The Extractor

by Leslie Georgeson

Tomorrow, Ryan would teach me how to shoot. I was looking forward to the lesson.

  But with Ryan here, I felt completely safe.

  He wouldn’t let anything happen to me.

  I was more in danger of losing my heart than I was of losing my life.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Ryan

  Liz went to bed while I settled back into the armchair and pulled out my phone. I texted Luke, asking if he’d gotten settled in okay, and if Mateo was turning out to be a major pain in the ass.

  He texted back that they were settled in, and that Mateo was asleep, and that yes, he wasn’t used to babysitting, but since he’d chosen to bring the kid along, he would deal with it.

  I had too much to say to him to try to type it all in a text, so I called him. “Can you talk?”

  “Hold on, let me step outside.” A few moments passed, then he said, “Okay. Go ahead.”

  I stepped quietly outside as well, so I wouldn’t disturb Liz. I spied Luke at the other end of the building, standing in front of the second door from the end. I lifted my hand in a wave and he responded in kind.

  “I don’t trust Mateo,” I admitted. “Something about him seems off. I caught him sending a dark look at Liz that made me uncomfortable. I know he can’t fool you, so tell me straight, what kind of vibe is he giving off so far?”

  Luke sighed. “He’s not. And that’s the problem. I’m not getting any kind of vibe from him at all...” He groaned. “I thought if I just kept him close and monitored him, eventually I would be able to feel something from him. We’ve been around him—what—forty-eight hours? But I’m not getting anything from him. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s evil. He could be masking his emotions so well that I can’t detect them. Or he simply might not have any emotions anymore. There’s no telling what he’s gone through with The Company. They may have figured out a way to breed the emotions out of the recruits or something. He’s the first person I haven’t been able to get a read on. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to alarm you. And I didn’t want to admit I couldn’t read his vibe.”

  Shit. That made me even more uneasy. Because no one could fool Luke. “What if he’s a plant?” I asked. “What if he’s spying on us for Ellington? What if he has a secret talent like we do?”

  “It’s possible,” Luke conceded. “Especially after that Hughes freak. There could be many others like us out there. I’ll keep an eye on him. When I get a chance, I’ll interrogate him again, more harshly this time, and see if I can get him to spill it. I’m probably going to need your help when I do. You can release the pheromone and get him to admit the truth. But it’s not going to be easy. He’s a Company soldier. He’s been taught to withstand torture. I don’t know if it will work.”

  What Luke meant was that the pheromone might not work on Mateo, and that Luke really didn’t want to torture the kid again in an attempt to get him to talk. I was the only one who knew that Luke hated interrogating people. He disliked torturing and hurting others. But he would do it for me, and for the other dregs, to make sure we were all safe. Just like the rest of us would do whatever we had to do. Sacrifices were just a part of life, and when you had friends—when you had brothers—as close as we were, you would risk it all for them. That was how deep our bond was.

  “Just keep him away from Liz,” I muttered. “Because if he hurts her, I’ll rip his fucking head off.”

  Luke chuckled. “Yes, sir, lover boy. How’s it going with her, by the way? You getting any closer to winning the bet?”

  “Fuck the bet,” I growled. “This isn’t about that anymore. You know that.”

  Silence. Then, “What happened to my partner? Have you seen him? His name’s Ryan, and he’s a total player…”

  “Fuck you.”

  He sniggered. “She’s not your regular type,” he pointed out. “Shorter. Curvier. Less makeup. Lower maintenance. Hell, I’ll bet you take longer to get ready than she does.”

  I didn’t laugh, though he was probably right. I liked to look good before I went anywhere. Primping was a regular part of my daily routine, just as it was a part of his.

  “Baby’s got back, too,” he added, his words appreciative. “And a nice rack. And that body…hot daaamn. You could get lost going around all those curves. I wouldn’t mind tapping that myself, you know, in case you decide you want to share. You think she might be into threesomes?”

  Fuck that. Now he was just trying to rile me up. And it was working. No way in hell was I letting Luke touch Liz. In any way, shape, or form. A wave of protectiveness washed over me.

