Such normalcy struck me as completely bizarre, and I had to suppress the urge to giggle. I didn't need the others to think I was hysterical.
"Um, guys?" Ken said quietly. "I think there's something we've overlooked."
"What's that?"
"Have you had a look at your clothes lately?"
I glanced down at my top. "Oh."
Mike glanced over at me and then down at his clothes. "Ah. Right."
Our clothes were splattered with blood and other things that I preferred not to identify. Walking into an office looking like this was probably not conducive to a quick getaway.
"We passed a tourist shop down the block." Michele offered. "They're bound to have t-shirts there, at least."
"Good idea, hon. Are you okay to do it? You're the only one of us who won't stand out a mile." The spots on her dark clothes weren't obviously blood, at least.
She grinned cheekily. " And I'm also the only one with money, aren't I?"
"Well, we did leave work in kind of hurry, missy."
Ten minutes later, Michele was back with several large t-shirts loudly proclaiming the charms of Australia. As we dragged them over our bloodstained clothes, Michele pulled out a wad of money. "I thought you might need this, too. For the car and stuff."
Mike smiled appreciatively at us as he stuffed the money into his pocket. "Resourceful and smart. She's obviously a chip off the old block."
I grinned. "Yeap, she's just like her mum, alright." Michele sent me a horrified look of denial.
Mike stepped out and did a quick check of the vehicles in the yard before settling on an old combi van.
"Shouldn't we warn them?" Emma asked worriedly as the rest of us stood around the ambulance, keeping a wary eye out for any sign of trouble. "These people are completely clueless!"
"Yes, but not until we get our car." Ken stated firmly. We watched silently as Mike filled in the paperwork quickly and walked out with keys to the combi van ten minutes later. The young man with him was professional and courteous - and completely unaware.
Emma looked at me, and at my nod, hurried over to him. I hoped she would get through to him but I had the depressing feeling that it was a story that had to be lived through in order to be believed.
Ken and Mike shifted awkwardly from foot to foot; none of us wanting to be the one to say goodbye. We had been through so much as a group. It went against every grain in my body to let anything divide us now. However, I held my tongue and gripped Mike's and then Ken's hands. "You take care now. Don't take any stupid risks. I am going to kick your butt if you get yourself killed!"
"Once we've checked on Ken's parents and my Phoebe, we'll head for your sister's place. Hopefully, it will only be a couple of hours." Mike reaffirmed with a reassuring smile. I felt a sudden hollowness in the pit of my stomach as he turned away. I had come to depend on him to watch my back, I realised.
"Hey Mike." I called out suddenly. As he turned and held my eyes, I shrugged awkwardly. "Just stay safe, okay?"
He nodded, his eyes warm. "You, too, Lori."
Emma returned and shrugged hopelessly at our unspoken question. "I'm sure he thinks I'm mad." She turned to Ken and her eyes brimmed with tears as she hugged him fiercely. I didn't hear her whispered words but he closed his eyes as he held her close for a long minute. Clearing his throat, Ken stepped back. "See you guys later."
With that, the men climbed into the old van and drove out of the car park. I watched them leave with a heavy heart. Would I ever see them again?
4
"Can we go now, mum?" Michele asked uneasily beside me. She still seemed subdued but the colour had come back to her face at least. I nodded hesitantly. The sooner we left, the better. But I couldn't leave just yet, not while there was a little time to spare. I had to at least try to warn the people here.
Squeezing Michele's arm, I smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead, honey. I will be along in two minutes." With that, I set off at a trot for the office. Stepping into
"Um, guys?" Ken said quietly. "I think there's something we've overlooked."
"What's that?"
"Have you had a look at your clothes lately?"
I glanced down at my top. "Oh."
Mike glanced over at me and then down at his clothes. "Ah. Right."
Our clothes were splattered with blood and other things that I preferred not to identify. Walking into an office looking like this was probably not conducive to a quick getaway.
"We passed a tourist shop down the block." Michele offered. "They're bound to have t-shirts there, at least."
"Good idea, hon. Are you okay to do it? You're the only one of us who won't stand out a mile." The spots on her dark clothes weren't obviously blood, at least.
She grinned cheekily. " And I'm also the only one with money, aren't I?"
"Well, we did leave work in kind of hurry, missy."
Ten minutes later, Michele was back with several large t-shirts loudly proclaiming the charms of Australia. As we dragged them over our bloodstained clothes, Michele pulled out a wad of money. "I thought you might need this, too. For the car and stuff."
Mike smiled appreciatively at us as he stuffed the money into his pocket. "Resourceful and smart. She's obviously a chip off the old block."
I grinned. "Yeap, she's just like her mum, alright." Michele sent me a horrified look of denial.
Mike stepped out and did a quick check of the vehicles in the yard before settling on an old combi van.
"Shouldn't we warn them?" Emma asked worriedly as the rest of us stood around the ambulance, keeping a wary eye out for any sign of trouble. "These people are completely clueless!"
"Yes, but not until we get our car." Ken stated firmly. We watched silently as Mike filled in the paperwork quickly and walked out with keys to the combi van ten minutes later. The young man with him was professional and courteous - and completely unaware.
Emma looked at me, and at my nod, hurried over to him. I hoped she would get through to him but I had the depressing feeling that it was a story that had to be lived through in order to be believed.
Ken and Mike shifted awkwardly from foot to foot; none of us wanting to be the one to say goodbye. We had been through so much as a group. It went against every grain in my body to let anything divide us now. However, I held my tongue and gripped Mike's and then Ken's hands. "You take care now. Don't take any stupid risks. I am going to kick your butt if you get yourself killed!"
"Once we've checked on Ken's parents and my Phoebe, we'll head for your sister's place. Hopefully, it will only be a couple of hours." Mike reaffirmed with a reassuring smile. I felt a sudden hollowness in the pit of my stomach as he turned away. I had come to depend on him to watch my back, I realised.
"Hey Mike." I called out suddenly. As he turned and held my eyes, I shrugged awkwardly. "Just stay safe, okay?"
He nodded, his eyes warm. "You, too, Lori."
Emma returned and shrugged hopelessly at our unspoken question. "I'm sure he thinks I'm mad." She turned to Ken and her eyes brimmed with tears as she hugged him fiercely. I didn't hear her whispered words but he closed his eyes as he held her close for a long minute. Clearing his throat, Ken stepped back. "See you guys later."
With that, the men climbed into the old van and drove out of the car park. I watched them leave with a heavy heart. Would I ever see them again?
4
"Can we go now, mum?" Michele asked uneasily beside me. She still seemed subdued but the colour had come back to her face at least. I nodded hesitantly. The sooner we left, the better. But I couldn't leave just yet, not while there was a little time to spare. I had to at least try to warn the people here.
Squeezing Michele's arm, I smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead, honey. I will be along in two minutes." With that, I set off at a trot for the office. Stepping into
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