappeared inside
the cabin.
Her heart hammering
against her ribs, she zipped up her overcoat and after pulling the hood over
her head, followed her brother.
The front door made of
thick planks opened into a communal living space. Although small and even
without the lights switched on, the stone fireplace and woolly throw rugs
covering the two sofas gave the cabin a homely appeal. A tiny kitchenette
dominated one corner of the room and there was a door on either side of the
fireplace.
“Home sweet home. At
least for a few days.” A bunch of bags and blankets landed at her feet and
Harrison reached around her to flick the light switch.
The glow from the lone
bulb overhead illuminated the room. Harrison paid no intention to her. Instead,
he hoisted up the bags once more and tramped through the room to one of the
doors opposite.
“Only one bedroom and
it’s on the small side, I’m afraid. You can sleep here, Madeline. Your brother
and I will have the couches. The other door leads to the loo and the shower.
We’re on tank water though, which means you’ll have to be sparing with wash
time.” He dumped the bags again onto the floor then walked back to the front
door where he slung off his oil-skin and hung the dripping garment from a
timber peg. “Shoes off, please, Matt. Saves me having to wipe mud off the
floor.”
“Sorry.” Matty grinned
and surged up off the sofa to toe his boots off near the door.
Silently, Madeline copied
him and also hung up her wet overcoat. She picked up the pile of blankets and
moved to the nearest sofa where she laid them down neatly.
Harrison raked her with
an encompassing glance. Heat bloomed under her skin. What must he think of her?
Dressed in a pair of old sweat pants and a flannel shirt, and with her hair
loosely tied back into one braid. She didn’t have a slick of makeup on her
face—such a stark contrast to her outfit of last night. Hugging herself, she
turned away from his intense gaze.
“No trophies of deer or
bear heads?” Nodding, she indicated the bare timber walls.
“I’m no hunter. I’m a
conservationist, remember?” He
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