It was a sunny Sunday morning, a few days later, and Amber got up early. Sherlock was not in the kitchen, so she checked in the living room. She froze on the threshold. In the middle of the room, as if he had always been there, stood a wooden chess figure one and a half meters high.

Amber looked at the detective, sitting in his armchair, but he did not acknowledge her presence, staring at the object as if he was expecting it to explain the reason for being in their living room.

'It's from him.' Amber sat down in her armchair. She did not need an answer. It was obvious it was the White King.

She sighed. On one hand, she was terrified by the fact that this madman was plotting against them again, and on the other... She was excited about it. After all, that meant another mystery to solve.

Sherlock looked up, as he had only now noticed her.

'It's a warning.'

Silence fell in between them in which only their breaths and the sound of cars outside the window could be heard.

'But this is a white figure...'

'Yes, a white queen.'

Suddenly, a bang. Like an explosion. It was coming from the street through the window.

They jumped up from their seats, exchanging looks. They were both kind of expecting it, but still, it caught them off guard. They ran down the stairs and fell out into the street.

A small car had smashed against the wall of the building on the other side of the street. The vehicle most likely slipped and hit the side of the building with enormous force.

People had already started to gather around, curious and scared at the same time. Nobody had the courage to come closer. The car was on fire looked like it could explode once again.

Someone was sitting in the driver's seat. They could see the female figure with the head on the steering wheel. There seemed to be no blood, but the woman did not move. Her hair was spread around her head.

Sherlock ran to the car, ignoring the unarticulated sound from Amber, and peered through the open window into the car.

Young woman, unmarried, inexperienced driver. Dressed in an ordinary jacket and jeans.

Her left hand was leaning against the steering wheel, but she was undoubtedly holding something in her right hand.

The detective came back to Amber, his face impossible to read.

Without any word, he gave her something he took from the car. A little chess figure. White queen. "The game's not over yet."

The girl raised her head and looked at Sherlock. But she had no time to say anything, as a black car came suddenly from around the corner and stopped right next to them. A man in a suit and dark glasses got out of it.

'Mr. Holmes?'

Sherlock did not move, looking at the man first, and then the expensive car. There was no question as to where it came from.

Amber glanced at Sherlock with concern. He cannot learn the truth, she thought.

'I'm not going anywhere without...'

From nowhere another man in a suit appeared with their coats in his hands.

Holmes smirked.

'Amber, I think we'll go on a little trip.'

Amber looked at the scene of the accident last time when they were driving away. She heard the oncoming ambulance in the distance. But it was too late. The White Queen was already dead.

***

The great white building they drove up to was surrounded by a well-kept garden and stood out from the other grey houses they had passed before. In the middle of the driveway, a white marble fountain gushed cheerfully in front of the big door, and the bushes growing on the arbor on the right spread a delicate rose scent in the air.

Sherlock did not bother to admire the wealth and splendor that surrounded them. He stepped firmly inside the building, ignoring the fact that he came through the middle of the flower bed. Amber, wanting not to, followed him, feeling her anxiety slightly become harder to ignore.

They were guided into the living room, decorated in beige color with a glass coffee table, two armchairs, and a sofa. A man in a carefully ironed suit got up from his chair and wanted to say something, but Sherlock was faster:

'Don't even bother. I already know.'

Mycroft looked angry at Amber. Her face was blushing a little bit. But he knew she wouldn't be able to hide it for a long time.

The detective sat ostentatiously on the couch and stared at his brother.

'So...?' He said after a while of silence.

'What are you going to do about the White King?' Elder Holmes asked directly,

Amber sat down carefully on the soft sofa next to the detective.

Sherlock looked him in the eye, keeping a stone face.

'We'll wait for his next move.'

'He had just killed the White Queen before your very eyes.'

'Depriving himself of his strongest figure.'

'This is not just a game of chess, you know. This is real life. And he knows your weak points.'

His eyes twitched in the direction of Amber, but Sherlock was still looking at him, without blinking. He did not reply and for a moment they stared at each other.

'The Queen can be always restored during the game.' Amber broke the silence.

Before anyone could respond they heard the sound of the incoming SMS. Sherlock glanced at Amber, then reached into his pocket to check the message.

