Shane eyed him as if he were contagious. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone all religious. Oh man! The stress of this whole thing has got to you and you’ve lost it. Had to happen sooner or later.”
“I’m not getting into this now. Rebecca’s in trouble. Let’s just find her.”
Truce reached, they both flew up the remaining stairs two at a time.
Chapter 28 – Hogsback
Rebecca’s peace-bubble was fast evaporating. With each kilometer that flew beneath Claude’s car, they headed further away from civilization. The narrow road had a single lane for traffic going in either direction, and snaked ahead through the vast expanse of barren earth with no living thing anywhere in sight.
Buckled in next to Claude, hands bound at the wrists, Rebecca felt her faith slipping away. If God had been going to rescue her, He would surely have done it by now. The cut on her temple no longer throbbed, but now blazed in constant pain. Wracked between violent shivering and hot sweats, Rebecca knew that she was running a fever. Her mind drifted and the journey took on a strange, nightmare-like quality. Claude’s voice buzzed in her head, now softly, then loudly – deafeningly loud.
Rebecca moaned, desperate for silence that would soothe the thundering in her head. “Please stop the car. I’m going to throw up.”
Not trusting her plea, Claude kept driving, “Nice try, Rebecca.” Then he saw her body heaving and he swung to a stop, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened her door and all but shoved her out the car just in time to avoid the shower of vomit landing in his vehicle.
Somehow managing not to fall, Rebecca clung to the door with her bound hands and emptied the contents of her stomach on the road.
“I wanna lie down.”
Sobered by the messy evidence of her illness, Claude didn’t argue, but quickly unlocked the back door for her to stretch out across the back seat. The sooner they got to a place with a toilet and a bed, the better.
***
“Room C32, C33. Here we go, C34.” Shane jiggled the knob and found it to be as he thought – securely locked. “So what now Wonder Boy? Do you want to ask God if He’s forgotten something?”
Vaguely perplexed, Jason stood silent for a moment before turning in the direction of the lift. “Someone’s coming. Let’s get out of sight.”
Moving quickly, they rounded a corner and ducked down behind an oversized indoor plant pot with a huge fern feathering out of it.
Peeping through the fronds, they waited to see whom the lift had delivered. A cleaning lady decked out in the female version of the security guards purple and gold regalia appeared, pushing a trolley loaded with fresh linen, cleaning materials and a stock of mini soaps and shampoo’s to replace what guests might have used or snaffled.
Jason was thrilled. His expectation had been spot on. Breathing a quick “Thank you Lord!” he turned to Shane and whispered furiously.
Shane’s brows lifted – a definite sign of being impressed. “Might just work, Halloway, might just work. Let’s go.”
Heading into the hallway, looking every inch as if they belonged, they approached the cleaner. Shane’s remarkable fluency in Xhosa was just what they needed. “Molo. Kujani?”
Her face beamed in response, and Shane soon had her nodding in compassion for the watch he thought he’d left behind in Room C34. Without a question, she unlocked for him, wished him the blessing of the Ancestors in his search. Then she left them alone to go and clean room C33.
“Okay. We’re in. What now?”
“Well, now we hope that God shows us what we’re here for. Let’s look around.” Deep in his heart, ominous thoughts about what they’d find in the room had brewed black fear. Thoughts that pivoted around dead bodies, blood, sinister deeds that defied human decency. Claude and Rebecca had only been in the room for a few hours, but then it only took a few minutes for one human being to cause irreparable harm to another.
Shuddering, Jason shook away the blackness that threatened to overwhelm him and took a quick tour through the room. Satisfied that there were no obvious signs of bloodshed, Jason slowed his search and prayed, “What are we here for, God? Please will You show us?”
