Chapter 23.

HERA.

One long sip, two moves on the chess board, several messages sent and received by alpha, beta and gamma units. Rinse and repeat like the rapid flush of a machine gun ripping through the clouded atmosphere of the battlefield.

My large doors are swung open. Aggressively at that. Someone who wants to bother me, someone angry, someone who wants information. My right hand man.

"Hello Jin," I muttered, sliding his bishop two squares to the right diagonally. Kira and Daniel the black squares of the chess board, their pieces deep amongst the white pieces across the board. An extra queen on the opposite end of the board – just off the chess board. Frustrating. In the game, but just out of reach.

He slammed his palms on the coffee table, the chess pieces un-moved. It was a good thing I listened to Mei about getting magnetic pieces. Sure it tore away the raw feeling of the old game but with lunatics coming into my office every so often, it was a good idea.

"Where the hell are Stray and Kira going?" he said, his voice on edge, cologne fighting its way around me.

I leaned back on the couch, twisting the glass of liquor in my palm. "I've always disliked your cologne."

"And that little red haired girl, where the hell did she go?" he snapped.

"Maybe you should invest in something better smelling." I sipped the liquor, it was beginning to taste bland. Maybe I should ask Saia for a bottle of Saturn treated liquor. Hopefully it kick starts my taste buds. "Kira could give you some advice."

"I don't have time for this, Hera," he said, his hands digging into the opposite couch.

Always so level headed, until Daniel appeared. That's when the seams began to appear, when the stuffing came out of the pillow. When he began to show his game plan. Sloppy. Shameful. "And why don't you have time, Jin? Because I certainly haven't given you anything to do."

"You don't have to give me something to do for me to be busy."

"Then if I'm not worth your time then you should be on your way."

He glared at me. I kept my eyes on the chess board. The queen on the table taunting me, Jin's piece drawing further away from me. And the penny drops. He's the piece closest to me, literally and figuratively. The bishop was only taking orders from one queen, and not the queen on the board.

I plucked Magnus' queen and replaced it with a king, putting aside his piece. For the sake of both of us, he had said. He wasn't in control anymore. Had he ever been? Now this changes the game even more. An opportunity was arising, but time was running down.

"Daniel and Kira are leading a raid on one of the warehouses," I said, pretending to check the tablet lying next to me on the couch. "Warehouse B7/8. We've come across a few weapons that should be useful for the coming few weeks."

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. He had let it grow, get messy and unruly. "Alright. See, sometimes a little transparency would be good for us. I'm your right hand for a reason, remember?"

"My bishop." I raised the glass in mock acceptance.