Part Three
It was as if time had seized to meaning, as if seconds had become minutes and minutes had become seconds. Tess had no real sense of how long the waters swirled around them while they waited, every second being a possibility of discovery. Her mind drifted out and in of her body, it seemed, for only every now and then she was aware of how cold she was and how tired her limbs felt.
"You with me?"
"Mmmhmm," she muttered. It had gone quiet, and she started noticing the sky taking on a grey tone. Darkness was coming.
"We gotta get out of this water," he whispered back, teeth clattering slightly. "Come on."
It was painful to move, but it brought some warmth to her limbs. Carefully, she treaded water, trying to make as little noise as possible as they escaped from their hiding place. She could see no sign of the convicts, even the van was gone. Either they had decided to split - or they were out there hunting.
She reached out and felt grass under her fingers. Even as cold as she was, her body still seemed to sigh as she dragged herself out of the water. The air seemed even colder to her skin than the water for a moment, or perhaps that was just feeling returning to her.
Evan had also managed to crawl up, and looked at her for a moment with such affection it almost hurt. Then his eyes closed, and his head slumped against the grass.
"Evan, don't f-fall asleep. W-we need to heat up," she stuttered, tugging at his arm. When he didn't respond, she tugged harder.
"Evan!"
"C-can we share body heat?" he asked, lifting his head slightly and grinning.
"Oh, you...!" She was too exhausted to whack him and for a moment neither managed to move much more. The coldness had become numbness and slight tickling, burning feelings in her fingers and toes. Her wrists looked bruised from the handcuffs, but she couldn't discern that particular pain from all the other pains.
"T-that s-sounds like a car," Jonesy muttered, lifting his head again. That brought feeling back to her, a cold fear setting on her spine. She stumbled to her feet, almost falling down again immediately. Water trickled off her as she moved, little cold rivers running down her skin.
It wasn't quite a run they managed, more like a trot. Her legs felt more like wooden sticks than actual bone and flesh. She didn't really look where she was heading, but it seemed all horizon anyway. Horizon and no sign of civilisation. She felt slightly dazed and not wholly herself. It was as if everything was being felt by someone else and she was just observing from a distance.
"Tess."
She followed his gaze to see the small building in the distance, a beacon of possible warmth and rescue. It was enough to make her increase her speed to a half-stumble, half-run. As she got closer, she realised whatever the building was, it hadn't seen the touch of human care for a long time. Paint was peeling off, rust clung to metal, the door hung ajar and the bushed had been left to grow wild. Still, it was shelter and warmth.
It seemed to have been a shed or stable, some old tools and paint boxes scattered about, and a large hay ball almost fallen apart at the seams stashed in one corner. Though no horses about, some old saddles and covers hung over one beam.
Her eyes fell on a rusty saw and she reached for it with trembling hands. It took some effort to get it in a position where she could use it against the chain connecting the cuffs and the sound of steel on rusty steel was excruciating.
"This m-might be better." She looked up to see Jonesy hold out a hammer, one flecked by paint, but rust-free.
It took ten swings before the chain finally gave way. Her shoulders seemed to wake up again with a sharp pain as she moved her arms to take the hammer and pound away at Evan's chain. It seemed to take forever before it came apart and she could drop the hammer.
"We h-have to get out of these wet c-clothes," she muttered, not looking at him. She reached for one of the covers turning her back to Evan as she started fumbling with her shirt. The wet fabric clung to her skin like a fitted glove, and she had to tear it away. Everything was soaked and cold and it was a relief when she could finally reach for the cover and wrap herself in it as best she could. Despite the roughness of the fabric, it felt wonderful and dry. The wet clothes she hid under a pile of hay, before finally turning around.
Evan had wrapped himself in a covering too, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Without a word, she closed her eyes and stepped towards him, into his embrace. A moment later, she let her own covering drop, letting him wrap them both in his. She sunk into the hay with him, eyes still closed. His skin felt as cold as hers, and the contact was painful at first. His hands rubbed her shoulders gently, warmth spreading painfully through her limbs.
"Better?" he whispered.
