The Extractor

by Leslie Georgeson

  I reached the floor where our room had been, bursting out of the elevator and racing down the hallway. I careened around the corner, then came to an abrupt halt. My breath caught.

  There she was! My beautiful girl.

  Sitting on the floor in front of our old room, a look of pure dejection on her face.

  An older couple stood on either side of her, both of them looking concerned and unsure what to do.

  I knew exactly what to do.

  Oh Liz, baby, I’m here.

  “Liz!” I burst into a run again, my bullet wounds screaming in protest, the physical exertion making them throb painfully. But I ignored the pain. I’d found my Liz. She was okay. She was back.

  Her head lifted, her gaze landing on mine. Tears spilled down her cheeks. The left-side lenses of her eyeglasses were broken and cracked, and her left eye had an ugly purple bruise. The rest of her face was bruised in several places and sported numerous cuts and scrapes. Her hair was a wild, unruly mess. But she’d never been more beautiful to me.

  I slid to a halt in front of her, dropping to my knees. “Liz…”

  Her breath hitched as she stared into my eyes. “I didn’t know if you were alive. And I didn’t know how to contact you. I was afraid I’d never see you again.”

  I drew her into my arms, hugging her tightly against me. “I’ll always find you, baby, no matter what.”

  She let out a sob, clinging to me, then her body started to tremble. I settled more comfortably on the floor and pulled her close, holding her while she cried. “It’s all right,” I soothed. “I got you now. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  The older gentleman cleared his throat. “You must be Ryan. We picked her up off the side of the interstate in south Texas and gave her a ride. She was frantic to get to you. Thank God you found us.” He gave a nod of his head. The woman nodded too, her eyes welling with tears.

  I glanced up at them, my own eyes suspiciously wet. “Thank you, both of you. I appreciate you bringing her back to me. She means the world to me.” I hugged Liz again, burying my face in her hair. The world to me.

  The couple stepped awkwardly aside, but they didn’t leave. They obviously wanted to make sure Liz was okay.

  “I’ve got you,” I whispered again. “I’m here, baby. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  Finally, she drew in a ragged breath and lifted her head.

  “I was so worried about you,” she admitted softly. “When I got here, you were gone, and I thought…”

  “Shh! As you can see, I’m fine.” I smiled, tapping the end of her nose with my forefinger. “The other dregs gave me a blood transfusion. I’ll tell you about it later. I missed you, Liz,” I whispered. “So damn much it was all I could think about.”

  She swallowed hard. “I missed you, too. I love you, Ryan.”

  “I love you, too.” I pulled her close again, hugging tightly to me. Peace settled over me. Joy filled my chest.

  I’d found my Liz, my forever girl.

  Cheers and clapping erupted around us, and I glanced up, unaware that we’d attracted a crowd. But I didn’t care that we had an audience.

  Because I’d finally found Liz.

  And I was never letting her go again.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Liz

  Ryan handed Carl a wad of cash and told him to book a room for him and Linda, and to keep the rest for travel expenses. Carl tried to hand the money back, but Ryan wouldn’t take it.

  “No, you keep it. I can’t thank you enough for bringing Liz back to me. I owe you more than I can ever express.”

  Linda hugged Ryan. “You’re very welcome. We’re just so glad we could help her get home. You take care of her, you hear?”

  “I will,” he promised, looking into my eyes.

  “Thank you for everything,” I told them.

  Carl and Linda both nodded, then they left.

  Ryan led me outside and we walked next door to the Hampton Inn.

  “We’re all staying here now,” Ryan informed me. We got in the elevator and headed up to the fourth floor.

  “Glenda?” I asked worriedly.

  “She’s fine,” he assured me. “Luke found Mateo. He’s bringing him back here so we can interrogate him. They should be back in a few hours.”

  I flinched. “I was hoping I’d never have to see him again.”

  Ryan drew me to his side, squeezing me tightly. “You don’t have to see him again. I’ll keep him away from you. Can you tell me what happened? How you got away?”

