Bloodlines and breeding.
Claire was walking from the yards back towards the house with a cup of tea on her mind when she saw Heaths ute sitting at the shearing shed. Two steel forty four gallon drums stood strapped to the hurdle of the tray. Clearly marked "diesel fuel" Claire guessed he was doing a fuel run as well as grabbing some horse feed from the rural whilst he was at it.
"Morning." She called as she walked past. "What a cuppa before you go to town?"
"Nah, no thanks." Heaths gravelly voice echoed from the belly of the shed. He grinned as he appeared. Coming together for a quick kiss.
A cars arrival distracted them. Heath turned and went back into the shed as Claire approached the vehicle. She noted its Queensland plates, a woman exited the car. Claire stood stunned at the likeness. She blinked.
"Hello." The stranger opened.
"Oh! Er Hi." Claire stammered back. This woman was a dead ringer for Sandra Kinsella, different voice though. "Can I help you?" She asked.
"Well, I hope so, I'm looking for someone, well my husband actually."
"Ok, well we haven't got any stray husbands round here. What's his name?"
"Heath, Heath Beresford."
Claire's heart stood still, then began to pound, all she could hear was the blood pump in her ears. It was almost deafening.
"Do you know him?" The woman pressed. "Please."
"Just a minute." Claire said as she turned and stormed down to the shed. She found Heath, grabbing him she stared him in the face as she blinked back tears.
"Your wife is here." She said through clenched teeth, willing it not true.
"I'm not married Claire." He responded without any hesitation.
"There's a lady on the driveway who's car has Queensland plates that says otherwise."
"Queensalnd.. YOU WHAT?" Heath hissed as he ducked down. "How the hell did she find me?"
"So you are married then."
"No bloody way. She's an old girlfriend, she tried to tell me that we got married but I had an accident and I couldn't remember. She's a bloody mental case. Get Frank out here. Fast."
"Not my problem." Claire replied. "Your mess, you deal with it."
"Thanks." Heath replied. "Just call Frank, I need Police, fast." He said, pleadingly.
He walked out to the driveway.
"Heath? Baby is that you?" She called out as he walked up.
"I'm not your baby. What are you doing here Sonya?"
"You're my husband. I've come to take you home."
"I am not, I have never been and I never will be your husband Sonya, we have been through this, remember the Court case? I won, I never married you."
"No baby, you did. We love each other."
"No, you love me, I never loved you, I was grateful for what you did in patching me up after the accident."
Sonya began to cry. "Why do you have to hurt me like this? Just come home." She pleaded.
"Get out of here, before I call the Police again, I can't keep letting you do this Sonya. Just go.
"But Heath, sweetie."
"NOW!" Heath barked. Blue appeared, his hackles rose instantly and he began to growl. By this time the others had arrived and Claire had just got off the phone to the Police, Frank was on his way.
"What's going on?" Stevie demanded.
"Nothing." Heath snapped. "Sonya was just leaving." He added. Blue barked and moved towards her.
"Easy boy." Heath said quietly.
Sonya backed away to her car, blinking back the tears. "This isn't over." She said. She drove away showering them in dust and gravel.
"Some ex-girlfriend." Claire commented. Tears still in her eyes.
"I'm sorry you guys had to see that. I'll explain when I get back, right now I need to see Frank."
"He's on his way."
"Thanks."
Hours later-The Gungellan Truckstop
Sonya was getting fuel as Sandra pulled up. Both women stared at each other.
Terry looked between the two, not believing.
"I think my eyesight's failin me." He commented.
"No its not." Sandra replied.
"Do I know you?" Sonya asked.
"Don't believe so." Sandra replied. "I haven't got family in Queensland."
"Me either, I grew up with foster parents." Sonya replied.
"Sandra Kinsella."
"Sonya Kindellan."
The two of them laughed and looked stunned at the same time.
Drovers Run
"Right." Said Frank.
"Yep, that's it, she just became absolutely carried away with it all." Heath replied.
"This puts a bit more credence into what you said some time ago."
"I know. I couldn't believe it, maybe there is a connection then?"
"I'll look into it, in the meantime, I'll try and find her and tell her to keep away."
"Do an Order." Heath said.
"Are you sure?" Frank asked. "There's a lot to it."
"Yep." I have standing orders in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Territory."
"Makes it easy, get me copies and I can get them sealed for South Aus too."
"Thanks Frank."
They shook hands, Frank departed. Claire joined Heath on the veranda.
"Sorry I didn't believe you, but I overheard the whole thing."
"Right." Heath replied simply. Rolling himself another smoke.
"Haven't you had enough of those things?"
"No. She's put me through hell."
"So it seems."
"Yeah." Heath said as he stood to walk off.
"So what's the connection to Sandra Kinsella?"
"Dunno yet." Heath said as he walked away. Claire watched him go, his head hung down, his feet dragged in the dirt.
"Are you doing that supply run?" She called.
"Yeah." Came the reply, there was something else on Heath's mind, she could tell.
Meanwhile at Killarney.
"So that it, she turns up and I've never seen Heath like this in my life."
"Yeah Ill bet." Alex commented. "So she's really a dead ringer for Sandra?"
"Yep, in every way, except the voice."
"Jesus, two Sandra's, one's bad enough."
"My thoughts exactly." Stevie said grinning.
Gungellan.
Heath was filling the drums at the Truckstop when Terry appeared.
"Hey Heath."
"G'day Terry."
"Seen everything today." Terry commented with a grin, "I reckon two long lost sisters found each other."
"Oh yeah?" Heath said, feigning interest.
"Yeah, Sandra Kinsella and Sonya something, Sonya's staying at Kinsellas with Sandra. Got business in the area."
"Sonya? You don't mean Sonya Kindellan?"
