Oh wait – she had just the thing. Digging through her drawers, she unearthed the fake designer shirt and shorts Leon had brought back from Bali from his Leavers trip last year. The logos proclaimed them to be an expensive surf brand, but Leon had assured her they hadn't cost more than the price of a beer. The sound of throbbing blades told her she'd run out of time. Shoving her feet into her sneakers, she pelted down the path to the helipad. Just in time, too – the blades slowed as the pilot jumped out, scanning his surroundings for his passenger.
Audra waved and shouted, and she was rewarded with a double thumbs-up from the pilot as he leaned against his aircraft.
"I'd have waited for you, you know," he said, watching her double over to catch her breath.
"He said...he said he'd been in a car crash."
The pilot shrugged. "That the one who claimed he was a rock god? If he was capable of making phone calls, that means he's alive, right? Can't have been that bad a crash."
Her head whirling with thoughts of Leon, Audra stopped dead. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just a charter pilot. Royal Flying Doctor Service has its own helicopter for emergencies and so do the State Emergency Service. So it isn't an emergency. It's just a spoiled rich boy pulling your strings. And you came running, didn't you?" He laughed softly.
Audra shook her head. "I'm hotel staff. I just got pulled off my normal work to do nursing duties in overtime. One of my brothers was almost killed in a car accident last year."
The pilot's smile vanished. "In that case, I apologise. I hope your brother's okay. And cheer up. Your job includes some nice perks – getting flown out to meet the guests. This guest must be a pretty demanding one. I've never had to fly staff to the mainland before."
Audra smiled tentatively back. "I've never flown in a helicopter before, so that makes two of us."
"I get to pop your cherry and someone else is paying for it? How do you feel about taking the scenic route, if it's your first time?"
She blushed. "You're the pilot. As long as we get to the airport in one piece and then back here with my patient, or whatever he is, the flight route's up to you."
He stuck out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Shou, anyway."
"Shoe?"
"No, Shou. As in Japanese for soar."
Audra's smile broadened. "So you were born for your line of work, Shou. I might say the same. I'm Audra."
"Audra? Not Audrey?"
"Right."
"Audra means something to do with flying, too?"
"No, Audra means storm. I've just finished a degree in meteorology. I hoped to see a cyclone while I was up here, but only if I get to stay on through the wet season."
Shou passed her the tiny lifejacket belt. "You know how to use one of these?" At her head-shake, he launched into the fastest flight safety briefing she'd ever heard, finishing up with, "You can sit in the co-pilot's seat, if you want."
"But I don't know what I'm doing."
"Sit down, put your headphones on, and enjoy the view. That's all my co-pilots ever get to do. Nobody flies my baby but me."
Audra laughed, settled into her seat and secured her headphones snugly over her ears. Shou climbed into the pilot's seat beside her and started flipping switches. If she'd thought the rotor noise outside was bad, she hadn't counted on it being worse inside the helicopter. How could anyone even hear themselves think over the thumping blades?
"You'll get used to the noise," Shou's voice said in her ear. "And that's why you have a headset with a mike. So we can still talk. And no, I didn't read your mind. It's what every newbie says on their first trip." He lifted the helicopter smoothly, rising until the entire Buccaneer Archipelago lay sprawled below them. "Ever wonder why the resort's called Romance Island?" He pointed.
For the first time, Audra saw that the heart-shaped logo on all her uniforms was more than just a cute concept – it was a simplified picture of the island. Teal-blue water paled as it rose to form the heart-shaped cay enclosing an equally valentine-themed lagoon. The Pearl Villas clustered around the eastern bump, ending in Villa Penguin and its private jetty as the heart tapered to its point. What she hadn't seen in her night-time picnic with Serge was the triangular swimming platform at the end of the jetty, making it look like an arrow's point. The western bump housed the rest of the resort buildings and the wide loading jetty with its boat pens feathered up either side, much like the fletching on Cupid's arrow. "That can't be an accident. Was the island really that shape to start with?"
