Relentless (Option Zero #2) - Christy Reece Page 0,11
their meeting time. Even if he had been delayed in traffic, had a flat tire, or a flight delay, he would have been here by now.
She returned the sliced apples to her picnic basket. Standing, she gave one more searching glance around without an ounce of hope. He wasn’t coming. Wherever he was…whatever had kept him away must have been important. But what she absolutely, positively refused to accept was that he was dead. Someway, somehow she would find him. And when she did, she would thank him for saving her life.
She didn’t care how long she had to wait for him, she would never give up on Lion. And in her heart she knew that Lion would never give up on her.
Chapter Six
Eight Years Later
Prizren, Kosovo
Bullets whipped by, pinging into the metal door beside him. Liam waited half a second, peered around the door edge and fired three shots toward the guy hiding behind a stack of wood. At this rate, they’d both soon run out of bullets and would have to go hand-to-hand. That’d be just fine with him. He had enough adrenaline built up inside him to take on three of these creeps without breaking a sweat.
There had to be a better way to earn a living, but ever since he’d rescued his first baby rabbit from the jaws of Toby, their old house cat, he’d been obsessed with protecting the innocent.
Another bullet zipped by his head. Cursing, Liam jerked his head back. That had been a little too close for comfort.
Yeah, there was probably a better way to earn a living, but he couldn’t think of one.
“Hey, Stryker, you copy?”
Glad to hear OZ leader Asher Drake’s voice in his ear, Liam answered, “Yeah, I’m over by the side door. Glad you could make it. Where are you?”
Ash answered, a definite sound of irritation in his tone, “Sorry I’m late. Got caught in a nest of hornets.”
He knew exactly what that meant. Liam had zero tolerance for politics or diplomacy. Asher Drake, on the other hand, was a diplomat extraordinaire, seemingly able to untangle a spider web with intricate ease.
“Don’t tell me we’ve got trouble on that end, too.”
“Not anymore. We’re good. I’m pinned down behind the bulldozer. I spotted Gideon on the other side of the motel. Where are Sean and Xavier stationed?”
“They’re to the left of you, behind the silver semi.”
“Serena and Jazz make it inside okay?”
“They got in there, but I don’t know what’s going on. Comms are down in the building, so we’ll be going in blind.”
“How many men have you counted?”
“I’ve seen five.”
“They’ve got some impressive firepower.”
“Yeah, but they’re beginning to piss me off.”
“I hear that. You got a plan?”
“Yeah. I’m coming to you. Cover me.”
Liam took off. When he’d been on the track team in college, he’d run a 4:40 and thought that was a damn fine accomplishment. Outrunning bullets might not be possible but he was doing his dead-level best. Thankfully his boss, as usual, had his back and was rapid-firing to clear his path.
He dove behind the bulldozer and joined Ash. With no time to spare, Liam took aim at the man he’d been exchanging fire with for the last ten minutes. Having a better vantage point, he fired twice, heard a squeal and then silence. Dead or just winged, he didn’t know. Either way, it’d bought him some time to put his plan into action.
Clicking his earbud, he said, “Xavier, you copy?”
“Yeah,” his friend growled. “What’s the plan?”
“Ash and I are going to hit them head on. You and Sean come at them on both sides.
Xavier responded, “Roger that.”
Sean echoed Xavier’s words.
“Eve and Gideon, you copy?”
OZ operatives Eve Wells and Gideon Wright were a quarter mile away at the top of a hill. Gideon answered in his usual quiet tone, “Right here.”
“Either of you got a good line of sight?”
“I do,” Eve answered.
“Mine’s crap,” Gideon said.
“Okay, Eve, take out the stragglers or any surprises. Gideon, head our way.”
“Roger that,” Gideon answered.
“I’m on it,” Eve said.
“Okay, on my count, let’s go. Three, two, one!”
They were shooting before they left cover. Hearing the gunfire from either side he knew Gideon and Xavier were doing the same. Reaching the door to the motel lobby, Liam went on one side, Ash landed on the other. Giving him a nod, Ash fired three shots through the door, and then Liam made a mad dash inside. Two men lay near the entrance. Keeping his gun at the ready, he kicked their guns out of