Red Centre by Ansel Gough Read Free Book Online Page B

truck’s big tires
parked on top of some young, red cabbage palms, crushing them. She
threw the cup to the ground and stood.
    Chris walked up behind her.
    “ Look at this!” She put
her hands on her hips. “This is one of the biggest problems we have
around here. No respect.” She let out a sigh. “We’ll have to wait
here until they get back so I can get them to move their
shit.”
    Chris moved slightly
forward into the camp, eyes wandering around the site. Who leaves their campsite like this? His gut was telling him something wasn’t
right.
    ***
    Twilight. The sun just below the horizon.
Reds and oranges exploded across the sky. Night was coming fast.
Chris slapped his neck, scraping the remains of a dead mosquito off
his hand. Thousands of crickets chirped amongst the trees. The
temperature was dropping with nightfall approaching. Chris sat on
the edge of the seat in Lisa’s truck—door open, looking out into
the dark bushes. Lisa stretched back on the partly reclined
driver’s seat, head resting against the headrest, her eyes closed.
It had been a long, hot day.
    The high-pitched buzzing of another
blood-sucking mosquito tormented Chris’ ear. Swiping at it, he
quickly slammed the door closed for protection. He looked at his
watch. Time was ticking. How long did he have to be out here? Chris
pressed his face against the window, looking up into the night sky.
The red was receding and blackness was starting to fill the void.
Stars were beginning to twinkle.
    A small breeze started to blow. The leaves
on the trees started to dance. Dust blew through the empty camp
site. Loose parts of the tent flapped about in the wind.
    “ Hey!” Chris nudged Lisa.
She opened one eye to look at him. “How long you want to
wait?”
    Lisa pressed the little light button on her
digital watch to see the time. “A few more minutes. I have to get
them to move their site.”
    “ For the
love of all that is good, just write them a friggin’ note.” Chris
scratched the side of his neck. He wasn’t happy about this
arrangement. He should never have come over here with
her. What a waste of
time . With every day wasted, the chances
of finding Shawn alive lessened.
    He settled in to wait a little longer.
    ***
    Suddenly the truck rocked gently, as though
someone had pushed the truck or dropped something in the bed. Chris
sat up a little straighter, trying to see what caused the movement.
Lisa also sat up, rubbing her eyes, staring out at the dim
campsite.
    The sudden movement of a person making their
way into the camp caught her attention.
    She tried to focus her eyes. “Good. They’re
back.” She searched the seat next to her, looking for her small
flashlight.
    Chris turned his attention to the site. Two
figures moved around the camp. He leant forward to see them better.
They were tall and slender. Silhouetted. A line formed on Chris’
forehead as he squinted to see them. He watched on for a
moment—their movement strange. Unnatural.
    They seemed to be exploring. Investigating
their surroundings.
    Lisa scooped her flashlight off the truck
floor. She looked at Chris leaning into the windshield. His nose
inches from the glass. Intense.
    Lisa’s hand reached up to open her door.
Chris quickly reached across without looking, grabbing her arm. A
gentle grab, like a father cautioning their child.
    Lisa looked down at his hand on her arm.
Chris released his grip, realizing it was a little awkward. “Look.”
He motioned with his head. Her eyes followed Chris’ movement,
staring out at the campsite. She leaned close, slightly pressing on
the steering wheel. She pressed harder to see, her chest bumping
the horn. A loud, short honk shattered the silence and echoed
throughout the site. Startled, the two figures quickly took cover
behind nearby trees. Lisa turned on her headlights to identify
them. The lights only cast more shadows onto the area, making it
harder to see who was there.
    Lisa and Chris squinted to see if they could
make out