"The island, yes. The lagoon, no. They get a dredger in there every year to keep it that shape or it becomes more of a teardrop than a heart as it silts up. I have it on good authority that the architect who designed the resort drew the jetties that way as a joke, but the owner liked it so much he chose that design over the ones that were closer to his original specifications."
He pointed out the various sights along the way, naming each island and building with the ease of a tour guide, for that's what he was, flying tourists to and from the resort. There were two major pearl farms on the way, along with the fabled Cable Beach, bordered by more expensive resorts. Teal waters and creamy sand gave way to pindan red as they headed inland to the airport. The town seemed so small, surrounded by red desert as it huddled close to the coast.
"Beautiful," Audra breathed, sighing as they started their descent.
"Cheer up. As soon as we have your boy aboard, we'll be back in the air and you can see the whole trip in reverse." He skimmed over the tarmac, avoiding the other helicopters and choosing a spot near a building marked with Flying Doctor and ambulance signs. His landing was a barely perceptible bump; a far cry from the rough jet landing when she'd arrived in Broome.
No wonder rich people preferred helicopters to flying in commercial aircraft. If she ever won the lottery, Audra swore she'd set aside a little of the money to charter a helicopter every now and again. Ha, if she ever bought a ticket. She'd leave the gambling to her mother and save her money instead. And enjoy this amazing experience while it lasted. She'd be cleaning floors again, soon enough.
Shou cracked open the door. "Right, let's go inside and get your boy."
Reluctantly, Audra climbed out after him. Despite Shou's reassurances, dread still crept in. How badly was Jay injured? Just because he was conscious and capable of talking, it didn't mean he was okay. What if he was confined to a wheelchair?
TWENTY-EIGHT
Jason let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as the helicopter's landing skids touched the tarmac. He wanted to run out to meet it, but his rock star reputation was at stake here. She had to come to him. The pilot jumped down, offering a hand to someone inside the cockpit, hidden from him by the reflective glass.
Audra emerged slowly, smiling slightly as she made her cautious descent. Jason grinned. Yep, that was the only woman in his head since he left the pub. Thank fuck she hadn't worn that horrible, shapeless bag of a maid's uniform. Instead, her t-shirt revealed her curves without clinging to them and her shorts showed plenty of leg. He longed to have her legs wrapped around him, nothing else between them, but not with these onlookers. No, he performed best with an intimate audience. As soon as they were at the hotel, away from the matron and police, then he'd offer her the private performance of her life.
The airside door opened with a sucking sound as if the air-conditioned interior didn't want to allow any more hot bodies inside. Audra stepped through, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the dimly lit waiting room after the bright afternoon sun outside. Jason waited for her to notice him.
Audra blinked, then scanned the room. Her glance landed on him and her eyes widened. Her mouth rounded in shock and he thought she whispered something, but he couldn't read her lips. He looked down and realised what had made her blanch.
Ripping off the hospital gown, he shoved the wheelchair back and strode to meet her. Dismissing the raised voices behind him as white noise, he reached for Audra, crushing her against his chest in a desperate hug. "Get me out of here," he whispered, feeling her stiffen against him. She nodded and pulled away. Needing the contact, he seized her hand and brought it to his lips. "Thank you." He didn't want to let her go and she appeared to understand, allowing him to keep her hand in his.
"You're Audrey, the girl I talked to earlier?" The matron marched to Jason's side, not willing to surrender him that easily.
Audra's eyes hardened as she seemed to grow in stature. "Helen, I presume?" Her tone matched Madam Matron's authority, to Jason's delight. "You spoke, but didn't listen. My name is Audra and I'm here at Mr Felix's request. I understood he needed my help."
Jason squeezed her fingers and was relieved to feel her return the pressure.
"Do you have any medical training, Audra?" The matron's eyes flashed. "I'm not sure if I can release him into your care if you don't. He must be under constant observation for at least the next forty-eight hours before we can be sure he's out of danger."
Jason felt an incredible urge to run screaming as far away from the predatory matron as possible. Couldn't anyone else see this was the start of a horror movie?
Audra shrugged. "First aid training, as I've already told you. I'm pretty good with a defibrillator, too."