Emergency Response by Nicki Edwards Read Free Book Online

Even the unexpected flash of color from the lone wildflowers along the edge of the runway did little to soften the blow of the harsh reality of the landscape. It looked like she’d landed on Mars.
    The plane came to a standstill and the passengers stood to retrieve their bags from the overhead lockers. Not Mackenzie. She remained seated, staring in dismay out the window at the cream-colored tin shed, which evidently served as the airport terminal. It was much smaller than she had expected.
    A blast of hot dry air engulfed Mackenzie the moment she stepped out of the plane. The flight attendant standing at the open door near the cockpit smiled at her shocked expression. It felt like summer after the air-conditioned plane. She tore off her cardigan and stuffed it into her carry-on luggage. Making her way down the steps at the front of the plane, she was thankful she’d been smart enough to wear flat shoes. Nathan had told her the Outback was no place for heels and she was glad she’d given her few pairs away. She recoiled at the burning heat of the metal rail. If it was this hot in winter, how was she going to cope when the temperatures reached forty-plus degrees every day in the middle of summer? Mackenzie liked the heat, but this was ridiculous.
    She dragged in a lungful of air and then coughed, trying to clear her throat of the fine red dust she’d inhaled. In the distance, past the sage scrub and seemingly endless stretch of desert, was a low-lying mountain range, although it may have been a mirage. Flat stretches of nothingness lay in every direction and for a split second her resolve failed her again. She glanced back toward the plane. Maybe she could just walk back up the narrow steps and let the plane take her home again. The question was, where was home?
    As though sensing her hesitation, another flight attendant positioned at the bottom of the steps smiled at her. “She’ll be right, mate. Give it time and it’ll feel like home before you know it.”
    Smiling her thanks, Mackenzie set her shoulders back and stepped purposefully across the shimmering black tarmac. She might be well and truly out of her comfort zone, but she could do this! Everyone assured her the locals were friendly, and with people arriving to live and work in the town every day, she wouldn’t feel like the newbie for long. Even so, never in her whole life had she felt so isolated. She turned around slowly, taking her new surroundings in. Someone had told her the Pilbara was like living in the 1970s, except with broadband, and now, on arrival, she knew exactly what they meant.
    She waited nearly fifteen minutes in the sun, the heat of the asphalt biting through the soles of her thin shoes. Finally, they tossed her luggage out from the belly of the plane and onto the flatbed of a trailer. Obviously in the Outback there was no indoor baggage claim area. A dry wind lashed at the dry grasses nearby and whipped her long hair around her face. Securing it with a hair tie, she waited patiently until it was her turn to retrieve her suitcases.
    Dragging her bags behind her, she shuffled slowly toward the shade of the terminal only to find it locked. A cold sweat broke out across her skin and she shivered even in the intense heat. What had the email from the nursing agency said? Was someone meant to meet her, or were they leaving a car for her to pick up? Was she supposed to collect the keys from someone? She drew in a deep breath and counted slowly to ten. She was not going to panic. Even so, the wide open space pressed in, crushing her. Doubts swirled around like the thick red dust. She ran her damp hands down the front of her pants. What should she do?
    In the end, she made a decision and tramped round to the front of the tin building, dragging her cases with her. She gazed around. To her right, a number of dusty four-wheel drives wore a coating of red iron ore dust like a badge of honor. They looked nothing like their city cousins. Standing on the