The Moscow Meeting
The second story in a heart-stopping novella trilogy that follows a forbidden love that threatens Endgame in post-World War II Germany and takes place prior to the events in the New York Times bestseller, Endgame: The Calling.Humanity rests on the shoulders of twelve Players. But when the lives of a Cahokian Player and a Minoan Player intertwine over the search for an ancient weapon in post-World War II Berlin, the last thing they expect is to let their guard down, and fall in love. Now the fate of the world is threatened, as Boone and Ariadne race against the clock to keep the weapon from falling into the wrong hands.But this is Endgame. And only one can win.
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First published in ebook in Great Britain by HarperCollins Childrenâs Books 2017
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Endgame: The Fugitive Archives Volume 2: The Moscow Meeting © 2017 by Third Floor Fun, LLC
Cover design and logo by Rodrigo Corral Design
Additional logo and icon design by John Dismukes
James Frey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
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Source ISBN: 9780062332745
Ebook Edition © 2017 ISBN: 9780007585328
Version: 2017-02-16
Contents
Ariadne
As I stand beside Cassandra, watching Booneâs eyes move between my face and that of my twin sister, a single thought keeps running through my mind: Heâs going to die.
Iâm still shocked at Cassandraâs unexpected arrival in the museum, where Boone and I have been working to extricate the alien weapon thatâs been hidden there by Evrard Sauer, the scientist who was studying it after its discovery by the Nazis. Sauer is now dead, entombed in the water-filled chamber 60 meters below our feet. The same chamber from which Boone has recently escaped for the second time.
I look at the metal box Boone is holding in his hands. Itâs the whole reason he descended into the room. Part of me is excited to see that heâs gotten it, and to know whatâs inside it. Another part wishes heâd never found it, because I know whatâs going to happen next. Iâd hoped that by throwing the grenade down the shaft and into the underground room, Iâd have warned Boone that something was wrong. Maybe he was too excited about finally getting the box. Maybe he thought he could help me. Iâm thankful the blast didnât kill him, which was a very real possibility, but Iâm not sure it matters now.
âPut the box on the floor,â Cassandra says.
Even if we werenât twins, I would have known this was coming. Cassandra might not be our Minoan lineâs official Player, but she is a Player nonetheless. Maybe even more than I am. We trained side by side, and although I was the one who was presented with the golden horns at the choosing ceremony and have served our line to the best of my abilities, Cassandra has always longed to wear them. If she had been sent to Berlin instead of me, Boone would already be dead. Now she is toying with him, enjoying the confrontation.
Boone glances at me. I can tell heâs confused. He doesnât know if I knew about Cassandra being here or not, if Iâm working with her or still teamed up with him. I wish I could let him know that my sisterâs presence here is a surprise to me too, but I donât dare risk showing any hint of caring about what happens to him. If I do, Cassandra will make things worse. For both of us. I keep my face blank and stare back at him coldly, trying to still my wildly beating heart.
Boone crouches down, setting the box on the floor. Then he stands up again. Underneath Cassandraâs coat, which barely stretches across his shoulders, heâs wearing only boxer shorts and a thin undershirt, both of which are soaking wet. Heâs been swimming around in ice-cold water, and the temperature in the room now is well below freezing. I can see him shaking as his muscles seize up and his body attempts to warm itself. Heâs trying to control the trembling, but he canât. Heâs rapidly becoming hypothermic and needs to get warm. Although I want to go to him and wrap my arms around him, I canât. I have to watch him suffer, and it makes my heart ache.
Cassandra has had her pistol trained on him this whole time. She keeps it leveled at his chest as she says to me, âGo get it.â
I donât like her ordering me to do anything, but the situation is delicate, and I donât want to risk upsetting her. I walk toward Boone. I consider placing myself between him and my sister, screaming at him to run and giving him a slim chance of escaping. But it would only put off his death for a short time. Cassandra would never let him get out alive. And sheâd probably kill me as well for getting in her way.
When I reach Boone and the box, I kneel down and pick it up. Itâs not as heavy as I expected. As I stand and back up, holding it in my hands, I risk a look at Boone. He wonât look at me. Heâs staring straight ahead at Cassandra, a furious expression on his face even though his lips are bluish and I can see that heâs clenching his teeth together with enormous effort to keep them from chattering. But he still has enough strength to defiantly shrug off her coat, which puddles around his feet.
