Merciless (Option Zero 1)

* * *

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.