She pushed the door open hard making it bang against the wall.
“Cody what is it?” Jane sensed Cody’s sudden mood change.
Cody ignored and went straight into her study and grabbed the key from under the desk.
Jane followed Cody and stood in the door way watching Cody open up the large cupboard behind the desk. Her eyes widened.
Cody pulled out her high power rifle and laid it across the desk. She grabbed a box of bullets and put a handful in her pocket.
Jane swallowed nervously at the sight of this weapon. “… Baby what’s wrong?”
Cody looks up. “There’s something going on at the ridge. I need to go and check it out.”
She walked to the doorway.
“Like what… and why do you need that.”
Cody pushed past not answering any more questions. Jane was now concerned on what was there that had Cody so worked up
“Just wait up, I’m coming with you.”
Cody stopped and turned to face her. “Think I can handle this myself. ”
“No..... I’ll meet you in the Hilux, just don’t go with out me.”
Cody left to get the Hilux, Jane raced into her bedroom and grabbed at her back pack pulling out the pistol. She had anticipated this day was coming and wanted to be prepared.
She loaded up and put it in back of her jeans.
Cody drove fast around the bends. Jane many times had to grab the dashboard for support.
“Easy up… what is it Cody? Will you talk to me ?” Jane touched Cody’s leg.
“It’s nothing.”
Jane became increasing nervous at the situation.
Cody pulled the car to a sliding stop, almost to the same spot she parked the day she was shot. Cody left her vehicle with the rifle and binoculars and looked around the ridge.
Jane knew this place, but not from where she was now standing. She watched Cody look through the binoculars.
“There you are.”
Jane quickly ran towards Cody grabbing her and trying to drag her into the vehicle. "Just get back in the car.” She looked up nervously, wondering who was up there.
“So you feel like goat meat for dinner Jane?” asked Cody in a matter fact tone.
Jane let Cody go “Goat?” She took the binoculars and looked high up on the ridge. “This is the something you got all excited about. Fucking goats.”
“Well what did you think?” questioned Cody.
Jane was getting a weird vibe from Cody. "nothing" Jane in a quiet voice
Cody leaned up against the Hilux bonnet and peered through the sight. “Yeah, what do you say about the white one Jane?”
Jane looked through the binoculars. “Yeah…. Don’t know if you could hit it from down here.”
Cody squeezed the trigger, the sound echoed around the ridge and Jane scoffed “Fuuuuck, you nailed it clean. Hey I’m not going up there to retrieve it. Why didn’t you bring Toby?”
Cody reloaded. “Well let’s make it worth our while shall we. Your turn, bag yourself a goat.”
Jane was hesitant.
Cody smiled and knew which button to press. “Actually don’t worry; you probably won’t be able to hold it steady enough for a clean kill.”
Jane put the binoculars on the bonnet and held out for the gun. “What’s your wager? I’ll get it in one shot.”
Cody grabbed the binoculars. “Oh if it’s a clean kill, I’ll let you ride home with me. You miss, you walk.”
Jane laughed. “Be ready to eat your words baby.”
Jane leaned on the bonnet and found her target. “How about the white hooves with horns?”
Cody looked through the binoculars. “Ok, where’re you aiming?”
“For the head of course.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah I am.” The sound echoes around the ridge, so does the screaming of the goat.
“Fuck.” Jane tried to reload, but Cody snatched the gun away.
The ridge echoed with the screams of the injured animal.
“Cody give it back, the poor thing's suffering.”
“Not a very good shot are you Jane?” Growled Cody.
“Cody… C’mon, I must have moved. Give it to me again.”
“See inside the ridge you get little air pockets and shooting can be deceptive. You think that you are aiming at the head when-.”
Jane was crying from the goat screaming. “Cody.”
“When you end up hitting the shoulder instead.” Cody turned, aims up high and shoots the goat dead within a one breath.
Jane wasn’t sure what she was saying “Cody…. I-”
Cody punched Jane knocking her to the ground. She threw her rifle into the car and grabbed Jane punching her again. She felt Jane’s cheekbone crack.
“Cody…Cody please stop-”
“You little fucking bitch, you tried to kill me, you fucking left me for dead you.”
Cody raised her fist but stopped and stood back quickly. Jane had her pistol pointing at her.
“Cody… I just want you to listen.” She tried to reason with her, wiping the blood from her face as she got to her feet.
“Why…. I want to know why. I never did anything to you Jane. Well that is obviously not your name.”
“Cody…. Things are different now.”
“…. Who sent you?”
“Cody I don’t know why he wanted you dead. All I was given was your picture.” Jane pulled it out. A small picture that was taken from an old stock journal two years ago.
“I had to shoot you. I don’t know why, he just wanted it and paid me.”
“Paid you, how much and who is he?”
“$200,000. I don’t know him. It was a hire job.”
Cody paced kicking the ground screaming, “I trusted you, I gave myself to you and all this time just so you could kill me.”
Jane lowered her weapon. “No…. Cody I could have killed you anytime, but… in the end I couldn’t. I can’t kill the woman I’ve fallen in love with.”
