“Did it come in handy when she was injured?”
“No. We were all there then.”
“Bad time?”
“Yeah. A real bad time.”
That had been one of OZ’s darkest days. Xavier had told him that sometimes at night, when demons pounded, he could still see Jazz flying off the cliff with that maniac holding on to her. That was no surprise. It had taken all of Ash’s strength to keep Xavier from following her over the edge.
That Jazz had survived was a miracle only God could grant. But she still hadn’t recovered. Not fully.
“It’s amazing what the human spirit can endure.”
He cut his eyes over to the woman beside him. What had she endured? She had told him a few things, but those were facts, not feelings. How had she handled the pain and the grief? Did she still struggle?
As if aware of his thoughts, she said in a rush, “Tell me about this op. A new one or ongoing?”
“Ongoing. One of our people, Liam Stryker, has been undercover at a sanctuary in Haleyville called the Brotherhood of Solace. It’s located about twenty miles from Wenatchee. Ever heard of it?”
“No.”
“Not much there, mostly wilderness. I spent a lot of time in Washington a few years back. Lots of desolate places like that. People get lost. Some never get found.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Ash watched Jules stiffen at his words. Something was bothering her about this conversation. The tension in her body was palpable.
Shooting her a frown, he asked, “You okay?”
Her expression carefully bland, she shrugged. “I’m fine. Just thinking about how awful it would be to be lost in the wilderness. So this sanctuary, is it a cult?”
“Doesn’t claim to be one, but yeah, that’s exactly what it is.”
“And what’s OZ’s mission?”
“To infiltrate and monitor. There have been rumors that the Brotherhood has been keeping people against their will. Nothing substantial as of yet. The local authorities can’t do anything until there’s proof of a crime.”
“So how did OZ get involved? Did someone come to you with their suspicions?”
“In a way, yes. Stryker’s sister, Elena, is a freelance crime reporter. She was writing an article on the cult. She texted Liam and told him about it, said she was considering trying to join to get more intel for her article. That’s the last time he heard from her.”
“So she’s disappeared, and Liam has infiltrated, trying to find her?”
“He managed to infiltrate, but there’s a hiccup.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s disappeared, too.”
* * *
Jules waited for Ash to continue, but he’d stopped with those stark words. “And?”
“And we’re going to find him.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here. You don’t seem that concerned.”
“Curious more than concerned.”
“Why?”
The SUV pulled into a small hangar where OZ’s Gulfstream G550 waited to take off.
Putting the vehicle in park, Ash glanced over at Jules. “We’ll go over the op details on the plane. To give you a quick review of why I’m not that concerned, I’ll just say that Liam Stryker is one of the most self-sufficient and crafty people I’ve ever known. I’ve seen him make escapes even Houdini would’ve admired.”
“So you don’t think he’s in danger?”
“Yeah, he’s in danger, but not for a minute do I think he’s in trouble.”
And Jules understood exactly what he meant. Ash knew his operative could handle any danger that came his way.
“So if he’s not in trouble, what are we going to do?”
“Make sure he stays that way.” He opened the driver’s door. “Let’s go.”
Jules grabbed her go bag and headed to the jet. She heard Ash behind her, talking to someone about moving his vehicle. Despite his words, she had the feeling that he was more than a little concerned for his operative.
She stepped onto the plane and saw that while Ash wouldn’t admit concern, Jazz had no problem showing hers. She was sitting at a table, her laptop in front of her. A frown of concentration on her face, she glanced up at Jules. “Welcome to a new nightmare.”
The Brotherhood of Solace
Haleyville, Washington
Liam Stryker rolled over and puked up his guts on the cold, damp earth. He hadn’t felt this sick since his junior year of college when Miranda What’s-Her-Name dumped him for the quarterback, and he’d drowned his sorrows in the cheapest whiskey he could find. It’d taken him a helluva lot longer to get over the hangover than it had his broken heart.
But this was a lot worse than a hangover. Stupid to have drank that bottle of water. They’d laced it with something, of course. By the time he’d realized it, he’d been throwing his guts up. And then it’d been too late. They’d jumped him from behind. He was a decent one-on-one or one-on-two fighter, but four-on-one with agony boiling in his belly was just damn unfair. It’d almost been a relief when they’d finally knocked him unconscious.
He’d woken on the floor of this musty-smelling basement with his hands tied behind him, a giant booted foot kicking the hell out of him, and an ugly visage hovering over him.
Things had gone from bad to real bad. If he wasn’t mistaken, the first kick had cracked a rib.
“You ready to talk?”
Liam blinked up at the snarling face of Malcolm Murray, or as he was known around the compound, Malcolm the Great. He seemed to enjoy the moniker, but Liam figured the “Great” part had more to do with his gargantuan nose than any greatness Malcolm might possess.
“I’ll be glad to talk to you.” Liam answered in what he thought was a reasonable tone, especially since the bastard had been beating the crap out of him for the last half hour. “Just ask me a question that I know the answer to.”
“Your mouth will get you killed, young man.”
“And here I thought it would be my wild ways with women that would finally do me in.”
