Queen's Gambit

by M. Lorrox

  Schermer moves to a cabinet with tamper-proof hinges and reinforcement bars across the front. “Weapons are here. What kind of sidearm would you prefer?”

  Ugh.

  “Sir?”

  “What do you think would be most appropriate?”

  She opens the cabinet doors. Inside are racks of pistols, batons, and sub-machine guns. Along the very top is a row of tricked-out assault rifles; they have gear attached to their front rails and scopes attached to the rear rails. She slides the batons aside and grabs something from behind them that Charlie can’t see. “I believe you would be most comfortable with this.” She turns around and hands a fabric bag to Charlie.

  He opens the bag and slides out a sword. It’s straight, and it has a large, basket-shaped hilt to protect the hand. “This is an interesting sword. It’s cavalry, right?”

  “Yes. Designed by Patton himself.”

  Charlie slides the sword from its scabbard and inspects it. The blade’s cross section reminds him of a fencing sword. “General Patton?”

  “He was a master swordsman. He designed these swords for the military and taught the cavalry to use stabbing motions instead of the customary slash.”

  Charlie slides the blade back into the scabbard, then back into the bag. “Thank you, I appreciate the thought. This is perfect.”

  Schermer smiles. “Try not to lose it. It’s the original.”

  “Okay.” His smile fades to a frown. “Do I need a firearm as well? I mean, do the senior officers carry them? I probably should follow suit.”

  “It is not necessary to carry a firearm. I remember how you disdain them.” She pauses. “I did not mention in front of the others, but we have met before.”

  Charlie studies the woman’s face. “I can’t place you. Where was this?”

  “I was only a girl at the time, still a squire. Helene’s Squire.”

  Helene. “From the Russian Ascension?”

  “Indeed.”

  Charlie nods. “I remember Helene. She was a great knight. I heard she died at sea. I’m sorry.”

  “I achieved my knighthood before we lost her, but it was still a shock. Anyway, thank you.”

  “Of course.”

  Schermer shakes her head. “No, I mean thank you, for saving her back in Russia.”

  Charlie nods. “Of course, I just did my job.”

  “Sir, I know what was recorded from your debriefings, but Helene told me what actually happened.”

  Charlie nods. “You’re welcome.”

  Schermer leans on the table in the center of the room. “I was wondering, would you like us to use your knight’s name?”

  Charlie inhales through open lips and closed teeth. I haven’t been called that name in over a hundred years. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”

  “May I ask why, sir? Has it laid fallow too long?”

  Charlie sees that Schermer is being genuine. “Partially, yes, but also because I’m not ready for it yet. I’ll need some time.”

  Schermer shrugs. “I think I understand.” She walks over to another cabinet and starts to open it. “Here we have the electronics. Cells, radios, GPS, and surveillance equipment.”

  Charlie smiles. “Spy stuff huh? That’s cool.”

  Schermer laughs and mimics an American surfer-dude accent. “Totally cool, man.”

  Charlie laughs with her. “Not bad at all!”

  Schermer chuckles and pulls out a cell phone. “You’re getting number 7299.” She sets it on the table and returns to the cabinet.

  “Can’t I just use my current phone?”

  “No. Is there any spy stuff you need?”

  “Oh. I didn’t really consider that. You’ve got bugs and stuff?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you have the things that scan for bugs? I don’t know what they’re called.”

  “Counter-surveillance devices or bug detectors, and yes, we have them. The Council Guard scanned every inch of the hotel for bugs before the location was announced publicly, and it was clean.”

  “That’s reassuring, but I’d still like to scan my room.”

  She turns and starts digging through cases in the locker. “Just so you know, the detector won’t find wired microphones, but it’ll find anything that’s wireless.”

  Charlie frowns. “Can you be more specific about what it can’t find?”

