theoretical. Whoever did this left footprints. Let me do some digging. As soon as we know who’s behind this, you can contact your friend.”
It wasn’t much of a concession, but the idea of being able to call Jack filled her with hope.
# # #
Sara awoke to find Fulbright, sitting in a chair opposite the sofa, quietly watching her. She was accustomed to waking up in strange places, and this was no different. Nevertheless, his scrutiny made her self-conscious. She rubbed her face and ran a hand through her spiky hair, trying to make herself a little more presentable, before acknowledging him.
“How long was I out?”
“A few hours,” he replied, with a subdued smile. “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. And some more bad news.”
“Bad news first.”
“Actually, let me start with the good news. I know who was behind the attack on the hospital.”
She sat up a little straighter. “Do tell.”
“An outfit called Manifold Genetics.”
“Manifold?” Sara felt her heart skip a beat.
“I take it you’ve heard of them.”
She nodded, but didn’t elaborate. “So what’s the bad news?”
“Well, that’s part of it. Manifold has been involved in some very nasty stuff. Officially, the company was broken up a couple years ago, but that hasn’t slowed them down. It turns out, Nexus-the company Felice Carter worked for-was a subsidiary of Manifold. They sent her and her expedition to the Rift to retrieve something, and she succeeded. And now, whatever it was, they have it.
“I managed to get satellite imagery of the area immediately after the attack at the hospital. We caught a break there. With the increase in terrorist activity and piracy in the Horn of Africa, we’ve got birds overhead. Their helicopter headed due east to a ship anchored in the Indian Ocean. Intel suggests that it’s some kind of floating bioweapons development facility. So, not only do they have whatever it is they were after, but they’re probably already working on the next phase of their plan: turning it into a weapon.”
Sara shook her head. “If Manifold is behind this, then it’s much worse than you can imagine. You have to let me contact Jack-the friend I told you about. He knows all about Manifold. He’s the one who took them down.”
Fulbright raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid there isn’t time for that. I’ve been ordered to lead an insertion team onto the ship in order to secure their research.”
“And that would be the ‘more bad news’?” Sara asked.
“No.” His expression turned into a grimace. “I need you to go with me.”
When she didn’t comment, he hastened to explain his request. “Believe me, I wish there was another way. But you’re the only one who’s going to be able to make sense of what we find there.”
“I’ll do it.”
Fulbright’s eyebrows drew together. “I’m not sure you understand what I’m saying. This action is going to be extremely prejudicial.”
“Spare me the spy double-speak. You’re going to kill everyone, right? I get it. These bastards killed my friends. And I’m sure whatever they’ve got planned will kill a whole lot more people. So, am I bothered by the fact that you’re going to be ‘extremely prejudicial’? Not really.” I’m more worried about what you and your spy friends might be tempted to do with that research once you’ve got your hands on it, she thought, but didn’t say aloud.
“I’ll do everything I can to ensure your safety. You won’t go in until the site is secure, but there’s still an element of risk.”
“I can take care of myself. When do we leave?”
12.
“Ethiopia?”
There was a brief pause and King could almost envision Deep Blue checking the history of his movements from the record of information transmitted by the GPS tracker in his phone.
It was early morning in Addis Ababa, early afternoon in New Hampshire where the new Chess Team headquarters was situated. After checking out the supplies and rented vehicles-two newer model Range Rovers- that Moses had acquired the previous evening, and meeting the four young Ethiopian men he had hired as assistants-King had made a mental note to avoid using the term ‘bearers’-he had decided it was time to check in with the home office.
“Well, you have been busy. Two different incidents, and you were right in the middle of both. Care to fill me in?”
“Manifold. They’re back in business.” King quickly brought Deep Blue up to speed, starting with Sara’s mysterious text message, and ending with his decision to accompany Felice Carter back to the Great Rift Valley.
“Is this one of the clones?” Deep Blue asked.
“That’s a possibility. I suppose it’s also possible that he had so many projects going under different umbrellas that these guys don’t know their boss is dead. They might operate autonomously and only involve Ridley when they have something worthwhile to report.”
“What do you think they’re after this time?” Deep Blue asked.
“I’m still trying to figure that out. I think this started as a fishing expedition, without a clear goal. They just happened to find something important enough to kill for. But that’s not why I called.”
“Sara.”
King took a deep breath. “I need you to find her for me.”
There was another period of silence before Chess Team’s runner spoke again. “The Ethiopian government is trying to keep this under wraps, but it looks like six bodies were recovered from the hospital.”
Six? There had been five CDC scientists in the lab. His heart fell.
“Five were recovered from the first floor, and another-a male-was pulled from a site of a fire on the fourth floor. No identification on any of them yet.”
Male? Then he remembered the Gen-Y shooter he had killed in Felice’s room; the sixth corpse. “Sara isn’t one of them. She was at the hospital when all this went down, but I didn’t find her. As far as I know, she’s still alive.”
“She hasn’t checked in with the CDC. Could she have been captured by the Gen-Y team?”
“I don’t know.” It was a plausible theory, but it just didn’t feel right. “I can’t imagine what her value to them would be.”
“I’m sorry, King.”
“I can’t think about that right now. I’ve got to focus on Manifold; figure out what they’re up to. But keep looking for Sara, and contact me immediately if you find her.”
“Absolutely.”
King thumbed the ‘end’ button and dropped the phone in a pocket. It was time to go.
He found Felice, now wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, pacing the floor of Moses’ residence, like a caged animal. She looked up when he entered, an eager, almost hungry expression on her face. “Now?”
“In a minute. First, I need to know about where we’re going. And what you were looking for there.”
“That’s proprietary information. I’m not at liberty to share it with you.”
“In case you weren’t paying attention, you got a termination notice yesterday. I don’t think you have to worry about a law suit from your former employer. But you’re not getting back to that cave without my help, and we don’t go anywhere until you start talking.”
She returned a pensive frown, not so much bothered by his line of questioning as she was the fact that it was yet another delay. “What do you want to know?”
“Yesterday, you said that you learned of this site from…what was the word you used? ‘Esoteric sources’? What did you mean by that?”
