A Time to Run by J.M. Peace Page B

simply moved forward.
    Sammi considered trying to cover her tracks. She looked behind her and although she couldn’t really tell where she had been, a practised tracker probably would. They had their special tricks. It wasn’t like she was knocking down bushes and snapping branches, but underfoot were dried leaves and branches that crackled with every step, no matter how careful she was. There was no way around that. The bushland was all trees and bushes, but mostly long grass and undergrowth.
    But was she being hunted by a tracker? Was a barman from Brissy capable of following a track? The image of a bushman didn’t quite fit with the soft, pallid smoker she had encountered behind the bar.
    Then there was his dog. She would describe it as a pig dog, a mongrel bred to be tough and unyielding. It was certainly no sniffer dog. But could a dog like that pick up her scent and find her at close range? If she hid up a tree, would it be able to sniff her out? She thought some more about climbing a tree as she picked her way around a gully. A tree was probably the best place to hide, but if she was found, she would be stuck with no place to go, a sitting duck, literally. It would be a big risk – too big. She would stay on the ground.
    Sammi had done a little martial arts training and a little wrestling at the academy. She had been in some scuffles on the job, had restrained and handcuffed men bigger than herself. There had always been someone to back her up though. She had always had a partner with her, had never been left hanging. More importantly, she always had her accoutrements – capsicum spray, handcuffs, baton, Taser and Glock.
    Strip all that away and what she had left were a couple of fists and feet against a man with guns, knives and an attack dog. Panic was pointless. Keep moving forward.

Saturday 10:23 am
    â€˜Jake?’ Janine called through the office. ‘Where are you up to?’
    Jake was at his desk, tapping and clicking at the computer. He might have been working but it was always possible that he was checking whether his pay had gone in or looking up who had been promoted. Janine had just got off the phone with Pam from intel. Pam had been helpful and accommodating, but it was still going to take at least an hour, possibly more, for Telstra to provide the results of the triangulation of Sammi’s phone. The call records for the barman’s phone would take even longer. Things usually moved slower on a weekend because there were fewer staff about, so they had to keep going with what they had while they waited.
    â€˜Come have a look,’ Jake replied, gesturing to his screen. Janine perched herself on the edge of a desk and looked over Jake’s shoulder.
    â€˜I’m just having a look at our barman, Don Black. He’s a nasty piece of work,’ Jake said.
    â€˜What have you found?’ Janine asked.
    â€˜He’s one sick puppy,’ Jake replied. ‘There are two domestic violence orders against him. The first one was taken out by police on behalf of his mum. Neighbours rang triple-0 after they heard yelling and screaming, followed by a gunshot. Police turned up. The guy was still living with his mum at that stage. She wanted to kick him out and he just went mental. He shot her pet dog while it was sitting next to her. The mother was clearly terrified, but she changed her story to try to get him off the hook. She told police that the dog was sick and her son had done her a favour by shooting it, rather than having to take it to the vet and pay to have it put down. Once the mother turned and started lying for him, all the charges fell over and only a stock standard DV order went through. He did lose his weapons licence and his registered guns with the DV order. It looks like his mum ended up moving house without him.’
    â€˜Holy crap,’ Janine said, ‘this is just looking worse by the minute.’
    â€˜There’s more,’ said