exclaimed.
Mouch gave one last shake and then wiped his head on the grass to be sure.
‘Rian?’ Genie shouted. ‘Rian?’
Genie listened. Nothing. She realized that the river made a lot of noise passing over the rocks. He probably couldn’t hear. She hoped so. She had images of him lying bleeding someplace and …
‘Come on. We got some walking to do.’
Mouch was only too happy to walk. Better than being on the river, that was for sure.
Much further downstream, Renée had detached herself from the raft and watched it sink by the dim glow of moonlight.
She’d surfaced to discover a log-jam had piled up on a bend and although the water was passing really fast underneath through a sluice, the logs and other debris prevented anything from going any further on the surface. The raft was impaled on a jagged tree branch, useless now. With it had died her courage and hopes. She really hoped the others were safe; was she the only survivor? She suddenly realized that a life without either one of them would be just impossible. Totally impossible.
She felt guilty; she should have saved the raft.
7
Miller Crossing
O fficer Miller got out of the cab and let it go. He stretched in the sunshine and looked around him. It was seven a.m. The road was quiet, the way he liked it. Hadn’t been out here in a while.
This gas station had sure let time pass it by. Everything looked as he remembered Canada looked like when he was a boy. He smiled and entered the office.
Ferry was reading The Vancouver Sun . He looked up and nodded when he saw Miller.
‘Was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.’
‘Busy. Lot of people gone sick.’
Ferry nodded. ‘All out looking for those kids, I bet. Ten grand per head is a lot these days.’
‘I got a report on the radio that some hunters saw them on the river last night, ’bout ten ks upstream from Chilliwack.’
Ferry frowned. ‘Hunters?’
‘Father and son, thought they’d collect some scalps. Seems the boy accidentally fired and they think the kids drowned. Pretty freak conditions in the run-off down there last night. Normally the Fraser’s slow and easy. Any idea where they got the raft?’
‘Might do. You think the kids are dead? Want some coffee? I just made fresh.’
Miller nodded and Ferry went to pour him a mug.
‘Chopper been out looking this morning but found no trace of them so far.’
Ferry handed over the coffee.
‘Sugar and milk on the side over there.’ He pointed towards a ledge by the fridge. Then he lifted his till some and pulled out a note from under it. ‘From Genie to you and Marshall. Sorry, I read it.’
Miller took it, surprised but glad to get some communication; things were probably pretty bleak for those kids now.
Dear Marshall and Miller,
We made it this far. Couldn’t have done without you guys. Ferry’s a good guy. If we make it, we’ll send a card to the farm. If we don’t I want you to know that you both made me and Ri happy. Please save the farm. One day I know I’ll want to come back. Maybe as a ghost, but I will come back somehow. I promise.
Love me & Mouch xxx
Miller folded the note and put it into his top pocket.
‘Thanks. Marshall will appreciate that.’
‘Truck’s out back. I gave it some TLC plus an oil and lube and replaced the front brakes. You were on threads.’
‘Dad likes that old truck. Won’t join the modern world. Wouldn’t even trade it in when they were offering cash for clunkers.’
‘Don’t build ’em like that any more, that’s why. You want I send the bill to Marshall?’
‘Damage?’
‘Six hundred and fifty dollars. That’s cost. Brake pads are a bitch to fit. And the respray’s for free. Got carried away and I had some matching paint.’
Miller raised an eyebrow, but Ferry was old school. He wouldn’t cheat. If that was the price, that was the price. He got out his Visa card. It was turning out to be an expensive month.
‘They’re heading to Vancouver. If they get
Mouch gave one last shake and then wiped his head on the grass to be sure.
‘Rian?’ Genie shouted. ‘Rian?’
Genie listened. Nothing. She realized that the river made a lot of noise passing over the rocks. He probably couldn’t hear. She hoped so. She had images of him lying bleeding someplace and …
‘Come on. We got some walking to do.’
Mouch was only too happy to walk. Better than being on the river, that was for sure.
Much further downstream, Renée had detached herself from the raft and watched it sink by the dim glow of moonlight.
She’d surfaced to discover a log-jam had piled up on a bend and although the water was passing really fast underneath through a sluice, the logs and other debris prevented anything from going any further on the surface. The raft was impaled on a jagged tree branch, useless now. With it had died her courage and hopes. She really hoped the others were safe; was she the only survivor? She suddenly realized that a life without either one of them would be just impossible. Totally impossible.
She felt guilty; she should have saved the raft.
7
Miller Crossing
O fficer Miller got out of the cab and let it go. He stretched in the sunshine and looked around him. It was seven a.m. The road was quiet, the way he liked it. Hadn’t been out here in a while.
This gas station had sure let time pass it by. Everything looked as he remembered Canada looked like when he was a boy. He smiled and entered the office.
Ferry was reading The Vancouver Sun . He looked up and nodded when he saw Miller.
‘Was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.’
‘Busy. Lot of people gone sick.’
Ferry nodded. ‘All out looking for those kids, I bet. Ten grand per head is a lot these days.’
‘I got a report on the radio that some hunters saw them on the river last night, ’bout ten ks upstream from Chilliwack.’
Ferry frowned. ‘Hunters?’
‘Father and son, thought they’d collect some scalps. Seems the boy accidentally fired and they think the kids drowned. Pretty freak conditions in the run-off down there last night. Normally the Fraser’s slow and easy. Any idea where they got the raft?’
‘Might do. You think the kids are dead? Want some coffee? I just made fresh.’
Miller nodded and Ferry went to pour him a mug.
‘Chopper been out looking this morning but found no trace of them so far.’
Ferry handed over the coffee.
‘Sugar and milk on the side over there.’ He pointed towards a ledge by the fridge. Then he lifted his till some and pulled out a note from under it. ‘From Genie to you and Marshall. Sorry, I read it.’
Miller took it, surprised but glad to get some communication; things were probably pretty bleak for those kids now.
Dear Marshall and Miller,
We made it this far. Couldn’t have done without you guys. Ferry’s a good guy. If we make it, we’ll send a card to the farm. If we don’t I want you to know that you both made me and Ri happy. Please save the farm. One day I know I’ll want to come back. Maybe as a ghost, but I will come back somehow. I promise.
Love me & Mouch xxx
Miller folded the note and put it into his top pocket.
‘Thanks. Marshall will appreciate that.’
‘Truck’s out back. I gave it some TLC plus an oil and lube and replaced the front brakes. You were on threads.’
‘Dad likes that old truck. Won’t join the modern world. Wouldn’t even trade it in when they were offering cash for clunkers.’
‘Don’t build ’em like that any more, that’s why. You want I send the bill to Marshall?’
‘Damage?’
‘Six hundred and fifty dollars. That’s cost. Brake pads are a bitch to fit. And the respray’s for free. Got carried away and I had some matching paint.’
Miller raised an eyebrow, but Ferry was old school. He wouldn’t cheat. If that was the price, that was the price. He got out his Visa card. It was turning out to be an expensive month.
‘They’re heading to Vancouver. If they get
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