  I inhaled deeply. Then I blurted out everything. Ryan listened in silence, though his expression hardened and his eyes darkened.

  “You’re so brave, Liz. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

  I sniffled. “I don’t care about what happens to Mateo. I just want to be with you.”

  He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I think that can be arranged. Come on.”

  We stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor, and Ryan led me toward his room.

  Glenda barreled down the hallway toward us, screaming in her excitement. “You found her!”

  We paused as Glenda reached us, and she hugged us both, her happiness contagious. I laughed, stepping out of her arms.

  “I’m glad you’re all right,” I said, smiling at her.

  “We’re going to be family soon,” Glenda announced. “As soon as my boy gets around to asking you to be his wife.”

  “Mom,” Ryan muttered, his face turning red. “You’re going to scare Liz away. I haven’t even asked her to be my girlfriend yet. Give us time to know each other better first.”

  I couldn’t be upset with Glenda for her enthusiasm. I chuckled softly. “If Ryan ever pops the question, you’ll be the first to know,” I stated. The idea of being Ryan’s “anything” made happiness swell in my chest.

  Ryan turned to me, his gaze serious. “Will you be mine, Liz? Forever?”

  I wasn’t expecting him to ask me that so soon, and especially not in front of his mother.

  My heart literally melted. I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. “Yes. If you’ll be mine forever, too.”

  “Deal.” He kissed me back, right in front of Glenda, pulling me close and letting me—and anyone who was watching—know that I was his.

  Glenda beamed.

  Then the other dregs were there, gathering around us, all of them welcoming me back and letting me know how much they truly cared about me. These guys were awesome. All of them. And I was so happy to be a part of their group.

  Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, Ryan said, “Let me get Liz settled. I’m sure she’d like a bath and some time to relax. I’ll check in with everyone in a little bit.” They all nodded and went back to their rooms.

  Ryan led me into his room and closed the door. “Sit down and relax while I run you a bath.” He went into the bathroom and began filling the tub with water. He was so sweet and attentive to my needs. How could I be so lucky?

  Several minutes later, I was settling into the hot water with a sigh. Ryan left me alone and said to let him know if I needed anything.

  I thanked him and closed my eyes.

  I awoke to a tender kiss against my forehead.

  I blinked, Ryan’s handsome face coming into view. His cheek where I had stitched him up was healing nicely now. He might end up with a scar, but I didn’t care. He was beautiful just the way he was.

  “Hey,” he murmured, gently running his fingers through my damp hair. “You fell asleep. Let’s get you tucked into bed, all right?”

  He hefted me up into his arms, lifting me out of the tub and setting me on my feet. Then he placed a towel over my shoulders and gently began drying me off.

  “I can do it,” I protested weakly, though I couldn’t deny I liked his tender administrations.

  “I know you can. But I like taking care of you. Just relax.”

  I sighed and let him have his way. He dried me off, then carried me to the bed and laid me down, pulling the covers o
ver me. Then he stripped and slipped under the covers beside me, immediately pulling me against him. I snuggled close, surprised that I was so drowsy. The trauma of the past few days was really taking its toll. I soon drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and content in Ryan’s arms.

  I woke with a start to find Ryan leaning over me, now fully clothed.

  “They’re back with Mateo. The dregs are going to have a meeting. Mom said she’d come keep you company if you wanted. Or you can just sleep, if you’d prefer. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  A part of me wanted to attend the “meeting” so I could witness what they did to Mateo. The other part of me decided I’d experienced enough trauma for a while, and that I just needed to rest right now. Besides, I really didn’t want to watch them “interrogate” him. It was probably something I shouldn’t see.

  “Be careful,” I murmured.

  Ryan pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I will. Mom’s in the room directly across the hall if you need anything. I’ll let her know you’re resting.”

  He started to pull away, but I snagged his hand, halting him.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, my throat clogging with sudden emotion. “For everything. I want you to know how much you mean to me.”

