At Quantico Headquarters, Rossi met Jack in his own private office in the Behavioral Analysis Department.
"Ms. Anderson just called me today, saying you just wanted to enjoy your vacation, had no interest in the nuclear threat, and didn't want to have any immediate contact with the CIA."
The old man frowned, looking troubled. "But now you're asking to visit the Omega team and participate in their operations. May I know what happened in just one day?"
Jack sighed. He knew Rossi wouldn't take him seriously even if he made up a random excuse, but there was no need to lie about such a trivial matter.
After all, it was Rossi who had helped to clean up the cannibal incident, so he was considered a participant.
"Do you still remember the girl I rescued in New Mexico a few months before I joined the FBI?"
Rossi nodded, puzzled. "I remember her as a lovely brunette, but she was just an ordinary college student. I don't understand how that relates to our current topic."
Jack briefly summarized his experiences in Washington over the past two days, causing the old man to raise an eyebrow. "So, you slept with the daughter of an Omega agent, and she even recognized you?"
Although he hated to admit it, the summary was quite accurate, if a little too blunt.
"If that's the case, shouldn't you have stayed away from her? Why did you actively approach her? You just had some trouble with someone in the CIA over helping Frank Moses solve a problem." Rossi expressed confusion.
Naturally, he was worried about Jessie's safety. Although they weren't in a serious relationship, Jack wasn't a heartless person.
Of course, that wasn't the right thing to say. Jack rolled his eyes and found a new excuse. "But before I came here, I thought again. The factional dynamics within the CIA are even more complex than ours at the FBI. I can't possibly please everyone.
Since the 'Omega' team is similar to the role I play between the FBI's New York office and the NYPD, I imagine they wouldn't be opposed to the FBI's assistance, right? It's
better to offer my services than to have them randomly suspect and secretly investigate me, don't you think?"
Rossi chuckled at him, clearly not buying a word of his nonsense.
However, as a fellow seasoned professional, he was quite satisfied with Jack's disciple's ability to "put himself in their shoes."
Loyalty and loyalty are reassuring qualities; no one wants to be surrounded by ungrateful friends and family who only care about short-term gains.
"I'll make a call, but honestly, the NSA detects countless nuclear threats of this magnitude online every year, so don't get your hopes up.
The 'Omega' team is becoming increasingly marginalized. Truly serious terrorist threats are immediately reported to the DHS for dispatch."
Jack raised an eyebrow at Rossi's words, offering no objection.
Remember, in his previous life's movies, Anna was a full-fledged KGB agent during the height of the Cold War. If you strictly follow the timeline, she'd be at least of Victoria's generation now.
This world of fusion monsters clearly doesn't respect fundamental laws. Since the known information roughly matched, and he'd decided to get involved, he had to proceed with caution.
After making two phone calls, Rossi got into Jack's Audi R8 and left Quantico.
The old man fastened his seatbelt, reached out his right hand from the car window, and gently tapped the special bulletproof steel plate on the outside of the car door, making a thud. Then
he asked pointedly, "I don't see you driving that Pontiac Firebird very often these days. Is this some kind of fickleness?" Feeling like he was being punny, Jack laughed and shook his head. "The Firebird is waiting to be reborn, but it's still lacking an opportunity."
"I don't understand what you're saying." Rossi pointed to an address on his phone's map. "Let's go there. Omega has confirmed it."
Passing near Capitol Hill, the neoclassical revival dome behind the Capitol building loomed large. It often appears as a missing piece in many action blockbusters and disaster films.
The two entered a slightly older office building and registered at the front desk of a software company called Tektronix. After waiting for about ten minutes, Jack saw "Uncle Gibson" again.
"Wow, the famous David Rossi," the portly middle-aged man, known for his exaggerated expressions of emotion, said, appearing a bit overly excited after shaking their hands.
Seeing him remain motionless after exchanging names and a brief greeting, the atmosphere between the three of them became awkward. Rossi glanced at the staff members bustling around, seemingly occupied with something else, and reminded them, "Shouldn't we..."
"Oh, sorry," Gibson said, rubbing his hands sheepishly and offering to lead the way.
Leading the two into a deserted conference room, Gibson pulled out a card and tapped it against a blank wall. With a click, a secret door swung open, revealing a long, white corridor.
Two cameras at each end of the corridor ensured a complete coverage, yet the familiar decor gave Jack a strange sense of déjà vu.
If it were a Resident Evil film, these walls would have been covered in high-energy laser beams by now, wouldn't they?
At the end of the corridor was a frosted glass door. As the three approached, the frosted surface instantly cleared and automatically opened.
Inside was a small room. An expressionless, middle-aged woman sat behind a desk, facing the door.
"Gentlemen, please verify your identities," the woman tilted her head slightly toward the device at the end of the room, one hand resting on the surface.
Gibson stepped forward and demonstrated, placing one hand on the palm print scanner, his eyes focused on the iris scanner, and identifying himself: "Albert Gibson, number 34991."
"We're going to do the same?" Jack was surprised.
"Of course, this is also an FBI unit," Rossi said, stepping forward and giving his FBI ID. Sure enough, he was successfully passed.
Jack began to understand why the "Omega" team had been marginalized. While nominally affiliated with the CIA, they also maintained a certain degree of data sharing with the FBI. No wonder they were disliked by both.
After passing identity verification, he entered the elevator and descended an unknown number of meters underground. The elevator door opened again, revealing a team of two heavily armed guards.
Honestly, while this security measure was a bit old-fashioned, it was far superior to the Langley one Jack had visited not long ago. The machines only looked reliable; sometimes, having more guards wouldn't be enough.
"This is our Omega team's headquarters. How are you?" Gibson gestured to the two men from the lobby entrance.
Just then, "Arnold" opened an office door and saw him, but due to his angle, he didn't notice Jack and Rossi standing behind him.
"Gibson, I asked you to investigate that FBI guy. Why haven't you brought the information yet?"
(End of Chapter)