Base (19 page)

Ruth studied her, noticing her friend's cheeks were pink with pleasure, but Lea couldn't afford to get excited. ‘You of all people know the risks. It's one test.'

The bright smile slid from Lea's face. ‘Ruth, it's a major breakthrough. We're on the right track. I couldn't find any trace of the virus in Mike's cells. When I dropped in the result, Mike's fever had gone. You know that's never happened before. Oh and I made a discovery. Mike adds truffle oil to his meals.'

‘So? His parents run a truffle farm. He and Vassar have boxes of the stuff.' Lea could be so obtuse sometimes.

‘But that's just it, Ruth. Strains of mushrooms have antiviral properties. Mike's immune system is fighting this far better than Darren's, even though Darren had the antiviral too. I have so much work to do. I need to procure some mice so I can run some tests.'

‘But that could take years,' Ruth wailed. ‘We could all be dead by then.'

‘Why are you such a kill joy?' Sue asked. ‘No one else in the world has got close to treating this virus as far as we've heard. Don't you think Lea can crack it?'

Anxiety gnawed at her like a rat working a piece of cheese. ‘I'm sorry, Lea. It's an outstanding result. I know I should be congratulating you.'

Lea studied her, her sky-blue eyes concerned. ‘I'm not claiming Mike's cured. Far from it, but it's a start. He needs to stay on the antiviral medication. If the virus can't penetrate the cell walls it doesn't seem to survive in the bloodstream. You know, it won't necessarily take years. We know so much more about virology thanks to all the work we've done on HIV.' Lea stopped. ‘Are you okay, Ruth?'

‘I got attacked this morning. I'm so jittery. I can hardly think straight now I have some down time. It was bad. Really bad. Terrible.' Ruth sank back on her chair while the steward filled their glasses with wine and folded her arms in front of herself.

‘Attacked?' Lea blinked, her sweet face full of concern.

‘Are you living in a cave, Lea? Don't you hear anything down in that lab of yours?' Sue rolled her eyes. ‘Don't answer that. You're such a hermit.' She filled Lea in on what had happened to Ruth.

‘Oh, Ruth, no wonder you're so tense. Thank God you're safe. I couldn't bear to lose you.' Lea rubbed her back, her face thoughtful.

Ruth picked up her glass and gulped more wine. ‘I've never been clingy in my life but I don't want to be far from Jack's side.'

‘That's a change. I've never heard you talk about needing a man. By the way, are you enjoying the handcuffs?' Sue asked.

‘Sue!' Ruth said.

Sue shrugged. ‘What? Vassar said Jack cuffed you to the bed each night. Never took you for kinky.'

‘Mind your own business.' Ruth narrowed her eyes at Sue but a smile cracked her face. Her friend was a balm on a knot of anxiety.

‘It's okay to need a man. We're in a different world now. I can't fight braindeads. I don't go anywhere without Phil. I'm frightened without him.' Lea glanced fondly at Phil who was talking to an officer on his right.

‘I don't want to let Vassar out of my sight in case Helen gets him,' Sue joked. ‘Vassar has given me a gun seeing as he needs to spend time with Mike at the moment. I'm a good shot.'

‘Jack is teaching me how to shoot too.' Ruth looked around her, gaining a new respect for these fighting men who risked their lives everyday, her gaze settling on Jack who had just entered the Mess. His thick-cropped hair was slightly longer and his piercing green eyes were scanning the room. He glanced over at her and his smile lit up like a thousand watts. The tension in her body eased just at the sight of him. The man made her toes curl in passion and she longed for the dinner to be at an end so she could have him to herself. More than anything, she wanted to feel his arms around her: to feel safe, cared for and wanted. All her life she'd cared for others. To experience surrender to Jack was exhilarating. Nothing seemed to matter more than having him by her side.

Wow she had it bad.

A huge cheer rose up, echoing off the walls as Mike and Vassar strode in behind Jack. Mike looked like he'd had a shower and was wearing his uniform. He wore a grin from ear to ear and he'd taken his bandage off his neck, the raw bite mark a badge of honour. Ruth stared around her. Jack had never complained, not once, about leading these men in a world gone mad and they'd follow him anywhere.

The captain motioned for everyone to resume their seats. ‘Before we eat I want to welcome Mike. I don't have to tell you that his coming back from a bite is unprecedented. It's thanks to Lea's antiviral and my favourite doctor's tender care. He's not out of danger yet but I've asked him to eat with us before he goes back to the cells.'

