Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)

Tori fell to the floor as Carter shoved her into the cage. She barely spared a thought to the pain of her hip colliding with concrete, instead moving straight across to Oliver’s still form. He was on his side but didn’t move a muscle.

Christ, why hadn’t he woken?

Dropping to sit beside him, placing her shaking fingers at his neck, Tori checked his pulse. Steady. A lot steadier than her pounding heart.

Some of the tension released from her muscles.

With her left hand, she grazed the side of his face. Seeing him like this had razor blades slashing at her insides.

She lowered her temple to touch his. “I’m sorry.”

So damn sorry that he’d redirected the pain from her to himself.

A shiver racked her body. She still only wore her underwear and a bra. The room was far from warm. And exhaustion weighed on her. Exhaustion from the torture she’d been subjected to. The fear. The panic.

Angry red welts burned on her left side. Anytime something grazed against them, her body flinched. But she didn’t care about any of that. All her concern was for the man on the floor. And Samantha. Where was she?

Tori lifted her head to study the bars that made up the cage. Standing tables and a laptop sat on the other side. From the window, she could see they were still somewhere high up.

At some point, Carter left the room, leaving just her and Oliver.

Pushing down the anxiety trying to etch its way up her throat, Tori was about to curl herself into Oliver’s large body when the sound of a door opening pulled her attention. Looking up, she saw Samantha enter the room, trailing behind Daniel.

He tugged her by the arm, his fingers clearly digging into her flesh. The man only stopped when they arrived at the standing desk with the computer.

“You have no Wi-Fi,” the guy growled as he released her arm. “You do as Hylar asked. I’ll be standing over there watching. Got it?”

Tori saw the tensing of Samantha’s jaw moments before she nodded.

Her fingers moved across the computer keys. Tori began to wonder if her friend was ever going to look at her. When another few beats of silence passed, she couldn’t wait any longer.

“Samantha…”

Tori saw her pause. A tense frown marring her brow before she turned to look at her.

Her friend looked tormented. Like she was drowning in her own guilt.

What Tori wouldn’t give to be able to touch her. Wrap her arms around her friend and pull her close. She shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t blame yourself. You were deceived. You never would have involved me if you knew the truth.”

Tears gathered in Samantha’s eyes. It hurt Tori’s heart. “I should have seen the truth. I hate myself for dragging you into this.” She sucked in a ragged breath as she turned back to the screen. “For what I’ve created.”

Tori attempted to stand, but exhaustion weighed heavy, her legs giving way. Her body ached and rest called to her. But this was the first time she’d talked to her friend in over a month. “We’re going to fix this.”

Samantha’s fingers began moving over the keys again. She took a moment before answering. “The cage you’re in is electrified. Oliver won’t be able to get out and help either of us. Daniel is behind me, watching everything I do. Pete and Anthony are downstairs, watching the exits. Hylar, Carter, Adrien, and Kip are nearby.” Finally, she looked up again. “It would be hard for us to prevail.”

Hard. But not impossible.

Had her friend said that intentionally? She’d always been optimistic. So much more optimistic than Tori.

But the woman standing across the room looked different from the one Tori was used to. There were ghosts in her eyes. A deep-seated pain that hadn’t been there before.

“Are you okay?” Tori asked quietly, almost not wanting to know, but at the same time, needing to know everything.

Another shiver shook her body. She wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to ward off the cold and exhaustion. She gave herself a little shake, needing to stay awake. Talk to Samantha. Wait for Oliver to wake.

“You should sleep,” Samantha said quietly, continuing to work.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

A minute passed of Samantha working. A minute of no words.

“He’s cute,” she finally said, nodding her head toward Oliver. “He really cares about you, too. I like that.”

Samantha wasn’t going to answer. She knew why. Her friend wasn’t okay. Not even close. What had they done to her?

A crippling guilt hit Tori hard. Why had she let her friend go back all those weeks ago? Why hadn’t she forced the woman to run with her?

Swallowing the regret, Tori looked down at Oliver. “I love him. I need him to be okay.”

“Hylar won’t let him die. Not with what I’m making for him.”

Tori looked up, knowing that whatever it was, it had the potential to change everything. “What are you making?”

Samantha’s fingers continued to fly over the keyboard. If she stopped, Tori had no doubt Daniel would be on her, forcing her to continue. “It’s a human microchip. I designed it to be inserted into the shoulder blade. Signals are sent to the brain. Then, certain people can control the host. Take away their free will.”

