Chapter Eight: The Gambit

“Damn it…” I muttered. I’d spent so long practicing, but I still got knocked out of the tournament. I didn’t even reach the finals! I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes.

“Nate?” I heard a soft, familiar voice say from behind me. Talia had come to check on me. “Hey Tal, I’m fine…” I stammered unconvincingly. She frowned, “Doesn’t look like you are. You know you did good, right?”

“I know but… I wanted to win” I choked out, feeling more pathetic with every word. I felt Talia’s slender arms wrap around me. She was warm.

“It’s okay. You did good, really.” I felt my despair giving way to acceptance. So what if I didn’t win? I didn’t need to be the best, did I? As long as I enjoyed the game.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m okay. Really.” I looked up and saw my opponent, Evan, watching us from the end of the hallway. He looked strangely sad.

“Nate? What is it?” Talia asked.

“Nate?”

Saturday—Day of Rematch

“Nate?” I felt a hand gently shaking my shoulder.

I slowly lifted my head up, blinking away my restless sleep. “Tal?”

It really was her. She looked tired and her clothes were dirty, but she was really here. “Talia, where were you? What are you doing here?” I asked while she undid my restraints.

“I’m helping, I promise. I just needed some time to figure out how.” As I felt the bindings on my wrists release, a dark thought gripped me.

“Talia, could you turn around?” I asked, uncertain. Talia grimaced in response.

“Okay, but don’t freak out.” She turned and pulled her hair back, revealing an all-too familiar device implanted in her neck. I felt my stomach churn at the sight, burning from the knowledge that I had failed to save the last person Evan hadn’t taken from me. That is until I noticed the glow of the device, a cool blue rather than the red I had grown accustomed to. Quickly rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I noticed the king insignia emblazoned on the centre.

“Talia, you didn’t...” I murmured.

“Like I said, you’ll have to trust me,” she reiterated. “Do you have all your other pieces?”

“I… Yeah. The king was the last one I needed. You took it?”

“Good, get them all over to the gymnasium. And make sure they’re dressed in a way that lets you tell the pieces apart,” she said, blazing right past my realization.

“People. They’re people, Tal.”

“Not if you don’t win they aren’t.”

The words washed over me like a bucket of ice water. Time was up, I didn’t have an ounce of dread or pity to spare. I stood up from the chair, rubbing the soreness from my ropeburned wrists. I reached into my back pocket for my phone and texted my pieces to convene outside the gym along with additional instructions for their outfits. We had to be able to tell them apart, after all.

It was time for a game of chess.

Talia and I sat on an old wooden bench in the hallway, waiting for everyone else to trickle in. We didn’t speak for a long time, not sure what to say to one another. Deep down, though, I couldn’t help but feel a certain feeling of peace. Last night I had seen everyone I loved, even my own mother, turn against me. In spite of everything, Talia was by my side. She always was…

“Tal… Can I win?” I asked sullenly.

She studied me for a moment, her darkened, tired eyes scanning my demeanor.

“Yes,” she stated bluntly.

I inhaled deeply through my nose as we listened to the sound of footsteps approaching from down the hall.

“Okay.”

A few minutes later and everyone had convened in outfits that denoted their status. The eight pawns were all wearing the black leggings and tank tops they usually used for meditation. A simple outfit fitting of the pawns. Sister Desiree and Sister Maria had donned their nuns’ habits, easily identifying them as bishops. I had instructed Mikayla and Sophie, my knights, to wear matching black leather outfits. It was a bit more punk than their normal style, but that hardly mattered right now.

My rooks, Julia and Kody, were wearing matching frilly dresses and heels. Not exactly reminiscent of a castle, but all they needed to be was identifiable. Tina, my queen, was dressed in a long evening gown that looked incredibly out of place both among the crowd and on Tina herself, who was by no means an elegant or sophisticated woman. That was the point though - there was only one queen, and she had to stand out.

I realized there was one piece I didn’t plan for. “Talia, you need an outfit,” I began.

“Don’t worry,” she replied, fishing through her bag and pulling out a cheap plastic tiara. She placed it awkwardly on her head.

“How do I look?”

