Lacey Paxton
There is no way you are up to the vertical climb up the steep sandstone mountains, which means by the time Ace leads you the long way around, over the spindly ridges, dawn is breaking over the farmlands that surround the outskirts of the village..
You pause by a weathered wooden fence post, feeling flush and out of breath, wondering how its possible that Ace doesn't seem in the least tired.. Though you're sure he must be..
"I.. Really.. Need.. To.. Work out.. More.." You pant, feeling like your legs are made of jelly as you unscrew the cap on the water bottle you've been carrying..
Ace stops walking and turns to you with a twinkling white grin, lowing his rifle.. You can't keep your gaze from traveling over his impressive, broad shoulders, his rigid, alert posture causing his muscles to swell beneath his jacket.. Those high chiseled cheekbones and that dark hair, set off by those dreamy eyes, an impossibly icy pale blue.. "What are you talking about, Doll?.. You're always at the gym.." He chuckles, a low and rich rumbling that sets sparks alight across your skin.. The sound warm and affectionate..
Oh dear..
Despite your efforts to dismiss that charming smile of his as anything other than innocent friendliness and obligation, and despite wanting so badly to heed your brother's warning and forget about your "naive crush" on the guy (Hunter's words exactly).. Ace Greyson still captures your attention.. He holds your breath hostage in your chest as he stalks towards you in a few long, confident strides.. Your heart beat stuttering in your throat.. You narrow your eyes on him.."Um.. How do you know that?.."
He grins mischievously, leaning against the old post, his inviting, casual pose framed against the backdrop of a glowing golden sunrise.. "Hm, I notice you around the offices, Lacey.. Kinda hard not to.."
You pause mid-sip of the lukewarm water, almost choking at his boldness..
He notices you?!..
What is that supposed to mean?!..
And why does it make you so excited to hear that from him.. Nervously excited..
The sweetest smile tugs at his lips as he watches you curiously and his eyes glint like pastel sapphires in the morning light.. That is until his gaze falls to his rifle and it's as though he remembers who he is.. Before long, that pensive stoney expression returns to settle over his gorgeous face..
Say something!! Why aren't you talking!?..
The little voice in your head screams at you to speak..
The right words are frozen in your throat, like glass shards.. Still, you want so badly to just say them.. Spit it out!! But they won't seem to come.. Instead you just stare at him, dumbstruck.. Like a weirdo..
"Ah, well.." He sighs an amused huff, breaking the tension and tilting his head in an encouraging nod before turning away from you, marching forward..
Your feet are following him before you even realise you're walking.. You came here to change yourself, to be braver.. That includes speaking your mind.. This trip might not have turned out the way anybody would have thought.. But that doesn't mean you can just give up.. You wanted to take back control, and now more than ever, that needs to still be true.. You take several scurried steps to catch up to him, stealing your nerve and forcing out the words.. "I.. um.. noticed you too, Ace.."
He doesn't stop moving, but you definitely see a new kind of tension coil around his muscles at the sound of your voice beside him.. "You did, huh?.."
His tone is light, and playful, making your confession a little easier.. You blush, thankful that he doesn't turn that scorching hot gaze of his on you.. "Um.. Yeah, well.. Like you said.. It's kind of hard not to.."
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.."
Ace crouches beside you.. "Then, what do we do?.."
You look around seeing the small hut like house a few yards away the couple must live in.. You point to it.. "Tell Devi, I need some alcohol, clean towels, a small bowl and.. something sharp enough to cut through bone.. like a machete or an axe.. You have a first aid kit, don't you, Ace?.."
Ace quickly translates your instructions to Devi and she nods shakily, stumbling off towards the house in a hurry.. You are running on pure instinct and training.. And the knowledge that there is no hospital anywhere nearby.. This man won't keep his arm.. You can already see that the damage is too severe.. But you might just be able to save his life..
The astonishingly composed Marine shrugs the pack from his shoulder whipping out his kit and handing it to you hastily.. You refocus on the injured man.. Your mind racing through the ways to approach this operation.. None of them are easy.. All of them gory and insanely high risk.. "Sir.. It's going to be okay.. My name is Lacey, I'm a doctor and I'm going to do everything I can.." You attempt to reassure him..
