Why Me ?

Chapter Four: The Game Of Chess

The eerie, distorted voice echoed through the Santos mansion. Ryder's entire body tensed up while he was sitting in his room as he heard the White Moon's voice penetrate the walls.

" Consider this the first move in our game of chess, Ryder... ".

The mafia don's fist clenched tight around a white chess piece he had been fiddling with, the delicate knight's sculpted head crumbling to powder in his grip. Ryder's eyes fumed with burning rage barely contained beneath his sculpted features.

" Let's see if your famous arrogance holds up when I start capturing your most valuable pieces..."

The ghostly voice trailed off with a cruel symphony, the mocking promise hanging like a rope in the suddenly suffocating air. For one of the extremely rare moments in his life, Ryder Santos found himself threatened right down to his core.

This wasn't some pitiful hustler or small-time punk playing a foolish game by stepping into his territory. Whoever - or whatever - was lurking behind that blank, moon-decorated mask had successfully slipped past every layer of Ryder's carefully built defenses to issue their challenge from a position deep within his inner safe place.

How was that even possible? The Santos mafia prided themselves, known to be always operating multiple tiers of security and precautionary measures to prevent any bold attacks. For an outsider to get around all of that, undetected until delivering this calculated insult...

In a burst of uncontrolled fury, Ryder swept his entire desk clear with one violent motion. All kinds of important files, documents and empty wine bottles exploded across the room in a thunderous rain of shattered glass and falling papers. He grabbed the table in front of him and threw it at the window trying to let out his fury, but it was nothing to calm his boiling anger.

" Secure the area! " he snarled into the intercom, barely maintaining his composure as his voice took on a rare edge of panic. " Initiate Ragnarok Protocol across all levels - full lockdown, lethal force authorized! Brandon! Get in here with the others, immediately! ".

The whispers of his men's stories about the White Moon assassin rushed back to the front of Ryder's mind - a relentless force of violence cloaked in darkness, leaving only ghostly cosmic signs in its wake.

He viciously stamped down the irrational dread of confronting an urban legend made real. ' Those sorts of childish superstitions and horror stories were for lesser men to trade in. There has to be another explanation. ' Ryder thought to himself.

The room doors crashed open as Luke, Brandon, and the other men hurried in. The fear is obvious in their eyes, after seeing the destruction in the room their boss had caused.

" What's going on? That voice on the speakers... " Brandon said but trailed off nervously at the sight of Ryder's unstable expression.

Ryder struggled against the urges to vent his somewhat belief in the White Moon, upon his mafia members. " That arrogant son of a bitch made his first move," he growled lowly, " and stupidly announced it to us in the process. From within our own walls. ".

Luke went pale. " Who? Who has he got? ".

" I don't know! " Ryder snapped, images of what gruesome fates may have already occurred flickered across his mind. " But our friend on the other side let us know there'd be consequences for underestimating his threats. ".

Looking at each and every one of his men, Ryder's thoughts immediately turned to Jeffery. A knot formed in his stomach when he realized Jeffery hadn't shown up yet to update him on what had happened.

" Luke, page Jeffery in. " Ryder said with a calm voice, hoping that Jeffery would show up.

" I already did. But he still didn't show up. ".