The plan was to lead Jeffrey to New York where it'd be easier to get a hit on him, but he has Rebecca. If he tortured her for information, he could easily formulate a plan.
As I was lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzed.
The hospital.
My stomach tightened, then I exhaled.
Mark was awake.
…
I arrived at the hospital to find Mark waiting for me, impatiently.
"About damn time, kid. Thought I'd have to do this shit on my own."
"Sorry, dad. I just got home from school."
He chuckled.
"Glad to see your jaw's alright. When I saw them get you like that, I got so mad. If I coulda killed them, I would."
I nodded.
"It's alright, dad. Glad you're awake. We gotta get a move on, though."
He nodded in understanding, his face contorted in thought.
"I understand. Let's go."
Mark and I travelled back to the apartment to figure out the next plan of action.
"Where's Rebecca?"
"Boss said they got her. And now they've purchased every plane ticket from here to New York in the next 48 hours, starting at 10am tomorrow."
Mark nodded.
"We'll have to wait for them, the airport opens at around 8, right?"
I nodded.
"8:30 sharp. We'll ask an employee to let us in early with your badge, but we still have to pick the right flight."
Mark looked up, still deep in thought.
"We could. Which flight do you think they're gonna take?"
I pondered this for a moment.
"Hmm, probably…"
I trailed off and pulled out my phone to check their flight list.
"The 6:30pm one."
Mark grinned and gave me a devilish look.
"Wanna bet on it?"
I dug around in my pocket and fished out my spare change.
"$7.27, take it or leave it."
Mark grinned.
"Fine, I'll take the second flight. It seems very Jeffrey-like."
I nodded.
"Alright, bet is on."
Mark and I played some chess to pass the time. No point in rushing to the airport. Chess teaches patience, and strategy. How to anticipate your opponent's moves and counter them. Besides, we'd need energy to combat TJ.
All of a sudden, Mark got a new notification.
"Jeffrey's bought some hotel rooms. I can finally track his purchase history."
I nodded. He was hoping to find if Jeffrey purchased a new phone, and if he could, he could track it.
Jeffrey probably didn't even realize it.
But what if he did? What would happen if Jeffrey figured out that we could track his phone? There's a chance he'd leave it behind as a diversion, or wait in a hotel, expecting me to call his bluff…
What is he going to do?
For the first time in my life, I really do feel like I'm one step behind…
But not for long.
Mark snapped.
"Fredrick, look at this. I got his location. The reason I couldn't track his purchases before was because I didn't have access to them. Now, whatever shit you pulled in the hospital, I do. We can track whatever he does now. He's staying at a hotel."
I nodded.
"Perfect chance for us to outsmart him."
Mark looked up at me.
"Why don't we just go to the hotel now? If we tell them they're criminals on the run, who's going to stop us?"
"That's not the point. Jeffrey's playing a game with us now. If we just shoot him point-blank, then neither of us would have proven we're any smarter than him."
Mark looked up at me.
"That's very emotional reasoning coming from you."
I hesitated, he was right. A month ago, I wouldn't have cared at all about proving my intelligence. But this random fucking kid from the middle of fucking nowhere in Virginia has successfully evaded me for this long. Now, I want to win. I'm going to prove just how perfect I really am.
I've never lost, and I never will lose.
"Well, maybe I've changed, father. Maybe I'm not as stone as I used to be."
He laughed.
"Oh, I'm sure of it."
I laughed too.
"What a jokester I've become."
Although…
I am starting to change.
…
Mark and I showed up at the airport 30 minutes before it was set to open. When they saw Mark's badge, they let us in.
One of the employee's tried to tell us something, but I told her that this was a serious investigation and that we'd need to be left alone. She looked upset, but let us be.
Now, the waiting game. Mark and I would wait by the entrance for any sign of Jeffrey, Rebecca or TJ. Luckily, they all stood out pretty easily. I looked over at Mark's phone, feeling like there's something I was forgetting.
That part of me was wrong, there's nothing beyond my calculations.
The first flight left. No sign of Jeffrey Thompson.
I kept looking at the tracker.
He hasn't moved a bit.
Mark looked over and grinned.
