Relentless (Option Zero 2)

worked on getting his cell opened, Liam peered out and saw one of the men he’d been hoping to see since this shitstorm had started—Nicholas Hawthorne—and he was armed to the teeth. Liam wasn’t surprised. The man had been in charge of this op and would make it his personal responsibility to oversee the rescue.

“Good to see you, Hawke.”

“Back at you, Stryker.”

The lock finally gave way and the door squeaked open. Liam took his first step outside his cell and felt a freedom like no other.

“We’ve got a chopper waiting.”

Before Liam could speak, a voice shouted from the hallway, “Let’s haul ass. These pricks could come back anytime.”

“We can’t go yet,” Liam said. “There’s someone else here.”

Xavier shook his head. “If you’re talking about the guy we met that you nicknamed Tiger, he’s already on the chopper.”

“No, there’s a woman. She was in the cell next to mine. They took her away a few days ago. I’ve got to find her.”

“Sorry, man,” Xavier said. “There’s no one else here. We’ve been everywhere.”

No, he couldn’t accept that. Liam took a step forward. “She’s got to be here.”

A tall, light-haired man walked up behind Xavier. “We’ve checked all the rooms and cells. Only people we’ve seen were the three guys we took out when we first arrived.”

Refusing to believe Cat was gone, Liam accepted the nine millimeter Xavier held out to him and took off. “I’ve got to find her.”

Ignoring the cursing of the men, Liam ran through the dark, dingy hallways, peering into each cell he passed. All were empty. Some showed signs that they’d been occupied recently. Discarded clothing, the stench of human waste, blood, rotting food, but there were no people.

“Cat!” he shouted. An increasing panic seized him. Where was she? What had they done to her?

The small prison was a maze of hallways. Anxiety increased with each empty cell he passed. The guys were right. There was no one else here but Liam refused to give up. There had to be something. Some shred of evidence of what had happened to her.

A hand landed on his arm. “Come on, man,” Xavier said. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

No. He refused to accept this. She had to be somewhere. She had to be. Shaking off Xavier’s hand, Liam ran through the prison, yelling, “Cat! Where are you? Cat!”

“We’ve gotta leave, Stryker,” Hawke shouted. “There’s no one else here.”

Liam halted midstride, his gut twisting, his heart aching. They were right. She was gone.

Xavier threw an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

Hopelessness and rage tearing his insides to pieces, Liam gave a grim nod.

In silence, they walked out of the prison toward the helicopter waiting in the distance. Though his body welcomed the fresh air and sunshine, his mind and heart were preoccupied with questions about Cat. Where had they taken her? Had they killed her and buried her somewhere? Had they sold her and the other women she’d told him about?

Without a word, Liam climbed into the chopper. A man he didn’t recognize sat across from him. His eyes opened the minute Liam sat down. Dirty blond hair, bruises and cuts on his face. This must be the guy they’d brought in several days ago.

“Lion, I’m assuming?” the man asked.

“Liam Stryker. Glad to see you made it.”

The man nodded. “You, too. The name’s Asher Drake.”

His body was weak from lack of water and food and Liam told himself to close his eyes and rest. His mind refused to do the same. Voices surrounded him, oddly distant and surreal. He couldn’t stop thinking of Cat. What had happened to her? What had they done to her?

He opened his eyes when the helicopter lifted from the ground. A huge part of him wanted to jump out and go back to the prison. There had to be some evidence of where they’d taken her. But he couldn’t do that. Not only would he be putting everyone in more danger, he was on the last of his reserves. But he would come back here, and he wouldn’t rest until he found her.

“Let’s take a look at you, buddy.”