Killing Ground Page #2

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...and you'd read me

everything you were reading?

I loved it. It was like hearing you think.

Well, you're in luck.

I brought plenty of books.

Have you ever fired a rifle?

No.

- How about you?

- My Uncle's .22 at his farm.

At bottles.

- You hit anything?

- Yep.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- You wanna come with us?

- I don't think so.

Oh, well. That's alright. That's your loss.

You know, you gotta make the most

of your opportunities, hey, Germ?

Give us a smile, German.

Oh, there you go.

Murundurra.

Murundurra. Get rid of it.

It's all gone.

He just gets a bit sensitive

about his appearance.

Watch out for that wildlife.

- I... I heard something.

- You alright? What?

No, I... definitely heard something.

- It was probably a possum or something.

- No, that wasn't a possum.

- Here, pass me the torch.

- Oh, God!

- What's the time?

- Um...

...it's nearly eleven.

- Where do you think they are?

- No, idea.

I'm sure they'll turn up soon enough.

- You following me, are ya?

- Yeah.

Hey, listen, you got any more photos

on that phone? Yeah?

- Oh, yeah.

- Let me see.

Go on, I just wanna have a look.

Shepard and Fowler.

Thought only ladies went

to the toilets together.

Shouldn't you be on duty, constable?

Plainclothes. Shh!

Had another complaint about Banjo.

- From who?

- Doesn't matter.

Yeah, well, I put a fence in.

He doesn't run away anymore.

Yeah, it's the barking.

- Dogs bark.

- Listen, I said I'd have a word.

I've had a word, okay? You don't

want 'em taking out a nuisance order.

Have you boys made

any New Year's resolutions?

- Yeah.

- Well, what are they?

Well, I can't tell ya,

otherwise they might not come true.

I guess you're right.

Every year I resolve to do something

about this and every year it gets bigger.

Yeah?

Yeah, I know, I'm just in...

I'm just in the toilets. Hang on.

Anyway, Happy New Year, fellas.

- Stay out of trouble, eh?

- Yeah.

- Bit f***in' late for that, eh, cuntstable.

- Yeah. Hey. Hey, the photos.

Oh, yeah.

You can play through 'em like a slideshow.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

- F***!

- Are you so f***in' stupid?

You wanna spend the rest of your life in jail?

I've been in there, and I'm not goin' back.

Yeah, yeah, you said

that f***in' before, didn't ya?

Yeah, well, it's about time

you start f***in' listening!

What happened out there, it stays out there.

You don't bring back photos

like a f***in' tourist.

Are we clear?

Oh, yeah.

- F***in' better be.

- Yeah, we're f***in' clear.

Why don't you just f***in' relax?

Listen, there were people here earlier

and they're heading out to the falls.

- Well, who?

- I don't know. Young people.

- I've never seen them before.

- Oh, so?

No more of this f***in' bullshit.

- It's okay. I got you.

- Em? Em, wake up.

- You're okay.

- It's okay, sweetie.

- Da... Dad?

- Just a bad dream.

It's okay.

You're okay.

It's okay. Go back to sleep.

Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!

Six! Five! Four!

Three! Two! One!

Happy New Year!

My turn.

- Oh, f*** off!

- D*ckhead.

- Happy New Year!

- Yeah, Happy New Year!

F***in' c*nts.

Oh, sh*t. It's five past already.

- Oh! Oh, no, we missed it!

- Uh...

Wait, wait, wait, I can wind it back. Ready?

There we go. And...

- Ten. Nine.

- Ten. Nine.

- Eight.

- Seven.

- Six.

- Five.

- Four, three...

- Three...

Two, one...

Happy New Year!

- Happy New Year.

- Happy New Year, baby.

Oi!

Ah, sh*t.

Ah, sh*t.

Mm.

- Not too tight?

- No.

- Sure you don't wanna come?

- No, thanks.

- Last chance.

- I'm okay.

Okay.

Hang on. Photo.

- Hey.

- Huh-uh.

- Okay.

- Smile.

Okay, see you.

Ian!

Ian!

Sam?

Over here!

Check this out.

- This isn't right.

- Hmm.

I think we should get a ranger.

Yeah, there's a problem.

You probably did it

when you went into the ditch.

Yeah.

Why don't you go grab

our stuff while I change this?

Okay. Good luck.

Hello?

Hello?

Anyone there?

Have you heard of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy?

No.

I was reading about it online.

It's a treatment for nightmares.

Kind of cognitive behavioral therapy.

You help the person change the end

of their nightmare while she's awake...

...so it's not upsetting.

So, if you don't like the end

of the story, you just change it?

Something like that.

- Do they do it here? It sounds American.

- I don't know. I'll find out.

I shouldn't have told

that story about the massacre.

Mmm, she's a sensitive girl.

I remember when I was 16 my parents

wouldn't let me watch the news.

- I got too upset.

- You still get upset at the news.

Do you reckon that therapy will work?

I don't know, but it makes sense.

I mean, her nightmares aren't real.

Maybe we can help her change them.

- Come on!

- How's it going?

Ah! Think I've buckled it.

These are in pretty tight.

Watch your head.

- I'll get you some water?

- Yeah, thanks.

Ian!

Ian, help, quick!

I... I came back and he was just here.

Oh, God. Is he alive?

- Yeah, he's alive.

- Is he... is he hurt?

I don't know yet.

Hey, what's your name? Hey, hello.

- What can I do? What can I do?

- Get these clothes off and wash him.

Can you go to their tent and see if you can get

clean clothes and a towel? And nappy cream?

- Nappy cream, okay.

- And get some water!

Okay, water, water.

Hey, buddy, you've been in the wars.

Where's your mummy and daddy?

He could have just wandered off

and his parents have gone looking for him.

Maybe. He's been out here a few days.

You're okay.

- Maybe I could walk out to the road.

- How long would that take?

Maybe half a day.

- Can... can we just drive it like it is?

- No, no, it's too rough.

It's not gonna make it.

What about their car?

Is it...

The keys aren't here.

I'm going to check the tent.

Okay.

I might not have to go

all the way out to the road.

Maybe there's reception

once I'm out of this valley.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Hey, it's gonna be okay.

- Yeah, I know.

- If he wakes up just give him fluids.

As much as he'll take. And check his nappy?

I'll be back as quick as I can.

- Alright. Okay. Thank you.

- Alright?

What is it?

Here you go, boy.

Hey, Chook.

Chook?

Oh, f***!

Banjo!

- Car trouble?

- Uh, you have to help us.

- We found this boy.

- He's just... he's here in the car.

- He okay?

- Yeah, he's pretty dehydrated.

He has a few cuts and, and scratches

but nothing major as far as I can tell.

- Yeah, Ian's a doctor.

- We gotta get him to a hospital.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Where's his folks?

No sign of them.

There's just this car and a tent.

But the tent's all messed up inside.

- Yeah, how long you've been here?

- Since yesterday.

- Yesterday?

- Yeah.

I was here three days ago.

- They were okay then.

- You met them?

Yeah. I was here to count the piggy's.

Yeah, the park's full of wild pigs.

Gonna do a cull.

Yeah. I saw one last night.

It was into our food.

So, are you a ranger?

No. I'm a hunter.

- You been up to the falls?

- No.

They said they were going to the falls.

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