  “Even if she was into threesomes, which I doubt she is, I wouldn’t let you anywhere near her.” She’s mine.

  Or, at least, I wanted her to be.

  “Oooh, possessive…You’re so fucked, man. I feel sorry for you.”

  Maybe I was. But I didn’t care. “I’m tired of all the meaningless sex,” I admitted. “It just leaves me feeling cold and empty inside. I want more now.” My face burned at that admission, and I was thankful he was across the way and unable to see my face at this distance, though our dreg connection allowed him to feel my embarrassment.

  Silence. Then, “Yeah, I can see how you’d feel that way. You’re not an asshole like me. But meaningless sex is the only way I can deal, so it’s probably all I’ll ever get.”

  What the hell did he mean by that? What wasn’t he telling me?

  Something was going on with him.

  “Care to elaborate, bro?”

  “No. I’m heading back in now. It’s cold out here. Talk to you in the morning.” He disconnected the call.

  I stuffed my phone back in my pocket, pondering Luke’s words. Then I slipped silently back in the room and locked the door behind me. Whatever was going on with Luke, for some reason he wasn’t willing to tell me about it. Luke and I were closer than most brothers. We were as close as any two best friends could be. So his reluctance to tell me what was bothering him, bothered me. I didn’t like the wall he was putting up between us. Luke might keep a distance between himself and other people, but he’d always talked to me. Always.

  Did my dreg partner have a secret he wasn’t telling me about?

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Ryan

  I woke Liz at dawn to see if she wanted to go with me to buy a new car. She opted to stay behind and sleep. So Luke, Mateo and I headed out.

  Mateo grumbled from the backseat as we traveled, complaining that he’d rather stay at the hotel and sleep. Luke told him to shut the fuck up and deal with it. We weren’t about to leave him alone with Liz. I didn’t trust the little shit.

  “If you don’t like it, then move on, kid.” Luke had waved across the parking lot, letting Mateo know that he was free to head out on his own if he preferred. Mateo sent Luke a glare, then climbed into the backseat.

  Three hours later, driving my new Jaguar F-Type—which was a sweet ride, even though it wasn’t my Lamborghini—I headed back to the motel. I spied Luke’s Porsche already in the lot, parked down by the end in front of his room, indicating he and Mateo had beat me back.

  Anxiousness swept through me as I parked the car and got out. I was surprised how much I missed Liz already. How eager I was to see her. I had never been eager to see a girl before. The others had only been one-time hookups, and once we were finished, we went our separate ways. It had never been anything more than sex. Satisfying a mutual need. Liz meant more to me than a casual hookup. She was fast becoming my friend. My confidant. And hopefully, very soon, she would become my lover. My long-time lover. The thought of kissing her again filled me with anticipation. I needed to be near her. Being close to her gave me a rush, and right now, I craved that rush, the feel-good feelings she evoked in me whenever she was around.

  I had stopped at a take-out restaurant on the way, and picked us up something to eat. I didn’t know what she liked, so I ordered several different meals. I figured I would eat whatever she didn’t want. I was looking forward to sitting down with her, s
pending more time with her. Doing normal, every-day things like eating lunch together. Just being with her.

  I snagged the bags of food out of the passenger’s seat. Pulling the baseball cap low over my face, I scanned the area for danger, then headed for my room. We were keeping a low profile, in case there were any more Company soldiers in the area looking for us. Being out in broad daylight was something I hadn’t done in over a year. We had kept to the shadows, hiding in an underground maze ever since our escape. Now that we were out of Georgia, it was less likely we would be recognized. But it was still smart to be cautious.

  With another glance down the lot toward Luke’s room, I headed for Liz.

  I didn’t know if she was awake yet, so I knocked three times, then I slipped my keycard in the slot. “It’s me, Liz.” The green light flashed, and I turned the knob, pushing the door open.

  Liz sat in the center of the bed, watching television. A relieved expression crossed her face as her gaze collided with mine. “Hi.”

  The look in her eyes—happiness—made my heart give an excited jolt.

  She was happy to see me.

