“Nah,” he says, shaking his head. “Ex-wife.”
His hand flies up, signaling everyone to stop while he creeps around the corner, checking for lingering soldiers before he waves them on. Liz wastes no time rushing back to his side, ready to pester him with questions.
“They were married?” she squeaks out.
“For over twenty years. She left him right around the time his little spec ops unit was formed.” He points over his shoulder with his thumb, pointing it at Riley who still has his gun up and aimed, ready to fire. “She said he changed. That he wasn’t the man she used to know.” He takes a step closer to Liz, leaning toward her to keep explaining.
That’s it, Riley has given Liz enough time doing… whatever it is she is doing. Every second she walks with him is a second too long. His pace quickens, catching up to them in a few easy strides. He pushes his body between the two of them, nudging Liz as far from Matt as he can. She shoots him that death stare he loves so much, unable to stop from winking at her in response, knowing it is going to drive her nuts. A smile tugs at his lips at the sight of her rolling her eyes. He would bet good money, if it weren’t for the danger the rest of their team was still in, her gun would be aimed at him.
“The exit is just ahead,” Matt says before being slammed into the wall. Riley holds him in place, pulling the handgun from its holster and pressing it to Matt’s temple. The three other men surround him, waiting for orders. Everything happens so fast, Liz is left standing to the side, wild eyes scanning their surroundings.
“Riley, what the fuck?” Liz seethes, trying to stay as quiet as she can given the circumstances.
“We can’t leave him alive. You and I know he is going to run straight to Scott. I won’t let either of us be taken again, so if I have to become a disgraced soldier to keep you safe, so fucking be it,” Riley says, his eyes finding Liz’s.
She checks the watch on her wrist. Less than five minutes to get out. Even if she is not completely against it, killing him will alert everyone in the vicinity, making an escape nearly impossible.
“And then what? You’re going to kill everyone else who comes after us? Because, if you kill him, that is exactly what will happen. We will never be safe. We will never have a shot at a real future,” she pleads, checking her watch once more. Panic grows in her chest as the seconds tick by.
“Lizard’s right, man. Half the base will hear the gun shot,” Mikey says.
“Lizard?” she questions. “I’ll deal with you later,” she says with a fire raging in her eyes, sending a chill down Mikey’s spine.
“They won’t hear it if I beat him to death,” Riley replies, smiling down at the fear swirling on Matt’s face.
“That will take time we don’t have. We need to go now if we want any chance of getting out of here, Ry.” Liz steps toward him, wanting to reach out and take the gun from his hand, but can’t risk setting him off. Who knows what demons he is fighting in his mind right now.
“Go. I will catch up. If I’m caught, at least you will be safe,” he says, face softening when he peers over to where she stands.
“No. I just got you back. I won’t leave you,” she says, taking that final step toward him. “I trust him. I don’t think he is lying about getting us out.”
Riley searches her face for any tell that she is lying to keep him from doing what every instinct is screaming at him to do. He knows the longer he fights himself the more danger they are in, yet he can’t stop. He watches her check the watch again. Her brows pinch, stress and fear etched into all her stunning features. They are almost out of time. If anything happens to Liz or the rest of his team it will be his fault.
“Please.”
That one word hits him like a freight train. Not the word so much as the scared voice saying it. Realizing he was further gone than he thought, he drops the gun to his side, refusing to holster it. His grip on Matt loosens. A soft hand slides into his the moment it is free. The rest of the men let out a collective sigh, knowing that, like Liz, they would have stayed with their leader had things gone sideways.
Riley signals Matt to the back of the group. To everyone’ssurprise, he listens, falling back to be flanked by the other three more than willing to wipe him from existence if anything goes awry. Riley is the first to make it to the door. It groans too loud for his liking as it’s pushed open, just wide enough for him to peer out.
Less soldiers than he thought gather outside, none of which seem to be remotely interested in the building they are guarding, or the people sneaking out of it. Sticking to the shadows, they move quickly, tightening into formation in the hopes that keeps the attention off of them. The looming gate leading to the surrounding woods comes into view. So close to freedom Liz can almost taste it. There is a smaller gate, about thirty feet from the main entrance for small vehicles and personnel. A handful of Paula’s top men are standing guard, waiting with a fresh bag of clothes for Tyler, Alex, and Mikey.
A wheezy voice crackles through the radio attached to Matt’s vest. The team slows. The voice forces Riley to a halt. He leans into Mikey, whispering something inaudible to the rest of the team. One deep, steadying breath later, and he storms to where Matt stands.
“Follow Mikey. He knows where to go,” Riley orders. His eyes scan over each member of his team before settling back on Matt, glaring right back at him. Mikey, Tyler, and Alex listen, running to their meeting spot. Matt’s hand flies up to his head, activating the earpiece he wears.
“Not yet, sir. I heard they turned east. I am taking my men that way now,” he says, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I told you I would get you out. You don’t have to trust me, but you do need to let me leave. I will keep my word and bring my men east. I assume you’re not headed that way. I don’t know where you’re going, and I don’t want to know.”
“Thank you,” Liz says, stepping over to him, unsure of whatelse to say, she simply gives him some advice. “Keep an eye on Scott, when you realize we’re right, go talk to Paula. I’m sure there is more to the divorce than she wants to let on.”
With nothing more than a nod, Matt turns and takes off running, shouting orders through his radio, telling soldiers to gather on the far side of the base, allowing them time to slip away.
By the time they make it to the gate, the rest of the men are changed into their usual black tactical gear. Crouched in a circle around two deep green duffle bags, the men carefully stuff backpacks full of weapons and gear. Liz and Riley break off, stripping out of their camouflage uniforms and back into their black clothing underneath. Liz loads the borrowed clothes into one of the bags while Riley fills the last two backpacks with whatever weapons remain. Slinging both bags over his shoulders, he stands, corralling everyone into the woods. The sun is setting, so they need to get as far into the woods as they can before it goes dark.
No more than ten feet into the treeline, a sharp chirp comes from the watch on Liz’s wrist. They made it with seconds to spare. Liz snatches one bag from Riley’s shoulder, digging out the earpiece before slinging it onto her back. From the looks of it, Mikey, Tyler, and Alex already have theirs in while Riley fumbles to find his in the bag, stuffing it into his ear after pulling it from his pocket.
The team spreads out, falling right back into mission mode. Far enough to not be ambushed together, but close enough to see the rest of the team weaving through the trees. Mikey and Riley both instinctively sandwich Liz in the middle, staying closer than they should.
“We have a sprinter van waiting for us eight miles out. It’s going to be a rough hike with a lot of people looking for us. Keep your eyes up and your guns ready,” Riley’s strong voice says into her ear.