Cody sneered at her. “Love? How can you say that, you fucking bitch. You were hired to kill me.”
Jane stepped closer. “Yes I was, but that’s not going to happen, ever. Please Cody I didn’t know you, but now.... please just calm down and talk this out.”
“Oh my god it doesn’t matter what I do, some fucking woman always screws me over. Just get it over with. C’mon do it.”
“Cody-”
Cody stepped forward. “Kill me you fucking piece of shit, c’mon.”
“I told you Cody, I’m not going to do that. That is not who I am anymore.”
“I want you off my property; over that ridge and 15kms you will hit the main road. You can jag a ride. I want you gone.”
“Cody you can say what you like but it’s the truth, I do love you. I have never felt this way about anyone and the scariest thing is that man who wants you dead knows I failed, he will send someone else. You don’t know how these guys work, I can protect you.”
Cody opened the door to her vehicle and sneered at her “I don’t need your protection, I can look after myself. Now piss off. Those signs that say trespassers will be shot; it applies on my land and believe me I don’t miss when I shoot.”
She slammed the car door. Jane ran up to her. “Cody don’t do this, they will kill you..... please.”
Cody drove off, she stopped and threw out water container and sped off towards home. Jane collapsed to the ground, dropped her gun and cried.
Cody had only driven for 10 minutes when she found it hard to see the road through her tears. She pulled over and turned the engine off. She dropped her head to the steering wheel and cried. She looked down at her rifle before picking it up and reloading. Her hands shaking as she clicked off the safety. "You pathetic loser, you don't even have the guts." Cody berates herself. She clicked on the safety catch then threw her rifle back down before starting the Hilux up and sped off again.
Jane got to her feet and looked at the ridge, then back to the track to the homestead. She picked up her gun and water container. “I guess you are going to have to kill me Cody, because I ain’t going anywhere.” She headed off on the long trek for the homestead.
Cody slammed the brakes on in her yard and got out slamming the door. She kicked the wheel of her Hilux in anger and looked around. Cody whistled and Toby didn’t come.
“Toby…. Where the fuck are you? C’mon.” She whistled again but he didn’t appear.
Cody grumbling goes inside to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She noticed that two beers were missing from her 6 pack and as she turns around is hit from behind.
“Wakey, wakey.” came a voice.
Cody opened her eyes, she could feel and taste the beer being poured over her head. She tried to move but her hands were restrained behind her as she sat on her chair in the kitchen. She looked at the two figures sitting in front.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Her face is punched and she cried out.
“All in due time lovey?”
Jane continued to walk along the path. She guessed it would be an hour before she would reach the homestead and hopefully Cody had calmed down. Jane reached top of a crest and off in the distant dust rising into the air, two lots coming from the main road entrance to Cody’s property.
“FUCK, nooo.” Jane dropped the water container and ran fast towards the homestead.
Cody still restrained in her seat not talking. She heard a vehicle pull up and hoped it was Richard. She heard heavy footsteps, many footsteps and suddenly her kitchen was crowded with 5 guys, one in a suit. He sat down in front on Cody.
“Hello Ms Wilson, we haven’t formally met.”
“Who are you? What do you want?” Her voice quivering in fear.
“Well let’s just say I’m part of an organization that you need not worry yourself about, and well darling I want your property, your entire land.”
“Why?”
“Because it has something very precious in it and I want it, all of it.”
Cody wasn’t sure what to say. “If you want the land, then make me an offer I’m happy to sell.”
“What, and pay full price for this dust bowl. Why would I want to do that when I can just buy it from the bank for " he smiles ” a fraction of the price?”
“I’ll give it to you then, just let me go. I won’t say anything.”
“Oh I wish that was true but you just can’t trust women. And next time I will send a man to do a man’s job.”
“You sent Jane to kill me.”
“Jane… oh you mean Illana. Yeah…. She didn’t do a good job. Where is she, I have some unfinished business of my own with her.”
“Why is my land so important?”
“Last year you came across a couple of campers on your property.”
“Umm yeah, they were just bush walkers.”
“No they were geologists, they were looking for gold and sweetheart you have a great big streak underneath your ridge that I want to mine.”
“Gold, all this just for just gold.”
Jane dropped to her knees gasping for breath, she was thirsty but she needed to keep going. She knew Cody was in real trouble. She decided to run towards the back of the property and creep up.
“Well darling I’ve said enough. I thank you for your audience but I need to get back. I don’t know how you can live out in this putrid heat.”
Cody struggled with her restraints. “ Please don’t kill me.” She cried.
The well dressed man heads out side and looks at his two thugs. “Burn it, burn it to the ground.”
“And her?” said one thug.
“Yeah her too.”
Cody tried to struggle and jumped around on the chair when the two guys returned with a can of diesel.
“No don’t!” screamed Cody.
The diesel was poured all over Cody. She closed her eyes and tried not to breathe it in but in her panic couldn’t help it. She started coughing, choking, her eyes stinging, she continued to cry out.
Jane could see the back of the homestead and crouched low coming in from the side. She tripped over and rolled back, grabbing at it pulling it to her face.