The roar of approval broke out again.

‘Well done, girls. This means a lot to us.' Armstrong leaned over and gave her and Lea a pat on the back.

When Ruth surveyed the intense faces of the men, she realised Jack was right. They needed a win after the loss of one of their own today. Already the numbers were thinning out in the Mess as they lost men. She had several sailors injured in the hospital and a team of commandos had gone out on rotation while others were guarding the perimeter of the base. The duties were relentless yet somehow Jack managed to keep people motivated.

She had it bad for him. He was a man she could respect, who did what he said he would do. It was his vision that had saved them from certain death against all odds. No man's arms around her had ever felt like his. Jack made her feel as safe as she could ever be in this terrifying world.

‘Enjoy your meal tonight. I understand the ladies in the kitchen have worked hard with our chef to produce something special.' Jack nodded at the men, then he, Vassar and Mike came to join them at the officers' table. The steward placed a plate containing sausages sitting on a bed of mashed potato and some fresh green peas in front of Ruth. She sniffed the sausages trying to identify the scent. They had a peppery smell and something else she didn't recognise.

‘Eat up, Ruth, these sausages are handmade,' Jack said, cutting into his. ‘The ladies worked all day to make them.'

Ruth cut into her sausage, noticing the oil spilling over onto her mash. ‘Do I want to know what zoo animal I'm eating?'

‘Probably not,' Jack said, chewing contentedly. ‘So glad we've got meat back on the menu. Can you cook, Ruth? Do you think you could make something as good as this?'

‘Hey, Jack, what did you mean by, “women in the kitchen”? Is that where the rest of the females are?' Sue cut in before Ruth could answer.

‘Sure. Why do you ask?' Jack glanced at Sue before falling back to his meal.

Ruth noticed he could eat an incredible amount, yet his body had no fat at all.

‘Ruth said you kept the extra women as sex slaves,' Sue called out cheekily.

Jack put his fork down, glanced at Ruth, his expression amused at her mortification. ‘I save my kink for Ruth. She's everything I need.'

‘Thanks, Sue, for bringing that up.' Ruth kept her eyes on her plate and picked at her meal, ignoring the chuckles of the men around her. For the first time, she wanted to be everything Jack needed. Never had she thought that way before. She'd like to cook for Jack, not that she knew much beyond basics. She'd never had time. Her work had always consumed her, but Lea was right, things were different now. She glanced back to Jack under her eyelashes, wishing she weren't surrounded by men because she longed to run her hands over his head now his hair was growing that imperceptible bit longer. Every moment when he wasn't holding her seemed a waste of time. Life was precious.

‘You're welcome, Ruth.' Sue grinned.

Deciding to ignore them, Ruth cast a look past Jack at Mike who was sitting two down from her talking with Vassar. Mike's skin had a pallor about it that didn't sit easily with her.

Jack took a sip of his beer. ‘Despite Ruth's low opinion of navy men we're lucky to have found you girls. You've added a fantastic skill set we men don't have. The cooks were holed up in one of the Italian restaurants on Military Road. Great, aren't they?'

‘Why haven't we met them?' Ruth asked, refusing to bite to Jack's teasing.

‘They're quite elderly. They prefer to eat in the kitchen with our cook and retire early. Do you know they've used sheep's intestines for the sausages? They told me that's the old way of doing it. It's amazing what they can do with offal. They waste nothing.' Jack forked up some potato and sausage and put it in his mouth.

‘Offal?' Ruth took a gulp of water from her glass. Intestines? She pushed her sausage aside and sat back, appetite gone. She noticed Mike picking over his food too, though he'd added a large puddle of truffle oil on his potato mash. A sheen of perspiration gathered on his brow. Sure it was warm, but she wasn't sweating and she didn't think Mike should be. Hell. Had Jack noticed?

The steward came around with a platter and Ruth selected a slice of meat. She picked up her knife and fork, delighted to eat something that looked like a steak. ‘Yum. This is nice.' She knew it wasn't the elephant because she'd seen him grazing just outside the building.

Jack, who had already polished off his sausages, helped himself to the meat from the platter, cut it up and took a bite. ‘Tasty. You were right, Armstrong.'

