THE GAMBIT CODE

CHAPTER 2 | A Move in the Shadows

Maria stared out the window of a rundown safehouse in Taguig, the black chess piece turning over and over in her hand. It felt heavier than it looked, its glossy surface reflecting the faint glow of the streetlights outside.

"Ramirez..." she whispered to herself.

"Anong laro ang pinasok ang pinasok mo ?"

Behind her, the sound of shuffling papers and the tapping of keys filled the room. The Gambit team was in full swing, dissecting the intel or lack thereof from Ramirez's villa.

Sophia, a.k.a. Bishop, sat at the corner with her laptop, her face illuminated by the screen. Her sharp eyes darted between codes and surveillance feeds as her fingers flew across the keyboard. "Still no trace of Ramirez after he left the villa. Parang biglang nalunod sa hangin."

"Impossible," Leila said as she poured over a pile of legal documents. "A man like Ramirez doesn't just disappear. He's too sloppy to cover his tracks completely."

Lucas, leaning against the wall and sharpening one of his daggers, snorted. "If you ask me, masyado tayong nauuna sa plano. We should just storm the docks tonight and stop the shipment."

"Reckless as always," Maria said without looking at him. "Hindi tayo nagmamadali. This isn't just about Ramirez. Someone's pulling his strings."

Lucas shrugged. "So we cut the strings."

Maria turned, her piercing gaze shutting him up. "Kung hindi mo alam kung sino ang may hawak sa dulo ng tali, you'll only make things worse. Kaya tayo nagkamali sa last mission, Knight. Let me remind you-this isn't a one-man show."

Lucas raised his hands in mock surrender but didn't say another word.

Sophia broke the tension. "Queen, there's something weird about that chess piece. It's not just a decorative thing."

Maria raised an eyebrow and handed the piece to her.

"Ano ibig mong sabihin?"

Sophia took out a small UV light from her bag and shone it on the piece. Hidden markings lit up-coordinates etched into the black surface.

"Coordinates," Sophia confirmed.

"They lead to a place in Intramuros."

"Ramirez is baiting us," Leila said, crossing her arms. "You're walking right into a trap."

"Maybe," Maria admitted, "but this could also lead us to whoever's funding him. We move at dawn."

At dawn, the Gambit team moved with precision. Maria led the charge, Lucas trailing close behind with Leila and Sophia providing intel from a van parked a few blocks away.

"Coordinates lead to an abandoned convent," Sophia said through their comms. "Keep your guard up. CCTV shows recent activity there, but no clear visuals on who."

Maria adjusted her earpiece. "Copy. Let's go."

As they entered the crumbling structure, the air was thick with the scent of damp stone and decay. Shafts of sunlight filtered through broken windows, casting eerie patterns on the floor.

Lucas scanned the area, his daggers at the ready. "Tahimik masyado. I don't like this." Maria gestured for silence as they moved deeper into the building. Her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong "Queen, may motion detected sa west wing," Sophia's voice came through.

Before Maria could respond, a loud clang echoed through the halls. The doors slammed shut behind them, and the faint hum of electricity buzzed to life.

"Trap ito!" Maria hissed, drawing her pistol.

From the shadows, armed men emerged, their faces obscured by black masks. A voice crackled through hidden speakers:

"Welcome, Gambit. I was hoping you'd take the bait.

The masked men charged, and chaos erupted.

Maria ducked as a bullet whizzed past her head, firing back with lethal precision. One attacker fell, clutching his chest, as Lucas moved in with his daggers, slicing through another with fluid efficiency.

"Queen, fallback position!" Lucas shouted, taking down another attacker with a swift knee to the gut.

"No," Maria countered, reloading her pistol. "We're finishing this." She shot a masked man aiming at Lucas, then rolled behind a pillar for cover.

Meanwhile, Lucas moved like a shadow, his daggers flashing as he took out two more attackers. "Sabi ko na nga ba. Mas masaya kapag magulo!"

"Bishop, status ng exits?" Maria barked into her comms.

Sophia's voice was tense. "All exits are sealed, and there's a jammer blocking my signal. I'm working on it, pero kailangan niyong tumagal!"

Leila's voice chimed in next. "Maria, you better get out of there alive. I still need you for that deposition next week."

Maria smirked despite the chaos. "Salamat sa tiwala."

As the team fought their way through, one of the masked men lunged at Maria, but she sidestepped, flipping him over her shoulder and slamming his head into the ground.

Lucas, now covered in blood, grinned. "Queen, remind me to thank whoever set this trap. They're giving me one hell of a workout."

"Focus, Knight," Maria snapped, taking out another attacker.

When the dust settled, the last of the masked men lay unconscious or dead. Maria stood in the center of the room, her pistol still raised. Sophia's voice finally came through clearly. "The jammer's down. You should be able to hear me now."

"Too late," Maria muttered, scanning the room. "We've already cleaned up." But something didn't sit right. Why would Ramirez leave clues to lead them here, only to spring a trap he must've known they could handle?

Then she noticed it-an old, ornate chest in the corner of the room. "Knight, cover me," she ordered, moving cautiously toward the chest. Lucas nodded, his daggers ready. "Let's see what our friend left behind."

Maria opened the chest, and her blood ran cold. Inside was a stack of files, photographs, and a single letter addressed to..

The Gambit.

She picked up the letter and read aloud:

"To the Queen and her loyal pieces, You're not as hidden as you think. Make your next move carefully. The King is watching."

Lucas frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

Maria didn't answer. Her mind raced as she looked at the photographs. They were of her team, Lucas, Sophia, Leila-even herself.

They had been watched, tracked, for months.

"This isn't just about Ramirez," Maria said, her voice grim. "This is bigger than we thought."

Back in the van, Sophia scanned the files from the chest. Her face turned pale as she pulled up a specific document.

"Queen... may something ka dapat makita."

Maria leaned over, and her stomach churned. The document detailed a series of operations, assassinations, heists, and sabotage, all signed off by a codename: The Black King.

Lucas looked over her shoulder. "Who the hell is the Black King?"

Maria didn't answer, but the unease in her eyes said it all. Whoever the Black King was, they weren't just a rival, they were a step ahead of them at every turn.

"Knight," Maria said finally, her voice steely.

"Prep the team. This game just got a lot more dangerous."

To be Continued..