Page 112 of Rise of the King (Checkmate 5)

This is Lieutenant General Colum Bishop, and I’ve alerted authorities to this unauthorized use of my email. Having this email address is a crime unto itself, because this is a confidential channel of communication.

Identify yourself and explain your business.

“That motherfucker cut me out,” Kane playfully whines. “Why’d he cut me out of this chat room? Hey, anybody else remember using MSN back in the day? I wonder whatever happened to that?”

“Hush.” Jess presses her fingers to his lips and grins when he bites. “And he cut you out because he’s shaking in his boots. He’s terrified.”

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From: AcesAndEights

To: Colum Bishop

Cc: Kane Bishop

Subject: Don’t recycle subject lines. It’s annoying.

My name is Ace, and I’m gonna play a little game of Russian Roulette with you.

I have the guns and ammo, and you’re sitting your stupid ass outside of a truck stop that hasn’t updated its style since 1953.

I have Kane Bishop’s whereabouts, and I’m willing to trade him for five million.

Clean money, no tracking, transferred digitally within the hour. Do that, send remittance, and I’ll tell you where your boy is being held right now.

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From: Colum Bishop

To: AcesAndEights

Subject: This is a federal offense!

I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you’re attempting to extort highly-ranked and respected military personnel! My son has been missing for months, thought dead, and has recently come back into my life.

If you think you can sour this important time for father and son to bond, then you have something else coming for you!

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From: AcesAndEights

To: Colum Bishop

Cc: Kane Bishop

Subject: Don’t abuse exclamation points. It weakens their power.

How is this a time of bonding for you, when I know for a fact you’ve not spoken to him in months? He invited you to Jay Bishop’s memorial. Was the invitation lost in the mail?

How could you possibly know your mission was successful if you didn’t even attend the funeral?

Five million, into the bank account details I’ll add below.

One hour, or I walk into the closest FBI building and drop a whole laptop on their desks. I know for a fact you’ve bought and sold more than two thousand children. Girls. And that’s just in the last eight years.

You’ve coordinated and imported more than twenty-three billion dollars’ worth of cocaine.

Billion.

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