Chess Pieces Endgame: Checkmate

Chapter 26

My eyes remained on the new email that I've just received. Even if I don't open it, I have a hunch on what's inside of it. Bumaling ang tingin ko kay V na napapansin kong madalas ang pagiging tulala sa umagang iyon.

I bit the insides of my cheeks as I looked at the email again. Should I open it? I know this email contains the location of the Red Faction. The voice is true to its words. Once we've given it the correct answer to the question, ibibigay nya na nga sa amin ang impormasyon na kinakilangan namin.

And it's here. The location of the Red Faction's hideout.

"Alter." I called her as she was still busy typing with her laptop.

Tumingin sya sa akin. Even if her eyes were already looking at me, her hands didn't stop working. Patuloy lang sya sa pagtitipa habang naghihintay sa sasabihin ko.

"You can stop doing that." I said.

"Ha—Huh?" tanong nyang saglit na tumingin sa laptop nya bago ibinalik ang mga mata sa akin. "Alin?"

Tumingin na din sa akin si L na katabi lang nya. They were like, inseperable couple when they're working. Palagi silang magkatabi. And I guess it's they're way to show that they're supporting each other. Lalo pa at mukhang natataranta si Alter ngayon.

I couldn't help but to miss my wife and the twins. Kung minsan ay hindi ko maiwasang mainggit kina L, Kier at Fourth. Because their partners were also part of the game that's why they were able to spend time with them kahit na nasa gitna kami ng laro.

Archer's always complaining about this. Always ranting na malapit nang manganak si Fatima pero nandito sya at hindi pa rin makasama ang asawa.

We've sacrificed a lot in this game. And I fucking swear that we will win this game. I will not let that stupid old geezer, the gamemaster, to take everything away from us.

Babawiin ko ang kapatid ko.

"You can stop searching for the Red Faction's hideout." I said. "Thank you but it's alright now."

With that, Alter's fingers stopped mid air. Narinig ko ang pagbuntong-hininga ni L bago sumandal sa kinauupuan nya. I didn't have to explain everything to him. We've both been working as the EL Ordre's trackers for years so he knows what I meant by now.

Unlike Alter who keeps her stares at me. Parang binabasa kung anong nasa isip ko. She blinks before she looked at my laptop and then back at me again.

"Oh." she muttered. Mukhang nakuha na ang ibig kong sabihin.

They both looked at V who was silent the whole time. We were all in the living room but she hasn't said anything yet. Napansin ko na pilit nya ring iniiwasan ang mga tingin namin. Her eyes were restless and she keeps her head hung low. Kier never left her side the whole time.

It is clear that she is still affected.

I looked at my side and caught Eresh staring at me. Tingin ko ay kanina pa sya nakatitig sa akin and I figured that she knows about what I just said to L and Alter as her eyes went down on my laptop. Nakataas na ang isang kilay nya nang bumalik ang tingin nya sa akin.

I smirked at her. I really admire her intuition. She's so fast in understanding and grasping things that sometimes, I admit, it scares me. With just one look and she could comprehend everything easily.

Just like now.

"The gamemaster is really playing with us." Archer said so suddenly kaya napatingin ako sa kanya.

He tossed the baseball he's holding that I have no idea where he get it from, and caught it in with his hands. Ilang beses nyang ginawa iyon habang nagsasalita.