“Finally!” he said as he saw Flora’s personal number. He pressed the device to his ear and plugged a finger in the other to drown out the noise. “Hello—Flora?”
“No,” the male voice said from the other end. “It’s Casey Skett.”
Mikel was instantly alert. For the last ten years Skett had worked with the Group disposing of biological “accidents” that occasionally resulted from their research. He worked for the New York City Department of Sanitation’s “DAR” division—dead animal removal. That was the only reason he ever came to the mansion. Skett should not be using Flora’s phone.
“Casey, what’s going on over there?” Mikel asked with an unprecedented sense of foreboding.
“I want you to talk to Flora,” he said, his voice crackling through the bad connection. “And then I want you to do me a favor.”
“Put Flora on,” Mikel said. There was something about Casey’s tone that did not sound like Casey, the skinny and slack-eyed figure who rarely strung more than three or four words together.
A moment later Flora was on the line.
“Hello, Mikel. I’m afraid you’re going to have to do whatever Casey asks,” she said in a thick, slow voice.
“‘Afraid’?”
“He—he has shared information that I cannot, at present, divulge,” she said.
“Why not?”
“Because he—he does not wish me to,” she replied. “But you will cooperate with him, yes?”
This too was not the Flora he knew. But Mikel knew better than to question her. Not because she was always right, but because there was no changing her mind once it was set.
“Of course,” Mikel told her. “I’ll do whatever you need, Flora.”
“Thank you, Mikel.”
He was immediately aware of—and concerned by—a couple of slight catches he had noticed in her voice, brief hesitations. She was one of the most certain people he had ever known. Were those catches natural, or was she trying to signal him that all was not well?
“Before you go,” Mikel asked casually, “how is my find behaving?”
But Flora was not available to answer. Casey Skett was back on the call.
“Your find is fine,” Casey informed him. “It’s under control.”
“You’ve evidently been promoted,” Mikel said.
“I could not resist the compensation package,” Skett said. “And you, Dr. Jasso—you are a valued reallocated asset.”
“Meaning?”
“That my promotion means you are no longer working for Flora but for me. And the favor I need is for you to go to the site where fire erupted from the ice.”
Mikel didn’t ask how he knew. The Group has access to satellites monitoring every area of the Galderkhaani continent. “Do you know what caused it?”
“Something in the past, I believe,” he answered. “Or rather, something that began in the past and rippled through to the present. That process is one of the things I wish to understand.”
At least he wasn’t cagey about answering. “I have a broken wrist,” Mikel said.
“You still have one hand that works? That’s all you should need.”
“True, if I could get out there,” Mikel said. “But I’ve created problems down here—lots of them. No one is going to do me any favors.”
“Find a way to compel them,” Skett replied bluntly. “They’re already trying to understand it—but from a distance, like the safe and incurious academics they are.”
“How do you—”
“I saw it in a report filed by Dr. Bundy,” Skett said. “I have resources too, Dr. Jasso. Aren’t you curious about it as well?”
“Of course I am,” Mikel said. “But I’m grounded, and frankly, I don’t like being under the whip hand of someone who was until today a custodian, in effect.”
“Who pretended to be a custodian, in effect,” Skett said. “And spare me the hauteur. You took orders from Flora easily enough.”
“She earned my respect. You haven’t even begun.”
“Dr. Jasso, pride has no place in my work. You will do as I ask and that is that. However, I assure you, my reasons are not hostile even if my methods seem to have been. Inform these scientists of yours that you can show them what happened out there. Assure them they will never figure it out just using instruments, but that you can explain it.”
“Just by going out there?”
“Correct,” Skett said. “By going out there and witnessing an experiment that I will be performing from here. Dr. Jasso, you know there’s more to this phenomenon than geology. You were down there, among ruins. Don’t bother to deny it—Flora told me everything.”
“She couldn’t have, Casey. She didn’t know everything. That’s what reports are for.”
“Educate me,” Skett said.
“Why? If you want my help, put Flora back in charge and tell me what you know.”
“I know that Flora and her entire staff will die if you don’t go,” Skett said. “I’ll tell you what: you can keep your secrets for now. Just get out there. You’ll want to share with me in due course.”
Mikel hesitated. Skett was right about one thing: the issue was Galderkhaan, not Group politics. He didn’t seem to have many options.
“What are the risks?” Mikel asked.
“They are abundant, but you’ve taken risks before.”
“I have, but I need a good reason to go out in temperatures that are negative thirteen degrees Fahrenheit and falling,” Mikel said, glancing at the Halley VI weather app on his phone. He wasn’t being entirely truthfuclass="underline" he would risk a great deal to be able to go back out there.
“I already gave you the reason,” Skett said with growing impatience.
“And I’ve agreed,” Mikel said. “But I need to come up with a really persuasive argument to get permission to use Halley equipment.”
“Two words should do it,” Skett said. “Actionable information.”
“I just said, they have their procedures here—”
“And they have funding to consider as well,” Skett said. “They have to produce results or the spigot runs dry. Now go and get this done, Dr. Jasso.”
It was a simple but possibly effective argument. Among the twenty-three scientists, there had to be one who would back him.
“Put Flora back on,” Mikel demanded. Then he added, “Please.”
A moment later Flora was back on the phone. “I’m here, Mikel.” The echo told him she was on speaker.
“Are you all right with this?”
“In theory, yes. I would have preferred more time for preparation, but Skett is running this operation at the moment.”
“Flora, who is Casey Skett? Why is he doing any of this? Why now?”
“It is not just now,” Skett said angrily, grabbing the phone and taking the call private. “My god, Dr. Jasso—it has been this way for centuries. The Group—do you think they are this benevolent research organization funded by the scions of the old East India Company?”
“So I’ve been told,” Mikel said cautiously.
“It’s a lie, Dr. Jasso.”
“Let me hear that from Flora,” Mikel replied.
“I’m afraid she doesn’t know everything either,” Skett said. “Now enough talk. Just get to the site. You will understand better when you see what kind of power we are exploring.”
“We? Who else is involved in this?”
“There is nothing more to discuss,” Skett said. “Call me when you are there.”
“I need to rest,” Mikel said. “I’ve been going nonstop for days.”
There was a brief silence. “Take three hours, then go. I will expect your call.”