Chapter 38
The second the doors open, Liz is overwhelmed by people yelling and computers blaring. She looks around, trying to find the only person she's comfortable enough with to ask what’s going on, but Mikey is too busy trying to make the noise stop.
Alex rushes over and starts talking to Riley. Liz utilizes the distraction to slip away to her room. She quickly changes into something more comfortable and throws her hair into a messy bun, telling herself if she has to deal with all this shit, she is at least going to be comfortable.
She walks back out and the room is just as hectic as when they first walked in.
She looks around, all the yelling and noise quickly becoming too much.
All the voices are pulling her in a thousand different directions.
She can feel her heartbeat quickening, her vision going fuzzy, a stabbing pain starting in her chest.
Before the panic attack can take her, she takes one big, deep breath and shouts over the men. “Can you all just shut the fuck up!”
The room goes silent, except for the blaring of computers, four sets of eyes turning on her, utter shock etched on every face as they look to where she stands. She walks over to where they are huddled, figuring she better say something fast before they berate her for speaking to them that way.
“How is anything going to work if all you idiots are screaming over one another?” She strides over to the table scattered with papers and maps and sits. When she looks over to see them still standing around, looking at her with wide eyes, she simply says, “Sit.”
To her surprise, they quietly walk to the table and sit down. She isn’t sure what to say now, knowing her outburst was caused by anxiety and not necessarily wanting to take control of the situation.
Riley senses why she did what she did and takes over for her. “What happened?” he asks, looking at Alex.
“We got through the encrypted file he sent us,” Alex says, creating more questions for Liz.
“And?” Riley urges, needing more information.
“There’s still a lot to go through. But you were right.
Dmitri is pissed you’re keeping her.” Alex looks at Liz.
“He has been going crazy, killing his own men who don’t agree with getting her back.
I think if anyone but you took her, he could have let it go, but you humiliated him when he was fighting for power, just to go back and do it again,” Alex says to Riley.
“There’s more,” Mikey interjects, looking at Tyler to finish explaining what they found.
“He needs her for something, we just haven’t found out what yet. But, Sir… it’s not just about you taking her, it’s something much bigger, we just don’t know what.”
“So, why was everyone screaming when we came in?” Liz asks.
Mikey is the one to answer this time. “We got word they found you at the lake. We started trying to break through the files as fast as we could to see if they had something planned… It got a little tense.”
“It doesn’t help that the general is on his way and expects us to know everything happening in Dmitri’s mind,” Alex adds.
“Great. General Dickhead is coming back,” Liz says with a huff, anger flooding her body. She stretches her arms out, resting her forehead on the cool table, defeated.
Mikey cracks a small smile, but Tyler and Alex look at her like she’s insane. Never in all their years working under the General have they heard someone call him anything other than his name. Even Riley, who loathes the man with his entire being, doesn’t refer to him as anything but General or Sir.
“What did you call him?” Tyler asks, trying to hide the smile creeping up on his face. Liz picks her head back up, smirking at him.
“General Dickhead. Because, well, he’s a fucking Dickhead,” Liz says without an ounce of regret.
“They don’t exactly see eye to eye,” Mikey chimes in.
“He called me Dmitri’s whore. Literally said I was fucking the man who kidnapped me, chained me to a dirty floor, attempted to rape me, and let his men beat me every fucking day.
I should have beat his ass the second those words left his stupid mouth.
” Liz snaps, anger only growing as she thinks back to the things the general has said to her.
The large hand that grabs her leg under the table is the only thing keeping her from storming out.
“We’re not disagreeing with what you called him. Just never met someone so willing to say it,” Alex says.
“Who is bringing him?” Riley asks quietly, hoping to get her mind off of the misery his boss has caused.
“He can’t drive himself?” Liz sneers.
“I’m sure he would if I would tell him where we are. I told you this bunker is meant to be a sanctuary. The last thing I will allow is for him to taint it,” Riley explains.
“For one, you said he didn't have access, not that he doesn't know where it is, for twosies, he really has no idea we are here?” Liz asks sheepishly. She doesn’t want them to see how much that small piece of information means to her.
“He knows the general area, but he is brought in one of my trucks. Signals are jammed and windows are blacked out. He has been trying to figure it out for years,” Riley says with a smirk.
They turn back to the papers on the table as they wait for something to happen on the screens scattered around the room.
The sudden whirring of the elevator draws their attention to the other side of the room.
The doors open and out steps the general.
Riley tightens his grip on Liz’s leg, trying to keep her calm after setting eyes on him.
He walks to the table where everyone is working, polished dress shoes clicking on the floor with each step.
“Hello, gentlemen,” he says, glancing at Liz before darting his eyes away, intentionally ignoring her presence. “Status report.”
