VegasPete : Chess Room (The Way You Taste sequel)

12 - Watermark

"Sure"

Sanya takes his key...a purple king. He enters the code on the screen. Access was granted.

Then he undergoes a facial scan.

"Now enter the code from the white king's invitation, Sanya."

A virtual chess game room opens.

"We have to wait for the answer."

A message on the screen is shown: the white king has entered the room.

"And now?"

Another message appears on the screen: "Hello, Pete. I'm afraid I can't talk to you now. Come to visit me. I'll be waiting for you."

The white king left the room.

"Son of a bitch! Did you warn him?"

"I could, but I didn't have to. All this was already foreseen by him. He just told me to point you the right direction."

"Which is...?"

"You have to attend the next face-to-face meeting in the chess room."

"Face-to-face meeting?"

"It occurs twice a year when new participants can join the chess room. The chess room controllers do inheritance checking. Participants can enter a room and reveal themselves or play anonymously. I believe the white king will open a room for you to meet."

"How much complexity. Wasn't it easier for him to hand me his phone number? Sometimes I really get tired of these mafia bosses. Give me the fucking address."

"Attendees receive the address notice a few hours before the meeting."

"Great!"

"But one thing is certain. It will not be in Thailand."

"No? Where will it be then?"

"Somewhere in Taiwan...probably in Taipei."

"Really? When?"

"Next month, first week."

"KNOCK, KNOCK!" Pete?! Is everything ok in there?! Dr. Top knocks on the door.

"Yes, yes, just five more minutes please." I turn back to Sanya who is getting ready to leave.

"Your husband came to look for me at the hotel. Assistant Lee just warned me. You made me come here early before he found me, didn't you? Should I say thank you?"

"Take it." I take a package out of Venice's baby bag and hand it to Sanya.

"Interesting. I can return the favor. The white king told me to show you this. I'm better do this now."

Sanya hands over a flash drive.

"What is it?"

"Videos...but not the kind of videos your husband loves...not about you two at least." Sanya gives me a smile that makes me sick. "But I think you'll appreciate knowing where he was going every day... at least for the last few months we've been monitoring him. I'm sure you will find it...interesting...haha. You can ask your computer genius friend...Arm, right?!... for the veracity of the images if you want. I'd also check out the information on the Minor family business you stole from me. You can ask questions with Assistant Lee. She's very good at corporate fraud.

"Corporate fraud?"

"One more thing...the most important thing, actually. I was saving this information, but since I like you so much, Pete...Do you see this?!" Sanya logs back into the chess room. "This is the dialogue I had with the participant who issued the execution of assassination order. There's no ID in any dialogue..."

"Right...you said it was anonymous..."

"Except in this dialog where I communicate about the delivery order...There is a watermark at the end of the dialog. Some families use this watermark as a digital signature in conversations out of the chess room. A stupid glitch, I guess...it was typed into the dialog. I hadn't noticed before. Take a close look."

"Let me see it" I zoom in on the screen...my brain recognizes the watermark, but it takes a while to process the information.

"Now look at the ring on your finger, Pete."

"..." My eyes look at my ring and then return to the screen and hold fixedly.

"According to this watermark, the order could have come from either the Theerapanyakul main family or the minor family, Pete."

"Is it another trick?"

"Believe it or not...it is what it is. And if I were you, I'd give the white king the benefit of doubt. At least he saved your life once by requesting execution of his delivery order."

"I will not give the benefit of doubt to anyone."

"This was the last message I received from the chess room about the assassination order upon you, Pete."

"..."

Sanya shows me the message on the screen: this execution order was renegotiated.

"That order is no longer with me to execute, Pete. It was renegotiated between my opponent and someone among the other participants. You know what that means, right?! Don't be stubborn, Pete. Think twice. Since you don't trust me and apparently you have good reasons to doubt the entire Theerapanyakul family...including your dear Vegas, maybe the white king is your last resort."

...