Chapter 48
Riley and his small team of men load up and head to where the ambush is planned, hoping to pick off any forces Dmitri planted there as fast as possible.
Wearing the mask he made that night all those years ago, he speeds to the lake, parking a few miles away.
Riley gathers his men and goes over the plan: they are to go in on foot, a small group going in from the other side, and when they are surrounded, start picking them off.
After what seems like forever of walking through the woods, Riley morphs into Reaper, needing to not think about anything but the task at hand.
They push forward, picking off men here and there as they do.
Luck is on their side because Dmitri’s forces don’t know they are there until it’s too late.
Riley watches as the last man drops, his phone vibrating in his pocket.
Liz watches as Dmitri takes her phone and pulls up Riley’s number, letting out a little sigh of relief when she remembers she left him as Reaper in her contacts. He presses the button and puts it on speaker, setting the phone in the middle of the table.
“What the fuck is going on? You’re not supposed to call me,” Riley says through her phone.
“That’s not a nice way to speak to your girlfriend,” Dmitri responds.
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
Dmitri looks at Liz, a sinister smile spreading across his face as if he can see her heart shattering in her chest.
“Well, if you don’t claim her, I guess I will take her back,” Dmitri tells him.
“You can let her go or you can die, your choice, asshole.” The deep, raspy voice coming through the phone is all Reaper.
“The only place she is going to is her cell. It’s up to you how much she endures before then. You have an hour, Reaper. One hour to surrender and I will hand her over,” Dmitri says, pushing the red button to end the call.
He walks over to Liz, fist slamming into her cheek before she can even register what is happening.
Her head is thrown to the side, the coppery tang of blood filling her mouth.
She clings to consciousness, spitting the blood onto the table.
He motions to his men who untie her and pull her from the chair, holding her up so she doesn’t completely collapse.
“You have caused many problems, pet,” he says as he drives his ringed fist into her stomach, Liz is unable to even hunch over in pain.
He paces back and forth, growing more angry with each step. He looks at her, face bruised and bleeding, before he swings his hand into her stomach again. Liz fights back the vomit rising in her throat, each hit making her more nauseous.
“I have a new cage for you and since you gave that… thing... what you refused me, I’m going to give you to my men. You let him defile you…” he sneers, bringing his hand up and into her nose. “Now, I’m going to allow every single man in my operation to do the same.”
Blood sprays everywhere, the pain blooming behind her eyes. Liz fights to keep herself standing. She keeps looking for a way out, telling herself if she can at least hold on Mikey is coming with his team and Riley will find his way to her, despite everything, he will always keep her safe.
Her thoughts are interrupted by one of Dmitri’s men running in the front door, shouting something in Russian she can’t understand. The men holding her up start yelling at each other, worried looks on each of their faces. Liz takes that as only meaning one thing, her boys have arrived.
“We will not leave! He will not send his men in if it means she will be harmed. We wait!” Dmitri screams at his men, causing them to all go silent when one brave man steps up.
“Sir, they are building a barricade across the road, guns trained on us. Their general is demanding they blow up the building,” he says, voice shaking as he waits for the wrath of his leader.
“We wait!” He screams, “Her Reaper will come. Get our forces ready to move when he does,”
“Sir, the one with the mask, he took the lake, and all the men there are gone. We only have the ones waiting with us,” the man bravely says.
Liz watches in horror as Dmitri turns back to her, sending his fist flying into her face again as he lets out a frustrated scream.
The end of the hour is closing in. Every minute that ticks by, Liz loses a little bit of hope that help is coming.
She focuses her mind on everything they have taught her over the months, thankful she didn’t drink more, allowing her mind to clear some.
She makes plan after plan in her head, going over every possible scenario like she has seen Riley do so many times.
The blood loss and pain makes all her plans seem impossible.
Mikey, Alex, and Tyler walk around the barricade, screaming orders at the soldiers running around, making sure their men get into position and stay there.
So focused on keeping everyone from the general’s orders, no one notices the truck barreling toward them.
Riley doesn’t bother to shut his truck off.
The moment he stops, the door is thrown open, and Riley jumps out just in time to hear the general tell someone to ready the RPG.
Everything goes black as Riley rushes for him, this time, he’s determined to kill him.