RELENTLESS

by Christy Reece

  “That’s not going to fly,” Jazz answered. “You know exactly who’s watching you.”

  “We think you’re in over your head, Aubrey,” Serena added.

  “And who are “we”?”

  “You answer our questions, we’ll answer yours. Fair enough?”

  She had a decision to make, because Serena was right. She was in over her head. What she’d thought was just a thread of information that might lead to something bigger had instead become much more complicated and dangerous than she’d anticipated. If Ferante was responsible for the cameras and bugs in her house, then he might well do whatever it took to prevent her from revealing what she knew. He had the money and the power to make her disappear forever.

  She eyed both Serena and Jazz. Oddly enough, they were silent, as if aware she needed to figure out if she could trust them. Could she? Kate Walker had given her approval of them. And though she didn’t know Kate all that well, the time she’d spent with her had been telling. She trusted the woman. Therefore, she should trust these women.

  “Look.” Serena’s voice broke the tense silence. “I know you’re scared, don’t know who to trust. Telling you to trust us without giving you any real reason isn’t fair. But until we know you better, we can’t risk anything.”

  Aubrey took a breath. As much as she didn’t like it, Serena had a point. The organization Serena worked for had a lot more to lose than Aubrey did.

  “All right. What can I do to speed up the process?”

  “Answer some questions, and let’s see where we are.”

  “Okay, shoot.” She winced at the words. She had a feeling neither of these women would hesitate to do just that if they deemed it necessary.

  If she thought they would be easier on her because of the near fainting spell earlier, she was mistaken. The questions came quick, so fast and furious that she had little time to think. They asked, she answered.

  Why do you do what you do?

  Who backed your other films?

  Who do you share your research with?

  What do you hope to gain by going on a rescue?

  Who is involved in the making of your film? Has everyone been vetted? How were they vetted? By whom? What do they know?

  Both women asked questions, but Serena took the lead, and Jazz often followed up with additional ones. It was a good routine and Aubrey got the idea they did this a lot.

  Though the questions were exhaustingly thorough, she had no problem answering. Most of her team had been with her for years. She trusted them with her life. They were as dedicated as she was to shining the light on the dark vileness of human trafficking. However, they had no idea what she had uncovered about Ferante. She was the only one who knew, or at least she’d thought she was.

  By the time the initial questions had been asked and answered, Aubrey had consumed two full glasses of water and felt as if she’d been drained of all energy.

  “Okay, let’s take a break for a while. Jazz, why don’t you see if Pippa has lunch ready yet? And Aubrey, why don’t you go freshen up?”

  Aubrey wasn’t going to argue. Not only did she need time to herself, she needed to rid herself of all the water she’d consumed. Relieved to have some privacy, Aubrey gratefully headed to the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she had to grimace. Not her best look. Shock and stress had bleached her face of color.

  She splashed her face with water, pinched her cheeks and took a breath. Whether they knew it or not, she was through with their questions. She had some of her own and she wasn’t going to respond to any more of theirs until hers were answered.

  She returned to the main cabin in time to see a flight attendant placing plates filled with sandwiches and salad on a pullout table.

  Serena gave her a searching look. “Feel better?”

  “Yes, but I have some—”

  “Come eat. That’ll make you feel even better.”

  Though her stomach knotted at the thought of putting food in it, Aubrey knew Serena was right. She hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch yesterday afternoon. Without nourishment, she couldn’t think straight.

  As if an invisible barrier had been broken, Jazz gave her a genuine smile. “I think we’ve all worked up an appetite.”

  They sat around the table and were silent for a few moments. The chicken salad sandwich was delicious, and Aubrey felt her normal appetite return. Within minutes, she was feeling calmer and more in control. These people weren’t out to hurt her, and if she were honest with herself, she could use their help and advice.

  Munching on a carrot stick, Jazz asked, “Your bio says that you studied acting. Why did you change to documentaries? You were in a couple of movies and TV shows, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. Though the movies were just bit parts. And I liked acting well enough, but it lost its magic early on.”

  “How’s that?” Serena asked.

  “Nothing ever felt authentic. An entertainer has to be on 24/7. Always in the public eye, always being watched. That wasn’t the kind of life I wanted. I thought about directing movies, but dealing with all the egos didn’t appeal to me either. Filming documentaries didn’t interest me until I started reading up on human trafficking. It’s everywhere, in areas people could never fathom. I wanted to reveal those lies and truths.”

  That wasn’t the biggest reason she’d chosen human trafficking as her first film and main focus. However, talking about her abduction and assault, as well as her near miss of being trafficked? No. Not with everything else going on. It would be just too much.

  “I saw your first documentary,” Serena said. “It was excellent.”

  “Thank you.”

  “This new one you’re going to do—Kate said it’s a follow-up?” Jazz said.

  “Yes. Some of the victims I featured in the first film will give updates on their lives, where they are now. We still won’t reveal their identities, but I think people will be interested in seeing what kind of impact their trauma has had on them and the people they love.