  She turns and hands a small case to Charlie. “If somebody drills a hole through the wall and sticks a wired mic in, they’ve got you. Anything that might be hidden and using a wireless signal to transmit data—” She points to the case. “—this will find. And don’t worry about laser mics eavesdropping through the windows; they’re double-paned and have military grade anti-UV, anti-surveillance films on them.”

  Eavesdrop through windows with lasers? I guess I have been out of the game too long...

  “Sir?”

  “Thank you, Schermer, that helps. I was also wondering; do you have any GPS stuff? Transponders, and uh, trackers? You know what I mean.”

  Schermer laughs. “Sir, I invented GPS.”

  Charlie is impressed. “Really?”

  Schermer squints. “In a way. In the sixties, I worked on NAVSTAR. In any case—” she attempts the surfer accent again, “I can hook you up.”

  Charlie puts his hand on Schermer’s shoulder. “I don’t have a need in mind, but still, let’s see what you got.”

  Sadie checks her phone when the House of Elders breaks for lunch. Food has been brought in—and blood too, of course—and has been set out in an adjoining room.

  Twenty-three new messages. Are you kidding me?

  She turns off the screen of her phone and slides it back into Charlie’s leather, soft-sided briefcase that she commandeered. She looks around the room and is relieved when she doesn’t see anyone headed her way. She stands up, slides her bag with her foot out of the way under the table, and strolls toward the room with the food.

  She puts together a plate of vegetables with a chicken breast and fills a glass with blood from a spigot attached to a large cooler. She hears footsteps approaching behind her, but she waits to step away until her glass is topped off.

  “Is that you, Sadie?”

  She turns around with a fake smile, only to replace it with a real one. “Raúl!”

  “Sí, it is good to see you.” A warm smile creases his tanned skin.

  Someone behind Raúl clears their throat. Raúl chuckles and steps out of the line. “I remember the first time I met you at the Palacio Real. I believe it was during the First Carlist War.” He glances at her drink. “I believe you and I shared a glass. Do you remember?” He smiles and raises an eyebrow.

  Sadie motions with her head to the side, and they walk together. “How could I forget? We shared a lot more than a glass.”

  He laughs. “Indeed, we had.” He sighs with the warm recollection.

  They come to a table and sit beside each other. Sadie takes a sip of her blood and savors it. Opening her eyes, she sees Raúl smiling at her. She passes the glass to him. “It seems that we will once again be sharing a glass.”

  “Thank you.” He takes a sip. “Oh, this is quite good; did they say where it’s from?”

  “If I’m not mistaken, this to me tastes like bovine, from the northeast.” The glass is passed back, and she takes another sip. She swishes it in her mouth before she swallows. “And I want to say it’s from a heifer, not a steer.”

  “I’m impressed.” He cuts a slice of beef on his plate and eats it.

  “Raúl, have you heard from Patricia and Jonathan? I haven’t heard from them in a few months.”

  Raúl claps his hands; others nearby shoot him annoyed looks. “Yes! They are headed back to Japan.”

  Sadie eats her vegetables. “But they love it in India, did they say why t
hey’re moving?”

  Raúl shakes his head while he chews. He gestures impatience. He chews more aggressively. “That steak is tough, sorry. I haven’t actually heard from them, but they’ve reopened one of the family’s estates in Japan.” He leans in and flashes a sparkling smile. “And I have a rumor for you.”

  Sadie’s eyes grow wide and she sets her silverware down. “Oh? You always know the juiciest secrets.”

  He reaches out and takes her hand while he glances around the room dramatically.

  Sadie smiles and follows suit.

  Nobody listening. “When my daughter reopened the estate, she also invited in a famous Japanese decorator.”

  Sadie whispers, “Who?”

  Raúl whispers back, “I can’t remember her name, but she’s famous for designing nurseries!”

  Sadie gasps. Raúl laughs.

  She pulls her hand back and collects her silverware. “That’s so lovely. I take it they’re starting a new generation?”

  “One could assume. Their last child, Annabella, is in her mid-twenties now, so it would make sense.”

