The Grail

CHAPTER 23

The bouncer flight to Area 51 was made in absolute silence. Duncan’s body was laid out on the floor, covered with a poncho. Yakov sat cross-legged, a bottle of vodka between his knees.

The Ark was with Sherev. Turcotte had neither the inclination nor the effort to fight the Israeli’s claim to it. Given the losses his unit had taken to try to get the Grail and Ark, Turcotte could understand the Israeli’s position.

Yakov. The Russian was on the other side of the bouncer, not meeting Turcotte’s eyes and not saying anything.

As soon as the pilots regained enough composure, they repowered the bouncer for the trip home.

Through the floor of the alien craft Turcotte could see ocean. They were somewhere over the Atlantic. He’d refused the pilot’s offer of a headset. He knew Aspasia’s Shadow was gone with the Grail — where, he would find out soon enough.

For now all he could do was try to accept the immediate reality. “My friend—” Yakov broke the silence, but Turcotte cut him off.

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

“I had to try to stop him,” Yakov said. “You know that.”

“Take out your chess set,” Turcotte said.

Yakov pulled the small kit from one of his many pockets. “Open it and take out a pawn,” Turcotte continued.

Yakov did as instructed.

“That’s you,” Turcotte said. “And me. And her,” he indicated the body.

The coastline of the United States appeared and they were zooming across the countryside.

“I’m done with it,” Turcotte said. “You took her off the board, well, I’m off the board, too.”