"My flight's next. Are you scared?"
"Not at all, I'm always right."
But then again…
I stood.
"Gonna do some sightseeing. I'll be right back."
I'm letting my pride get in my way. Remember, being perfect is about seeing all possible outcomes. Due to my ego, I've hyperfocused on one possible outcome, and ignored the others.
I had a feeling I was making a mistake.
After tracking down that flight attendant from earlier, I asked her what she wanted to tell us.
"Well…" She began nervously, twiddling her fingers about. "There was a group of people that checked into our hotel here. I was wondering if that'd be useful information, but they've already left, I'm afraid."
I ground my teeth together, I got a bad feeling about all of this.
"Alright, thank you."
She smiled.
"Anytime, sir."
I ran back to the main desk and asked the lady working there if there was a name for the group that stayed last night. She punched a few things into her keyboard.
"The name was Fredrick, sir."
I froze. A static noise filled my ears.
No. No, no, no. That little bastard.
I gripped the edge of the counter, my fingernails digging into the wood.
"Anything else?" the woman asked.
I damn near put my fist through the monitor.
"No, miss, that'll be all."
I dragged myself back to Mark.
"They're gone."
He stood up.
"What?"
"They're gone. God DAMMIT! That little fucker keeps getting the best of us."
"Wait, how? The tracker still says that he's in the hotel."
"I understand it all now. He never planned to stay in that hotel. They stayed the night here. He had TJ purchase the room they stayed in, since he knew we'd be focusing on his purchases. Then, he left his phone behind in the other hotel, so we'd be waiting for him. I expected him to leave the phone behind, but I hadn't even thought of staying in the hotel overnight."
Mark's jaw tightened. He rubbed his face, exhaling through his nose.
"God. DAMN it." He kicked the nearest bench, sending it skidding across the floor.
He ran a hand down his face, his fingers digging into his jaw.
"I swear to fucking God, I'm going to put that kid in the ground."
I barely heard him. My mind was spinning.
The surrounding crowd around me crowded around in my head.
You lost, again. You are not perfect. Jeffrey really is one step ahead. You cannot win. There is something you are forgetting. Jeffrey is smarter than you. Rebecca betrayed you.
Rebecca.
In the midst of the cloudiness of my wrath, I grabbed onto the truth and used it to hoist myself out of the depths of despair.
I remember she told me to use my emotions…
Maybe she was right.
The part of me that just lost was the part of me that was jealous, had ego and pride. Now I realize…
That's a normal human emotion.
Which means that Jeffrey has this too.
A plan formulated in my mind, one that would lead to my ultimate victory. I had to play everything perfectly, though…
"Mark."
I said, regaining myself and standing strong once again.
He turned to me slightly, his body still trembling with rage, his eye burning with a fierce enthusiasm only found within a man who had just lost.
"What is it, Fredrick?"
"Get on the next flight. I'll stay here and monitor Bob."
Mark slowly approached me, the floor shaking with each mighty step.
"Trust me, kid. I am going to do just that. I am going to strangle that fucker with my bare hands the next time I see him."
I patted his shoulder.
"Good. Kill Rebecca too, she's betrayed us."
Mark's anger diminished for a minute as he gave me a skeptical look. His eyebrow raised on his wrinkled face.
"How so?"
"Do you think they'd be able to execute this as easily as they did if it weren't for her cooperation? It'd be so easy to slip away while they were asleep and alert security that she's a hostage."
Mark pondered this for a moment, stroking his chin.
"You're right. I'm on it, son."
For once, I felt the warmth and joy every child should feel when interacting with their own father. I smiled. Not one of those fake smiles I've smiled in the past, but a real, genuine smile. One from the genuine happiness that's built up inside of me.
I am a changed man, but still, emotions are not something I am fully capable of, I still need to learn. But, this could be considered the start of something big. Maybe this is the real path to perfection, but one thing is certain right now.
I am not perfect.
And I'm alright with that.
As Mark walked away, I found myself gripping my wrist. It shouldn't matter. If she really betrayed us, she deserves it. But…
Why does it feel wrong?
I told myself this was necessary. That she had to die. But the moment Mark walked away, I realized I had made a mistake.
