His crescendo ended with a round of applause from nearly everyone in the room.
When the clapping died down, he put up a hand. "I can tell you this. No terrorist attack is going to stop us. Our resolve is strong. We will continue moving forward in finding new energy resources. In fact, at this very moment we are working on a deal that will more than double our oil reserves from new deposits our researches have discovered."
The crowd oohed and aahed over the comment. Doubling the reserves would mean doubling profits. Several reporters raised their hands simultaneously, eager to be the first to ask about the new deposits and their location.
Holmes ignored their questions and continued. "Our company has faced difficulty before. We will certainly face it again. But I can promise you this, no one will stand in the way of us providing Australia and the world with the energy it needs to move forward. Because if we are not moving forward, we are not progressing. Our number one goal is progress, not just for the company, but for the world."
The crowd roared again.
He put up both hands as if to thank them and then waved as he left the podium and disappeared behind the curtain.
One of his assistants stood close by holding a cell phone in his hand. "It's Mr. Robinson, sir. He said it's urgent."
"Thank you, Kip," Holmes said as he took the phone.
He put the device to his ear and walked down the hall to get out of the assistant's range of hearing. "Good news, this time?"
"Yes, sir. We have the Americans and their friend. We're en route to Yengo National Park. They say that's where we'll find it."
Holmes raised both eyebrows. "That is good news. I guess my question would be, why do you still have the Americans?"
"We kept them as an insurance policy. Want to make sure they take us to the right place before we off them."
"Good thinking," Holmes said with a nod. "If Yengo is indeed where the boomerang is located, let me know as soon as you find it. Once we have it, we can approach the tribes about signing the land over to us. We may even be able to get it cheap." He nearly laughed at the idea.
"You'll be the first to know," Jack said.
Holmes hung up the phone and looked out the window at the downtown district of Sydney. People busily rushed around on the sidewalks and in their cars. He allowed himself a broad smile.
Everything was going according to plan.
Chapter 34
The passengers in the back of the pickup truck tipped back and forth as the driver steered through the curvy roads. Thick forests of green trees whooshed by along the road.
Sean braced himself with one arm on the truck bed rail. They'd spent the rest of the previous day and all of the night traveling in the back of the pickup. Sleeping wouldn't have been possible except for the injections they'd been given shortly after leaving Flinders.
The drug worked quickly, and before they knew it, the three companions were out cold.
While sleeping hadn't been a bad thing, sleeping in the bed of a pickup truck had consequences.
Tommy groaned next to Sean and rubbed his left shoulder. Reece was next to him, shifting uneasily in an attempt to stretch out his back.
Pretty much every muscle was sore, but Sean wasn't going to let his captors hear him complain. And he wasn't going to let them see any discomfort. One rule he'd always kept in mind was to let the enemy believe he was invincible, unaffected by things that would bring down mere mortals. It put doubts in the enemy's mind when bullets started flying. Doubts led to weaknesses.
"Would it have been too much to ask for you guys to put down a mattress?" Tommy asked.
Sean almost rolled his eyes. Unfortunately, his friend didn't deploy the same mental warfare.
"I mean seriously, my shoulder is killing me?" Tommy went on.
"Your shoulder?" Reece said. "My back is all out of sorts."
Tommy looked around at the passing scenery. Temperatures had cooled significantly from the hot desert, and there was more humidity in the air. He glanced over at Reece. "Where are we?"
Reece peered down the road behind the truck. "From the looks of it, I'd say we're close to Yengo."
"How long were we out?" Tommy asked.
"About sixteen hours," Sean said.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Why do you think your shoulder is so messed up? You've been unconscious in a truck bed for almost a day."
Tommy tossed his head back and forth to shake the cobwebs from his mind. "I do feel a bit groggy."
"That would be the drugs."
"You guys got any more of that stuff?" Reece said to their guards. "Been having a bit of trouble sleeping lately."
The two gunmen said nothing.
Sean chuckled. It was the first time he'd laughed since… He pushed the thought out of his mind. It's not real, he told himself.
The truck's driver steered the pickup onto a side road. They passed a wooden sign that identified the area as Yengo Mountain. The ride got bumpier as they climbed the base of the mountain. Sharp curves pushed the occupants left and right and back again. The driver was probably driving a little too fast, but Sean knew they were in a hurry.
While his two friends looked out at the passing view, Sean locked his eyes on the guard nearest him. He stared at the man like he was a piece of meat about to be devoured. At first, the guard returned the icy stare, unflinching. After several minutes, though, Sean could tell the guy was starting to get unsettled. The nervous movements were subtle. A normal person probably wouldn't have noticed. Like they had so many times before, Sean's poker skills of being able to read a person's body language paid off.
The truck made a sharp turn onto gravel and then another quick turn in the other direction as the driver pulled into an empty parking space. Before Sean took his eyes off the guard, he offered one last smirk before he took a look around.
The parking area could hold no more than four or five cars and was surrounded by tall trees. The dense forest reminded the Americans of the Blue Ridge Mountains back home and only parted at a trailhead nearby where the path ascended, disappearing around a bend several hundred feet away. To get to the trailhead, the group would have to walk through a gate that apparently protected the mountain from motorized vehicles.
"I'm glad to see you're awake," Jack said as he stepped around the front of the pickup.
The two guards stood up and let the tailgate down. They hopped to the ground, keeping their weapons on the prisoners.
"Thanks for the accommodations," Sean said. "I haven't slept that hard in ten years."
Jack's eyes narrowed at Sean's sarcasm. Something in the American's tone suggested he wasn't kidding about the sleep.
"Happy to oblige you. And not to worry, soon you'll be sleeping for much longer. Now, if you don't mind, we should get going. Mr. Holmes is eager to receive his prize."
"I'm sure he is."
"And will Mr. Holmes be joining us on this lovely outing?" Reece asked.
"Mr. Holmes has other things commanding his attention at the moment," Jack answered. "Now, get moving." He brandished his pistol and pointed it at Sean.
Sean snorted derisively. "You think that's the first time I've had one of those shoved in my face, kid?" he asked as he got up slowly and made his way to the back of the truck.
"It might be your last."
"Predictable response," Sean said to himself. Bad guys always had the weakest comebacks.