RELENTLESS: An Option Zero Novel Read online

  Relentless

  An Option Zero Novel

  Christy Reece

  Contents

  Relentless

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Thank You

  Other Books by Christy Reece

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discover the action-filled world of OPTION ZERO

  Discover the mysterious world of Grey Justice

  Discover the thrilling world of LCR Elite

  Relentless

  An Option Zero Novel

  Published by Christy Reece

  Cover Art by Kelly A. Martin of KAM Design

  Copyright 2020 by Christy Reece

  ISBN: 978-1-7337257-4-3

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  Relentless

  They met in darkness. Each one going through their own personal hell, they gave each other hope and a reason to live. Their connection was real and true, but fate had a different plan.

  OZ operative Liam Stryker is known for his bravery, his wit, and his ability to find an escape when there’s no way out. He’s also a man on a mission. He needs to find her. She’s out there somewhere. He refuses to believe she’s gone. Someday, somehow, he will find the woman he’s never seen but loves with all his heart. And if it’s the last thing he does, he’ll find the people responsible for causing her pain.

  Aubrey Starr once had a plan for her future, but when her life is derailed and upended, she’s motivated to create a new one. As an award-winning documentary filmmaker, she’s known for digging deep to uncover and expose evil. Few know about the past that drives her or the man who inspires her. She never knew his real name, never got to see his face, but without him, she wouldn’t have survived. Even though she doubts that he’s still alive, she dreams that one day she’ll see him.

  Evil takes many avenues and insinuates itself into every aspect of life, causing havoc and pain. Some are born to fight against it with every fiber of their being. Others are thrown into its path and have no choice but to stand up to it or die. Liam and Aubrey have been on parallel paths for years. When their paths finally converge, it’s as if life has given them another chance, and everything has fallen into place.

  But there are enemies out there who will do everything they can to make sure Liam and Aubrey never find the happiness they seek. When events take a tragic turn, they’re faced with the knowledge that fate has thrown them a new, cruel twist.

  And this time, there’s no way out.

  “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” –Robert Byrne

  Chapter One

  Twelve Years Ago

  Damascus, Syria

  Liam Stryker winced at the sound of fists slamming into flesh. It happened again, then again. Jaw rigid with fury, teeth clinched, Liam stayed quiet. He’d learned that shouting, saying anything at all, only spurred the bastards on. He listened in silence, suffering along with his friend. And knowing they would be coming for him next.

  Dying was easy. It was living that Liam was struggling with. What made a man give up? How did he decide he’d just had enough? A part of him wanted to know, another part thought it’d be best not to have an answer. That might make it easy…might make their job more fun. They wanted him to give up, to reveal all his secrets and then just die. Damned if he’d make it easy for them.

  A cell door opened and then clanged shut. The interrogation was over for the time being. A groan came from Xavier, and the agony in the sound sent a new surge of rage gushing through Liam’s bloodstream. Even though he would be next up, he was glad Xavier’s beating was over. Liam had suffered with every blow, every grunt, and every curse. That was part of their torture, too. Their captors hoped that hearing each other’s pain took a little more of their strength each time. Little did they know that such things only made them more determined to live. These people would pay…they would pay with everything.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  There was no answer and Liam closed his eyes in fear. Had they finally defeated one of the strongest men he knew? Xavier had been shot when they’d been taken. Liam had been conscious, but his hands had been tied and a bag had covered his head. He hadn’t been able to see the injury for himself. Xavier had told him it wasn’t bad, only a flesh wound, but how long before infection set in? How long had they been here? Felt like a year, but he figured it hadn’t been more than a week. Still, who the hell knew when your every waking hour was spent in agony?

  “Hey? You hear me over there? Hang in there. We’re going to get out of here.”

  “That you?”

  Relief flooded Liam. The bastards hadn’t won yet. “Yeah. Still here. How you doing?”

  “Been better.” He snorted out a dry, very Xavier-like chuckle. “Been worse, too.”

