Agent Night (Tagalog | Complete)

Chapter 22 - The Tale of Two Brothers

Buong araw ng biyernes naging abala ang buong team sa paghahanda para sa Acquaintance Party. We loaded our guns and I sharpened my knives which I would be using.

Earlier in the morning, nagtungo kami ni Apollo sa paggaganapan ng event at inaral ang buong lugar. Tinungo rin namin ang mga kalapit na buildings. Nakakabit na rin ang spy cameras sa iba't ibang panig ng venue.

Malamig pa rin ang pakikitungo ko kay Apollo. Mas kinakausap ko pa nga si Xander. May napagkasunduan kaming plano maliban sa planong susundin ng buong team. Napag-alaman kong tulad ko, tulad ni Apollo at marahil tulad ni Justin, gumawa rin siya ng sarili niyang imbestigasyon sa kaso. At ang kinalabasan ng imbestigasyon niya ay tulad ng hinuha namin na may itinatago nga ang Singko mula sa amin.

Marahil dala ng parehong may personal na motibo ang aming pag-iimbestiga sa kaso, bahagyang nawala ang pagdududa ko sa kanya.

I checked my gun again before putting it inside its inner thigh holster. The gun was concealed by my knee-length black cocktail dress. I put a dagger in its wrist sheath on my right arm which was hidden by black silk gloves that covers half my arms. The dress was matched with a pair of black three-inch spike heels, with open toes and laces that wrapped around my ankles.

I also put a very light touch of make up, so light that it was hardly visible.

I was struggling with how I would do my hair when someone knocked at the door. Pinagbuksan ko ang kumatok. It was Veronica.

She was wearing dark blue jeans, white v-neck shirt and a brown leather jacket over the shirt. To complete her get up, she was wearing an ankle-high brown leather boots. A Harlequin in an 80's Hollywood movie cowgirl without the hat and the kerchief.

"Oh, the princess is already dressed and armed," aniya matapos akong pasadahan ng tingin. "But her hair is a mess."

"And?" pagtataray ko. Like her two brothers, she was getting into my nerves.

"I'll help you."

"No need." Pagsasarahan ko na sana siya ng pinto, pero naunahan niya ako.

She opened the door with a force and yanked me towards the table where my make-up stuff were. Marahas niya akong pinaupo sa upuan.

"Hey!" protesta ko, pero hindi na ako nanlaban. Ganoon rin naman ang ginawa ko sa kanya sa canteen, eh. Kaya quits na kami.

"Akong bahala sa buhok mo," aniya at sinimulan niya ngang ayusin ang buhok ko.

I never let anyone do my hair unless it was mom. Gustung-gusto niya akong inaayusan. Palibhasa nag-iisa akong babae sa magkakapatid.

Tahimik ko lang na pinagmamasdan sa salamin ang ginagawa ni Veronica. Saglit na nagtama roon ang mga mata namin. Ngumiti siya. A one sweet smile.

"Alam mo, hindi mo naman kailangang i-silent treatment si Apollo, eh. He just did what's required of him to do," aniya.

I rolled my eyes. "I really don't care."

"Yes, you do."

I sighed. Of course I do. Apollo was one of the few people I trust. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Not a stupid one?"

Bahagya akong natawa sa sinabi niya. I got a feeling na makakasundo ko si Veronica although hindi maganda ang una naming pagkikita. She's a sister I didn't have, but still I needed to be careful on making friends.

"Gusto ko lang itanong, bakit parang may samaan ng loob sina Apollo at Alexander?"

Veronica chuckled. Her eyes were gleaming with amusement. "You should know the answer on that question by now."

Napakunot ang noo ko. Magkakapatid nga talaga silang tatlo. Ang hilig sumagot ng malayo sa tanong.

"You are the reason kung bakit may hidwaan sa pagitan ng dalawa kong mahal na kapatid." Nanunukso ang ngiting ginawad niya sa akin. "There. You look great now."

Natapos na niyang ayusan ang buhok ko. She pinned it in a bun, but left a few strands that framed both sides of my face. She made me looked dazzling.

"Anong ginawa ko naman sa kanila?" dagdag na tanong ko.

"You don't remember Alexander, do you?"

Hinarap ko siya. Naalala ko ang sinabi ni Alexander tungkol sa utang na loob niya sa akin. Then something flicked in my mind. "He's the kid I saved from drowning."

I was in high school then. Our family had an outing in a private resort. Abala noon sa paghahanda ng pagkain sila Mommy at Daddy samantalang nag-aasaran naman kami ni Aaron. Si Kuya Dominic naman ay nakikipagkwentuhan sa nag-iisang anak ni Ninong Raphael na si Marietta sa gilid ng pool. Everything was fine until I saw a boy, who was almost the same age as me that time, on the other side of the pool trashing and trying to stay afloat as the water engulfed him. That part of the pool was seven feet deep. Luckily, I was a good swimmer so I was able to save the boy from drowning.

There was no one with him that time, but the nurses in the hospital we brought him in assured us that they would find a way to contact his family. Dad left his contact information on the hospital. That might how he learned who I was.

Iniiwas ko ang tingin kay Veronica. Nakakahiyang hindi ko man lang natandaan si Alexander.

"He searched for you after what happened," she said. "Then he found you easily through your father's information. Since then, he has always been trying to find a way to repay you even until he found out that Psyche has recruited you. Sinubukan niya ring pumasok, pero inunahan siya ni Apollo. Pakiramdam niya, trinaydor siya noon ng pinakanire-respeto niyang tao. Apollo knew you eversince Alexander told us about you saving him and that gain you a different, but equal affections and respect from my two brothers."

I breathed out a heavy sigh. That explained some of it—ang mga pag-aalala ni Apollo at ang mga sinabi ni Alexander. But it didn't explain why they need to ruin a good sibling relationship just because of me. That made me looked cruel.

"Do you realize now that they have been protecting you since time immemorial? For them, you're more valuable than some piece of an immortal-life-worth of diamond."

I stared at her. Do I?