The man groans weakly, blinking at you through bleary eyes.. "Doctor?.." His eyes roll and you open the kit before you, seeing a small vial of morphine and a syringe inside and praising the Lord for this man's good fortune..
Immediately you set about administering him a sufficient dose to dull his agony, but not enough to knock him out.. Its will be much easier to monitor his vitals that way.. As you slip the needle into his vein, instantly his struggling motions, which had been only making things worse slow to a stop, though his mournful groaning never ceases.. "Sir?.. Try to stay awake for me now.. What is your name?.."
"Serge.." His breath is shallow and his voice tired..
"Okay, that's good.. Now just try to stay awake for me, Serge.."
Devi soon returns with all of the items you had requested and you hold out a hand to Ace.. "Can I have your pocket-knife.. And your lighter?.."
He pulls the metal items from his pocket and you take them, cutting one of the towels in half.. "What now?.."
You nod towards the little ceramic bowl.. "I need gunpowder.."
He pulls a spare clip from inside his chest pocket, plucking a few heavy artillery rounds from inside.. "Alright.." He sets about emptying the gunpowder from the shells into the bowl..
"And I need your belt.."
He nods, rising to his feet and pulling the leather strap that loops through the tabs of his dark denim jeans from around his narrow hips.. You take the belt, carefully wrapping it around Serge's arm, just above where the till of the plough crushes his muscle, singue and bone to a pulpy, sanguine mash..
"Okay, Devi.." You wave her over to sit on the other side of Serge and she moves.. "Try to keep him calm.. This will be painful.."
Ace relays your words and she nods hesitantly..
You look at Ace, relieved to see he is still very much in control, assertive and focused.. He's really going to need that Marine training of his in order to stomach what is about to happen.. "I'll need your help.."
He nods.. "Whatever you say, Doc.."
You take the end of the belt that is looped around Serge's forearm, just below his elbow.. "Pull on this, as hard as you can.. We need it to be as tight as possible.."
Obediently he follows your instructions.. You kneel on Serge's elbow keeping his arm in place as Ace pulls the new tourniquet impossibly tight.. Serge howls at the motion.. Quickly you take the knifle, punching a hole in the leather to secure the buckle cutting off the blood flow to the injury site..
Serge howls violently.. "YAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!"
"Shhh.. Shh.." Devi attempts to soothe him, you can see the terror in her eyes as she watches on, unable to do anything.. You understand that feeling of helplessness.. That terror.. Your empathy for Devi only spurs your determination further..
"That's good.. Okay.. This next part needs to happen fast.. And it's going to be rough.. Really rough.." You push up to your feet, turning to Ace with a little apprehension..
He frowns.. "Yeah, I figured.."
You are glad Devi can't understand you, because what you are about to tell Ace to do is extreme..
It is also the only way to keep Serge alive..
You bend down, picking up the woodcutting axe, the blade is not as sharp as you would like, but it will do..
You tip a small amount of vodka over the axe and wipe it down with the half piece of towel.. "You'll have to amputate his lower arm, about an inch above the injury site, an inch below the strap.."
Ace swallows hard, his dark brow drawing together as he processes the request.. "I would do it myself Ace, but it needs to be a clean cut.. One I would ideally make with a surgical saw.. I don't know if I am strong enough to cut through the bone this way.. It needs to be you.."
He winces, taking the axe handle from you.. "Fuck me.."
"You can do this, Marine.." You wrap an encouraging hand around his wrist, as his intense arctic gaze locks with yours, for the briefest second, you see the flicker of nervousness in his eye.. "It's just one swing, Honey.. That's it.. I can do the rest.. Okay?.."
He nods, a little bewildered but maintaining his composure well.. Much better than poor Devi who is a wide eyed shivering wreck.. You can't blame her, this is definitely not the way you would choose to perform an amputation.. But in a matter of life and death, beggars can't be choosers..
"Ah.. Right.. I'll just.. Chop his--uh-- arm off, then.." He huffs in disbelief at what is about to do as you move to pick up the bowl of gunpowder and the shiny lighter in preparation for the next step..
His eyes are not exactly doubtful as he glances at you one last time.. But he is understandably hesitant..
You nod solemnly.. It is the only way..
Ace raises the axe high above his head, Serge now passed out from shock.. Or possibly dead..
But it's too late to check..