Burning Angels

83

A form struck out at Jaeger, driving a sharpened bamboo stake repeatedly towards his face. The figure whirled around, wielding the crude weapon like an ancient gladiator would a spear. It yelled curses. Cruel insults. The kind of words Jaeger had never imagined her capable of, not in his wildest dreams.

‘GET AWAY! KEEP AWAY! I’LL SLICE YOU UP, YOU… YOU EVIL BASTARD! TOUCH MY SON AND I’LL RIP YOUR BLACK HEART OUT!’

Jaeger shuddered. He could barely recognise the woman he loved; the one he’d spent the last three years searching for relentlessly.

Her hair was long and matted into thick clumps, like dreadlocks. Her features were haggard and drawn, her clothes hanging in dirty rags around her shoulders.

My God, how long had they kept her like this? Caged like an animal in the jungle.

He sank to his haunches before the crude bamboo structure, repeating the same phrase over and over, trying to reassure her.

‘It’s me. Will. Your husband. I’ve come for you, like I promised I would. I’m here.’

But each utterance was met only with another swing of the stave towards his tortured features.

To the rear of the cage Jaeger spied Luke’s emaciated form lying prone – presumably unconscious – as Ruth did all in her power to defend him from what she perceived to be her enemies.

The image broke his heart.

In spite of everything, he felt he loved her more now than he had ever thought possible, and especially for this spirited, desperate, frantic defence of their son. But had she lost her mind? Had the terrible incarceration and the virus broken her?

Jaeger couldn’t be sure. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and let her know that they were safe now. Or at least until the Gottvirus started to bite and to fry their very minds.

‘It’s me, Ruthy. It’s Will,’ he repeated. ‘I’ve been searching. I found you. I’ve come for you and for Luke. To take you home. You’re safe now…’

‘You bastard – you’re lying!’ Ruth shook her head violently, striking out again with the stake. ‘You’re that cruel bastard Jones… You’ve come here for my child…’ She swung the stake again, threateningly. ‘YOU TRY TAKING LUKE, I’LL…’

Jaeger reached out towards her, but as he did so he was reminded of how he must look, encased in the space suit and visor and the thick rubber gloves.

Of course. She’d have no idea who he was.

No way of recognising him at all.

Dressed like this, he could be any one of those who had tortured her. And the mask’s voice projection system meant that he was speaking like some kind of alien cyborg, so she wouldn’t even know his tones.

He reached up and pulled back his hood. Air gushed out of the suit, but Jaeger didn’t give a damn. He was infected. He had nothing left to lose. With feverish fingers he unstrapped the respirator and pulled that up and over his head.

He gazed at her. Beseechingly. ‘Ruth, it’s me. It really is me.’

She stared. Her grip on the bamboo stake seemed to falter. She shook her head disbelievingly, even as recognition flared in her eyes. Then she seemed to collapse in on herself, throwing her body at the cage door with the last of her energy, and letting out a piercing, strangled cry that cut Jaeger to the heart.

She reached for him, desperately, disbelievingly. Jaeger’s hands met hers. Fingers meshed through the bars. Heads came together, skin-close; hungry for a loving touch, for intimacy.

A figure moved beside Jaeger. It was Raff. As discreetly as he could, he undid the bolts that kept the cage fastened from the outside, then stepped back to give them their privacy.

Jaeger leaned inside and brought her out to him. He held her close, hugging her as tightly as he could, while trying not to cause any more pain to her bruised and battered form. As he did so, he could feel how hot she was, the fever of the infection coursing through her veins.

He held her as she shuddered and sobbed. She cried for what seemed like an age. As for Jaeger, he let the tears fall freely too.

As gently as he could, Raff retrieved Luke from the rear of the cage. Jaeger held his son’s emaciated form in one arm, with his other keeping Ruth from collapsing. The three of them sank slowly to their knees, Jaeger clutching tight to both of them.

Luke remained unresponsive and Jaeger laid him down, while Raff broke out their medical kit. As the big Maori bent over the boy’s unconscious form, Jaeger figured he could see tears in his eyes. Together they worked on treating Luke, as Ruth sobbed and talked.

‘There was this man, Jones… He was evil. Pure evil. What he said he was going to do to us… What he did to us… I thought you were him.’ She glanced around fearfully. ‘He’s not still here? Tell me he’s not here.’

‘There’s no one else here but us.’ Jaeger pulled her closer. ‘And no one’s going to hurt you. Trust me. No one’s going to hurt you ever again.’