John ignored his sister's phone call, instead he would be staying with Mike, they'd kept in touch and Mike's parents had even sent John biscuits and a few luxuries from home.
"So this Mike guy-" Sebastian started.
"Is like a brother to me. He was my only friend in UNI, be nice Colonel." John nudged his friend as both men got out of the cab.
"So just friends then?" John held back the urge to roll his eyes, he didn't mind feeling looked out for. That's what friends did; they watched your back. However he drew the line when an Alpha felt the need to protect, as if John couldn't take care of himself. He was a Captain for god's sake!
"Yes, Sebastian, just friends. Mike's a good guy. Besides his mum makes the best biscuits. She's the one who sent me that package of chocolate scones I shared with you."
"They were rather good." Sebastian mumbled, John knocked and there was no answer.
"He must be at the surgery late. But I have a key."
"You have a key?" Sebastian forced a smile. "Of course, because you're close mates."
"Colonel-" John didn't have a chance to finish, the door wasn't locked, he pushed it open slowly, the flat was trashed. Fear struck John, he forgot his duffel bag, "Mike!" He yelled sniffing the air, "Stamford!" Red paint decorated the walls, red like blood, but John didn't think about it, he needed to find his friend.
Sebastian had his side arm out, John wished Omegas were allowed to carry off base like the Alphas. Sebastian must have read his friends thoughts; he was pulling another Browning from the back of his waist band.
"I ugh brought this for you. Figured you wouldn't like to be parted from it. I mean what soldier does." John took his Browning happily, nodding his approval. The two men split up to search the house, John could smell Mike, he was here, and there was the scent of blood. John moved through the living room where it looked like a fight had broken out, the telly was lying broken face down and the couch was turned over.
He heard a groan, John hurried towards the kitchen, his friend was unconscious face down in a pool of his own blood.
"Oh, god! Sebastian! Call 999!" John put his gun down, and grabbed a white dishtowel from the counter. He gently rolled his friend over, someone had worked him over good, John was more concerned with the spreading stain on his friends shoulder.
"John?" Mike whispered hoarsely trying to see his friend through his swollen left eye.
"Who did this?"
"They were looking-" Mike wheezed, "Never told them." He smiled proudly before passing out. John pulled open his friends shirt, it was a stab wound, Mike had lost a lot of blood, too much.
"An ambulance is on the way Doc. What do you need?" Sebastian winced seeing the look of pain on the Captain's pale face.
"Who would want to hurt Mike, he's never-he's just a Doctor at the local surgery."
Sebastian frowned motioning to the red spray paint on the windows and the same sign on the walls lining the hall. At first John thought it was blood it was so red but the smell of pain was overwhelming almost more than the copper of blood.
"John, it's not safe here." Sebastian growled stepping out into the livingroom he took out his mobile. The sounds of sirens nearing, John ignored it and continued to apply pressure. He spoke gently to his friend, reassuring him that they would find who did this.
The sign on the wall was an Anti-Omega groups calling card, the Alpha It was the A over an O with a slash through it. Similar to an Anarchy sign but the A was bigger and it was meant to signifying the dominance of the Alpha over the Omega, the slash was to remind those who forgot that the Omega was the lesser and more expendable being.
"Who would do this? Why? Mike isn't a threat, he-" John paled turning to Sebastian. "I asked him to hand out flyers last week, he's been going to rallies for me in my stead while I'm deployed. Is this my fault?"
"John, I've warned you these bastards are merciless. They are funded by the government and half the Lords in the House of Commons. Ruthless bastards. This is how they operate but they wont get away with it."
"No! I wont have you sink to their level." There was a hard knock on the door, Sebastian jumped up and let the police and the ambulance workers in. A familiar gravely voice was raised.
"Mike?" The gray haired Alpha neared the man dressed in fatigues crouched down and giving orders to the Paramedics.
"Listen to him dammit he's a Doctor!" Sebastian snapped.
"Are you one of Stamford's friends?" The gray haired Alpha flashed his badge at Sebastian who only glared at the man careful to keep himself close to John. "What the hell happened here?"
"It's obvious isn't it Detective Inspector?" Sebastian snapped. "This was obviously no coincidence who ever broke in was looking for John and instead took it out on the man living here. Look around-"
"Sebastian, the man isn't our enemy." John's pale face was enough to rein in his friend, "Please DI, I'm going with him to the hospital I'll answer any questions after. For now my-"
"Wait I know you." The DI narrowed his eyes and looked from both men in the military garb. "Where's Sherlock?"
