Chapter 21
The game of chess intrigued him. While he was no grand master, Roman was pretty good. He appreciated the possibilities of the different moves, the limitations of the movement of each piece, and the strategy needed to beat his opponent. At home in New York he had a habit of playing online until 2 or 3 a.m., which allowed him to stretch his concentration to its limits as he fought off fatigue. When he was faced with a particular challenge, it was not uncommon for him to go without food and water for hours on end as he fixated on knowing all the potential moves four or five turns ahead.
Tonight he had an important task to perform.
A dry, cold front had come through town, and the air was now frigid. Frost was appearing on the tops of the cars and on the windows in the Microtel pa
