Chapter 2 Summary
In Chicago, Jennifer Bennett, a sharp, driven investigative journalist for CoreBusiness Magazine, struggles to wake up after returning late from the LAB Conference. At forty-one, she is dedicated to her work above all else, having sacrificed marriage and relationships to pursue her career. She covered the conference at the request of her editor-in-chief, Neil Turnbull, who values her sharp instincts and persistence, even though the biotech story was outside her usual business beat.
While eating breakfast and catching up on the news, Jennifer is jolted awake by a breaking story from St. Louis. A disturbing video, mailed anonymously to a local TV station, apparently shows a man tied to a chair,beaten, and threatened by unseen assailants before gunshots are heard. The accompanying note claims the victim is Walter Jenkins, GenaSeed’s long-serving chief research scientist, who has not been seen for two days. The footage, which appears to have been shot in a warehouse or industrial space, is now in the hands of the FBI.
Shocked by the news and recognizing its potential connection to the conference she just covered, Jennifer calls Neil immediately. He cautions her against chasing after what might be a hoax or a diversion, urging her instead to finish her LAB Conference article in time for publication.Jennifer, however, is convinced the Jenkins disappearance is too coincidental to ignore. Reluctantly, Neil grants her 48 hours to pursue the lead on Jenkins while insisting she complete her LAB piece by day’s end.
Though aware of the risks — and reminded by Neil that whoever created the video might not appreciate a journalist digging into their business — Jennifer decides to push forward. Her instincts as a truth-seeker outweigh her hesitation, and she commits herself to uncovering whether Jenkins’s disappearance is real and what it might reveal about GenaSeed.
