Pawn

"BREAKING NEWS! After months since her disappearance, the body of Japanese curler, Miyako Suwabe, was found this morning. Authorities are still investigating, but what we know is that she was found covered in snow with visible signs of drug overdose. The corpse of American political prisoner, Milady Shaw, as well as internet personality, Imono, were also found nearby, all with drugs in their systems, just like with Miyako. Additionally, a 4th corpse was found, but was not able to be identified. What we know about this individual is that they are female, bald, and like the others, had drugs in her system. If you or anyone else knows of something, call into our tip line. Now, let's turn it over to our guests. Mr. Burrsting?"

The man sitting across from the news anchor scowled. "This is a troubling development. I've been following Milady's story, and from what I kept hearing, Russian authorities insisted she was being treated "humanely" at a prison in Moscow. However, her corpse was found in the Siberian north along with the others. All three athletes that went missing were reported as just that, missing, by the Russian authorities, so why did they all turn up together?"

"If I recall, Miyako Suwabe along with Welsh downhill skier, Lowri Wyn, and Lithuanian biathlete, Esther Korotkih, were all last seen at a sporting party back in late February. Russian figure skater, Arina Drobysheva, also made her last known public appearance there, but Russian authorities have not declared her missing."

"Hmm, what if that hairless corpse is Arina?"

"You think she's involved in this?"

"She was reportedly spotted with Miyako and Lowri when they were last seen. That combined with her lack of public appearances despite the high-profile skating events that have taken place leads me to believe either she was abducted, or is in cahoots with the kidnappers."

"Could the bald woman be Lowri or Esther instead?"

"It's possible. The question is why just that one corpse is devoid of hair and not the others."

"Maybe so that we could recognize the others?"

"I agree, but that's not the point. Why go the extra effort of removing not just head hair, but eyebrows and eyelashes too? I think it's Arina. The only way to identify that woman would be via blood and dental records, and who would be in charge of that? Russia."

"But why would they off her after she just won gold for them?"

"Political disagreements? That's kind of the norm."

"What about Imono? Unlike the others, the last we saw of her was an upload in mid April, yet she showed up with the others."

"My apologies, but I know little about this individual."

Bzzt!

In a hotel room, a woman with buzzed black hair let out a sigh as she placed the TV remote down.

"Oh? They didn't have anything to say about you?" Vasily chuckled.

"No, because you didn't report me missing. Instead no one bats an eye when I come back into the public eye months after being out of it," the black-haired woman grumbled.

"But it was time well spent, wouldn't you say?"

"Puppeteering that idiot was NOT enjoyable. Nor was putting in and taking out the chip," the woman snarled as she rubbed her buzzed head.

"All in the name of science. Ivo's head might be rolling around in agony at the bottom of the pond, but by electing Miyako to be our puppet, we both trained you, and reawakened a dormant soldier. The future of Russian chess is strong."

"Even though it was training, I was still away from high-level play for nearly a year. I doubt I'll dominate in this coming month."

Vasily chuckled as he watched the woman head out. "I guess a genius does humble herself, but you, Dr. Chelsea Karpova, are an elite in your own class. Now, back to work. I'm a greedy man and one elite isn't enough to satisfy me. I'd prefer... 8 more before I can say Russian chess is invincible."

...

In a cold, dark, prison, a hairless woman in a blue jumpsuit and white trainers, sat restrained in a chair. She had survived and vanquished all challengers in her cell bloc, yet her reward for doing so, could hardly be considered a reward. She had watched friends fall, enemies too, but worst of all, she was now stuck in a hell she wished to have escaped from years ago.

"If I never saw that damn chessboard, never tried playing, would things be different? I don't know. The constant droll of chess is what made me seek out more excitement, but would I have sought it if I never played chess? And what's with this treatment? I've been strung up here for eternity, yet they said at the start the winner could... go... Ah, I forgot... the rules are the whims of that deranged man," the woman thought as light slowly began to creep up on her face.

"Good morning, D-bloc champion!" Vasily clapped as he entered.

The woman glared and let out a grunt as the guards began undoing her restraints.

"Feeling hoppity after that little makeover we gave you?" Vasily snickered.

The woman glared and flipped Vasily the bird as she pressed her other hand against the wall of flesh that now sealed her mouth.

"So glad, so glad. A mouth for you is unnecessary since chess is a quiet sport after all. Ah, but we'll fashion you a mask so as to hide your mouthless state. Now, ready to meet the others?"

The woman let out a muffled sigh as she found herself following Vasily out. She soon found herself in a room with seven other women, all hairless, all clad in blue tracksuits and white trainers, all with their mouths sealed with a wall of flesh.

"Allow me to acquaint you all now that you're all here. Ladies, you all are winners of your respective cell blocs. Now I did say at the start that the winners would compete against each other to determine the best, but I'm a greedy man. Why settle for one pawn, when I can have 8, all that could be promoted into a queen? That's right, you 8 are all my pawns. Pawns that I will promote into queens. Your pasts, your personalities? Irrelevant. All that matters is your chess prowess. Now, I admit when I first tossed these, it was for theatrics, but now, they are official. Congratulations; you're all proud citizens of Mother Russia," Vasily menacingly smiled as he handed out passports to the women.

Opening hers up, the most recent arrival to the room stared blankly at the information inside the passport. "'Arina Miyakova'... What a sick joke," she thought as she shook her head and resigned herself to her fate.

[End]