Chapter 39
Liz is swept into a too tight hug, lifting her clean off the ground the moment she steps foot back into the house.
She wraps her arms around Mikey’s neck, hugging him back just as fiercely.
She watches Riley try to pay them no mind, instead walking right to where the rest of the team is huddled around the fireplace.
But she doesn't miss the way he glances back at her. The fireplace that now has every old photo of her past life turned around. Her grip tightens around Mikey’s neck, grateful to have him in her life.
“Thank you,” she whispers in his ear before letting him go.
“Next time, tell us what’s going on, darlin. You had me worried when you started shutting down. Even Tyler was asking if you were okay when he went to tinker with the generator,” he says, swinging his arm around her shoulders and guiding her to the group.
To her surprise, Matt moves from the couch onto the floor, making enough space for her to settle in between Mikey and Riley.
Mikey grabs two MREs off the table, handing her one before he prepares his own.
Liz sits back, silently listening to the chatter.
Her heart swells at the sight. It may not be what it should have been, but to see family gathered in the space she thought would be lost forever gives her a tiny spark of hope.
“We are safe, for now. It will be harder to be found, but not impossible, so only use the devices Tyler has provided for you. We will be living off MREs and whatever food was packed when we left the last house. We now have everything needed to clear our names and keep the rest of yours from joining the treason list. Tyler has sent what he has to every single person who may be able to help us. We are no longer on the run, now we are on the hunt,” Riley says with so much confidence it sends a chill down Liz’s spine.
She watches in admiration as he rallies the team, preparing them for the biggest fight of their life.
“We know Scott’s motivations. We know what he is doing, and who he is doing it with.
And, we know what will happen if we fail, so failure is not an option.
If you have anything to say, any intel you have been keeping, any ideas or plans, now is the time to speak up,” he says, eyes locked on Matt, nervously looking around the group following their leader’s eyes to him.
“Why can’t we just wait it out here?” Maya timidly asks. Her mousy voice is a shock to Liz, never having spoken to her before. She assumed anyone Lauren brought along would be just as powerful and confident as she is.
“Because that’s not our job. Our job is to stop the bad guys, no matter where they are from. We cannot rely on others to solve our problems. There will never be a guarantee that our intel isn’t intercepted, or that it will even matter if it does reach the right hands,” Lauren carefully explains.
“I’m sorry. I just thought with all the proof, the people you sent it to would just kind of, handle it,” Maya says, shrinking back into herself.
“No need to apologize. You are barely out of basic. You have never experienced anything like this before. Ask as many questions as you need, and we will try to explain the best we can,” Riley says, his eyes softening when he looks at the girl.
Liz’s heart does the same, melting at the man she loves being so gentle with the new recruit who shouldn’t even be there.
“I say we go back to Montana, meet up with Paula… wait, what rank is she? Why can’t she get this handled now that all the intel is in her hands?” Neil asks, looking around for answers.
“No one really knows. It’s been kept under wraps my whole life.
She doesn’t have the same authority as most of the commanding officers, but she has clearance just as high, probably higher.
The whole family used to joke that she was an internal spy sent in to investigate reports on higher ups.
After all this shit, it doesn’t feel like a joke anymore,” Matt explains.
“Doesn’t matter her rank. Who knows how many Scott supporters are crawling around that base right now. The second we step foot back there, we will face someone trying to detain us, or worse,” Mikey says, digging into his food.
“We need to find him, that’s the fastest way to end this.
Wherever he ran off to, it’s obviously with Dmitri.
If we can find where he is clearly not being held hostage, that should be enough to prove we didn’t kidnap the dumb ass.
Then, once we know where he is, we find him and kill him.
Easy peasy,” Liz finally says, fumbling with the package of her food in an attempt to avoid smirks from half the team.
“As good as that sounds, love, finding him would be a mission in itself. We have no satellites, no tracking, no military equipment to use,” Riley says.
“Great. Finally have what the information we need, and we still have no way of fixing everything that bastard caused,” Alex snaps.
“Is there seriously no one in the entire military who wants to see him gone just as much as we do?” Liz asks.
She tries to fight off the bad thoughts creeping in.
The voices fade to a muffled static while she falls into her own head.
Every step forward and they are shoved ten steps back.
They have been on the run for weeks at this point, fighting just to stay alive and out of prison.
They haven’t even begun the real fight, and just when she thought they could get ahead, life pulls them back.