"Mmmm."
"Not quite the day I'd hoped for."
"No," she acknowledged, finding herself slowly caress his palm with her fingertips. "We probably have the whole station worrying."
"Mmm." He sounded as tired as she felt, leaning his forehead against hers. She could feel his slow breath tickle her nose and one of his hands had dipped down to her stomach, as if trying to warm her baby too.
"They could have killed us."
"They didn't."
"They could have," she repeated, pressing his palm against her own and finally opening her eyes. His eyes were half-closed, and she could see the cut just above his eyebrows. It didn't look too deep, but red and painful.
"You're beautiful," she whispered. He opened his eyes in surprise and she smiled softly at him.
"You're not so bad yourself, Tess Gallagher," he replied after a moment. "And you'll have a wonderful daughter."
"A daughter?"
"I have a feeling," he said earnestly. "She'll be a tall blonde and look like a Goddess. No man will be safe from her charm, but she'll take her own path in life. She'll make her mother proud."
"If wish she was yours," she blurted out. "I wish she didn't have a father that betrayed me."
"I wish she was mine, too," he replied softly. "But she's yours, and that's enough for me."
There was nothing but honesty and love in his face, and she buried her face against his neck. He smelled slightly of the river still, as did she, probably. The coldness seemed to seep out of her as he wrapped her even closer and she struggled against the desire to fall asleep.
Distantly, she heard the hum of a car.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah," he whispered, rolling away from her and grabbing the hammer. The car came closer, pulling up nearby and then going silent. Evan had already gotten up and hid beside the door as Tess reached for the saw. A poor weapon, but it was something.
The light from a flashlight came in first, but the carrier was not one of the convicts. It had to be the owner, for the old man looked as surprised as them.
For a moment they all stared at each other, Tess wondering what he had to be thinking, given that Jonesy was wearing nothing and looking ready to attack with an old hammer.
She drew herself up, and tried to look as authoritarian as possible and keep her voice steady.
"Sergeant Tess Gallagher, Mount Thomas Police. Could we possibly borrow a phone?"
It was as if time had seized to meaning, as if seconds had become minutes and minutes had become seconds. Tess had no real sense of how long the waters swirled around them while they waited, every second being a possibility of discovery. Her mind drifted out and in of her body, it seemed, for only every now and then she was aware of how cold she was and how tired her limbs felt.
"You with me?"
"Mmmhmm," she muttered. It had gone quiet, and she started noticing the sky taking on a grey tone. Darkness was coming.
"We gotta get out of this water," he whispered back, teeth clattering slightly. "Come on."
It was painful to move, but it brought some warmth to her limbs. Carefully, she treaded water, trying to make as little noise as possible as they escaped from their hiding place. She could see no sign of the convicts, even the van was gone. Either they had decided to split - or they were out there hunting.
She reached out and felt grass under her fingers. Even as cold as she was, her body still seemed to sigh as she dragged herself out of the water. The air seemed even colder to her skin than the water for a moment, or perhaps that was just feeling returning to her.
Evan had also managed to crawl up, and looked at her for a moment with such affection it almost hurt. Then his eyes closed, and his head slumped against the grass.
"Evan, don't f-fall asleep. W-we need to heat up," she stuttered, tugging at his arm. When he didn't respond, she tugged harder.
"Evan!"
"C-can we share body heat?" he asked, lifting his head slightly and grinning.
"Oh, you...!" She was too exhausted to whack him and for a moment neither managed to move much more. The coldness had become numbness and slight tickling, burning feelings in her fingers and toes. Her wrists looked bruised from the handcuffs, but she couldn't discern that particular pain from all the other pains.
"T-that s-sounds like a car," Jonesy muttered, lifting his head again. That brought feeling back to her, a cold fear setting on her spine. She stumbled to her feet, almost falling down again immediately. Water trickled off her as she moved, little cold rivers running down her skin.
It wasn't quite a run they managed, more like a trot. Her legs felt more like wooden sticks than actual bone and flesh. She didn't really look where she was heading, but it seemed all horizon anyway. Horizon and no sign of civilisation. She felt slightly dazed and not wholly herself. It was as if everything was being felt by someone else and she was just observing from a distance.
