Brax, Heath, Ada and Marco slouched on the chairs in the hospital waiting room.
"I don't know what the hell you were playing at." Heath snapped.
Ada rolled her eyes.
"You cooled down yet?" Brax asked her.
"I'm fine." She replied sharply.
Heath tutted. "So fine you were going to get yourself arrested."
"They couldn't just take him like that whilst he was asleep."
"He missed his court date." Brax added plainly. "They have to take him."
Ada shifted in her chair. "He just looked so different. Helpless. I hate seeing him like that."
Marco lifted his head and looked at Brax. "What happened?"
Brax took a breath. "We found him in the desert. He was dehydrated, hallucinating."
"He wouldn't do that to himself." Marco told him.
"He didn't."
"The guy that's been tailing the boys?" Marco asked.
Brax nodded.
Ada spoke, "Who is he?"
Brax fiddled with his fingers and stood to his feet. He took a deep, soulful breath. "Kyle Bennett. He's Danny's kid."
Ada and Marco were stunned. "What?" Ada asked.
"So he says." Heath muttered.
Brax turned to him. "He knew Dad's tattoo."
Marco leaned forward. "You spoke to him?"
Brax nodded. He paced back and forth.
Heath scoffed. "This guy's probably just some nut job who admired Dad and wants to get revenge."
"Nah. He wants revenge but he is who he says he is." Brax replied.
Heath shook his head. "You're kidding yourself."
Brax stared at him. "I talked to him, Heath."
"And what did he tell ya?! Some sob story you bought in to?"
"He told me the truth."
Heath scoffed. "Ah, how would you know?"
"Because!" Brax shouted. "Because I would have killed him! And he knew that!"
"How can Danny have had another kid?" Marco asked.
Brax's voice quietened. He sat back down. "He's a couple of years older than Case. Dad was in and out of jail back then. Apparently he had another woman down in Melbourne. Dad visited them up until he went away for the last time."
Ada pondered the information. "Dad went away when I was nine, so what? He was twelve? Thirteen? That's when he last heard from him?"
"What's it matter?" Heath snapped. "He wanted to kill Casey."
"Where is he now?" Marco asked.
"He scarpered." Brax replied.
"You should have ended it." Heath hissed.
"What about Casey?" Ada asked. "What now?"
"We need Kyle to testify, say he took him against his will." Brax said.
"Yeah, like he's going to do that." Heath muttered.
"We'll make him." Brax stated.
Heath shuffled forward in his seat. He nodded gently.
"Marco you need to come with us, eh." Brax said to him. "You spent some time in Melbourne?"
"Yeah," Marco replied, "I spent a month there a year or so ago when me and…" He trailed off.
Ada dodged his eye contact.
"… when we were in Mangrove River and I left for a while." He added.
"Do you know your way around or what?" Heath snapped.
"Yeah." Marco nodded. "But what about Ada?"
"I'll come to." She said.
Marco tensed. He cocked an eyebrow and looked to Brax.
"Forget it." Brax looked to her. "You've got school and anyway I want you to stay out of this."
Ada protested. "You're talking about Casey and our mystery brother. I'm involved in this just as much as you are."
"Yeah, well, consider yourself uninvolved." Brax retorted.
Ada scowled. "Brax."
"I'm done discussing it." He barked. "You can stay with a friend for a couple of nights."
She turned to Heath with a frustrated look, appealing for his interjection.
"Well?" Heath scolded. "You heard him."
Ada shook her head in annoyance. "Fine." She snapped. "I'll message Jaxson."
"What?" Marco exclaimed.
Heath threw himself back in his chair and hung his head. "Ah, Jeez."
Brax rubbed his forehead. "Don't you have any girl-friends you can stay with?"
"No." She grumbled. "I'm not exactly a girls girl if you hadn't noticed."
"That's not happening." Marco mumbled.
"I'll speak to Irene." Brax said. "Maybe you can stay there."
"And what are you going to tell her, eh?" Ada asked.
"I'll figure something out." Brax replied sternly.
"Bit suspicious that the three of you are all leaving town all of a sudden… especially when Casey's arrest will have spread around like wildfire by the morning." Ada mocked.
