Base

by Cathleen Ross

  He rolled his hips with short, jerky movements stroking her over and over until sheer, raw pleasure made her groan out loud.

  The animalism of his actions brought out an intense need that was so primeval she didn’t fight it. Not right then. She kissed him back and ground herself against him. Her orgasm, when it came, roared inside her, starting between her legs and radiating out, encompassing her whole body. Legs trembling, breath gasping, she was too weak to keep fighting him.

  Damn him. She wanted him to take her. Out here in the open. Deep and hard. It frightened her. Some people behaved like animals. She, a thinking person, wasn’t one of them.

  Jack released her hands but he held her trapped against the wall with his body. ‘You are mine.’ His eyes held hers as he unzipped his trousers, pulled out his cock and finished himself off in a few vicious strokes. He didn’t say much but his meaning was clear. He’d marked her like an animal. When he zipped himself up, he walked over to the tap, took a long, hard drink and washed his hands.

  There was something tough and uncompromising about his expression but Ruth knew something real had passed between them. A need so primitive, she could barely process it. The world outside was crumbling around her and everything she stood for seemed to be following. On shaky legs, she walked over to the tap and washed his mark off her jeans followed by a rinse of her face and hands.

  Once she’d finished, he wrapped his arm around her waist and steered her into the house. Grabbing a beach towel and his gun, he slung them both over his shoulder and they headed outside.

  It was pointless telling him she didn’t want to walk. Never had she experienced an orgasm like that. It made her want to shut herself in her room and process what had just happened. Ruth didn’t bother telling Jack. The more she argued with him, the more he invaded her personal space as if he owned her. Instead, she trudged up the hill on jelly-like legs, towards the hospital. Pleasure still radiated from her head to her toes. No man had ever wrenched an orgasm from her like that. He seemed to have the ability to take her over and override any common sense she possessed. Until now, no man had managed to get under her enduring sense of control. The skin around her cheeks burned from his five o’clock shadow and she was certain she smelled like a woman on heat. Worse, he made her know desire. Her orgasm had just whetted her appetite for more and she didn’t like herself for it. Her mother had brought her up warning her of a man’s power to sexually enslave a woman. That’s how her mother had fallen pregnant with her to a charmer who’d dumped her the moment she’d announced she was pregnant. She’d been brought up not to depend on a man and there was no reason she should start now.

  Damn Jack. Damn him to hell. Somehow, against all odds, he’d made her crave him to the point where she wanted to rip her own clothes off, lie down and beg him to fuck her. There was something about him that made her want it hard and fast, again and again. Her erect nipples burned under her bra.

  Ruth fought to calm herself, to think of something other than sex despite her pulsating need. Jack’s uncompromising possession of her had shattered her resolve and she fought to get it back. Next time Jack attempted to seduce her, she’d better have a grip. The more she responded to him, the more he’d want her. Hey she’d be fooling herself if she didn’t admit he turned her on too. But she knew how the brain worked. All the pleasure neurons lit up with their chemical high. That’s all it was. A physical endorphin boost. Nothing more. Her body would confuse the sensation with emotion and she’d think she was falling for Jack. It was time to switch herself off. Next time, she’d will herself not to respond. Eventually Jack would lose interest. He’d find another female who wanted to spend her last days having sex like an animal instead of doing something intelligent. As they approached the hospital she clung to the idea of work. Medicine focused her. All her adult life, she’d depended on her skills. There was no reason to stop now. Getting lost in the physical might suit Jack, but it didn’t suit her.

  ‘I need to check on Darren and Vassar’s brother. I’m testing the antiviral on them. Darren sustained a scratch. Vassar’s brother a bad bite.’ Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry, even her lips seemed loose and rubbery.

  ‘Sure.’ The word came out as no more than a grunt.

  Ruth wondered if the encounter in his garden had affected Jack too? Surely not. A guy like him would be used to take-it-and-leave-it sex.

  A guard stood in front of the small hospital room where Vassar had locked Darren. He saluted Jack.

  ‘Stand aside.’ Jack took a bunch of keys from his hip pocket and unlocked the door. Darren lay flat on his back, his eyes closed and his arms and legs cuffed.

