Checkmate (Insanity Book 6)

by Cameron Jace

  “He has always believed in you,” she continues. “Never has he doubted that you would embrace the darkness inside you.”

  “Did he say that? I mean most people think they are on the good side of the scale, even when they are the most evil.”

  “Not Mr. Jay. He loves evil, embraces it, and is proud of it. That's why he is the head of Black Chess. But you must know that.”

  “I haven't remembered everything yet.” I play along. “But I am sure it will come to me. Can you remind me what Black Chess really wants?”

  “That, you will have to remember for yourself. We never talk about it.”

  “Ah, we're after the Six Impossible Keys.” I am pulling her leg.

  “Not exactly. We're after what the Six Keys are for.”

  “Of course,” I say. “Can't wait to remember. How long until we arrive?”

  “Not much,” she says. “We should be there in about...”

  Her words are chopped off by a sudden crash against the vehicle. It's a deafening echo of metal scraping against metal.

  “What the hell?” she panics.

  I try to grip something in the backseat, but there isn't anything, so I rock to the left and smash my head against the window. The blood on my forehead alerts me of the fact that the car is flipping over, and looking outside the limo's window, I realize we're on the edge of a cliff.

  Chapter 2

  Darkness and panic aren't good friends at all. The unseen men and women inside the limousine are screaming and the smell of blood is making me nauseous. I have no idea what's happening. I can only see outside the limo but not inside. I’m not really sure how this is possible, but I am not going to argue with death knocking at the door right now.

  “We're about to fall off the cliff,” the woman screams in the dark.

  “No shit,” I mumble, surprised with her lack of grit when she is working for the darkest organization on earth. “Hey driver! Unlock the doors.”

  “I think he is dead, and the car has security locks to keep you inside,” the woman says. “Those were Mr. Jay's orders since he suspected this would happen.”

  “You think I did this?” I snap, but try not to move as the car begins to ease over the gravel underneath, skewing toward the cliff. “I just met you on the street. No one knows I am meeting Mr. Jay.”

  “How about The Pillar?” the woman grunts.

  The suggestion makes me feel better. Who knew? Now that she mentioned The Pillar may have caused the accident, I find myself feeling better.

  “But don't think we'll let him save you,” she says. “The limo has an emergency system. Reds are on their way. They should be here before your stupid caterpillar comes.”

  The car takes another heavy jolt and the others in the limo panic again. I don't. I try to see if I can kick the glass open without affecting the car's balance. I am not going to die in Black Chess's limo.

  And even if it's The Pillar who planned the accident, I am not going to wait for him to save me.

  "Shut up!" I tell the others, carefully crawling toward the window.

  The car seems stable, so I get closer, now thinking of what to break the window with.

  Peeking outside, I can't locate where we are. There is a river below the cliff, but it's unrecognizable to me.

  A sudden bang freezes me in place. However, the car isn't moving. Then I hear a couple of footsteps on the roof.

  "It's him," the woman says. "The Pillar!" She grabs me by the neck, trying to choke me. "I won’t let him have you."

  I struggle, fighting her while the car bounces in every direction. "Stop it or we'll die." I elbow her in the face and hear her scream.

  The car's window suddenly breaks, its shattered glass splinters inward, and I have to shield my face with my hands.

  "Damn you, Pillar!" the woman shouts.

  A smile forms on my face when I glimpse The Pillar's shadowy hand, stretching inwards toward me.

  I stretch mine back, but when I do, I am shocked to find it's not The Pillar. In fact, it's a Red.

  The woman laughs behind me. "Told you my men will get you first."

  Chapter 3

  Margaret Kent's Private Mansion,

  Kensington, London

  Margaret Kent was staring at her son’s picture, counting the days until she’d have him back from the Queen of Hearts. The vicious Queen who stopped at nothing to get her hands on the Six Impossible Keys.

  Margaret gasped. It had been a long and painful road to find her son. And it seemed like it was only getting longer. She prayed that her plan would work out in the end, and she decided to start by answering her private phone that had been ringing all morning.