Between her tattered skirt and blouse, dirty sneakers, and messy hair, she looked like she’d been living in the woods. The tiara could only do so much to counter that. And yet she looked beautiful. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or the stress, or maybe it was the relief of talking to somebody I knew for sure was on my side. But somehow, through all the tattered clothes and dirt stains, I couldn’t look away.

Talia’s watch beeped, snapping us out of our moment. It was noon.

“Alright, follow me,” I commanded. My team dutifully followed me in as I opened the door, Talia following me in at my side.

“Welcome!” Evan exclaimed from the other side of the gym. The same space where I had beaten him in our last match. This time, however, there were no spectators, no cameras, and no chess boards. Instead, reflective tape had been used to create a massive 8x8 grid on the floor, each square roughly large enough to fit a single person. On either end of the grid were two laddered lifeguard chairs, no doubt borrowed from the pool with Malia’s help, overseeing the board.

Speaking of Malia, she was down on her hands and knees, supporting Evan while he sat on her back. Behind her was Luna, the tattooed girl I hadn’t met before, standing rigid to allow Evan to lean back into her. The pair had essentially formed a human throne, one which Evan lounged on like a king. Malia and Luna were both dressed in matching black leather jumpsuits, with tall leather boots and black caps to match their sexed up uniforms.

“Tell me Nathan, are you excited? I, for one, can’t wait to finally settle this.”

“Then for once we agree,” I shot back, making my way towards the chair on my side.

Evan seemed a bit disappointed. “Getting started so soon? Come on, Nathan, we can have some pre-match fun. Just look at Luna here!” he exclaimed, patting his slave’s barely-contained tits. “I told you I had a surprise in store with her, and here it is: Luna’s a costume designer!” The leather-clad woman’s face remained blank, no doubt on Evan’s orders.

“She spent this entire week designing and tailoring specialized costumes for every single one of my pieces. She was so busy, in fact, that she had to miss out on last night just to finish up her work! Surely you don’t want all that to be for nothing, right?” I remained silent, simply waiting for his monologue to finish. For a moment I could see a lapse in his demeanor. He’d clearly put a lot of effort into tormenting me, and the fact that I wasn’t responding the way he wanted was getting under his skin.

“Fine then, be a spoilsport. I still want to have my fun,” Evan declared, pulling his headset on and speaking into the mic. “Ladies! Your time has arrived!” With that, the doors on the other side of the gym opened and a familiar assortment of women began marching out in a line. First were the pawns, each donning wide smiles in addition to their cheerleading uniforms. They had been modified to shorten the skirts, make their cleavage visible, and show off their midriffs. Most strikingly however, the team logo on the front of the uniform had been replaced with Evan’s stylized initials, and the team name had been changed to the “Boltchek Bitches.”

Each of the pawns lined up in front of me, pompoms in hand and plastic smiles on their faces.

“EVAN, EVAN, HE’S OUR MAN!! IF HE CAN’T DO IT NO ONE CAN!!”

It seemed Evan couldn’t resist having them do this one last time.

“EVAN, EVAN, HE’S OUR GOD!! WE WORSHIP HIS MASSIVE ROD!!”

The cheerleaders jumped and flipped around in what was no doubt a rehearsed and choreographed dance. Was that what he had them doing when they weren’t taunting me outside my window?

“NATHAN, NATHAN, HE’S NO MAN!! HE WALKED IN HERE WITHOUT A PLAN!!”

Well, they weren’t entirely wrong on that one…

“NATHAN, NATHAN, HE CAN’T WIN!! HIS LOSS WILL BE HIS GREATEST SIN!!”

The pawns finished their chant bent over, flashing their bare asses at me.

“Wow, you girls got real biblical at the end there, huh?” I answered to a chorus of jeers from the brainwashed cheerleaders. Evan clapped his hands and they lined up on the board in front of him, taking their positions on the board as his pawns.

“Now yours” Evan demanded. I pulled my headset on and spoke into the mic.

“Pawns, take your positions.” At once my eight matching women lined up, their athletic wear sharply contrasting the cheerleader drones opposite them.

“Gotta say, Nathan, you didn’t get very creative with your costuming. Ah well, it’ll do. Bishops!” With that, Dr. Mallory, and Ms. Holbrook emerged from the back doors. They were each dressed in white robes that had been modified to show off their legs and outline their figures. Their hard nipples were clearly visible through the thin fabric as they stood smiling at Evan’s side.