  Ruth stepped into the small room, which contained just one bed with Jack closely on her heels. ‘Hi, Darren. How are you feeling?’

  Darren’s eyes flickered open. He launched himself at her, his arms straining at the cuffs that bound him. He gave an unearthly growl.

  Heart thudding, Ruth jumped back.

  Before Ruth could utter a word, Jack pushed her aside, took the thin, metal spear mounted on the wall and plunged it into Darren’s eye. His whole body spasmed and his fingers clenched and unclenched before he slumped.

  Ruth’s stomach heaved and she ran to the sink. Dear God, she should be able to cope with this. She was a doctor. Sweat broke out on her brow and her head swam and she tried to stop herself vomiting. God help her, Jack’s sheer, naked violence overwhelmed her as much as the fact that Darren had become a braindead. Her fingers gripped the edge of the porcelain until her head stopped spinning. Until this moment she hadn’t realised how much she had been hoping the antiviral would work.

  ‘Damn. I’ll let Lea know he turned.’ Jack pulled Darren’s undamaged eyelid back to reveal the eyeball, which was red with traumatised capillaries from the virus. He yanked out the spear rinsed it in the sink and placed it back on the wall mount.

  Ruth went and sat outside taking deep breaths while Jack instructed his guard to organise Darren’s body for disposal. Every now and then, the whiff of decay that blew on the northern wind would reach her nostrils and she was glad Jack made sure all braindead bodies they collected in the garbage trucks were tipped off the cliff into the sea for the sharks. Ruth stirred herself and stood. ‘Let’s check Vassar’s brother though I know what I’m going to find.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Jack’s voice was flat. ‘I served with Mike Vassar. I want to pay my final respects.’ Head down he strode towards the cells, which were housed in a large concrete bunker.

  Ruth recalled going to an organic market there in the past. Now the place had the smell of death and desperation. The large garage type roller door was open. All the cells were empty except one. Vassar sat holding the hand of his brother. Even from a distance Ruth could see young Mike Vassar was riddled with fever. His brow was beaded and his uniform drenched. Ruth stood outside the cell. ‘Hello, Vassar. I came to check on how your brother is doing.’

  Vassar stood and unlocked the cell door. He gripped a metal spear in his hand. ‘The moment Mike dies, I’ll do it. He begged me not to let him turn.’ Vassar swallowed and his eyes became glassy. ‘He doesn’t want my last memory of him to be that of a monster.’

  They all knew it was only a matter of time. Hideous. She’d never asked who speared the men once they’d turned. Their mates. Grief rode Vassar’s expression as he stood sentinel over the young man who looked like him. Ruth swallowed and her own eyes misted over. Dear God this was too hard.

  Jack gave her hand a squeeze.

  Ruth gulped and bit back her grief. This was one of the most heart wrenching scenes she’d ever witnessed. ‘Vassar, can I examine your brother?’

  ‘You can’t save him, Ruth. I know you’d like to. I’ve seen how great you are with patients.’ Never the less, Vassar moved aside.

  Ruth pulled her torch from her pocket and looked into Mike Vassar’s eyes. There were no traumatised capillaries yet. His pulse raced when she checked it and his whole body was slick with fever. This was the final sta
ge. ‘The virus hasn’t destroyed his brain. How long since he stopped talking?’

  ‘He hasn’t. He fades in and out of consciousness,’ Vassar said.

  Ruth frowned.

  ‘What is it?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Usually with this virus when a patient loses consciousness they don’t regain it.’ She leaned over the patient. ‘Mike, can you hear me?’

  Mike’s eyelids flickered.

  ‘Mike,’ she called again.

  His eyes opened and he stared up at her. ‘Hot. Burning up. Drink.’

  ‘Here have some water, buddy.’ Vassar lifted his brother while Ruth held a drink to his lips.

  Mike gulped the fluid down then flopped back. Vassar lowered him onto the bed.

  Ruth adjusted the drip she’d attached earlier to Mike’s arm when she’d given him the antiviral. ‘I’ll come back in an hour to check on him again.’

  Ruth and Jack walked from the cells into the daylight. Vassar followed them out.

