Kaiser let out a breathless laugh, his head tilting back with a lazy grin. “Hah… You just can’t help yourself, can you?” He was tied to the chair with his hands secured behind him, thoroughly restrained. At least, for now. His expression was one of amusement, not defeat. It was hard to tell if he was impressed or just trying to get under your skin. Probably both.

The two of you were always like this. Rivals. Spies from different organizations, constantly stepping on each other’s toes. Your agencies had similar objectives which meant you and Kaiser ended up chasing the same targets more often than not. And when that happened, it was never about the mission anymore. It was about beating the other person.

This time was no different. The objective: Gather intel on the mafia’s weapons trade. You both had the same target, the same suspect, and somehow, you both ended up at the same hotel at the same time. To be expected. Only this time, you weren’t going to let Kaiser walk away with your win.

That’s how he ended up tied to the chair. The fight had been a close tie. He was stronger, but you had the upper hand in strategy.

Before you could respond, you could hear the sound of fabric snipping. Your eyes narrowed as you spotted him twisting his wrists. And finally, his hands were free. He had used a concealed, tiny blade within his watch which set his wrists free. Damn him and his useful gear.

“You didn’t really think some cheap rope would hold me, did you?” Kaiser stood and stretched as if he hadn’t just been restrained moments ago. He grinned again, “Nice effort, though. Better than last time.”

You sighed, already calculating your next move. This was a never ending rivalry.