Read Online The Omega Team: Hot Target (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Jordan Dane - Free Book Online
Authors: Jordan Dane
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mini-bar. Athena gave a hand signal for them to wait to speak.
“Let’s reclaim our privacy. Jacquie, you know what to do.”
Without a word, Jacquie nodded and went to her computer to jam the signal for Ruiz’s listening devices. Until further notice, they would have their privacy. Athena’s team gathered in the common living area and took up spots on the sofa and chairs.
“Okay, it’s done. We’re free to speak.” Jacquie ran a hand through her blonde hair and joined Athena on the sofa. Her face looked flushed. “We were worried. You were gone so long. I wanted to call, but I knew I shouldn’t, not when you were in stealth mode.”
“Good instincts.” Athena winked at her. “We found something at the crime scene. We suspect this is evidence the police never found.”
“From five years ago?” Jacquie asked. “Was it exposed to the weather?”
“Yes and no.” Athena explained how the shell casing had been protected from the elements because it had been set into a notch in the stone. “Fingers crossed we get a lucky break on finding a useable latent print.”
“How do you know for sure it’s from five years ago?” Jacquie asked. “Maybe the Vice President of hand kissing had it planted.”
Athena stopped and stared at Rafael.
“I hadn’t thought of that. She could be right. We shouldn’t accept anything at face value or we could be playing into the hands of Ruiz.” Athena handed her the shell casing wrapped in latex. “Scan for prints and run it against our databases to see if we get a hit. Let me know when you have a name.”
Rafael sighed.
“I’m tired. The shower’s calling my name and I’m hitting the rack,” he said as he pushed off his chair. “Wake me if you want to talk.”
He stared at Athena until she said, “Yeah, okay.”
She sat beside Jacquie on the sofa as the men headed for their bedrooms and shut their doors. Jacquie kept her eyes on Rafe until he disappeared into his room before she said anything.
“Is everything okay with him?” the young woman asked.
“No, not even close.” Athena drew a frazzled breath. “Start your search. If you don’t get an easy hit, there’s always tomorrow. I have an autopsy to attend bright and early. There’s nothing like a shriveled corpse to start your day.”
Athena couldn’t stop thinking of her brother. She knew Rafael had to be exhausted, but sleep wouldn’t show him any mercy. Not tonight.
***
1:00 AM
Jacquie gloved up and carefully removed the spent shell casing from the rolled up latex bundle Athena had given her. When she had it positioned for a first pass, she had the brass surface scanned with the handheld fingerprint device she had brought from Omega headquarters. She took an image of the whole shell and its base to make sure she would capture any fraction of a fingerprint left behind by the shooter. When a partial appeared on the scanner with enough arches, loops, and whorls to identify, Jacquie grinned.
“Gotcha.” She shoved her large black framed glasses up her nose.
She uploaded the captured image into the Omega Team computer server and started the process of running a scan against the many databases they had from the United States and international resources. In the dim light of her bedroom, she watched the comparison rejects flash across the screen, washing her in a pale green light. The flashing digitals mesmerized her as if she were entranced by a roaring fire.
“Come on, baby. Gimme a hit. Momma needs to sleep.”
She settled in and kept her eyes on the screen, knowing the adrenaline coursing through her veins would keep her from getting much rest. Jacquie searched for the face of a killer and she got a rush knowing that she would be the first to know his name
***
A steady rain bled down Rafael’s bedroom window, capturing the city lights in its glistening veins. The gentle patter did not soothe him. It only reminded him that the world would be cleansed, but nothing could
“Let’s reclaim our privacy. Jacquie, you know what to do.”
Without a word, Jacquie nodded and went to her computer to jam the signal for Ruiz’s listening devices. Until further notice, they would have their privacy. Athena’s team gathered in the common living area and took up spots on the sofa and chairs.
“Okay, it’s done. We’re free to speak.” Jacquie ran a hand through her blonde hair and joined Athena on the sofa. Her face looked flushed. “We were worried. You were gone so long. I wanted to call, but I knew I shouldn’t, not when you were in stealth mode.”
“Good instincts.” Athena winked at her. “We found something at the crime scene. We suspect this is evidence the police never found.”
“From five years ago?” Jacquie asked. “Was it exposed to the weather?”
“Yes and no.” Athena explained how the shell casing had been protected from the elements because it had been set into a notch in the stone. “Fingers crossed we get a lucky break on finding a useable latent print.”
“How do you know for sure it’s from five years ago?” Jacquie asked. “Maybe the Vice President of hand kissing had it planted.”
Athena stopped and stared at Rafael.
“I hadn’t thought of that. She could be right. We shouldn’t accept anything at face value or we could be playing into the hands of Ruiz.” Athena handed her the shell casing wrapped in latex. “Scan for prints and run it against our databases to see if we get a hit. Let me know when you have a name.”
Rafael sighed.
“I’m tired. The shower’s calling my name and I’m hitting the rack,” he said as he pushed off his chair. “Wake me if you want to talk.”
He stared at Athena until she said, “Yeah, okay.”
She sat beside Jacquie on the sofa as the men headed for their bedrooms and shut their doors. Jacquie kept her eyes on Rafe until he disappeared into his room before she said anything.
“Is everything okay with him?” the young woman asked.
“No, not even close.” Athena drew a frazzled breath. “Start your search. If you don’t get an easy hit, there’s always tomorrow. I have an autopsy to attend bright and early. There’s nothing like a shriveled corpse to start your day.”
Athena couldn’t stop thinking of her brother. She knew Rafael had to be exhausted, but sleep wouldn’t show him any mercy. Not tonight.
***
1:00 AM
Jacquie gloved up and carefully removed the spent shell casing from the rolled up latex bundle Athena had given her. When she had it positioned for a first pass, she had the brass surface scanned with the handheld fingerprint device she had brought from Omega headquarters. She took an image of the whole shell and its base to make sure she would capture any fraction of a fingerprint left behind by the shooter. When a partial appeared on the scanner with enough arches, loops, and whorls to identify, Jacquie grinned.
“Gotcha.” She shoved her large black framed glasses up her nose.
She uploaded the captured image into the Omega Team computer server and started the process of running a scan against the many databases they had from the United States and international resources. In the dim light of her bedroom, she watched the comparison rejects flash across the screen, washing her in a pale green light. The flashing digitals mesmerized her as if she were entranced by a roaring fire.
“Come on, baby. Gimme a hit. Momma needs to sleep.”
She settled in and kept her eyes on the screen, knowing the adrenaline coursing through her veins would keep her from getting much rest. Jacquie searched for the face of a killer and she got a rush knowing that she would be the first to know his name
***
A steady rain bled down Rafael’s bedroom window, capturing the city lights in its glistening veins. The gentle patter did not soothe him. It only reminded him that the world would be cleansed, but nothing could
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