Pawn Takes Pawn

The gunshot was still ringing in Jessica’s ears as she bolted through the crowd, chasing the shadow moving through the chaos. People screamed, security scrambled, and Mercer’s body collapsed onto the marble floor, forgotten. But Jessica had no time to think about the man bleeding out behind her.

Her target was getting away.

The assassin moved like a professional, fast, controlled, avoiding open spaces. Jessica recognized the efficiency, the calculated footwork. Not just trained, but conditioned.

A voice crackled in her earpiece. Leanna. “What the hell are you doing?”

Jessica didn’t answer. She was already moving, dodging past stunned guests, vaulting over a toppled chair, locking onto the figure slipping through the doors and into the night.

The hunt was on.

* * *

The assassin took a hard turn down a side street, disappearing into the labyrinthine alleys of Rome. Jessica pushed herself harder, boots striking pavement as she pursued.

She caught a glimpse of him up ahead, lean, quick, moving with an unnatural precision. The way he shifted his weight before turning, the way his arms barely moved as he ran, Jessica knew that style.

Her pulse spiked. She had seen this before.

Somewhere in her past.

She cut through a side alley, knocking over a stack of crates as she moved, gaining ground. The assassin darted across an open square, past a street vendor cursing in Italian, and vanished into the tangled alleys of Trastevere.

* * *

Jessica sprinted through the tight passageways, nearly crashing into an old Vespa parked against a wall. The assassin had a lead, but he wasn’t out of reach yet. She ducked under a low archway, her breath coming in sharp bursts.

Ahead, the assassin was climbing. Scrambling up the stone staircase leading toward the Tiber River.

Jessica followed without thinking. She leapt, gripping the iron railing, propelling herself forward. The assassin was almost at the top.

A split-second decision. Jessica threw herself forward tackling him mid-step. They crashed onto the stairs. For the first time, she saw his face. There was a flash of familiarity.

He smirked like he knew something she didn’t. Then, he shoved her off and bolted again. Jessica cursed, pushing herself up. She wasn’t losing him.

The assassin vaulted over the last step and landed beside a waiting motorcycle.

Jessica’s heart sank. He was about to disappear. Then she saw it, a parked Vespa, its owner distracted, arguing with a street vendor. No time to ask permission. She grabbed the handlebars, kicked it to life, and sped into the streets.

Rome blurred around her. Narrow alleys gave way to open streets, the glow of ancient architecture flashing past. The assassin’s motorcycle wove through traffic, Jessica tailing him on the Vespa, barely avoiding a collision as she took a sharp turn onto the cobbled road.

Cars honked, people yelled, but she didn’t slow down.

Leanna’s voice crackled urgently, frustration evident. "Jessica, talk to me! He’s leading you somewhere. Be careful!"

Olivia cut in sharply. "GPS shows you're heading towards Ponte Sant'Angelo. We’re inbound, stay alive."

Up ahead there was a market square. The assassin tried to lose her, cutting through the maze of stalls. Jessica followed, knocking over a stack of fruit crates, ignoring the angry vendor.

The assassin glanced back for a second. Jessica caught the look in his eyes. He knew her. And that terrified her.

The chase led them toward the Tiber River. The Ponte Sant’Angelo loomed ahead, its ancient statues casting long shadows. Jessica twisted the throttle, pushing the Vespa to its limit. The assassin was running out of road.

A sudden turn. Jessica was able to cut him off. The assassin skidded, lost control. His motorcycle crashed against the curb. He rolled, fast, landing in a crouch.

Jessica leapt off the Vespa, drawing her gun. “Stop.”

The assassin turned slowly. Jessica froze, pulse roaring in her ears. His features flashed through fragmented memories of clinical rooms, whispered instructions, mirrored movements during endless training drills. She knew this man from the dark corners of her erased past.

The assassin tilted his head, lips curving in recognition. Then, with eerie calm, he tossed something small and pale toward her. Instinctively, she caught it. a white pawn, identical to the one around her neck.

For a split second, their eyes locked. His gaze held no fear, only silent, mocking certainty. Jessica realized too late. There was a sudden, sharp hiss as thick and choking smoke erupted, filling the air. When the haze cleared, he was gone.

* * *

Jessica stood alone on the bridge, fingers gripping the pawn so tightly it bit into her skin. She felt manipulated, controlled, as if her entire life had been a carefully orchestrated move.

Leanna’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. “Jess. Did you catch him?”

Jessica exhaled.

"No," Jessica whispered bitterly, staring at the pawn. "He caught me."

She closed her hand around the piece. It was time to stop playing someone else’s game.