  His gaze filled with tenderness. “You’re welcome, for everything. And thank you for believing in me, Liz. When I get back, we have some things we need to talk about, all right?”

  We smiled at each other. “There are some things you should know about Mateo. He was a nerdy kid and was teased by bullies. It might be why he likes to hurt women. Also, he said it takes energy to change his appearance, and if he is badly injured, it’s difficult for him to control the shifting, that he sometimes can’t change, and other times his body shifts out of his control.”

  Ryan squeezed my hand. “Thanks. Good to know. But I’m not afraid of Mateo. I promise you will never have to worry about him again.”

  He kissed me, then leaned back. “See you soon.”

  He left, and I snuggled into the covers, picking up the television remote and scrolling through the channels for something to watch.

  When Ryan returned, we could start our future together. Happiness swelled in my chest. I was in love with the most wonderful man.

  Believing our nightmare was finally over, I sighed contentedly and selected a channel.

  Little did I know, Mateo had another trick up his sleeve.

  A trick no one saw it coming.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Ryan

  When the rest of us arrived at the condemned building we’d hidden in earlier, Luke had Mateo tied to a chair. The kid sported several nasty cuts and bruises on his face, and his left arm dangled uselessly at his side. I didn’t think Luke had done that to him, but I wasn’t positive. When Luke had left the hotel earlier, he’d been dead set on tracking Mateo down. And now he had the little bastard. Right now, I couldn’t feel anything coming from Luke through our dreg bond, but that wasn’t unusual during an interrogation. He had a tendency to block his emotions while interrogating someone, and now I understood why.

  Mateo’s gaze locked on me the moment I entered the room. He scowled. “You didn’t die? Well, fuck me running. I thought you’d be long dead by now. Guess I should have plugged a few more bullets in you.”

  I glared at him. “I’m not that easy to kill, you little shit. I’m a dreg, remember? But I bet I can kill you.”

  I marched forward, pausing before him. “I hear you were bullied as a kid. How did that make you feel, you little prick? Is that why you like to pick on women, because you’re not man enough to take on someone your own size?”

  Mateo glowered at me. “Let me up, and I’ll take you on.”

  I nodded at Luke, letting him know I wanted him to free Mateo.

  Luke sent me a questioning look, but I just nodded again. “Set him free. If the little fucker thinks he can kick my ass, then let’s see what he’s got.”

  The other dregs all gathered around. Luke cut through the binds and Mateo leapt up from the chair. I motioned to Mateo’s arm. “Looks like someone got the best of you. What happened?”

  Mateo sneered. “Car accident. Your dumb bitch tried to drive me into a power line.”

  Pride swept through me. Yes, she had. Liz was so damn brave. And God, I loved her. But I couldn’t be thinking about Liz right now. I needed to focus on punishing Mateo.

  “Come on.” I waved him closer. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Mateo stepped closer, then his face changed, and he morphed into Luke. Even though I knew it was him, it still threw me and he landed a hard kick to my lower abdomen before I could dart out of the way. His face changed again, this time morphing into The General. Several of the other dregs murmured in disbelief before Mateo then changed into Liz.

  He was fucking with my mind. I couldn’t attack Liz. I couldn’t attack Luke. And Mateo knew it.

  “He’s fucking with your head,” Logan warned. “Stay focused, Ryan.”

  I tackled Mateo, knocking him to the concrete floor. He grunted, his injured arm flying backward, smashing beneath him. He gritted his teeth, and for the first time, I witnessed something besides evil in his eyes. This time, I witnessed his pain.

  Pressing down on his injured shoulder, I smashed his arm beneath him. He flinched, then gasped.

  “How does that feel?” I snarled out. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”

  Mateo hissed, his gaze hardening.

  I shoved harder on his shoulder, and something popped.

  Mateo screamed. And then his face changed again, twisting, morphing into The General again.

  That pissed me off even more. Who was the true Mateo? Was he Ellington like we suspected? Why wouldn’t he show his true face?

