The Last Move

The room was immersed in a dense silence, interrupted only by the intermittent buzz of the neon lamp. In the center, a wooden table marked by time and a chessboard. The pieces were arranged as if someone had interrupted a game, leaving it unfinished.
In front of the chessboard sat two people. She, elegant, with a touch of makeup and the look of someone accustomed to dominating. He, unkempt, with an unkempt beard and hands that betrayed a subtle nervousness.
"Have you ever wondered how you ended up here?" the woman asked, in a calm, almost hypnotic voice.
The man looked up from the chessboard, but only for a moment. He immediately returned to stare at the pieces. "It doesn't matter. I'll finish this game."
She smiled slightly, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She picked up the white queen and moved it slowly, clicking her nail against the wood. "The king is always so predictable," she murmured.
The man didn't answer. His hands moved across the board with calculated movements. He moved a black rook. Then he leaned back in his chair, a hint of satisfaction on his face.
The woman stared at him for a few seconds, motionless. Then she stood up. The sound of her heels on the floor filled the room. In one fluid motion, she pulled a gun from under her jacket. She pointed it at him.
"This is your last move."
The man, not at all surprised, smiled. Slowly, he reached under the table. Before she could react, he pressed a hidden button.
The room went dark. A moment, maybe two. Then, with a click, the fluorescent light began to glow again.
The woman was on the floor, motionless. The gun lay far away, out of her reach. The man stood up, calmly. He looked at the woman's body, then at the board. He bent down and overturned the black king.
Before he left, he left a crumpled piece of paper on the table. Written on it, in irregular handwriting, was: “Checkmate.”
The echo of his footsteps faded, and only silence remained in the room. A silence that would not last long. In the distance, the sirens were getting closer and closer.