Chapter 28

Wednesday 31 August 2022

Larissa didn’t sleep well; she was plagued by dreams in which she was almost home but somehow she just could never get in the door - it just keep sliding away from her. Julian let her sleep in, and only woke her once Alison was ready to head off to the airport for their early flight home.

Blearily, she hugged Landon and then latched onto Alison. “I’m not ready for you to go home!” Larissa said. “You only just arrived!”

“I know!” Alison said. “But I’ll be back! We’re coming back for Layna’s wedding, come hell or high water. At least I hope so, it depends when it is.”

Larissa nearly said when it was, not that many weeks away, because she knew the provisional date Layna had picked late on Sunday night. But that was still a secret known only to Layna, Chez, Larissa and Jo. Not even Joe or Julian knew yet.

But it was definitely this year, so she smiled and said, “I’ll be counting the days!” Then Jayla said that the taxi had arrived, so she got one last kiss and extra tight hug and then Alison and Landon were gone with their best wishes for a straight-forward trip home, and as little drama when she got home as possible.

Larissa sighed, and got ready for her day. It should be a calm day, a day free of the drama of the day before, because tomorrow would be when it got rough. She hoped, anyway.

Her first lecture was just about to start when she got a message from David. “Larissa. Call me. NOW.”

Shit. Well, there was no choice. She went to her office, and the team crowded in. She was not at all surprised that Johnny-boy himself was one of her team this morning, along with a young policewoman named Vi. She set up the zoom, and said she was ready, and David joined her.

“Larissa, now I know what’s really going on.” Fuck his menace was really dialled up to maximum this morning. “I know about the song, and about Ubirr rock. You’ve been lying to me all along.” He shook his head. “You said that you were trying not to cross me. You stupid little girl. What else have you lied to me about?”

Larissa took a deep breath. “I have not lied, but I agree that I did not tell you about that, and that means I mislead you in a very significant way. But I gave my word not to say anything about it. I knew what you would think about that, but I’m screwed anyway. I can only do what’s right.”

But if he knew that ... he’d know where Isla was. Or would be. Shit shit shit. It’d all be a waste, and she was just fucked.

“Do the right thing? Fuck you, Larissa. Oh, I’m going to, for sure, you’re quite a tasty piece, that’ll be the last thing you ... I hope for your sake that they haven’t actually filmed it yet. You’re going to call your friend Layna right now, and tell her not to, if she values her life, and yours.” He was really furious, and Larissa was finding it hard to breathe.

“I can’t! Layna said everyone would have all the phones off until after they filmed it tonight, and...”

Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck she shouldn’t said that. And she could see his triumphant look.

“Well, I’ll sort that out myself. But you ... that’s why you asked about lines that can’t be crossed, because you knew Isla would cross a line that I can’t forgive, ever.”

Larissa nodded, miserably. That was why. She was crushed now. She couldn’t have an escort for ever. Sooner or later, he’d get her. Raped to death, probably. She felt a chill in her heart, saw that man’s face from when she was fifteen, and knew that a man would kill her after all. Just a different man. And it was her fault. She didn’t have to get involved, but she had.

“I won’t forgive, Larissa. I will get you.”

He was gone.

Larissa collapsed on her desk and fell apart. It was over, all over. Eventually, she lifted her head, and prayed. She’d done the right thing, as best as she knew, and then this. Is this what Jesus wanted for her? No, it couldn’t be. She killed the meeting. She’d recorded it for protection, but it wasn’t going to be enough, she knew that now.

She looked up at her team, and saw their faces. Angry, shaken. “Fuck, Larissa,” Johnny-boy said, “just fuck.” Larissa agreed with him.

“You might as well give me your gun now,” she said to him. “It’ll be cleaner that way.”

“No! Larissa, just no!”

“You heard what he said. He’ll rape me. And then kill me. You don’t think he meant it?”

“Larissa, I understand how you feel. That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever heard as a police officer, coming from him, and I do think he means it right now. But I’ve heard lots of threats like that before, and people calm down and realise that they’re not going to do that. We’re going to surround you now. Layers thick.”

“How long can you do that for?”

“Long enough.” She was surprised by the determination in his voice.

