The Omega's Quest

8. Arvin and Chi-ca-go?

NOTHING CHANGED WITH THE SURROUNDINGS. The hangar was the same as the last time Oscar came there. The choppers and helicopters were still lined up in an organised manner, and as the roof of the hangar closed, the whole place was engulfed in silence.

It was a few minutes after that, when Oscar sensed some people chatting in the south wing. Wondering, he turned his head to see who was coming.

"No, silly. I want Mr. Grande to take me on a date!" a girl said to her fellow attendants.

That made him grin. He knew who the woman was referring to. It was Arvin, his younger brother and the current manager of their satellite branch in Chicago. Arvin’s twin, Drey, took over their Florida branch years ago.

"Elliot, let’s go. I think someone needs me," he said while gesturing to his friend.

"Sure, dude."

Elliot followed him, and they strode across that hangar like they owned it. Well, actually, it was Oscar’s family that owned the place. Being out of touch with their business did not mean he was not part of the clan anymore.

"Gosh, I’m so hungry," huffed Oscar as they turned to the corner where the cafeteria was, away from the beautiful lady.

"Man, where are you going? Aren’t we going to talk to that sexy lady?" Elliot asked.

"She can wait. My stomach would protest if I ignored it for one more minute." He hastened his pace as he pushed the door. The sign blinked as the servers moved slowly, biding their time to replace the empty bowls with fresh food.

His stomach grumbled at the scent of clam chowder. "Oh yeah, they still served my favourite soup. Come on, I haven’t eaten a decent meal for days now."

"Relax. We already lost them. Besides, I doubt Byron would chase us down inside our own hangar. Would he?" Elliot’s face turned pale at the thought.

"What are you talking about, Elliot? He owns this cafeteria. Byron is our business partner. He can come here anytime he likes. Let us hurry, man. We need to refuel our tanks before they arrive." Oscar went straight to the desk for fresh plates.

"Now that you made it clear. Hell yeah! I am going to get that steak," Elliot ran past him and immediately grabbed a plate too. Now that they had time to relax a little, his friend seemed to have finally realised how hungry he was too.

"By the way, Elliot, do you have any ideas on how we can get to Colorado without using a helicopter? Byron has his way of tracking me with this fcking fleet of helicopters," he complained.

Elliot was suddenly at a loss for words. His jaw dropped while he stared in disbelief at Oscar.

“He abused me. He is a user. His pack wouldn’t thrive if it weren’t for the partnership my family offered to him," Oscar explained. He knew he was ranting, but he did not want to mince words about how far Byron’s abuse went over the years.

"Let’s eat first. You are grumpy when you’re hungry." Elliot pointed his finger at the girl who was chatting with her colleagues earlier.

After taking their orders, they sat at an empty table, not far from the girls. They both got busy as soon as they started digging on their plates. They ate like it was their last meal, thus, making some people shake their heads upon noticing them.

"It feels good to finish a meal without interruptions." Oscar placed his utensils back on the plate.

"Nah, I liked the rush. I felt alive!" Elliot exclaimed, with his mouth still full of food.

That made Oscar raise an eyebrow. "Really? Do you want a do over?"

"Not now, of course! This steak is phenomenal. Can you give me the chef’s number? I might marry him for this one." Elliot laughed. He was straight when they came in, but then, here he was, thinking of marrying the chef.

"Seriously! Stop flirting, dude. It’s gross when you’re the one saying it. I just wish Cooper was here. He would definitely enjoy the food here too." Oscar slumped back in the chair and rubbed his stomach. He really did eat a lot.

"I haven’t seen Cooper much after he got off the first round of the season’s round robin. By the way, about that transport issue? I know a route we can use, but we have to get to the city centre first." Elliot scratched his head while speaking.

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you. Tell me where? I can borrow Arvin’s car." Oscar intentionally said his brother’s name louder than his other words, and he was right! Everyone liked his brother so much, that the moment they heard him, every single eyeball latched onto him.

"Oh my! Are you Sir Oscar?" a server dared to approach. He was carrying a tray and was about to clean their table. He was buff, but not like those fighters in the UOFC.

