slow arc. The cameras were remotely operated. That was good. It meant there'd be fewer personnel in the surrounding area.
The reporter was breathing hard. She concentrated very carefully on moving without tripping and tried not to think about anything else. In fact, she couldn't think about anything else. If she did she might make a mistake, and she did not want to give Pirroni any reason to whisper in her ear again. Anyway, they were coming to the camp. There were plenty of people there and surely that would be all right. They would be on TV Then she could stop. Surely then he'd let her go.
Suddenly they were in the clearing and the camp was in front of them. The contestants, still sitting on their logs, all turned and stared. The presenter Jonny Cale, standing beside the fire, called out in irritation into his microphone, 'Cut! Cut, blast it. We'll have to go again. Some bozo's blundered right into the shot.'
Pirroni took hold of the reporter's arm and moved her sideways on towards the group. He lifted his pistol and put it to her head. 'If nobody moves,' he said calmly, 'nobody will get hurt.'
Pandemonium broke out. Somebody let out a strange screaming wail. Some of the contestants got to their feet and looked around wildly. Jonny Cale was attempting to call for quiet, his arms flapping, but he had no hold on the contestants' attention. They looked only at the reporter, reacted only to the terror on her face. Helplessly, they looked at each other.
Pirroni watched them for a moment. Keeping the gun visible, he took the reporter's phone out of his pocket and with one hand levered the back off. He removed the battery and threw it on the fire. It exploded with a loud bang.
There were several more screams, which quickly faded. In the silence that replaced them, seven pairs of eyes turned to stare at him. 'I've got grenades,' said Pirroni, 'and I will use them. I need you all to be very quiet, very calm and to follow my instructions.'
They looked back at him.
He put his gun to the reporter's temple. A tear rolled down her cheek. 'Now all of you stand up.'
The contestants all got to their feet.
A movement flicked the bushes at the edge of Pirroni's peripheral vision. He turned and instinct made him dive to one side, knocking over the journalist. He saw a flash and the shot followed. The gun made a hiss, not a crack. It wasn't a bullet. That explained why he had time to dodge out of the way. Pirroni recovered his balance even before the animals and birds responded. As they fled through the trees, screeching, he already had his gun lifted. He took aim carefully and squeezed the trigger. The forest echoed to the sound of his shot and a body fell heavily to the ground.
The contestants stared in horror. Some of them hid their faces when they registered the buff-coloured shirt, the bush hat rolling away, and the lolling head.
It was one of the rangers. Blood seeped from a red hole between the man's eyes.
9
S IEGE
It was Amber's room they knocked at first. She'd been about to go down to the pool for a swim. She opened the door to find two men in pale blue police uniforms.
One of them held up an identity card. 'Good afternoon, ma'am. Are you Amber Middleton?'
Amber nodded.
'I believe you were out at the TV studio in the Daintree Rainforest earlier today?'
Amber nodded again. 'Yes.'
'We'd appreciate it if you would come with us.'
'What's this all about? Has something happened at the camp?'
'Sorry, we can't tell you anything right now. We simply have orders to escort you out there to help us with our enquiries,' replied one of the policemen.
Amber saw that she wasn't going to get anything further out of them, so she shrugged and followed them out of the hotel.
Outside on the drive stood two white Holden Commodore saloons with the characteristic blue markings of the Queensland Police. The two officers showed Amber to one of the cars. As she climbed in, she saw Hex coming down the front steps with Alex. Li and Paulo
The reporter was breathing hard. She concentrated very carefully on moving without tripping and tried not to think about anything else. In fact, she couldn't think about anything else. If she did she might make a mistake, and she did not want to give Pirroni any reason to whisper in her ear again. Anyway, they were coming to the camp. There were plenty of people there and surely that would be all right. They would be on TV Then she could stop. Surely then he'd let her go.
Suddenly they were in the clearing and the camp was in front of them. The contestants, still sitting on their logs, all turned and stared. The presenter Jonny Cale, standing beside the fire, called out in irritation into his microphone, 'Cut! Cut, blast it. We'll have to go again. Some bozo's blundered right into the shot.'
Pirroni took hold of the reporter's arm and moved her sideways on towards the group. He lifted his pistol and put it to her head. 'If nobody moves,' he said calmly, 'nobody will get hurt.'
Pandemonium broke out. Somebody let out a strange screaming wail. Some of the contestants got to their feet and looked around wildly. Jonny Cale was attempting to call for quiet, his arms flapping, but he had no hold on the contestants' attention. They looked only at the reporter, reacted only to the terror on her face. Helplessly, they looked at each other.
Pirroni watched them for a moment. Keeping the gun visible, he took the reporter's phone out of his pocket and with one hand levered the back off. He removed the battery and threw it on the fire. It exploded with a loud bang.
There were several more screams, which quickly faded. In the silence that replaced them, seven pairs of eyes turned to stare at him. 'I've got grenades,' said Pirroni, 'and I will use them. I need you all to be very quiet, very calm and to follow my instructions.'
They looked back at him.
He put his gun to the reporter's temple. A tear rolled down her cheek. 'Now all of you stand up.'
The contestants all got to their feet.
A movement flicked the bushes at the edge of Pirroni's peripheral vision. He turned and instinct made him dive to one side, knocking over the journalist. He saw a flash and the shot followed. The gun made a hiss, not a crack. It wasn't a bullet. That explained why he had time to dodge out of the way. Pirroni recovered his balance even before the animals and birds responded. As they fled through the trees, screeching, he already had his gun lifted. He took aim carefully and squeezed the trigger. The forest echoed to the sound of his shot and a body fell heavily to the ground.
The contestants stared in horror. Some of them hid their faces when they registered the buff-coloured shirt, the bush hat rolling away, and the lolling head.
It was one of the rangers. Blood seeped from a red hole between the man's eyes.
9
S IEGE
It was Amber's room they knocked at first. She'd been about to go down to the pool for a swim. She opened the door to find two men in pale blue police uniforms.
One of them held up an identity card. 'Good afternoon, ma'am. Are you Amber Middleton?'
Amber nodded.
'I believe you were out at the TV studio in the Daintree Rainforest earlier today?'
Amber nodded again. 'Yes.'
'We'd appreciate it if you would come with us.'
'What's this all about? Has something happened at the camp?'
'Sorry, we can't tell you anything right now. We simply have orders to escort you out there to help us with our enquiries,' replied one of the policemen.
Amber saw that she wasn't going to get anything further out of them, so she shrugged and followed them out of the hotel.
Outside on the drive stood two white Holden Commodore saloons with the characteristic blue markings of the Queensland Police. The two officers showed Amber to one of the cars. As she climbed in, she saw Hex coming down the front steps with Alex. Li and Paulo
Similar Books
