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A large hand touched Olivia’s shoulder. “Olivia, now’s not the time.”
She turned and faced Hawke. She had thought last night, after realizing he believed she was a traitor, nothing else could hurt her. But this, to have the woman who had so cruelly misled her be here, in this room, as if she was part of this operation…
She looked down at the scarred hand on her shoulder. “Get your hand off me.”
His throat worked as he swallowed hard, but he removed his hand and took a step back. “I know you’re angry, but that’s going to have to be put on hold.”
“Fine,” she snapped and walked away.
Eve pulled a chair out for her, and Olivia gratefully dropped into it. Her legs were shaking, and the small blueberry muffin she’d had for breakfast was threatening to come up.
“Deep breaths, Liv,” Eve whispered.
The room was silent, and all eyes were on her. She hated that. Being the center of attention always made her uncomfortable.
“All right, everyone,” Ash said. “We’re all here, including some additions. Jules is still on bed rest, but I’m going to get her on video chat.”
Seconds later, a pretty woman with strawberry-blond hair and a tired-looking smile appeared on the television screen.
“Hey, Jules,” several people called out.
“Hey, everybody. Wish I could be there in person.”
“Not a problem,” Jazz said. “You just take care of that bundle of joy.”
The brilliant smile she gave made Olivia’s heart clutch with a pang she hadn’t expected. Shouldn’t she be past that by now? Would the pain ever stop?
“I asked Aubrey to come along as well,” Ash said, “since she has personal knowledge of what we’re looking at.”
Confused, Olivia couldn’t resist asking, “What are we looking at, Ash?”
“Several years ago, we came across some kind of shadow organization. We’ve yet to figure out their ultimate motive or reason for existence. However, they’re woven throughout various government agencies, as well as organizations, conglomerates, and businesses.”
“In the US?” Olivia asked.
“Yes, and throughout the world. We’ve encountered them in multiple countries. We have no idea how many members there are—hundreds, maybe thousands.”
“So they all work together for whom? And for what purpose?”
“We don’t know. And it’s not like the people we’ve identified work exclusively for this entity. They have normal, everyday jobs, but when their expertise is needed for something, they rise up and do the bidding.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of such an organization,” Olivia said. “How long has it been in existence? Have you actually talked to anyone within its ranks?”
“Jules and I have dealt with one member. Aubrey and Liam have close experiences, too.”
“How so?”
“Remember my experience in Colombia?” Ash asked.
Olivia nodded. In a way, it was actually the starting point for OZ. Ash had just left the Marines and had been heading back home to the States when he’d gotten a call from a friend who’d offered him a chance for some fast cash. All he’d needed to do was assist with security for some fat-cat business people in Colombia. It had turned into a total disaster when locals had attacked the meeting. All the business people had escaped, leaving Ash and the other security people behind to face an army of rebels. Ash was the only survivor.
He’d been captured and knocked out. When he’d woken, he’d found himself in a Syrian prison, which was where he’d met Liam and Xavier, who’d been prisoners in the same building.
Hawke had been in charge of the covert operation that Liam and Xavier had been working. Hawke, along with Gideon and Sean, had arrived to rescue them. They had rescued Ash as well.
The rescue hadn’t turned out as well as they’d hoped as their helicopter had been shot down during their escape. They’d ended up walking through the desert and, during that time, had forged a bond.
When Olivia had first met Hawke, he’d told her the story. Their survival had been miraculous, and even though each of them had gone on to pursue other avenues, they’d never lost touch. Option Zero was born a few years after that.