As Long As She Lives (full published version!)

Chapter 30

Daisy's nose vibrated against Cait's neck as they hummed the tune of "Alice Blue Gown". It was a silly little song, but it had been the only one that Cait had known when she asked Daisy what they should sing. Graggy had taught it to them both. The men didn't seem to mind her singing and talking to Daisy. In fact, they'd been quiet since Daisy had calmed down, shushing each other and pointing to her if they spoke. Cait couldn't work out whether they didn't want Daisy to start screaming again, or if they were genuinely concerned that they not scare her any more.

Cait tried to confirm that were flying toward Lakes Entrance but the windows were tinted and had been hard to see through before the sun had set, let alone in the dark. Whenever she was caught peering through the gap in the seats she was met with a glare and a warning wave of a gun. Surely they should be in Lakes Entrance by now? Not that she had any idea how long they'd been flying.

Daisy stirred under Cait's chin, too sensitive to her aunt's distress. Cait tried to focus on everything that was going right. As far as she could tell, they were heading in the right direction, these men were Russian so Steve had been right about Henri hiding with Polzin. Even the darkness itself was a good thing, it would hide the Water Police she knew Steve had scattered along the coast ready to intercept any boat Henri attempted to take into shore.

She couldn't stop herself startling as the voice of the pilot burst through her headphones.

"Hold on to little girl. Big turn."

Readjusting her arms around Daisy, Cait kissed her niece's head to hide her smile of relief. She braced her feet, preparing for the steep tilt to the left, toward land.

The chopper banked right.

"Where are we going?" The shriek was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

The guard beside her chuckled. "Where do you think we are going?"

He exchanged a look with his colleague, unmistakably smug even in Russian.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking," the pilot's voice in her headphones again, but with a bad Australian accent, which made the men laugh. "We are now leaving Australian airspace."

Their captors cheered and slapped each other's hands. Mission accomplished.

Her seat-mate raised his gun but this time he used it to point between the seats and out the front window. "Boat."

The window appeared to be black but for a bright light she assumed was a reflection from the cockpit. When she squinted she realised the light was outside. A long way outside. A single source of light in the middle of a vast emptiness.

Daisy whimpered but Cait couldn't disperse her dread this time. As the helicopter moved toward the light, the shape resolved into the vessel she'd seen in Steve's file. Polzin's ship. Polzin's floating fortress, which never left the neutrality of international waters. Polzin's ship where Henri was hiding. Where Henri was waiting.

Daisy shrieked.

"Shut her up!" The pilot hadn't snapped at her before. There was a tremor in his voice. The men had stiffened in their seats. Cait soon copied them as the helicopter began a battle with the ocean winds descending to the tiny helipad on the ship. Trying to calm herself for Daisy's sake didn't work. The little girl shrieked every time the wind shunted the aircraft.

"I said shut her up!" He didn't sound at all sure he could land safely. Perhaps Cait shouldn't want him to. Henri had raped Cait's students to torture her and had no doubt he would use Daisy the same way. If they crashed now at least Daisy would be spared.