There probably wasn’t any point, but she called Layna. No answer. Nor Suzy. She sent a message to Layna, Suzy and Chez: “Someone talked and David knows you’ll be at Ubirr tonight recording. He just told me that you shouldn’t record if it you value your life. I’m sure mine is over. Sorry.” Fuck she could hardly type, her hands were shaking.

Then Johnny-boy asked her, “What was that about Ubirr rock?”

Larissa sighed. She sent a message to Julian: “In my office. Need you bad.” Then she said, “Isla is going to record a song with Layna, about climate change. It’ll be really big, Isla’s an incredible singer, and David’s daughter doing that will be a very big deal indeed. That’s actually why she left home, so she can. Layna flew her up to Kakadu yesterday so they can film today, at some place called Ubirr rock at sunset. They’re locked down, no communications until it’s done, but now he knows where they’ll be and when. I’m afraid for Layna and her team, and Isla. And Isla has her own security now, special forces. It might be a war.”

She could see Dyunh nodding, and Johnny-boy saw that. “Dyunh?”

“Four, maybe five ex special forces, that was the plan. Alex was taking the threat very seriously indeed. We thought one of the girls would crack. And we have history with that man.” Johnny-boy looked at him quizzically. “A special forces team member died on a black ops mission that turned out to be for his profit. We do not forget.”

Fuck.

But she was feeling a little better. She was in deep trouble, but maybe he was too.

“OK,” Johnny-boy said. He picked up his phone and called a number. “Shane,” he said, “David Jones just made credible threats against Larissa and Layna, and we have a recording of them, and also a time and location of an intended attack on Layna. I’m bringing Larissa in now, for her protection.” “OK. We’ll wait here. Thanks.” He hung up.

“We’re getting a Special Ops escort. We wait here for now. I’ll beef up our perimeter. Dyunh, try contacting that team now.” Dyunh pulled out his phone, and dialled a number. Johnny-boy called another number and summoned some more police to Larissa’s office. He knew his way around the uni enough to do that.

Dyunh said, “No answer. Odd.”

“Layna said everyone’s phones would be off, so they couldn’t be traced. And they said there’s no coverage down at Ubirr.”

“Not Alex. Sat Phone. Could only be traced by law enforcement ... no, you might be right.”

“Babe?” She heard, out in the room outside her office.

Johnny-boy glanced around. “Sure, Vi, they’re good,” he said. “Sorry,” he said to Larissa, “we went immediately to a hard perimeter. We’ll expand it as soon as we can.”

Julian came into the room with Joe, and hugged her tight. “Babe, what happened?” He lifted her up and sat down with her in his lap, hugging her tight. She melted into him, and cried again, letting it out. Having Julian’s arms around her was good, and she hung on for dear life. Julian let her cry.

When she stopped, she turned to her computer and replayed the zoom meeting for him.

“Shit. Babe, I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but I’m not going to leave you ever. We’re going to make you safe.”

“How?” She knew Julian didn’t have an answer.

“Well, for right now,” Johnny-boy said, “we’re getting you both to headquarters, surrounded by police. Then we’ll see.”

Larissa looked up at Joe, watching all this, his face ashen. She stood up and hugged him, and he held her tight, crying himself. While he did that, she said, “Johnny-boy, this is Joe, Layna’s fiancee.”

“Great. Now I know where you are too. Take heart, this feels bad, but he’s in trouble.” He made another call, he’d been looking a number up. “Cam. How are you?” “How’s it going in Gunbalanya there? You still like it?” “No, really?” “Great. Unfortunately this isn’t a social call. Apparently there’s a team recording a song on the ground at Ubirr rock today. I’m wondering if you can ask the local rangers to visit them ASAP and ask them to turn their sat phones on so Victorian police can talk to them.” “Thanks.”

He grinned. “Larissa, Cam is the nearest police officer, used to work over in Dandenong. Went up there to fish for a year after his divorce. Now, can you send all your recordings to us?”

“Umm, I promised him I wouldn’t share the recordings of the calls with Isla unless I got a subpoena.”

“OK. Assume you’ll get one of them. We will if we have to.”

Larissa shrugged. She sure would get one now. She made an email and copied and pasted the links into it, and then Johnny-boy typed in an address and sent it. Then he made another phone call. “Shane, Larissa just sent you the recordings of her talks with David. I’ll call back with a bit more context shortly. Hang on.”

