Agent Rogue: Renegade

Chapter 12

It was one-on-one, Derek versus Sienna as Scotty and I entered the poker room once again. His eyes did not leave his handheld cards for even a second as we approached the table; his concentration focussed entirely on both anticipating and countering Sienna's next move. 

"You've done well, Mr Brooks," she said. "There would be no shame if you lose now."

His eyes broke from the cards. "I'm not going to lose," Derek said, "because you're a liar, Miss Li."

There was a choir of gasps across the gathering crowds around the table. Derek was going for it: all or nothing. The next few moments in the game would determine who would win and who would get the £5 million: the British Secret Service or Marcus Knight. Scotty and I shared a glance before setting our sights on Sienna.

Sienna cocked her head as a devilish smile spread across her lips. "Are you calling my bluff, Mr Brooks?"

"I think you know that I am," he retorted. Scotty cursed under his breath.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"That man's damn arrogance is gonna lose us this mission." 

"You're certain that she's not bluffing?"

"She's a good player and she's playing innocent but its obvious. She's making it obvious on purpose so that he'll think she's bluffing when she isn't. If he calls and she's telling the truth, we're done."

The sentence almost went over my head. I was never very good at these types of games, hence why Derek was also put into the competition. He taught me everything I knew. "Derek knows what he's doing," I insisted.

"And what if he doesn't?! What if he loses and the money gets to Marcus and--"

"Shh!" Someone beside Scotty snapped. "They're talking."

"Final decision," said Sienna. "Am. I. Bluffing?" 

Derek leaned forward, inhaling through his nose as he stretched outwards across the table, getting as close as possible to Sienna without leaving his seat.

"Yes."

Scotty groaned and cursed his name, spinning around and clutching his hair in exasperation. Boos travelled across the crowd but Derek kept his cool; his eyes looked to the side once, towards me, before looking back to Sienna without a single shift in expression. Sienna straightened herself up, her expression hardening.

"Fine, then."

He had to be right. He had to be. The stakes were too high for Derek to lose this game and he knew what it meant for everyone - for me. He had to be right.

"We're done for," Scotty exhaled. "It's over."

Tuning him out, I kept my eyes locked on Sienna. 

"Miss," said the dealer, "if you could please turn over your cards."

She was slow, so hesitant that I held my breath and waited for the moment when everything would be lost. She was toying with us, wanting us to bask in our glory before snatching the victory right from our grasp. I thought of ways we could get the money back: challenge her again; maybe steal it. Rodriguez forbade us from killing anyone to prevent the local authorities from getting too involved but Marcus could not get that money.

The cards were overturned and Scotty's jaw dropped.

She held one single pair of kings; a far inferior hand to Derek's. His smirk grew in pride and his eyes instantly flitted towards me, who was still standing, almost numb with shock.