  “You about ready to get out of this place?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Good. Been thinking…”

  And with that, Liam began to tap on the wall. He’d devised the secret code when he’d first started deep-cover missions. He and Xavier had communicated with it on numerous ops. Liam hadn’t used it in a while, but Xavier would have no trouble following. Communicating wasn’t the problem. The plan was. Even as he tapped, a part of Liam knew it would likely get them killed. But if they didn’t try, they wouldn’t survive anyway. It was as simple as that.

  “We can do that,” Xavier tapped. “I can—”

  Liam sat up, his ears straining. “Shh. Hold that thought. Somebody’s coming.”

  Laughter, followed by curses, came closer and closer. What had gotten the monsters riled up this
time? Were they already coming back for him?

  “Get off me!”

  No. Apparently they had a new prisoner to torture. Another American, from the sound of his accent. An extremely pissed one. Which was good. Anger kept hopelessness at bay.

  The next few moments were painful as Liam listened to their questions and the brutal aftermath when the man refused to answer with anything other than curses.

  Having been on the receiving end of their interrogation tactics more than once, Liam knew what the guy was feeling. Anger, pain, and a pit-deep feeling that the agony would never end.

  For what seemed like an hour or more, they worked the guy over. When they finally got tired of not getting any answers, they issued a few guttural warnings that the next time they wouldn’t be so easy on him. The cell door clanged shut, and the assholes stomped away.

  Liam waited a couple of minutes and then called out, “Hey, you still with us?”

  When there was no answer, Liam figured they’d gone too far. “Guess they got the worst of the poor bastard,” he said to Xavier.

  Before Xavier could respond, a deep voice growled, “Don’t count this poor bastard out yet.”

  Relieved, Liam said, “How bad are you hurt?”

  “Been better…been worse.”

  Liam smiled at the similar answer Xavier had given earlier.

  “What’s your name, man?”

  “How do I know you’re not a plant to get something out of me?”

  Reasonable question, considering the circumstances.

  “You don’t.”

  “Then I guess I’ll remain nameless.”

  A chuckle came from Xavier’s cell. “You’ll have to forgive him. He’s only had me to talk to for weeks.”

  “You two came in together?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Who are these bozos?” the stranger asked.

  “Not sure yet,” Xavier said. “They’re not much on sharing.”

  “I’ve heard English, French, Arabic, and German,” Liam added.

  “Nice to know I was sold to such a diverse group.”

  “You were sold?”

  “That’s my guess. I was in Colombia, got attacked by some kind of cartel. Things got bloody and bad. Next time I woke up, my surroundings looked nothing like Colombia.”

  “Hate to be the one to break the news to you, man, but you’re in Syria,” Liam said.

  “Ah, hell.”

  There was a wealth of meaning in that statement. One that Liam could identify with. There were so many factions and groups here, it was hard to know who was responsible and what they wanted.

  Not that he and Xavier didn’t know what these goons wanted from them. That had been made clear the first day they arrived. And they would die before they gave it up.

  “How long you two been here?” the newcomer asked.

  “Hard to say,” Liam said. “What do you think, Bear?”

  “Bear?” the man said.

  “Since we’re not saying names, I thought we’d just give each other nicknames. The guy in the other cell is Bear. I’m—”

  “Let me guess. Lion?”

  “That’ll work. You can be Tiger.”

  “So tell me, Bear, does Lion always talk incessantly, or do I just bring it out in him?”

  For the first time in days, both Xavier and Liam laughed. It felt good, real good. Liam was liking this guy more and more.

  “Yep. My mama used to tell me that I—” Liam cut off when heavy footsteps headed their way. The footsteps stopped at his cell. His body tense, he waited. He knew what was coming.

  The cell door opened, and Liam didn’t even bother to look. He refused to give them even that much respect.

  Grabbing him under his armpits, they picked him up and carried him toward the door. They were taking him away? That had never happened. They’d always interrogated him inside his cell. What was going on?

  “Hey! Where’re you taking me?”

  Refusing to go without a fight, Liam put all his energy into kicking and throwing punches. Using his bound hands, he swung with all his might, making contact with a hard jaw. He had less than a second to feel triumph before a fist slammed into his head, and he went limp. The last thing he heard was Xavier shouting.

