The Omega Project Revealed

The three Blackhawk helicopters appraoched from the east and circled the island once before the middle chopper descended just long enough to disgorge five passengers. Three of those passengers were dressed in the black tactical gear of an assault team, each of them carrying automatic weapons with easy familiarity. The fourth passenger was the only female of the group. She was a tall African American woman dressed in slacks and blazer, with a badge dangling from her neck and a sidearm visible in her beltline.

The fifth passenger however, was the most remarkable. He was someone who was easily recognized from his many appearances on television newsconferences and his quotes in the highest profile newspapers. He was a long serving politician from a deeply conservative state well known for his activism in Evangelical Christian issues. This was not looking good.

Jim and the Elder had come to join me as the copters approached.

The three man tactical team spread out as the chopper lifted back into the air. The woman and the prominent politician approached us.

The Elder was the first to speak after the roar of the helicopter lifting back off had receded. “The Miccosuccee have reclaimed this land that was wrongfully occupied by these outsiders. We turn over custody of the survivors of this illegal group to you for your own action. Our Justice has been satisfied. We also lay claim to the building and its contents as recompense for our losses of life and property at the hands of these criminal intruders.”

The female responded, “On behalf of the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I would like to thank you and your people for the apprehension of these fugitives. We will take custody of them and remove them from tribal lands, as you have requested. But I need to work out some of the details with you, if you wouldn’t mind?”

The Elder and the female began walking away towards the huddled prisoners, where the assault team had gathered around in anticipation.

That left the politician, Jim and myself alone. Jim nodded towards the opposite end of the island from the gathered prisoners and we began strolling.

Jim said, “Rusty, this is our contact within the government, we always refer to him as Zulu. Zulu, this is Agent Rusty Bones.”

Zulu held out his hand, which I took. “I am pleased to meet you Agent Bones. I have heard a great deal about you, both from Jim and from the man you just faced down, Drake.”

“How did you know Drake?”

“Let’s just say that I had intimate knowledge of the original Omega Project parameters. Unfortunately, Drake pulled the wool over a lot people’s eyese before he went rogue, including mine, I must say. Had I known what he was actually intending to do, and the depths to which he would sink to accomplish his goals, I would have terminated the project long before you were ever...created.”

“I see. How the hell did someone like you ever get involved with either the ORC’s or with Drake and his post-mortem projects? And where the Hell does it leave me now? If you had your way I wouldn’t exist.”

“Easy there Agent Bones. Your questions will all be answered in time. But I can tell you that the choice is yours.”

“What choice is that?”

“As of this moment, you are still a Special Agent in the FBI. Drake and his whole crew of miscreants are the individuals who are deemed to have abused the trust of the People of the United States. By helping to bring some of those folks to justice, you have performed admirably. The choice I am referring to is whether or not you wish to continue your employment with the Bureau.”

“Are you serious? After everything that’s happened, you still want me in the Bureau?”

“Absolutely. You have have some very valuable skills and some even more valuable contacts that will allow you to take on missions and assignments that others simply could not take on. However, given what you have gone through, I could not in good conscience, or in good faith with Our Lord and Savior, force you to stay in service to our nation.”

“So I could walk away right now and you and your people would let me?”

“Absolutely.”

I looked to Jim, who had remained silent, but had continued walking with us. He shrugged. Big help there.

“Look,” I started up again. “I have a lot to learn before I can track down Drake, or whatever the Hell his name actually is, and destroy him once and for all. I would like to remain with the Bureau, but I need to be free to follow the clues that bastard has left, wherever they may lead.”

“That is good. Mr. Kampmann has made himself a very wanted man, our records show he has absconded with many millions of taxpayer dollars and assets from the Omega Project and has demonstrated himself to be a security threat of grave concern. I can think of no one I would rather have on his trail than yourself. If you would like, I can see that you are assigned to a secret operational unit dedicated to just the sort of mission that you completed today, finding and neutralizing threats of this nature. Would that interest you?”

I thought that over for a moment before responding, it sounded almost too good to be true. “I could see that working. But there is something here in all of this that I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around.”

“What’s that Agent Bones?”

“You. I mean I recognized you the moment you stepped off that chopper. By all accounts you are a hard-core Evangelical Christian and very conservative in outlook. How the heck did someone like you get involved in any of this business in the first place?”

He smiled at that question and glanced at Jim before answering. “I have gotten similar questions from nearly every Caster I’ve met. Let’s just say that my faith and my politics are genuine. But let me also say that the Lord has blessed me with many things in this life, and I feel that those blessings have been bestowed upon me for a reason.”

I looked at him, stunned. “Are you a Caster as well?”

He looked out over the flowing River of Grass as he answered. “That’s what some would call me, yes.”

“And that isn’t in conflict with your faith?”

He remained silent for a moment before looking back at me. “I use my talents in humble service to God and Country, never for personal gain. It looks like we are needed back with the others.”

With that we started walking back towards the others. As we were doing so, Zulu looked over at me one more time, handed me a business card. “Contact me at this number in two weeks and we will set up a meeting where we can finalize the arrangements for your assignment.”

I took the card, saw that it was just a DC phone number and a Yahoo e-mail address that appeared to be random characters, no name, no address was listed on the card. “I will. I appreciate the time to get ready.”

(To be continued....)