Stockman’s Stormcloud (Stockmen #3)

Forty

Chest heaving, muscles screaming, Dex’s body was coiled like a tightly wound spring. The humidity from the outback heat had his bare torso glistening under the sun, as his boots dug deep, desperate for a hold on the riverbank.

Dex wrestled with his opponent. One tonne of raw prehistoric power.

It was the lethal beast they called Carked-it.

‘ Hold him,’ Bree cried out.

Sweat fell like teardrops from his hair. Determination was etched into every sinew of his body. Fuelled by raw grit, he wrestled the massive creature in the mud alongside his brothers, Ryder, Cap and Ash, all lying on top of a massive monster.

‘ Hurry, Bree ,’ Ryder grunted through gritted teeth, as the leathery skinned beast shifted beneath them, with paws as big as their heads, and its long tail disappearing into the muddy water. But all four Riggs brothers held on, while Bree manned the dangerous part where its mighty jaws, full of teeth, snapped and snarled.

‘Not my first crocodile, you know.’ With practiced precision, Bree secured the hessian cloth over the crocodile’s eyes, taping it firmly in place to keep the massive reptile calm. She then moved to its powerful jaws, winding strong tape around the snout, ensuring it stayed shut. The crocodile’s thick, muscular body wriggled under the firm grip of Dex and his brothers .

‘Hurry, Bree,’ urged Charlie.

Ignoring her grandfather, Bree remained focused, as she reached for the sturdy ropes, looping them around the crocodile’s front legs, binding them tightly to restrict any movement. Before swiftly repeating the process on its powerful hindquarters, anchoring the creature’s body to prevent it from thrashing. For added security, a few thick chains rattled, and finally the beast went still. ‘There, all bundled up like a baby. You can get off him, now.’

Ryder checked Bree’s bindings on the beast, giving them a nod that they could breathe with relief.

‘We did it, brothers.’ Dex patted his brothers’ shoulders, all of them covered in mud and sweat, mirroring his grin.

‘Dude, we’ve just wrestled a monster.’ Ash’s white teeth was such a contrast to the mud they all wore.

‘I know.’ This was better than winning the bare-knuckle championship for the third time.

‘So, what do we do with him now?’ Standing on top of the empty crocodile cage, Sophie was busy with the fancy new camera she’d bought with the winnings from her fight. Her diamond engagement ring flashed in the sun.

Higher on the riverbank stood Harper, Mia, and little Mason, with Charlie brewing his billy tea on a small camp fire.

Bree used a towel to wipe the mud from herself, passing it along to Dex. ‘We could drop the saltie off at the ranger’s station, which is what we did last time. But we can all see how effective that was.’

‘Or?’ Dex wiped off the mud and dust, checking the thick chains and rope that contained the monster lying deathly still on the side of the riverbank. With his long snout wrapped in tape and his eyes covered, the croc seemed quite calm.

‘I think Carked-it should go for a helicopter ride,’ suggested Bree. ‘The sling will hold him.’

Ryder arched an eyebrow at the redhead. He was as filthy as his brothers, guzzling down water from having wrestled with a crocodile .

‘You can fly him to the river,’ said Bree. ‘Carked-it has got another twenty years left in him and deserves to find a good home. Don’t you agree, Pop?’

‘That ol’ saltie will go another fifty years, the cunning beast he is.’ Charlie swaggered over to pat the large crocodile’s nose. ‘Listen up, young fella. If you ever come back to pinch any more of their livestock, you’ll leave me no choice but to make crocodile boots for the boys. You hear?’

‘Will the helicopter carry that much weight?’ Sophie asked, taking more photos. She never stopped. And Dex didn’t want her to. She was now happily living with him, along with her cat, where she spent hours photographing life on the station.

Mr Purrington had taken couch surfing to a whole new level of not only squatting on Dex’s couch, but the ginger ball of fur had also taken ownership of the couch Dex had once camped on in the caretaker’s cottage.

It was also quite the spectacle to see Charlie walking the cat like a dog along Drover’s Rest where he watched over the stolen cattle being re-educated at stock school. Every morning Bree rode her stockhorses, tending to the herd with care, until they were ready to move back with the rest of the mob.

Finn was gone. He took his photos, got his case file and their statements, climbed into the rustler’s truck, kissed Bree one last time and drove away. Just like that.