That was because two more policemen had turned up. They had a quick consultation about where to put their perimeter, and Johnny-boy asked two uni students to leave so they weren’t inside it. Once that was sorted, he called Shane again, and filled him on everything that Larissa had said.

Larissa was thinking again by this point. Was her family a target? Unlikely right now, but later today ... maybe. She sent them all a message: “Things have escalated badly. Be very careful. Will provide security advice this afternoon. Assume significant disruptions. Sorry.”

She sent another message to Bob: “David knows what’s going on now. He’s furious, death threats and promises. He will stop them from recording the song. I lose. Cover yourself, protect our family. Sorry.” She added the link to the recording.

Her family message generated lots of responses, worry and sympathy. She just said, “more information later, sorry.”

Bob called her immediately. “Larissa, you OK?”

“I’m not sure. Police are involved directly now, trying to get hold of Layna to warn them, and they’re pulling Julian, Joe and I and my bodyguard into police HQ for security.”

“Did David say anything about me?”

“No, and I didn’t. No reason for him to think you knew.” She didn’t want to say more.

“OK. Thanks. Larissa, we will keep you safe. Hang in there, we’ll talk later.”

For the next little while, Larissa sat in place, frustrated. Nothing was happening. She wanted to ... cry. Run. Curl up a little ball. Then, Johnny-boy said, “OK, our ride is here. Get ready to move.”

Larissa hadn’t ever dreamt of anything like this - she was escorted through the university with Julian, Joe and Dyunh around her, and with a full armed escort around them, which meant guns out and up, a solid perimeter of blue and black uniforms. Fucking scary stuff, and she could see the students standing back in fear. And recording it.

In the police van, she got a message from Jackie.

✉ Jackie: “Isla Jones has disappeared. And you’ve got a completely unprecedented police guard - just saw the tweets. Obviously connected. Got any comment?”
✉ Larissa: Still no comment
✉ Jackie: Let me know when you can talk
✉ Larissa: OK

Then Johnny-boy got a call. When he hung up, she said, “Well, Cam says Layna and team are not at Ubirr rock. Only a few random tourists. The rangers asked at the indigenous art shop at Cahill’s Crossing which is right there, and they haven’t seen anyone like that this week, and almost everyone stops there for cold water or ice creams at least. The rangers will let us know if a team with equipment turn up.”

Weird. But maybe they were sleeping in? It was obviously very isolated out there, but was there somewhere else they could park?

In police HQ, they were bundled into a meeting room, where a team of police went through the entire story with her. Other staff kept coming in and out of the room. A woman named Sheila was point in control of everything, sitting down the other end of the table half listening to her story and also controlling the response. When Larissa said about there being a war at Ubirr, she perked up. “Why?”

“Well, Isla has her own security team, and David will have his one.”

“You just said four to five special forces on Isla, right?”

“That’s what Dyunh said,” and Dyunh nodded. He hadn’t moved from her side, and she wasn’t sure he ever would now.

“Well, then, right now, Isla has the biggest private army in Australia.” Larissa looked at her in surprise. “Yes, I just checked. We keep track of all these special forces guys like Dyunh. Tycoons like David Jones usually only have one or two of them. They’re expensive, and they attract a lot of attention.”

A few minutes later, she interrupted. “Larissa, are you sure about Ubirr?” Yes, very sure. “It’s weird. Layna and team are not in Jabiru, the nearest place, haven’t flown into the airport. Nor Oenpelli which is right near Ubirr, though that’s a tiny airport. We’re looking for their plane now. It can’t be that hard to find.”

Larissa was done with her story now, so she sat there and worked. What else could she do? Well, messaging, but she didn’t know what to say. Twitter notifications were insane. She wasn’t sure what she could do to get more noticed than getting escorted through university, guns drawn.

An hour later, there were sitting there having an early lunch when Sheila came and sat with them. “OK. Things are a little clearer now. David Jones’s private jet is on the way up to Jabiru, and someone’s just hired a van to meet them there. So we assume that he’s going to have a little team of heavies with him, ready to confront Layna and Isla. We’re working with the NT police to see what assets we can get in place, but we don’t have many options out there.”

Larissa looked at her in surprise. “Johnny-boy’s mate Cam is there. And isn’t there police at Jabiru?”

