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foothold in the region.
    "It's well within the character of Black Ring to do something like this," Emily said finally. "To flaunt the fact that they have a scientist that could change the world for the better and potentially take humanity to the very far reaches of space is a huge power play for them. They're taunting the Western world."
    "They want to sell that technology for their own, greedy devices." Sean said. "That's the only thing that makes sense. They're going to have that scientist create something like what you described. With that, they can sell it to anyone in the world. They'll make billions, maybe more if they sell to China."
    "Or worse," Emily added.
    Sean grimaced at the comment. "True. There is the other communist country." He paused for a second and then asked, "What's my play?"
    "I'm taking you to Lucerne and dropping you there. You'll need to go through Dr. Ott's research, her personal things, her apartment, anything that might give you a clue as to what specific project drew the interest of Black Ring."
    "Okay," he said after a minute of contemplation. "I assume I’ll be able to use whatever resources I deem necessary."
    "This mission is highly classified. So long as you don't blab your mouth about who you're working for, I don't care how you get the job done."
    "Good enough," he said. "Oh, and by the way, that video has had over ten million views on YouTube, so the mission isn't really that classified."
    She shook her head at him with a smug grin. “They don’t know about you. No one does but me.” The car went silent, save for the hum of the tires on the pavement beneath. For several minutes, neither of them said a word.
    In the distance, a castle loomed on top of a hill, a shattered and ruined remnant of its former might. Villages sprang up seemingly everywhere. Some of them had been homes to people of this area for nearly a thousand years. Thick forests of lush, green trees stretched out between the farms. A few massive windmills dotted the landscape, providing power to the growers, their white blades swinging around in slow, wide circles.
    Sean spoke up, breaking the long silence. "It could prove difficult to find this...Dr. Ott, Emily. I might be a bit rusty."
    "You'll be fine," she said quickly, brushing aside any doubts he may have had. "And you will find her. You're the best. That's why I chose you for this mission. No one else I know of has the mind of a detective and is capable of...." She stopped herself midsentence.
    "Killing the way I do?" he finished the sentence for her. "Em, I admit I'm good at it, but there are others out there who are better than me."
    "Surviving the way you do,” she corrected. “Like I said, no one has the combination you have. And besides, you're one of the only people on this planet I can trust."
    The words hung heavy in the cabin for a minute before he responded. "You can always trust me, Em. And you know I'll do whatever I can to get that woman back."
    "I know you will." She took a deep breath, shrugging off any emotions she might have been feeling. "You have less than seventy-two hours. The terrorist said they would kill Dr. Ott in three days. That was over twelve hours ago. So you're on the clock. No pressure. Oh," she caught herself before she finished what she was saying. "If I had to guess, I’d say wherever you go, they’ll likely follow."
    "Always nice to have fans.”
    "The terrorists are looking for something they don't know how to find. They believe that Dr. Ott can tell them where it is. Up until this point, she has evidently refused. If she continues to hold out, at least they’ll have plan B in play. That's you." She jerked a thumb in his direction. "If it has anything to do with something historical, they might know that you would be a perfect answer for the problem. Your reputation, after all, does precede you. That means you'll need to watch your back. It's highly plausible that the leaders of Black Ring know about your exploits and want