CHAPTER 17

"How are we going to get home?"

She had been cold to him ever since they had left the building. Ever since she had found out what he had been keeping from her.

"Well we've got no money, no phones and no mates to help us out so I guess we'll just have to..."

He eyed up the cars parked in the street thoughtfully. He knew how to, he'd seen Scott do it a thousand times.

"We are not stealing a car"

She'd had more than enough of him and his trouble. Trouble and lies seemed to follow him around.

"Fine then, you stay here!"

He was hungry, cold and exhausted. He really didn't need to be held up further by the law. Kirsty shook her head disgustedly and stormed up the street. He gave up on the idea, unwilling just to leave her.

"Kirsty, where are you going?"

"To find a phone"

"You and what money"

Why did he have to sound so patronising? She turned.

"I'm going to call the police"

She thought about what they'd been through enough that day, from kidnap to shootings. The police would know by know that they were gone, and they'd sort everything out.

"You can't!"

"Why?"

He didn't fancy the thought of those guys coming after them. After Kirsty in particular. There was a moment at which he thought he could have lost her. He wasn't letting that happen again.

"Because we'll be in even more trouble if we do! Trust me!"

"Trust you?! I don't think I'm going to be able to trust you again!"

"Kirsty, all that stuff with your Dad, I didn't have a choice!"

He couldn't have betrayed Rhys. Couldn't she see that it could all work out for them if he had Rhys on side instead of vehemently against them?

"There's always a choice!"

"Ok, fine, I did the wrong thing, I should have told you, alright!"

"So why didn't you? Why did you choose to lie to me?"

She realised how much he longed for approval, but he was meant to love her. He was meant to trust her.

"Can we talk about this later? Right now I just want to get home... we'll talk about it then"

"I want to go home - back to the caravan park"

"Kirsty, come on!"

"No Kane, you've been lying to me for months - I can't just forget that"

"I didn't want to hurt you"

"Well you have"

She started to jog away, picking up her pace as she realised he was pursuing her and eventually gained distance, knowing that she could outrun most people. He gave up, walking back to that car he had seen. He had to get back somehow.

...........................

"Any news?"

Rhys replaced the handset and looked at Dani, shaking his head.

"Not a thing"

He'd been driving Carter mad with his frequent phone calls to the station. Carter was beginning to wish he'd never given his number to Rhys. Didn't the man get that he'd call the moment he received any information.

"How's your Mum"

"Good news... according to the docs she's responding well"

She even looked to have a bit of colour back in her when she and Jade had visited. She had smiled faintly as they had recited Max's latest exploits. All the care and counselling seemed to be kicking in.

"Do you reckon she's ready to see me?"

"Dad, the doctors say we shouldn't give her too much stress"

"So that's what I am, stress?"

The phone rang and he leapt back across the room to grab the handset. They must have finally got some news.

"Summer Bay Caravan Park"

He stumbled through the words.

"Rhys?"

Not the police after all. But any news had to be something.

"Kane! What happened? Where are you? Have you found her?"

He didn't particularly want to recite the tale of killings, Kirsty being lost in a strange town and the fact that he was driving a stolen car.

"Look, I'm fine and so is Kirsty"

Rhys sighed in relief, nodding at Dani, whose face had dropped the minute he had said 'Kane' so enthusiastically. As if he was actually glad to hear from him.

"Can I talk to her?"

"Not right now... you see she found out about you and she did a runner... I'll find her though"

Easier said than done, but Rhys needn't know that. All that mattered was that Kirsty was free. Finally out of danger.

"Make sure you do... where are you?"

He didn't like Kane's tone of voice. As if he was to blame for him losing Kirsty again. But he had to keep his cool if he wanted to see Kirsty again.

"I haven't got a clue... I've got to go"

He hung up as he turned the street corner. He'd been driving around the same area for ages, hoping to catch sight of her. Finally he saw her, still walking briskly away, attempting to hitchhike. Pressing the horn, he pulled into the side of the road.

She glanced at the approaching car thankfully. With any luck they would be heading her way. As the driver wound down his window she scowled. Couldn't he ever leave her alone? She didn't want to talk to him. Especially now he had gone against her wishes and nicked a car anyway. Did he not realise the sort of trouble he was getting into?

"Kirsty, will you just get in!"

She ignored him.

"Look, we'll go back to Summer Bay, alright?! I just don't want you getting into some strangers car"

She sighed, exasperated, stopping on the pavement, allowing him to pull up beside her. Kirsty tore the door open, climbing in and slamming her door shut. She refused to look at him and opted to stare out of the window, arms and legs folded, reluctant to be there at all.

He glanced across nervously at her as he started the car.

"How are you feeling?"

He received no reply. Didn't she realise how worried he had been when he realised she was gone? How he had gone out of his mind. He'd have done anything to swap places with her, to make her safe. Anything at all. He continued, becoming more downhearted as she blanked him.

"It's been a long couple of days... ended up visiting a relative up the coast with Scott... haven't seen him for years... Dad liked to pretend he didn't exist"

It was like talking to a brick wall, but at least it broke the silence. She was trying her best to ignore him, she just wanted to get home. Properly home. And not to that tiny cramped room in the Bed and Breakfast.

"Alfie will be wondering where we are... we were meant to meet him in his boat earlier..."

He smiled faintly, trying vainly to make light of the situation. Thinking of everything they'd been through in the past couple of days. It had been like living in a movie.

"Will you shut up?!"

She passed him a momentary fiery glance

"Right... sorry"

They continued the drive in silence, Kane occasionally glancing across at her, her silence and bitterness ripping into him. He diverted his attention into working out where they were and where they should be heading, examining each road sign they passed until he was confident they were headed in the right direction.

...........................

CARAVAN PARK

Evening

Rhys glanced up at the clock as he laid the table. It had been hours since Kane's phone call. Surely they wouldn't have been that far away. He just hoped they were coming back home. And that Kane wouldn't be cruel enough to take her back to that primitive Bed and Breakfast after she'd been through goodness knows what.

"Dinner's ready"

He raised his voice up the stairs as max entered from the front porch.

"Any news from Kirsty?"

"Yeah... Kane's found her"

Kane... Max has heard his name mentioned a few times but he couldn't work out who exactly he was. He had tried asking Dani, with limited success. She had just told him that 'Kane' was out looking for Kirsty.

"When's she coming back?"

One of the clouds was finally lifted off the family. Soon they would all be safe, and they could start repairing all the recent problems. Kirsty would be back and Shelley would get better and they'd all be happy again. Max grinned.

"Do you want any help with dinner Uncle Rhys?"

"You're too late... you can help eat it though"

He;d made more than enough, not thinking that he didn't have as many mouths to feed.

"Are you going to save some for Kirsty?"

Max peered through the glass of the over door.

"I'd better... she'll go mad if she comes in and finds out you've eaten hers"

Rhys just hoped it would all be that simple. That they would be able to be happy again, despite their problems.

...........................

CARAVAN PARK

Exterior

Kirsty opened her door and Kane was about to do the same. He;d get rid of the car later.

"Don't think you're coming in!"

He looked at her, stunned and hurt by her rejection. She slammed the car door, walking up to the house alone to face the family, or what was left of it.