  Me.

  And damn if that didn’t feel good.

  “Hey. You hungry?” I came forward and set the bags of food down on the small table next to the armchair.

  Liz jumped up from the bed and hurried forward. “I’m starving. What did you bring me?”

  I grinned. “A good-looking warrior you’ve been dying to get your hands on. But please, restrain yourself.”

  Her face filled with color, her eyes widening at they stared into mine. Then she snorted out a laugh. “You’re funny.” She opened one of the bags and breathed in deeply. “Ooh, yummy. Chicken burritos.”

  She settled into the armchair and leaned over the table, unwrapping a burrito and taking a huge bite. Unexpected heat shot straight to my groin. The way she was attacking that burrito did strange things to me. I imagined that sexy mouth of hers attacking me in the same way.

  Clearing my throat, I scooted the other chair up to the table and pulled another burrito out of the bag. Liz took another bite, letting out a sigh of contentment.

  “These are delicious. Thank you.”

  I chuckled. “Anytime, babe.” I watched her with amusement while she continued to devour the burrito. “I gotta say, I love a girl who isn’t afraid to stuff her face.”

  She choked on her food, laughter erupting from her lungs. Then she lifted a napkin to wipe a smear of sour cream off her lip. Still chuckling, she cocked her hip to the side and smacked it. “Well, I certainly didn’t get these hips by eating girlie salads.”

  I let out a hearty laugh of my own, eyeing her appreciatively. “And nice hips they are.” I winked.

  She flushed, lowering her gaze. But her lips twitched with amusement, so I figured that meant I hadn’t offended her. This was me, after all. The flirt. The jokester. And I wanted her to like me, for me. So I was being myself.

  “What are we going to do today?” she asked, taking a sip of the soda I’d brought her.

  “Well,” I said with a smirk, “if all goes well, we’ll be doing each other before too much longer.” I waggled my brows and grinned.

  This time, her face turned bright red, and she choked on the soda. She coughed, took another sip of the drink, and coughed again. “Ryan…you’re embarrassing me.”

  I shrugged. “This is me, Liz. I’m a jokester. I’m a flirt. If I want you to like me, for me, then I have to be myself. So, I’m being myself. That’s what I’m doing. But I’d much rather do you,” I added with another wink.

  She snorted and rolled her eyes, but her gaze filled with awareness as it darted to mine, then quickly away. “I do like you, Ryan. Even when you embarrass me. And I can see now that it’s all in fun. I don’t mind the teasing so much. You make me laugh, and that’s…a good thing.” She smiled.

  A lightness filled my chest. I couldn’t hold back the grin that spread across my face. “Ah ha! You do like it when I flirt with you! I knew you did!”

  She blushed again and lowered her gaze. Then she took another bite of her burrito. I followed suit, content with the way things were turning out. I could be myself around Liz and not worry about offending her anymore. She was accepting me now for who I was. She’d said she liked me, for me.

  Desire raged hot inside me. Fuck, I wanted her. I wanted to grab onto those sexy hips while she rode me long into the night, until we both finally collapsed from exhaustion.

  Whoa, easy there, soldier.

  Speaking of exhaustion, I hadn’t slept in nearly twenty-four hours, and I really needed to catch a few zzz’s so I would have the energy to take Liz shopping for clothes later.

  We finished eating in a comfortable silence, then I announced I was going to take a nap. “Will you be the lookout?” I asked. “While I catch a few hours’ sleep? When I wake, we’ll go buy you some clothes.”

  “Of course. Take your time.” Liz cleaned up the leftovers while I settled back on the bed and closed my eyes. Things were progressing nicely with Liz. She liked me now, and I had earned her trust. It wouldn’t be long now before she gave in to me. And I made her mine.

  Life was good…

  I woke with a start, the strong sense of danger filling the air. I rolled over, reaching for my gun on the night stand.

  It wasn’t there.

  Something cold and hard pressed against my temple. “Don’t move.”

  I froze.

  I recognized that voice.

  Mateo.

  I let my senses take in everything around me. The stench of fear and excitement. The complete stillness in the air.