For the first time in my life, I had calculated a move, executed it perfectly…
And felt nothing but regret.
…
After my swift arrival at the school, the bell rang signaling the start of first period, meaning that I was late.
Breathlessly, I flung the door open to the student council room.
"Sorry I'm late, I was busy doing some things."
Emma looked up at me with dazzling eyes, her expression filled with pure joy.
"Oh, Fredrick! So happy you're here. Don't worry about it, things happen. Come on, take a seat."
"I appreciate that," I said while walking over to take a seat.
Bob immediately stood up, ready for a fun day of back and forth between us.
"Fredrick, how good would you say you are at chess?"
Chess, he asks. How interesting, I've dabbled in a bit of chess. The Arcane Syndicate had very advanced chess bots that I'd play against. Of course, I never lost.
"I'd like to think I'm pretty good. Why do you ask, Bob?"
I inquired, curious as to his intentions. Perhaps this was his way of trying to show off in front of Emma, perhaps he just wanted something he thought he could beat me at. Maybe this was a test of my proposals, was I as skilled at stuff like this as I made myself out to be.
Nonetheless, I'd win.
"Oh, no reason. I was wondering if you'd be down for a game? I'm actually the best in the school."
I suspected as much, although I wonder, is there anything beyond simple pettiness in this? Is there something he could learn about me from the way I play chess?
I doubt it.
"Sure thing. When you thinking?"
"Would right now work?"
Bob fired back.
Looking at his body language, it's clear Bob's nervous. I wonder…
Is he nervous about me seeing through his intention? About me seeing through the fact this chess game is not just about trying to impress Emma, but for him to realize the full extent of my tactical ability?
Bring it on, Bob. Although Jeffrey may have gotten the best of me, if I defeat his pawn, I may be able to manipulate this situation into a winning position.
He has one of my pawns, now it's time to take back one of his.
"I'm all for it. Anyone here opposed to watching? To make sure it's fair and all."
Emma and the others all shook their heads.
"This is about to be so cool!" Emma said and stood up. "Come with me, I'll show you guys to the computer room. It'll make it easier for us to analyze the games."
We nodded and followed her eagerly to the computer room. Both of us wanted to prove our intellect above the other. Each of us had our own goals. At this moment in time, one of us is lying, saying to ourselves, "I am going to win."
One of us will learn how wrong we were.
I sat across from Bob, staring at the computer screen. Looks like I would be black to start, fitting.
Depending on what opening he'd play, I'd have to change around it.
D4. He pushes his queen's pawn to start the game. How interesting. The best response obviously would be Nf6, which I did play.
Quickly, he played the next move. C4. Makes sense, classic Indian game. I responded with e6, the East Indian defense.
The game quickly developed, Bob making moves in very short amounts of time, usually only taking him a few seconds.
Unfortunately, that was not enough to stop me.
I blinked and in that instant I saw all possible moves for me to make flash through my brain, and instantly analyzed each position. I decided which one I liked the best and played that move, all in just one second. Bob himself exclaimed a couple times that he didn't like how fast I was making moves. Emma gasped every once in a while, too.
The game ended with me pushing a pawn to checkmate his king, a pretty disrespectful last move.
"Wow… that was unbelievably impressive. Are you like a grandmaster or something."
"When I used to play chess, my rating peaked at 3363 and a 3106 on FIDE."
"What the fuck? That's literally world record level… no human has ever done that. Are you sure?"
"Positive, I can probably find my scores if you want."
"Yeah, please do."
I just remembered that the Arcane Syndicate likes to keep their tools hidden, meaning that the level of chess equipment I was used to was more advanced than what everyone else had.
I was destined to win anyway.
"I'll find them tonight and bring them tomorrow. You ready to run it back?"
"First, are you cheating?"
I stepped, taken aback by this accusation. It was difficult to resist the urge to laugh.
"No, I am not."
Bob was not convinced by my answer.
"Alright, I need to use the restroom anyway."
I nodded.
"Go on."
I wonder how I'd suffice against whatever cheating method he was about to use.
