Morgan closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes it is. I know that but it doesn't change anything. It won't find her any quicker if I admit to it and shout it from the roof tops. Let's just keep to the plan and head off again before sunrise and try the other side of the mine lease." He took a long drink of his beer. "I've called the police but I doubt they could do any more than we are already doing. They will be here in the morning so perhaps you could send them out to the lease."
Sculling the last of his beer he slammed the empty glass on the table. "If my brother rocks up and I'm sure he will, make him stay here out of the way please Nigel. He's not a country boy by any stretch of the imagination and he will only get in the way. Thanks."
He got up and walked out of the bar and headed for his room.
"Morgan."
He looked back. Nigel was wringing his hands together. "I'm sorry for talking to you like that. Just find her and bring her home, that's all I ask."
With a tired wave he nodded his head and continued up the stairs. He stripped off his clothes and stood under the hot shower, worrying that Stacey would be so cold and lonely where she was. After a quick rinse he dried himself and climbed into bed. For a couple of hours be tossed and turned before falling into a disturbed sleep that lasted for too short a period.
Throwing off the covers Morgan got up and hunted for clean clothes. It was only four thirty but he was keen to get back out and see what he could find. He dressed and quietly walked out of his room. There was a light downstairs in the kitchen and he smelt the coffee. Nigel was busy making sandwiches and packing up baskets for the men to take out.
"Didn't you get any sleep?" Morgan leaned on the door frame watching.
"Just a bit. Not much more than you I would say looking at you. Coffee?"
"Thanks." He walked over to the counter and took the cup Nigel poured for him and watched as he put bread into the toaster.
"You better eat this on the way out there. Can't have you falling over because you got hunger pains. Stacey would never forgive me."
He took the toast and watched as the tears formed in Nigel's eyes.
"I'll find her mate. I promise you that."
"I know you will." He sniffed and wiped his eyes before going back to his chores. Morgan patted him on the back and walked out, hoping this would be the day they found Stacey alive.
* * *
When he drove past Sid's house the light was on. The old mad was sitting on the veranda as if he knew Morgan would try to avoid picking him up.
"Knew you would be through here earlier than we discussed. Thought you would go ahead without me, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"Fool. Nobody knows this place like I do. You wouldn't have a hope in hell of finding her without me."
They travelled in silence until the turnoff and Sid directed him to the back side of the lease. "Over here is where we started the whole thing. Used to be a big river here where I found my first couple of little nuggets. Then everyone got wind of it and the place exploded."
He listened and drove.
"Take that turn off there." His gnarled fingers pointed to a rough dirt track Morgan would have missed without him. "Travel about six hundred meters and pull up. We have to walk the rest of the way."
He did as he was instructed. The sky was still dark and the stars shone brightly in the cloudless sky. A chill filled the air and he shivered. Taking their torches from the back of the car, Sid led the way.
The scrambled over piles of rubble cursing when they lost their footing on the slippery piles of rock. Stumbling along he followed the old man.
"Well well, what do we have here then?"
Sid was shining his torch on a vehicle tucked behind a large boulder.
"That is one of ours." Morgan ran over and pulled open the door.
Mike was fast asleep and lay slouched over the steering wheel. An empty bottle fell from his hand when Morgan pushed him back in his seat.
"Bastard is out cold drunk." He slapped him around the face to wake him up but got no response.
"I'd say he was totally wasted. Won't get much sense out of him but at least we are in the right area." Sid looked around and spoke again. "She will be here somewhere for sure. Trick is, trying to figure out which shaft she is down."
"Can't you look for recent tracks or something?"
"In the dark, maybe, maybe not. Call the boys and tell them to get their butts out here. I should imagine most of them will be awake anyway. Get them to bring out the police as well. They can lock this low life up and you can deal with him later."
Morgan called Ted and gave him the information.
"We were just about ready to leave anyway. Nigel has loaded up the vehicles and is giving the police a serve, you can probably hear him. We won't be too long."
He hung up and turned to Sid. "I want you to wait here for the others then direct them to the most obvious place to start looking."
"No, wait. You need me to show you where to go. You'll get lost otherwise."
Morgan swung a bag over his back containing water, torch and rope along with a couple of snack bars to keep him going. A hat with