A loyal soldier. Just what Oliver’s former commander wanted.

The idea was terrifying.

“They’ll stop this, Sammy. I promise.”

“They” being Oliver’s team.

She wasn’t sure if that was a promise she should be making. But there was so much desolation in the room. She had to believe that saviors were coming.

Samantha’s fingers paused. When she looked at Tori, there was a flash of her old friend. “I’ve missed you.”

For the first time since arriving in this hell, a small smile tugged at Tori’s lips. “You have no idea.”

Tori’s eyes began to shutter again. The welts on her skin throbbed and her skin was icy.

Samantha, always so observant, noticed her expression softening. “Sleep, Tori. Snuggle into that beautiful man of yours. Borrow his warmth. And try not to worry.”

Not worrying would be impossible. Still, Tori’s body seemed to have a mind of its own as she dropped to the floor. She shuffled her back against his stomach, tugging his arm over her side.

Her eyes fluttered shut, too heavy to remain open. His warmth immediately heated her. And if she tried really hard, she could almost convince herself they weren’t here, in the depths of danger, completely vulnerable.

The sound of movement had Oliver’s eyes snapping open. His muscles immediately tensed at the sight of Tori curled into a ball in front of him. Her body was completely still, apart from the soft rising and falling of her chest with each breath.

He touched her skin. Damn, freezing.

Tugging his shirt over his head, Oliver lay it over her chilled body. It was torn, but better than nothing. He wished like hell he had a hoodie. Something warmer he could give her. He took a moment to listen to her heartbeat. Normal. So too were her breaths.

But she was so still…

“She’s sleeping.”

Oliver’s head shot up at the female voice from across the room. Before his gaze reached her, he noticed the cell-like bars surrounding him. They ran from floor to ceiling.

Hylar had put them in a damn cage.

When he looked beyond the bars, it was to see Samantha working at a standing desk. She had a light pointed at the table in front of her and an open laptop.

Creating the weapon Hylar had requested. Because that’s what it was. A weapon. Against Oliver. His team. Against the whole damn world.

Oliver swept his gaze behind Samantha, seeing Daniel standing by the door. He watched the woman, a scowl on his face and a gun strapped to the holster on his waist.

This space was bigger than the other one. Various doors led off of the room, indicating it may be a foyer. They were still high up though, no doubt on the same floor.

Samantha spoke without looking up. “Tori was exhausted.”

He looked back to Tori, sweeping some hair out of her face. God, he hated that she was here. Hated that they’d hurt her.

His body yet again tensing at the memory of what they’d done.

I’ll make it up to you, baby.

Pressing a kiss to her head, Oliver stood. “How long was I out?”

“It’s about five in the afternoon, so a long while. Maybe ten hours.”

Damn. They’d really wiped him out.

Not that he felt any pain now. His body healed quickly. There wasn’t even a mark on his skin where the electricity had hit him. He hadn’t missed the welts on Tori’s side, though.

He walked over to the bars and studied them. Lifting a hand, he was about to touch the metal when Samantha’s words stopped him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Unless you want high-voltage electricity coursing through you again.”

His hand dropped to his side. Of course, Hylar had wired the cage. Oliver should know better.

He shot a look across to the window. “Where are we?”

Daniel smirked. “Doesn’t matter. Those asshole brothers of yours won’t find you.”

Samantha’s lips thinned. “Killeen. They used to pick me up from my house and drive me here. The windows were tinted. For two years, I had no idea where this building was.” There was a slight pause. A shot of pain crossed her features before she quickly cleared it. “I thought I was working on a secret military project. So I didn’t ask any questions.”

He could hear the remorse in her voice. The woman felt guilty. Maybe even a bit silly. For not asking more questions, for not realizing the truth sooner. For creating something for people she shouldn’t have.

He watched her fingers fly across the keyboard. “I’m surprised they trust you with a computer.”

“It’s just to get the program I tried to destroy back up and running. There’s no Wi-Fi connection.” For the first time, she shifted her gaze away from what she was doing and looked him straight in the eye. “I couldn’t do anything to help you, even if I wanted to.”

Without moving her head, her eyes darted to the side before returning to Oliver. They lingered on him for another beat before lowering.

Outwardly, Oliver didn’t react. Internally, his mind was working. She’d just told him something important without actually telling him.

There was something she could do. But only if Daniel wasn’t watching the computer screen. What, exactly, Oliver wasn’t sure. Tori had mentioned how smart her friend was. Maybe she’d found a way around whatever firewalls they’d put in place.

