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Shooting her a frown, he asked, “You okay?”
Her expression carefully bland, she shrugged. “I’m fine. Just thinking about how awful it would be to be lost in the wilderness. So this sanctuary, is it a cult?”
“Doesn’t claim to be one, but yeah, that’s exactly what it is.”
“And what’s OZ’s mission?”
“To infiltrate and monitor. There have been rumors that the Brotherhood has been keeping people against their will. Nothing substantial as of yet. The local authorities can’t do anything until there’s proof of a crime.”
“So how did OZ get involved? Did someone come to you with their suspicions?”
“In a way, yes. Stryker’s sister, Elena, is a freelance crime reporter. She was writing an article on the cult. She texted Liam and told him about it, said she was considering trying to join to get more intel for her article. That’s the last time he heard from her.”
“So she’s disappeared, and Liam has infiltrated, trying to find her?”
“He managed to infiltrate, but there’s a hiccup.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s disappeared, too.”
* * *
Jules waited for Ash to continue, but he’d stopped with those stark words. “And?”
“And we’re going to find him.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here. You don’t seem that concerned.”
“Curious more than concerned.”
“Why?”
The SUV pulled into a small hangar where OZ’s Gulfstream G550 waited to take off.
Putting the vehicle in park, Ash glanced over at Jules. “We’ll go over the op details on the plane. To give you a quick review of why I’m not that concerned, I’ll just say that Liam Stryker is one of the most self-sufficient and crafty people I’ve ever known. I’ve seen him make escapes even Houdini would’ve admired.”
“So you don’t think he’s in danger?”
“Yeah, he’s in danger, but not for a minute do I think he’s in trouble.”
And Jules understood exactly what he meant. Ash knew his operative could handle any danger that came his way.
“So if he’s not in trouble, what are we going to do?”
“Make sure he stays that way.” He opened the driver’s door. “Let’s go.”
Jules grabbed her go bag and headed to the jet. She heard Ash behind her, talking to someone about moving his vehicle. Despite his words, she had the feeling that he was more than a little concerned for his operative.
She stepped onto the plane and saw that while Ash wouldn’t admit concern, Jazz had no problem showing hers. She was sitting at a table, her laptop in front of her. A frown of concentration on her face, she glanced up at Jules. “Welcome to a new nightmare.”
The Brotherhood of Solace
Haleyville, Washington
Liam Stryker rolled over and puked up his guts on the cold, damp earth. He hadn’t felt this sick since his junior year of college when Miranda What’s-Her-Name dumped him for the quarterback, and he’d drowned his sorrows in the cheapest whiskey he could find. It’d taken him a helluva lot longer to get over the hangover than it had his broken heart.
But this was a lot worse than a hangover. Stupid to have drank that bottle of water. They’d laced it with something, of course. By the time he’d realized it, he’d been throwing his guts up. And then it’d been too late. They’d jumped him from behind. He was a decent one-on-one or one-on-two fighter, but four-on-one with agony boiling in his belly was just damn unfair. It’d almost been a relief when they’d finally knocked him unconscious.