Heart desperate for guidance, he made his way slowly through every inch of the room. Nothing in the bedside drawers, nothing on top. Nothing under the bed. He got to the chair and found cut bits of rope scattered around on the floor. The pig must have had Rebecca tied to the chair. The thought of it heated his blood and he continued searching. Nothing on the dresser but a pile of brochures, nothing in the dresser drawers... Jason looked down in surprise to see one of the brochures in his hand. It was an advert for Rustic Wood Retreat in Hogsback. A stunning log cabin graced the front of the brochure, and the catchphrase inside boasted complete privacy. His heart double-thumped. “Is this it, Lord? Is this where he’s taken Rebecca?” Hanging onto the brochure, he finished sweeping through the room, finding nothing else. Again he looked at the brochure, and again his heart leapt. “Please let me be hearing You correctly. Oh please God.”
Calling Shane, he showed him what he’d found. Shane looked doubtful, “Do you think that’s where they went?”
“It’s the only clue we’ve got and my heart says ‘yes’.” He shrugged, looking for some backup from his friend.
“Well, they say love works in mysterious ways. Let’s go with your gut.”
Jason wasn’t sure he’d heard right, “What do you mean, love?”
Shane was laughing as he headed out the door.
“Hey, you get back here. You don’t know what you’re talking about… Shane!”
Shane’s voice echoed down the deserted corridor, “C’mon lover boy! You’re wasting time. Let’s get a move on!”
Jason had to run to catch up.
***
Edward was out, checking on the horses. Maxine was sitting in a puddle of sun in her favorite room of the farmhouse, the lounge. It was enormous, with polished Pine floors and huge white Angora rugs strewn about for warmth. There were many windows for the sun to smile through regardless of the season, or even the time of day. A fireplace and a few bookshelves were the only other things in this room, apart from a freestanding lamp with an ornately crocheted shade that stood in one corner.
It was perfect in its absence of clutter. Maxine had found since contracting the HIV virus and being faced with her own mortality, that the things of this world held less and less allure for her. Yet the people in it had become more and more dear. Relationships were to be treasured and appreciated, and the stuff that one accumulated was to be passed on, or ignored.
The initial surge of excitement at coming home had worn off, leaving Maxine feeling hollow and somewhat fragile. Sally had left earlier in the day, having things at home to mind. Edward wouldn’t say where the boys were, other than to repeat that they were away for a few days and then he would promptly change the subject.
Something else had been bothering Maxine, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Suddenly it came to her – Rebecca! Where was Rebecca?
It was time to put a stop to this all this nonsense. Reaching out, she rang the crystal bell Hazel had insisted she carry with her. It rang with such a sweet high peal, that Hazel could hear it from anywhere in the house and would come running. Maxine had been loathe to use it till now, refusing to think of herself as an invalid. This was different. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. If Edward wouldn’t be honest with her, Hazel would have to be.
***
The sun was setting when they eventually arrived at the log cabin. They’d followed a steep, winding mud path through the forest for what seemed like an eternity, which had finally led them to the retreat. A quick stop at the office to pay the deposit, and then another muddy path up to their love-nest. Rebecca had faded in and out of consciousness through most of the journey, her garbled sleep talk evidence of a mind befogged with fever dreams.
She was so weak on arrival that Claude had to carry her inside. He took her straight to the only bed – a
large queen size, constructed from rough logs - and untied her wrists only to lash them to the bedposts.
These cabins took rustic to the extreme, not making use of electricity, but relying on a fireplace and old-fashioned gas lamps for light and warmth. The only concession to civilization was the provision of running water to the cabin.
Situated in a series of low mountains that mimicked a hog when silhouetted, Hogsback was a good few degrees colder than the surrounding towns. Claude soon had a fire blazing in the fireplace, as well as lighting the three hanging gas lamps and the one standing on the bedside table.
The cabin was open-plan in its design. From the kitchen, you could see the lounge, dining area, and sleeping quarters. The only room that was separate was the bathroom, this also being a rustic affair with warm water provided from a fire-boiled water tank outside. Coarsely woven Hessian rugs covered the rough wooden floor.
