Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter THIRTEEN

He chuckles, giving you those static-charged chills again.. "That's good to hear, Baby-doll.. Real good.."

You smile to yourself as the two of you continue along the fence line in a companionable silence.. In the distance you can see workers tilling the field, with horse drawn carts and large straw hats.. The scene is so picturesque you could almost forget the terrible suffering these poor people have faced at the hands of their president..
Almost..

"So.. Why'd I never know that before now.. That you noticed me?.." You ask quietly..

He rubs the back of his neck with a guilty smirk.. "Hey, I'm crazy, but I don't have a damn death wish, darlin'.."

It bugs you that Hunter would put ideas in his head about you, and that now it is like Ace is constantly reminding himself you are Hunter Paxton's sister.. It bugs you even more that not only had he gotten in Ace's head.. He'd gotten in yours too.. "What did he say to you?.."

He shrugs a shoulder in casual dismissal.. "Ah, It doesn't matter, Lace.. I didn't exactly listen now, did I?.."

You are just about to press him for more of an answer when the peaceful morning serenity is suddenly shattered..

"ARRRRRRGH!!"

A loud crash followed by more anguished cries of agony ring out from across the paddocks, soon mixing with the shrieking hysterical cries of a young woman as she runs towards you, arms flailing.. "Ahhhh!.. AHHHHHH!!"

Ace raises his rifle with a shout and the woman slows her pace.. "Ostan'sya! Nazovite sebya!"

The Strysaki woman freezes on the spot, her hands raised above her head, eyes pleading and desperate as the fluent foreign words pour from her mouth and she continues to sob relentlessly..

"What is going on!?" You try to make sense of the commotion..

"Menya zovut Devi .. Pozhaluysta, pomogite mne. Moy muzh razdavlen! On umirayet!" The woman wails, the distress apparent, though you can't understand a word..
Ace lowers his weapon a fraction, but doesn't entirely take the woman from his sights, frowning in confusion and a little frustration.. The woman turns to you, hands shaking and arms gesturing wildly.. "Pozhaluysta!! Pozhaluysta!!"

You look to Ace.. "Uhh.. She says her name is Devi.. Her husband.. He's dying?.. She said he was-- Pressed? No, ah.. Crushed?.. Yeah.. Crushed.."

Crushed?.. Crushed how?!.. By what?..
What does that mean?!..
"What?!.."

He shakes his head as she rambles the same syllables over and over.. "I don't know, thats.. That's what she said.."

You turn to her, holding out your hand for her to take and Ace moves closer to your side protectively.. "Take me to your husband, Devi.."

She grabs your hand with a tug and begins pulling you along behind her as Ace surveys the surroundings, up ahead you see a couple of the neighbouring workers have gathered in the centre of the field.. "This could be a set-up, Doll-face.."

You shake your head.. "I don't think so.. Besides, I came here to help people, Ace.. I'm going to do that if I can.."

He nods, his expression hard set as you trail after Devi though the freshly tilled soil of the field.. There you see it.. A large overturned vintage iron plough.. Beneath it a man, about mid-thirties is trapped, his arm crushed under the immense weight of the heavy contraption..

"Fuckin' hell.." Ace approaches the plough, moving to place a hand on it to lift it off along with one of the workers..

"NO!! No, no wait!.." Ace pauses and the onlookers stumble back as you shout, rushing forward, tying your hair up in a twisted knot on top of your head as you kneel beside the man on the ground.. He groans and writes in tortured agony.. "The weight of the plough is acting as a tourniquet.. If you move it, he'll bleed out in seconds.."