Checkmate ♛

CHAPTER TEN ♛

R A Y N E P A R K E R

"Wait you knew I was a secret agent? Why didn't you say anything?"

Rayne asked Kendall, who just bit her lip.

"I wasn't allowed to say anything. My job was to make sure you completed your mission. And you did, my job's complete."

Rayne started to feel anger.

"So this whole time, from the minute I met you till know, you had known about me?"

"Yeah. Believe me, it was hard keeping a secret like that from you. Every time I look at you I feel guilty and I want to tell you but I can't. If I did they would have killed me."

"Who's they?"

"The ISAA."

Rayne's heart started to beat faster, and his breathing got much heavier.

"The ISAA are good people."

"Are they? Are they really, Rayne?"

He bit his lip, glaring at her.

"Yes, they are. I know it."

"Don't be too quick to trust people. You can't trust even some of the good guys."

Rayne rolled his eyes. Never before had he felt his angry at Kendall.

"Okay then, why? Why do you think they aren't good? Why shouldn't I trust them?"

It was Kendall's turn to bite her lip now. She sighed.

"A year ago, I was in a mission with my boyfriend, well ex now, Eric Willson. We were going against a really tough opponent who was going to destroy us if we hadn't stopped him. Eric died, saving me from being shot by the bad guy. And guess what. The bad guys wasn't who we all thought they were. The bad guys were Mr Thompson himself, along with his crew. They killed Eric, just because they were trying to train me to be better. They're killers, Rayne."

Tears streamed down her face as she wiped them off. Rayne wanted to comfort her but his anger stood in the way of that.

"Then why did you stick with the ISAA? After Eric died, why did you help them? Why did you agree to helping me?"

Kendall blinked back the tears, taking a deep breath.

"Because, I didn't want anyone else to be killed because of them. To be manipulated by them. The ISAA told me that they were going to recruit a new secret agent, a 'replacement' for Eric. When they said replacement for Eric, I couldn't help but think that an innocent person was going to get killed again because of them. So I volunteered to be your personal spy, the one that made sure you completed your missions and trainings correctly. I did that to make sure you were safe, to keep you alive."

Rayne's mouth formed 'o' shape. He bit his lip.

"If it weren't for you, Rayne, I wouldn't have bothered to stay on with the ISAA."

Rayne was about to reply to her when suddenly the doors opened again.

"Glad you feel that way, Ms West. It makes our termination for you much simpler."

Mr Thompson said, pointing to two guards to grab Kendall.

"Kendall! Thompson, let her go!"

Rayne shouted, trying to pry the guards's grip off Kendall's shoulders. Kendall tried her best to loosen the grip, too, but to no avail.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr Parker. See, I only needed Kendall here to see you through your training. Now that your secret agent training is done, I don't need Kendall West anymore. And since she found out about our ISAA secret and kept it in for so long, I'm afraid we have no choice, but to kill her."

Rayne's eyes widened.

"Kill her? Never in a million years will you kill her. Not if I'm around."

"You can't stop us, Mr Parker. We control your life, now. We can do what we want. Either Kendall dies, or your precious Bianca Wells and Hunter Rayes. Choose, Rayne. Choose."

Rayne balled his fists. He couldn't believe that they were making him choose between the girl he loved and his best friends.

"It's funny how this is exactly like a game of chess. We're all just like your little pawns. Aren't we? And you feel the need to kill us off one by one, just so you can protect your ISAA image. It started with my parents, then Eric. And now Kendall. What's next? What joy do you get by killing off people who were loyal to you? People who helped the ISAA. Who fought for you?"

Mr Thompson had a blank expression on his face. Rayne hoped he got the message into his thick skull. But sadly, he didn't.

"Touching message, there Mr Parker. But once I made up my mind, nothing can change it. Kendall West will die. But not so soon, no. I'm going to let you save her. If you can save her from the doors of death in three days, she lives. If you can't, she dies, along with one of your two precious best friends."

"Leave them out of this. They did nothing to you!"

Mr Thompson just laughed, manically. Kendall and Rayne shared a look.

"Guards, take her away. Rayne Parker, you have exactly three days. Starting, now."

Mr Thompson walked away with the guards and Kendall, leaving Rayne alone in the carpark.

"I will save you, Kendall. I swear I will."