‘Told you the lace monitor makes good tucker,' Armstrong said. ‘Do you know that the lace monitor is the only lizard that has a forked tongue like a snake?'

‘Please tell me you didn't just say the word lizard,' Ruth said, putting her fork down.

‘Goanna. Quite an earthy taste. Lives off rats and road kill,' Armstrong said winking at Sue before spearing a piece of meat with his fork.

‘Armstrong!' Ruth glared at him.

Sue burst into laughter.

‘Survival in the bush 101. Best training course a service man can do.' Armstrong flashed her his megawatt grin.

‘Loved that course,' Jack agreed. ‘Never thought we'd find it so useful.'

A shattering sound, sharp and discordant, slammed across Ruth's nerves.

Mike stood and staggered towards the door. His wine glass and plate lay on the floor in pieces, the red wine a blood red stain on the tablecloth.

She sprang to her feet and grabbed her medical bag. ‘Oh hell.'

A deep groan left Mike's lips and he fell like a pole-axed bull, his whole body rigid onto the floor. His eyes rolled back in his head as his arms and legs thrashed.

Ruth raced towards Mike. ‘Vassar, hold Mike down.'

Vassar surged forward, his gun already out of his holster.

Jack followed him.

‘Don't kill him,' Ruth screamed on seeing Vassar take aim.

‘Get back, Ruth.' Vassar stood behind his thrashing brother's head, his gun pointed at Mike's skull, his face forbidding. ‘I promised Mike I wouldn't let him turn.'

Jack grabbed Ruth and pulled her away.

‘Damn you, Jack, let me go. I need to check Mike.'

‘You're not going near him.' His arms coiled around her torso so that she was forced to drop her medical bag to the ground.

All around them men surged forward, faces grim and weapons drawn.

‘Jack, let me go. I need to check his eyes. Please. I'm not stupid enough to examine him unless he's restrained.' Ruth struggled against Jack's grip, appalled that he wouldn't release her. There were enough men here to contain the flaying man.

‘Don't kill him. Pinion him,' Jack ordered his men. ‘Quit struggling, Ruth. You don't go near Mike until I say.'

‘Fine by me,' she said through gritted teeth, though Jack relaxed his grip on her.

Armstrong and three other sailors pinned Mike's arms and legs.

‘Vassar, I'm going to hold Mike's head. If he's turning, use a spear not your gun. I don't want the men or Ruth splattered,' Jack ordered.

‘Yes, sir,' Vassar said, sheathing his weapon before grabbing a wall-mounted spear.

Jack released Ruth, squatted behind Mike and placed his hands either side of Mike's face forcing him to still. ‘Ruth, examine him. Make it quick.'

Face foreboding, Vassar stood next to Jack, one hand forming a fist around his spear, poised to kill.

Ruth grabbed her torch out of her bag.

Mike groaned and arched his back, his face contorting in pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead and began dribbling down into his hair. The front of his shirt was drenched and the same funky smell that Ruth had noticed oozed out of his body. For a moment his whole body slumped and he opened his eyes looking up into his brother's face. ‘Kill me. It's taking me over. Please, Tom. Don't let me hurt anyone.'

‘Sure, buddy.' Tears ran down Vassar's cheeks as he bent over Mike, his tears dropping onto his brother's face.

‘You promised me. Make the pain stop.' Mike's whole body began to spasm.

‘I will, mate.' Vassar choked back sobs as grief struck him.

In the background, Ruth heard Sue wail. Ruth squatted next to Jack and shone her torch into Mike's right eye. ‘No broken capillaries.'

‘Call it, Ruth,' Jack said.

Ruth turned to Jack. ‘He hasn't turned yet. Get him back to his cell. I'll put him on a drip and inject him with the antiviral.'

Vassar's face contorted with fury. ‘For God's sake, Ruth, I want to put Mike out of his misery.'

Ruth examined Mike's other eye before staring Vassar down. ‘He's alive. You can't pierce his brain until he dies.'

‘He's not some damned guinea pig. The antiviral isn't working. You know he's going to turn,' Vassar roared. ‘He wants this to stop.'

Hell Vassar was losing it and it made him dangerous. Ruth turned to Jack instead. ‘His pupils are contracting normally. Jack, get him back to the cells. Make sure he's bound and gagged for safety.' While Mike had a hope, slim that it was, she was not going to let Vassar end his life.