As the new day dawned, VirCopter One rose high above the buildings. Lawrence was already fast asleep in the comfort of the seat. Joe watched, wide-eyed with a view of the compound he had never seen before. It truly was a city unto itself. A city he was leaving behind. Steadily, it city disappeared over the horizon and Joe nodded off. He was finally safe. The nightmare was over.
During an hour stopover in Hawaii to refuel, Joe and Lawrence got lei’d. Fast asleep eight hours later, they had just passed over Alice Springs when the call came in. “VirCopter One. Come in, VirCopter One!”
The pilot opened the channel. “VirCopter One, Jacobs speaking. Who is this? Over.”
“Jacobs, this is Jack Osprey. What is your current location?”
“Chairman Osprey?”
“That’s correct, son. Where are you?”
“We’re in the Outback now. En route to Perth HQ.”
“Excellent. You have the two men on board?”
“Roger.”
“Here’s what I want you to do. Drop them where you are.”
“But sir, they’ll die out here! There aren’t any towns for miles and miles.”
“I just gave you an order, son. Do you want to lose your job?”
“No, sir.”
“Good. These men are still a liability. I can’t fathom what Hank was thinking. I’ll ask you to go one further if you would.”
“What, you mean kill them?”
“You said it, not me.”
“I am not a killer, Mister Chairman.”
“Not even for half a million?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Very well. A man can dream can’t he? Forget I mentioned it.”
“Obeying your orders. Touching down now.”
“Excellent. Refuel and return to base when you’re finished. Over and out.”
The blades kicked up the sand into a thick cloud as they descended. With a gentle thud, the chopper set down. Jacobs left the propellers spinning and unfastened himself from the harness. Tiptoeing over to the sleeping men, he quietly unbuckled their belts. Feeling a pang of guilt, the pilot opened the cooler and loaded their bags with bottled water. Lawrence stirred in his sleep and looked up blearily at him.
“Are we there yet?” he murmured.
“Uh…Yeah! This is where you guys get off.”
“Great. Joe, wake up! We’re here!”
Joe blinked and sat up. “Already? All right.” He yawned. “Sure is dark out.”
“Uh,” Jacobs bumbled. “It’s about a mile walk to the building. Like Mister Bosak probably told you, we’re not exactly fully set up yet.”
“OK then.” Sleepily Joe grabbed his bag, hefting its weight. “Did this get heavier while I slept?” He blinked at the pilot, who shrugged. Lawrence stepped out into the chilly air with his pack.
“Now just keep walking straight,” the pilot pointed, “Keep going North. Take this compass in case you get lost. And,” the pilot frantically rummaged through the cabin, “this flashlight.” Joe raised a sleepy eyebrow and nodded his thanks. When they were twenty paces away, Jacobs ran back to the cockpit and lifted off, screaming into the night sky.
Once the dust had settled, Lawrence remarked, “I don’t see any lights. Where the hell’s the welcoming committee?”
Joe turned on the flashlight. “I don’t think there is one.”
“At least we still have our contracts, right? If we get lost we can show them to someone and get directions.”
“Or maybe we can use them for toilet paper.”
“What are you saying, Joe?”
“I think we’ve just been ditched.”
“What?”
“Think about it. The compass, the flashlight.” Joe dropped his bag and opened it, illuminating its contents with the light. “And a few day’s supply of water. This looks like our severance package.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Stay calm and find shelter. Let’s head toward that rock formation. We can build a fire and stay warm. Keep an eye out for any dry branches.”
Together they gathered bits and pieces of dead lumber as Joe lit their path to the rock face. Twenty minutes later and shivering, they arrived at an alcove hewn into the rock. Joe shined the light up and down. “Someone’s camped here before. We’ll be OK. Let’s get that fire going!”
Together, they built a pyre out of the dried wood. Joe reached into his pocket and took out an empty pack of cigarettes. Tearing it into long sections, he used it as kindling. After a few frustrating minutes with his lighter, they had a small fire going. The huddled by the fire, taking turns adding more wood as the night wore on. By the first rays of dawn, sleep had taken them.