  My heart nearly stopped. Where was Liz? What had he done to her?

  Just then, the bathroom door opened and Liz stepped out.

  And I reacted. My main thought to protect her.

  I jerked toward Mateo, tackling him backward as I reached for the gun, trying to twist it out of his grip.

  We both tumbled to the floor, each vying for control of the gun.

  Liz gasped, stumbling back into the bathroom.

  “How the fuck did you get in here?” I snarled, my fingers closing around the barrel and slowly turning it away from me.

  He cackled, not releasing his grip, pushing it back toward me. Damn, the kid was strong. Then again, he had two hands, and I only had one.

  “That was easy. I just snatched one of your keycards off the table last night when we came over.”

  That little shit. I had noticed only one keycard sitting on the table after Luke and Mateo had left last night, but I’d just assumed Liz had put her card in her purse.

  “What did you do to Luke?” I growled out. I couldn’t feel any physical or emotional pain from Luke, so I wasn’t sure what had happened. Did that mean Luke was dead? Wouldn’t I feel it if he died?

  I pushed harder on the gun, struggling, my muscles straining, trying to keep the barrel turned away from me.

  Mateo laughed again. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  His expression hardened, turning cold. Then I finally managed to twist the gun around, turning it toward him.

  Mateo grunted, his eyes widening.

  Then his face changed, morphing into something else. Something evil.

  His eyes rolled forward, his face shifting, his nose slipping back and changing shape. Then his entire body was morphing, shifting, changing…

  It was the creepiest thing I’d ever seen.

  “What the fuck?” I stared, my eyes bugging out of my head, my grip slackening reflexively on the gun.

  I was no longer looking into the face of a nineteen-year-old kid.

  Now I was staring at the face of a seventy-year-old man.

  I was staring at The General.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Liz

  I stepped out of the bathroom, quietly so as to not disturb Ryan.

  Then gasped and stumbled back.

  Mateo stood beside the bed, pointing a gun at Ryan’s head.

&nbs
p; Ryan tackled him, and they fought for control of the gun.

  Then Mateo’s face—his entire body—changed, morphing into an old man.

  Ryan swore, jerking back.

  The gun went off.

  Bang!

  My ears ringing from the loud explosion, I darted for the small handgun Ryan had pulled out of the bag last night, the one he’d promised to teach me how to use today. It still sat on the edge of the table across the room. Slipping past them, I reach the chair and snatched up the gun, fiddling with it, trying to figure out how to use it. Guns weren’t that difficult, right? Point and shoot?

  The trigger was easy to find. Did it have a safety?

  Yep. I found the safety, and clicked it free.

  My hand shook. This was a dangerous weapon.

  Be very careful where you aim, Liz. You don’t want to kill Ryan.

  I drew in a deep breath, then lifted the gun, spinning around to face them.

  Another gunshot rang out, the bullet slamming into the wall. Bang!

  I hurried forward, closer, pointing my gun at them, trying to get a clear shot at Mateo. Mateo’s face had changed again, turning into Luke this time, then changing again, turning back into Mateo. I stared in shock. What was going on here? How could Mateo do that? Was he even human?

  Even with one arm, Ryan was an amazing fighter. He held his own against Mateo, who was younger, and had two hands. They grappled across the floor. Rolling, straining, punching, slapping, each fighting for control of the gun.

  Suddenly, Mateo squirmed out of Ryan’s hold and lunged to his feet. I took aim at his head and fired, but the bullet whizzed past his ear and slammed into the wall behind him. He rushed at me with a snarl, moving so quickly I didn’t have time to retreat, or fire again. Knocking the gun out of my hand, he dragged me back against him, wrapping a hand tightly around my waist. He shoved the barrel of his gun roughly against my temple.

  “Stay back!” he shouted at Ryan. “Or she dies!”

  Sending Mateo a hateful glare, Ryan slowly rose to his feet. “Let her go. It’s me you want.”

  The door crashed in and Luke stalked into the room, gun drawn. His gaze was cold and hard as it settled on Mateo.