Free Killer Ute by Rosanne Hawke Page A

rumbling closer. The bike groans and shifts forward like a kid with his heels dug into the dirt. Dev shouts at me to get off. He points to the side of the road, but I don’t want to leave him. Besides, the ute might run me down. The ute pushes harder. We’re right out in the middle of the lane and Dev can’t hold the bike any longer. The semi is just metres away. Dev drops the bike and drags me off. The semi sounds its horn just as it swerves into the right lane. It rushes past, too close, horn still blaring. We’re standing by the bike. Now what will the ute do? Ram us? That bullbar will crush our legs. Or should we run?
    Then I hear this sweet sound: the thunder of bike engines, lots of them. They flank the ute and a Harley rides up next to Dev and me. It’s Mick. He grins. ‘Spot of trouble, mate?’
    Dev grins back. ‘We’ll be right now.’
    That’s when the police car turns up opposite us. Felicity’s behind, in the four-wheel drive; she jumps out. The ute reverses, knocks over one of Mick’s riders and hurtles back the way it came, with the police car streaming after it. But there’s no way the police car will be fast enough to catch that beast.
    Mick’s off his bike in a flash to help the rider. When he pulls up the helmet’s visor, I can see it’s Ben; he’s already getting to his feet. And by the way Mick’s hugging him, I can see something else too: Ben must be his kid. It all hits me afresh how good that must feel, to be that wanted. To have a dad who goes crazy when you’re knocked off your bike. My real dad is the one trying to get me knocked off mine.

17
    In the evening, after Dev’s done some work on the bike’s back fender, Felicity holds a meeting around the dinner table. Mei’s looking at me with a frown in her eyes. Dev’s fiddling with his dessert spoon. Felicity tells us that the guy in the ute knows she is involved now since she was at the crossing before the ute burned off. ‘We have to stay close together from now on so we can protect you better.’
    â€˜I don’t need a bodyguard,’ Dev says.
    â€˜You mightn’t,’ Felicity says, ‘but what about Joel?’
    There’s a silence. I know Dev won’t risk my life. ‘I don’t need one either,’ I say.
    Felicity purses her lips. Bet she’s thinking I know nothing. Actually I’m more scared than I’ve ever been, but I’m not about to let on, or they’ll lock me up in the bedroom or something.
    Dev hasn’t finished. ‘I’ve said it before – we can’t stay cooped up in the house. We’ll go crazy. Besides, we’re sitting ducks. It won’t take long for that guy to work out where we are.’
    Felicity sighs. ‘Okay, there’s a place where I can protect you and you can be outside.’ She throws me a glance here. ‘But we’ll come back if you don’t follow my rules. We’ll stay in the park until the police can nail this guy.’
    My eyes open wider. ‘The conservation park?’
    She nods. ‘It’s where I work; I know practically every tree.’
    â€˜Cool,’ I say.
    â€˜It’s not a holiday,’ she snaps. Dev puts a hand on her shoulder. It’s something he’d do to Gran. Felicity calms down, but I don’t. ‘ You’re our bodyguard?’ My voice is nastier than I mean it to be, but I’m thinking of Felicity and Dev camping together in the romantic wilds.
    Felicity shoots a look at me, but I don’t back down. ‘No, I won’t be your bodyguard – I’ll just be with you.’ Then she adds with a smile at Mei, ‘You can sleep in my tent.’
    I’m tempted to tell Felicity we don’t need her, but then I glance at Mei. She looks pretty relieved that she’ll be in a tent with Felicity so I keep quiet. It’s an effort but I’m getting better at