Read Emergency Response for Free Online Page B

stomach clenched and unclenched at the smell. A young girl called out names from behind the counter at Gloria Jeans . A thousand conversations droned like out-of-tune bagpipes around her. The sounds of a faceless multitude of people chatting and tapping away on their smartphones were a reminder of why she was leaving city life behind. The distant hum was intensifying, causing a headache to build.
    An ancient-looking Aboriginal man wearing dirty jeans and boots sat beside her, his well-worn Akubra resting on the seat between them. He kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye while shuffling a newspaper, and if Mackenzie was the betting type, she’d be confident he hadn’t read a single word. Every now and then, he would catch her eye and when she smiled, he smiled shyly in return, showing off white teeth against his dark, shiny skin. Bushy eyebrows framed a friendly face covered in skin wrinkled and dried from years in the harsh Outback sun.
    “Where are you headed, miss?”
    Her mind was miles away and his question startled her. “The Pilbara,” she answered.
    “I’m heading over that way too,” he said with a small nod.
    “That’s nice.” As friendly as the older man seemed, she wasn’t in the mood for conversation with a complete stranger.
    Once the flight had taken off Mackenzie gazed through the small window down at Sydney’s famous harbor bridge and white beaches. They were all part of a life she was leaving behind. Would she ever return? Her flatmate had no trouble finding someone to take over Mackenzie’s share of the lease, and, after giving away clothes she didn’t think she’d need, Mackenzie had packed up all her worldly possessions into two massive suitcases. She had then watched as the bloke at the Qantas counter weighed them, tagged them as oversized and hoisted them onto the conveyor belt. They slid along the black rubber mat and through the plastic flap out of sight and were now stored somewhere beneath her feet. She closed her eyes. As much as she believed she was doing the right thing by leaving the comfort of her job and lifestyle and heading to the Outback, was it possible she was just running away again?
    The flight from Sydney to Perth was uneventful and she slept most of the way. After a four-hour stopover she boarded the second flight from Perth which headed slightly north and back inland. Cloudless blue skies made it easy to watch the red-bronze landscape pass beneath the plane. She spotted small townships and massive mines, shaped like spiral staircases with wide terraces circling deep into the rust-colored soil. She’d seen photos on the internet of the trucks. They looked as small as ants from the sky but in reality were vehicles of monster-like proportions.
    Situated on the edge of the Karinji National Park, the small purpose-built mining town she was headed toward was only fifty years old. A friendly community with a population of 1,417 people, the nursing agency had employed Mackenzie to work in the hospital’s small emergency department for the next three months. After that, she had no idea what the future held.
    As soon as she had the job, Mackenzie joined a Facebook group and asked a million questions about the town. One woman described it as a hot, dusty tart, saying, “It doesn’t matter how much you dress her up, she’s still rough around the edges.” Everyone Mackenzie chatted with online declared their love for life in the Pilbara. Most said they would be sad when they eventually left. Their opinions were enough to fill Mackenzie with confidence she had made the right choice.
    The pilot announced their descent and she tightened her seatbelt and glanced out the window. She was nearly there.
    *
    Almost eight hours after leaving Sydney, the plane touched down heavily on the tarmac. It screamed and shuddered as the flaps lifted and the engines slowed, causing clouds of dust to swirl around outside. Dread settled in her heart. It was so barren and bright. And empty.