The Sentinels of Eden, Books 1-4

Chapter 28

Chapter 25

On the Friday after Christmas I called the fire department to ask if they had completed their investigation into the cause of the blaze. They said they had found no trace of accelerants in the area where the fire started and suggested the most likely scenario was that hikers had left some cigarette butts around. I was pretty confident that innocent hikers wouldn’t be wandering around in the bush smoking at 4am but I could hardly prove what I’d ‘seen’. It would have been easy enough to start a fire without using anything more than a couple of matches with the bush so dry.

Even though I was not naturally suspicious, I was sure the fire had to have been arranged by someone at Kolsom. It would have been an easy way for them to gain access to the valley if they were trying to obtain more data for their report. Once they were in they could collect more samples and then just backdate the findings. I could only hope that meant that they didn’t have enough data yet. Was this mining project really worth risking lives for?

In the afternoon we had a meeting with Senior Sergeant Mick Loxwood.

‘I’m telling you that if any of those miners set so much as a big toe on our land I will prosecute.’ Aunt Lily’s jaw was clenched and I could hear the thinly suppressed fury in her voice. I hadn’t heard that particular tone since I was eleven years old and Noah had thought it would be funny to open a couple of gates in the portable sheep yards so the sheep came around in a big circle and re-presented themselves for drenching. I had a healthy respect for that tone of voice now.

‘With all due respect, Ms Gracewood, we only have limited resources here and I can’t afford to send a patrol car out into the bush every day looking for stray mining surveyors.’ The sergeant sounded patient, but he was spinning his pen around the base of his thumb much faster that he had been when we’d first arrived.

‘I’m not asking you to patrol it, just give them fair warning and remind them that the law is on our side,’ my aunt argued between clenched teeth.

‘Them who, exactly? Do you believe the company executives are after revenge because you threatened to sabotage one of their bulldozers? Or is it a particular surveyor?’ The sergeant’s calm demeanour was starting to crack.

Aunt Lily narrowed her eyes dangerously. ‘The “who” is Mr Alex Beckinsale. He’s the young Property Liaison Lawyer at Kolsom who is trying to bully his way onto our land.’ She leant toward him, her eyes pleading. ‘I’ve been advised by my solicitor that if the company gains enough evidence of gas pockets they may have the right to a compulsory acquisition for that part of our land because it isn’t being actively farmed.’

I looked at her, aghast. No way could they take our land by force, could they? How was I supposed to stop them? If there was one thing superpowers couldn’t help with, it would have to be a scheming lawyer. I thought back to the man I’d seen in the library checking our land title and remembered the impression I’d had of him. If he really was Alex Beckinsale then his devious ambition could be a big problem for us.

The police sergeant sat back in his chair, running his fingers through sandy hair that betrayed just one or two greys. His frustrated frown stood out in contrast against his reassuring blue uniform. He had been living in Nalong for decades and understood just how attached farmers were to their properties.

‘Okay, Ms Gracewood. All I can suggest at this point is that if you have any indication that someone might be trespassing, call the station immediately and we’ll send someone to investigate. Your best bet is if we can catch people who are knowingly in the wrong place, then maybe you can press charges. You did put those Private Property signs up like we discussed?’

‘As many as we could. No way could they use that as an excuse.’

‘Assuming, of course, that the damage hasn’t already been done. If they managed to get the information they needed before you put the signs up they’ll only plead ignorance at the time it was collected,’ he explained, shaking his head slightly.

‘Sergeant Loxwood?’

He turned to me politely.

‘Just hypothetically, if the bushfire had come through our place last week, would we still have had the right to stop people from coming on to our land?’

He glowered at me as he put down his pen. ‘In the event of a natural disaster there are certain people who are legally authorised to have access to private property. Emergency services obviously, as well as certain other personnel who would be required to assess the safety of the area after the fire has passed. Please tell me you aren’t suggesting what I think you are, Lainie. You would want to have some pretty hard evidence before accusing someone of lighting a bushfire.’

‘Of course. I was just making sure I understood our rights if the fire had come through, that’s all.’ I tried to smile sweetly at him but I wasn’t very good at it. He kept frowning.

‘Thanks for all your advice, Sergeant,’ Aunt Lily said, standing to leave. She probably wanted to get me out of there before I got myself into any real trouble. ‘I wish I’d realised what was happening sooner. I just didn’t think it could be possible in this day and age to use legal loopholes to take away someone’s property rights. I feel so foolish.’ She shook his hand and then hooked her handbag over her shoulder.

‘I understand. I’m sorry I can’t do more to help,’ he sympathised as he showed us out of his office to where Bane and Noah were waiting. ‘Just make sure you call us straight away if you think they might be snooping around again.’

I certainly would, and I’d know the minute they tried.

