Vanishing Point

  Katherine sat on one of the chairs, clutching her torn blouse, and waited fearfully. Her breath came in sobs matching those of her child.

  Benjamin stood and watched her until the sobs subsided then took her firmly but quite determinedly by the arm, forced her up and started to lead her outside and around.

  He explained that the buildings were originally established as a field laboratory for research. Whatever they were planning didn’t work out so it was abandoned. It stood empty for some years before being handed over to the Western Australian Department of Agriculture.

  ‘I got me a lease on the place. I keep bees ‘ere now with the hives outside the fence,’ Benjamin said. ‘I call it me Factory an’ it’s me business now. I get good honey from me Factory, me honey factory,’ Benjamin smiled beneficently at Katherine. ‘Full of sweetness now there’s a woman ‘ere.’

  Its remoteness obviously suited his anti-social nature. ‘I like bein’ out ‘ere. Far away from crowds, an’ tourists. Quiet and peaceful. Like God led people in the wilderness for forty years.

  It’s where I finds God.’

  ‘But it must be lonely, too?’

  ‘Naw. I’se close to God. An’ the reserve there’s got flowers for the bees. An’ me mate brings stuff an’ ‘elps when I need it.’

  The Factory consisted of three buildings, all originally placed there for research staff visiting on a temporary basis. Once they had been the sleeping quarters and laboratories. Benjamin had converted two of them into living quarters. The central building, that into which Katherine initially stumbled, had its long axis at right angles to the other two, one on each side. Benjamin had built a timber veranda on the central unit. It abutted the two end units but no doors led from it into them. The building on the right was a workshop, both for repairing machinery on the property and also for separating honey from the numerous hives that stretched in neat rows along the outside the fence. The central unit formed the main living quarters. It had a kitchen combined with a central lounge or eating area and a bedroom on one side with a low partition between it and the lounge-kitchen.

  He led her around the central building and indicated her duties. ‘Ya gunna ‘ave ta make sure ya keeps all the rooms clean an’ tidy.’

  ‘So you expect me to be some kind of unpaid servant?’

  ‘Ya gotta make me meals.’ The walked past the rear of the kitchen area as he spoke and pointed out the two gas cylinders.

  ‘If there’s no gas ya can’t cook, an’ ya’ll go hungry. So keep an eye on ‘em. That’s also ya job.’

  He led her into the main building with the partitioned bedroom which, although small, had an unmade double bed and two cupboards.

  Katherine looked at the bed and shuddered.

  As if reading her thoughts, he said, ‘This is me bed. God told me ya’ll come to it as me wife when ya’s ready. I ain’t gunna force ya. Ya’ll come in good time. Yeah, ya’ll come, I knows.’

  From there he took her to the building on the western side of the veranda, down the steps and into the door at the far end. There were only two rooms. That nearer the door had a rough wooden table and some old-fashioned lounge chairs. A dust covered bench held a large stainless steel sink but no taps. It was probably was part of the old laboratory. The room at the back contained another double bed covered by a sheet. A sleeping bag lay crumpled across the foot end. There were no pillows.

  ‘This gunna be ya room, for now. Ya can share the bed with bubs. Later mebbe she’ll get ‘er own.’

  Still holding Katherine firmly by the arm they went back outside. He showed her the long drop dunny, situated behind the second building. It was a short walk along a path close to, and parallel with, the perimeter fence. They did not enter the third building.

  ‘No need ta go in there. Jist me workshop. Got me tools an’ stuff there. Pressed beeswax, centrifuges ta separate honey an’ stuff for me work.’

  Katherine did not respond but the thought crossed her mind that she would find a way to go in at some stage. If she could find some tools she might be able to use them to escape.

  Nearby was small corrugated iron shed, with shelves stacked with more stored tinned food than Katherine had ever seen in one place, and row of full honey jars. Behind the shed was a large, raised water tank.

  Close inside the perimeter fence was a smaller, similarly constructed shed and Benjamin took her inside. He explained, ‘This is the generator, an’ there’s the fuel. There’s the pump. I’ll learn ya but it’ll be ya job to keep our power goin’ an’ pump water when I tell ya.’

