Relentless (Option Zero 2)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Montana

Breaking News: A yacht belonging to billionaire businessman Marc Antony Ferante exploded off the island of Cyprus this morning. It is believed that Mr. Ferante and three crew members were on board. There were no survivors.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates as we learn more about the explosion.

Aubrey stared openmouthed at her laptop screen. She had been working for hours and had just stopped for a quick break when the breaking news had popped up on the screen.

Ferante was dead? Had he been murdered? Had his evil deeds finally caught up with him?

Standing, Aubrey paced around the room as she considered the consequences. Emma would no longer have to be afraid of him. Her family no longer had to hide. Dozens of children, perhaps hundreds, were no longer in peril of being sold and abused by the vile monster.

She didn’t discount the relief she felt for her safety. She didn’t have to hide from him now. She would be able to complete her film without fear that he could hurt someone she loved.

How she wished she could call Liam and discuss this with him. He or someone at OZ might have intel on what happened. Not for a moment did she consider they were involved in Ferante’s death. Even though they didn’t hesitate to stop evil people, Option Zero didn’t assassinate them. They might, however, know who had.

She couldn’t call Liam though. Since he’d left, he had sent her several texts. He’d told her in his last one this morning that he would be out of touch for the next few hours.

She couldn’t even call Serena or Ash and talk to them. The entire OZ team was on a mission. Liam had told her if she needed anything, she could contact Rose at OZ. And though Rose was a lovely person, she doubted that she would want to discuss Aubrey’s conjectures on Ferante’s death.

Sighing, she walked out onto the deck and was immediately at peace. The majesty before her put everything in perspective. When Liam returned, they’d figure things out.

What did this mean for their future? Being out of danger meant she didn’t need to stay here for her safety. She had things she needed to do at home. Liam had told her that her house had been cleaned out, but she wanted to see to things herself. She’d talked to her insurance agent, and he’d mentioned it would be helpful if she came in person to discuss all the items she’d lost.

So many things had been handled for her, and while she appreciated the help, she was independent-minded enough to want to take care of matters herself.

Maybe Liam could take a few days off, and they could go to Florida together. St. Augustine was one of the most beautiful cities in the country. She could deal with her personal business, and they could have time to explore and have fun. Just like a normal couple.

The thought sent a shiver of delight through her. They had kissed, talked of the future a little, but not much more than that. She wanted days of being alone with him, exploring all the delightful feelings he brought out in her. Never had she felt so happy, so free. She had found the love of her life. Now she wanted to start enjoying that life with him.

The distant ringing of her cellphone had her running back into the room. Liam! Maybe he had heard about Ferante’s death and was calling to tell her. Maybe he was calling to say he was headed back home.

After a quick glance at the display screen, she blew out a disappointed sigh. Not Liam. Her cousin Becca. Taking a second to settle her disappointment, she answered the phone with a cheery, “Hey sweetie, what’s up?”

A sobbing Becca responded, “I got fired!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“They canned me, Aubrey.”

“Who canned you? Why?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know,” she wailed. “Two days ago, the director, Samuel Mann, told me he was incredibly pleased with my performance. He said I was the perfect Maya. He said he was thrilled that he had cast me in the role, that no one could have been Maya but me. Then this morning, he called me into his office and said he changed his mind. Some of the producers saw the dailies and didn’t like me as Maya at all. They’re going to put the film on hold for a few months and then start again with a different actress. My career is ruined!”

“No, it’s not. You’re a brilliant actress. No one will be able to play Maya the way you did. They’ll realize that, I’m sure.”

“I don’t think so. They’ve already removed my name from all the promotional material. My agent said she doesn’t know what happened.”

“But you have a contract. They can’t just fire you without cause.”

“That’s what I told my agent. She said she’s working from that standpoint, but not to get my hopes up. She said they’ve made it clear I’m out, no matter what.”

“But that makes no sen

se. Did you talk to your dad? Maybe he can help.”

“Yes, I called him. He said he’ll fix things. I don’t think he can, but I’m hoping he can at least find out what I did wrong. He’s in London, but is going to catch the first flight back. They’ve got a big snowstorm, so he isn’t sure when he can get here. Can you come, Aubrey?”