Sheila gave a rueful smile. “Cam’s gone fishing. He’s supposed to be contactable, but I guess his radio isn’t working. As for Jabiru ... we’re not confident about them. David Jones has business interests up there. They’re busy anyway.”

Larissa understood what she meant there.

Dyunh stirred. “Consider using special forces. If you can get in contact with Alex, who’s with Layna, he’s got some ex-special forces at hand.”

“Good point. Johnny-boy mentioned your interest. But we’re not going to ... no, interesting. Anyway, what we have done is found Layna and team. Or at least, Layna’s jet. No one can call them because they’re in the air. Flying from Katherine, where they spent the night, to Canberra.”

Larissa looked at her in surprise. What? They spent the night in Katherine? Where the hell was that, and why? She looked it up on her map ... Northern central Australia, nowhere near Kakadu. So why? Had Isla pulled the pin? Or Layna got cold feet? But why Canberra? The minister must have got cold feet because of all the police mess, and summoned her. Or maybe, David Jones had got to the minister? Whatever it was, it had to be bad.

A couple of hours later, Sheila came back to them. “Larissa, we have a part for you to play. If you’re up to it.”

“What is it?” She was still feeling pretty fragile, and profoundly depressed about her long term future.

“David Jones and a team of heavies are going turn up at Ubirr an hour or so before sunset. That’s not a crime, though it’s very likely he’d commit one if Layna and Isla were there. We can’t get enough police there to arrest him even if he does, and anyway, it’s his team that we’d get for weapons charges, small stuff. But we can get actual special forces there, thanks Dyunh, they’re on the way in a helicopter. They can’t arrest him, but they can be positioned to record him, record anything he says. So when he gets there, there’ll be plenty of tourists, it’s a famous spot. People everywhere. But sooner or later, he’s going to realise he’s been had. And he’s going to call you.” Right. He’d blow his stack at her. “And we’ll record the call at both ends. It’s reasonably likely he’ll commit a crime when he calls you, to add to the one he’s already done. A bigger one.” Yes, he certainly would.

“The question for you is, are you up to taking the call? You can’t tell him that we’re listening and recording, and you can’t entrap him.”

Larissa thought about that. That would be immense pressure, but she really had to get him to incriminate himself. What other option did she have?

“Umm, how has he been had?”

Sheila grinned at her. “I don’t know everything, but my information is that the Minister for Energy has called a press conference at 5pm, joint with Layna.”

Fuck! Somehow, Layna must have recorded the song, be good to go! But how?

“OK, I have no choice but to take that call.”

Giving her something to do, some hope, that gave her a focus. She did yoga on the floor with Julian, lots of couples poses, to try and help her focus, prepare her mind. She still had hours to go yet, but she had to be at her sharpest, somehow. While she was resting against Julian, her body stretching, her mind started working. She’d prayed, at her lowest, and it hadn’t been inspiring for her, but things had been getting better since. She prayed again, stretched out against Julian, and remembered that she was not her own; she was promised, in addition to Julian, to Jesus. Julian owned her heart and her body but Jesus owned her soul, and he’d promised to look after that. She thought about what he’d done about right and wrong ... that was inspirational, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?

She was still praying when her phone rang. “Layna,” Dyunh said, looking it.

She jumped up and answered it on speakerphone. “Layna!”

“Larissa, are you OK?”

“Umm, maybe. I’m still alive right now, at least.”

“Oh, that’s such a relief!” She could hear that. “I’ve been worried about you. Has David given you more than what you said?”

“No that was enough. I’m in the police headquarters, layered with security, to keep me safe from him. Hang on.” She looked at Sheila. “Do they have a police escort?”

“Umm, no, it’s not there yet, but they need it. Tell them to sit tight somewhere safe, it’ll be there soon.”

“Layna, the police here say you and Isla need to sit tight, somewhere where Alex can protect you with a hard perimeter, until their escort is there.”

There was a pause. “Shit Larissa, that’s serious. How bad is it?”

“Very bad. But why aren’t you at Ubirr tonight? David Jones is just about there, going to stop you filming and grab Isla. He found out somehow, promised he’s going to rape me and kill me for betraying him, and said he’d kill you if you filmed it. One of the girls cracked.”

