Chapter 6
The next morning Alex walked out, he had a couple of decent sized welts, one on the back of his legs, one across his backside and a slight burn type mark on his arm. He winced as he eased himself into his Ute.
"So we square then?" he asked as he saw Heath appear from the shed.
Heath gave a chuckle, "time will tell won't it?" he replied, cocking his eyebrow.
"Fair go Heath, you whipped me badly." Alex said with a smile.
Heath gave a cruel laugh, "If I'd have whipped you badly, you wouldn't be moving, don't forget, you started this, I came e to you apologizing with an outstretched hand, you threw that bake at me by broadsiding me with that king hit."
"Well you should've seen it coming, should've been ready for it." Sneered Alex.
"Hmm maybe, but back where I come from, men have disappeared for pulling a stunt like that, fed to the dingoes they reckon. Or the pigs. You're a lucky man Alex Ryan, in another place, and not so long ago, you'd be missing right now." Alex looked up at him, Heaths eyes weren't the usual shimmery blue, they were as cold as steel, with a black, penetrating look that stared straight through Alex, it shook him up, he hit the starter and drove away. A chill ran up his spine, he didn't know what to say, he had to go, Alex couldn't have Heath so close to any of them.
Back at the shed, Stevie stepped out from behind the tractor.
"So what was that about?"
"Just putting the wind up Alex after what he did to me, I don't think there should be a problem."
"I hope not, I'd rather keep my bloke in one piece thanks."
"Yeah fair enough."
"I don't agree with what he did, that was gutless, just so you know."
"Yeah no worries ay." Heath said lazily as he wandered away.
Stevie smiled, the night she and Alex had spent together was brilliant, and right until Alex had taken on the wrong end of the whip. Stevie giggled at that, the display of horsemanship that Heath put on was sensational. She knew that right now, Heaths skills and ability were the envy of all on Drovers Run.
Gungellan-at the rural store.
Heath walked inside, "G'day mate, got a list here for ya for Drovers Run, also Ill take 3 bags of chaff too, but I'll pay cash for them, thanks."
"No worries."
Turning around he found himself face to face with Terry.
"G'day Terry, how are ya?"
"I'm good thanks, yeah, real good." Terry said with a grin. He seemed nervous.
"You ok Terry?"
"Yeah fine, whys that?"
"Just asking mate, you seemed a bit stressed."
"Nah, just got a bit on me mind." Terry replied as he walked out the door.
"Ah right, I'll see ya." Heath said, there was no further reply from Terry at all. Heath frowned, something was afoot here. He had a very uneasy feeling. He felt eyes on him as he walked to the ute. As he headed back to Drovers, he noticed a couple of vehicles following him, they were full of people, instantly, he floored the pedal in the ute, they vehicles gave chase, they seemed to grow in numbers, there was others coming the other way as he turned into Drovers. Claire looked up as she saw the strange procession come down the road. She ran inside and got a rifle, Becky grabbed another and went upstairs. When Claire returned outside, she found a whole heap of them were surrounding Heath.
"Thieving prick."
"Lying cheat"
"Bloody dirty rat."
"You're gonna get it now boyo."
"Burned down another house yet pyro?"
"Time for a lynching, what do ya reckon boys?" One yelled.
As they grabbed Heath and started to punch and kick him, they threw him to the ground, their boots sinking into his spine, Heath still didn't make a noise, Claire let a shot off. They stopped.
"A woman with a gun, she wouldn't know how to use it." One said.
"Leave him, and get off my property, now!" Claire said.
"Were not going anywhere, not until we've dealt with this piece of garbage. For what his old man did. Someone has to pay."
Another shot rang out, dust flew from beside someone's boot, Becky reloaded. "The next one goes into one of you, I don't care who." She called out,
"Like we'd be worried about you Howard, go flash ya cans somewhere bitch."
She squeezed off another round, shattering a windscreen. Just as Frank arrived, along with the Ryan's, Terry and Brick. Meg, Jodi & Tess also appeared.
"I'm arresting the lot of you for aggravated assault, grievous bodily harm, trespass and whatever else I can make stick, get on the ground, the lot of you." No one moved. "NOW!" Frank yelled, Becky squeezed off another shot, it pinged off the roof, and the men all hit the deck. Heath struggled to his feet.
"Thanks Frank."
"No worries, you okay?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. Before you book them all, I want to know what my father was supposed to have done."
"He stole stock from all of our fathers, he nearly ruined some of us and you burnt his house down and killed your own mother."
"Was he ever charged?" Heath asked Frank.
"No, from what I can see, he was found on the trail out of town with none. People must've reckoned that he had killed the lot and sold the carcasses or buried em."
"So he was innocent then."
"Certainly appears so, other duffers were caught at Adelaide, they had stock from up this way. Seems something was lost in the communications, I've checked, it's all there. Butcher Beresford was found not guilty."
Harry looked at Heath, "I'm sorry I spoke to roughly about him the other day. He was a good stockman. One of the best Killarney ever had, Wilgul too for that matter."
"Thanks Mr Ryan."
"Okay Officer, he was innocent, can we go now?"
"No you bloody cant, I'm taking the lot of you in, at least you'll all get an affray charge, so let this be a lesson to you."
Heath staggered and fell back against the tractor. He was wheezing.
"He needs help." Harry said pulling out his sat phone, "Alex, go and get the chopper, fly to town and get the Doc, I'll see what I can do here."