"That's the one." Terry said. "Why?" He asked, seeing the reaction in the big man.
"Nah, nothing mate." He replied with a laugh.
Heath paid and drove away, he pulled up in front of the Stock & Station agent's office. Shutting the engine down he thought of a simple plan, he had to get rid of this blot on his life, to make a clean break with Claire, there was only one way to do that. He walked into the office, told the agent what he needed and told him to find it.
At Kinsellas
"Right thanks." Sandra said as she put the phone down.
"Well its possible Sonya, we will need to do a DNA test to prove it, but we may be sisters." She said.
"Wow, I can't believe it."
"Me neither, although I have had strange memory recalls at times that I remember a sister. But I've always told myself that its rubbish."
"If we are, I am surer there was good reason that was sent away."
"Looks like we have some digging to do, come on, we'll start with Dads old ledgers in the office." Sandra said.
At Drovers Run
Heath was removing the drums as Jodi pulled up.
"Hey Romeo." She called laughing.
"Think that's funny do ya?" Heath snapped.
"Sorry." Jodi said, her smile vanishing.
"Nah, look your right. Sorry for that, Sonya has caused me no end of heartaches, I need to get rid of her out of this area and fast."
"How are you going to do that?"
"Only one way." Heath said matter of factly, "I'll explain later."
"Ok." Jodi replied. Her mind raced with what Heath was planning as she walked towards the house. Claire and Tess were coming up the path.
"Claire, talk to Heath, he's fixing to do something to get that Sonya woman out of the area, he said there's only one way to do it."
Claire looked puzzled at the thought.
"Cant say I blame him." Tess said. "If that was me Id want to do the same."
"Yeah me too." Jodi mused.
All of a sudden the idea hit Claire, her expression suddenly became one of raw fear as she ran for the shed.
"Please tell me you aren't thinking of doing what I think." She said staring at Heath.
Heath chuckled as he looked up from under the brim of his hat.
"No I'm not going to shoot her."
"Good, but that's not what I meant."
"I don't have another option Claire, I need to get her out of here if I am ever have another chance. Otherwise she make our lives a living hell."
"So get a Court order."
"Just a piece of paper, hasn't stopped her before."
"How do you mean?"
"She's tampered with the brakes on my vehicles, sugar in the fuel tank, fooled some small town bank clerk and emptied my accounts."
"So you're taking a mob on the road then? S that your answer to everything."
"Yep, out there I can see her coming, plus I'll need you guys to all play your part too."
"How's that?"
"Basically, there will be a small article in the paper that I'm leaving the area, droving yet another mob, this time I'm headed back to Queensland right? She will read it, and follow me, if she comes here, or if you are in town or wherever, you need to play the grieving, hurt woman, all the girls here need to be angry with me for hurting and betraying you. That way, she will think I can never make a return here."
"Ah yes, but what about Sandra? Will have to be very convincing to pull the wool over her eyes."
"Don't worry about her, she will be taken care of."
"Right." Claire said, her hands on her hips.
"Trust me, it'll work, she has warrants out for her arrest in Queensland, I'm letting the Police know and they will grab her as soon as we cross the border. When all this is done, I'm changing my name before I return."
"Well you've certainly thought it through." Claire mused, tears welling in her eyes. She turned and walked away.
Heath sighed, he couldn't lose Claire, not now.
Later that night….
Claire and Heath lay in bed, nothing was said between them at dinner and the others seemed willing enough to go along with the plan Heath had concocted.
"Heath." She murmured.
"Mmm"
"We need to talk."
"What about?"
"Us, the future."
"Yeah."
"Well, where are we going?"
"Basically, after this mob, no more, I want to come back here and resume my life with you."
"Provided this plan works."
"It has to."
Heath rolled over, putting his arms around Claire he kissed her cheek.
"I want you Claire, no one else. I want to stay here and run this place with you. Maybe even start on the next generation."
"Kids? Bit soon for that." Claire said, her heart skipped a few gears.
"Not straight away. Id reckon we would make and raise good kids."
Claire laughed.
"Bloodlines and breeding hey? You've already planned that too?" She asked.
"Yeah, something like that." Heath replied, grinning in the dark.
Days later-The Gungellan Yards.
Heath had met with the reporter and done the article, Claire was in town playing the grieving girlfriend well, supported well by Stevie who had been heard to say that Heath was a "lousy, mangy bloody wild dog."
Sonya had to take the bait, and she did.
Sandra tried to warn her off.
"It's got to be a stunt."
"No, Heath does this, its classic, he tries to move on, I have to follow him."
"Well, if you want to, I'll keep looking here, see what I can find out about us."
"That'll be great, let me know."
"I will."
Heath bought the run of cattle as planned and began to walk them out, there was no fanfare, and Dave had checked the cattle and Red and Blue also.
Heath looked back at the yards sadly. He saw Claire, tipping his hat to her, she turned away playing up the hurt.
Sonya arrived.
"See you back home baby."
"Yeah sure." Heath replied, lying through his teeth. The Police knew already and were ready for anything.
Later than day-at Killarney
Harry walked outside to see a strange car coming down the driveway.
"Hello." He greeted the driver, a tall slim brunette woman, dressed in jeans and shirt.
"Hello, I'm looking for a Heath Beresford. Does he work here?" She asked.
"No, next door, Drovers Run." Harry replied. "Can I ask why?"
"I'm Jane," The lady said, extending her hand.
"Harry Ryan." He replied, accepting her handshake.
"Thanks Harry, nice place." She said, nodding at the house and outbuildings.
"Thanks, built it myself. So why are you looking for Heath?" He asked as the passenger door opened and a boy aged about 12 climbed out.
"Well, I wanted my son to meet his father."
"Bloody hell." Harry said, marveling at the resemblance.