  “I’m happy for them, but if it’s true, I’ll have to give Jonathan hell for allowing you to find out before me. I am the grandmother after all!”

  Raúl nods. “Then for his sake, I will hope that I am mistaken.”

  “Well, if they are expecting, I hope for your daughter’s sake, it is another girl. Sons are terrible at staying in touch with their mothers!”

  With sighs and smiles, they return to their food and eat, sharing the glass of blood. After a little while, someone approaches their table. Raúl looks up.

  “Señor Lucas, how did the cabinet meeting this morning go?”

  Raúl quickly wipes his mouth with his napkin and frowns. “Toss the formalities, you old fool, this is Sadie.”

  Sadie turns around to meet the “old fool.” He’s a stout looking man with glasses and a rim of silver hair around a bald head. “Hello, sir.”

  “Pardon my interruption, Elder Costanza, I—”

  “Gerard is a good friend of mine, Sadie. We share many of the same business interests in Europe.”

  “Oh, it’s nice to meet you...?”

  He bows. “Elder Dziedzic, but please, call me Gerard.”

  Sadie smiles and turns back to Raúl. “You had a cabinet meeting this morning?”

  “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you. I’ve been tapped to sit on the War and Defense Cabinet, and we met with your husband today.”

  Sadie feigns surprise. “How’d that go?”

  Raúl motions for Gerard to approach. The man stands nearby, and Raúl speaks quietly. “Of course, he wanted to do things his way, and Councilor Villablino was not pleased to entertain him.”

  Sadie squeezes her tongue between her teeth, feeling the nubs along the top drag against her incisors. She opens her mouth with a click. “Sounds like Charlie.”

  Raúl nods. “Not to worry though, I helped Villablino see the...wisdom in Charlie’s words, and he accepted.”

  Gerard laughs, and Sadie glares up at him. He stops laughing and clears his throat. “I have heard a lot of stories about your husband’s impressive military record. I do hope to meet him someday soon.”

  Sadie takes a drink of her blood and looks at Raúl. “I should thank you for finding—what did you call it? Ah, yes, wisdom in his words.” Oh, Charlie.

  Raúl tilts his head and furrows his brow toward Sadie. “Your husband is a very respected and admired man, with a rebellious nature, yes, but a good man. A strong man.” He sits back upright. “We are lucky to have him on our side.” He winks at her.

  She returns a smile. Why is he winking at me? She cuts a piece of chicken and takes a bite as a voice over the loudspeaker calls the elders back to the meeting room.

  As Charlie walks through the lobby carrying the bag filled with his new gear, he sees June standing and talking to someone in the courtyard. He decides to wait.

  She’s still talking after a minute. Charlie walks over to the front desk. “Excuse me.”

  The same attendant that had issues with Rusty yesterday looks up and recognizes Charlie. “Oh. Can I help you?”

  “Hi. Do you have sewing kits?”

  “We have a kit that can be checked out.”

  “Can I see it?”

  The guy sighs and walks around the corner. Charlie glances over at the courtyard; June’s still talking, but she has shifted her stance a little. The guy comes back with a large container that resembles a fishing tackle box. He sets it on the counter. “You’ll need to sign it out.” The guy opens it, then pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to Charlie.

  Charlie holds the paper to the side and peers inside the box. What a bunch of unnecessary crap. He sets the paper down on the counter and unfolds one of the trays. Here we go.

  “Everything you need; just sign for it on the paper.”

  Charlie pulls a single needle from a pin cushion, then grabs a spool of white thread, and one of black thread. He lowers the trays. “This is all I need. Do I really need to sign them out?”

  “Ugh. Just keep them.” He snaps the paper off the counter and places it back in the box, then latches it shut and rips it off the counter. He turns and walks back around the corner.

  I love making friends. Charlie turns away from the desk as June walks into the lobby with a soft smile on her face.

  She notices him instantly. “Hi, Charlie.”