Claude had been around horses long enough to know the signs. He needed to break Rebecca’s fever, or she would suffer permanent damage. Cursing the delay to the consummation of their union, he began hunting around in the cupboards for a First Aid Box. His search proved fruitful. The kitchen cupboard yielded a well-stocked box with all the essentials. Digging past the bandages and plasters, he found what he was looking for, a bottle of Paracetamol tablets. Filling a glass with water, he managed to get Rebecca upright long enough to swallow four tablets – double the normal dose. She thirstily emptied the glass before collapsing back onto the pillows into unconsciousness, body wracked with fever shakes.
Finding a cloth in the bathroom, he wet it and wrung it out. Gently bathing her face, he spoke to her in soothing tones, “It’s alright my pet. Soon you’ll be mine. Just as soon as this fever breaks. Won’t be long now.”
He’d waited so long a little more time would only make the moment of her surrender sweeter.
***
Under Maxine’s quietly firm questioning, Hazel had found herself unable to hold back any of the details of the events of the past few weeks. In fear of his wife’s delicate state of health, Edward Rochester had warned her not to disturb Madame Maxine with the truth of what was going on. Yet, it seemed to Hazel, he had completely underestimated his wife’s resources.
“Thank you for sharing so honestly with me Hazel. I appreciate it. When Jason came to see me, he alluded to the boys being in some sort of trouble. Getting home to find them not here, just confirmed what he’d said. To be fed all this bunkum about them just being away for a while—” Her voice trailed off and Hazel saw a spark of anger in her eyes.
Taking a sip of Chamomile tea, she forced herself to calm down, “Jason said I was crucial to their well-being. I know I can’t go after them. So what can I do Hazel? Nothing?” Her eyes met Hazel’s with the desperate question blazing in them.
“Madam Maxine, there is always something we can do. In fact we can do it together right here, right now. It’s the best thing we could do for Claude, Kenneth and Rebecca. We can pray.”
Reaching out, Maxine cupped Hazels round face in her porcelain hand. “I was so hoping you’d say that, Hazel! Yes, let’s do that.”
Chapter 29 - Fear and Faith
Rebecca opened her eyes and took in the log ceiling above her. Her thoughts were calm and ordered for the first time since they’d fled the hotel. The fever had broken and her mind was clear enough to take stock of her situation. A small move of her arms told her that she was tied to the bed, though at least her ankles were free.
Twisting her head to the side, she looked straight into Claude’s eyes as he sat next to the bed, staring at her.
“How are you feeling?”
He seemed so normal that Rebecca wondered if all the menace had been a fever-induced delusion.
“Better. Where are we?”
“A perfectly secluded mountain get-away spot. Nobody will ever find us here.”
The glint in his eyes set the old panic rising inside her.
“Claude, let me go please! What do you want from me?”
In a swift move, he’d left the chair and straddled her with a manic grin. “I want you to be mine. Why do you find that so hard to understand?” He buried his face in her neck and started kissing her.
Revulsion lent strength to her slim frame. Managing to draw a knee up into the space between his body and hers, she pushed with all her might, sending Claude toppling sideways. With a sickening crash, he knocked the lamp flying, cracked his temple on the corner of the bedside table and slumped to the floor unconscious.
Unable to believe her luck, Rebecca tried to squirm free of her bonds. It was then that she smelled the smoke. Turning sideways in horror, she saw flames flickering from beside the bedside table. “Oh God, no!” The lamp had broken and the fire was spreading. She struggled frantically to free her wrists, but paranoia had driven Claude to making them escape proof. Panicked tears streamed down Rebecca’s face and she watched in horror as a smoldering Hessian rug caught alight.
Sliding her legs off the bed, she kicked at Claude’s motionless body, shouting, “WAKE UP! CLAUDE! WAKE UP!” Claude didn’t budge. The flames had crept up along the side of the bedside table and were licking their way towards the timber bed frame. Feeling the searing heat across her cheeks validated the death sentence she felt in the pit of her belly. Rebecca realized that everything in this death-trap was wood. All of it would respond swiftly, gladly, to the consuming flames.
