2025-05-16 19:15:59
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Checkmate
“Don’t mess with me again. You’ve already crossed the line. Do you value life?” Dane said.“I won’t do it again. I understand what’s going on. So what do you actually want? Is it a fake ID? You won’t be able to pass with a very fake ID. That one is easy. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it. So please, can you delete that photo?” David said.“No, I can’t delete the photo. But that isn’t the main problem. The main thing I want you to do for me… is to smuggle… guns… for me and my men… into Richard’s mansion. Don’t forget… you are not my ally. You’re a pawn to me,” Dane said.“It looks like you’re out of your mind. What do you mean? I’m already betraying Richard by letting you in with the fake ID. Even though you already told me it’s fake, I’m still doing it. But I can’t betray Richard to the level… of smuggling weapons… into his own party… so you can attack him. I’m sure that’s the reason. Because you know there’s war. You know there’s war,” David said.Then Dane leaned forward.“
A Trillion-Dollar Threat
“I’m going to use a fake ID to enter the Richard mansion tomorrow,” Dane continued. “Some of my men too. And you are going to make it easy for us. The IDs are good—but if you help, it’ll be smoother. No questions asked. No ID checks. I’m guessing you’re the one in charge of that, right?”“You’re out of your mind,” David snapped. “You think I’m going to do that? Very good. Thanks for telling me your plan.”He stood up. “I’m done. I’m leaving.”But just as he turned, Dane pulled out his phone and held up the picture—the picture. David, in bed, with Richard’s two adopted daughters. All three in the same frame. A selfie. Taken by David himself.As David caught sight of it, he froze.He stood there in silence, then slowly sat back down.His voice cracked. “How did you get that picture?” David shouted.“Raise your voice again. Dude, you’re making a noise,” Dane said.David looked around. He saw some people in the bar turning to look at him because of the way he shouted. Then he calmed down.
Chat
As Dane was still sitting in the bar, he looked at his phone.“10 minutes left. I gave him 30 minutes. He should’ve even been here before now. It’s already 20 minutes,” Dane said to himself.He stayed seated, waiting for David.After 5 more minutes, someone walked into the bar. Dane had never seen David’s face before, so he wasn’t sure at first. But the way the man entered—looking around anxiously, scanning the place—it gave him away.That’s when Dane knew it was him.A minute later, Dane’s phone buzzed. A message from Butcher.This is his daughter. Richard’s daughter. Ben is not the only child. Richard has two daughters. But Ben is the only son. The daughters are adopted—not biological.This is the picture of David sleeping with them.Dane looked down at the message. The photo was a selfie—David lying in bed with Richard’s two adopted daughters. David himself had taken the picture.Dane stared at the image for a moment, then looked up and saw David still standing at the entrance, sti
Via del Silenzio
Dane walked into the bar and sat on a chair with a table in front of him. A waitress came over and asked if there was anything he’d like to order.He said, “Just give me a beer or a glass of water.”She smiled. “Well, I’m going to give you a beer,” she said, then walked away.She came back with a tray and the beer on top of it. Dane took it from her.“Sir, is there anything else you’d like to order? We also sell some snacks that go well with the beer. Or do you want cigarettes?”“No need for that,” Dane replied.She walked away.“Oh, it’s time for me to call David… or should I just blackmail him? Well, whatever,” Dane said, then opened his phone. He copied the number Butcher had sent him, pasted it into the dialer, and called.As the phone rang, David picked up.“Hello, who is this?” David said.“I’m your worst nightmare,” Dane said. “That’s who I am. Be ready, because you’re doomed. If you don’t come to this location, Richard will kill you. Don’t waste time. Come to Via del Silenzio.
Trigger Point
After a short while, Dane stepped out of his room and roamed the ship. As he walked, his phone rang. It was Butcher. Seeing the name on the caller ID, Dane picked up immediately. “Sir, is it time?” Dane asked. “Yes, it’s time,” Butcher replied. “Prepare yourself. I’ll send you everything you need. Take your bike and move out. Don’t forget, you’re going to need guns for this mission. Things might get messy.” “What’s the plan?” Dane asked. “You’re going to blackmail someone—one of Richard’s men,” Butcher said. “His name is David. I’ll send his number to you, along with a photo. Use that to pressure him into betraying Richard.” “What photo?” Dane asked. “You’ll see it when you get to the location I just sent. Go to that address, find a bar nearby, and wait there. Once you’re in place, call David. Make him meet you at that bar. The rest is up to you.” “Yes, sir. Send the location. I’m heading out now,” Dane said. Butcher ended the call. Dane returned to his room, took off his to
Almost Showtime
Dane decided to take a quick nap. But when he opened his eyes, it was already 5 PM.“Damn, that wasn’t a quick nap,” he muttered, sitting up.He rubbed his face, got up, washed his mouth, splashed water on his face, then threw on his jacket again. He sat back down and waited—Jane was supposed to arrive soon.About thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.He opened it.“It’s been a while, friend,” Jane said with a polite smile.“It has,” Dane replied, then added with a smirk, “But please… don’t ‘friendzone’ me. You could’ve just said ‘love.’”“Whatever,” Jane said, rolling her eyes.She was carrying a small luggage case. She stepped into the room, placed the luggage on the table, and opened it. Inside were suits, documents, and a sleek black box.She pulled out one of the suits and handed Dane a fake ID badge.“This is your pass to get into Richard’s mansion tomorrow,” she said.Dane looked over the suit.“This looks good. Was it you who picked it for me?”“Probably not. Th