  Katherine wondered where he pumped water from but remained silent. Time enough. Away from the shed and connected to the pump were some white pipes.

  ‘The unnerground water comes from the dry creek. It’s unique in the area. It’s the only drinkable water for miles ‘round. It’s why they built this place ‘ere.’

  ‘Well, that explains where you pump water from.’

  Benjamin went on explaining, ‘We collect condensation from the metal roofs of the buildings an’ pump inta the tank. Helps keep up the water supply an’ we do sometimes get a bit a rain.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Katherine asked, pointing to the conglomeration of clear plastic over a shallow tray of water.

  ‘Evaporation tank. The unnerground water’s only jist drinkable. I run it into them tanks an’ the sun evaporates it.’ He pointed to the plastic roof. ‘It condenses onta them that’s cooled by more water from the creek an’ collects into them containers. Gets ‘bout eight litres a day and that’s for drinking. Don’ waste it.’

  The system reminded Katherine of the one that Alec had set up when their Kombi broke down. Just thinking of Alec made tears spring up in her eyes. She suppressed the thought and became practical. ‘What about showers? Or a bath?’

  Benjamin pointed behind the tank to an open-air shower set above a concrete slab with a rubber mat, probably part of an old conveyor belt. It was opposite the dunny at the other end of the fence line. ‘There,’ he said, ‘but this is dry country, even with the tank, so ya can ‘ave one shower a week, an’ real quick ones at that. If the tank gets too low, no water goes ta the shower, an’ the lower the water the weaker the shower.’

  ‘There aren’t any walls. It’s all open. No privacy there,’ said Katherine.

  ‘Well,’ he drawled, ‘I ain’t needed it till now. But no-one out ‘ere ta spy on ya, ‘cept me.’ He smiled, a crooked half-amused, half-smirk sort of grin.

  Benjamin forced her back into the main room and made her sit. From a drawer he took a large pair of shearing scissors.

  Katherine cried out, the terror clear on her face.

  ‘Stop ya blubberin’ he muttered as he cut her beautiful long hair almost to the roots, ‘ It’ll grow agin.’

  When he finished he said, ‘An’ ya ain’t gunna wear trousers so give ‘em to me.’

  He forced Katherine to stand. She tried to resist and argue but she was weak against his strength. He took the scissors to her clothing. Weak and humiliated, she wept.

  As he cut them into shreds, Benjamin started to speak in the preacher voice he had used in the Land Rover. ‘A woman shall not wear anything that ‘tains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so is abomination unto the Lord, my God. An’ them’s men’s trousers.’

  Finally, she stood bare footed, dressed only in her torn blouse and panties. It felt worse than if she had been stripped naked.

  About three weeks after their arrival at the Factory another vehicle pulled up in front of the gates. Katherine heard it and, knowing Benjamin was outside the perimeter fence looking at his hives and checking the pipes and pumps at the creek, she raced out of the kitchen area and across the veranda as fast as she could. She leapt right over the steps in her haste to get to the gates before Benjamin heard it and returned. Her ankle twisted slightly as she jumped but she ignored the pain and raced to the gates.

  ‘Help! help me! For God’s sake please help me,’ she screa
med to the man who exited the driver’s side, leaving the engine running. He looked at her and smiled, but said nothing.

  ‘For God’s sake, please, please help me, I’ve been kidnapped. A prisoner here. A religious nutcase is keeping me here. I’ve got a baby. I’ll fetch her. Please get me out, quickly. Hurry before he comes back. Just get me out of here.’ Her words stumbled over each other in her panic.

  The newcomer still said nothing but stood at the gates with his hands on his hips, a sardonic smile curled around his thin mouth. His dark eyes slowly looked her up and down, taking in the short skirt and her long, slender legs.

  ‘G’day. I’m Karl, Benjamin’s mate. Reckon you must be the new woman he’s bin wanting. Don’ think much of ya hair cut, luv!’

  Katherine’s heart sank as her body collapsed in shock and disappointment. She slid down the gate on to her knees. She was still in that position gripping the wire of the closed gates when Benjamin’s Land Rover pulled up in a swirl of dust.

