Matronly Duties (23 page)

I don’t even notice he is playing with one of my breasts until his hand moves and I am bereft of the touch. I’m about to beg for more, but his hand slowly snaking its way down my belly causes all the breath to leave my lungs. Howard lavishes kisses down my neck and over my collarbone, lapping at the breast that felt abandoned not moments ago.

The throbbing ache pounds between my legs. I beg to whatever higher power there may be that this doesn’t end before I can experience true pleasure like I did the other day.

Howard doesn’t even have to ask me to open my legs this time. I have them spread in invitation before he slides his hand between them. With a deft touch, he applies the perfect amount of pressure to that bundle of nerves that gives me so much joy. Up and down, around and around, every little brush and scrape sends the firestorm of desire raging inside me higher and higher.

A brush of something hard and wet against the outside of my thigh shakes me from my euphoric haze. I feel the sensation again, and it takes a little while for my brain to put the pieces together. When they finally fall into place, I slide my hand between our bodies and wrap it around the hard length of Howard’s manhood. He groans that same tortured sound as before, but this time I recognise it’s pleasure, not pain. Before I have a chance to move my hand, he rocks his hips, sliding his penis through the O-shape my fingers form around him.

“You’re so amazing.” I open my eyes to see Howard staring at me, a reverence in his gaze.

“You, too,” I manage to say in between moans.

Time seems to go in slow motion as we lie staring at one another. Howard continues the slide and tap routine against my clitoris, keeping me on the edge of something but never quite pushing me over. At the same time, his hips thrust in time with the movement of his fingers, his eyes lighting up a little when I try different positions with my hand. I particularly like his reaction when I brush my thumb across the tip. Who’d have thought cursing would increase my arousal?

“Please!” I beg.

“What do you want?” he asks, never stopping his hand’s movements.

“I don’t know. More?”

“Harder?” he asks increasing the pressure with his fingers. “Or faster?” He eases the force of his strokes as he intensifies the pace.

Both feel so good, but neither seems to get the job done.

“Both,” I cry, hoping it will be what I need.

Howard does as I ask, and the pleasure snowballs at an alarming rate.

“Oh my!” I shout between pants. I try to take a deep breath, but each shockwave of ecstasy forces the air out of my lungs again.

Just when I think I can’t take any more, Howard gives a short, sharp tug on the bundle of nerves and my world shatters. Ecstasy explodes inside me. Wave after wave of bliss courses through me, shaking loose any tension and leaving me extremely satisfied.

Somewhere a grunt and groan sounds, then there’s a slippery, wet sensation on my fingers.

I open my eyes and look around. Howard is on his back beside me, seeming to have as much trouble catching his breath as I am.

“Thank you,” I say before I succumb to exhaustion.

“You’re welcome,” he replies, grabbing my hand and using his shirt to clean up.

Before I can say anything else, my eyes close and sleep claims me.

When I next open my eyes, the lights are on and I’m in bed alone. Memories of the previous evening come flooding back and my cheeks heat up. I lift my hand, expecting to see it covered in some form of liquid, but it is clean.

I sit bolt upright in bed when a glance at the clock shows it’s nine in the morning. I never sleep this late, ever. As I stand, a few muscles twinge in protest. I raise my arms to the ceiling and do a few stretches, working out some of the kinks. It feels very risqué doing these stretches with no clothes on, but the idea of Howard seeing me this way—and what it might inspire him to do—has me dawdling. I wonder briefly what I should do, but the rumble in my belly tells me to go in search of food. I put my nightie on, then slippers and the dressing gown Rhonda lent me, and head to the kitchen.

I’m in the middle of toasting some bread on the grill when Howard walks in.

“Good morning,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and placing a kiss on my shoulder. “Did you enjoy your sleep in?”

Turning around in his arms, I say, “Yes, I did, thank you very much.”

“How are you feeling this morning?” Howard winks, and I flush from the tips of my ears all the way down to the swell of my breasts.

“I’m a little stiff,” I mumble. “But other than that, I’m good.”

“Excellent. Finish making your breakfast and then we’ll talk.” He leaves me with a peck on the lips and heads down the hall towards our room.

I am taking my seat at the table when Howard reappears with a pile of paper in his hands.

“What is that?”