Once again, Malcolm slammed a giant fist into Liam’s gut. Since he had nothing left to throw up this time, Liam rolled over and could only gag through the pain. Ragged breaths wheezed out of him as he glared over his shoulder at Malcolm. “I’m beginning to question that slogan you have at the front of the compound. You know, the one that says ‘we love you no matter what’? Not feeling the love here, Mal. Not at all.”
“Love is for those who follow the rules. You broke them when you allowed our sister to escape.”
“Your sister? Listen, you giant-nosed prick, she’s not your sister.”
“Of course she is. The moment she entered our gates, she became ours.”
Fury washed through him, easing the pain. This filthy creep and his so-called brothers were going to pay for every ounce of fear they’d put Elena through. If there was one comfort in all of this, it was that she had escaped. He hadn’t been sure they could pull it off, but by sheer determination and a little ass-kicking, she had gotten out.
Now he just needed to do the same.
The cavalry would be coming at some point. The plan was for Elena to find the car he’d hidden two miles up the road, drive into town, and alert the authorities. And while he knew that would happen, he also knew the OZ team was on their way. Of this, he had no doubt. Knowing Ash, Liam figured OZ would make it here long before anyone else. He was supposed to have checked in a couple of hours ago. Five minutes after his missed check-in, Ash would’ve sent out the alert, and they’d be on their way.
Liam didn’t have faith in a lot of things anymore, but Asher Drake and his OZ brothers had never let him down. They’d met in the midst of blood and bullets. No one should have come out of that hellhole alive.
A bond of brotherhood had been created that no one could break. When Ash had formed Option Zero and told Liam its purpose, a herd of rhinos couldn’t have kept him from joining.
Not a second had passed that he didn’t thank the good Lo
rd above that he’d accepted the offer. They’d done some good things…honorable things. He’d almost lost his way, but OZ brought him back home.
He wasn’t finished yet…not by a long shot. He had a lot more to accomplish and one very specific goal to achieve. The Brotherhood of Solace and most especially the big-nosed buffoon Malcolm the Great was not going to stop him.
So yeah, Ash and the team were probably only an hour or two away, but that wouldn’t keep him from trying to get out on his own. They hadn’t nicknamed him Magic Man for nothing.
Chapter Nineteen
The hidden opening to the Brotherhood of Solace compound was about as well hidden as the entrance to OZ. They could track Liam’s signal to inside the compound, but they might’ve passed by the entrance if Liam hadn’t described the location early on. Ash spotted at least five cameras in various areas around the entrance. Those had been taken care of by Jazz, who had jammed them. If anyone on the compound looked at the monitors, they’d see the image of what the cameras were filming the instant they were frozen. Unless someone kept an extremely close eye on them, no one should be able to detect a difference.
He had expected to hear from Liam by now. The man knew ways of escape few people thought of, or would consider, and a talent for getting out of impossible situations. Xavier had nicknamed him Magic Man. But now, Ash would admit concern for his friend. Because of his tracker, they could pinpoint Liam’s location. What they couldn’t detect was whether he was still breathing.
Ash prayed he was alive. Either way, they were going in to rescue their man.
Running along the perimeter, Ash headed toward the area where his team waited. Jazz would remain outside to monitor the comms. If Liam called in, she’d be the first to know.
“Okay. We ready?”
“Ready,” Xavier answered.
“Ready,” Jules echoed.
“Let’s go.” Glancing down at his phone display, Ash noted Liam’s tracker hadn’t moved. And thanks to the camera drone they’d launched when they first arrived, they knew the building where Liam was being held. Problem was, it happened to be in the middle of the compound, surrounded by buildings on every side. They’d spotted three guards roaming the grounds. It was going to be a challenge to get in without alerting someone.
Fortunately, they had a plan for that, too.
* * *
With Ash and Xavier following some distance behind her, Jules waltzed into the compound as if she belonged there. Still wearing the dress and shoes she’d arrived at OZ in, she had added a little lip gloss and mascara and pulled her hair back with a barrette. Even she had to admit the look took about five years off her age and gave her the appearance of innocence—something she’d lost over a decade ago.
There were eight squat and unimaginative buildings in the compound, with narrow roads between them that were graveled and uneven. Whatever the Brotherhood did with the money they stole from their members, they certainly didn’t use it to pretty up the place.
“Hold back, Stone,” Ash said from behind her. “We’ve got company.”
Jules stopped at the corner of one of the buildings and looked back to see Ash deliver an uppercut to a man’s thick jaw, knocking him off his feet. The man slammed back into a wall and slid to the ground.
Within seconds, Xavier had secured his hands and feet, slapped tape over his mouth, and dragged him around a dark corner of the building.
“Okay,” Ash said. “Let’s keep moving.”
Jules took off again. Even though the cameras were down, the lights from the giant streetlamps blazed like beacons. They had opted not to cut the power, so walking through the compound without being spotted was a challenge. Still, she was almost to the middle of the compound before anyone noticed her.
“Who are you?”
The man was fortyish, medium height, and slender. Jules saw no weapons and surmised he wasn’t a guard, but one of the residents. That didn’t mean he couldn’t cause trouble. Knowing Ash and Xavier were right behind her, hidden, was a comfort. They still didn’t know exactly what these people were about. However, the way this guy was leering at her, she was getting a good idea.