Oscar just smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Can I have your autograph? I was a fan of your fights. I was still in school back then."

"Sure, to whom should I address it?" Oscar responded. He was beginning to be pleased by how happy the younger man was. Taking a napkin and a pen, he looked up at the server before writing down notes.

"Zafar," the young man replied.

"Zafar, nice to meet you! I’m Oscar." He noted something on the paper and then gave it to Zafar.

"Thank you. I will frame this and tell my friends that I met you in person, Mr. Oscar," the young man grinned, taking the napkin and then sliding it into his pocket.

"You are welcome. It is always nice to meet a fan." Oscar smiled and then turned to Elliot. "What are you checking on your phone, dude?" he asked.

Elliot typed a few keys before looking up. He waited for the server to leave before speaking. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure no one would hear us. This is a top-secret passage. Only shifters know of it. There is a trip to Colorado with a couple of stops in every city along the way. It will depart at around nine o’clock. Do you think we can get there by eight in the evening?"

Oscar checked his watch. It was around five. They still have ample time to travel back to the city. After all, the hangar was just within the city’s borders. "Yup, we have time. Maybe we can shop before we go. I don’t like to wear these clothes when I see Jason," he said, wanting to be presentable in front of his ex lover.

"Let’s do the shopping on the train platform. There are shops there, and I already booked us tickets." Elliot flashed him his phone, showing two train tickets.

"Thank you, dude. I will pay you later. For now, it is my turn to find us a car." Oscar looked around them to see a familiar face. No one there worked in the admin office. Thus, he stood up and went to the stairs at the end of the room. The offices and sleeping quarters were located on the building’s second floor.

He hastened his pace and wasted no time in greeting the personnel. He was more than sure that Zafar had already spoken about his presence in the hangar as of the moment. He could easily tell it by how friendly everyone was smiling at him.

Upon reaching the administrative office, Oscar held the doorknob and opened it. He went straight to the wall where the car keys were hung and nonchalantly picked one up.

"Where do you think you are going?" a familiar voice asked him. Turning around, he saw his brother, Arvin standing by the door with his arms akimbo.

"Hey! Long time no see. Can I borrow one of your cars real quick?" He smiled at his brother.

Arvin did not reply, but hugged him. "I missed you too, bro."

While hugging, Oscar chuckled. "Does this mean you will let me borrow your car?"

Arvin let him go and stood straight. "You should take the McLaren. The one you’re holding has my things. By the way, are you alright? You look like a mess."

Maturity had caught up with his little brother. Although worried, Arvin seemed very composed while talking to him.

"Lover’s quarrel. I just wanted to get away for a few days. Don’t tell anyone I came here. Also, the helicopter, which Dad gave to me, is parked outside. Could you return that on my pad, if you have time?"

Arvin shook his head in dismay, and Oscar grinned at how gorgeous his little brother had turned out to be. The former kid could actually pass as their company’s poster boy with his business suit and well-combed hair—if only his brother would smile and stop fuming.

"Oscar Grande! You are so busted. I just wish you had not covered up my escapes when I was young. Go take the car before I change my mind!" Arvin suddenly screamed. Then, with a softer tone, he added, "And bro, be careful, okay?"

"Thank you. I owe you this."

He raised his hand for a fist bump, which Arvin accepted with gusto. Hurriedly, he opened the door and went back downstairs. He sent a message to Elliot and asked his friend to meet him at the north exit of the hangar. In a few minutes, he was already in front of a sleek, black McLaren 2000s. Its curves from the hood to the body were smooth, and the doors tucked nicely into the sides, covered by the tire fenders.

Oscar pressed the button to open the car’s door. It clicked and moved up. Without second thoughts, he sat in the driver’s seat and pressed the start button. He then slowly manoeuvred it towards the exit.

Just in time, as he was about to drive away, he saw Elliot waving at him.

"Dude, your brother has good taste. Let’s burn some rubber on our way!" his friend suggested with a huge grin.

Oscar smiled back at him, despite the loneliness he felt. Weird as it was, he just realised how much he missed his own family. Seeing Arvin again after a long time couldn't make it clearer.