Page 44 of Omega’s Oath

Chapter 16

The task force office was a hive of activity as Omega looked helplessly at his hands which held the mug Rose had bought him. He and Cruz had gone to the home he’d been sharing with Rose. One look and he’d known Harlan had them. Her bag, keys, and phone were on the counter beside a note she’d written for him.

His hand had shaken hard when he read it, the certainty confirmed by the way she called him Omega in the note when he was always Aide to her. She was telling him she needed FBI agent Aiden ‘Omega’ Jackson now.

He’d shown the note to Cruz and looked around, noting she’d packed a bag. Also, the fact she’d told Mickie she was meeting her sister was a tell, as her sister was already in custody by that point. Cruz called Hawk who arrived shortly after with a forensics team.

He rubbed a piece of her clothing through his fingers and could smell her scent on it. He sat on the bed they shared listening to the noise from downstairs and brought the scarf to his nose, inhaling and taking strength from it. Rose needed him and so did that little boy he considered a son. He needed to stop wallowing and get to work.

He’d left Hawk at the house and he and Cruz headed back to the office, putting the need to be around their stuff away and doing the job that would bring them home to him. Lyric was already working when they walked in and Omega headed straight for him.

“Omega, I ran the plates on his truck. It was found yesterday at a truck stop fifty miles away.”

“Yeah, makes sense he’d change vehicles.”

Omega slid into his chair as the door to Condor’s office opened and he and two other men walked out. Omega recognized one as his brother-in-law Reid, who was also ex-FBI HRT. He was tall with slicked-back hair that was short on the sides and covered in tattoos—even on his neck. He worked for a private UK company now and from what he’d heard Reid was damn good at what he did. He gave off a deadly bad boy vibe, but he was loyal to Condor and was now family after getting together with Condor’s sister.

Omega had never met the other man but knew who he was from when the rest of the team had helped them on a private job for their medic, Waggs. He hadn’t been present but he knew every detail from the guys. He too had the look of a trained operator and, if he was right, was the explosives expert known as Pyro. Although a little shorter than Reid, he was still well over six feet and broad with a ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe coming from him.

The men headed to Omega as his hands flew over the keys, using the facial recognition software to see if he could find either Rose or Harlan.

“Omega, you remember Reid, and this is Liam.”

“Good to see you. Sorry about your girl. If we can help in any way just say the word.”

Omega shook Reid’s hand. “Thanks, Reid. We just might.” He turned to Liam. “Nice to meet you.”

“Tell us about the motherfucker who has your woman?”

Omega was shocked by the strong English accent but the overture was sincere, so he gave a brief rundown of what was, and had been, happening.

Liam folded his arms over his chest, his jaw tight. “What do you need?”

Omega wasn’t sure what he needed for a moment, but these men had access to things he couldn’t use because he still had to abide by the law. “Can you get someone to access private cameras and see if we can find them? I have his vehicle outside her home with the make, model, and plate and Lyric caught it going east out of town. He lost them after that as the roads are quiet and some of the smaller towns have less in the way of public surveillance. But private shops, etcetera, might have something. I’m digging into his holdings and that of his family, but nothing has come up.”

“Does he have an accomplice?” Reid asked.

Omega gritted his jaw, not having got to that yet. “Of sorts. Her sister, who’s in custody.”

“Might be worth someone taking another run at her and appealing to her better nature?” Liam was on his phone typing fast as he spoke.

“I’m not sure she has one but it’s worth a shot.”

Cruz, who had been silent until then, spoke up, “Let me go with Sandstorm and see if I can get anything from her. She’s our best chance unless we get lucky. I can get Dax to go to her place and see if her husband has anything.”

Liam looked up. “I’ve asked Will to do his thing so he’s on it now.”

Omega remembered Will from the situation with Condor and Hattie and knew he could work miracles. “Thank you.”

Liam nodded once but remained silent. It was a waiting game now and as the minutes stretched into hours, Omega felt helpless knowing she was out there and would protect Jude at all costs, but it was who would protect her that sent shivers of fear through him. He stood, wanting to ease some of the impotent rage inside him and paced to the window.

Rose was the best thing to ever happen to him and if he lost her, he knew he’d never get over her loss, or Jude’s, who’d also carved a place in his heart.

He felt someone next to him and turned to Condor. “I can’t stand this.” His voice cracked, the worry and pain evident.

“I know. I wish I could do something but until we find them, and we will, all we can do is wait and be ready.” Condor glanced at him. “I take it you won’t be staying here when we go after him?”

“Fuck no. I want to be there when we find her. Not to take him down but to make sure Rose is okay.”