“Newspapers,” he says, taking a seat next to me. “We grabbed a couple while we were in the city to see what kind of spin they were putting on your disappearance.”

I pick up the one on the top of the pile and the headline reads, TRADS KIDNAP MATRON. I want to laugh at that—if only they knew the truth.

In a daring evening raid, an unknown number of Trad members broke into Matron Greene’s residence and abducted her from her bed while she slept. Ten of the Matron’s guards were injured during the raid, and two remain in hospital. Details are sketchy as to how they got in and out of Matron House, but no obvious signs of forced entry have been found. No demands have been made in regards to a ransom, but all efforts are being expended to locate the Matron.

A reward of a year’s worth of food and clothing is being offered for any information that leads to the capture of the perpetrators and the return of Matron Greene.

In the months leading up to her abduction, there were multiple threats on the Matron’s life. With the chance that something might happen to her, Matron Greene signed an executive order handing control of the government to the chief minister, allowing the day-to-day running of Oceania to continue until such time as a new Matron can be trained.

I gasp as I read the last sentence.

“What’s wrong?” Howard asks.

I hand him the paper, pointing to the sentence. “That’s the document I was forced to sign. They officially have control of the government now. I mean, it’s not like they didn’t before, but now that the public knows they are in charge, they will never relinquish the power.”

“They will,” Howard growls. “Because we will make them. We just have to wait until we’re in a position to bring them down for good.”

“They must have known,” I say as it dawns on me that they obviously knew I was going to run away. I can feel the tears welling, and guilt for my actions overwhelms me.

“Hey,” Howard says, pulling me into his arms. “Don’t cry. This isn’t your fault. If it’s anybody’s, it’s mine. But it doesn’t change our plans.”

Wiping away the tears, I look at him. “You’re right. How did that go, by the way?”

“We managed to procure the food items, and the hospital reconnaissance was also a success. We’re heading out two nights from now to get her.”

I launch myself at Howard, planting kisses all over his face, so happy we are able to attempt to rescue Estell. I look through the rest of the papers, and they all pretty much say the same thing. I can’t help but feel a little guilty as I read some of the letters to the editor, though. The depth of some readers’ grief and hate for the Trads is unbelievable, and I hope they can forgive me when the truth is revealed.

Chapter 20

“Are you sure about this?” Howard asks, not for the first time.

“Most definitely.” I try to project as much confidence as I can muster. I have spent most of the past two days psyching myself up for tonight’s rescue mission.

“Okay, well, you stick by my side. And if anything happens, you run like hell to your father. Understand me?”

“Yeah, I got it.” I take a deep breath, then slowly exhale. I repeat the process three more times until I can no longer hear my pulse pounding in my ears.

Waiting in the small cavern on the bedrock side of the catacombs, I stare at my watch. It finally ticks over to 8:30—lights out. The realisation of what we are about to do sets in as Howard stands.

“Okay, everybody,” Howard says. “You all know your jobs. Masks on, let’s go.”

With balaclavas over our faces, our small group of five makes its way into the catacombs and towards the city.

As we emerge through the steel doors on the city side of the catacombs, the bright white overhead lights that simulate daylight are off and the dim yellow of the streetlamps light the city. The cart Grant and Toby procured earlier is waiting in front of us. We pile in, with Grant in the driver’s seat; in no time at all, we’re on our way.

It takes about thirty minutes to reach the hospital, and adrenaline courses through my system the entire time, making it hard for me to sit still.

A hand on my shoulder as I hop out of the cart causes me to jump out of my skin.

“Sorry,” Mark says when I glance back at him, “didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No worries. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s going to be fine,” he replies, then moves his hand. I look up and see Howard smiling at me across the cart. He nods, and it’s all the encouragement I need.

We leave the cart near the maintenance entrance at the back of the hospital, following Howard as he leads the way to a door. He pulls a small kit out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a set of small metal tools. My hand shakes as I shine my torch over the door handle while Howard inserts two of the tools into the lock and jiggles them around.

The temperature may only be fifteen degrees, the standard in Oceania, but by the time the lock disengages, I’m sweating as if it’s thirty.

Howard turns the handle and opens the door into some sort of administration area. At this time of night, it’s dark except for the odd burst of light from an exit sign. Grant takes the lead and guides us through the office into the maze of corridors beyond.

