Chapter 44
The bitter cold settles into every bone in Liz’s body. The next few hours will test every member of their team. They have been hiking through deep snow for hours and still have miles to go.
Tyler managed to find an old abandoned air strip just south of where they believe Scott is hiding out.
The team had agreed to jump ten miles out, opting to hike the rest of the way to avoid being spotted in the sky.
Every so often, they switch off on carrying supplies in the hopes it saves some energy for the days to come.
Liz puts on a brave face. She had no idea the hike would be this brutal.
Her fingers are frozen and the feeling in her toes is starting to go.
The layers of thick, white camouflage gear succumbed to the elements after the first few miles.
Still, they march, guns drawn with their heads on a constant swivel.
Their mission is running on hopes and dreams. Following the only lead they had may not have been the best plan, but no one had a better one.
Finally, after hours, a small building with a tower stretching into the sky comes into view.
Riley takes the heavy bag Liz has been carrying, allowing her to walk to the last stretch easier.
She lets out a sigh of relief when she steps foot inside the building.
Finally out of the frigid wind, she pulls her hood down and rips the white balaclava off her face.
Liz takes a deep breath now that the air no longer burns her lungs.
It’s not the type of airport she was expecting. It is an open room with old computers lining one side. A table and chairs sit on the other. Riley explained it was just a control center for small private flights, but she had still pictured a bustling airport, just with smaller planes.
The team gets to work, organizing their gear.
A makeshift control center is built on the existing control desk that has seen better days.
Bed rolls are laid out on the opposite side of the dusty room.
Lauren and Maya work on building a small fire, just enough to keep them warm without smoking out the building.
Everyone else works on their assigned tasks.
Before long, the room looks like a functioning mission base.
“Hey, Ry!” Tyler shouts, walking over with a wire wrapped machine in his hands. “Did you sneak this into the gear?” Riley takes it from him, turning it over, inspecting the box from all angles.
“No. Russell said he’s not able to help more than he has. I didn’t sign for anything we didn’t absolutely need,” he says, looking around at the team now watching his conversation. “Liam, John, Neil. Get over here,” he orders.
The team goes silent. Liz wonders if one of them betrayed the team and hid something that will get them caught. The muffled thumps of boots shuffling and the crackling of a fire is the only sound in the room. Everyone waits with held breath to see what Riley will do.
“Was this on the list of equipment I signed off on?” he barks, holding the box up to them. Liz can’t help but feel bad as their heads drop to their toes.
“No, sir,” Neil says, looking up at Riley. No longer is it two friends. Now, it’s just the commander and a subordinate who didn’t follow orders. “None of us packed that, sir. We followed your list to a T. Triple checked every item ourselves just to be sure.”
“Alright, so no one knows how this got in our pack?” Riley asks the room. Every single member of the team shakes their head in denial. “Set it up, Ty.”
“But, sir, that could tip off—”
“I said, set it up. That’s an order.”
They watch with held breath as Tyler expertly connects all the cords and wires.
Alex walks to a supply closet hidden in a back corner, flicking what sounds like an electrical panel until the machines come whirring to life.
Re-appearing moments later, he quickly announces to the team to keep the lights off.
The solar panels on the roof are old, and in the winter, they are not storing as much as they will need to use.
Power is reserved for equipment only. They all nod in agreement.
Liz isn’t sure what they are waiting for. All she knows is with the way everyone stands like a deer in headlights, it’s nothing good. A deep, crackling voice cuts through the silence, confirming her worst fears.
“I see you found my gift, Reaper,” the voice says from the other end. A smile spreads across Riley’s face while he picks up the small walkie talking connected to the box.
“I see you changed your mind, Langford,” Riley retorts.
“Ehh, I want to see this end just as much as you do. I have had my men watching your satellites round the clock since you left. Both Scott and Dmitri are there. You were right,” General Langford says through the old radio.
“I have a team en route to topple Dmitri’s empire.
