*

  SATURDAY -DALY WATERS

  Blakey had driven the Chinese back to the Stuart Highway and turned the Jeep left heading back towards Daly Waters. They knew that the police would be looking for them and figured that they would be safer back in their hide-out in Daly Waters. As he reached the turn-off to Daly Waters he saw two police cars rushing past in the opposite direction heading towards Mataranka. He expected they would be soon putting up road blocks at the Stockmen’s Track intersection with the Stuart Highway and at other points on the highway. He also knew that before long Jake would have given to the police a description of his vehicle and would have identified the Chinese and probably himself.

  On the outskirts of Daly Waters, Blakey took a side track and after another 20 kilometres reached the old farmhouse. The owners of the farmhouse had moved out years ago and its isolation made it ideal as a hide-out for the Chinese. Blakey had made the place liveable by installing additional appliances, beds and furniture and had stocked up on food and other household goods for the Chinese. They had been hiding there for the past two weeks. He had been well paid for his trouble and there was more money to come but the recent turn of events had made him question the worth of his involvement with them. He parked the Jeep next to his truck in an old cow shed out of sight from the track and they all piled out and went inside the house. After grabbing beers and some snacks they all sat round the table waiting for Xu to plan their next move.
Ian W Taylor's Novels