CHAPTER 6

AFTER GIVING A LAME EXCUSE AT OUR HOMES, WE REACHED MISS OLIVIA'S RESIDENCE. IT WAS A NORMAL HOUSE. ONLY ONE NEIGHBOUR AND A GROUND. "THAT'S NOT GOING WORK," SAID ROMAN AS I WAS TRYING TO UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH A BOBBY PIN. IT WORK. WE WERE ABOUT TO OPEN THE DOOR. "WHO ARE YOU? SOMEONE CALLED. WE TURNED BACK AND SAW A LADY, MUST HAVE BEEN IN HER 40'S OR MAYBE 30'S. "UM...WE'RE HERE TO SEE OLIVIA BLACK, IS SHE HOME?" ROMAN RESPOND. THE LADY REMAINED SILENT. "WE'RE HER STUDENTS. WE HEARD SHE'S SICK" I ADD. "I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE DAYS" THE LADY REPLIED. "I AM HANNAH I LIVE HERE, OLIVIA LIVES THERE" SHE POINTED TOWARDS THE HOUSE WHICH WAS BESIDE. WE REALIZED WE WERE AT THE WRONG DOOR. "COME IN, COME IN," SAID THE LADY. HER HOUSE HAD THE SMEL OF FRESH HERBS, AND PAINTINGS ALL AROUND. SHE LIVED ALONE. SHE OFFERED US TEA. ROMAN FIRST SMELLED THE TEA BECAUSE YOU DON'T OFTEN GO TO STRANGERS AND DRINK TEA. WHEN WERE LEAVING, ROMAN STUDIED THE HOUSE CAREFULLY.

WE BROKE INTO HER HOUSE AND STARTED LOOKING FOR CLUES. THERE WAS A LETTER ON THE TABLE IT WAS BLANK. ROMAN TOOK IT. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE BASEMENT, I KNEW I WOULD FIND SOMETHING THERE. THERE WAS A HIDDEN ROOM AND A CHESSBOARD THE ONLY THING STRANGE ABOUT IT WAS THE MOVES, IT WAS ROOK'S MOVE. NOT JUST ONE BUT TWO. THE ROOM WAS BIGGER THAN THE ONE WHICH BISHOP HAD. I WALKED DEEPE INSIDER AND SAW TWO CONNECTING ROOMS. ONE FROM HANNAH AND THE OTHER FROM OLIVIA. I WAS SURE THAT THEY ARE ONE OF THE PUNISHERS. THEN I SAW THE CODE AND HERBS. JUST THE RIGHT TIME I STARTED TO PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER. FIRST; OLIVIA AND HANNAH ARE THE ROOKS. SECOND; THEY USE THE HERBS TO CAUSE THE POISONING WHICH KILLED THE PEOPLE. AND THE LAST ONE; WHY DID HANNAH KILL OLIVIA?. I RAN UPSTAIRS. "ROMAN HANNAH IS..." I STOPPED. ROMAN WAS STANDING STILL. HE WAS BREATHING HEAVILY. I HEARD A GUN RELOAD BEHIND ME. "DON'T MOVE," HANNAH SAID. I WAS HER TARGET.

THE VERY NEXT MOMENT WE WERE SITTING ON CHAIRS WITH OUR HANDS TIED. "YOU KNOW SMART PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO DIE" HANNAH WAS HOLDING A KNIFE. "BUT WHAT CAN I DO?, I CAN JUST LET YOU GO. BUT YOU'LL TELL THE POLICE AND I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN, CAN I?" SHE BROUGHT THE KNIFE CLOSER TO US. "WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" I ASKED. HANNAH SIGHS. "YOU KNOW WE HAVE RULES. THE ONE WHO COMPLETES THE LIST FIRST LIVES AND GETS THE MONEY AND THE OTHER DIES" HANNAH REPLIED. "SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO KILL US?" ROMAN QUESTIONED. "UM...YES, NO" SHE BROUGHT A CHESSBOARD AND THREE CUPS FILLED WITH A PURPLE LIQUID. "SEE THE GAME IS SIMPLE. TWO OF US PLAY AND THE OTHER SITS. BUT...BUT! THERE'S A TWIST, ON ONE RIGHT STEP YOU DRINK THE ANTIDOTE WHICH IS INSIDE THAT BOTTLE BESIDE THE CUPS. AND IF YOU TAKE A WRONG STEP" SHE EXPLAINED. "YOU DRINK THE POISON" ROMAN CONTINUED. "SMART," SHE REMARKED. "NOW YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO DECIDE WHO PALYS AND WHO SITS, THINK CAREFULLY ONLY TWO OF US WILL LIVE AND THE OTHER WILL DIE, HURRY UP!" HANNAH SAT ON THE BLACK SIDE OF THE BOARD. WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER WITH SADNESS, "I'LL PLAY!" I STOOD UP. "OKAY THEN THE GIRL PLAYS, THE BOY SITS. IF I WON YOU DIE AND HE LIVES. AND IF YOU WON" SHE SAID. "WE BOTH LIVE AND YOU DIE" I CONTINUED.

