"Check."
In the back of a limousine was a group of sharply dressed men. On their sides, they all wore custom guns crafted to perfection. The focused both on the environment outside, trying to detect any potential threats, as well as the two men on the inside playing chess.
Their boss Nathan, a man they renowned, was currently on the back foot. Most of his pieces were taken and he had just been put into check.
"It's a thing of beauty." Nathan spoke softly, looking at his opponent.
"Thank you." The man opposite of him was an older gentleman. He was a part of the old guard in the mob.
Nathan lightly laughed for just a moment, "No, I was referring to chess itself."
Seemingly without studying the board, he moved a piece and broke the check. The gentlemen looked at the board as their limo drove at a moderate speed. Only after a few seconds more of consideration did he move a piece.
"You see, with chess, as long as there are pieces on the board, practically anything is possible." Nathan said while moving another piece; all without taking his eyes off of the man across from him.
"Hm. You're a clever boy, I'll give you that. However, sometimes one should know when to give up. It's unbecoming for someone of our profession." The man moved another piece and Nathan responded – all while staring the man down.
The old man spoke, "For instance, young Nathan. If you'd turn your attention to the board, instead of staring at me so diligently, you'd know how close a checkmate is."
"Perhaps its a matter of perspective." Nathan replied as the two continued to play. Nathan's pieces were slowly being taken away and he only held a knight, a rook, his queen and king, as well as a single pawn.
"Perspective? Hah! Check!" The old man proclaimed, slamming down a piece, resulting in Nathan blocking the move and losing his rook in the process.
"Come on, forfeit already, we're almost at the warehouse." The old man said with a grin.
"With all due respect sir, the game isn't over until its over. You never know what can happen at the very end."
The man snorted and moved a piece. The game continued and then he noticed that Nathan was going for a promotion with his pawn. He inwardly cursed as he had been tunnel visioning previously. However, he knew he had a checkmate around the corner.
He thought for a second before deciding to prepare for a promotion. He wanted the checkmate, but knew it would be better to be patient. When Nathan finally promoted, he chose a queen, and had two on the board.
They clashed some and before long, Nathan had lost one of his queens. The entire time however, he watched his opponent instead of the board. It gave the older man an unsettling feeling in his stomach.
Nathan moved his remaining queen, the one which had been promoted, and placed the old man in check. The old man quickly moved his king out of the way without much thought.
Multiple pieces of his defended against Nathan's rook. The old man also had a bishop which was now defending his king against the queen.
"I'm afraid young Nathan, it's of little use. Three moves and its checkmate. You fought valiantly, but its my win." The old man smiled and stuck out his hand.
For the first time in a while, Nathan looked at the board for more than a passing glance. He had a slow smile stretching across his face as the man's hand hovered over the pieces.
"Sir, like I said, it's not over until its over. Most often, pieces that slip by our perception can do the most damage. You must expect the unexpected." Nathan looked at the old man and lifted his knight. Nathan rubbed his fingers against the wooden piece for a moment and placed it firmly on the board.
"Checkmate." He said simply, his eyes now back to staring at the old man.
The knight was placed in the smallest of gaps, leaving no way out for the king, nor any other way of blocking it.
The old man furrowed his brows and looked down at the board to ensure there really was no way out. He scoffed and leaned back in his seat just as the limo came to a stop. The man kept his mouth shut and had a foul mood clearly plastered onto his face.
"We've arrived." One of Nathan's men announced meekly, he didn't want to intrude into such a delicate environment.
Nathan thanked him and all the men slowly made their ways out the vehicles. Surrounding them were crates and shipping containers in an otherwise empty warehouse. The men started taking up positions in the warehouse to watch over the transaction, securing the exterior in the process.
The old man was the last out of the limo, he was still thinking about the match.
"Got it?" Nathan asked the old man, inquiring about the transaction about to take place.
The old man clicked his tongue, "I've never met someone like you."
Nathan raised a brow.
"We've both been in this business for a long time. Family means the world, I get that, but all this for something so simple? I understand its hard to find, but surely you would've found the information if you used your contacts."
Nathan placed his hands behind his back and continued to stare at the older man.
The old man pursed his lips before sighing out in response, "Yes, I have it."
He reached into his suit and pulled out a large white envelope.
"It took around half a year to find this information. We even broke into some archives to confirm it. Rest assured Nathan, the information is good."
