Relentless (Option Zero 2)

“Our old friend Omar Schrader.”

A former weapons broker, Omar Schrader had become a CI for OZ. After the initial shock of realizing his previous job had ended and that if he went back to it, he’d end up in prison, Omar had accepted his new role with amazing aplomb.

“Don’t tell me Drury’s involved in weapons trafficking, too?”

“Apparently he’s in dire need of cash.”

That wasn’t surprising. The bastard enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, and few things were off the table for him. Drury had no ethics. Mix that with a need for fast cash, and he was the devil incarnate.

“What intel do you have?”

“Omar thinks he’s still in Colombia. Seems a group of militia have hired him to find them a cache of assault rifles. He contacted Omar.”

“They set up a meet?”

“Not yet. Omar’s been communicating with a middleman. Ronnie Wiggins.”

Liam huffed a humorless laugh. “Yeah, he’s been an on-again, off-again sidekick of Drury’s for years. I kept hoping they’d end up killing each other, but no such luck.”

“I’d like to k

eep Omar away from the fray. Word gets around he ratted out Drury, he’s a dead man.”

“Just get me a location for Wiggins, I’ll handle the rest.”

“Good enough.” His mouth went from his normal businesslike grim to a slight smile. “How’s it feel to have found her?”

“Like a thousand-pound weight is off my shoulders. Truth is, I’m still reeling.”

“Yeah, modern-day miracles are rare, but I’d say this comes as close as I’ve seen. You guys been able to talk about what happened to her?”

“Not yet. I want to give her some time before I start with the questions.”

“I’d like her to spend some time with Serena. Share any other intel she’s got on Ferante. She might feel more comfortable talking to a woman about Syria, too.”

Liam nodded. “Good point.” He stood and headed to the door. “You need me for anything, you know where I am.”

“Yeah,” Ash said. “And, Liam?”

He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“You’re going to have to let go of the guilt.”

He didn’t need to ask Ash what he was talking about. The same guilt had been eating at him for years. Aubrey had been tortured because of him. The sounds of her pain and terror were ingrained in his memory like the foulest of smells. It reeked within his insides, and nothing and no one was going to be able to lessen the stench. Yes, they had found each other, and yes he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her for what she had endured, but no way in hell would he ever overcome the guilt of not being able to prevent her pain.

Unable to give Ash the answer he wanted, Liam turned and walked out the door.

Chapter Thirty-One

Speechless, Aubrey stepped out of Liam’s SUV and stared at the log home in front of her. She was beyond stunned. It was her house…her dream house.

Now she knew why she had detected a hint of nervousness from him when they’d left OZ headquarters. Liam had built this for her. She had described to him in detail the mountain home she dreamed of owning someday. And this was exactly what she had envisioned.

This told her all she needed to know. Doubts and fears subsided. During those long days in darkness, she had found her light, and so had Liam.

“It’s perfect,” she breathed softly.

“My memory might have been faulty on a few things, but I think I was able to get the gist of it. I had to fill in a few gaps with things I thought worked, but if there’s something you don’t like, we can change it.”