He read it without any emotion on his face and put the phone back into his pocket. He leaned toward his brother and asked, almost in a whisper:

'What do you propose we do, then?'

'End the game before this madman kills another innocent person.'

Sherlock snorted and stood up, closing the button on his suit. The conversation was done for him.

Mycroft stood up too.

The detective's gaze shifted to Amber.

Her hazel eyes met his steel-blue.

Draw his attention away.

Why me, exactly?

I don't need much time.

What's that for?

Sherlock smirked.

***

Amber ran out of the room right after Mycroft realized they had tricked him. At this point, she has mastered the power of drawing attention away so Sherlock can conduct his business. She turned around the corner and ran into Sherlock running in her direction.

'Got it?'

He dropped the keys in his hand, smiling slackly.

They headed towards the exit.

'Couldn't you just ask him to lend you?'

'It wouldn't be as much fun.'

A few minutes later they were already in a huge hall with various flying machines.

They got into a small helicopter and Sherlock looked around carefully at the numerous buttons.

'I 'm not implying there is anything you can't do.' Amber said. 'But can you fly it?'

'No. But I can learn.'

***

They landed, with no major problems, and got out of the helicopter.

Amber sighed theatrically.

'I thought I'd never come back to earth in one piece.'

'If we had crashed, you would theoretically die from the explosion, and there are chances you would reach the ground in one piece and only then die.' He took his gun out of his pocket and loaded it.

'You're impossible.' she smiled under her nose, also taking out her gun. They had a new case to solve, and she could feel excitement filling up her body. 'What is our plan then?'

They looked around. They were standing on the roof of an old townhouse on the outskirts of London. The streets seemed empty, abandoned almost. No one has ever been surprised to see a helicopter landing on the building.

'You see that old house over there?' He pointed his finger at a small, gray building, sandwiched between two others.

She nodded.

'But how do you know we will find him there?'

'He does not care about winning.' He ignored her question. 'All he cares about is the game itself. That's why I expect he's set us up with some sort of fatal trap again.'

Saying that he couldn't stop a little smile. Neither could Amber.

'So, what are we waiting for?'

And they began to head towards the place of their second duel with the White King.

***

A tall man in a white suit sat at the piano and ran his long finger across the keyboard from the highest key to the lowest. A cacophony of sounds filled the room, echoing in the space.

Then silence.

He froze with his fingers over the keyboard for a moment, ready to start playing. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the silence before he was about to fill it with sounds. Then he lowered his fingers and began to play.

The melody came studently, attacking them like a lion attacking its prey. Amber flinched. Something was frightening about the music. Something that made her hands tremble slightly. She clenched her fingers tighter on the gun and followed Sherlock down the long corridor toward the sound source.

The King shook his head, winning sharp sounds, then moved to higher tones, tilting his head and closing his eyes. His slender fingers raged on the keys, creating a coherent composition.

They reached the stairs and began to climb them slowly, still looking around carefully, not knowing what to expect. The melody carried along the spatial corridor, now even louder than before.

The melody now slowed down significantly, ending sharply on a high note. The King allowed the sound to echo at the end and for a moment there was silence. The corner of his mouth rose slightly upwards as he again began to play with even more energy. He could feel the vibrations coming from the piano. He laughed heartily. Oh, how he loved the power the music holds.

Sherlock and Amber reached the top of the stairs. The music was coming from the room at the end of the corridor with the slightly ajar doors. Amber made her hold on the gun even tighter. She nodded at Sherlock and quietly began to traverse the corridor.

He drummed his fingers on the keyboard, coming back to a particular note. His hands were now flashing through the air at blazing speed. It seemed like he had four hands, all working in unison to create the melody. Now the music was full of anger and hatred.

Sherlock felt a shiver on his back but ignored the terror that was attacking him. He walked closer and closer to the door and for a moment did not move, as if collecting thoughts. Then he opened the door with one accurate kick. He jumped in, and Amber followed him.

They both aimed at the person sitting at the piano, but no one was there...

At the same moment, the jaws rang out, and then the bang and the mighty metal door closed by itself, trapping them in the room.

***

Hi, sorry for not uploading for a while. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!