Checkmate Prologue

 Prologue 

The man lifted his chin and squared his shoulders, trying to gain some semblance of confidence. After all, two years had passed since he had found himself in this place. It had been a long, hard road. And coming back had taken more courage than he had ever known. But he would not let nerves hold him back. It was time to return. And so he knocked on the door, wondering what lay in store for him on the other side.

"Come in," came a deep voice from within. With a deep breath, the man opened the door and stepped into the narrow office, standing before the large and heavy desk, over which a large man sat, hunched over piles of paperwork. A large man in more than one sense of the word... director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"Agent 105 reporting for duty, Sir."

"Agent 105. I've been expecting you." He lifted his head and smiled companionably, offering his hand. "It's good to see you again. Please, take a seat."

"You have an assignment for me?"

"Yes, of course. You've been out of the loop for quite some time. I suppose it's been difficult since your wife passed away. I was so sorry to hear it. She was one of the best agents we've ever had."

"It has been hard. That's why I took so much time off. But the pain has subsided now that so much time has passed." the agent smiled wanly." Life is just one hard knock after another… I'm used to that by now. Got to just grin and bear it... and pray like crazy. About this assignment?"

"Yes. I've assigned you to this one because I believe you have personal interest in this case. Most of the time, that's a bad thing. But I believe in this case, it will be a motivation. You see, we've been getting several alerts and I think we've finally been able to pinpoint a location for Checkmate. Or at least, one of his outfit. The clues we've found are characteristic of him."

"Checkmate?!" The agent's face turned white. "I've dealt with him before. He's a dangerous man. If… if I had never crossed paths with him then… then..."

"Then your wife wouldn't have died. Yes, I know. He's dangerous and desperate. He'll stop at nothing… nothing. That's why I called you for the job. I believe you have the brains and the skills to outwit him. You also have a good reason… better than most of us… to want him behind bars. Are you prepared to take the assignment?"

"I'm more than ready to get back into this."

"Good. Excellent. Then your first line of business will be here… a small town in the middle of nowhere. Typical of Checkmate to find a quiet and unobtrusive little place. Perhaps you've heard of it?" Drawing forward a large map, the director placed a finger over a small area. The agent leaned forward in his chair, drawing his breath in sharply.

"Oh my word," he murmured softly. "Have I heard of it? How have you not heard of it is the more appropriate question here. That little town there was only the center of the largest conspiracy the world has ever seen! Andromeda was planning to launch Operation Think Tank from there eight years back... and it busted wide open!"

"Of course I know that," the director frowned. "I forgot that you were in on that, weren't you?"

"You bet I was."

"That was before I became the director. I was working overseas when I got news of that. Is that… is that where she was from?"

"Yes."

"Do you think she's still there?"

"Probably."

"Well, better stay away from her. This is an important mission. Give it everything you've got. I've got all you need to know here, in this file." he lifted a heavy folder from his desk and handed it across. "You'll need an alias for this mission. Stay away from anyone who may recognize you. One false move, you blow your cover… no telling what Checkmate will do, if he really is there. There is a former agent there… if you need help, contact him. His info is in the file. Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Here. Your plane ticket… to Odyssey."

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*Cue Adventures in Odyssey Theme Song*

"Hello! My name is John Avery Whittaker but most folks call me Whit. We're about to embark on a time of wonder, excitement, and new adventures! Would you like to join us? You never know what can happen along the way! Welcome to... Adventures in Odyssey!"