  “Yes?” she picked up, doing her best to sound collected and as brutal as she’d like everyone to think of her.

  “It's me,” the voice said. “Carolus.”

  “What do you want? Didn’t I say I’m taking the day off?”

  “It’s important. I have someone who wants to meet you, Duchess," Carolus said. "He says his name is Inspector Dormouse. He is head of the…”

  “…Department of Insanity," Margaret said. "What does he want?"

  “He says he has critical information that you need to know.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “Carter Pillar.”

  “What about him?”

  “The Inspector say he’s discovered something about him.”

  “Something that I don't know?"

  "He says he knows who The Pillar really is."

  "Nonsense," Margaret gently rubbed her son's picture. "I know all I need to know about The Pillar; all the way back since the days in Wonderland."

  Carolus took his time in saying, “Do you know why he killed the twelve men, though?”

  Margaret put her son's picture aside. “He did it so he could plead insanity and be admitted to the Radcliffe Asylum to mentor Alice.”

  “Don't you think he could’ve found easier ways to sneak into the asylum?"

  "Of course. He could’ve worn a tutu, stood in Parliament Square, and cursed the Queen of England,” she said. “But being The Pillar, he had to act larger than life and do crazy things, so he killed twelve people, claiming the Alice Underground book drove him crazy.”

  "That's not what Inspector Dormouse said."

  "Whatever he said, I wouldn't trust a man who is asleep half of the time."

  "Maybe that's why he sees things clearer."

  “Meaning?”

  "We're always awake. Always alert. Always thinking. Too much information could be the reason why we overlook a few details."

  "Don't lecture me, Carolus. Don't act like you're a real person. You're merely a man's shadow. What did Dormouse say?"

  "He wants to meet first, but he says he knows the twelve people The Pillar killed weren't chosen haphazardly. They all actually have one thing in common."

  "Which is?"

  "He wouldn't tell. That's why he wants to..."

  "All right," Margaret sighed. "Make him pay me a visit at the office today. I’d love to see the Queen chop off his head for wasting my time."

  “That’d put him into an eternal sleep,” Carolus chortled. "And, ah, I forgot. There’s one other thing.”

  “What now?”

  "A madman by the name of the Chessmaster is holding the world’s leaders hostage and is threatening to kill them all at that world charity event."

  “Hostages? How is that possible? Why would someone do that?”

  “Not only hostages, but he also killed the Pope’s representative in a weird game of chess.”

  Margaret went silent. She felt a lump in her throat. She should have been the first to know, but she was too occupied with planning to save her son.

  The event had been endorsed by the top five countries in the world. A global chess game to raise money. The Queen of Hearts had sent her new Prime Minister puppet, Mr. Paperwhite, to attend it.

  "Duchess?" Carolus' voice crackled in the speaker.

  "F
orget about Dormouse," she said. "Call my staff for an emergency meeting. Until then, I want to know everything about this Chessmaster."

  Chapter 4

  Mr. Jay’s Limousine, Oxford

  The Red pulls me out of the window. I find myself floating in the air, clinging to his wrist, baffled by the way he is balancing himself atop the limousine like a master on a surfing board.

  "Take her to Mr. Jay and make sure to evade The Pillar,” the woman demands from the limousine below.

  The Red doesn’t answer her, and pulls me farther up, jumping over the car, down onto the pavement of whatever city I’m in now.

  Now safe, I kick the Red, aiming for his groin, but miss due to his seamless maneuver with his waist. He swivels me as if in a dance, and we end up chest to chest. I try kicking with my knees, but his grip on my waist never falters.

  "Let go of me," I scream like a little girl, which I don’t like at all. "Don't you know who I am? I am Alice Wonder, Mary Ann, Black Chess’ most precious."

  The Red still doesn't speak, and I can’t see his face under the hood.

  “Is that you, Pillar?” I squint.

  No response.

