“The Omega Squad”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Remember to bring your __________!”

“Remember to bring your sunglasses!” Jodie calls over her shoulder at me.

“Ugh,” I groan, rolling my eyes. “Jeez, Jodie, I forgot them once. You don’t need to remind me every single time now.”

Jodie shrugs while Derrick snickers behind me. “Better to remind you than you forgetting again.”

“Fair enough,” I admit. “So, where are we going today?”

“Smithville, Ohio,” Derrick says, looping his thumbs into his belt. “Apparently there’s been some unusual activity at one of the gas stations.”

I exchange a glance with Jodie. “A gas station? Is that really what we’ve been reduced to?”

Jodie shrugs while Derrick mirrors my look of exasperation.

“Come on, guys, we used to be the Alpha Squad. Since when did we sink all the way down to Omega?”

“Since Hungary,” Derrick mutters, lowering his eyes.

Hungary. The day we lost Nate. It was my fault, too. I forgot my sunglasses.

“We should go,” Derrick says, jerking me out of my thoughts. “I’d like to be back before dinner if possible.”

“Yeah,” I say, shaking my head slightly. “Let’s go.”

Derrick fiddles with the controls while Jodie and I walk over to the Plate. Just before Jodie steps up onto it, I grab her arm.

“Thanks for reminding me to bring my sunglasses,” I say softly.

Jodie nods and gives me a small smile. “No problem.”

Final Comments: This feels like one I might extend. Even though I didn’t really get the chance to get into this story, I have more ideas about the concept that I’m excited about!

Overall Rating: 😄