"Leave it, will ya?" Heath berated.
"Those café ladies do hate to gossip though," Ada said sarcastically, "So, you're right, it'll probably be fine."
Marco's glare burned into the floor. "Brax." He pleaded.
Brax sighed, colour drained from his face. He nodded at Ada. "Alright, ask Jaxson then."
Marco hung his head. "You're kidding me." He stood to his feet and drifted out the door.
In Angelo's, Heath lounged on a chair and drummed his fingers on the table.
Brax paced up and down by the tables, biting the skin on the top of his thumb.
Marco leaned against the bar, with a face like thunder.
Ada sat on the edge of her seat. Her eyes darted from brother to brother, desperately trying to avoid Marco's stare.
Bags were piled at their feet. They waited.
Footsteps approached and Jaxson appeared in the doorway.
"Hey." He said timidly.
Everyone but Marco turned to look.
Heath stood to his feet and scooped up some of the bags. "Alright, let's get on the road."
Ada stood up and hovered awkwardly as Jaxson moved to stand by her side.
"Hey." Brax stared at Jaxson. "Cheers for letting her stay with you."
Marco rolled his head from side to side, stretching the tension from his neck.
Jaxson nodded. "Sure."
Brax regarded Marco. "Oi. Let's go."
Marco pushed up off the bar and flung his bag over his shoulder. He sauntered over and stood directly in front of Ada.
She held his gaze.
His face remained stern, but he reached out and entwined her fingers in his. He held her hand for just a second and then, with a squeeze, let go and followed Heath out the door.
Brax pulled the last bag onto his shoulder. "Ad?" He called.
She looked to him.
"Be alright?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. Be careful, will ya?"
"Yeah." He turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Jaxson and Ada strolled along the beach.
"So, what is it? Another drug deal gone bad?" Jaxson asked.
Ada stopped abruptly. Jaxson turned around.
"Listen, alright?" Ada spat. "I desperately need you to be the nice, genuine guy that I think you are and not the jerk you pretend to be to everyone else. At least for just this couple of days."
Jaxson shuffled his feet in the sand. "Alright." He conceded. "What's going on?"
"Someone took Casey. My brothers went to rescue him and now they're going after the guy that took him."
"What? That's got to be dangerous."
"Yeah. But apparently they need this guy to testify if there's any chance of Casey being let off."
"Wow."
"There's more."
Jaxson raised his eyebrows in response.
"Apparently," Ada continued, "This guy is our brother."
"What?"
"He's my Dad's kid from another woman. We never knew about him until now."
"When he showed up and kidnapped Casey?"
"Pretty much."
"Oh my god. Are you alright?"
Tears pricked her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and pulled herself together. "I'm just really worried about Casey."
"Hey." Jaxson cooed. He pulled her into him and hugged her. "It'll be alright."
She buried her head in his shoulder and relaxed into his embrace.
The yute flew around the bends on the dirt ridden road. Heath rested his knees on the dashboard, flicking through the small CD collection. He threw a glance over his shoulder.
Marco was slumped over the backseat.
"Oi, you sook!" Heath yelled. "I can hear you pouting from back there. Will you get over it? She's not gonna end up with the rich kid, alright? Relax."
"Like you care what happens to her." Marco mumbled.
"That's my sister you're talking about, you idiot. Of course I care!" Heath protested.
"Could've fooled me."
"Boys!" Brax interjected, his hands gripping the wheel. "Listen, alright? Let's just find him and get back."
"And what if he circles back?" Marco asked. "Goes for Ada and no one's there to protect her."
"That's not going to happen." Brax said.
"Oh, you reckon."
"Yeah. I do."
"I told you that I thought leaving her alone was a dumb idea."
Heath smirked. "But she's not alone, is she? That's what's really bothering you, isn't it?
Marco grinded his teeth. "Shut your mouth." He hissed.
"Woohoo!" Heath chortled. "Get feisty, Marky!"
"Settle down!" Brax shouted.
"I'm not some jealous boyfriend!" Marco declared. "I just don't like leaving her."
Brax eyed Marco in the rear-view mirror. "I know, but we've got a job to do. Do you hear me?"
Marco gave him a resentful nod.