"Righto Dad." Alex said and took off.
"I'll be fine, don't worry about it, just a bit winded that's all."
"You need to be looked at."
"No ambos."
"Okay, well the Doc can check you over."
"Yeah righto Harry, as long as it'll keep ya quiet."
"It'll never keep Harry quiet." Claire said with a smile.
Later.
Heath exited the shearer's quarters shirtless with bandages around his stomach, just below his chest.
"Now take it easy, use the pills if you need and give me a shout if need be, don't be a bloody hero." Admonished Jim.
"Thanks Doc." Heath replied, shaking his hand. He then lit a smoke.
"And put that bloody thing out too." Jim said as he walked towards the chopper where Alex was waiting. "He'll be fine." He murmured to the group.
"Never Doc!" Heath yelled back with a rebel's defiance, followed by his easy bawdy laugh.
"Yeah, yeah." Jim said as he climbed into the chopper. "Let's go Alex."
Claire approached the veranda, her hands in her back pockets. "So, you're ok then?"
"Yeah, few bumps n bruises, couple cracked and busted ribs, I'll live ay." Heath replied easily as he sat down on the old couch as the rest drifted away.
"So what was the thing about you burning a house down and killing your mum?"
"I'll tell you all about that when I am better, I can't go through all that again now."
"Okay." Claire replied, sensing that he was in more pain that just physical.
"So what you said, the other night, about you needing my help, was that true?" Heath asked.
"Yes, I could do with an experienced stock hand, Becky won't be here forever, nor will Jodi, Tess, well, I don't know."
"Dunno, I reckon Tess might be staying longer than you think." Heath said, nodding towards the shed where they saw Tess and Nick locked in an embrace.
Claire sniffed, "Everyone's falling in love, except me."
"You'll be right mate, you'll find the right bloke one day. I've never known what love is or feels like for heavens bloody sake."
"Never?" Claire asked, her face screwing up in disbelief.
"Yep."
"You are kidding?"
"Nope."
"Well, what about….well you know." She asked.
"Oh yeah, had a few one nighters, but I am never anywhere long enough to let anyone in. I've never had someone on my mind ever. At all." He stated with finality.
"Wow, wish I knew what that was like, your life so much more uncomplicated than anyone else I know, people must crave what you have, freedom, no constraints." Claire sighed and smiled as she looked off to where the sun was starting to set.
"Oh yeah," Heath replied sarcastically. "It's real bloody peachy never having somewhere to call home, moving around with only what you can fit in a swag and saddle bags, knowing that if you never wake up, no one would miss you, I can tell you Claire, people that think its romantic or any such sort of notion are fools with their heads in the bloody clouds. Because I'll tell ya something for free mate, there has been plenty of times when I have been out on the trails and families have stopped to take pictures because they have never seen drovers before, I wondered what that would be like. It's damn lonely at night when you are eating tinned ham and beans and thinking of a family sitting around a table, laughing, enjoying themselves, all in their finery. I think just for a second, would anyone want that with me? Then I'm snapped back to reality by the fact that I am a drifter. Plain and simple. I don't even own a piece of clothing that isn't stained or torn somehow."
"Yeah I never thought of it like that. I guess the grass is always greener somewhere else isn't it?"
"Yeah true ay." Heath replied, looking into the sunset, drawing on his smoke. As Frank DaCosta pulled up.
"G'day guys."
"Hey Frank." They both replied in unison.
"Well, got some interesting news for you Heath, can I talk to you in private please? It's pretty sensitive, no offense Claire."
"No worries." Claire stood and smiled at them both. After she had gone, Frank sat down and relayed all the information.
"No way!" Heath breathed at the end, exhaling deeply. "True ay?" He asked.
"Yep, all there, seems it was just never followed up, I'm thinking someone just made it disappear if you know what I mean, problem is, I can't prove that, all the investigating coppers from those days are long gone and buried, but that main witness that named you, well I find that interesting that she claimed to have seen you there, yet now here you are."
"Yeah, well, I don't know her name, if I can see a photo that may help."
"Haven't got one, sorry." Frank replied as he stood to go.
"No worries, I'll find her mate, don't you worry, you'll be the first to know if I can clear my name, that'll make me a very happy man."
"No worries, don't do anything silly ok?"
"You have my word on that Sarg. And thanks also, I really appreciate it, I am indebted to you."
"No worries, don't thank me yet, we need to catch them first."
"Yeah true. Night mate."
"No worries Heath, I'll talk soon."
As Frank drove away, Stevie and Alex appeared, canoodling on their way to the quarters.
"Geez Drover boy, haven't you got a home to go to?" Alex asked in his usual manner.
"Funny Alex." Heath replied frostily, standing up, he wobbled slightly on his feet as he sharply sucked in breath as his ribs caught, he then proceeded to walk off, putting on his denim jacket as he did.
"You really are a prick aren't you Ryan?"
"Come on, get away Hall, as if? He just can't take a joke." Alex retorted as they walked into Stevie's room. As she closed the door "Well back off a bit, I think he is having a hard enough time trying to make an adjustment, as I said before, I know what it's like to stand in his boots."
"Yeah well, the sooner he moves on the better."
"Whys that? Afraid of a little competition are you?"
"Where's the competition?" Alex said with a smug smirk.
"Heath."
"Get away Hall, he's not even in the same league, he's not even in the same league as Nick!"
"Yeah right." Stevie replied quietly as she climbed into bed. Alex flipped out the light.