  “But I also want to go into more depth, not only about the rescuers, but the traffickers themselves. How each got into their line of work, why they do what they do.”

  “You know you won’t be able to identify us either. Right?” Jazz said.

  “That’s not a problem. I just want to get into the mind-set of a rescuer. What makes him or her tick.”

  “We can definitely help you with that. But we still need some answers.”

  Aubrey shook her head. “I’ve answered your questions. I think it’s time I get to ask my own questions.”

  “One more, and then we’ll move on.”

  “All right.”

  “Who is so interested in you that they would put thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment in your house to watch you?” Jazz raised her hand to stop Aubrey’s automatic response. “And don’t say you don’t know, because we know you do.”

  “How do you know I do?”

  “Because no one would go to this much expense and trouble unless they were afraid of being outed. Maybe you don’t know a name yet, but you know something.”

  “How do I know I can trust you? I know nothing about you and your organization. You spirit me away from my house. You search it without my permission. You keep me here, grilling me for hours. How the hell am I to trust you when you’ve given me nothing other than more questions?”

  Jazz and Serena exchanged a look, and they both nodded simultaneously.

  “Fair enough,” Serena said. “What do you want to know?”

  “Who are you people?”

  “We’ll tell you what we can. If our boss feels like we can share more, we will.”

  “That’s a start.”

  “We’re an off-the-books organization that gets involved in a variety of international and domestic incidents. We often prevent bad things from happening.”

  “For instance?”

  “Terrorism, assassinations, wars.”

  “Human trafficking?”

&
nbsp; “Yes. That too.”

  “Where do you get your funding?”

  “That’s not something you need to know.”

  Serena was right, but it had been worth a shot.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “We’re going to our headquarters. Our boss trusts you enough to have you stay there. We think you’re in danger. Our plan is to protect you and help you. Will you let us?”

  There didn’t seem to be much choice in the matter. Not only was she about forty thousand feet up in the air, she had nowhere else to turn. Telling her uncle what she’d found was now out of the question. Putting him in danger was the last thing she wanted.

  Bottom line was she trusted Kate Walker. Kate Walker trusted these people. And despite their heavy-handed questioning, she was beginning to trust both Serena and Jazz.

  “All right. I can do that.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lake Tahoe, California

  “My sources are telling me that she still plans to make the film.”

  Dread made his heart drop like lead. Even though he was alone, he unconsciously shook his head. “That’s not true. Your sources are mistaken.”

  “Oh?”

  The sound of that one word was so arrogant he wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and strangle the caller.

  His mind scrambled for an answer that would satisfy. “Medford’s death destroyed her chances of getting it made. She doesn’t have enough capital on her own. And there’s no one else in the industry who will back her. The film will never get made.”

  “My sources have told me she’s found someone outside the industry.”

  “Who? I haven’t heard of such a thing.”

  “I don’t believe it’s my job to give you information.”

  “Perhaps not, but as we’re on the same side, why wouldn’t you?”

  “Are we on the same side?”

  He closed his eyes. No. They weren’t on the same side. Hadn’t been for years, if ever. If he could, he would destroy this bastard and everything he stood for. But that was the problem—he couldn’t destroy him. He had no choice but to comply.

  “I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me.”

  “Do we really need to examine the blatant lies in that one statement?”

  “That was a mistake…it won’t happen again. It hasn’t. I’ve complied with all requests since then.”

  “Oh, we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. We know where you sleep at night. More importantly, we know where the ones you love sleep.”

  The man waited for a response, but breathlessness kept him from giving one.

  Completely uncaring that the words had stabbed him in the chest, the man continued, “I’m sure you’ll hear the news about her new backer soon. You’ll know what to do. Correct?”

  Everything within him froze. Know what to do? Was he serious?

  “Remember, we gave you fair warning.”

  Panic zoomed through him. “I’ll find a way to stop her. I promise.”

  “We shall see. If not, then…”

  The man left it at that. There was no need to finish the sentence. He knew full well what could happen. He had witnessed it firsthand. He carried that guilt around with him every second of every single day.

  “Goodbye. Enjoy your vacation.”

  Enjoy his vacation? As if there was anything in his life that he could actually enjoy. That dream had ended years ago.

  The call had ended, but the voice remained in his head. That same voice, or one just like it, had been calling the shots in his life for as long as he could remember.

  When would it end? When would it ever end?

  Chapter Twenty

  The touchdown was light, and as the plane taxied down the runway, Serena gave Aubrey a reassuring smile. “You’ve been a trouper, and we really appreciate your cooperation, but there’s just one more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  Jazz handed her a blindfold. “We’re not that far from the airport, so you won’t have to wear it for long.”

  Telling herself she’d come too far to cry foul now, Aubrey quietly took the blindfold and covered her eyes.