WE STARTED THE GAME I WAS WHITE, SHE WAS BLACK. JUST ON MY SECOND MOVE, MY PAWN GOT CAPTURED. ROMAN AND I TOOK ONE SIP. CONSTANT WORNG MOVES BY MY SIDE. AT SOME POINT WE STARTED COUGHING SO BAD THAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T MAKE IT.

SHE MOVED HER BLACK KNIGHT TO F6. I STOPPED AND THOUGHT FOR A WHILE, I TRIED TO RECALL ANY OF MY PREVIOUS GAMES. RIGHT ON TIME, I RECALL THE GAME WE PLAYED I DID THE SAME MOVE, THEN ROMAN MOVED HIS QUEEN TO H8. I MOVED MY QUEEN TO H8, SMILING. "CHECKMATE!" I EXCLAIMED. IT WAS THE FIRST CHESS GAME I WON. WE STARTED LAUGHING. "NO!" SHE YELLED AND WAS HOLDING THE GUN TOWARDS US. ROMAN HIT HER LEG AND SHE FELL. THEN HE TIED HER WITH A ROPE, THE SAME ONE SHE USED TO TIE US. "YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT FASTER" I PUNCHED HIM PLAYFULLY. "YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME" HE SMILED, HIS CROOKED SMILE. WE CALLED THE POLICE AND BEFORE THEY COULD REACH WE LEFT.

MY PARENTS AND I REACHED HOME TOGETHER. ROMAN WAS THERE TO DROP ME. "GOOD EVENING" ROMAN GREETS. "GOOD EVENING. ROMAN, RIGHT?" MY MOM REPLIED. "AND MR.BERK" ROMAN ADDS WITH A COLD. "CAN WE GET IN IT'S DINNER TIME" MY DAD SAID. "YEAH, I WAS JUST LEAVING" ROMAN CHUCKLED NERVOUSLY AND WALKED TOWARDS HIS CAR. "JOIN US" I MOM OFFERED.

WE WERE HAVING DINNER, IT'S ALWAYS LOUD WHEN WE'RE HAVING ANY MEAL BECAUSE MY FAMILY AND I, WE TALK ALOT. ROMAN MADE THAT FACE LIKE HE'S DYING FROM INSIDE AND DIDN'T SAID A WORD. AFTER DINNER AND A BIT OF TALK HE WAS LEAVING. "IS IT ALWAYS SO LOUD IN HERE?" HE ASKED. WE WERE WALKING TOWARDS HIS CAR. "YES, NO...IT'S QUITE WHEN EVERYONE'S ASLEEP" I REPLIED. "HOW DO YOU EVEN SURVIVE?" HE WALKED TOWARDS HIS. "CONGRATULATIONS THEN, YOU'RE A SURVIVOR" I JOKED. "I GUESS I AM" HE MUMBLED.

DAVIS WAKED IN HIS DARKROOM. "THE GREAT DAVIS SCOTT" ROMAN TURNED ON THE LIGHTS. "WHAT DO YOU WANT ROMAN?"HE ASKED. "LEAVING THE HOUSE AT NIGHT, GOING TO AN OLD MANSION AND KITE STRINGS. SENDING LETTERS TO THE ROOKS AND BAGS FILLED WITH MONEY. YOU'RE NOT THE KING DAVIS, YOU'RE THE BISHOP, AREN'T YOU?" ROMAN SAID. "GOOD, EXCELLENT ACTUALLY, I KNEW YOU WOULD FIGURE IT OUT" DAVIS REPLIED. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, DAVIS?" ROMAN QUESTIONED. "MONEY ROMAN!" HE EXCLAIMED "AND I HAVE A DEAL FOR YOU" DAVIS ADDS.