"Sherlock?" John's stomach twisted. Sebastian was at his side instantly feeling the Omega's sudden distress.
"What? Did that son of a bitch have something to do with this? Figures a Holmes would be apart of that coward group the Red Alphas. Cops are part of the-"
"Sebastian." John put a shaking hand on his friends arm cutting his rant off. "Why would you think Sherlock had something to do with this?"
"No, I didn't say something. This is one of his friends, well perhaps his only friend."
John felt sick, "Call him!" The DI frowned, not caring to be ordered around by an Omega, but John didn't care. "Please! He can be in danger too." John started to pace this was his fault, this was it had to be his fault. He sniffed the air, too many Alphas in the room, they were destroying the scents, why would Sherlock and Mike be acquainted.
Mike hadn't said a word what if these bastards captured Sherlock, what if they were tourturing him thinking he was part of the group. Part of Grandfather's cause. John felt sick, he scanned the room his hands still covered in Mikes warm sticky blood, he went to the sink to wash, there was Mike's mobile. He picked it up hands shaking.
He'll be at the airport at noon. I'll stay back give you some room yeah.-MS
Thank you again Stamford.-SH
John wipped his hands on his fatigues the Browning he'd put in the back of his waist band to avoid questions when the police arrived. Sherlock didn't make it to the airport he would have approached.
If this was an Anti-Omega rights group, then maybe Grandfather would have more on them. Maybe Victor Trevor could help, if John just explained it to him.
John didn't wait he hurried out the door, ignoring Sebastian calling his name and the police constables trying to step in his way.
He hailed a cab and gave his grandfather's address he had to get there to talk to the man, in person.
Ignoring his own phones ringing, he used Mike's to text Sherlock.
Sherlock? Where are you?
No answer, John called it, it went straight to voicemail. He arrived at his uncles, the house just outside of town had a high security fence and the guards waved him in with a smile as if expecting him. He paid the cab and hurried through the doors. He knew something was off almost immediately, several Omegas were drinking and laughing as if it were a party, and in the middle of the day.
They saw the blood on his fatigues and it didn't phase them one even approached.
"Hello there little brother. Havent seen you around. Welcome, I see you've started your day early. It's always such a wonderful thing to see a young strong Omega in the British Army, and you've been busy." The tall Omega with dark eyes and short dark hair ran an eye over John. Handing him a glass of punch.
"Oh, I know this boy. This is Trevor's grandson!" One of the women dressed in jeans hurried over, her blond pony tail swishing at her back, she had to be in her mid fourty's. She wore a casual clothing they all were in casual clothing.
"Of course he is." The Omega that had offered him the punch threw a strong arm around a still shocked John. "Look at the boy. Tell me son are you the first to complete your mission? Which one did they send you to kill? The cop, or the Doctor?" John felt sick.
"The Doctor?" The man ignored the question instead accepting it as an answer.
"Awe the Doctor! Well must have been an easy target for one such as yourself. Well I wonder who was sent for the cop."
"The cop?"
"Yeah, the detective inspector what was his name?"
"You all talk too much." Another voice bit out. "And stop crowding the boy." John recognized his grandfather's housekeeper, she usually had a pleasant smile on her face but today her expression was hard, until she looked on him.
"You must be looking for Victor. " John nodded. "Well get yourself cleaned up and something to eat. He's downstairs with that James boy, wont be long. Just wait up here for him, he hates to be interrupted when he's working."
"Working?" John thought he was going to puke, he tried to play his role, as if he knew what was going on. His brain was trying to piece things together, assignations? A doctor was that Mike, did they do that? Or was it a coincidence, and what about the Detective Inspector, they couldn't mean Lestrade or whatever his name was could they?
"Oh, yes. I cant wait to watch the video, Magnus Holmes is going to be rather surprised when his youngest is sent to him in pieces. I'm sorry I wont be the one to deliver the message." The Omega speaking was the woman with the blond pony tail in the same breath she offered John a sandwich.
"I best get cleaned up. Please don't tell Grandfather I'm here yet. I wanted to surprise him."
The Housekeeper embraced him gently "Of course John of course. Go get yourself cleaned up. I'm so proud of you."
John headed towards the hall bathroom, pushing past the guests, Sherlock was here, his grandfather had sent someone to kill Mike and possibly the DI. He couldn't understand why Mike or the DI, but first things first he had to find Sherlock.
He checked the bullets in his browning, and something else shot through him. Was Sebastian part of this? James was here, did that mean Sebastian knew? No, he put that thought behind him. Sebastian couldn't know, he looked just as surprised as John when they got to Mikes. Hadnt he?