  Chapter Two

  A strange, unfamiliar noise jogged him awake. Blinking open heavy, swollen eyes, he looked blearily around. This wasn’t his regular cell. He’d figured after the questions and the subsequent beating, they would’ve returned him to his old one. This one was cleaner, in better condition. Not only was there a toilet, as opposed to a bucket, he was lying on a narrow cot, and a small, high window blew a cold breeze through the openings in the bars. Liam inhaled the first fresh air he’d felt in days. Icy air went through him, waking him further. The beating hadn’t been as bad this time. Just a few good punches, three or four kicks, and then a solid head thunk. So what was the point of moving him here?

  In the midst of wondering, he heard a sound again. Someone was in the cell next to him. Before he could speak, a harsh cough followed by a moan of misery had him on alert. The moan had been distinctly female.

  Oh hell, they’d taken a woman hostage?

  “Hello?” he said.

  Like a faucet being switched off, the noise ended abruptly.

  “Sorry,” he said, “didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Hello?” The voice was tentative, most definitely female, and painfully hoarse. From the hacking cough he’d heard earlier, he imagined she’d been ill for a while.

  “Are you okay?” Stupid question. Of course she wasn’t okay, but for the first time in years, he was stumped for the right words.

  “No.” Another harsh cough, and then she continued, “Not really.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “I don’t know. A few days…maybe a week?”

  “Have they given you any medical treatment?”

  “No.” She sighed and then coughed again. “I don’t think making me well is in their plan.”

  “You’re American?”

  “Yes.”

  “You were abducted?”

  “Yes. One minute I was in the market looking at a scarf, and the next minute I had a hood over my head, and I was in some kind of vehicle.”

  “Have they hurt you?”

  There was a long pause, much too long for the answer to be favorable. “Yes,” she finally said softly.

  There was no need for her to elaborate. And since she wasn’t dead, they weren’t through with her yet. The chances of her getting out of this hellhole without being hurt again, or killed, were almost zero.

  “Were you with friends, relatives?”

  “No. I came to Paris to do some research for—”

  “Paris?”

  “Yes.”

  Telling her that she was no longer in Paris without freaking her out was probably not going to happen. But she deserved to know.

  “You’re not in Paris. You’re in Syria.”

  There was a long pause and then the shocked words, “That’s not possible.”

  “I wish it wasn’t, but it is.”

  “But how…why?”

  “Were you knocked out?”

  “Yes…wait…no. Not knocked out. I think maybe they gave me an injection of something. My brain was all fuzzy for a while.”

  Being drugged would account for the confusion. What was less apparent was why she’d been taken in the first place. He knew almost nothing about their captors, but kidnapping a woman in Paris and bringing her here to brutalize her seemed like an awful lot of trouble. There had to be something they wanted from her.

  “You were in Paris alone?”

  “Yes. My cousin was supposed to come, too, but she got sick at the last minute. I decided to come alone. I’m up for a part in a play. My character is French. I can read and understand French, but I can’t speak it as well as I need to. I thought a few days in Paris would help.”

  “You’re an actress?”<
br />
  “Yes…well, that and a college student.”

  Liam’s heart hurt for her. She was young and naïve…an innocent. Even if she survived and returned home, that innocence would be gone.

  “You have any family that would pay your ransom?”

  “You think that’s why they took me? To ransom me?”

  That would be a best-case scenario for her. And the one that made the most sense. Didn’t mean they wouldn’t abuse her while they had her, but if someone was willing to pay for her release, there was a chance she could survive.

  Ransom wasn’t the reason for his and Xavier’s abductions. Even if it had been, they were SOL. No one was going to pay a ransom for them. Being on a black ops mission didn’t always mean you were on your own, but in this case it most definitely did. Five people had known about their op. The question of which one of those five had betrayed them would have to be answered after they got out of here. For now, he had enough on his plate.

  Their captors apparently had prisoners here for a variety of reasons. What was this place? Some kind of eclectic prison clearinghouse?

  “Are you still there?”

  Liam shook his head to clear it. “Yeah…sorry. What questions have they asked you?”