Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter TWENTY

Lacey Paxton

Colt tackles you to the ground, throwing his enormous, heavy frame over you and knocking the breath from your lungs in the very split second mortar fire hits the back of the building..

The sheer force of the shockwave bruising your flesh, the pressure of it pulsing in your eyeballs as everything disappears around you in a cloud of smoke and fire, all you can see is the harsh, violent flash of red..

You have never felt anything more otherworldly in your life, it is impossible to explain, the heat, the noise, all of it beyond overwhelming..

Is this what it feels like to die?

Your ears ring with a shrill static hum, as though you are submerged underwater, travelling through a wind tunnel.. Your heart palpatates painfully and out of rhythm in your chest.. All these disorientating effects of the explosion leaving you completely, deaf and dazed..

You cough unable to hear even your own sounds, as smoke and dust fill your lungs.. You can feel the weight of Colt crushing you a little from above as he shifts, groaning and uttering something you can't make out at all through the piercing trill as you push up to your hands and knees.. You're whole body aches, every muscle burning with exhaustion..

Colt's words are indistinguishable "Hmmm hmm hmm hmm.."

You shake your head, straightening up to a kneel and looking around the rubble as your breath slowly returns.. "What?!"

You shout, rubbing your ears as Colt taps his watch and hitches a thumb over his shoulder.. "I said, we gotta go Paxton!"

He hollars but to you it might as well be a whisper, reaching out and offering you his hand, you take it easily.. Still completely hazed as you peer around looking for any sign of Sanjake.. You cant see him.. You can't see anything.. "Where is Sanjake?!.."

Colt shakes his head, pulling your hand.. "Forget him!"

You have no will to protest with knox and after learning that the doctor had been corrupted by David Kingsley, you suddenly feel much less inclined to worry about his wellbeing and more about your own.. Self preservation sets in.. You don't want to die here.. "Oh..Ah.. Kay.."

Colt pulls you through the smouldering piles of bricks and out into the street, the cold air feels so wonderful on your burnt skin but the sight of the streets, innocent people screaming and fleeing their homes, running for their lives as the shelling continues..

You run without even noticing your feet move, shocked by the horror of war, as you follow Colt down the road where a dark green military jeep is parked.. He opens the door for you, looking over his shoulder.. "Greyson was supposed to be with you.."

He shuts the door, jogging around to jump behind the wheel, flipping over the ignition and peeling off down the dirt road, away from the medical centre.. "He let himself be captured.. I don't know why.. I heard them talking back at the safehouse, Ace called the guy 'Rafferty'?.."

Colt turns to you surprised as he steers you out of Druitt.. "Jake Rafferty?"

The name is burned into your brain.. You'll never forget the hateful way he spoke to Ace, the bitter tone of his voice.. "Yes.. Jake.. That was his name.."

Colt clicks his tongue.. "Aw, hell.. This is one heck of a mess you got yourself here, little Paxton.."

Guilt begins to consume you as he confirm everything you had already been thinking.. "I-- I'm so sorry, Colt.."

Tears begin to fall, thick and fast.. You can't help but feel responsible.. "This all my fault.. You shouldn't be here.. Ace should never have been here either.."

Colt tenses uncomfortably.. "Hey, it'll be alright, we just gotta get you home and then.. Ah.. Then I can work on Greyson.. Fucking, Rafferty.. Shit.."

You shake your head.. "No.. I can't leave him here.."

He arches a curious eyebrow, glancing over at you.. "Why?.."

You stumble over your own reasonings.. "Because.. Well.. Because - - I.." This place has been nothing but torture for you.. Why are you not itching to leave?.. Well, you definitely are.. Just not without Ace..

When you trail off, lost in thought Colt fills the silence with his own thoughts.. "You should have told me you were coming here, Lace.. I had to find out from Greyson.. I thought we were friends, Tiny.."

You look at him, with fondness.. He hasn't called you that in years.. In fact, the two of you barely speak since Hunter moved back to the city.. But Colt has always been gentle and kind, the easiest of your brothers friends to get along with by far..

Back when Hunter had been 'dead', working undercover for the CIA, Colt had visited you and your bereft mother as a fellow Marine, come to pay his respects.. He had been like the hopeful glow of a bright lighthouse, guiding your broken family through a swirling storm, supportive and strong..

Really he'd been almost like a stand in brother for a few months there.. He had helped you make funeral arrangements, and taught you how to access the accounts Hunter had left behind.. He had been your only friend for a time.. Right up until he got called out on tour for a fourth time, and your heart had been broken all over again..

You hadn't spent a lot of time with him, or spoken much since those days, but there is still a bond between you that you can't quite explain, as if Colt is an extension of your brother.. He is family to you, and you know he is a trustworthy, empathetic soul.. And your mother Lyra had loved him so much, he had brought happiness to her in the midst of grief..

"We were.. We are friends, Collie.."

He nods.. "But you don't trust me.. Or Hunter.."

You bite your lip.. "It isn't that.."

You look down to notice your hands are trembling violently, scraped and bleeding, and you wipe them on your dirty jeans.. "Then what, Lace?.. What would I do if something happened to you?!.. Hell, it would kill Axe.. Not to mention Kirby and Axle, they need you, Lacey.. Didn't you think about any of us?"

He is hurt, you can hear it in his frustrated and disappointed tone.. "There are things you just.. You wouldn't understand, Col'.."

He keeps his focus on the road ahead and so do you as Druitt disappears in the rear view mirror.. "Maybe not.. But you never gave me the chance to try.."

You nod, biting your lip.. "You're right.. I've been so determined to do things alone.. Because I thought I had to, I guess.."

He sighs.. "Of course you did, Tiny.. Because you were alone! Look, I loved Lyra, but she didn't exactly hold you up.. It was always the other way around.. And Hunter.. He's a fucking asshole for what he did to you, I know he had his reasons Lace, but you've never once gotten mad about it.. You never said anything.. Aren't you pissed off?!"

You nod.. "Sometimes.. I think so.."

He pulls the car over on the side of the road, out by the farmlands, dim lamp lights spotting the farmhouses on the hills in the distance.. "Well, you'd have every right to be, is all I'm saying.."

You sit there together in silence for several seconds.. "Thank you, Colt.. For coming back here.. For saving me.."

He turns in his seat.. "Don't thank me, Tiny, cuz' you're probably gunna be pissed with me too now.. I, ah.. I had to tell him, when I couldn't make contact with Greyson... Hunter is on his way now to collect you.. And he is--"

You do not feel at all ready to face your brother.. Even though you are relieved to be going home and happy at the idea of seeing him.. You are also terrified of his reaction to your stupidity..

But if anybody can figure out how to get Ace out of Military holding.. It will be Hunter Paxton..

"Oh god.. Is he angry?"

Colt nods, cringing a little as though he has already copped an earful.. "Fuckin' livid.."