  “Hi, June. Who’s your friend?” They walk together toward the elevator.

  “That’s Beatrice. She’s helping me learn more about chess.”

  “That’s nice, I didn’t know you played.”

  She nods.

  “She’s a...nice lady?”

  She nods. “Her husband is, umm, like us. She’s here with him.”

  “But she’s, uh, not like us? That’s an interesting arrangement.”

  June shrugs and pushes the elevator button. “I thought so too.”

  Up in the room, Skip is pleased to see June and Charlie return. Minnie is very excited to see Charlie. “Daddy!”

  “Hey darlin’, you having fun with Mr. Tubman?”

  June sets down her backpack and steps into the kitchen. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, June.” Skip motions to get Charlie’s attention. “I told Minnie to just call me Skip. We’re a big family now, remember?”

  Charlie smiles and nods, then sets down his bag and follows June to the kitchen.

  She hunts inside the fridge. “I’m kinda hungry.”

  “I’m really hungry. Can you hand me an Infinite Vampire juice bottle?”

  “What flavor?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Skip stands and limps over. “I’m also hungry, believe it or not. We might need to do some grocery shopping though; our snack supply is almost gone.”

  Charlie chugs the bottle and motions to Skip. He swallows the liquid and quickly rejuvenates. “Why are you limping?”

  “We played a little too rough, and I banged my shin on the table. It’s better now, but it still hurts when I flex the muscle.”

  June drinks the last pack of dog blood. “I think we’re out of blood too.”

  Skip shakes his head. “You must have missed Eddy in the elevators; the hotel manager called up a minute ago. A box arrived for Sadie, and Eddy said it was the shipment that he rerouted.”

  “Oh, good.” Charlie finishes the bottle and tosses it into a bin he set up for recyclables.

  Skip leans against the wall. “I looked online, and there’s a grocery store across the street and down the block. June, want to come with me, and we can do a little shopping?”

  Charlie winces. “Skip, I can’t stay with Minnie right now. I have to run to some more meetings. I just wanted to drop off a bag and grab a drink.”

&n
bsp; “Oh.”

  “When Eddy gets back, he can stay with her though, if you two wanted to run out for a bit.”

  The door clicks open, and Eddy walks in with a large box. “Yeah, I can stay with Minnie if you need to ditch for a while.” He sets the box down and looks at Charlie. “Dad, knife?”

  Charlie pulls out his pocket knife and flicks it open in a swift movement. He hands it to Eddy with the blade facing away. “Eddy, do you want to meet the senior guardsmen and their squires?”

  Eddy grabs at the knife and almost drops it. “Yeah! Definitely!”

  “Careful.”

  “Sorry. Who, uh, when?”

  “Five-thirty. They have a little training facility nearby. We can leave here at five.”

  “Great!”

  Skip clears his throat. “When does Sadie get back?”

  Charlie notices Skip is frowning. “I’m not sure when exactly. If she’s still gone later, will you watch Minnie while Eddy and I meet the others? I appreciate it, man; as soon as we’re back I’ll take over for the rest of the night.”

  Skip puts his hands in his pockets. “No problem, I understand, you’ve got a lot going on. I’m happy to help, really.”

  Charlie pats him on the shoulder. “I really mean it. Thank you.”

  He nods.

  “I gotta get back down there though, Eddy, meet me in the lobby at five.”

  “Yes sir!” He removes items from the box and sets them on the counter as Charlie walks out the door. Real knights and real squires in their training facility! I wonder what martial arts they practice...

  “Eddy?”

  “Yeah, Skip?”

  “So, will you stay and take care of Minnie while June and I go to the store for people food?”

  He turns and laughs. “Sure. Can you get some people food for us too?”

  “Oh. Yeah, of course.”

  “I can make a list of stuff we usually have on hand, and Dad can pay you back. Would that be okay?”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” He turns and sees his daughter glancing out the window. “June, will you come to the store with me?”

  She doesn’t turn from the window, but nods.