Emma tapped on my shoulder and whipped around to see her. She was dressed in a rather cute outfit, like normal. She wore an oversized purple sweater that hung loosely off her shoulder and blue jeans. Simple, but she looked pretty good in it.
"Fredrick, what you did was amazing."
I chuckled.
"It's nothing crazy, I guess I'm just a natural."
She giggled.
"No, silly, I mean… You made moves better than the bot we use could do, faster than it could calculate. You'd make a move, and 3 moves later is when it would realize how good that move was. Our system isn't amazing, but it's still pretty up to date. The bot we use is supposed to be around 3400 elo."
"Oh wow, I didn't realize. Maybe I should start competing on the big stage."
She nodded.
"You should! I think you'd do great."
Her eyes shone with enthusiasm and support.
"I appreciate it, Emma. Oh, by the way, when do you usually go to the gym?"
She blushes, not sure what for, but she blushed.
"Oh, usually right after school. You wanna tag along?"
"I'd love to, actually."
She beamed.
"Oh my God, really!? That'd be awesome!" She said as she wrapped her arms around me.
Not really sure how to respond, I patted her back.
"Yeah, I've been slacking recently, and I'd like to get stronger."
She released me and looked back up at me with a mischievous look in her eyes.
"I've got you. I know the gym better than anyone else around here. Oh, that's so cool!! I'll finally have a gym buddy."
I couldn't help but smile at her genuine enthusiasm, and I was genuinely looking forward to this experience.
"Looking forward to it. I'll wait outside school today for you." She nodded.
"Can't wait!"
Bob Joel finally returned to the room.
"Sorry about that, I'm back now."
"Not an issue, let's get back to it."
We sat back down, and now I got to start the game since I had the white pieces.
I began with e4, a classic.
He responds with c5. The Sicilian defense. Very good move. The best move is Nf3, which I play.
The game quickly develops and we keep playing good moves. However, Bob's moves are much faster and significantly better than last time. Can't be Stockfish or any other chess bot, they take time to calculate the best moves.
Could there be someone else playing for him? But… who else is this good at chess that could possibly know him?
Then it clicked.
Jeffrey Thompson.
He gave Jeffrey his chess account so he could play in his place.
Oh, that man's clever, I'll give him that. But, not clever enough.
Yet again, all the possible moves I could make, as well several moves afterward for each flashed through my brain, and I calculated every scenario. However, I didn't play the best moves I could.
I am going to crush Bob Joel.
If Jeffrey was as good as he seems to be so far, he might even be better than the chess engine the school is using, or about that level.
Which means if Bob wins, it'll look like he's cheating.
So, while still playing good moves, I slowly led myself into a losing position.
Jeffrey won.
"Holy shit," Emma whispered, her hands covering her mouth. "I… I can't believe it."
Bob grinned. "I told you. Best in the school."
I met his eyes, and for the first time, I saw it—the arrogance, the smugness. But it wasn't his. It was Jeffrey's.
However, this time, it was my idea.
I let him win.
This is the part of me I needed, the part that threw my ego to the side, and looked at all possible outcomes. I am going to be perfect again.
No, not again. I've never been perfect before.
That was a truth I'd learn to accept in due time, however now, I had to execute the next phase of my plan.
"Well played, Bob. I gotta say, that piss break you took really must've cleared up your mental. What's the secret?"
Bob nervously fidgeted around with the edge of his sleeves, continuing to steal glances at Emma, who looked like she was starting to get annoyed.
"Uhh, sore loser much? No secrets, I'm just really good."
"Uh huh, yeah. Emma, can I watch the replay."
When she shifted her gaze to me, her expression changed from disgust to relief.
"Yeah, I can do that."
All three of us pulled the replay and watched it together, huddled around the monitor.
When we reach the end, Emma shakes her head.
"This is pretty obviously cheated, every move you played was either top Stockfish move or 2nd best. Pathetic attempt to hide your cheating."
Bob struggled out some words, but they didn't change anything. I looked at him, and he looked back at me with a look of pure hatred in his eyes.
He wanted to kill me right there.
Yet, he was powerless around me. I made sure of that with this game.
No matter what Bob does, or even Jeffrey from here on out, I will remain 2 steps ahead at all times.
I erased the memory of my plan.