“She deserves some answers,” Knight said. “It’s been nearly a year.”
“Agreed,” Deep Blue said, “but I’m afraid all we have is more questions. And a lead.” He looked at Keasling. “Show them.”
Keasling opened a folder on the tabletop and took out an opened envelope. It was addressed to Jack Sigler. “We’ve been monitoring King’s e-mails and snail mail—” He caught Rook’s aghast expression. “With King’s approval. This came in today. The letter was opened and red-flagged twenty minutes ago.”
He took out photocopies of the page and passed them around the room. They all read the brief note quickly.
King,
Keep them safe.
25°21'5.17"S
131° 2'1.07"E
Akala Dugabu
Balun Ammaroo
Warrah Ammaroo
Elouera Kurindi
Jerara Mundjagora
14°49'51.03"N
107°33'41.22"E
Any you left alive.
“Ahh shit.” Rook looked at Fiona. “Sorry.”
She shrugged. “What’s wrong?”
“The second set of coordinates,” Bishop said, shaking his head slowly. “We recognize them.”
“Where is it?” she asked.
“The stomping ground of some of our old acquaintances,” Rook replied. “Mount Meru. Vietnam.”
Fiona’s eyes went wide and she sucked in a quick breath. She’d spent the last year being regaled with stories of the Chess Team’s adventures and the creatures, madmen, and amazing science they’d encountered. She knew that Mount Meru was where Bishop found the crystal that hung around his neck, where Queen received the bright red scar on her forehead, and where Rook had been made Alpha male by the last surviving Neanderthal Queen. “Red.”
“That’s right,” Keasling said, crossing his arms, which was the general’s body language for: don’t bother trying to argue with what’s coming next. “Rook. Queen. You’ll be headed back to the Annamite Mountains. You will search for any hybrid or Neanderthal survivors. Should you find any, tranquilize them and bring them home. The Vietnamese government is still embarrassed as hell over what happened last year, so there were no issues getting you clearance to return to the site.”
Rook leaned forward, elbows on the table. “And I’m going because…”
“Because, sweet cheeks, you’re the least likely to get killed.” Keasling smiled. “Being ‘the Father’ an’ all.”
“Just making sure.”
“And the other location?” Bishop asked.
“Uluru, Australia.”
“Ayers Rock,” Knight said. “These are aboriginal names.”
Keasling nodded. “Glad to see at least one of you has learned something this year. The coordinates are on the southern side of the rock. No one has lived there for ten thousand years. The site is mostly a tourist trap now, but we think these people are there now, or will be soon.”
“Listen guys,” Deep Blue said, “we all know what happened to the Siletz Reservation last year, so we have to assume that these people are in danger, too.”
“Why not just call some government blokes in Australia and have them pick up the people?” Fiona asked Deep Blue, tinging the words “blokes in Australia” with an Australian accent.
He smiled. He hadn’t had much time to see Fiona, but the regular reports he got from the team included updates on the girl. He knew she was intelligent, straightforward, and genuine. He would try to be the same for her. “Given the identity of the person sending the message—”