Max Arena Read Free Page A

disappeared that Max
moved and when he did, he immediately climbed across the bed and
enveloped his entire family in his arms.
     
* * *
     
    Four hours
later, the thin light of dawn crept underneath and around the edges
of the curtains in Millie’s bedroom. Max watched the light
gradually brighten, his night time vigil coming to a close. Looking
sideways, he beheld Elsa and Millie, snuggled together beneath the
covers of the adjacent single bed, peace gracing their features as
they slumbered. Then, looking down, Max’s gaze wandered across
their son, Jason’s sleeping face. He too lay oblivious to the
growing turmoil. At least for now, they were all safe because any
minute, that would likely change.
    Then Max heard
a sudden flurry of rustling approaching the bedroom door. Swiftly
rising from the bed and still dressed only in his boxer shorts, he
padded soundlessly across the room to stand against the wall and
beside the door frame. The rustling stopped and a rapid knock
rapped at the door. Elsa’s head snapped up. Max raised his finger
to his lips and held out a raised hand. Elsa kept quiet and fixed
her gaze on the closed door.
    ‘What?’ Max
said to the back side of the door.
    ‘We’ve got to
go, now ,’ came the urgent reply, the voice familiar as the
team leader of the intruders.
    ‘Like I said,’
Max started, ‘I’m not going anywhere without my family.’
    ‘You’re all coming. We’ve got a plane on the tarmac, ready to fly
you all to Canberra.’
    ‘Why Canberra?’
Max asked.
    ‘You said you
wanted my boss to come here,’ the voice replied, the urgency still
evident, ‘well, he can’t, so he’s sent his jet up for you to go to
him. Okay?’
    ‘Who’s your
boss?’
    A muffled
profanity sounded behind the door before the man continued. ‘The
Prime Minister of Australia, which makes him your boss too
and believe it or not, he’s on your side.’
    ‘He’s not my
boss,’ Max returned, ‘and right now, there’s only four people on my
side. Me, my wife and our two kids. Everyone else, the jury’s
out.’
    ‘Come on! We’ve
got to go, now !’
    Max cast a
glance to Elsa who wore angst all over her face. Something was
wrong.
    ‘Why the rush?’
Max asked.
    ‘Something’s
happening on the street.’
    ‘What do you
mean something ?’
    ‘Some sort of
military exercise or…I don’t know. All I know is there’s blokes
with guns running all over the streets out here and I’ve got orders
to get you and your family onto a plane and out of the way, so come
on!’
    Max turned back
to Elsa and gave a single nod. She nodded back. Max pulled the door
open to reveal the team leader, anxiety clawing at his features. It
was clearly not the time to squabble. Max turned and rushed to the
bed, scooping both children up into his arms as though they were
weightless. By now they were awake, but not very certain of their
surroundings, so when Max picked them up, they compliantly curled
into his arms. Elsa followed Max through the door, still in her own
pyjamas and Max in his boxers.
    ‘There’s a Land
Cruiser out the front,’ the black-clad gunman said as he led them
through the apartment and out the front door. ‘It’ll take you
straight to the airport with two other cars in escort. You’ll be
safe with us.’
    Emerging onto
the footpath, Max halted and looked around. He heard a scream from
somewhere down the street. Elsa pulled up close behind him and they
both looked in the direction of the distress. Then breaking glass
sounded from the other direction. Then tyres screeched on a nearby
corner and the sound of a car accident ripped the morning stillness
apart.
    ‘Come on!’ the
team leader called out, holding the back door of a white Land
Cruiser open that was parked just down the street from them.
    Another scream
sounded from a different direction. And then another from somewhere
else. Then Max heard footsteps, running. Turning around he saw a
young man sprinting along the footpath towards them,