Chapter 8: A Trip to Berton Village

Words : 1844 Updated : Sep 11th, 2025

Once Alex Hayde and Ricardo Shirvinton had everything arranged, they headed for Berton Village. Ricardo kept the real assignment to himself. Alex never imagined he'd be riding in Evan Showyer's official car-a green Jeep-with Ricardo, the Party Office Director, at the wheel. The road unspooled through scenery that dazzled him. Berton Village lay in the northern part of Hasson, and the area had great natural advantages. Beyond the endless cornfields were women with simple, open faces, their rosy cheeks half hidden by kerchiefs. So many beauties in the countryside, he thought. They'd barely gone a few steps before he spotted several pretty country girls striding toward the east end of the village, shovels slung over their shoulders. Their faces were lovely, but what really caught his eye, against his better judgment, were their full, unapologetic curves, their chests heaving as they moved through the corn. "Drooling yet, Alex? Berton Village is full of beauties," Ricardo said, grinning. "The prettiest flower here is Rosie Quinny's daughter, Josephine. Wasp waist, plenty up top. One look and you'll be dying to chase after her." "Nah, I'm not drooling." "What, you can't get it up? Don't tell me you can't perform, kid." "Who says I can't? I'm a man, and a strong one." "You little punk, did you sleep with Ms. Yoppe to land that clerk's job?" Ricardo had already set Nichel, Lionel Denford's subordinate, to check up on Alex's movements that night. He didn't buy what Deborah Norrell said-that Alex had gotten into the Township Government on his own merits as a top student. To Ricardo, he suspected someone had scratched an itch with him. "Sleep with Ms. Yoppe? I don't even know her. If Deborah hadn't asked me to serve the township, I wouldn't have bothered with Hasson. I'm a top graduate from the University of Political Science and Law; I could find work anywhere." Alex delivered it coolly, without missing a beat. Ricardo nodded, still smiling, and tried another tack. "Alex, I hear your family runs a hotel." Alex caught the sly look in Ricardo's eyes and felt a prickle of danger. He was new to officialdom; a few careless steps and he'd be boxed in. Better to slip the net. "Look, Ricardo-a beauty!" Alex called, pointing at a young wife of about twenty. "Would you call that…well, big?" Ricardo snorted with laughter. "Wait till you see Ms. Yoppe-then you'll know what big is. That young wife doesn't even compare." "Ricardo, I need to go. Urgently." Alex clutched his lower belly and reached for the door. "What, you're that weak? Just talking about boobs and you're tapping out? How are you going to flirt later? I'll get you some of that old folk aphrodisiac-dog whip-to perk you up," he said, chuckling. Ricardo pulled over, still laughing, and Alex hopped out of the green Jeep. He played it to the hilt, hunching over as he dashed into the corn, then squatted, cursing Ricardo under his breath. Right then, from somewhere in the corn, he heard low, breathy moans-a man and a woman. "William, no! Let me go, I can't do this!" "You damn woman. Three years married and no child yet. I'll fix that for you-guaranteed you give me a big healthy boy." Alex dropped flat and peered between the stalks. In broad daylight, a man and a woman were at it in the corn. Folks said mountain villages were full of secret trysts; it seemed the rumors were true. The man was called "William." Could that be the same William Goulty Ricardo had mentioned, the village chief? Whatever his name, there was nothing virtuous about him. The man-William Goulty-was stripped to the waist, skin dark, belly bulging like a balloon. His baggy trousers were down around mid-calf. He had a fair-skinned woman pinned beneath him, her hair coiled, a red jacket tugged open and askew. Her long pale legs kicked and thrashed, and for a moment he couldn't make his move. "William, no, please!" "What do you mean, no? Stay still. I'm about to have you." Alex might have found this raw, real-life drama fascinating in different circumstances, and heat did prickle through him, but the thought of a woman this lovely being forced by a man like that made his blood boil. He scooped up a hard clod of earth. He'd thrown at makeshift targets as a kid with middling accuracy, but from this distance it was all he had. "Quit squirming," William growled. "I like what I see. Let me have my fun and then I'll get to work." "No, please, William, let me go!" Just as the two of them wrestled, Alex's dirt clod flew like a dart. He kept his body low, breathing in the green hush beneath the corn. Smack! By some miracle, the clod struck William square where a man is most vulnerable. Alex had aimed for the chest. He heard a strangled cry. "Damn it, that hurts like hell!" Hit there, a man forgot everything but pain. William toppled off to the fair woman's side. She scrambled up in a panic, dragging on her pants and jacket with frantic hands. William yelped and blundered deeper into the corn. Seeing the assault thwarted, Alex murmured a quick prayer of thanks. "Who's there?" The fair woman burst toward the edge of the corn and suddenly spotted a figure crouched under the stalks, eyes glued to her chest. In a flash she understood why William had howled a moment ago. Alex stood barely a pace away. Running was no longer possible. He rose to his feet. "Is he your husband?" "None of your business. Say one more word and I'll call the police." Seeing he wasn't from the village, her shoulders eased a fraction. This couldn't be allowed to spread through the hamlet. Her husband, Eden, would kill her. A wife who hadn't conceived and still fooled around would be spat on. The fear alone might scare the stranger off. "Go ahead, call them. I heard you call him William, didn't I?" "Cut it out with the 'William' and 'village chief' talk. Who are you, kid?" the fair woman-Josephine-snapped, bristling. "Nothing. Just passing through. Heading to Berton Village. Stopped to…relieve myself. That's all." "You? A passerby?" Josephine's face stayed composed while her mind raced. The stranger was neatly dressed, unexpectedly handsome. He carried himself in a way no local did. Against her will, a twinge of sympathy stirred. "Forget it. If he didn't manage to hurt you, I'm relieved. I have to go," Alex said, turning to leave. "You-what do you want?" she blurted. "I'm busy." His answer baffled her. He didn't seem to want anything-no threat, no blackmail. Still, she couldn't let him walk off without settling this. She darted in a blur and planted herself in his path. "What now?" he asked. "What do you want?" she repeated. "If you're shaken, you can call the police. At least William won't dare try this again," Alex said, his gaze flicking over her wasp waist and liquid eyes. Her jacket was buttoned up tight; he couldn't see what was underneath. Yet that earlier, accidental glimpse had jolted him more than he cared to admit. "Don't," she whispered, panic surging again. William threw his weight around the village, and he was tight with Evan Showyer. Would there be any punishment, or would the complaint only smear her name? Josephine's knees gave way. She sagged forward and collapsed into Alex's arms.

Chapter 8: A Trip to Berton Village

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