Free Base by Cathleen Ross Page A

don’t want to live here.’
    â€˜This contagion has spread everywhere. There’s nowhere else to go.’
    â€˜Everywhere?’ The pictures on the Net earlier had been bad. Sydney city fighting braindeads; bushfires raging in areas west of the city and no one to put them out; viral outbreaks in all the other major cities except Hobart. Reporters had joked that no one could tell a braindead from a Tasmanian anyway because they were inbred. The Tasmanians hadn’t seen the funny side and had refused to let anyone new come to the island. Trapped in her apartment, she’d seen some braindeads through her windows but not hordes like in the city. There had been spotty reports of farmers shooting braindeads in the country areas, when she’d last heard the news some time ago.
    â€˜I can’t contact any of the bases. I can’t raise anyone anywhere.’ His green eyes deepened with worry.
    She shook her head, not wanting to believe him. ‘There has to be somewhere better than this.’
    Jack put one of his arms around her back and pulled her in tight. ‘There’s nothing better than this base. You’re safe with me. Other men, outside of the base, will rape you. I won’t.’
    Is that what this country had come to? Confined in his arms, she could hear his heartbeat and she could feel hers pattering with fear. It would be tempting to hug him back, to accept what he offered, but he was a total stranger who wanted an obedient woman who did what she was told. ‘I can’t do pussy for protection.’
    â€˜Jesus, what will it take for you to trust me?’ He swept down and gave her a soft kiss before she could avert her face. ‘It’ll be a whole lot better than that.’
    â€˜Try listening to me and respecting me as an equal. That will go a long way.’ Suddenly everything seemed overwhelming. The sides of her eyes started to sting.
    â€˜What is it with you? Did someone hurt you?’
    â€˜Of course not.’
    â€˜I don’t mean physically. You’re so damned closed. You’ve got issues. You won’t let anyone in.’
    Let’s see. Sue would say she had a list: abandonment from her father; her specialist boyfriend getting back with his wife and forgetting to mention it while promising a relationship with her. Yeah, sure. She had issues but in this crazy mixed up world, who didn’t? Trust had gone to shit. And now this Neanderthal was trying to get her to open up to him. Oh please. Couldn’t he just go and gnaw on a bone or something?
    She slapped at his chest. ‘You’re not a psychiatrist. You don’t get to put me on the couch.’
    â€˜You know a lot of men here served with me. We trust each other and that’s why we’re alive. You might be school smart but you’ve got a lot to learn about people, like who to trust for a start.’
    She thought of Sue and her fury about keeping the bite a secret. Hell. Sue hated her. Much as she didn’t like to hear it, Jack had zeroed in on her shortcomings, big time. The tears that pricked at her eyes started to spill over. He released her and stepped away as if he didn’t know how to deal with her feminine emotion. ‘Vassar will be here at zero nine hundred to escort you to the medical centre,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’ve left breakfast out for you on the kitchen bench.’ He walked into the bathroom.
    Ruth stared after him wiping her eyes. She reached over, took her coffee cup and gulped it down. The warmth of the cup put life into her chilled fingers along with a rush of relief that at least one small thing in her life was normal. She sprang off the bed, grabbed her duffle bag and fished out a pair of fresh underwear, a bra, a clean T-shirt and her jeans, then she slipped into her runners. Unable to help herself, she strode over to the window and unlocked the latch. Pushing with all her might, she grunted. The damn thing