Merciless (Option Zero 1)

“She’s been there five damn months,” Gideon snarled.

Ash sent Gideon a questioning look. “She knew going in that it could take several months. Has she said it’s been too much for her?”

“Of course not. You know Eve. She’s going to do the job no matter what.”

“Isn’t that what we all do?” Ash asked quietly.

As if aware he’d started an argument he had no hope of winning, Gideon shrugged. “It is.”

Going forward as if there’d been no disruption, Xavier brought up another photo. This one of a middle-aged man with cold, hard eyes and an arrogant smirk. “Our target, Andrei Dalca. Eve’s job will be to contain the partygoers in one room. It’ll be easier to ensure everyone’s safety if they’re all together when we go in.”

“Any idea how many guards are on the premises?”

So involved in the op’s details, Jules asked the question without thinking of the protocol. Thankfully, no one seemed surprised by or resentful of her interruption.

“That’s our biggest issue,” Xavier answered. “On any given day, Dalca has about a half dozen. When he has guests, it usually increases. We do know that they’ll be heavily

armed and have posts around the entire perimeter. Ash and I will neutralize the ones surrounding the far west side. That’ll give you and Jazz the opportunity to get inside the communications center. Jazz will block all communications going in and out except for ours. You’ll need to stay there in case someone escapes us and tries to repair their comms. The rest of us have our assignments.”

Sending his boss a look, Xavier handed Ash the remote and then settled into his chair again.

His gaze taking in everyone, the OZ leader said calmly, “This is how it’s going to go down.”

Chapter Thirteen

A quarter mile from Dalca’s compound, the team drove their vehicles onto a narrow road. Obscured by overgrown bushes and trees, it was the perfect place to hide their transportation. They’d take it on foot from here.

No one spoke. Each person had their job and knew it well. Most important was the first assignment, which was to disable the cameras and cut off all communication within the compound and to the outside. The last thing they wanted was for someone to call in reinforcements. Once comms were down, the team would systematically disarm and neutralize the guards and then converge on the party.

Ash spared Jules a glance. The team had accepted that she was on the op, but that didn’t mean they accepted her as one of their own. She’d have to prove herself, and he didn’t plan on making any special accommodations. She wouldn’t want any concessions, and he wasn’t one to make them for anyone.

She was checking out the weapons she’d been given, a Glock 19 and KA-BAR knife. She needed to be comfortable with both, and he approved of the ease and care in which she handled each weapon. She likely had favorites of her own—most professionals did—but she’d do fine with the loaners. He wasn’t surprised to see the glitter of excitement in her eyes. Just in the few hours he’d spent with her yesterday, he had recognized a kindred spirit. She enjoyed this kind of work. In his opinion, that was a must. If you didn’t get a little pumped with adrenaline going into an op, you didn’t have the edge you needed. On top of that, life was too short to do something you didn’t enjoy.

She looked ready and able to perform the job assigned. What did concern him, though, was how she separated herself from the others. While the rest of the team stood grouped together, she stood several feet away. Yeah, she was the new kid on the block and likely didn’t feel she belonged yet, but he relied on his people to work as a team. That needed to happen immediately.

He’d have to keep an eye on that.

His gaze went to Jazz and then to Jules. “Ready?”

When they both nodded, he jerked his head, and the team moved forward as one. They were at the compound within minutes. Thanks to Eve, they knew the best place to breach the wall. The blind spot, about ten feet wide, gave them just enough room to throw a rope over and climb up. Once they were all over the wall, things became trickier.

In silence, they surrounded the communications building. Xavier crept up on the lone guard. Choking him into unconsciousness, he quickly zip-tied his hands and feet, while Jazz slapped tape over his mouth. Xavier and Gideon carried him around a corner, propping him up against a far wall behind some shrubbery.

With that taken care of, Ash carefully eased the door open. As expected, three Dalca employees sat at their stations, surrounded by thirty monitors. He was glad to note that not only were their backs to him, but not one of them appeared to be alarmed, confirming that the team’s arrival hadn’t been detected.

Ash, Gideon, and Xavier each grabbed a man and, using the same tactic Xavier had used on the guard, easily took them out.

Leaving Gideon and Xavier to secure the unconscious men, Ash jerked his head toward the monitors. “Get started, Jazz. We’ll want a complete outage of the phones as well as camera access.”

“Got it.” She sat down at one of the computer stations and went to work.

His eyes went to their newest operative. “Keep a watch out. Let us know if there’s any trouble.”

Jules gave an abrupt nod of acknowledgment and her eyes spoke of understanding. She knew her role. Ash had no idea if she was tech savvy enough to help Jazz, but that wasn’t necessary for this op. Before Jazz had become a field operative, she had worked the technical side. She could do this alone with no issues. If they were discovered, Jazz would likely be too weak to defend herself. Jules would be her eyes and her protector.

Comfortable with the setup, Ash turned to the others. “Let’s get to work.”

With that, he and the rest of the team walked out the door.