“Holbrook you stupid bitch, get your tits out. They’re useless tucked away in that stuffy robe,” Evan scolded. Ms. Holbrook looked wounded and scrambled to expose her breasts.

“Of course, sir. Sorry, I’m such a stupid, worthless bitch.” As Ms. Holbrook fumbled with her clothes I couldn’t help but notice the cold fury in Evan’s gaze. This wasn’t just a dominance thing, he really did seem to resent Ms. Holbrook for something. But what reason could he possibly have to treat her so much more cruelly than the rest?

Ms. Holbrook’s tits finally flopped out of her clothes into the open air, allowing Evan to return his attention to me.

“Tell you what Nathan, I’m going to let each of my special pieces say something to you before the start of the match. Why don’t you start us off, Professor?”

Dr. Mallory took a small step forward. “Nathan, I don’t appreciate those who think taking shortcuts in life will reward them. I hope losing everything you held dear will be a harsh, but deserved, lesson.”

Evan returned his attention to Ms. Holbrook. “And you, tits?” Ms. Holbrook opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to struggle to find the words.

“I’m sorry sir, I think I’m too stupid to say anything.”

Evan smacked her ass hard in response, sending ripples across her skin as she jumped. “Well, at least you’re self-aware. Now get into position.”

With that, the two women took their spots as the bishops and stood at attention. Evan looked expectantly at me and I sighed, pulling up my mic and ordering Sister Desiree and Sister Maria to their positions.

“Actual nuns!? Booooooo!” Evan jeered, accompanied by the rest of his slaves a moment later. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes in spite of the tension. Did he seriously think his disapproval meant anything to me?

“My turn then,” Evan said as he clapped his hands, summoning Abby and Denise from the back doors. They were wearing a scantily-clad armor costume that showed off their cleavage, legs, and hips in excess. It was like something out of a shitty MMO or a particularly daring cosplay. As soon as they reached his side Abby and Denise knelt in front of Evan and bowed their heads in a show of fealty.

“You may stand, knights, and address your former comrade,” Evan declared, his voice dripping with satisfaction knowing that his sarcastic tone would be taken completely seriously. Denise was the first to step forward.

“Nate, it’s finally time for Lord Evan to put you in your place. I’ve waited a long time for this, and I will do everything in my power to ensure your defeat is crushing.” I felt a pang of sorrow seeing Denise being made to do and say these things, but I refused to show it anymore. If I played my cards right I could finally bring this nightmare to an end. Abby stepped forward next, her expression surprisingly grim.

“Talia, I’m SO sorry he got to you first. I tried to save you, honest! But don’t worry! Once Lord Evan wins you can come and serve him with us! Just hold out a little bit longer!” I hadn’t been watching Talia’s reaction up to this point and turned back to check on her. She looked like she wanted to say something to try and get through to her friend, but knew it would be pointless deep down. We exchanged glances before returning our attention to the board as Abby and Denise took their positions.

I ordered Mikayla and Sophie to the board, the two women taking their places in matching punk outfits. “See, THERE we go!” Evan exclaimed, “You CAN dress your girls well when you put your mind to it! Can’t wait to take them for a spin.”

“Those are just outfits they both happened to share. Girls are willing to dress sexy to impress guys they like, not that you would know,” I shot back. Like so many times before, Evan’s playful grin faltered for a split second. He would never admit it, but it seemed like my continued dismissal of him really was upsetting. That was fine by me, no harm in kicking the hornet’s nest at this point.

Evan glared as he issued his next command. “Queen, to me.” The doors flung open and in strutted Sandy, my sweet little sister turned domineering right hand. She walked up to Evan, kissed him on the lips, and carelessly hopped into his lap, causing visible discomfort to an already strained Malia.

Sandy was dressed in a set of revealing white lace lingerie that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. In addition she wore glossy white high heels, a bejeweled tiara, and what seemed to be a light silk cape. It looked regal, but undeniably erotic. The whole outfit was something that my humble, cheerful little sister would never have chosen to wear in a million years. She leaned into his chest, stroking his body lovingly while he groped at her ass with his spare hand. I’d swore I’d kill him when this was over.

