Free Circle of Danger by Carla Swafford

screamed as flames sucked him into the car. Fire surrounded him, and he opened his mouth to scream again but no sound came out. All of the air in his lungs evaporated. He couldn’t breathe but the screaming in his head continued.
    Ryker shot out of bed, his hands in the chunbi stance, standing at attention, hand holding fist. He shivered. Wide-eyed, he looked at his surroundings. A stark room and bare walls so much like his life.
    The chill from sweat pouring off his body felt ten times better than the lick of flames. He no longer wondered when he would forget that night or when the mad caricature of it would stop. After the burns healed, he had small stretches of the day when he believed it was possible not to think about the explosion. That was, until he caught his reflection in a stray mirror or darkened window. The scars never lied.
    Because of him, his parents died in that fiery explosion.
    â€œY o, boss.”
    Ryker stepped away from the large screen he and Jack had been staring at for over three hours. He took a long sip of his coffee. Last night, the dream had been harder on him than usual. He forced himself to pay attention. His eyes stung as he examined the map of Gatlinburg and several other towns nearby.
    The map, broken down by areas of Blossom Flower activity reported by the authorities, showed splatters of bright colors. Each color indicated where they suspected the Wizard’s people played a part. The vicinity of the large cabin had the heavier shades. They intended to block every route to ensure no one escaped this time while they saved the women held inside.
    Sal shifted on stick-thin legs encased in black jeans, his hands stuffed beneath his arms. He looked nervous and guilty.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Ryker wondered if the guy had ever put an eye out with his foot-high mohawk.
    â€œLiam said to tell you that an OS operative is asking for you.” He swallowed, causing his Adam’s apple to bob along with his hair. “He claims your brother sent him. I placed him in conference room two.”
    So Collin had heard about their trouble. Ryker glanced over at Jack.
    His second-in-command gave him a blank look before moving his attention to Sal and then back to the map.
    Ryker had suspected for a while that Jack spied for The Circle. Yet how he felt about the Onyx Scepter’s operative showing up at this time wasn’t enough evidence to question Jack’s loyalty to The Circle. But each day Ryker waited for him to screw up. Then he would take great pleasure in returning the man to his brother, piece by piece.
    â€œOkay. Go back to your station.”
    Once Sal rounded the corner, Ryker stepped over to the screen. The OS operative could wait until hell froze over. He didn’t like the idea of his brother sticking his nose in The Circle’s business.
    â€œWhat did he want?” Jack asked without taking his gaze off the screen.
    â€œSome jibber-jabber computer stuff.” Ryker ignored the sideways look he received. He hoped the man dared to question him further. Any excuse to send him packing would relieve some of the tension mounting with this mission.
    Instead Jack nodded and pointed at a location on the map.
    A couple hours later, they had a plan.
    Marie would hate it.
    â€œN o fucking way!”
    Marie’s eyebrow rose at Ryker’s outburst. She wanted to laugh at the mixture of anger and surprise on his face but she preferred choking him. He truly thought he could leave her at Sector while he gallivanted off to save the day.
    The room became quiet. Jack and Bryan turned away and stared at the computer screen, pretending to give them some privacy.
    Ryker crossed his arms and looked down at her. No matter what he planned, she owed the Wizard a little lesson on how to treat women.
    Sure, the Wizard hadn’t been there when the young geek tied her up and stripped her, but his drug was the reason she fought the need to tear off Ryker’s clothes