"Tess."
She followed his gaze to see the small building in the distance, a beacon of possible warmth and rescue. It was enough to make her increase her speed to a half-stumble, half-run. As she got closer, she realised whatever the building was, it hadn't seen the touch of human care for a long time. Paint was peeling off, rust clung to metal, the door hung ajar and the bushed had been left to grow wild. Still, it was shelter and warmth.
It seemed to have been a shed or stable, some old tools and paint boxes scattered about, and a large hay ball almost fallen apart at the seams stashed in one corner. Though no horses about, some old saddles and covers hung over one beam.
Her eyes fell on a rusty saw and she reached for it with trembling hands. It took some effort to get it in a position where she could use it against the chain connecting the cuffs and the sound of steel on rusty steel was excruciating.
"This m-might be better." She looked up to see Jonesy hold out a hammer, one flecked by paint, but rust-free.
It took ten swings before the chain finally gave way. Her shoulders seemed to wake up again with a sharp pain as she moved her arms to take the hammer and pound away at Evan's chain. It seemed to take forever before it came apart and she could drop the hammer.
"We h-have to get out of these wet c-clothes," she muttered, not looking at him. She reached for one of the covers turning her back to Evan as she started fumbling with her shirt. The wet fabric clung to her skin like a fitted glove, and she had to tear it away. Everything was soaked and cold and it was a relief when she could finally reach for the cover and wrap herself in it as best she could. Despite the roughness of the fabric, it felt wonderful and dry. The wet clothes she hid under a pile of hay, before finally turning around.
Evan had wrapped himself in a covering too, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Without a word, she closed her eyes and stepped towards him, into his embrace. A moment later, she let her own covering drop, letting him wrap them both in his. She sunk into the hay with him, eyes still closed. His skin felt as cold as hers, and the contact was painful at first. His hands rubbed her shoulders gently, warmth spreading painfully through her limbs.
"Better?" he whispered.
"Mmmm."
"Not quite the day I'd hoped for."
"No," she acknowledged, finding herself slowly caress his palm with her fingertips. "We probably have the whole station worrying."
"Mmm." He sounded as tired as she felt, leaning his forehead against hers. She could feel his slow breath tickle her nose and one of his hands had dipped down to her stomach, as if trying to warm her baby too.
"They could have killed us."
"They didn't."
"They could have," she repeated, pressing his palm against her own and finally opening her eyes. His eyes were half-closed, and she could see the cut just above his eyebrows. It didn't look too deep, but red and painful.
"You're beautiful," she whispered. He opened his eyes in surprise and she smiled softly at him.
"You're not so bad yourself, Tess Gallagher," he replied after a moment. "And you'll have a wonderful daughter."
"A daughter?"
"I have a feeling," he said earnestly. "She'll be a tall blonde and look like a Goddess. No man will be safe from her charm, but she'll take her own path in life. She'll make her mother proud."
"If wish she was yours," she blurted out. "I wish she didn't have a father that betrayed me."
"I wish she was mine, too," he replied softly. "But she's yours, and that's enough for me."
There was nothing but honesty and love in his face, and she buried her face against his neck. He smelled slightly of the river still, as did she, probably. The coldness seemed to seep out of her as he wrapped her even closer and she struggled against the desire to fall asleep.
Distantly, she heard the hum of a car.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah," he whispered, rolling away from her and grabbing the hammer. The car came closer, pulling up nearby and then going silent. Evan had already gotten up and hid beside the door as Tess reached for the saw. A poor weapon, but it was something.
The light from a flashlight came in first, but the carrier was not one of the convicts. It had to be the owner, for the old man looked as surprised as them.
For a moment they all stared at each other, Tess wondering what he had to be thinking, given that Jonesy was wearing nothing and looking ready to attack with an old hammer.
She drew herself up, and tried to look as authoritarian as possible and keep her voice steady.
"Sergeant Tess Gallagher, Mount Thomas Police. Could we possibly borrow a phone?"