It was Marcus and Porter who kept them updated on the rustlers, who’d been remanded into custody, awaiting trial dates.

But Leo, the slippery mother, got away with everything. Again. No doubt plotting the next part of their ongoing war.

But today, none of that mattered, not in this pretty spot, with the escarpment called Cattleman’s Keep on their left and the Stoneys stretching across the distant horizon. They were on the far edge of Emu Plains, a wide open plain where their cattle grazed among the assorted grasslands. While an enormous crocodile lay in the mud on the banks of the wide creek bed that Charlie and Bree called One More No More Corner that led to a group of water holes.

Even though Dex had officially retired from fighting, it didn’t stop him from wrestling with crocodiles, or cattle if needed. He loved station life. ‘How did Carked-it get in here, anyway?’ Dex asked Charlie. ‘This creek is freshwater.’

‘He probably trekked through one of the side creeks from the Stoneys. They run high in the wet season. And with you mob repairing Starvation Dam, he could’ve walked across land searching for water. I know a good spot for this swamp puppy.’

‘So that’s what you call a swamp puppy?’ Sophie pointed at the crocodile.

‘Yeah, what did you think it was?’ Charlie poked up the brim of his hat.

‘A dog.’ She shrugged sheepishly, pointing to Cap’s muster dogs resting along the bank. ‘So what is a grass puppy?’

‘Dusty diamonds.’ Charlie gestured to the cattle grazing in the distance. Then he picked up a stick and began drawing a map in the moist river sand. ‘If you mob head towards the Stoneys, and follow it to the right, you’ll see Wait-a-while Waters.’

‘Is that the name of another paddock?’ Ash asked.

‘Flood plains. Real pretty place in the wet season, like an inland sea. We go out in the airboat and clean up on the fishing there. Barra love the place.’

‘I like fishing,’ said Mia, hooking her thumbs through the straps of her overalls.

‘Me too. I’ll remember that, girlie, the next time I go fishing.’ Charlie gave a nod, always keen to show the place he called home.

‘So where am I dropping off this croc?’ Ryder’s shadow fell over Charlie’s mud map.

‘Well, you’ve got this creek that gets plenty of run all year round. It’s part of Elsie Creek herself. Got plenty of crocs too, but it’s a briny creek perfect for a saltwater crocodile with plenty of fish and crabs living it up in the mangroves. It’s part of the wild country where he can live out his days on this property the way he’s meant to as a wild beast.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Ryder. ‘Do you want to come for a ride, Charlie?’

‘Could I?’ The old man’s eyes were bright with anticipation.

‘You can show me exactly where to go. Who else wants a ride in the chopper? I have room for two more.’

‘Take Sophie, she can take photos,’ said Bree.

‘Yes, I’m in.’ Sophie was practically jumping up and down like an excited child on Christmas morning.

‘And what will you be doing, Bree?’ Ryder asked in that deep tone.

‘Well, if you give me an hour, I’ll take the boat to carry the rest of the tourists and meet you there to unhook him. I’ll have enough life jackets, even one that’ll fit Mason.’

‘Got my vote,’ said Ash, looking at Harper who too was nodding with excitement, holding their son’s hand.

‘Can I pilot the boat?’ Dex asked Bree. ‘You drive like you got your licence from a Weet-Bix box.’

‘Do not.’

‘Do too.’

‘It’s my boat.’

‘It’s my life.’

‘Alright, children,’ said Cap, patting them on the back. ‘Why not let Mia pilot the boat? Mia’s got a skipper’s ticket.’

‘You do?’ Dex couldn’t picture the girl in overalls, who loved playing with dirt, being a skipper on the water.

‘I love fishing. Grew up on the river.’

‘Deal.’ Bree nodded. ‘I’ll drive the Razorback, towing the boat for Mia to play skipper because you’ve seen me back a trailer into the water.’ Bree playfully poked Dex’s shoulder.

‘Yeah, alright, I’ll give you that one.’

‘While you mob get ready, I’ll stick here and babysit the billy and keep Carked-it company.’ Charlie led the charge to the bank where Willow, the kelpie, was digging in the sands with Cap’s cattle dogs, Fern and Atlas .

