Queen's Gambit (Act 1)

Queen's Gambit
Act I
Once the home of the Duke of Wellington, Apsley House in Westminster has become one of London’s most respected museums showcasing significant collections of paintings, porcelain, and sculpture. Unbeknownst to most Londoners, the monolithic building’s basement houses the local offices of Obsidian International.

An elevator takes you down several flights and upon stepping out you are scanned through the first checkpoint. You head down a series of sterile corridors and ultimately to the reception area of Dame Edith Weatherby, the Station Chief. Behind the desk, a young, dark-suited man smiles and ushers you into Dame Edith’s formal, yet elegant office. Overstuffed leather chairs sit in front of a heavy walnut desk. Wood-paneled walls encase bleeding edge technology, hiding it from prying eyes and ears.

A petite, prim-looking woman in her sixties sits behind the desk. A framed portrait of a distinguished man looms behind her. Still on the phone, she motions for you to have a seat. This is Dame Edith Weatherby, your boss. She delicately hangs up the phone and assesses you with a measured look. After a moment, she speaks in a business-like fashion. "That was the head of Special Branch. It seems they have just lost a client and need Obsidian’s help to retrieve him."

A screen quietly descends on the right wall, lights darken, and a photograph of a man in his late sixties appears on the screen. "Dr. Vasily Belyakov. Until a week ago, Belyakov was head of Russia’s Biowarfare Division before defecting to the UK. Special Branch was holding Belyakov within safe house Zevon, located in the Green Lanes—London’s Harringay district to be precise."

A screen quietly descends on the right wall, lights darken, and a photograph of a man in his late sixties appears on the screen. "Dr. Vasily Belyakov. Until a week ago, Belyakov was head of Russia’s Biowarfare Division before defecting to the UK. Special Branch was holding Belyakov within safe house Zevon, located in the Green Lanes—London’s Harringay district to be precise."

Belyakov’s photo is replaced by one showing a low-income area of London in which a bottle-shop faces a tenement building. "Early yesterday morning at approximately three a.m., Belyakov was kidnapped and his bodyguards killed. A careful re-creation of the scene indicates it was an operation orchestrated by a team of freelance professionals working on behalf of the Russians."

The next photo shows a woman departing an airport. Her features are obscured by the scarf and heavy sunglasses she wears. "This picture was taken at Heathrow just four days ago. We believe it is the operative who planned and executed the abduction. We know her only by the code name: White Queen. Aside from a belief that she is Ukrainian-born and FSB (Federal Security Service) trained, we know very little about her. This is the only photo known to exist." A small, ivory chess piece representing the queen replaces the woman’s photo.

"Special Branch found the queen in one of the rooms of the tenement building facing the safe house. No fingerprints, no spent shell casings, not even a strand of hair. Just this. It’s her calling card. She always leaves one of these to advertise her skills to other potential employers."

Another slide now shows a rough, working-class Eastern European man. "Andris Milic, aka, "The Serbian". Andris is a trafficker with ties to no one. He’s in it strictly for the money. We believe the White Queen hired Andris to arrange the extraction of her team out of London. This morning, Andris reached out to one of our assets with claims that he can provide the location where Belyakov is now being held. For the sum of one million Euros, he will give us the exact location and, as a sign of good faith, he told us that they were in Riga. Once he gives up Belyakov’s location within the city we have promised half his pay to be wired into a Swiss bank account of his choosing. The other half delivered upon confirmation of his intel."

Next up is an image of a small curbside café. "This is the Café Kafka, in the Vecriga, or "old Riga" area of the city, where you will make contact with the Serbian. You will ask him for the time in Paris and he will reply with the time in New York. The exact time is not important, but you must reply "that’s okay, I prefer London anyway." Once you are both satisfied with the question-and-answer, he is to give you the White Queen’s location. Upon receipt of the intel, one of our officers-in-place will make the money transfer, which he can verify. If you feel the information is good, just leave a tip for your waiter."

"From there it is up to your team to act on the intelligence as you see fit. The USS Raleigh, an American Ohio-class sub, will be waiting outside the harbor to receive both you and the package."

"Any questions?"