We follow him single file, making as little noise as possible. I’m right behind Howard, my hand on his back so I don’t get lost.

We make it to the restricted level with relative ease, but, of course, getting through the doors will be a little more difficult. There are two deadbolts and a security chain through the handles. Howard pulls out his tools again and makes quick work of the locks. Toby pulls a large pair of cutters from the backpack he’s carrying and cuts the security chain. It almost clangs to the floor but Toby catches it, and we are able to enter.

After we pass through another set of doors, we are on the ward. Unlike the hall we came from, this area is lit up as if it’s still daytime. Grant and Howard make some hand gestures that I’m unfamiliar with, but I remember that this part of the plan requires Grant and Toby to keep watch while Howard, Mark, and I find Estell.

Our group heads left while Grant and Toby stay behind.

“What’s her room number again?” Howard asks in a whisper.

“Two thirty.”

The first room we pass is numbered two hundred, so we have a way to go down the corridor. We move as quickly as we can past the rooms with their closed doors. How many of them have women inside in the same situation as Estell? I start to feel a little woozy the farther down the hall we get. It has a very strong chemical smell, and while I try not to breathe it in, I think my efforts are only making things worse.

Finally we find her room. The euphoria is short-lived, though, when we enter to find it empty.

“Where is she?” Mark asks, disappointment and desperation colouring his tone.

Both Howard and I look just as confused and have no answer for him. We are just about to leave to look elsewhere when a door on the opposite wall opens and a heavily pregnant Estell walks in.

“Who are you?” she asks, wariness clear in her tone.

Mark lifts his mask. “It’s me, love.”

“Mark!” she cries, moving as quickly as she can into his arms. Mark pulls her into a tight embrace, raining kisses all over her face.

“How did you find me?” Estell asks as a sob breaks free.

“You have Beth to thank for that,” he says gesturing to me with his head.

She peeks around his shoulder and looks at me. “Thank you, so much.”

Howard and I stand by the door and turn our backs to the couple, letting them enjoy their reunion with a brief moment of privacy. Howard puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. I wrap my arms around his waist and hold tight, enjoying the comfort.

After a couple of minutes, we hear footsteps and Howard sneaks a look out the door.

“Okay, time’s up. We’ve got company.”

“Are you all right to walk?” Mark asks Estell.

“Yep,” she says, though I sense a little hesitation.

Mark grabs a robe and some shoes, as all Estell is wearing is a nightie, and hands them to her as we move towards the door. Howard’s hand is inches from the handle when the door opens and a nurse walks in.

“Who are you?” she asks. “What are you doing here?”

Before she can do anything else, however, Howard pulls her into the room with his hand over her mouth.

“Grab the Taser out of my jacket pocket,” he tells me. I do as he asks, hoping he is not expecting me to use it on the woman. “Hand it over.” He tilts his head in Mark’s direction.

I hand it to Mark, and he moves towards the nurse as she tries to wriggle her way out of Howard’s grasp. One quick jolt from the Taser and the woman is limp in Howard’s arms.

“What now?” Mark asks.

“We can put her on the bed.”

We lift her onto the bed and cover her up, making it look like she is just a patient asleep.

“Hopefully that will keep us from being found too soon,” Mark says.

Howard nods. “Yeah, but someone will come looking for her when she doesn’t reappear.” He opens the door and sneaks another look outside.

Mark turns to Estell. “Do you need anything before we leave?” I don’t hear a response, but I assume the answer is no as Mark doesn’t move or ask any more questions.

“All clear.” Howard opens the door and we go into the corridor. We take much longer to retrace our steps with Estell in tow. At nearly full-term, it’s difficult for her to walk at a fast pace and she seems to need Mark’s help to stay upright when we stop at the end of the corridor.

“Everything okay?” Howard asks, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Yes, fine.”

Grant and Toby arrive from the other direction.

“All good?” Howard asks.

“Yeah,” Toby replies. “The two security guards are both taking a nap.”

“Okay then, we better get a move on,” Howard says.

Grant and Toby take the lead, followed by Mark and Estell, while Howard and I bring up the rear.

We are a few metres from freedom when Estell suddenly stops dead and grabs her stomach.

“Oh, God, not now,” she groans.

Mark stares at her with a panicked look on his face. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

I notice the puddle of fluid at her feet.

