Detective Rivalry

Christmas Special: The Case of the Missing Gifts and Kids Part VII

Felicine

"Aviela!" 

I heard someone below the trapdoor shouted. Hindi ko alam kung ako lang ang nakarinig dahil patuloy lang sa pagsira sila Chris at Akhaya sa lock na nakakabit sa trapdoor. 

No one among the three of us knows how to lock pick. Si Eudayme sana kaso nando'n siya sa mga bata. We have no other choice but to pry it open.

"Malapit na 'to!" Akhaya said, while smashing the trapdoor with a hammer he got inside this spacious living room. 

"That's good to hear." Chris replied. He was standing beside me, watching Akhaya break the trapdoor. 

"Chris, did you hear something just a moment ago?" I asked him. He took a side glance at me before shaking his head. "I heard someone called Aviela. It came from down there." 

Napakunot naman ang noo niya sa akin. "Are you sure, Felicine?" I nodded at him. "Akhaya! Break it down, fast!" Chris worriedly said.

Sumunod naman sa kanya si Akhaya. He mustered all his strength and smashed the trapdoor. It broke down and there, we saw 4 children, slowly losing their consciousness and Cali with Aviela in his arms who's unconscious. 

"Cali!"

"Avie!"

Agad naman namin silang inilabas. They were all weak. Kahit si Cali na karga-karga si Aviela ay medyo nanghihina rin.

"What happened?!" Chris asked. Ipinasa ni Cali ang walang malay na si Aviela kay Akhaya at tsaka nahiga sa sahig. Ipinikit niya ang kanyang mga mata. "Hoy Cali!"

Lumapit naman ako kay Cali at sinapak ko siya ng mahina. I shook my head. "No good. He's asleep."

"Same with the kids." Akhaya informed us. "What could be the cause?"

"Felicine, Akhaya, stay here with them. I'll check what's down there." Chris said and went down the basement. Hindi naman na kami nakaangal ni Akhaya. There should be one or two people guarding the unconscious. We never know, maybe the culprit will strike. 

"Akhaya, sino 'yang mga bata?" I asked him. He was beside the four children together with Aviela. "Surely, hindi sila kasama sa mga orphans. Iba kasi ang way ng pananamit nila. They are more like the kids of our clients."

He nodded at me, he was looking at the face of the children. "The kidnapper did no harm to them." he added. I looked at him with furrowed brows. "They're not pale, they're no visible bruises."

It's true! No'ng inilabas namin sila sa basement, wala ngang galos o kahit na ano ang makikita sa mga bata. So masasabi kong malapit sa mga bata ang kidnapper. 

Napatingin naman ako kay Cali na nakahiga. Natatakpan ng kanyang braso ang kanyang mga mata. Bahagya ring nakabuka ang kanyang bibig. What were they doing down there that made them sleep? 

"Sleeping gas!" I heard someone said. It wasn't Cali because his mouth didn't move. I looked at the trapdoor and a figure of a man is slowly rising up. It was Chris. "And there's a defused bomb down there. Also, the missing gifts were there."

"The case of the missing gifts and kids is now closed?" I muttered underneath my breath. 

"Not yet." The voice came from beside me. I turned my head to my right. Cali was slowly getting up, he was holding his head. My body suddenly moved on their own and supported him. I asked him if he's okay, pinagpapawisan kasi siya. "Just a little nightmare about that time." 

"That time?" kumunot ang noo ko dahil sa sinabi niyang iyon. He stretched his arms upward and combed his messy hair backwards with his hand. 

"Anyhow, this isn't solved yet." He said and stood up. "He's still out there, hiding." 

"You already know who?" Akhaya asked. Cali nodded at him before smirking.

"Aviela knows it too." He retorted. "We need to capture him right away. He still needs to pay for throwing a sleeping gas at us." 

Maglalakad na sana siya paalis pero pinigilan ko siya. "You need to take a rest first, Cali. A sleeping gas was thrown at you."

"And?" 

"Just let us handle it for at least a moment. Just tell us the details. Chris and Akhaya might figure out something." I explained. "You should stay here and watch over Aviela and the children. If they're already awake, feel free to follow us."

Our stares locked for a few minutes. No one dared to look away, once na alisin mo ang tingin mo sa kanya, talo ka. And I will not let that happen. After a few minutes, he sighed and averted his gaze away from me. I won!

"Have it your way, then." he said and leaned his back to a wall. "The culprit isn't going anywhere. He ought to die with the whole orphanage. He's most likely to be found in the second floor."

Die? Is the culprit behind this case a psychopath? 

"Oh no, Felicine. He isn't out of his mind. His original plan was to explode this whole orphanage down together with the children while he will flee together with the ransom." he explained. "But that changed because the love that was created between him and the children will go in vain."

"How did you know?" Asked Akhaya.

"Remember the last line in the letter? I want to see the children enjoy their last moment, what could it mean? Simple. They will be eliminated soon but he will first let the children enjoy." he continued. 

"Too cruel." Chris commented while shaking his head. "But why in the second floor?"

Cali smirked. "Damning evidence." 

Just that one word, Chris smirked. Akhaya doesn't seem to be surprised or anything, his face doesn't say anything while me, I just furrowed my brows. 

"Then, let's go everyone!" Akhaya exclaimed. From no emotion to excited. Gaano ba kabilis magbago ang expression niya? "But quietly." 

Tumango na lamang ako sa kanya. Si Chris naman ay inayos ang kanyang pagkakatayo. Naunang lumabas si Akhaya, sunod si Chris. Bago pa man tuluyang makalabas si Chris, huminto muna siya sa harap ni Cali.

"Take care of Aviela for me." He said while tapping Cali's shoulder. "But you're still among the wanted list of my gang's."

Ako siguro ang nakakaramdam ng kaba kaysa kay Cali. He didn't flinch or anything when Chris threatened him.

Lumabas na si Chris kaya naman ay sumunod na ako. Bago tuluyang mawala sa paningin ko si Cali, nakita ko siyang umupo sa sahig at ipinagkrus ang kanyang mga braso.

"Sir!" Napatingin kaming lahat sa aming likuran nang may tumawag sa amin. We saw one of the staffs running towards us. Napatigil naman kami sa aming paglalakad. "Ano pong nangyari?

"We'll explain later. But I need you to do something for us." Chris replied to the staff. Inilapit niya ang kanyang bibig sa tenga ng kanyang kausap at tsaka may ibinulong. Napatango naman ito at tsaka nagthumbs up. "Wake the others, okay?"

Sumaludo sa kanya ang staff bago tumakbo paalis. Ano kaya ang ibinulong ni Chris?

"Now, let's apprehend the culprit, quietly." Nauna na siyang tumaas sa hagdan, sunod ako at si Akhaya.

Bawat tapak namin sa hagdan ay walang ingay na maririnig. Kahit na sinabi ni Cali na hindi aalis ang suspek dito, kailangan pa rin naming mag-ingat. Hindi dapat kami mapadalos-dalos.

Nakarating na kami sa second floor. Tahimik at halos lahat ng kwarto dito ay nakasara ang pinto, maliban sa isa. Chris pointed his index finger on that door and gestured his hand that we should go there, quietly as we can.

Both Akhaya ang I nodded at him. Nagsimula na kaming pumunta sa nakabukas na pinto. We took a peek inside and saw someone kneeling and looking under the bed. 

Is he finding the evidence that Cali mentioned?

Dahan-dahan kaming pumasok sa kwarto. Chris was the last one to enter, he closed the door as quietly as he can. He locked it.

"Aha! We finally found you!" Chris exclaimed.

My Gangster Detective x Detective Rivalry