  It’s not The Pillar. He didn’t come to save me like the woman suggested. It seems like Black Chess sent their best Red this time, making sure I end up meeting Mr. Jay.

  Tons of police cars suddenly arrive. They stop before us, wheels screeching, doors opening, and someone is shouting in the speakers.

  "Drop your gun!" A chubby police officer jumps out of the car, pointing his gun at the Red.

  But of course, the man gripping me neither flinches nor responds.

  "Drop your gun or I will shoot!"

  “He doesn’t have a gun!” My voice is barely louder than a whisper as the Red's tight hands are pressed on my chest. "Just arrest him."

  "I can't arrest him unless he chooses not to drop his gun." The chubby police officer says.

  “Didn’t you just hear me?” I snap. “He doesn’t have a gun.”

  "Then we can't arrest him," the officer says. “We only arrest criminals who refuse to drop their guns.”

  I roll my eyes, confused. “But it's your responsibility to save me."

  "Is it?" He scratches his head.

  I squint against the ridicule of his question. "Of course it is. He is kidnapping me!"

  "He is?" He tilts his head toward his fellow officer, a lanky young man. "Does that man in the red robe look like he is kidnapping this lady?"

  The lanky officer holds onto his belt instead of his gun so his trousers won’t slip down. "Hmm," he says. “They could as well be embracing. I mean they’re standing chest to chest. The man in the red robe seems fond of her.”

  “Lovers, you think?” The chubby officer says.

  I am still not registering the stupidity of the conversation.

  "Must be lovers," the lanky officer says. “Is it Valentine's Day yet?"

  "It's not bloody Valentine’s Day you fool," the chubby one says. “They must be shooting a movie."

  "What the heck are you talking about?" I shout. “This man just kidnapped me from the limo behind me."

  “I don’t have proof of this. I’m sorry,” the chubby officer says. “I mean, I’m not sure he is kidnapping you,” he lowers his gun. “I’m not even sure why I am here,” he turns and asks his men. “Does anyone know why we’re here?”

  “You told us to follow you here,” an officer responds.

  “Hmm,” the chubby officer turns and faces me, then rubs his chin. “I seem to have forgotten.”

  “It’s really puzzling,” the lanky one nods. “It’s almost like a movie scene. Something wrong happens and the police arrive on the spot.”

  “I’ve never understood that,” the chubby one lowers his gun and converses with his friend. “I mean really, who calls the police in those movies? The director of the movie?”

  "Are you out of your mind?" I shout, unable to fathom the situation.

  “Gotcha!” The lanky one pulls his trousers up to his chest, then he snickers.

  “She really took the bait.” The chubby one laughs at me.

  “What the heck is going on?” I ask.

  Out of nowhere, tens of Reds jump out of the cars. Next to them, the police officers take off their uniforms, revealing Red’s robes underneath.

  "That was fun, wasn't it?" The chubby man jumps up and high fives the lanky one who drops his trousers but catches them half way down. "Give her to us," he says to the silent Red gripping me. "You've done a good job and we've had some fun. Mr. Jay is waiting for her."

  Feeling humiliated, I assume the Red behind me is going to hand me to them. But instead, still just as silent, he pulls out a sword and flashes it toward them, chopping off their heads one by one.

  At first he does it while he is still gripping me with the other hand. It’s like a dance of death. A ballet of incomprehensible, killing techniques. The Red is a master who is killing his own people with such fluency I have never seen before I glimpse at a couple of None Fu techniques among his plethora of unbelievable moves.

  But before I witness the end of the massacre, I bump my head on the back of his sword and fall unconscious, literally not knowing what the hell just happened.

  Chapter 5

  Buckingham Palace, Queen’s garden.

  The Queen of Hearts had her men lined on the vast chessboard, which she had planted at the bed of her chamber’s garden. The chess tiles were white squares of grass amidst black squares of black roses. Her gardener had told her that the white plants were special winter lilies, which had been exclusively imported from Siberia. When she’d asked the name of the black roses, she was shocked with the response. At first she’d thought they were painted black roses, but her gardener had told her they weren’t. They were called Black Shit Roses, and they only grew in her royal garden.