“Larissa, I knew one of the girls would crack. They’re not up for that kind of pressure. Hell, I’m not up for the pressure you were under. And when I asked the minister for permission to film at Ubirr, he got back to me and said ‘sorry, too hard there, touchy local politics. But I can get you permission for Katherine River Gorge, and provide you with logistics on the ground from the military.’ So we went there instead, told no one, landed at the airforce base, a big group of soldiers put all our stuff in trucks and ran us out to the river, found us an incredible place to film, it was an awesome sunset, and we filmed it last night. Callum and Dylan and Chez spent all night getting the video just right, and we’re done. Press conference in an hour and a bit with the minister.”

“Umm, OK.”

“Oh, you don’t sound happy. Is that a problem?”

“Layna, David Jones, he’s made death threats and promises this morning, said he’d never forgive me. And he’ll be angrier with you. I don’t know what he’ll think about Isla, but he said that what she was doing was unforgivable. He’s really lost it, Layna, and maybe we shouldn’t do this.”

“But you have police protection, Larissa? Oh shit, Suzy’s just shown me a photo of you getting escorted through the uni this morning. Fuck that’s real serious.” Finally, Layna was getting it, from the tone of her voice.

“Police protection won’t last forever.”

“No. Shit, Larissa, I’m ... I’m not sure what to do. Is Julian there?”

“Yes, and Joe. They’re listening too.”

“Good. OK. Let’s think about it. You’ve had a terrifying day, facing the music, like I said, while I just had fun and sang the song. I have a question for you. I need you, the keeper of my heart, to look inside yours. The reasons we decided to do this. Have they changed? Changed enough to get us to fail before we succeed?” That was a genuine question, she could hear. If she said so, Layna would pull the pin.

She thought about their decision the other night, and realised that Layna’s hard decision still stood: the only way to do this was to win. Isla was committed, more than she realised. No way out now. And Bob had committed. And she was committed. David would already never forgive her. Might as well go for it. She’d said she’d risk everything, and so had Layna, and now she’d lived that, it was way more horrifying than she’d imagined. But Jesus did it. So how could she compromise? She’d do it all over again if she had to, she realised.

“No. The logic hasn’t changed. We have to do this. I said I’d pay the price, and I will...” her voice broke saying that. “But going for it is the only way I might not. Once we publish the song, what’s the point of risking chasing us?”

“Thanks, my hero. Joe and Julian?”

“I agree still,” Julian said. “The logic is still strong, but we’re really committed if we do.”

“Yes from me,” Joe said. “But Julian’s right, things will never be the same.”

“OK. Isla, you?”

“Larissa,” they heard over the phone. “I’m very sorry about all this. I had no idea he’d blow up like this. But I’ll be dead if we don’t do this. So I vote to do it.”

“And yes from me. Whatever the price. Larissa, we’re bound together for ever. We’ll pick up the pieces tomorrow. OK. I’ll let the minister know. Will the police let us know when our escort arrives?”

“They’ll call you. Five minutes, they say.”

“Thanks. I’ll get sorted here. I’ll call you later.”

When she looked up from the call, the police commander was sitting next to Sheila, a very angry look on his face. “Larissa, David Jones has crossed the line many times too often, and this time, in a way that we can’t let stand, and he can’t hide or suppress. I’m not standing for him anymore. I promise you, this time I’m getting him, and you’re going to be safe.”

“Thanks Shane.” She didn’t know what else to say. How could he promise that?

Larissa went back to doing yoga. Sheila saw her doing that, an asked if she wanted to use the police gym. Yeah, she want down to the gym and did a hard work out with Julian, just in their uni clothes, yoga pants. Dyunh watched them. Sheila brought her a couple of updates - Layna had her police escort into parliament. David Jones had landed at Jabiru, a team of six heavies with him, and several bags that they’d moved into the van. Weapons, no doubt. He’d gone into Jabiru for something.

Then she saw a tweet on her phone from Layna’s Project: “Livestream: press conference with the Australian Minister for Energy to release our new video in 30 minutes at 5pm AEST. [link]” She showed it to Julian, and then had a very quick shower. Up in their meeting room, they had the live stream up, showing an empty press room, and a counter, counting down the minutes to the press conference.

✉ Layna: OK. This is all going to be worth it. Love you lots, it’s your victory!
✉ Larissa: Thanks. Yours too

Sheila came and sat next to her. “David Jones is going to arrive in Ubirr sometime soon. We have special forces in place watching there. We’ll try and give you warning when he gets his sat phone out, but we might not be able to. Are you going to be OK?”