***
The drive to Hogsback was tedious, slow and thick with tension. Jason felt consumed with doubt that he was leading the whole group on a wild goose chase. Maybe Claude had left the brochure open on purpose to mislead them. Maybe it was a many-houred trap that they had walked into so gullibly, leaving Claude free to do what he pleased with Rebecca way back in East London.
These thoughts churned in head and soured his stomach. And God was silent. In the beginning, Jason would have given anything to make the voice go away, yet now when he really needed it—silence. It just didn’t make any sense.
Oh God, I really thought I heard You about these cabins. Now I just don’t know. I guess there’s nothing for it but to carry on until You tell me to turn around and go somewhere else. I know I can hear Your voice because I’ve heard You before.
He waited, listening.
Nothing.
Anytime now, God. You need to tell me if I’m going the wrong direction.
Again, he waited.
Nothing.
Somehow the silence just wasn’t as convincing as the voice he’d come to expect. Giving in to a childish urge born out of fear, he tackled God once again.
Okay, that’s fine. Wild goose chase it is. I’ll just keep heading off into blue yonder. Whatever.
He cringed a little as the last bit of attitude snuck out.
Tim, riding next to him as navigator, saved him from his mental debate, “Hogsback turn to your right coming up… round about…. here. Okay, we’ve got approximately another 45 minutes of driving time.”
Shane yawned loudly from the back. “We’re going to have to find somewhere to spend the night. I’m pooped.”
“I’m not sleeping till Rebecca’s safe.” Jason’s voice was quiet, but determined.
“Just kidding! Lover boy’s lost his sense of humor.”
Tim was completely lost, “Who is lover boy? What am I missing?”
Jason looked grim, “Never mind Tim. Shane is just being his normal obnoxious self.”
***
The sign at the reception hut at the Rustic Wood Retreat boasted 24-hour service, yet there was not a soul to be seen. “That’s strange. There’s no one here, but the place isn’t even locked up.” Tim had gone with Jason to find out about a place to stay. Also to surreptitiously see if Hogsbackers were more open to discussing their guests than East Londoners.
“Jason, there’s a sign here saying the cabins are this way. Let’s follow this path and see what we can find.”
Running back to the vehicle, they motioned for Stant
on and Lisa to follow in their Mercedes, and headed uphill. They smelled the smoke before they saw it. Thick billows of blackness rising into the night sky, the origin of which lay behind a broad bank of trees.
Rounding the last bend, Jason’s heart caught. An entire cabin had caught alight and was blazing violently, hungry flames licking through window frames. Parking away from the heat of the blaze, they all climbed out and stared in horror. Locals had formed a long bucket line from the nearby stream and were working desperately against the blaze. Off to one side stood an elderly lady, face grim.
Jason approached her, shouting to be heard above the roar of the flames, “Excuse me Ma’am. Is there anything we can do?”
Not taking her eyes off the blaze, she replied, “No. Nothing.” Black soot marks up her arms spoke of her part in trying to kill the fire.
Turning to Jason, she apologized, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. Rosemary Wingrove, owner of this place.” She held out a sooty hand, only to withdraw it when she saw how filthy it was. “The forestry people are on the way with a proper fire-fighting vehicle. I’m still in a bit of a shock. If you folk are looking for accommodation, there’s a hotel a little further up the main road. You’d best try them.”
“Actually, we were looking for two people that we believe came up here to spend the night.” He dug around in his pocket and brought out Rebecca’s photo, and flipped open his cell phone to the picture of Claude. “Did these two check in here by any chance?”
The woman reached out to steady the photo and Jason saw her hand begin to tremble. “I’m so sorry.”
“What do you mean? Have you seen these two?”
Rosemary’s bottom lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. “They checked into this cabin around supper time.”
“Maybe they got out. Has anyone looked?”
“The fire had already spread throughout the cabin when we got here. His vehicle is still here. None of the doors or windows were open. If they were still inside, I can’t see that they got out alive.”