Shallow Breath by Sara Foster

Author:Sara Foster [Foster, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781742753997
Google: k7y9ZoxoHJkC
Amazon: B00B93LR8Q
Publisher: Bantam Australia
Published: 2012-04-15T16:00:37+00:00

27

Maya

As Maya sits cradling Luke, she watches Pete’s and Desi’s horrified faces taking stock of the situation. Without even looking at one another they are instantly a team, Pete lifting Luke’s head gently from her lap and Desi running to turn on the verandah lights. Maya hasn’t realised how heavy Luke’s weight has been on her until it is gone. She is left rubbing her legs for a moment, trying to get the feeling back.

When Desi returns, she is immediately busy, using a jumper to cushion Luke’s head, lifting his eyelids, checking his pulse. ‘What’s his name?’ Desi asks as she works.

‘It’s Luke,’ Maya says through her sobs. ‘Can you wake him up, please?’

‘Luke, can you hear me?’ Desi is leaning over him, patting his cheek.

‘He needs to go to hospital.’ Pete indicates the car with his keys.

‘Pete, you can’t, please. I promised him …’ Maya jumps in front of Luke, protecting him. ‘He was awake when I drove here. I was helping him up the steps and he collapsed.’

‘What the hell happened, Maya?’ Pete asks. His voice softens as he sees her distress and he kneels beside her, putting his arm around her. She can feel herself trembling.

‘He was beaten up.’

Desi looks up. ‘Then Pete’s right, Maya. He might have internal injuries. We should go now.’

‘Nah, I’m fine.’ To their surprise, Luke suddenly comes round and struggles to sit up, immediately groaning, clutching his side and falling back down, curling himself into a ball.

Desi leans over him. ‘I’m Desi, Maya’s mum. This is Pete. Can you tell us where it hurts?’

‘Right now, everywhere,’ he replies, grimacing. ‘But I’ll be okay.’

‘Come on, you two,’ Pete says. ‘We need to know what happened.’

There is silence for a moment, then Luke breaks it. ‘My stepbrother and I don’t get on very well.’

‘Your stepbrother is a murdering scumbag,’ Maya mutters.

‘What do you mean, murdering?’ Pete asks sharply.

Luke speaks through clenched teeth. ‘Hayden and his mates have been shooting and torturing kangaroos, in bushland near the old wildlife park. We’ve been trying to get some evidence Maya can take to the police. And in the meantime we’ve been having a go at saving the joeys. We’d managed to stay under the radar … until tonight.’

Desi sits up and sucks in a breath.

Pete turns to Maya. ‘How long has this been going on for?’

‘A few weeks.’

‘It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have got her involved,’ Luke butts in. ‘I went to her one night, with a joey. Told her what had been happening, and asked if she could help. I only meant for her to take care of the injured ones I found – I didn’t want to put her in danger. I thought she might know what to do. She’d done this presentation at school a few years ago … told us about all the animals you’d helped,’ he looks at Desi. ‘It reminded me of my mum – when I was little she’d wake me up in the night just so’s I could watch a bobtail walk across the garden.

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