Once General Murphy gets word from your boy on the inside, I have no doubt he will scurry away. ”
“Sounds like a great plan, sir, except for the fact that as soon as Scott knows your team is inbound, he will warn Dmitri’s entire operation.”
“Don’t worry about that. Our man is going to get him out before he gets the chance to warn anyone. If given the choice between his life and theirs, he will choose his own,” he announces.
He is not wrong. Scott will preserve himself over all others.
“How long do we have?” Riley calmly asks.
“Just stay alert and keep your end open. Someone will be in touch the moment he flees. We will make sure he ends up at that airstrip you’re camped at.”
The thick crackling from the radio stops.
No one dares talk, instead choosing to sit in the calm before the storm.
Even Riley takes a moment to compose himself before jumping back into his role as leader.
He looks around, ready to bark orders, only to find everything done.
Weapons are laid out and within reach. Their computer systems are all set, thanks to Tyler.
The fire and beds are laid out neatly in an open square allowing each direction to have someone facing it.
Seeing the worry in his face, and the overwhelming need he has to do something, Liz brings his extra pack to him.
“I found more gear I don’t think you signed off on, Ry,” she says sweetly, handing him the bag. Her heart swells as the smile returns to his face.
She found his little project weeks ago. Though he fought her on it at first, she convinced him this mission was the perfect time to reveal what he has been working on. Curious eyes watch the exchange.
“Mikey, sweetie, come here please. I know this is your fault,” Liz announces, trying to hide her amusement at the flush of red on his cheeks.
As soon as he reaches them, Riley pulls a mask out of the bag and hands it to him. A carbon fiber half-skull with short, deep red horns poking out the top. Mikey looks like a kid in a candy store when he grabs it. His eyes go wide, a big smile on his face.
Riley pulls out his own mask, along with the one he made Liz, and sets them aside. The two of them then proceed to hand out plain masks to every member of the team. Each one is some variation of the two of theirs.
“I fuckin’ knew I would convince you to do it,” Mikey shouts, examining every detail of mask in his hands. “You have to admit, we are going to look so fucking cool.”
“Sure, sweetie. As long as we don’t die, we are going to be the coolest team of dishonored soldiers this select group of people has ever seen,” she says, patting his arm.
“Yeah. I figured if we are all going to die, I might as well give you what you’ve been begging for,” Riley adds.
“It will scare the fuck out of Scott when he sees us, though. He never said it, but he made it crystal clear, he is petrified of you,” Matt tells Riley.
Liz gives him a small smile as she hands him his own mask. He looks from the mask in his hands to Liz, then back down in disbelief that he actually got one. He gives her a tight smile, gripping it like all the trust he has been fighting to earn is now placed in his hands.
“Listen up!” Mikey shouts, climbing onto a dusty, wooden chair that looks as if it will collapse any second. “Since I got us all super badass masks, I say we are no longer Special Operations Nemesis. That died with Scott’s betrayal. We are now officially Reapers.”
A small round of applause and cheers sounds all around them. Riley simply shakes his head and walks back to their pile of equipment.
“This is why your mask looks like a little devil. Because you’re a brat, Michael,” Liz says, looking up at him.
“Aww, don’t full name me,” he whines, hopping down from his chair.
“Then don’t goof off right now. You know how on edge Ry is.
He is genuinely worried about what is going to happen.
You can celebrate and change whatever you want if we make it out of this.
For now, can you just be Sergeant Michael Torres, super bad ass soldier and best right-hand man to your commander? ” Liz pleads.
His face softens when he looks at the worry in her eyes. “You’re right, darlin. This isn’t the time or place, but you better believe when this is over, I am throwing the biggest party you have ever seen. We have a few things that need celebrating,” he says with a pointed look at her left hand.
Her cheeks warm and she stuffs her hand into her pocket. He smiles, placing a kiss onto the top of her head before marching away to double check their weapons.
She lets out a shaky breath and goes to where the team is huddled around the fire, prepping their MREs. Dropping to sit on the floor with them, Liz starts mentally preparing for the longest night of her life.