Chapter 37
The following morning is just as hectic as the night before.
They have gone from five people, all incredibly used to living and working with each other, to eleven.
The new additions are trying to figure out their place while Riley is trying to figure out how to respectfully, but firmly, let them know he is in charge.
Once the chaos that is breakfast is over with, everyone gathers around the table. Before Tyler can continue going through the general’s hard drive, they need to know everything the newcomers do and fill them in on what has really been happening.
“Alright, listen up. I am going to give out this information one time, after that, it’s on you to figure out.
General Murphy is attempting to get rid of Nemesis.
As of right now, we don’t know why. What we do know is he was heavily involved in my capture, and we have evidence of him communicating with Dmitri in an attempt to get rid of me,” Riley begins.
A thick file lands in the center of the table with a thunk. Lauren snatches it first, her face turning solemn with what she sees inside. The rest of the newcomers pass it around while Riley continues.
“During a search of his office, Liz came across those photos, along with letters the two had been sending back and forth. Liz copied his hard drive and handed it over to Tyler who has been working to break into all his encrypted files. One file tipped him off causing him to brand us as AWOL. Whatever information we have, he doesn’t want to get out, and he is now doing anything he can to end our investigation.
You all know just how far he is willing to go.
Right now, priority number one is combing through every word that man has saved and finding anything we can use to clear our names and bring his crimes to light.
Any questions?” he asks, looking at each and every one of the faces watching him, determination shining in their eyes.
They collectively shake their heads, passing the file around.
“Good. Now, Paula has told us what she can, but being in such close quarters with Scott, there were only so many phone calls she could make. We are aware of his permissions from the president and their relationship. We had our suspicions about the two when Scott helped him restructure the entire military ranking system, putting himself on top. We are also painfully aware of all the death and destruction he has caused since we left. We are all here to put an end to it. So, who wants to tell me anything we don’t already know?
” Riley asks, settling into the chair next to Liz.
It’s Laura who takes the lead, sliding her phone across the table before beginning.
“There isn’t much. I will spare you the details of just how bad it is. Paula has been doing her best to keep him in check, but she’s only one person. On our way out, we saw that man going into Scott’s office. None of us know who he is, but he clearly isn’t one of us,” she explains.
“Fuck!” Riley shouts, startling everyone gathered around. His anger gets the better of him, and he throws the phone on the table, sending it bouncing to the other side. He leans forward, resting his face in his hands.
No one speaks, letting the silence settle into their bones.
Curiosity gets the better of her, Liz reaches across the table only to be met with a hand tightly gripping her wrist, trying to stop her.
She glares daggers at Riley, daring him to keep her from looking.
He doesn’t let up. Only when she reaches with her free hand does he let her go.
The blood drains from her face when she looks at the man on the screen.
Her hands shake as she sets the phone back down.
“What’s the big deal with this guy?” Matt asks, clearly not picking up on the tension the man’s photo has caused.
Liz catches both Mikey and Riley staring at him. Each looking as if they are picturing their own ways to end his life for asking such a blatantly stupid question. Liz swallows hard, working up the courage to finally say something.
“I don’t know his significance for them,” she says, nodding her head to the men sitting next to her.
“But that’s Ivan. As far as I could tell, he is nearly as bad as Dmitri.
He is one of the men who beat me nearly every day I was held prisoner.
And he was the one who held me down while Dmitri tried to rape me.
I don’t even want to think about what he did to Ry. ”
A wave of nausea rips through her. Before anyone can stop her, Liz is on her feet, rushing out the door into the fresh mountain air.
Pushing past the guilt of what Riley is more than likely doing to Matt, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
Footsteps crunch on the gravel behind her.
Knowing who it is, she walks away, heading right to the tree line where she can walk a long, slow loop around the house to clear her head.
She will have to apologize to him later, but right now, she can’t deal with another conversation where she is looked at as nothing more than what was done to her.
“We don’t have to talk, princess, but I can’t leave you out here alone,” Riley says, as if he could read her mind.
She slows, allowing him to catch up. He keeps his word, walking a few steps behind Liz as she circles the perimeter.
On their second lap, she extends her hand back to him, smiling when she hears his steps quicken to catch up, grabbing her hand like it’s a lifeline tossed across a stormy sea.
It might as well be with the storm brewing inside her.
“Why does it have to be him, Ry?” she whispers, just loud enough to shatter his heart. He tugs her to a stop, wrapping his arms around her like the most comforting blanket.
“I wish I had an answer for you, love,” he says into her hair.
“I know what he did to me, and all I could picture while you were gone was him doing worse to you. It makes me sick to my stomach. And now he’s back, and with general fucknugget, no doubt plotting to hunt you down,” she says, bringing her own arms around his waist.
“Wait, that’s why you’re upset? Because you think he tortured me like he did you?” Riley asks, squeezing her tighter.
“Of course that’s why I’m upset. He scares the fuck out of me, but I already know what to expect, and I can handle it.
But you just got away from him a few weeks ago.
The thought of him coming after you again terrifies me to my core,” she says resting her head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.
“I’m torn between a panic attack and wanting to hunt him down, chain him up, force him to tell me every single thing he did to you… and inflict every wound he gave you back onto him,” she says through gritted teeth. Her head shakes against his chest from the small chuckle he lets out.
She scrambles from his arms, storming away furious that he could laugh when she is opening up. Leaves crunch behind her.
Riley grabs her from behind, pulling her to a stop against his chest. “Don’t be mad,” he says, leaning close to her ear. His velvety voice that close has her melting back into him. “I don’t deserve you. Everything he did to you, and you’re out here worried about me.”
“Of course, I’m worried about you. When he had me, I thought they would give me what I wanted and just kill me eventually.
It made it easy to block out everything happening.
But taking someone I love? That’s not something I could ignore.
Death turned into a worst-case scenario instead of something I begged for every day.
And now, he’s back, just like fucking Dmitri.
What’s next? Is my brother going to come back from the dead?
Am I going to have to kill him again?” she sniffles, a silent tear rolling down her cheek.
“See, that right there is why I laugh. I have never met someone who can be so sensitive and violent at the same time,” he says, placing a kiss to the top of her head.
“Would it make you feel better to know I didn’t see him much when they had me.
Dmitri made a big show of being the one to torture me. ”
“No, that doesn’t make me feel better!” she shrieks, twisting in his arms until she is looking up into his big amber eyes. “That just makes me want to kill Dmitri more than I already do.”
“Have I told you how incredibly sexy you are when you’re thinking about murder?” he asks. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. Liz rolls her eyes, still, she can’t help but smile back at him.
“Let’s go before Mikey gets worried,” she says. Riley gives her a small squeeze before dropping his arms. They finish their lap around the tree line, listening to the crunch of fallen leaves under their boots. Liz ignores the dread building with every step they take toward the house.
Shouts grow louder as they step onto the rickety porch.
Riley’s arms find their way around Liz once more, pulling her in for one last second of peace before entering the eye of the storm.
She squeezes her eyes closed, taking a deep breath, and tries to get in the right mindset for whatever is happening on the other side.
Something warm and rough brushes along her cheek, bringing a smile to her face instantly.
His fingers curl around her chin, tipping her face up at him before placing one, tender kiss on her lips. The moment she feels him begin smiling against her lips the dread eases. He will be right next to her, so whatever is waiting for them inside, she can handle.
The scene they step into isn’t as bad as Liz had suspected it would be. The team is piled around the small round table at the back of the room. Nine voices jumble together, all shouting over each other, attempting to agree on what their next move should be.