Offering her most winsome smile, Jules said shyly, “I’m new here.”
“Is that right? Anybody claim you yet?”
Oh, that didn’t sound good at all. Even though her first instinct was to kick this bozo into the next county, she only shook her head. “I just arrived today.”
“What’s your name?”
“Susie Hopper.”
“Well, hello there, Susie. I’m Brother Joe. Welcome to your new home.”
Jules took a step back and whispered, “Brother Joe, you’re in big trouble.”
Reacting as she’d hoped, Brother Joe leaned down to try to hear what she was saying. “What’s that now?”
Jules grabbed his right arm, jerked him forward, twisted his arm behind his back, and turned him around, shoving him into Ash’s waiting fist. Brother Joe went down hard. Xavier was on him in a second, securing his hands behind his back and then slapping tape over his mouth.
Brother Joe’s eyes were a bit glazed, but that didn’t stop him from letting loose muffled curses from beneath the tape.
“Better put him out for a while,” Ash said softly.
Xavier tapped him on the head with his gun, and Brother Joe’s eyes slid closed.
“Let’s move quickly,” Ash said. “Maybe we can avoid any others.”
They ran toward the building where Liam’s tracker led them. No matter how much she resented the tracker requirement for OZ operatives, she had to admit that it came in handy this time.
“Ash.” The urgency in Jazz’s voice caught everyone’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” Ash said.
“You got police and the county sheriff headed your way.”
“How’d that happen?”
“Elena apparently got away and called 911.”
“Let’s move faster,” Ash growled.
Jules knew the reason. OZ tried to stay out of law officials’ business unless specifically asked. They did their best work under the guise of anonymity and secrecy.
At the building where Liam was, Ash tried the door, noting it was locked. Taking a small pouch from his pocket, he pulled out tools and had the door unlocked in seconds.
Gun at the ready, Jules went in low. Xavier went in high. Checking the feed on his phone, Ash whispered, “Basement.”
She knew they’d normally clear the building before going to the basement, but time was short. They needed to grab Liam and get out before anyone else showed up.
They walked into a kitchen area and headed toward a closed door. “Jules,” Ash said over his shoulder, “stay up top and keep watch. Xavier and I will—”
“Looking for someone?”
They whirled, guns pointed at the door. A battered and bleeding man leaned against the doorjamb. Both Ash and Xavier rushed forward and caught him before he could fall.
“Where are you hurt?” Xavier asked.
“Mostly bruises, but I might have a couple of broken ribs.” He grimaced and shifted, showing he was favoring his left leg. “Might have a broken foot, too. Bastard dropped a cement block on me.”
“Where’s that asshole now?”
Liam grinned, his white teeth stark against his bloodied face. “On the ground with a goose egg the size of Texas on the back on his head.”
“We’ve got company coming, so we need to get out of here.”
“That means Elena got away, called the cops.”
“Yeah.”
Liam nodded. “Let’s go.”
“Can you walk?”
“With a little help.”
With Xavier on one side and Ash on the other, they carried Liam toward the door. Jules went ahead of them to clear the way. The night was still quiet, and no one seemed to be about, but that was going to change soon. When the authorities arrived, this place and its residents were going to get an unpleasant surprise.
As she passed each building, she couldn’t help but wonder how many people were being held here against their will. Were they waiting, hoping that someone would show up to rescue them? Even though she knew help was on the way, she had an urge to find those victims and help them.
She knew how it felt to be helpless and lost, to feel as though there was no hope. Being back in Washington for the first time in years brought back memories she had furiously worked to destroy. What if someone behind those walls was enduring something similar? How could she not act?
She glanced back at Ash, and it was as if he read her mind. “They’ll get help soon. We need to focus on the mission.”
Okay, okay. The reminder was a good one. Help was coming.
They made it to their vehicle without incident. Jazz was in the driver’s seat of the SUV, engine running. In thirty seconds or less, they’d loaded Liam into the back and were racing down the highway.
Hearing sirens in the distance, Ash said, “Pull over into that area over there, Jazz, and kill the lights. They see traffic on this road, they’ll assume it’s related to the Brotherhood.”
“I’ll need to call Elena and let her know I’m okay,” Liam said.
As Jazz pulled into a clearing, she looked in the rearview mirror. “I talked with her, Liam. She’s aware we went in to get you.”
“That’s good. Thanks, Jazz.”
They waited, holding their breath as several patrol cars raced by, lights flashing but sirens silent.
Five minutes after the last patrol car passed, Jazz drove the car out of the woods and headed out again, away from the Brotherhood of Solace.
Chapter Twenty
Ash stretched his long legs out in front of him. Half an hour after they left the Brotherhood, they were on the plane and speeding down the runway. Being able to land so close to the compound had been a plus.
Liam had insisted on calling Elena to ensure she was all right. It was no surprise to Ash that she was already back at the compound, assisting law enforcement in helping the victims and gathering more intel for her story. If there was one thing he had discovered about the Strykers, it was that they did not quit.
MERCILESS Page 13