“Oh Nate, I’m so glad I’m able to be with Evan. Considering how unpleasant you’ve been to him, he at least deserved something good out of our family,” she said, kissing Evan affectionately on the cheek afterwards. He responded by slipping a finger under her lingerie, eliciting a playful gasp. I couldn’t show weakness by turning away, but it was sickening to watch.

“Speaking of family, let’s get my king in here as well,” Evan stated. The doors opened and out walked my mother. To my horror, she was wearing high block heels, a large, tiger-print cape, and a crown. And nothing else. She marched methodically towards Evan and Sandy, mimicking the decorum of how real royalty walk—she was even holding a sceptre! I could feel the cracks forming in my poker face, but tried my best to push through.

Mom reached Evan, bowing her head respectfully. “I am here, my lord,” she stated. Before Evan could say anything, Sandy spoke up.

“And yet you have not assumed the stance identifying your status.” She lifted herself off Evan’s lap, stepping forward and delivering a sharp smack across our mother’s face that echoed throughout the room. I let a gasp escape, bringing a smile to Evan’s face. He’d finally cracked my defenses.

Mom fell to her hand and knees immediately, her scepter clattering onto the ground. “I’m sorry Mistress, forgive me Mistress!” she begged. Sandy sneered as she pointed to Evan on his human throne.

“Please our Master, then you may be forgiven.” Mom looked up at Evan, wide-eyed and desperate.

“At once!” she declared, crawling towards him. Evan stuck his shoe in Mom’s face, only for her to begin kissing the underside.

“Look at this Nathan, your mother finally knows her place” Evan mocked as Mom continued to degrade herself while Sandy watched on approvingly.

“Enough of this,” Evan declared, snapping his fingers. Mom and Sandy jolted to attention, both moving to stand at his side. He leaned forward, making eye contact with me from across the room. “They’re mine, Nathan. And they will be, forever. Go to your positions.” With that command, Sandy and Mom took their places as the King and Queen, with Mom scrambling to pick up her scepter on the way.

Snapping myself out of my spiraling thoughts, I ordered Tina and Talia to their positions. Evan seemed utterly bemused. “All this time she spends avoiding me, and she ends up a slave all the same. I’ve gotta hand it to you Nathan, you must be pretty cold doing that to your own friend.” His words prodded at my brain for a moment before a voice cut through.

“I chose this,” Talia said to Evan.

Evan chuckled in response. “Oh yeah, I’m SURE you chose to make yourself his slave.”

Talia frowned, shaking her head. “No, I chose to stand by Nate. And everyone you jabbed that little device into would say the same if they had a choice. You don’t understand that. How could you, after all? You’ve never had anyone honestly support you in your life. It’d be pretty sad if you hadn’t made it everyone else’s problem.”

Evan’s smile dropped completely. I’d sassed him every once in a while, but never taken any digs that deep or that blunt. It was written all over his face, Evan was shaken up.

“You bitch… the things I’m going to make you do when that… FUCKING LOSER fails. You’ll be the most abused, degraded whore in the fucking world. Hope that little comment was worth a lifetime of misery.”

It was at that moment that I had two simultaneous thoughts. First, I realized that Evan Boltchek was a dangerous man with limitless capacity for cruelty against those he deemed to have wronged him. My second thought was that Evan Boltchek was a wildly insecure manchild whose need for validation was at odds with his vicious ego. One thing I knew for sure though, there was no way in hell I was letting him have Talia.

“Rooks, take your positions” I commanded to Julia and Kody, filling out my board. Evan, face still fixed in a scowl, stood up from his human throne to the visible relief of the enthralled Malia.

“You two as well” he ordered. Sending Luna and Malia to their respective positions as rooks. Evan scaled the ladder onto the lifeguarding chair and faced me at eye level.

“There will be no timer, and only one round. You’re white. I’m black. Are these terms acceptable?”

“Glad you care about my opinion. Yes, that’s fine.”

“Good. I look forward to growing my collection.”

“Good. I look forward to proving who the real fraud is.

Evan’s eye twitched. “Your move, Nathan.”

I took a deep breath in, then turned my attention to the board in front of me.

Game on.