She nodded. She had to do this, get him to incriminate himself.

“We’d like you to imply that the video isn’t yet released, that he might still get to the minister if he does it immediately. The minister is ready to take his call, knows everything. That’ll add to his crimes.”

Fuck. They really were going after him seriously. She nodded. She’d certainly do that.

“Can we forward from your phone to one of ours?” She nodded, logged into her phone, and gave it to Sheila.

Five minutes. Julian moved up closer to and put his arms around her. “You can do this, babe. You’re awesome, and he’ll never know what hit him.”

She leant her head against Julian and said, “I’ll do my best, but I’m not awesome really, I’m just a normal girl trying to be what you deserve.”

“Oh, me,” Julian said, “I’m just a boring guy trying to keep up with you, because you’re perfect for me.” She smiled at him, and kissed him and held him tight. On the screen, she could see the journalists lining up ready for the press conference. She spotted Jackie briefly.

Then the minister walked in with his entourage. A couple of pressers, and the deaf translator, then Layna, Isla, and Hannah. And right on Isla’s shoulder, very pointedly, Alex was there, hulking over her - Isla was a smallish girl, and Alex was not a small man. Anyone seeing that would have zero doubt about his role, or his risk assessment: Isla was in real danger.

She had her phone back, and she got a message.

✉ Jackie: Isla!
✉ Larissa: Yes. I see her too
✉ Jackie: In danger too! I really want this story. What do I have to do?
✉ Larissa: Her story. Ask her.

The minister was getting ready. “OK. Everyone, I have a statement to make but we also have a video to show. Are you good with that feed?” The livestream briefly flicked to a dark screen with a caption “Layna’s Project,” and then back to the minister, who looked around the room seeking confirmation. “OK. Once we’ve shown the video, I will have a few more remarks, as will Layna here, and then we’ll take questions. One more minute.”

He turned and spoke quietly to Layna, and then Isla, and then Hannah. Then he turned back to the microphone.

“Thanks for being here with us. Next week, Layna is representing Australia at the inter-European meeting of the council of ministers to address climate change, as a guest of the US international ambassador for climate change, John Kerry. I’m proud to have Australia recognised for it’s new found progress on climate change by being invited to this meeting.”

Like hell, Larissa thought to herself, it was Layna that was invited, not Australia, but OK, if Australia chose to have Layna represent it.

“Additionally, I’m proud to have Layna represent Australia. We all know, or should know, of Layna’s impressive contributions to the cause, and she’s one of the ablest spokespersons for the urgency of the problem of climate change that we know of in Australia, or the whole world.”

“Today, I’m really pleased to introduce a new song that Layna has produced as part of her contribution to next week’s meeting. I call on the European council of ministers to adopt this as part of their formal declaration from the meeting. It’s an awesome song, filmed in one of the great iconic locations in Australia.”

He stopped, and the song played. The screen faded in from black to an aerial view of Katherine river gorge, a drone flying along the gorge, the sun setting in the background. And the sound: just Isla’s voice, singing ‘sunset falls on the age of carbon.’ The drone turned upwards, flying up a cliff, and then burst over the top of the cliff, and there was Layna, sitting on a rock with a guitar, and Isla, singing. Both dressed simply in a white singlet top and plain shorts, letting their own natural beauty do the work. Layna started playing the guitar, and singing along with Isla, a duet with Isla singing the lead. As they sang, different camera angles were shown, with the sun gradually sinking into the horizon in the distance. Beside Layna and Isla, the river flowed, pointing towards the sun. Suddenly, the sky and the river lit up, a fiery red colour. The images were simply majestic, Larissa had never imagined something so dramatic. And all through it, the requiem for an age that could be no more, the age of carbon, a one chance to make the world a better place, but partially squandered by bad choices made in the pursuit of wealth now.

Wow. Wow wow wow. A spectacular location. An awesome voice. Emotive poetry. Two beautiful woman. Solid guitar work - much better than Larissa had heard Layna do before. The audio quality wasn’t studio quality but it was very good and there was a real live music vibe to the sound. It was a combination that delivered awesome power, and it closed out fading to black as the sun set, with Isla’s voice coming to the song’s haunting conclusion: Will there be a dawn?