Chapter 4

Jake protested, "No, no, no, no..."

"And so you have sealed the fate of your beloved family," said the Bishop.

"Another chance!" begged Jake, "Give me another chance!"

The Bishop was unmoved. "Jake, have you ever listened to an opponent begging for another chance? I didn't think so."

Jake leaned forward on the table, his desperation showing. "I woke up to strangers in my house, my family kidnapped, and you expect me to be in the right frame of mind to play a game of chess? Are you really okay winning like this?"

The Bishop stared at Jake, unblinking. "Excuses, excuses... does the soldier complain when he is ambushed by the enemy? No, he does not. Because it is expected."

Defeated, Jake sat back down at the table. The Bishop also relaxed, chuckling to himself.

"You've grown complacent," he said.

"You don't know me... you don't know a thing about me," retorted Jake.

"I know you," said the Bishop calmly, "I have watched you over the years. You could say I'm a fan."

Jake was taken aback. "What? So what's this... some obsessive fantasy of yours? To kill my family? To make me suffer?"

The Bishop didn't flinch. "If I must... yes. You see, Jake, this, to me, might be the most important thing I do."

Jake was left with more questions than answers as he sat there, defeated and helpless. The Bishop had his own reasons for what he was doing, and Jake was caught in the middle..

The Bishop sat across from Jake, his expression stern and unyielding. The room was silent save for the soft clicks of the chess pieces being moved about the board.

"You've lost your edge," the Bishop declared, his voice low and even.

Jake looked up from the chessboard, his face etched with confusion. "I don't understand," he replied, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Just let my family go!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.

"I can't even think straight with my family in that damn tank!" Jake continued, his eyes darting toward the large tank situated in the corner of the room.

"And you can save them," the Bishop said, his voice cutting through Jake's outburst. "You're just choosing not to."

"That's not true," Jake declared passionately. "Why wouldn't I want to? They mean everything to me."

"You can lie all you want," the Bishop replied calmly. "It won't change the truth."

As the Bishop's bodyguard rearranged the chess pieces on the board, the Bishop spoke once more.

"So I will give you another chance, a deuxieme if you will," he said, his voice measured and calm.

Jake sat up straighter in his seat, his eyes locked on the Bishop's.

"How do I know you'll really let them go, even if I win?" he asked.

"You mean 'if' you win, Jake," the Bishop replied, his gaze fixed on the timer ticking away on the table. "I've watched you over the years. I know every move set you've ever used. But I give you my word. I will let them go."

"Before we start," Jake said, his voice firm. "Tell me why. Why do all of this? What do you hope to get from me?"

"I do not hope," the Bishop replied, his eyes still fixed on the timer. "Hope is for children. You have four minutes left."

Jake made his first move, seeming to gain the upper hand in the match. The Bishop looked a little concerned at how well Jake was playing, but then he paused.

"Chuckles," the Bishop said, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know why you threw the final game in the tournament."

Jake looked shocked. "You mean why I lost?" he asked.

"No, no, no," the Bishop replied, moving his piece across the board. "You may have everyone else fooled, but not me."

"I know of the burden that comes with winning, being the best, perfection," the Bishop continued, his voice low and even. "It's like a wall that won't just budge. When you reach the top and you gaze on everyone else below, With no room for growth anymore."

Jake began to lose focus listening to the Bishop, his pieces dwindling as he listened in shock.

"It's like a game you've played over and over again. It starts to bore you because you've seen it all," the Bishop continued.

"Tell me, Jake," he said, his voice softening. "When a game developer wants to keep you playing, what do they do?

The Bishop leaned forward in his wheelchair, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes! Exactly, a new way! Raising the stakes... that is the reason why I am here," he responded enthusiastically.

He paused for a moment, carefully considering his next move. Then, he moved his chess piece and said, "Check," to Jake, who had only his Bishop and King left on the board.

Jake was shocked by this sudden turn of events. He looked around at his family, who were drowning in a tank, and was devastated. He put his head down and began to cry.

The Bishop lookiing disappointed says,

"I thought you could rise to the challenge, playing with the ultimate wager, with your family's life hanging in the balance... but I was wrong. You are a disappointment," the Bishop said, looking at Jake in disgust.

But then, something unexpected happened. Jake's crying slowing turned into giggles. His giggles grew louder and more ominous by the second.

"Yes, this is it. This is exactly what I needed. The rush, the adrenaline. My heart's racing. I can't get enough of this feeling. Oh, how I've missed this, how I've longed for a moment like this," Jake raved about his excitement.

The Bishop looked on in awe as Jake continued to talk about the thrill of the game. But then, he turned to the screen and saw his family submerged in the water. "Your move, Jake," he said urgently.

Jake paused for a moment, caught up in the intensity of the moment. Then, he made his move decisively. "Checkmate," he said.

The Bishop breathed a sigh of relief as he ordered his man to let the water out of the tank. Angela and Mary panted and coughed up water, while Jake breathed heavily in excitement.

"You have done well," the Bishop said, impressed with Jake's performance.

Jake looked back at the Bishop silently, his mind racing with anticipation. "What's next?" he asked calmly.

The Bishop leaned in from his wheelchair, a wicked smile on his face. The Bodyguard dropped a gun on the table.

"Now, do you wish to play again?!" the Bishop asked, his voice filled with excitement.

Jake raises his eyes to meet that of the Bishop's as he smirked and whispers to the Bishop

"Again".