The flight to Turkey was a long one, but a woman with her two kids sitting in the seats across from me made it enjoyable actually. I have always had a soft spot for kids, and I helped her keep them from being the stereotypical brats that everyone assumed they would be by playing games and such. As we landed, the kids both hug me and said their goodbyes. I watched them off, then recollecting myself; I headed off to get my luggage and rental car. Driving to my own personal suite, I smelt a faint smoke in the air as I turned on the lights."It is Rick now is it not?" I asked in fluent Russian.

Rick retorted in his favorite tongue, "Your new name is Joseph I guess, took me a moment to recognize you under that disguise."

Rolling my eyes, I declared, "You know, you might be able to sneak up on me one day if you didn't have such potent cigarettes. You might even smell good perhaps if you scrubbed yourself for a decade old friend."

He grew serious, "I am sorry but I am not here in the capacity of friends. Alert level 3 is drastic don't you agree for what you may be able to easily stop. We have respected your decisions, and even though I am a youngling among the Chroniclers, it is curious to me. Jane told us your reasons, and that is why the Chronicler Elders didn't automatically retort it. But all of this based on a feeling?"

I dropped my jokes, grinding the words as I said, "Yes Rick, I have a vague idea what Gentek would want with that deadly thing, and if they mess up even a hair they would doom the world in their arrogance. Mankind is ready for no such thing yet, just as they are not ready for us. Legends of your own exploits in Russia, on how you survived poison, stabbings, gun fire and worse, have been made to questionable facts thanks to the Chroniclers. If this virus gets out, there would be no way we could cover it up if it say hit Moscow, or St. Petersburg. It will consume all in its path if not stopped, and I doubt Gentek could do it. That is why I am going to go to the sands where my village lays, and it will be there that I will pick up the trail, unless you or any other Chronicler has anything?"

Shaking his head, he retorted, "No Joseph, there is not. We have picked up no more than you, and I did not come here to berate you more as update you. After a quick deliberation, the Chroniclers decided to be safe rather than sorry and have now enacted the protocols. We are trusting you on this Joseph, but I hope that you manage to make your own words of this threat not be true."

"As do I old friend," I told him, "As do I."

*knock knock knock*

I heard the door, and my friend Jared called for me, and as I turned to get the door, I felt Rick leave as mysteriously as he came. He had always been one to do that, even in his time with the last Russian Tsars. "Hello Jared," I said, wrapping my friend in a bear hug. "How are you doing after all this time, wife still running you around?" I asked mischievously.

He shivered mockingly, saying, "Wouldn't even let me come in the house until I did all the yard work I promised. So what is up with you? You were really secretive in our last email when you said you would be coming in town and I already told my Miss to expect the worst of me being gone for a few days, heaven forbid."

I turned serious, replying, "Jared, I need you to take me home again. You have been keeping track of the sands as I know you have. What is more, I need to know if anyone has disturbed either of the sites that I have entrusted you to watch."

Grimacing, he told me, "I was afraid you would come here about that. I heard rumors of a new organization in town, it was all very hush hush. Those guys are bad news Joseph, they wouldn't even glance my way from trying to subtly dissuade them from the two villages. They were heavily armed and armored…"

I stopped him suddenly, rage in my voice as I demanded, "WAIT! What do you mean where? There is no way they could have just left so quickly with the samples they needed. Proper containment protocols that any half sane organization would need time to put in place wouldn't allow it, even if they came prepared. Smuggling such dangerous bio hazards isn't that simple especially internationally."

Jared turned to me, in a calm tone stating, "I told you these guys were different. They are ruthlessly efficient black ops Joseph. They have already left, and I don't know where. However, I did find the person who had the records they sought and would probably know where they are headed next. Their own local contact, Jassir, a greedy guy with his own bookstore. I knew he had books going way back, but Joe, you have to believe me, I had no idea any of them would hint to your own past. I thought you destroyed most of the records, excluding those you kept with your group."

Sighing, I answered, "No one is perfect my friend. And now my mistake may cost us dearly. I had no idea that they would be able to get samples from so long on charred bones. Their first sample they managed to get was bad enough and that was a minute trace in an embalmed corpse. I should have realized it would have been resilient enough to survive even a mild charring. Even inactive, combined with their own bio weapon they have managed to make, it could become extremely deadly. Where is this Jassir fellow? I am going to have to ask him a few questions."

Jared said, "I guess you want to do this the easy way…" "NO!" I warned him. "We can't have that," I replied more softly, "Disappearing without a trace would gain me everything I need from him, but it would be noticed by this organization. I am going to have to call in an old favor from the best of interrogators that I know. Boy, he isn't going to like it, the man is in the middle of an experiment if I recall correctly."

*Meanwhile in Germany*

"AHHHHHHHH let me out of here please I beg of you…" the prisoner screamed before the duck tape was shut to his mouth. His torturer was an older German gentleman in his mid 50s he looked like with silver hair and cold gray eyes as he regarded his work.

Shaking his head, he answered the phone call that had been buzzing in his pocket, "Hello there, who is this now? You interrupted me in some important research?" The older man heard a voice he had come to know recently when he joined the Chroniclers after his supposed death in 1992 greeting him, "Why hello there, you are going by William Schans I believe. Call me Joseph now. And if you aren't too busy with research I need a favor."

Hesitantly, Mr. Schans replied, "Well I am not too busy, just running a routine experiment on this latest compound I made for inducing pain, very effective, but nothing special I suppose. Who do you need me to wring answers from? Normally you would do it yourself, but this person must be too well connected to have such dealings with."

Joseph then said, "Yeah a black ops group I believe. I need you in Turkey on the double. I will capture the guy and make sure we have some place private for our…discussion with him. Also, please don't wear any of that Nazi stuff you used to wear. After your supposed "death" we don't need anyone to draw the dots that you didn't really die. In addition, I don't need you getting sidetracked by starting a fight with some lout who disagrees with you to waste time, this is deadly important William. Speed is of the essence, and bring something to help this guy forget everything we are going to drag out of him once we are done. I expect to see you in less than 24 hours." *click*

Mr. Schans heard the line going dead. He smiled as it was good to hear that his talents would be put to play with his new organization. The prisoner was doing muffled struggles, but William had little time for such small fry now and coldly executed the man. He felt no remorse as the man had been a rapist, part of the policy for acceptance into the Chroniclers had been he could only research enhanced interrogation techniques on those who truly deserved it, with guilt being verified. Disposing of the body, he began to pack all that he needed, whistling a tune from the Third Reich as he did so.