  ‘Ruth, do you think my brother has a chance?’ There was a tiny ray of hope in Vassar’s eyes.

  ‘I don’t know. I can’t be sure. Stay with him, but keep the cuffs on. I know it’s horrible but sometimes it’s fast.’

  ‘That was what took so many by surprise,’ Jack added.

  ‘I lost a lot of colleagues at work,’ Ruth said, ‘so please be careful.’

  Jack looked at his watch. ‘Come on.’

  ‘I have to go. Jack needs to check the fences. He’s taking me to Balmoral Beach to give me a ’reality check’.’ As if seeing what Vassar was going through wasn’t real enough.

  Vassar held out his hand for her to shake. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry about what I called you today. Especially the last thing. I shouldn’t have. I take it back. Your kindness means a lot. Especially now.’

  Ruth shook his hand. ‘Don’t worry about it. People say and do stuff they shouldn’t when they’re stressed.’

  Jack gave Vassar’s shoulder a light slap. ‘See you soon, buddy.’

  When they were out of Vassar’s earshot, Jack turned to Ruth. ‘What did Vassar call you?’

  Ruth kept walking down the road to the main base, just glad to feel the sun on her face. ‘Opinionated,’ she finally let out.

  ‘Well, that’s true.’ Jack strolled alongside her.

  ‘Thanks.’ She didn’t react. Couldn’t be bothered. Instead she was running over all the braindead cases she’d attended at the hospital. Once they’d lapsed into an unconscious state, they didn’t come back. Sometimes when the body fought the virus, they had a fever and lingered. Was Mike different? Was the antivirus stopping the progression of the illness? It was too early to tell. She could get more blood tests tomorrow to see if there was a difference. It would also give her an excuse to check on Lea if she didn’t see her at dinner tonight.

  ‘Anything else?’ Jack saluted the man on duty at the main base. They walked past him and down the pathway towards Balmoral Beach.

  Ruth glanced over at him. He had that irritating half-smile on his face again. ‘Uptight.’

  ‘Yeah I can see that.’ Jack laughed.

  ‘Shut up, Jack. No one is relaxed with the world like it is at the moment. If anyone likes order, it’s you.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘What do you mean is there anything else? How many insults do I have to put up with?’ She walked down the concrete path towards the gate at the bottom of the base. She could see sunlight twinkling on the seawater through the fencing. A young sailor guarded the bottom gate. How easy would it be to get past him if she were alone?

  ‘In all the time I’ve served with Vassar, I’ve never heard him apologise. He’s the man you want to watch your back in a fight but he’s downright ornery.’

  ‘Ornery. I like that. Suits Vassar,’ Ruth said. Probably suited her too.

  ‘So what else did he call you?’ Jack started to whistle.

  ‘Mind your own business.’

  ‘I don’t think he called you that. Come on, fess up.’ Jack’s green eyes gleamed with amusement.

  Ruth raised her eyebrows. ‘He called me frigid.’

  Jack licked his bottom lip, looking at her with the hunger of a wolf. ‘You’re not with me.’

  Ruth stared at him alarmed by the possession in his gaze. ‘Forget it, Jack. The way I respond to you. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re forcing me to stay here and one day you’ll regret it.’

  Jack quit walking, turned and gripped her by the shoulders. ‘Is that a threat?’

  ‘Wouldn’t you like that? All you know is how to respond to threats with aggression. I’m saying what you’re doing is wrong. You don’t get to own me. I’m not planning to stay.’

  ‘I’m saving your life.’

  From the hurt in his gaze, she realised he may have more feelings for her than he would admit. ‘I’m not asking you to.’

  She pushed his hands away and strode towards the bottom gate, which opened on to the beach. In the distance she could hear moaning and despite her brave front, she shivered. Balmoral Beach usually had a fresh salty smell, but the overwhelming stink of death permeated her nostrils.

  Jack saluted the young sailor, who had the name Hunter printed on his uniform.

  Hunter saluted him and opened the gate for them. In the middle of the water Ruth could see several naval vessels with guns on the backs of the boats.

  ‘What are they doing?’ she asked Jack.

