Riley drops the duffle onto the ground, crouching to rifle through it. Liz bounces on the balls of her feet, trying to not look as anxious as she feels. He pops back up, card in hand, winking at Liz as he taps it against the small pad on the door, pulling it open the second the light flashes green.
Bag in hand, they stride into the building now swarmed with men and women of various ranks, all scrambling to figure out the general’s orders. Riley walks with confidence—he knows exactly what he is there for and where to find it.
Liz follows his lead, walking a step behind, nearly bumping into him when he stops at the stairwell. With a quick look around to make sure they haven’t been spotted, they disappear behind the door. Riley signals for Liz to stop. He listens for any signs of movement, and when they are clear, they sprint down the stairs.
The air grows thick, a musty, earthy scent replacing the crisp clean air. Each flight of stairs takes them deeper underground. The lights flicker overhead the lower they go. Liz fights to hideher unease. Instead, she watches her feet, making sure she doesn’t send them both tumbling down the stairs.
Riley slows, once more listening for signs of life on the other side of the landing. The thick, metal door lets out a deep groan. Riley curses, hoping the noise hasn’t alerted any guards to come running. He squeezes through the opening, sliding into the narrow hallway with Liz still close behind. They silently step down the hall. The only sounds are their muffled footsteps and the eerie water drips splashing onto the floor below.
“Something feels off. Where are all the guards?” Liz whispers. Her pace quickens to catch up to Riley.
“I don’t know. Keep your head on a swivel. Scott could have gone overboard and sent everyone after Lauren’s guys, either that or he knows we’re here, and we’re about to walk into an ambush,” Riley whispers back, scanning the hall.
He stops when he turns the corner. One man sits on a worn-out metal folding chair in the center of the hall, doors lining the walls on either side. The man turns to them, a tight-lipped smile tugs at his face as relief washes over him. Every muscle in Liz’s body goes tense, the feeling of something wrong never fully going away.
“You don’t have long,” he says. Standing, he tosses Riley a ring full of keys.
“I know. Get out of here. Lauren has a safe space for you,” Riley says as he drops the bag, jogging over to the first cell door.
“I appreciate that, sir, but I can’t leave. My family has a house on base. My wife and boys are there,” he says, watching Riley fumble with the keys.
“If you stay here, he might find out you helped. He will kill you,” Liz says.
“If I leave, he will kill them instead. I was assigned to guard the prisoners, so he will know I assisted you no matter what. I willhappily die if it means my family stays safe,” the man says, his mouth crooked in a sad smile.
“There has to be another way. You can get to them if you go now,” Liz pleads. She pulls out the first uniform and runs it to the open door, tossing it in for whoever is on the other side. She looks back at the man, face lost in thought.
“Reaper, hit me.” He says it is like a stroke of genius. “Maybe he will think you ambushed me,” he continues, rushing to Riley’s side.
“No, get your family and leave. I’m not hitting you,” he says firmly, unlocking the next door.
“I can’t. He has men stationed outside the houses. He has men everywhere. It may be the only way. General Murphy has gone crazy. If he thinks I tried, and was overpowered, he may spare us,” he begs.
“Dude’s name is Scott Murphy? No wonder he’s a dick,” Liz says, stifling a laugh. Riley shoots a stern look her way. “What? It’s new information to me,” she replies, grabbing the next uniform from the bag.
Liz watches Riley move on, tossing the next set of clothes into the cell while he tries to find the next key. His eyebrows are pinched, a faraway look in his eyes. She can see him fighting a second battle in his head. She knows what he is thinking. He blames himself for everything going on and can’t bring himself to hurt anyone else.
Liz fights her own battle when Alex emerges from his cell, fully dressed in a standard uniform, gun up and ready to fight his way out. One quick nod and he is running to the cell next to his own, no doubt trying to make it to his partner. As much as she likes him, she needs to know Mikey is okay. Too much is happening. Liz tries to tune out the soldier begging Riley for help while the keys jingle in his trembling hand.
She pushes the nagging voice out of her head that says she’s being too rash and marches right up to the man. Liz spins him around and drives her fist straight into his nose. Warm blood runs down his lips. He stumbles back against the wall, both he and Riley staring at her with wide eyes laced with fear. She looks at Riley, shrugging her shoulders.
“We don’t have time for a moral debate, my love. You don’t want to hurt him, and I don’t give a fuck. You can yell at me later,” she says, swinging again, and again, apologizing after each blow.
He leans back, blood spattered on the wall next to him, dripping onto the floor, mouthing his thanks to Liz. She pulls her arm back, hitting him with as much force as she can one last time before he crumples at her feet.
She pulls him into the now empty cell Alex was occupying, dropping him onto the floor, and pulling the door closed. If that doesn’t convince them he was ambushed, nothing will.
Tears spring to her eyes when she turns back, finding Mikey standing just outside the cell, stuffing his arms into the uniform. She launches herself at him, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. He is quick to return the hug, wrapping his large arms around her and holding tight.
Their reunion is cut short. Footsteps echo down the hall, growing closer with each step. The men surrounding her lift their guns, aiming them down the dark hall, ready to open fire on whoever steps from the shadows.
CHAPTER 29
“Iwouldn’t do that if I were you,” a chilling voice calls from the darkness.
Riley lifts a hand like its second nature, signaling his team to wait. Matt steps closer, emerging from the shadows, his gun trained on Riley. Liz steps in front of him, knowing he is the only person Matt will fire at. She goes tumbling back as Mikey yanks her by her pack, pulling her into the center of the four men. He and Riley shift to stand in front of her, protecting her from all sides.
“That’s cute, pretending to keep her safe from me when you’re the real danger,” he taunts.