“I’m creating this for them to use on you,” Samantha said, fiddling with a tiny device on the desk. “Once this is done, and they can find someone to replicate my work, they won’t need me anymore.”

Which could be soon. At that point, they wouldn’t need Tori either.

At the change in breathing behind him, Oliver went to Tori and kneeled in front of her. She snuggled under the shirt, curling herself into a ball.

Oliver touched her cheek. “How long has she been out?”

“Almost as long as you,” Samantha answered. “She was really wiped out, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she slept for a while longer.”

Oliver was about to scoop Tori into his arms, give her some much-needed heat, when he heard the sound of the door opening. By the cadence of the footsteps, Oliver already knew who it was.

Clenching his jaw, he stood and turned. Hylar had entered, Carter trailing behind him.

Hylar stopped behind Samantha, studying the screen. Oliver didn’t miss the small shudder that rocked her body. “How much longer?”

Even his voice had Oliver wanting to murder the guy. If there weren’t bars separating them…

Samantha kept her gaze down. “Maybe another hour?”

“Fine. An hour. No longer.” Hylar placed his hand on Samantha’s shoulder. There was the slightest wince from her.

A hot, angry breath escaped Oliver. “Hey, asshole. Wanna tell me what you and your circus crew plan to do to me?”

Hylar’s hand dropped, gaze shifting to Oliver. “Samantha here has created a human microchip. The first of its kind. When inserted correctly, and orders are given by the right person, this chip takes away a person’s free will.”

Oliver didn’t need to be told who that “right person” was. “You think I’m going to fight for you?”

One side of Hylar’s mouth lifted. “I know you will.” He moved closer to the bars. “You’ll finally become the loyal soldier I always hoped you’d be. If I tell you to kill the woman behind you, you won’t bat an eye. You’ll walk right up to her and snap her neck.”

It was an effort not to react to his words. To not flinch at the image he created. “If you think it’s possible for me to harm a single hair on her head, you have no idea who I am.”

He chuckled. “But I do. You’re a man with immense potential. I gave you more power than most men could ever dream of possessing. Unfortunately, you have a weak mind. Something I realized too late. You let emotions and relationships and the idea of love dictate what you do.”

“Should I be more like you? Willing to kill family?”

“Yes. It’s called dedication to a cause. Nothing will stop me from achieving my goal. From building my army and getting my revenge.”

Oliver ground his teeth. The man wasn’t just an asshole. He was a sociopath.

Hylar indicated behind him with his head. “Look at Samantha. It goes against everything in her to build what she’s creating. And yet, there she is, making the device she doesn’t want to make. Recapturing information she tried to destroy. Why? Because she loves her friend, and her friend loves you. If that isn’t the greatest example of pathetic, I don’t know what is.”

Oliver looked over Hylar’s shoulder. “How does it feel, Daniel? To know that you’re merely a tool in another man’s war? A way for him to exact revenge on his enemies.”

Daniel’s expression didn’t change. “Hylar’s given me everything. Strength. Speed. Purpose.”

Oliver laughed, even though there was nothing remotely funny about any of this. “Purpose? You mean to destroy the US military? What then?”

“Whatever he tells me.”

Oliver nodded. “I see. You’re his lapdog. Does he give you treats when you do the right thing? Does he pat your head and tell you what a good fucking boy you’ve been?”

Finally, there was a crack in Daniel’s mask. He took three large steps forward, placing himself beside Hylar. Anger deformed his features. “I’m not his lapdog, I’m his soldier. This man gave me unrivaled abilities. He made me what I am today, and if he tells me to fight, then I fight. If he tells me to take over the whole goddamn country, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Hylar placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Calm. Oliver’s merely trying to get a rise out of you. He knows his freedom has come to an end. He knows Tori’s future is bleak. He’s desperate.”

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. “Tori will survive this. I’ll be free. You’ll both be ten feet underground. That’s what I know.”

Hylar shook his head. “Wrong.” He took a small step forward. “You want to know the master plan? Here it is. New soldiers will be created. The second the new shipment of drugs arrives in the country, we get to work creating more of you. Then, breeding experiments will start. Boys will be raised as soldiers. Ultimate weapons.”

Oliver tried not to balk at the danger the world would be in if that came to pass.

A small smile touched Hylar’s lips. “My army will be rebuilt. It will be unstoppable. You’ll be part of that army, whether you want to be or not. We’re going to decimate the US military. Together.”