“Ohhh Toby no no no.” She buried her head in the blood stained coat of the dead dog. She gritted her teeth and pulled her pistol out and ran towards the house.
“Please don’t!” cried Cody but all she heard was them laughing.
They continued to pour the diesel over the walls, and made their way to the door. One guy lit up a cigarette and dropped the match to the ground.
The floor lit up and started working its way into the house. Cody couldn’t see anything, her eyes blurred, but she could smell and screamed.
The guys stepped off the veranda when around the corner Jane came into view.
One guy went for his gun.
Jane unloaded into him, then aimed at the other guy. He looked at her then the diesel can in his hand.
“Oh shit.”
Jane shot the can and he erupted into flames, him running off and screaming.
She ran to front door, the house alight. She screamed to Cody but got nothing. She picked up the rug from the hallway and worked her way inside.
The kitchen was just starting to take and Jane could see the flames licking at Cody’s legs.
“Cody? Cody?” She placed the rug over her legs to pat the fames out. She grabbed a knife and cut away the tape.
Cody’s pants re-ignite as she was saturated in diesel.
“Fuck, wake up Cody…. Please.” Jane dragged Cody outside and pats out the flames again.
She could smell diesel and no life from Cody. She dragged her to the water trough in the cattle yard and dropped her in it holding her down washing her. She pulled Cody out, her face and arms blistering.
Cody wasn’t breathing so Jane performed CPR. She breathed life over and over until Cody took a gasps of air. Jane rolled Cody to her side, while herself coughing and gagging from the fumes of the diesel she had inhaled.
Jane had Cody strapped into the Hilux and headed for the airstrip. She had radioed ahead and they were on their way.
Jane pulled up at the airstrip as the plane was just insight. Jane went around to the passenger’s side. She could hear Cody’s shallow wheeze, her face and hands red, blistering. She unbelted Cody and pulled her close.
“It’s going to be ok, you just hang in there baby.” She kissed her head and rested against it sobbing silently.
Jane paced back and forth in the visitors waiting room until the doctor came for her.
“Is she…” Jane trying to remain strong.
“She has serious petroleum burns to her face, hands and lungs, some of it will be permanent I’m afraid. It’s going to be a slow recovery.”
“Can I see her, is she awake?”
“She is slightly sedated, and dosed up with painkillers. You can go in. Richard is on his way.”
Jane walks in quietly. Cody’s hands and arms were bandaged her eyes had patches on them. She could hear the gasping breath. “Ohh Cody” She all but whispered.
Jane pressed her lips to Cody’s and touched her hair. Cody shifted and groaned.
“It’s ok baby, you’re safe.” Jane reassured her.
Cody put a hand out to Jane’s chest and Jane grabbed it. “Yes it’s me, it’s ok.” But what she felt was Cody pushing her away.
“Go away, leave me alone.” wheezed Cody.
“Please Cody, I saved you and I’m going to protect you.”
“You should have left me to die.”
“Cody.... just listen.” She begged while trying to fight back tears.
“Get out!” screamed Cody, who then collapsed in coughing fits. The nurses came in and placed the oxygen mask back on as she screamed in pain.
3 months later Richard pulled up at Cody’s homestead. Cody got out of his patrol car, was speechless as her place had been rebuilt. She walked inside looked around.
“Wow.” was all Cody could say.
She sat in the kitchen while Richard made them coffee.
“The whole community pitched in.”
“That’s great, I appreciate that.” Cody in hoarse voice
“Look Meredith wants to get you a puppy.”
“NO.” Cody banged the table, her voice raised followed by fits of coughing “I’m sorry, just not yet Richard.”
“Ok love.” he pats her hand. They drink their coffee in silence
Richard stepped off the veranda and faced Cody. “You got everything?”
“Yep.”
“Remember, any problems, you see anything out of the ordinary call Tony. He’s only 10 minutes away and failing that Craig only 20.”
She laughed. “Yeah I can just see Tony going out of his way.” mocked Cody
Richard stepped forward. “Hey he was the one that led the charge to get this place re-built for you. He also said that only he had the right to knock your block off and no other asshole better ever try again.”
Cody shrugged her shoulders. “Very descent of him.” she said sarcastically
“Cody.”
“I understand, yes I will call them if I need. Please stop fussing I’m ok and Meredith the same.”
Richard wiped his eyes. “Cody, you know both Meredith and I, we love you very much. And nobody would think any less if you wanted to leave this place and come and live with us.”
Cody walked over and hugged her second father. “Richard I love you both, but now I just need to be alone.”
She sat on the veranda and watched Richard drive away. She sat there until the day got dark. She went inside shutting the heavy door and then something she can’t ever remember doing. She locked both bolts and then made sure all the windows were locked.
She sat down in the lounge with her rifle across her lap. No TV, no radio, no reading, she just sat.
Cody was woken by the clocking chiming 11pm. She took the gun into her bedroom and shut her door and something she had never done in her life, locked her bedroom door. The gun left resting on the wall next to the bed; she left the lamp on and closed her eyes.