The next day I helped Bane to build a temporary enclosure for the joey who had just about had enough of her fake pillowcase pouch unless she was being carried around, and she was getting too heavy to do that too often. We were arguing over the best way to build it. Bane wanted to build solid fences so she couldn’t see out and get tempted to escape, but I argued that she wasn’t stupid and already knew perfectly well that there was more to the world than her little patch of grass. The fences were going to have to be as tall as we could make them, and even then we weren’t going to be able to keep her in for long. Hopefully just long enough for her to mature to a point where she could survive on her own. I was happy enough to care for her as long as needed, but she belonged in the bush, not in a pen.

The sun was as bright as a tradie’s wardrobe and was turning all the tools into branding irons, so I was grateful for the break when Noah arrived carrying a thick official-looking envelope.

‘The postie asked me to bring this to you because it didn’t fit in your letterbox,’ he said as he walked up. I reached for the package but he held it above my head. He was one of two people I knew that could. It was rather annoying.

‘Sorry, Lainie, this one’s for Bane.’ He laughed as he tossed it. I winced, thinking it looked too important to be thrown around like that but Bane caught it easily with one hand. Noah hovered inquisitively but I dragged him away to let Bane open his mail in peace.

‘Noah, we need to talk,’ I said, figuring now was as good a time as any. ‘About Tess.’ He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me, horrified.

‘Um, Lainie, Mum’s had this talk with me already,’ he said, his ears going a little red.

I laughed and kept pulling him along. ‘Not that, bonehead. I wouldn’t touch that topic with a cattle prod.’

We found an empty concrete drinking trough to sit on, far enough away to provide Bane with some privacy. ‘So what exactly have you figured out about her?’ I asked bluntly. I found blunt was usually best with Noah.

He fiddled with my bracelet, looking resigned. ‘Apparently Tessa Bright is my Guardian,’ he replied. He said it like it was an honoured title. I hadn’t thought of it quite like that before.

‘Is that what your mum calls her?’

‘You mean Tessa or Guardian?’ he asked with a laugh. Noah’s sense of humour could never be suppressed for long. ‘Mum thinks the world of her. She would be more devastated than Tess, I think, if we ever broke up.’

I highly doubted that. ‘And what have you told Tessa?’

He fidgeted a little. ‘Nothing, yet. I don’t know where to start. What am I supposed to say?’

I remembered back to when Bane first arrived on the farm. It had certainly been an awkward situation.

‘Can’t you tell her?’ he pleaded.

‘Noah! You chicken! She’s your girlfriend. We hardly even spoke to each other at school. How am I supposed to tell her?’

‘Maybe Bane can, then. You know, Guardian to Guardian. Secret Guardian business. I should probably leave it to them, right?’

‘Nice try, buddy, but no. If she’s had to go through anything like what Bane has, then you owe it to her to do this right.’ I placed my hands solidly on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. ‘My friend, I’m afraid it’s time for you to man-up and tell your tiny girlfriend that she’s destined to be your bodyguard.’

‘Why do I need a bodyguard anyway?’

My eyes narrowed.

‘Well, come on, Lainie. You know what I’m talking about. What’s Tessa going to be able to protect me from that I can’t handle myse—’

His sentence was cut short when I demonstrated the answer to his question and about twenty seconds later, Bane hauled me off him.

‘Let go of me!’ I yelled. ‘I don’t need your help!’

Bane had my elbows pulled back tightly so I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

‘Ah! For the love of—’ He released me so fast I nearly fell over. For a few seconds none of us moved. In fact, I was too angry to even breathe properly. Then, of course, Noah’s phone rang.

‘What were you fighting about?’ Bane asked while Noah listened to whatever lame excuse for calling that Tessa was trying to make up.

‘I don’t need a bodyguard,’ I stated. ‘Any more than Noah does.’

‘Well of course you don’t,’ he agreed. ‘You’re the most capable person I know. You’re never afraid of anything, even when you should be. The only thing you’re ever likely to need protection from is the occasional random accident, and everyone has those. If Noah’s male ego is a bit bruised then you have just as much right for your female ego to … I mean, for your pride to be … oh shi—’

‘Just stop talking, Bane,’ I interrupted, smiling in spite of myself. ‘Noah?’

He glanced up from where he was still sitting in the dust with his phone to his ear.

‘Tomorrow’s Sunday. You’d better invite her over for lunch.’

Noah grinned. ‘Fine. But first, let me see how Bane’s going to fix your lip.’

It was a good thing for Noah that Bane had such good reflexes.

Later that afternoon as I was placing my orange peel in the kitchen bin I noticed the envelope Bane had received. He had thrown it out unopened.

‘None of my business,’ I said to the empty kitchen. ‘Really, none of my business. Leave it alone, Lainie. He’s entitled to his privacy.’

But then I noticed the Army logo.