  “We already figured out who you are, Mark,” I informed him, pressing harder on his injured arm. “So why don’t you show your true face?”

  Mateo let out a snort. “You think I’m Mark Ellington?” There was laughter in his eyes, and for the first time, I questioned whether he truly was Ellington.

  He’s just trying to throw you off.

  “We know you’re Ellington. But I don’t see how you thought you could take all of us out on your own. Are you that much of an idiot? You couldn’t even take me out, let alone the other seven dregs.”

  He wheezed in pain. “You think I’m all alone? I’m not. You’re the idiots. Trust me, you’re all going down.” He let out a snicker.

  I snorted. “You think so, do you?” I wanted to rip his head off. But we needed more information from him first. So instead, I smashed the heel of my hand into his nose.

  Crunch!

  Mateo grunted as blood spurted out. Then he chortled with a sick kind of glee. “I know so. I still managed to infiltrate your group, you suckers! I fooled the empath. I got inside the walls of the dregs. I know you all have women, and some of you even have children. You all have weaknesses now. None of you are safe. And neither are your women and children.”

  Fuck him, he wasn’t touching any of our women or children.

  I knelt down on his injured shoulder, pressing all my weight on him. He cried out, but his mouth twisted up into a smirk and his eyes glinted with pure evil. Bastard. Did he even have any emotions? Did he feel anything at all? Could someone like Mateo even be broken? Or was he already too far gone?

  I glanced up at Luke, and for a split second, I thought I witnessed malice in Luke’s eyes. But it was gone so quickly, I figured I must have imagined it.

  I thrust Mateo aside, disgusted. I would let Luke continue the interrogation. He was better at it than I was. Mateo was a coward who preyed on the weakness of others. A bully who abused women and those who weren’t able to fight back.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out, glancing at the screen.

  Mom.

  I’d given her my number earlier so that she could contact me if she needed to.

  I swiped the screen, walking away from the others.

  “Hi, Mom.
What’s up?”

  “Sorry to bother you on your important mission, but my contact with The Company just emailed me. She said she has some information that you might want. She said it was important.”

  Uneasiness crept down my spine. This couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

  “Okay. Hold on.” I glanced at Noah, motioning him closer. Tracker and Jacob hefted Mateo up and shoved him back in the chair, retying his hands behind his back. Luke watched me through narrowed eyes as Noah approached. And it occurred to me then that Luke hadn’t spoken one word to me since he’d gotten back with Mateo. That wasn’t like him. Before I could ponder that, Noah reached me.

  “My mom just got an email from her contact with The Company. Can you track the email and find out who it’s from?”

  Noah nodded. “Sure can. Have her forward the message to me.”

  I gave Mom Noah’s email and told her to forward the message. “Noah will look into it, Mom. I’ll be in touch.” I disconnected the call.

  The other dregs were now all gathered around Mateo while Luke started his interrogation. Luke’s gaze remained on me for a long moment before he began questioning Mateo.

  “Why didn’t The General kill you at discharge?” he asked.

  Mateo glared up at him. Silence stretched. Then, surprisingly, Mateo spoke. “Because he couldn’t do it. I was his favorite son, so he let me live.”

  Luke grunted. “Sure. We’re all his favorite sons. Then why did he let Hughes live, too?”

  Mateo scowled at him. “Because Hughes was a living Frankenstein and he wanted to keep experimenting on him. If it were up to me, I would have had Hughes executed upon discharge. You all saw how deranged the man was.”

  “He was no more deranged than you,” Luke pointed out, a dark look in his eyes as he glared down at Mateo.

  Mateo closed his eyes a moment, breathing in deeply, then out, obviously to fight back the pain in his injured arm. Then he glared at Luke. “I’m…not deranged, you bastard. I’m a genius. I’m smarter than all of you.”

  Luke huffed. “What did you do to the real Mateo?”

  Mateo let out an evil cackle that made my hair stand on end. “I snapped his neck and left his body in the trees by the facility. Stupid kid didn’t even see me coming.”