  But that was of no concern to her now. All she wanted was to treat herself with a human-sized chess game, using her less-than-dumb guards as chess pieces. It seemed like a fascinating idea, using humans for chess. Because, after all, a politician’s best talent was to do so.

  “They’re ready, my Queen,” said the chubby boy with the ice cream in his hand. Margaret’s boy, whom the Queen took care of now, teaching him the science of all bonkers and evil. “Red guards against white guards. I’ve lined them up like a chessboard.”

  “Brilliant, Humpty Dumpty,” the Queen called him by his Wonderland name, which Margaret had hated all along. “Have you taught them how the game is played?”

  “Of course,” Humpty chirped with lips smeared with ice cream. “You tell them the move you have in mind, and they obey without questioning you, as if they weren’t human.”

  “Just like in real life.” The Queen smiled. “My government tells people what to do and they just do it. Sometimes we make them think this is what they want to do, so they do it without knowing it’s what we want them to do, but that’s another story. So what happens if one of my chess pieces decides to disobey me?”

  “They get their head chopped off, my Queen?” Humpty titled his head, which was too heavy he almost lost balance and fell.

  “Exactly.” She patted his bloated face with her chubby hands. “And please don’t call ‘my Queen’.”

  “Really? What should I call you?”

  “Call me ‘Mum’.”

  Humpty looked reluctant, but then she pushed the fat cone of ice cream down his throat and he didn’t care anymore, as long as he was fed.

  “But I have a question, Mum,” he said through blotched lips. “Who are you playing against?”

  “My dogs.” She pointed at them panting with excitement on the other side of the board.

  “Dogs?” One of the guard standing on the chessboard objected.

  “Yes, dogs.” The Queen stood straight. “Haven’t you seen a queen play chess with her dogs before?”

  “But how are we supposed to understand what the dog wants us to do?”

  “Just like
you understand me. I talk. They woof. Not much of a difference.” She said.

  “Woof?” The guard, whose position was a pawn on the chessboard, said.

  “I’ll show you.” She stood by the side of the board and ordered her dogs to kick-start the game.

  The dogs didn’t get it at first, still panting with excitement, probably waiting for their Brazilian nuts.

  “Come on, sweeties,” the Queen said. “Make your move.”

  “Woof. Woof.” Barked the dog in front, staring right at the reluctant guard.

  “See?” The Queen waved both hands sideways. “Woof. Woof.”

  “So?” The guard grimaced.

  “So follow the orders and make the move.” She began to tense and become annoyed.

  “Woof. Woof.” Humpty laughed at the guard.

  “Don’t interfere, Humpty. Let Mum take care of this,” the Queen said. “You better stick to ‘lick, lick.’”

  The dog barked again.

  “I don’t know what I should do.” The guard said.

  “What does a pawn do in chess?” The Queen asked.

  “They either advance or move diagonally,” The guard answered.

  “Elaborate.” She said, chin up.

  “The pawn moves ahead, only if there is free space. Diagonally if they eat another chess piece.”

  “Do you see anything you can eat diagonally?”

  “No, my Queen.”

  “So the dog can only order you to move forward, right?”

  The guard shrugged. “Yes, my Queen.”

  “And how many blocks does a pawn advance in the beginning of a chess game?” The Queen flashed a smug smile.

  “Two blocks, my Queen.”

  “And what did my genius dog say?”

  “Woof. Woof.”

  “Two woofs, right? Two block moves for a pawn. I rest my case.” She rested her hands on her hips and sighed.

  The guard walked two blocks ahead.

  “Bravo!” She clapped at her dogs, as they drooled with excitement.

  “But what if the dogs want me to move diagonally?” The guard wondered.

  “You still don’t get it?” The Queen jumped in her place. “The dog will woof once and you will have someone to eat diagonally.”