Madison v.s The Horse Thief

Chapter Thirty-Two: Hidden In the National Park

This path is clearly not meant for cars. Especially utes being driven by seventeen-year-old boys being screamed at by fifteen-year-olds.

"Okay! I'll drive faster," Will stresses, pushing his foot harder on the accelerator. 

The speed of the car throws me back into my seat with a slap.

"We are getting close," Will says.

"Drive slow now. We don't want them to hear us," instructs Georgia.

"Jeez. One minute it is, "Drive fast Will!' Next, it is 'Slow the hell down,'" Will mocks.

I ignore him as he slows the ute to turn the final corner. 

Little Marley Beach is small and secluded. Water laps at the pale sand and trees hide it from the outside world. The ute is packed in tight between rough bushes and shrubs.

"We'll actually have to walk now," Will says with an annoyed sigh.

"Do you guys see anything?" I ask, brushing Will's comment off.

Georgia tries to stand in her seat. "Wait... I think-over there!"

She points a finger out the window and I follow it. Through the thick bushes, I can see the blurred sight of a tent and a big truck that could easily hold thirty horses. How on Earth did they get that down here?

"Okay, we gotta go!" I shout, going to unbuckle my seatbelt.

"Wait hang on!" Georgia stops me. "They might be armed."

Will gulps. 

"What's your plan supergirl?" she continues to ask me.

I sit back down and think. The truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. Alex is right; I don't think, just act. 

"The path clears a bit down there-" Will nods towards the rest of the walking track-" I think I could drive down there and distract them while you two go looking for the horses."

It is risky. But it's the best plan we've got.

"Fine. Let's do it."

Georgia and I open the doors, carefully trying not to get too scratched up by the plants. We make a dash for the bushes for safety as we hear voices.

"When's this bloke coming?" someone shouts from the beach.

"Oh, he will be here soon. He offered heaps of money for these two. Even more than what he paid for the last four!"

Georgia and I share a look.

Our horses.

Will flashes me a look through the side mirror and I nod in response. Slowly the ute rolls away from Georgia and I and towards the sandy beach. My fingers start to twitch. Were they always doing that?

Voices from the beach start to grow louder from simple talk to yells. They must have spotted Will and the ute. I dare pop my head out of the bushes to see but Georgia pulls me right back down.

"Hey! What's that car?" a man yells.

Cries of similar kinds start ringing out. Thud, thud, thud goes my heart. That probably isn't healthy. Movement comes from the beach and I can faintly make out the figures of people running.

"What's going on here?" I can hear Will's voice cry. "Why are you canped and have vehicles on this beach?"

Nice one Will.

I clutch Margo's necklace and quickly pray to her before standing in a crouch and making my way down the bush track. I ignore Georgia's calls for me because what does she know about running after thieves. I've done it four times now.