With that, he leaned out of the port-side window and ordered his men to cast off.

‘I seem to have caused one hell of a fuss,’ Mia said once they were below. ‘What on earth is their problem?’

‘We’re still trying to figure that out,’ replied Nash, as a shuddering Albany began to move off.

Mia’s eyes filled with curiosity. ‘What are you guys doing here, then?’

Douglas flashed a warning look, but Nash merely shrugged.

‘We’re shooting a documentary.’

‘For Indonesian TV? Are you cameramen or something?’

‘I’m a diver. Frank’s a pilot.’

‘You don’t say?’ She smiled at them. ‘I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much to see in the muddy old Sepik.’

‘The plan is to explore a cave.’

‘I’ll get my gear out,’ announced Douglas stiffly.

Without looking back, he descended the ladder. Mia made a face at Nash.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.’

‘It’s nothing. What’s the story with your hospital?’

A look of concern came over her and she lowered her voice. ‘They haven’t been in contact for weeks. I didn’t want to say anything upstairs, but the Indonesian military is behind it. They’re the only ones with the power to shut everything down like this.’

Nash felt a stab of worry for her. ‘You sure it’s safe going in there on your own?’

‘I’m having my doubts,’ she admitted, ‘but once we get to the border it’s not far, and I know some of the local people. They’ll take care of me.’

As she explained her connection to the hospital, Nash found himself increasingly drawn to her. She reminded him of Natalie in her total commitment to the things she believed in.

Returning to the cabin, Nash switched on the fan and collected up his belongings.

‘Well, if you need anything, it won’t take long to find me.’

‘Thank you, Rob.’

Her eyes held his for a moment longer than expected, and then he remembered where he’d seen that electric blue colour before. The Nullarbor halocline. Nash was processing the fact that he was attracted to Mia Carter when Natalie’s ghost crashed like a boulder into the pit of his stomach. His pillow fell to the deck. And when Mia handed it back, her fingertips brushing his felt like sweet little knives.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

(Date unknown – Saturday, June 9th, 1945?)

I have learned from Unterscharführer Müller (whose boils I am treating) that we are now five hundred kilometres up the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. Heider now travels by day because there is so much debris in the water. Today we heard distant planes. God, how I prayed for them to find us, but none came near.