“Nothing is wrong exactly,” she replies. “I’ve been having possible labour pains for the last couple of hours, and now my waters have broken, which means this is the real deal.”

“Oh my God, oh my God.” Mark paces back and forth. “What do we do?”

Howard steps in and puts a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Calm down.” He turns to Estell. “Are you right to keep going?”

“I don’t know, but I’m not staying here.” She takes Mark’s hand and steps out of the puddle, being careful not to slip and fall.

“All right, then,” Howard says, “we go on. But if you feel even the slightest urge to push, or anything like that, you tell us right away. Okay?”

Estell nods and takes another ginger, but determined, step forward.

When we reach the exit and the waiting cart, we hop in as fast as possible. Before I get in, Howard grabs me.

“I need you to keep an eye on Estell. Try to time the gap between contractions. We need to keep a track of how her labour is progressing.”

“Okay,” I reply, a little confused. “How do you know this stuff?”

“I am the eldest of six kids, and I was present for all of my siblings’ births. I’ve picked up a few things.”

I nod and give him a quick hug before hopping in.

The ride that took thirty minutes on the way to the hospital seems to take three times as long on the way back. Monitoring Estell’s contractions is fairly easy, since she groans and clutches her stomach every time one hits.

“How are we going?” Howard asks when we reach the catacombs.

“I’m not sure. She had four contractions between the hospital and here.”

“Okay, that means they’re about eight minutes apart. That’s good. She’s only in the early stages. We should have a good couple of hours before the baby is here.”

A siren sounds in the distance.

“That’s our cue to move,” Grant says.

We hurry through the catacombs into the caves on the other side. Howard and I light the way up front while Grant and Toby take the rear position so they can protect us in case security catches up to us.

We make good time during the first stage of the hike as it’s mainly downhill. Estell’s moans and groans get closer together until they’re maybe five minutes apart. By the time we reach the first of the natural bedrock caverns, about two hours into our journey, she is panting with exertion and clearly having trouble walking.

I pull Howard to one side. “I think we need to have a rest. Estell isn’t looking so good.”

Howard frowns and glances at her. I can see him warring with himself. It’s obvious Estell needs a break, but stopping puts all of us at greater risk of getting caught. He stares at the ceiling for a while, takes a couple of deep breaths, then looks at me before letting out a short whistle.

“We’re going to take a short break here,” he announces. “Toby, Grant.” Howard signals for them to come join us.

“Yes, sir.”

“I want you two to continue on. Go as fast as you can and find my mother. Let her know what is happening with Estell, and then start making your way back. We’ll go as far as we can, but I have a feeling this baby is not going to wait ’til we get to camp to make his or her appearance.”

***

We manage to reach the fork in the road, the same spot we camped the night of my escape from the city, before Estell can’t go any farther. It’s been three hours, and Howard and Mark have already carried her part of the way because her contractions are only three minutes apart and almost two minutes long. The last few have seemed to be worse than the others, as she’s screaming up a storm.

“I don’t think she can wait any longer,” Howard says.

Mark nods, and the look of relief on his sweat-covered face is unmistakeable.

Howard looks around. “Over there looks like the best place.”

He points to a rocky outcrop with a flat area at the centre. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it had been designed for the intended purpose. The rocks jutting out of the ground will give us coverage if anyone were to catch up with us, while also allowing plenty of room to congregate around Estell.

Mark places Estell on the ground in the middle of the area at the same time she lets out a shrill squeal.

Yikes, she sounds like she’s being murdered.

I had no idea that having babies would be so noisy, or so painful. Not that I gave it much thought at all.

Howard helps get Estell settled, with Mark supporting her from behind, then comes to my side.

“Are you all right, beautiful?”

“Yes?” I say, the word coming out more like a question. My feet are rooted in place, even though I should be helping.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he says as he puts his arms around me. His warmth is calming, and I wish more than anything that I could stay in his embrace forever. “This baby is coming, though, and I don’t think my mum is going to make it here in time.”

“What do we do?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“We’re going to let nature take its course. Estell’s body knows what to do to bring this baby into the world. We are just going to be there for suppor—”

His words are interrupted by a scream from Estell. I need to put aside all my fears, because she is going through something far scarier than I am. Howard puts his hand under my chin and lifts it until our eyes meet. He kisses me gently, but I can feel the love and strength he is sharing with me.