Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter TEN

Lacey Paxton

You follow Ace out of the trees into a clearing and you don't recognise anything.. The terrain is rocky and steep.. But that describes the entire area surrounding Druitt.. You could be anywhere for all you know..

Running through the forest in the darkness has you all turned around and disorientated..

Rock and pebbles slide beneath your feet as you scamper to keep up with Ace's long striding gait.. "Oh!.." You stumble, your hand flying out for support, latching onto his bulging bicep to steady yourself..

"You alright, Doc?.." He glances down to you..

"Not exactly.." You huff..

He grunts a low response.. "Not far now, Doll-face.. Stay close.." He keeps moving and you puff along, a constant step behind him.. Every so often he casts a curious look over his shoulder at you before that stern assessing gaze of his continues tracking every sign of movement, his black brow set with determination..

As the two of you reach a rocky overhanging, he stops you with a finger to his lips and a scowl.. "Shh.." He motions for yourself to crouch down and you obey, confused.. Looking around you cant see anything.. But then you hear it, the rustling of boots and murmured whispers..

Ace points upwards towards the top of the overhanging.. His voice so low you can barely hear it.. "Stay here.."

Keeping low, he begins to follow along the escarpments edge, until reaching a ledge, using the rockface to pull himself up.. Within seconds, there is an angry shout.. "Shit!.. GET HIM!.."

A few seconds later, the gunfire begins again..

TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT

You press your hands over your ears, trying to block out the vivid flashing images that bombard you..

With the pop of each shot you can so vividly imagine the moving picture of Ace being shot..

Over and over.. If something happens to him, you'll be alone.. In the middle of god knows where..

You mutter quietly to yourself under your breath, fighting to keep a hold of yourself.. "Lord have mercy.."

A silence soon falls and you squeak pathetically when Ace suddenly sticks his head out from above you.. "Quick.. C'mon.." He reaches down a strong arm, and you reach up to take it with both hands as he pulls you easily up to the top of the bank, lifting you without any effort..

There on the sandstone hillside is a militarily style tent set up a few feet away.. Ace quickly begins running around, collecting pieces of his equipment and devices, throwing them in a backpack as you watch his movements through the open canvas entry..

You take a step closer but he holds up a hand to stop you.. "Don't come in here Lacey.."

"W-why?.." That only makes you more curious.. You take another step, two bodies, dressed the same as the men who attacked the camp lay on the floor of the tent.. "Oh, my god.."

Ace strides towards you and you step aside, your eyes glued to the dead bodies.. Realising what is going on..

He killed them..

Your mouth dries..

He empties the entire contents of a crinkly aluminium bottle onto the tarp-like floor of the tent, the toxic scent of lighter-fluid rising in the cool night air, before pulling a silver lighter from his pocket..

"Traitor fucking scum.." He grumbles to himself as he sparks the flint, lifting the flame to the screens of the tent entry.. Immediately it ignites, fiery rivers begin to lick at the khaki canvas as he turns back to you.. "So.. Turns out extraction's going to be tough, since those pricks destroyed most of my equipment.. And.." He trails off, turning back to look at the tent, now completely engulfed in fire.. A dark expression on his face.. "Lacey.. I don't think the guys that attacked your camp were rebels.."

He slings the pack over his shoulder.. "C'mon, the rest of them won't be far away.. We gotta find somewhere to hold up until I can figure out what to do with you.. Shit.."

You trail after him, looking over your shoulder dazed by the orange glow of the flames and the way that Ace so casually walks away from it.."If it wasn't rebels that attacked us.. Who was it, Grey?"

He sighs.. "Ah.. I dunno, Lace.."

You get the distinct sense that he is lying and he knows a lot more than he is letting on.. But you're too tired now to untangle the mess..

All of your adrenaline worn out.. You begin to lag, struggling to keep up with him, your legs like two lead weights.. "Im sorry.. Ace.. I-I can't.. I'm so tired.. I can't.."

You double forward, hands on your knees, your lungs wheezing..

He stops, looking around.. Nodding to a dark opening in the nearby rocky hills, he takes a cautious step back towards you.. "There.. We can stop for a few hours and you can rest.. Can you make it, Doc?.."

You look towards the cave entry.. In reality it would only be several yards away, but honestly the prospect feels like he is asking you to run a marathon.. Something you couldn't do, even without having lost a pint of blood..

You nod anyway, because you have to.. If life has taught you one thing, its how to survive.. And this is how you survive.. You keep going.. "Y-Yeah.. I think--"

You step forward but your legs crumble underneath you..

You're not going anywhere..

A silky black veil slips over your vision and soon the peaceful still of unconsciousness takes you away..