Callsign: King (Jack Sigler) (Chesspocalypse #1)

King pointed to the woman first. “You were in there. You found something, right? Found whatever it is you were looking for? Those men that attacked us today took something from you. It looked like a skull. Do you remember that?”


Felice appeared troubled by the question, but shook her head. Moses however spoke up. “Yes, you had an ape skull in the cave. When I brought you out, you were clinging to it. You would not let me take it out of your hands.”

“Okay, let’s put a pin in that. Now, there were other researchers in that cave, right? What happened to them?” When he got no answer, King persisted. “Come on. The CDC was called in. Somebody thinks you found a virus or something. Did you? Did they all get sick and die in there? Is that why you were unconscious?”

“I am not ill,” Moses offered. “I entered the cave and spent two days in contact with her, yet I have not shown any signs of infection.”

“Okay, so not a virus. But something, right? Something to do with that skull?” Blank looks. King realized he wasn’t going to get anything more out of them, so he switched gears again. “Felice, who do you work for?”

“A company called Nexus Genetics. They’re based in Seattle.”

Nexus? That wasn’t the answer he had been expecting. “How long have you been with them?”

“From the beginning. A little over two years now. They were formed when my old company was broken up.”

“Let me guess. Manifold Genetics.”

“You’ve heard of us?”

With no little effort, King controlled his expression. “The team that hit the hospital was Gen-Y, Manifold’s private security army. They were tying up loose ends.”

Felice’s eyes widened in sincere alarm. King knew from experience that, even though Manifold’s founder, Richard Ridley, was quite literally a monster, many of the scientists he had employed were innocent pawns in his quest for power. Some of them, and even a few Gen-Y personnel, had been instrumental in bringing Manifold down. But Ridley had survived and gone underground, and it seemed that Manifold had as well. And though Ridley was now believed to be dead, it appeared his directives were still being carried out. There was another option, though. One that King hoped wasn’t at play. Before his death, Ridley uncovered an ancient language—the original language, or Mother Tongue, which was capable of affecting the physical world in profound ways best described as Biblical—light from darkness, life granted to the inanimate, physical healing. Before being subdued, he used the language to create several duplicates of himself. Many of the duplicates were destroyed, but there was no way to know how many he created or how many of them still operated around the world. That Nexus Genetics, which had, he surmised, been cobbled together from some of the pieces of Manifold, still carried out Ridley’s agenda was an ominous sign.

There will still pieces that didn’t quite fit, but King was starting to see the picture now. It was time to call Deep Blue. “You’re safe now,” he told her as he got out his Chess Team phone. “I’ll arrange transport back to the States.”

“No.” Felice’s voice was edged with panic.

King lowered the phone. “No?”

“I need to go back to the cave.” She turned to Moses. “You can take me there. You remember the way?”

Moses nodded uncertainly, but then looked to King, as if for reassurance.

“You said they were ‘tying up loose ends,’ right?” Felice continued. “They’ll be going after the cave next. You know I’m right. We have to get there first.”

“You don’t even remember what you found.”

“No, I don’t. But somehow I just know that I have to go back there.”

King frowned. This wasn’t what he needed right now. Sara was still out there somewhere, probably in grave danger. But Felice was right about the cave being a loose end. And if it was the source of whatever discovery had prompted the attack on the hospital, then getting there ahead of a Gen-Y clean-up crew was imperative. Where Ridley and Manifold were concerned, immediate action was required.

He turned to Moses. “Think you can put together an expedition? Get us outfitted with supplies? Discreetly?”

“It will be costly.”

King loosened his belt to reveal a concealed zipper pouch, and from it he took a stack of coins which he pressed into the Ethiopian’s hand. The weight of ten solid gold Krugerrands caught Moses off guard and his fist almost fell into what was left of his meal.

King gave a tight smile. “I think that should cover it.”





11.