“So, I guess you don’t fucking see me?” Liz snaps, already fuming from the mention of things he has said. Before anyone has the chance to start briefing him on what they found, all heads turn to her, watching as she stares at the general, nothing but anger and defiance on her face.
“I’m sorry—” he shouts, face turning red with anger.
“Apology not accepted,” she sneers before he can continue what he was saying. “You greeted everyone at this table, looked at me, and continued on like I’m not here.”
“Reaper, get your little pet under control,” he shouts, sending spittle flying.
“Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I just didn’t hear you say hello to me, it’s hard to understand you with half your face being held together by tape.” Liz jabs back, eyeing his bandaged nose. She notes how his eyes darted to Riley, a smug smile on her face knowing how much he fears him.
“Know your place, General. This is her home, and I’m happy to repeat what happened the last time you disrespected her,” Riley says, rubbing up and down her leg.
“I have done nothing to you, and yet you treat me like a criminal who doesn’t deserve to see the light of day, even after they all worked so hard to prove I'm innocent. You can’t even be in the same room as me without disrespecting me in some capacity,” Liz says to him, voice trembling.
The general sighs and looks around the table at all the faces looking at Liz, their eyes filled with sympathy. It dawns on him that she has turned his operation against him; he’s outnumbered. He lets out an exasperated sigh and looks back to Liz.
“Hello, Elizabeth,” he says through gritted teeth.
“It’s Liz, but I’ll let it slide this time.” She reaches under the table and grabs Riley’s hand, interlacing their fingers. The general doesn’t try to sit, he knows he’s not welcome. He keeps his distance, standing a few feet away from them as Alex reiterates everything they have learned.
“Keep digging in those files. I want to know what he’s planning,” he says to Alex and Tyler.
“Riley and… Liz,” he chokes out, like her name leaves a bad taste in his mouth, “keep doing, wherever it is you’re doing.
Make sure you check for bugs. Last thing I need is our intel getting out because you were too wrapped up in each other to do your jobs properly.
Who knows what those men did when they saw you leaving. ”
He quickly turns on his heels and walks back to the elevator, getting in and disappearing. Liz lets out a breath of relief, happy he’s finally gone. Alex and Tyler stand and go back to their computers, checking all the equipment, quietly fighting about how to make it shut up.
Liz looks around at everyone doing what they need to do and starts to feel out of place. She snuggles her head against Riley’s shoulder. “Everyone’s so busy; is there something I should be helping with?”
“I think we’re all set. Ty and Alex will kill anyone who tries to touch their equipment and you’re not quite ready to plan strategy with me and Mikey,” he says to her.
“Do you mind if I head to bed? Today was kind of a lot,” she asks, yawning.
“Of course I don’t mind. Go get some rest, baby,” he says without thinking.
His eyes go wide the second he realizes what he called her. Somehow, that one little word feels more intimate than anything he’s said before.
Liz just smiles, still trying to hide the flush in her cheeks that drives him wild.
He looks around the room, Tyler and Alex are still tinkering away, and Mikey is paying them no mind as he goes over the maps in front of him.
Liz shifts, tipping her head back to kiss his stubbly cheek and head off to bed.
Before he can stop himself, his hand finds its way to her neck, his thumb rubbing back and forth along her jaw.
She looks up at him smiling, her green eyes shimmering with admiration.
With his heart beating out of his chest, he slowly lowers his head, giving her time to stop him if that’s what she wants.
He only stops when his lips brush hers, waiting for her to change her mind.
Everything feels like it’s going in slow motion as he brings himself the rest of the way, placing a tender kiss on her lips that she’s quick to return.
Fireworks bloom in his chest, feeling Liz start to smile against his lips.
He pulls back just enough to kiss her again, letting his mouth linger on hers, not wanting to stop.
It’s not how he wanted their first kiss to go, but now that he did it, he couldn't imagine it going any other way.
She lets out a tiny, happy moan before pulling away.
As much as she would love to spend all night kissing Riley, she would prefer to do it without an audience.
Liz reluctantly stands on wobbly legs and walks to her room, staring at the floor to avoid any looks.
Already missing her lips on his, Riley sighs and stands, wishing he could follow her to bed. He lifts his head to find Mikey staring at him, mouth agape, eyes wide from what he just witnessed.
Riley walks over, ignoring the look on his friend’s face, and starts shuffling through the papers in front of him. “I swear to fucking god, I will end you,” he says, still not looking up from the mess covering every surface in his house.
Mikey snaps his mouth shut. There is no way in hell he will be keeping his mouth shut about this, but he cares about them too much to ruin a beautiful moment.
It’s not long before they get lost in what they are doing when Riley’s phone buzzes on the counter.
He grabs it, seeing a new message from Liz.
He opens it, unable to keep the smile from spreading across his face while he reads the short text.
Goodnight <3