“But you could have been broken down any moment, before you’ve managed to execute your plan.”
“I have to admit the sudden storm helped a little. I think it’s called ‘faith.’ That moment when you count on the universe to lend you a helping hand,” he says. “Once I saw the look of doubt in his eyes, I hit back hard — and low. You know what really knocked him down? Not my physical power, but my factor of surprise and his factor of doubting himself. He couldn’t believe I was still alive.”
“What did you hit him with?”
“This.” he shows me a sharp edged computer motherboard. “Got it from the Deep Blue machine. It’s pretty lethal at the edges.”
It takes me a minute to let The Pillar’s theory sink in. I guess it’s his thing. I wouldn’t be brave enough to practice it, not in a million years.
“Come on,” I tell him. “It’s time to leave this place.”
“Got a ride?”
“A red air balloon somewhere behind the white snow.”
“Whose is it?”
“The Dude — I mean the Red.”
“Your guardian angel?” he muses. “I’m starting to like him. I think he is in love with you.”
“Oh, please. Why’d you say that?”
“He saved you twice in a couple of days. A Red is in love with you, Alice. I believe we’ll see him again. Did he write you notes again?”
“Yes. He basically told me who the Chessmaster is.”
The Pillar props himself up, unconcerned with the blood all over him. “I’m curious who.”
“I’ll tell you on the way to the balloon. Can you walk?”
“Not really. My left leg is numb. I’ll crawl, or you’ll have carry me.”
“I’ll carry you. I’ll use my left leg. You can use your right, with your arm around my shoulder.”
“A team.” The Pillar’s eyes brighten. “Could we get a McDonalds Fillet with a badass Coke on the way?”
“We’re in China, Cao Pao Wong, so shut up.” I elbow him playfully, while we stand and he puts his arms around me. “Is everything a joke to you?”
“If we didn’t joke we’d die in here. Look.” he points at the blood strips on his white shirt underneath the torn blue jacket. “Always wanted a white shirt with bloody red stripes when I was a kid. I guess Stephen King’s books really messed up my childhood.”
Chapter 44
World Chess Championship, Moscow, Russia
The Chessmaster was losing it. All the news on TV showed a prime minister in every country looking for The Pillar and Alice. Even citizens in every country helped. But none of them could find them.
At this point, most of the world leaders were in their third or fourth move in the game — they were allowed to take their time with each move, so most of them stalled — and the Chessmaster was beginning to think he hadn’t shown his deadly side yet.
He wasn’t going to tell them he was Death, not now. He wasn’t even going to tell them about his other few tricks in the bag, or why he was doing this. But he had to scare the world a bit more. In his opinion, people didn’t fear what they were used to. For example, the world had been in chaos for years, the Iraq war, threatened by ISIS, and the whole nine yards of bombing civilians has become the norm to the public. It wasn’t pushing them to the edge anymore, and he had to make a point.
“Swiss President!” the Chessmaster said, walking toward him.
“Yes?” Ralph Rollecks, the Swiss President, said in a pompous voice.
The Chessmaster eyed him for a while. He didn’t like him. He didn’t like the ten-thousand-euro suit, neither did he like the fancy cravat or the golden Rolex watch. As Death, he mostly enjoyed taking the lives of the incredibly rich and those who stole from the poor.
Not that every Swiss person was like that. In fact, The Chessmaster admired many Swiss scientists, artists, and even chess players. He’d met an incredibly supportive Swiss family in the past when he was still learning and mastering the game of chess.
But Ralph Rollecks was a sleaze, a thief, and a horrible man. He not only was president, but also controlled most of the Swiss banks – discreetly of course. It wouldn’t have disgusted the Chessmaster if these were the president’s only sins, but there was more, way more.
Ralph Rollecks’s family had laundered the Nazi’s money after World War II through his Swiss banks, most of it still available to Neo Nazis in this very day. Blood money, which had been a byproduct of killing millions of innocent people worldwide.
“I see you have three moves left,” the Chessmaster said.
“I do,” said Ralph, adjusting his tie. “And I intend to take my time.”
“No, you don’t,” the Chessmaster said, already moving one piece, a knight, in an L shape move.
Low and behold, it was a neat and genius checkmate.
“Your queen’s dead,” the Chessmaster rubbed his mustache. “And so are you.”
Ralph was furious, but there was nothing he could do. The Chessmaster’s men were everywhere and now he had to drink up and die.
“My death will not mean anything,” Ralph argued. “My people will elect another president.”
“No, they won’t.” the Chessmaster said. “Because once you die, something horrible will happen to Switzerland.”
“What?” Ralph said, stalling.
The Chessmaster didn’t answer him. He ordered his men to force Ralph to drink, and he did.
As Ralph weakened to his knees, uselessly untying his cravat, the Chessmaster looked back at the camera. “Now people of Switzerland will face a terrible fate. If you don’t want your country to face the same fate, find Alice and The Pillar for me.”
The Chessmaster laughed, staring at the monitor on the left, showing everyone in Switzerland falling asleep.
Chapter 45
Somewhere in Tibet
The Dude’s balloon is a piece of art, which The Pillar figured out right away. True, it is red, but its hood is white, the color of snow, so when we fly it no one would be able to track us with satellites from above.
“You know how to operate this thing?” I ask The Pillar. We are already flying midair.
“I think so,” he says. “Saw it used in that movie, 80 Days Around the World.”
“That’s all?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there.”
“And where is that exactly?” I fold my arms.
“Kalmykia,” He says, wiping blood off his cheeks.
“Kalmykia? Never heard of it.”
“The Republic of Kalmykia, a federal subject of Russia,” The Pillar explains. “It is the only region in Europe where Buddhism is practiced by the majority of the population.”
“It’s in Russia?”
“Yes, and borderline China. Very close from where we are. Got a nail shiner? I think I messed up my beautiful nails.”
I roll my eyes, secretly admiring his sense of humor while soaking in blood. “What’s in Kalmykia?”
“The next clue.”
“The clue to the third chess piece you mean? How do you know that? I haven’t opened the Rook chess piece yet,” I say while attempting to pull it out of my pockets, only to realize The Pillar is holding it in his hands. “You took it?”
“Just before we escaped the monks.”
“Why?”
“Needed to know what’s inside.”
“Did you open it?”
“Of course.”