The pawn ticket – Scholar’s Mate

Renwell mutes his phone, and returns his attention to the council meeting. He feels pleased with the results of the operation. They have the holder. It had taken too long, however, Renwell will begin advancing the agenda. Immediately. He summons his assistant, and passes along the research materials.

Within minutes, he is in a heated debate with the council. He feels as though they are as unlikely as ever, to agree. Renwell realizes early on, that he will have to skirt around some of these issues. There is no other choice. They have to find answers. They needed to understand what was going on. Furthermore, if that meant collateral damage, so be it.

With this in mind, he listens to the council debate its own indecisiveness. Likewise he keeps tabs on the updates the team is sending him. They will arrive with the holder in the early morning hours. That is fine with Renwell. He is ready to start. He must find the connection between the pawn ticket and the holder. Why are they inseparable? Furthermore what is the purpose of the pawn ticket? Although they have known of it for years they have no understanding of its purpose.

The pawn ticket – Scholar’s mate

So many unanswered questions. Yet they have been working on it for years. Now, Renwell is so close. All they need is twenty four hours in the lab. He feels certain they will gather all the answers they need, within twenty four hours. Furthermore, they will be able to bypass the holder and ticket connection.

This is the best opportunity they’ve ever had with the pawn ticket. In fact, it has eluded them for so long, Renwell is certain some of the council members have forgotten its importance. Or the implications of its origins. Indeed, it has been almost a decade since they first learned of it. Since they first became aware of its existence. Of their existence.

Renwell bristles, as the council decides to ignore his suggestions. He feels certain they will also shelf any further funding for the project. Although, he suspects that order of business will take place behind closed doors. It is fortunate Renwell still has the Rook Division to balance the research load. It is for this reason that they have been able to stay updated and obtain info with real relevance.

Opposite and equal reaction

Jenson taps the screen and watches as the GPS adjusts. He is observing their direction of travel, and he still feels remorseful about Tucker’s capture. However, it will work to their advantage. Jenson is all too familiar with the Rook Division and what they hope to achieve.

In fact, Jenson was a founding member. There at the beginning. In those early days, all their work was based on an ideal. After they realized the magnitude of what they found, things began to change. Maybe blaming things is inconsistent. It was the people who changed. Renwell was the first among them to become obsessed, and merciless.

With some effort Jenson pulls his mind back to the present. He would need all his stealth and prowess, if he was to succeed in protecting Tucker. And the pawn ticket.

Consequently it was the pawn ticket that had started all of this. The way it became a tangible part of their work. It was a miracle, in and of itself. However they were always careful to not regard things as magical. Or miraculous. They needed hard evidence. Real facts and even tortured confessions, if that is what it took. Jenson moves his mind away from these images. There are reasons why he left the Rook Division.

A place in the lab

Renwell is almost to the lab. The council meeting was a waste of his time, for the most part. However, he expected as much. Although, it is no longer important what the council decides, Renwell still wants the distraction. It is best if the council doesn’t delve too deeply into this. Renwell has taken certain, liberties, on the Rook Division’s behalf. It is important that these things remain a secret.

Furthermore, Jenson and his meddling jeopardizes the whole operation. They would only have one chance, once they get the pawn ticket next to the strange and mysterious door. Or dimensional opening, or whatever it truly is. The last time they were this close, it was ruined when the holder was dispatched. They had mistakenly thought the ticket was a separate event. Now they knew better. And within hours Renwell would have his living specimen. He was more than ready.

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