Mykl Walsh and Richard Saunders have hidden a Vigenère cipher somewhere within the pages of Journey, A Short Story - Volume I (including the SecretAgentMan sections).

The cipher, once located and solved reveals the GPS location of a geocache treasure buried on public land somewhere in southern New Hampshire.

AnEx Publications is offering a reward to the individual or team that either;

1. Solves the Vigenère cipher (hidden within Journey, A Short Story - Volume I / SecretAgentMan) and then locates, retrieves and surrenders the three unopened geocache containers. In this event, the verified winner(s) will receive 100% of the prize fund in the amount recorded as of the last reporting period prior to the claim being filed.

or

2. Locates and retrieves the geocache by other means, such as "accidental discovery", without solving the cipher and surrenders the three unopened geocache containers.
In this event, the winner(s) will receive 50% of the prize fund in the amount recorded as of the last reporting period prior to the claim being filed. The remainder of the prize-fund will be donated to thephoenixfoundation.net.


The prize fund was endowed for $5,000 on January 1, 2016. From that point on, $0.25 (25 cents) will be added to the prize-fund for each hardcover or eBook copy sold (after author Royalties have exceeded $10,000) until when and if the prize-fund reaches One Million U.S. dollars. At that point the prize will be capped and will grow no larger than One Million U.S. dollars.

AnEx Publications will periodically update the size of the fund, in relation to the number of copies sold. Only copies sold where the authors of the book "Journey, A Short Story - Volume I" received a royalty will be counted as contributing to the growth of the prize-fund.

The size of the prize-fund will be updated within 30 days of the closing of each quarter. Expect updates to appear on this page near the end of April, July, October and January until the prize is claimed and verified or until it caps out at One Million U.S. dollars.

To claim the prize, write to AnEx Publications at the address below or send an email to geocachecontest@anexpub.com.

AnEx Publications
37 Plaistow Rd #7-226
Plaistow, NH 03865

Include the location where you found the geocache, along with the serial numbers from each container found at that location. If you solved the Vigenère cipher, include the cipher, its solution and the methodology you employed to locate and solve it.

Once verified, the prize will be paid to the verified winner within 60 days of the claim being officially verified by AnEx Publications.

If a group of individuals was involved in the find, that group will need to construct and sign their own agreement (prior to submitting a claim) as to how they will split the prize award.

All parties that wish to participate in this contest or claim one of the prizes agree that any disputes that may arise are to be settled out of court in accordance with dispute resolution and arbitration rules in place at the time in the State of New Hampshire.

Possession of the geocache containers AND knowledge of the location where they were found is sufficient to file a claim for 50% of the prize fund. AnEx Publications acknowledges that the location may be discovered accidentally without solving the actual cipher.

Any persons and their immediate family members who are directly connected to or employed by AnEx Publications or Inkshares and close relatives or friends of Mykl Walsh and/or Richard Saunders are Not eligible to claim the prize.

Each of the three containers have been securely sealed. If the containers are surrendered and found to have been opened, the prize offer is null and void and will not be paid. In this event, AnEx Publications will still retain ownership and possession of the containers and their contents.

If some portion of any of the seals have been broken, AnEx Publications may deem that the overall condition is still sufficient to rule that the containers have not been opened.

If the geocache is found and surrendered, its contents will be offered for donation to the Smithsonian Museum of American History one year after the death of Richard Saunders or within one month of the surrender if said surrender occurs later than one year following Richard Saunders death.

No purchase is necessary to participate in this contest.

As of January 1, 2017 the prize fund remains at $5,000 (U.S.)