  ‘Preparing to make war on the braindeads. We had trouble on the fence closest to Balmoral Oval. Too many braindeads pressing against it. They’re emptying out of the apartment blocks and houses onto the slopes.’ Jack took her elbow. ‘Turn right. We’re going onto the navy finger wharf. It’s well behind the firing line.’

  ‘I thought you were thinning them out. I couldn’t see any on Middle Head Road this afternoon.’ Ruth concentrated on keeping her footing on the slippery foreshore. She couldn’t afford to injure herself.

  Jack moved his arm to her waist so she didn’t and led her onto the pier. ‘Look to the shoreline and at The Esplanade. You need to see this.’

  Ruth reeled. A strangled noise left her throat. Oh God she hadn’t expected this. Thousands of braindeads lined the shore. The roads leading up the hill were jammed with shambling bodies trying to make their way down towards the sea. Her hand went to her mouth. Her throat dried and she could barely get any words out. ‘Why?’

  ‘Why are they heading down this way?’ Jack finished her sentence for her. ‘The more they decay the more uncoordinated they become. I have barriers along every uphill exit to force them downhill. But hell, it’s not like we can ask them.’

  She nodded, too horrified to speak. Her eyes bugged out on stalks. No wonder Jack hadn’t let her and her friends take a car down to The Esplanade. They would have been torn apart. There were braindeads packing the horse-shoe shaped boardwalk that framed the saltwater swimming pool. On the pier of the fancy cafe she caught the flash of a man with long blond hair and a tall man with curly hair swaying next to him. She’d known the kids who worked there. How many times had she caught the tender boat driven by the sweet Aussie uni kids out to her yacht? It hit home hard how many had stayed in their homes only to be attacked and turn. So many that they were forced into the ocean from the approaching horde behind. ‘Thank God they can’t swim.’

  ‘Hordes have an energy of their own. I placed barriers on every street from Spit Junction along Military Road all the way to the exit to the Harbour Bridge. That stopped the horde from the city and the horde from the north. See all the apartments on the slopes? That’s where this horde is coming from.’ He put his arm around her shoulders.

  The wet slap of her heart beat in her chest. ‘There really is no hope.’ Her voice seemed small. A choking rising panic made her feel her throat was closing over.

  Jack hugged her to him. ‘There’s hope. If they can’t eat, they decay. Every day they grow weaker. I have men stationed at all the major barriers to check the hordes don’t bre
ak through. Damn it, Ruth, I’ve given my men orders to blow up the Harbour Bridge, the tunnel and every major arterial road if we’re threatened.’

  ‘Without you, I’d be dead.’ The shock of the horde made her cling to him. The fact slammed into her. It was an awkward sensation owing him, something she wasn’t used to.

  ‘Yeah, but you needed to see it to believe it.’

  ‘You can’t possibly have the firepower to contain this. You’ll run out of bullets eventually. The only safe place is an island or the sea.’

  He wrapped his arms around her. ‘I’m not retreating. I am not giving an inch. The men have fought too damn hard to give up the base. One day it will be safe again and my men will be able to live in the fancy houses they’ve worked so hard to protect.’

  Jack had a determination to win at all costs that didn’t make sense to her. Not after seeing this. Just swimming distance away she spied her boat gently bobbing, beckoning to her. Surreptitiously, her fingers slid into her jean pocket searching out her boat key. Questions driven by panic fired in her mind. ‘What about the other side of Mosman? There are so many suburbs northwest of here. What if all those braindeads form hordes? You can’t hope to stop them. They’ll just keep coming.’

  He put her arms on his shoulders and looked into her eyes. ‘When will you learn to trust me? There’s a reason we’ve survived when others haven’t. I told you, I’ve blocked every main road leading onto Military Road with buses from the depot at Neutral Bay and backed them up with concrete pylons. This base had commandos too. Some came back to fight. I’ve stationed commandos at every main checkpoint. They’re the toughest, fittest men on the base. You’ll meet them tonight when some of them come off rotation. If a horde gets through a checkpoint my men will hit them with our machine guns. They will not get to the base. Dammit, Ruth, I’ll give my life to protect you.’