  ‘G’day Karl. See ya met me woman. She’s me new wife. Bit strange but okay.’ He unlocked the gates and both vehicles drove in.

  The back of Karl’s vehicle contained a rack made of old galvanised water pipes. Dingo and wild dog scalps swung from the rack, evidence of his recent successes in his grisly trade. A large black dog, with a wide black leather collar dotted with chrome spikes, was chained to the tray. The overall effect was that of a vicious hound that somehow matched the appearance his owner. As Karl’s vehicle drove in the dog barked ferociously at Katherine. Large searchlights were mounted behind the cab roof and a rifle was seated on clips above and at the back of the seats. Katherine closed the gates behind the two vehicles and dejectedly handed Benjamin the keys.

  The arrival of Karl was both a blessing and a curse for Katherine. He had a personality that seemed to Katherine to personify evil. She disliked him from the moment that he took her hand in greeting as Benjamin introduced him.

  ‘This is me mate, Karl. He’s a dogger an’ calls round every now an’ agin. Helps me round the place. This is me new wife, Karl. Picked ‘er up over east. A gift from God.’

  Karl responded by quickly taking her unoffered hand, holding it firmly and giving it an unnecessarily long hard squeeze. She winced. ‘Good ta meet ya. Like I said, I’m Benjamin’s mate. Karl, Karl Brudos. I get work different stations all aroun’ the west. Kill the vermin that kills the sheep.’

  Katherine did not respond and simply looked at the ground.

  Karl turned to Benjamin. ‘Got you a killer, mate. Bloke on that property down south give me half for a job.’

  Benjamin’s eyes lit up. A killer meant half a sheep, so they’d have fresh meat for a change, a real luxury at the Factory. He turned to Katherine, ‘Ya can cook us some lamb tonight, woman. It’ll be good ta have fresh meat agin.’

  He and Karl started towards the dogger’s vehicle. ‘Com’n woman, git over ‘ere,’ Benjamin called over his shoulder to Katherine, who had not moved. ‘Ya can help.’

  Katherine followed behind then nervously stood back as the dog snarled and barked, almost as if he was directing his aggression to her alone. The men started passing her items from the tray.

  Karl’s first visit to the Factory was brief and he said very little to Katherine, although those agitated eyes seemed to follow her every movement, visibly caressing her body. From the start she felt uncomfortable in his presence. In spite of the heat she wished that she had clothing that concealed more. Benjamin had destroyed her slacks and modest clothing remained a wish unfulfilled.

  Karl’s black eyes were set in narrow encasements and generally failed to look directly at others. They darted around as if searching for an escape. The only thing they settled on was Katherine as she went about her chores. Karl’s hair covered his ears and looked uncombed; it sat as an unruly charcoal mop crowning his square face. Katherine guessed him to be about forty but the leathery tanned skin made it hard to judge. He dressed in navy stubby shorts and a dark singlet. Judging from the grease stains and colour, Katherine wondered if it was ever washed, let alone changed.

  It was Benjamin’s rule that Katherine serve his food first. When he finished she was permitted to eat alone. After Karl’s first dinner at the Factory, Benjamin called her over to the table and gave her a rare compliment. ‘Good meal, woman. Ya can eat now, there’s plenty.’

  He and Karl left the table making their way to the opposite side of the room and the two old lounge chairs.

  ‘It was easier with the fresh meat Karl brought.’ She looked at Karl thinking that she might yet somehow persuade him to get news of her predicament out to the authorities, even if he was Benjamin’s mate.

  Benjamin opened a beer while Karl poured a whisky then lit a cigarette. Benjamin did not smoke and Katherine was interested to see that while his eyes disapproved of the curling blue smoke, he said nothing.

  ‘Karl’s gunna go shoppin’ for us. Make a list of what ya need an’ he’ll see if he can get it.’

  ‘I definitely need clothes. Apart from the few in my bag when you kidnapped me, I have nothing. And you tore up some of what I had. Nappies and baby food, and —’

  ‘Jist make a list, woman. Don’t nag.’

  Karl smirked. ‘Gotta keep ‘em in place, eh Benjamin? Others they nag ya ta death.’ He looked at the ceiling and blew out a torrent of smoke.

