A Game Called Chaos Read Free Page A

pants.
    â€œI’m Zeb Winters, a friend of Royal’s,” the man said. “I came by to see him.”
    Just at that moment Chelsea caught up with the brothers. She had a cell phone in her hand. “Should I call the police?” she asked.
    â€œWe’re not sure yet,” Joe said. “Do you know this guy?”
    Chelsea looked surprised. “Why, yes I do. He’s Zeb Winters.”
    â€œAnd he’s a friend of Royal’s?” Frank asked.
    â€œHa!” Chelsea laughed. “Bitter rival is more like it. He and Royal have been trying to one-up each other for years.”
    Winters crossed his arms over his chest and sneered. “And I’ve won that battle more times than I’ve lost.”
    â€œOkay, wise guy,” said Joe. “Now tell us why you’re really here.”
    â€œWhy should I?” Winters said.
    â€œBecause somebody ransacked that apartment, and right now you’re our number-one suspect,” Frank said.
    â€œHey,” Winters complained, “Royal’s place was tossed before I got there.”
    â€œWe have only your word on that,” Joe said. “If you didn’t wreck the place, tell us why you came.”
    â€œOkay, okay. I came to confront Royal. I’ve seen his Town Called Chaos demo on the Internet, and I know that Royal stole my 3-D source code to make it. Town is way above Forest of Chaos, and Royal just doesn’t have that much programming talent. Everybody in the industry knows that Anne Sakai was the brains behind that partnership. Royal’s got a talent for marketing and promotion, yeah, and he’s a pretty fair hacker, but there’s no way he wrote that program himself.”
    â€œWho’s Anne Sakai?” Frank asked.
    Winters stared at Frank as though he couldn’t believe the question. “Who is Anne Sakai?” Winters repeated. “She was just the woman who put Steven Royal on the map! She did the lion’s share of programming on the first two Chaos games—everybody knows that.”
    â€œI remember that,” Joe said. “Katherine Chaos was supposedly modeled on Sakai herself.”
    â€œKatherine Chaos was with Royal on the strategy book we saw, right?” Frank asked.
    â€œShe’s the game’s main character,” Joe replied. “She’s an adventurer like Indiana Jones, and a real looker, too. That’s one of the reasons the Chaos games have been so popular.”
    â€œYes, and that was Sakai herself in the picture with Royal.”
    â€œWow,” Joe said. “So the character was based on her.”
    â€œOkay,” Frank said. “Where is this Sakai? If she and Royal broke off their partnership, we may want to talk to her, too.”
    Winters laughed. Chelsea said sheepishly, “You can’t talk to her. She died in a plane crash two years ago.”
    â€œYeah,” Winters added. “Sharks got her body. Pretty nasty. She kicked off right after Caverns of Chaos. Royal had to do Forest of Chaos solo, which is why it stank. And that’s why I know that Royal stole my source code. He had to because Sakai isn’t around to help him with the programming.”
    â€œAnd I suppose you found proof of this in his apartment,” Joe said sarcastically.
    â€œWell, no,” Winters admitted. “Like I said, I went up to confront Royal, but no one was home. His door was unlocked, though, so I went inside. I saw the place had been tossed, so I decided tolook around on my own. Then you guys showed up. Who are you anyway?”
    â€œWe’re working with Viking Software,” Joe said. “We’re looking for—”
    Frank cut him off. “We’re looking for someone who’s been making threats against Royal and the company. And I’d say that you fit the profile.”
    â€œLook,” Winters said, “I’m telling you that I didn’t toss Royal’s place.”
    â€œThen