up empty on both.
Time was running out. He felt it in his gut. Something was going to happen. What, he didn’t know. Death? Or were the victims going to be split up, and he’d be able to save only a few? What if one of them was Cat? He had to find them soon. Or else.
A thump on his jaw had him flying back onto the mat again. A good reminder that he was sparring with one of the most gifted fighters he’d ever faced. Losing his focus was not a good idea.
Jumping back to his feet, Liam went at his opponent even harder and faster. Donavan moved at the last second, and the uppercut to his jaw glanced off his chin, but the double punch to his belly took the man’s breath. Liam seized the opportunity to shut him down completely.
With stealthy precision, Liam punched, jabbed, whirled, and kicked. Since this was a training session, he didn’t use full force. Still, he went for maximum enjoyment of getting the best of Sean Donavan. In hand-to-hand, no one at OZ was Donavan’s equal. For the first time ever, Liam knew he had him. The other man had no defense other than to keep his forearms up to protect himself.
Feeling triumph, Liam was set up to send a final blow that would send his friend to the mat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone watching. For a millisecond, he looked. The thought flashed in his mind that she had changed little in the four years since he’d first seen her. Her skin still glowed with a translucent light that he found mesmerizing. Her wavy golden-blond hair might be a little longer. She—
Liam flew backward as Donavan clipped him hard on the chin. Landing with a hard thud, flat on his back, he fought to catch his breath.
It didn’t help that Donavan stood over him with a smug grin. “Thought you had me, didn’t you, mate?”
Instead of answering, he shifted his eyes to the glassed area where he’d spotted Aubrey Starr. She was gone.
Guiltily, Aubrey turned away from the sparring session. She’d distracted the dark-haired man, and he’d gotten clocked. She’d been frozen in shock, as she’d recognized him as the man she’d met years ago in Kosovo. She hadn’t known the name of the organization that had rescued the trafficking victims. She had asked and was told they preferred to remain anonymous. Now she knew it had been Option Zero.
And she would be going on a rescue mission with them. This was surreal.
“Who was that?” Aubrey asked.
“The one grinning like an idiot is my husband, Sean,” Serena answered with a laugh. “The one on the mat is Liam Stryker.”
Liam.
She mentally shook her head. This wasn’t the time or place to become enamored of someone.
“Come on,” Serena said. “We’ll show you around for a few minutes and then let you have some time to yourself. You’ve had a long day.”
Solitude sounded heavenly to her. The day had brought an enormous amount of shocks and surprises. She’d had hardly any time to absorb even one of them.
Her unusual reaction to Liam Stryker was pushed to the back of her mind as she walked through the underground headquarters of Option Zero. She’d never heard of such an organization and couldn’t help but wonder how many such entities existed that the public would never know about.
The place was massive. A maze of corridors led to rooms of varying sizes, some were empty, while others had chairs, conference tables, and desks.
“It’s amazing that all of this is underground, but it’s not dark or dreary like a basement or underground bunker.”
“We’ve worked hard to make it that way. Our people spend many long, sometimes grueling, hours here. Working in a bright, sunny atmosphere, even if it’s all illusion, makes the job a lot more pleasant.”
Serena stopped at a door and pressed a keypad on the wall. The door slid open, revealing a large area filled not only with computers and giant monitors, but also a half-dozen people.
“Here’s where we gather the majority of our intel.”
“Incredibly impressive.” Since she wasn’t one to beat around the bush, she asked, “Why are you allowing me to see these things?”
“You’ve answered all our questions. You’ve been vetted by both Ash and Kate. Besides, Jazz and I are good judges of character. We put in a good word for you. Come on.” Serena grabbed her arm and led her toward the exit. “Let’s grab some dinner. I think