When Forever Ends (Part 1: A Game of Chess)

XXI

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T w e n t y - O n e

"Now that we're all here, why don't we just calm down and have a chat, like civilized beings." The man gestured to a metal folding chair in front of him. "Please. Have a seat." He obviously expected me to do what he said, but he didn't move the blade from where he held it.

I made no move to sit. "Why should I?"

The man looked surprised. "I thought the mere sight of me would have you shaking," he said. "After all, we have had some nasty encounters in the past. An encounter, to be more precise."

"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life!" Even as I said it, I felt a flicker of recognition at the man's face, and his smooth manner of speaking, and it had nothing to do with his strange similarity to Will.

He looked down at me, his face blank. He was taller than Erin, probably two meters tall, and could see me right over her head. "Hm. Well if you won't obey me because of what I've done, then perhaps a certain someone," he pressed the knife against Erin a little harder and she let out a terrified yelp, "will be a more effective incentive."

I scoffed at his confidence. "Than you picked the wrong someone! I only met her a week ago!" Again, I felt that same flicker, the feeling that I had been in a similar situation with these same people before.

If it was possible, the man looked even more surprised. "Really? Do you mean to tell me that she means nothing to you?"

I shrugged. Maybe my indifference would spare her life.

"Well in that case," he moved the knife into a position where he could easily slit Erin's throat.

"No!" I hurriedly sat in the chair. "Please don't!"

"Oh, so you do have feelings for her?"

"I just don't want anyone dead!" I said quickly. "Now. You wanted to talk?"

The man shoved Erin towards the rest of my friends and she made a noise of surprise. He then walked over to me.

"So," he said. "Where should we begin?"

"Well perhaps you could start by telling me how you knew my name."

"Ah. The same reason I thought you would obey me, Ryan," he spat my name as one would an insult. "Our previous meeting."

"Enlighten me," I sat back in the chair and crossed my arms. "I seem to have misplaced my memory."

"Last Hope? Tarron? (That would be moi.) Sarentino? Don't those names mean anything to you?" He paced in circles around me, looking at me as if he could see through my skull to my thoughts, and I shivered under his piercing gaze.

"Nope," I said. "Never heard of 'em."

"Well that rather spoils things. I can't go through with my current plan if you don't know me and what I've done." He went over to my friends and unchained them. Tarron held out the chains and two huge men in thick, black suits stepped out of the shadows. One took the chains from him, while the other attached a chain to my arm.

"Lock them up." He said calmly.

Then he turned to me. "Try to remember, Ryan. I'm going to kill you anyway, but it will be much more pleasurable for me if you know who I am." He rapped on my skull and I ducked away from his hand.

The guards started marching away, leading us by our chains like animals.

The last thing I heard before the doors closed behind us was laughter. Evil, maniacal laughter that sent chills running down my spine.