  As she walked down the stairs of the plane with Serena beside her, telling her when to step, she tried to use her other senses to determine where she might be. The air was chilly, almost icy, at least twenty degrees cooler than Florida. It also felt thinner and drier. She wasn’t given much time outside, but was urged into a vehicle, and then they were off. The drive to their destination didn’t take long. Maybe fifteen minutes.

  The instant they parked, she said, “Okay if I remove the blindfold?”

  “Yes,” Serena said.

  Relieved, Aubrey jerked the cloth from her face and looked around. They were in a deeply wooded area. Some of the trees were types she didn’t recognize, and many of them had either lost their leaves or had turned the dark, deep colors of autumn. The door opened, and she stepped onto a paved parking lot.

  Drawing in a breath, she looked behind her and got her first glimpse of a large house that was at least five thousand square feet of rock, timber, and stone. Behind it, past the giant trees were majestic snow-covered mountains. Based on the mountains and considering the length of the flight, she surmised that they were in Wyoming or Montana.

  Without being invited, Aubrey walked toward the house and stepped up onto the front porch. It looked like a typical oversized ranch house from the outside. She opened the front door, expecting that the house had been converted into an office building. She was wrong. A warm, welcoming entryway greeted her.

  Aubrey gazed around, still confused about how a secret organization with obviously well-trained operatives worked out of a house that looked as though it belonged on the cover of a country-living magazine.

  “Welcome to OZ.”

  She whirled around, surprised to hear the deep, masculine voice. A tall, blond stranger stood before her.

  “OZ?”

  “Option Zero.” The man stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Asher Drake. And you must be Aubrey Starr.”

  “Hello, yes. I’m Aubrey.”

  “Kate’s told me a lot about you.”

  She had the oddest urge to laugh. She truly did feel as though she were in Oz—completely out of her element, no real idea where she was, and three strangers were smiling at her. For just a split second, a sense of peace swept over her, and she had the strangest feeling that this was where her life had been leading her all along.

  * * *

  Ash waited a second to let her get her bearings. The expression on her face was one of both bewilderment and exhaustion. Serena and Jazz had been hammering questions at her since they’d met. He’d read their notes. She had to be feeling overwhelmed. Ordinarily, he might have suggested she take a moment for herself, but he knew to strike when the iron was hot. She would be less likely to prevaricate if the questions continued.

  “Come. We can talk in my office.”

  He didn’t look to see if she followed him. He had no doubt she would. The questions in her eyes told him she wouldn’t wait much longer to learn the real reason she was here.

  If she was honest with him, he would return the favor.

  He opened the door to his office and smiled at Jules on the sofa. He’d asked her to sit in on the interview. Not only did she often see things from a different perspective, she would provide a calming presence.

  “Jules, I’d like you to meet Aubrey Starr. Aubrey, this is my wife, Jules.”

  As the women exchanged greetings, Ash went behind his desk and stood, waiting. Nothing like a little intimidation tactic to get the ball rolling.

  “I’m a big fan of your work, Aubrey,” Jules said. “Your films always leave me in tears and feeling the need to do more.”

  “Thank you. That’s the highest of compliments.”

  As Jules sat back down on the sofa, Ash nodded toward the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  He n
oticed her eyes were on the window behind him. Couldn’t blame her. “Phenomenal, isn’t it? I would’ve bought the house for the view alone.”

  “I’ve always loved the mountains.”

  “Yet you live in Florida.”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes, what you want and what you decide upon are contrary to one another.”

  “Guess that’s true.” He nodded toward the chair again.

  As soon as she was seated, Aubrey said, “First of all, Mr. Drake, I want to thank you for allowing me inside your organization. Kate told me, and Serena and Jazz drilled it into my brain on the flight here, that this is an unacknowledged organization. I want you to know that I would never reveal anything that you didn’t approve of first.”

  “Call me Ash. And you wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure of your trustworthiness. And while I believe what you say is true, I hope you’ll understand that we’ll want to see the finished film before anyone else.”

  “We can definitely arrange that. I have several other sources who can’t be identified and have asked for the same consideration. Understand, of course, that I won’t be open to changing the content of the film, but I will work with any concerns you have about anything that you think could identify your organization or its operatives.”

  “Good enough. Now, seems to me you’ve gotten on the bad side of someone.”

  “It’s not the first time.”

  “Probably not. People who risk showing the underbelly of humanity often end up with enemies. This one seems particularly determined.”

  “I’ll admit the cameras and bugs in my house were a shock.”

  “Serena described finding some of the most expensive gadgets on the market, including a couple that are still in the testing stage. Someone is determined to find out what you know.”

  Only by the tightening of her jaw did Aubrey give any indication that she was disturbed.

  He hadn’t intended to spring their theory of Lawrence Medford’s death yet. This woman had endured several shocks today. One more might shut her down completely. But from her reaction, she wasn’t getting it yet. These people would go far beyond bugging a house to stop her. Should he tell her how far?