A warm, rough hand wraps around hers, interlocking their pinky fingers. She takes a deep breath, then another, silently begging her heart rate to slow. Liz tips her head back, letting her eyes closed as she mentally fights with herself.
Yes, they are currently in a bad position, with seemingly no way out, but she has been in that position before. When she was, Riley came to save her, and since that day, he has always figured things out. He will do it again, even if it takes more time.
“Alright, kid, you’re up. You’ve been kissing the general’s ass for years, and he roped you in on this whole situation. You can’t tell me he never told you who has it out for him,” Riley says, turning to face Matt whose eyes dart around the circle of people like a wild animal being cornered.
“I don’t know what to tell you. He was pretty convinced, or at least acted like he has no enemies. Besides you, I mean,” Matt explains, twirling the spork from his MRE. “I could give you the names of a hundred people he didn’t trust, but none felt the same about him,”
“There was really no one? You never overheard a phone call? Saw an email you weren’t supposed to?
He never freaked out about anyone? I haven’t known him long and even I know that seems out of character for him,” Liz says, trying to hide the annoyance on her face and make him feel comfortable to keep going.
“I mean, he hates Aunt Paula for obvious reasons, and the guy she started dating after they divorced, General Langford, or something like that, but again, that’s for personal reasons,” Matt tells the group.
His cheeks flush a deep shade of pink and Liz can only feel bad for him having to talk about his family’s personal problems with a group he barely knows.
She knows better than anyone how raw that makes you.
“Look, guys, I’ll admit, I fucked up following him blindly the way I did. I know that and if I had any real information to give you, you would have it already, but I don’t,” Matt says.
“Wait. Who did Paula date?” Riley asks, his eyes narrow on Matt. Liz looks between the two of them, hoping things don’t take a turn.
“Langford, I think,” he says
“Russell Langford?” Riley pushes
“Yes, sir,” Matt says with a shaky voice. He drums his fingers against the dark oak coffee table , creating a steady rhythm. She watches him, making a mental note of all his nervous tics. Not the same ones he had when he was lying to them.
“Fuck, why didn’t I think of that. Nice job, kid,” Riley says.
Liz joins the rest of the team in sharing confused glances, waiting for Riley to elaborate.
No one dares talk. Not even Mikey has anything to say.
They all wait, nibbling their now cold meals.
“Again, anyone not in Nemesis, go get some rest. You will be briefed in the morning,” he orders.
The new members continue to exchange glances.
Lauren looks to Mikey for any type of answer.
He simply shrugs his shoulders and blows her a kiss before she gets up and heads upstairs.
Neil, John, and Liam follow close behind after cleaning up after themselves.
Riley looks around at who's left. Tyler and Alex take up one half of the L-shaped couch, while he, Liz, and Mikey take up the other.
Matt stays on his small patch of floor, making Riley do a double take.
“Why are you still here?” Riley asks.
“I’m technically still part of Nemesis… sir,” he says.
Liz can’t help but crack a smile at his boldness, especially after Riley was ready to take his life only a few short weeks prior.
“Just let him stay, Ry,” Liz tells him, sliding her delicate hand into his.
He grips her tight, running this thumb back and forth across the back of her hand, savoring the silky feel of her skin against his.
“Fine, but one step out of line, and I’m dragging your ass out to the barn—”
“Why will I get punished?” Liz interrupts, looking up at Riley. He meets her gaze, looking at her like she is the only person in the room. Mikey fights to stifle his laugh next to her.
“I was talking to him, but we can put this meeting off, and I’ll bring you out there right no—” Riley is cut off by a loud, uncomfortable cough from beside him.
“Can we continue, please? None of us want to see you two fuck,” Alex says. “Don’t fucking say it, Mikey,” he barks.
Liz turns just in time to see Mikey slowly lowering his raised hand. She playfully slaps his chest.
“We’re no worse than you two used to be,” Riley shoots back.
“But, and I am going to get my ass handed to me for this, I didn’t consider Russell as an option.
He was our Drill Sergeant when we were in basic.
Our platoon was his last before he moved onto Company Commander.
Alex and I got assigned to his unit. He’s a mean old bastard, but he took me under his wing.
I stayed with him as he moved up the ranks, up until everything went down.
I’ve never met anyone more honest than him,” Riley explains.
“So, you want to reach out to him?” Liz asks.
“No. He is running a base a few hours from here. First thing in the morning, we are leaving, and I need everyone to trust me. I’m going to get us caught.”