  * * *

  Karl left before sunrise, taking Katherine’s list with him. She had already been told that her list was too long and the clothes she needed had not been included.

  As Benjamin explained, ‘Ya can’t expect Karl to go shopping for women’s clothes.’

  Although Katherine was embarrassed, there was something she needed more than new clothes. ‘Well, if clothing is embarrassing for him, what about other things? I need something for my periods at the chemist. Is he going to get me those things for women’s hygiene?’

  Benjamin grimaced. ‘When that happens ya’re unclean. You won’t make our food, or touch it. Ya stay in ya room, or on that side. Don’t let ya shadow cross me. I’ll bring ya water to wash in mornings an’ some food at night, Ya can go down the back path to the dunny but keep away from the rest of the Factory.’

  And so it was that for about four or five days each month she kept out of sight. In a way it was a relief. At first she made the time longer than it need be just to avoid Benjamin.

  It soon became a very uncomfortable time for her. The restriction to her room meant that she had only one meal a day. Benjamin brought it with the daily jug of water, which was never enough, and left both outside her room. She began to long for the relative freedom of the rest of the compound, the kitchen and ability to prepare her own food, limited though it was. So she came to resent what Benjamin called her ‘unclean’ time and stayed in her quarters only for as long as necessary.

  Remembering his Biblical quote she had been terrified that, after her first month at the Factory, he might rape her, but the month passed as did the next, and the next, and he made no attempt at sexual advances. She began to relax.

  Alec walked along North Terrace towards Adelaide University. The early morning, weak winter sun was filtering its way through the bare branches of the trees. Underfoot the footpath was still damp from the fine, morning drizzle. Alec had worked on his research all weekend and now, early Monday morning, he was headed back to work. By concentrating on his research he found that he could suppress his pain and temporarily put aside the thoughts of his wife and child. Their memory was forever with him and there were always things and events that reminded him of their short time together.

  Even now, as he walked past the memorial to the soldiers who died in the South African War, he was reminded of the times the two of them had walked hand in hand from the railway station to the University. The memorial nearly always sparked a heated discussion between them: the readiness of the government to commit its soldiers to wars both far away and, as far as Alec was concerned, none of Australia’s business. He missed their discus
sions and Katherine’s gentle chiding when he got on to his soapbox.

  Seven miserable months had crept by since their fateful field excursion to the arid areas around Ceduna. In all that time the police had found no trace of Katherine or Carolyn, nor a scrap of evidence as to what had happened to them. Not a single clue. The press had carried a few reports in November, and published the photograph that Alec had given to Sergeant John Murray, but no leads emerged. Since then the newspapers were filled with the news of the mysterious disappearance of the three Beaumont children in January. Even though Jane, Arnna and four year old Grant had disappeared from Glenelg Beach on Australia Day, six months previously, there were still reports regularly appearing in The Advertiser. Police had conducted exhaustive searches, both for the children and for any evidence of discarded clothing or other items but to no avail. Alec thought of his own situation where there were many items left behind but no real clues as to what had happened. In the letters to the editor there were even suggestions that aliens had taken the Beaumont children and Alec’s family into outer space. At least in the case of the missing children there were several witness statements suggesting that they had been with a ‘man in blue trunks.’ A shop assistant told police that Jane, the eldest child at nine years, had offered a one pound note when buying cakes. In the case of Katherine and Carolyn there was nothing. Just the empty Kombi and the desert wind.

  Since the tearful reunion with Katherine’s mother and his own family, Alec’s relationship with his mother-in-law had deteriorated. Although she never verbally blamed him, their conversation was limited and frosty when they met. His own parents had scolded him and it was only from his sister, Amy, that Alec felt some understanding. He and Amy had always been close and perhaps the three years between them allowed her to understand him more easily than his parents. His father, in spite of his profession, was not capable of much empathy and his mother was unduly protective. She had never understood risk-taking or his desire for adventure. In the past, Alec had jokingly said he must have been mixed up in the hospital and been given to the wrong parents. Since Katherine disappeared Alec rarely smiled, let alone made jokes.