‘What are the dogs digging for? China?’ Charlie chuckled.

The dogs dragged out something from the sand, playing a game of tug of war between them.

‘What is that?’

Cap whistled. ‘Drop it.’ He approached the dogs and lifted their latest chew toy. ‘It’s a woman’s handbag.’

‘Did you lose your bag, Bree?’ Ash asked, scooping up Mason to carry on his hip, tapping his son’s little cowboy hat.

‘Oh, absolutely—with my lipstick in there to make sure I look pretty for the cattle at daybreak.’ Bree propped a hand on one hip. ‘That is not my bag.’

‘No, Bree has the witch’s sack,’ teased Dex.

‘It’s not your style, Bree,’ said the station’s personal shopper, Harper. ‘My grandmother had one just like it, so I’d say it’s vintage.’

‘It would have been a pretty bag,’ said Mia.

‘It looks like one of the bags from that movie—’ Sophie clicked her fingers as if to remember. ‘ Breakfast at Tiffany’s .’

‘Oh yeah.’ All the females nodded in agreement. While Dex and Ash rolled their eyes.

‘Bree, we should watch that movie at our next cooking lesson,’ suggested Harper. Where everyone knew it was code for liquid ladies’ lunch, because Harper couldn’t cook.

‘I agree.’ Even little Mia was nodding with enthusiasm. ‘You should come, Sophie.’

‘I don’t need cooking lessons.’

‘What about asking the most obvious question first?’ Dex shook his head. ‘Where did it come from?’

‘Aren’t you a little old for me to explain the birds and the bees, Stormcloud?’

Lord flipping help them, he loved that woman like a sister, who’d even made Ryder drop his head to hide his smile. But Dex smiled a lot easier these days and wasn’t afraid to show it. And why not? Life was good.

‘That handbag probably got washed down from the Stoneys,’ said Charlie. ‘You’ll find all sorts in there. You should see some of the junk we’ve been collecting with Lenny.’

‘How is the map of the Stoneys going?’ Dex asked. Everyone knew Charlie was hunting for some sort of message from his missing brother.

Dex felt for the old man, because he’d grown close to his brothers, especially Ryder, ever since the fight night where they caught the rustlers. That tension was gone now, and they were brothers who were like best friends.

‘Good. We’ve mapped out a quarter of the area now. Lots of nooks and crannies. Areas you can only reach on horseback.’

Cap opened the small handbag and shook out the sand and dirt. ‘It’s empty.’

‘Can I look at that?’ Dex held the dainty black leather purse. It was so small, with black leather handles and a tarnished metal clasp. He opened the purse wide, and the light fell on some raised stitching darkened with age. His thumb ran along the stitching, and realised they were words. His eyebrows rose, using the sunshine like a spotlight to highlight the lettering. ‘What the flip?’

‘What is it?’ Sophie craned her neck to see.

‘Charlie? What was the name of that woman who ran off with your brother?’

The old stockman rubbed his hat on his head, deep in thought. ‘Um… Penelope Price. Why do you ask?’

‘Because this is her purse.’ Dex held up the purse that displayed: Property of Penelope Price in the lining.

‘For a bag that belonged to someone who went missing over sixty years ago, it’s in surprisingly good condition,’ said Ryder.

‘Where did it come from?’ Cap asked.

Charlie, Dex and his brothers looked back to the hazy horizon, where the peaks of the Stoneys rose like eggs in a carton. It was the place where Harry’s car had been found.

Dex passed the purse to the retired stockman who had refused to give up his search for his missing brother.

The tiny handbag was another clue to the unsolved mystery of the couple’s disappearance. He could see Charlie was now even more determined to find his brother, Harry. And if Dex was in that same position, he’d do everything he could to search for his brothers, should they ever go missing, knowing they’d do the same.

But this was a land where mysteries were left unanswered, in a place where legends were born. With Leo their neighbour on the east waging war against them, and the deadly crocodile at their feet, life on Elsie Creek Station felt like they were playing a dangerous game. And now, as Dex’s brothers took turns to inspect the handbag belonging to a missing woman, who may have been involved with the murder of a stockman—her husband—it seemed like this murder mystery was determined to come to the surface and have its day in the sun.

And if it did, would they find the answers to the mystery, giving them the happy ending they all deserved?