"A second casualty is a likely possibility," Al admitted. Even though in his wishes Al was often invisible and invincible, in reality he was, unfortunately, not.
"I would have to be someone useful and like-minded in order to avoid being dead at their hands." Useful and like-minded like she was to them.
Al hasn't thought of it that way before. Did his sister ever ponder the possibility of her death? Was that a reason she chose... ended up... bait? Useful and like-minded, like pawns left standing through a gambit.
Enough!
"Yes," Al exhaled. "At least chess strategies are important. They may prepare you for another match. But people are never as predictable, no matter how many scenarios I study." He fortified his defenses further with leftover pawns. "And this particular scenario... I thought if I avoided her, it would be less painful, but theorizing can be as dangerous as practice."