Nathan walked over and gently took the envelope. A gentle smile blossomed on his face while holding it.
"So, as the deal goes, I'll give you half off everything here if your information is good." Nathan said while he turned over the envelope and placed his trembling fingers under the seal.
Right as he opened it, his vision shifted, revealing a world of blood. People in old armor, some in no armor, were clashing all around him, steeds were running through crowds with those mounting them tearing warriors asunder. Nathan took a set back with wide eyes.
He found himself standing atop a wide cliff watching the battle below. His mouth slowly opened in horror as he witnessed a massive, strange canine-like creature adorned with paper tags running into the battle. As it did so, it's side began chanting manically in a foreign language.
It resembled a sort of reverence.
The next time Nathan blinked however, he found himself back in the warehouse. His feet were back in their original position as if he had never moved. The only difference was a paleness in his skin and the cold sweat trickling down his back.
Nathan stuffed the unopened letter in his suit – that wasn't the first time he had seen that strange place. It always came to him in dreams and it always came to him right before danger.
Nathan quickly reached for the gun on his hip but his opponent was faster. The old man drew his gun and shot Nathan squarely in the stomach, causing him to drop his gun to the ground.
Nathan fell while gritting his teeth and failing to suppress a groan.
Instantly the warehouse turned into a bloodbath as lead ripped through air and bodies alike. The two different sides began mercilessly killing each other and Nathan's men were on the loosing side. They had been caught by surprise and most of their men were dead in less than thirty seconds.
Nathan desperately pushed his legs while clutching his side.
He slowly made his way to a shipping container filled with the very same expertly crafted guns that his men were using. He was the best gun dealer in the country, maybe the world, he knew it was only a matter of time before a deal went sour.
He didn't even have time to lament about his perfect tract record being tarnished. He watched the battle as blood pooled by his side.
The remaining men on his side consisted of a sniper on a balcony and a man with an assault rifle at medium range. Lastly there was a rookie running to one of the shipping containers for a gun better than his pistol. He had managed to slip by unnoticed by all – save Nathan himself.
Nathan chuckled at the sight.
'A game of chess.' He thought to himself, 'Guess that makes me the king.'
He let out a grunt as he grabbed the envelope once more. His bloody hand prints smeared the white paper as he tore it open. He took another glance to find the rookie getting their head blown off by a shotgun. They collapsed to the ground and the sniper was next since they lacked good cover.
The sniper got shot twice in the chest and once in the head. He had intended to use the brick walls to defend the warehouse from external threats, his inexperience caused him to fail to find a spot that also protected from internal threats.
Lastly, the final man with the assault rifle was flanked and shot in the back multiple times.
Nathan weakly shook his head in regret and took out the papers within the envelope.
"Riley Cunningham…" Nathan chuckled with warm eyes despite his dire circumstances. After all, he had finally found his little brother. They had been separated a long time ago at a foster home and Nathan had never been able to find him.
"They changed your name." He mumbled with a tinge of sadness. The paper gave a whole bunch of details like his address and phone number. Alongside it were a few photos showing the type of person he was.
He had just started a family and there were some photos of him at meetups. Nathan placed his hand over his mouth as tears started welling up. Riley wasn't a rich man, nor a poor man. He lead a nice, quiet life caring for his family and friends.
The old man slowly made his way over to Nathan, checking for threats the entire time. He was surrounded by his team and they eventually stood above the fallen Nathan.
"You little punks always think you can get your way. But you overstepped Nathan, you fuck over one too many people, eventually someone's gonna do the same to you."
Nathan looked at the old man with an annoyed expression.
"That's why you older idiots get replaced. You never learn your lesson." He said with a pained groan.
"Lesson?" The old man asked with a pompous laugh. "I could say the same."
Nathan lifted his empty hand with a finger raised. It seemed like he would point at the old man, but when he sent his hand forward, coming out of his sleeve was a tiny gun. It only had two bullets, but those were enough.
Nathan gripped it and pulled the trigger without remorse.
Two tiny pops – akin to a toy gun – resounded in the warehouse. The mobster fell unceremoniously in a jumble, his lifeless eyes showing a hint of shock.
'Expect the unexpected.'
The men by his side immediately drilled Nathan with dozens of rounds, killing him instantly. His last thought was of his little brother.
'Wish I could've seen you again.'
However, unseen by all, was a tiny stone creature reminiscent of a cat staring down at the carnage.