Shadow Protector

09

-09-

IT'S been two days and she still is involving herself to the police, wala na rin siyang choice. She can't drop the job baka mapatay pa siya ng kaibigan niya, she ain't scared pero she knows her friend.

The policeman are protecting her for about 8 hours then going back to his precinct, natatawa nga siya eh akala ng lalaki papatayin siya ng agency niya but he don't know naman na dun siya nagtatrabaho.

"Why are you wasting your time?" Tanong niya dito and let her elbow rest on the kitchen counter, she is at his apartment right now. She don't know why she was there pero it's making her plan work

May nilagay itong plato na puno ng grapes sa harap niya, she grabbed one grape at kinain ito. "Baka kasi may mangyari sayo."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed another grape and put it inside her mouth, "I don't need protection, the accident that happened to me was just me being unlucky."

He leaned on the kitchen top at kumuha ng ubas sa plato at kinain ito, "kahit na it was just an accident, hindi pa rin tayo sure if you will be safe."

"Hindi naman ikaw ang responsable sa akin."

He stared at me with a blank face, "responsable na kita, I'm already wasting time for you to be safe. So of course I'm responsible for you."

Her face smirked a little. She felt like the responsible thing is an insult to her, she can protect herself but for the sake of her friend's revenge she is willing to let him protect her.

"Be grateful that I'm the one you called that time, because I'm investigating the crimes of the so-called shadow protector."

"Why are you investigating them? " Takang tanong ng babae habang naglagay ng panibagong ubas sa loob ng bibig niya.

"They killed my cousin and—" he didn't finish his sentence and went to a room para may kunin ito, she saw her walk back to her at may ipinatong sa counter.

"They put some crime to the arrow that killed him."

She looked at the paper she gave him, it was the paper she put on the arrow. She was amused because hindi niya tinapon ang papel.

"Hindi masamang tao ang pinsan ko, they accused him of a crime that he didn't do." She never heard such a bullshit remark until now.

He is defending a criminal without knowing what he did, she pity him mukhang hindi niya alam ang trabaho ng pinsan niya. "Do you have proof that he did or didn't do such a crime?"

That question made the whole place quiet, the silence of the guy was enough for her to know na wala itong kaalam alam sa ginawa ng pinsan niya. "Your silence means that you have no proof if he did or didn't do such a crime"

"Bakit mo kinakampihan sila?" Tanong ng lalaki, she leaned on the back rest of the bar stool chair at tiningnan ang lalaki. "Wala akong kinakampihan." She simply said at inilayo ang tingin sa lalaki.

Kinamot niya ang siko niya at ibinalik ang tingin sa ibinigay na prutas ng lalaki, nakita niyang kinuha ng lalaki ang papel na nasa may harapan niya at umalis nanaman ang lalaki sa harapan niya.

Umalis si Khayeen sa pagkakaupo niya sa bar stool chair, she went inside the living room para mag tingin tingin kung anong meron dun. Walang masyadong picture sa loob ng apartment niya.

Nung pumasok siya sa loob ng apartment ng lalaki ay halos beige ang kulay ng dingding, the apartment looks cozy enough. Adler's apartment was neat and clean nung pumasok siya, you won't see any specs of dust.

"Halika na, ihahatid na kita pauwi." She heard the guy spoke sa likod niya, "I want food, libre mo ko ng pagkain. That grapes you gave isn't enough for my stomach to be calm."

She just changed her attitude at him which again took him by surprise, he never saw a woman that can change their attitudes that fast. Lagi niya kasing nakikita sa mga attitude ng ibang babae ay malandi at maharot.

Pa minsan minsan kasi na may pumupunta sa precinct niya na babae para lang lumandi sa kanya, kaya naninibago siya sa pagka iba ng babaeng nasa harap niya.

"What are you daydreaming about?" The girl asked with so much annoyance, Adler just shook his head at hinawakan ang kamay ng babae. Khayeen took her hand back dahil na rin sa gulat, she didn't want someone touching her hand.

"Susunod ako, wag mo lang ako hawakan." Maldita nitong tugon at nauna ng lumabas, the guy was left dumbfounded. Her tone became annoyed that quick.

Sinundan na niya ang babae, of course he locked the front door of his apartment at hinabol ang babae na nasa may malapit na sa elevator.

She was on the phone with someone, "I'm on a day off, huwag mo kong abalahin." she hissed on the phone, she's so focused on the phone na hindi niya naramdaman na nasa tabi na niya ang lalaki.

"You are so annoying, stop bothering me or I'll block your number." She again hissed on the phone at pagalit na pinatay ang tawag.

Her facial expression again change nung nakita niyang katabi na niya pala si Adler, "mukhang galit na galit ah." Sabi ni Adler at pinindot ang button ng elevator door.

"Some annoying guy is bothering me kahit day off ako." She sighed heavily, she was thankful to him dahil binigyan siya ng phone nung lalaki pero sumasakit ang ulo niya na pagang tawag ito sa kanya.

Bumukas ang elevator at pumasok sila, they remained a distance nung pumasok sila sa elevator. "Where do you want to go?" Tanong ng lalaki habang may tinitingnan sa cellphone niya.

"Ikaw na bahala kung saan, I'm not a picky eater naman eh."

In her peripheral vision nakita niya ang lalaki na tumango tango at may tinatype sa cellphone niya, the elevator door open lumabas ang dalawa while keeping distance pa rin.

She doesn't want to be close to him, sinundan lang nito ang lalaki papunta sa kotse ng lalaki. Pumasok ang lalaki sa driver seat at pumasok siya sa passenger seat.

May nilagay ito sa GPS sa kotse niya, it was a restaurant. "I hope you don't mind us eating sa Korean cuisine."

"I don't mind, it's my first time eating some Korean cuisine."

Then silence once again fell, Adler just drove off para maka punta kami kung saan man sila makain. It's her first time eating at such a cuisine.

Lagi siyang kumakain ng local food ng Pilipinas kaya di siya masyado familiar sa mga food ng ibang bansa.

NAGPARK si Adler sa parking lot ng Korean cuisine, she just hope na masarap ang pagkain dito because she was starving. Pumasok sila sa loob, "masarap dito, I always eat here pag gusto kong kumain ng korean cuisine."

Ginala niya ang mga mata niya at inamoy ang hangin, mabango nung pumasok sila. Unfamiliar scent is in the air and it smells tasty.

Naghanap sila ng table at umupo na, hinayaan niya ang lalaki na mag order ng pagkain nila. Silence again fell no one bother to speak, she like the silence.

Kahit na maingay sa loob ng restaurant, she relaxed herself sa pagiging tahimik ng lalaking nasa harap niya.

Nabasag ang katahimikan nung nag ring ang cellphone ni Khayeen, she saw how Adler arched his eyebrows. She smiled apologetic, "excuse me, sagutin ko lang ito." She excused herself at umalis sa harap ng lalaki.

Nasa may malapit lang siya ng banyo at malayo sa lalaki, "ano nanaman, I told you na day off ako." Her tone changed nung sinagot niya ang tawag.

"I don't mean to alarm you, pero kung nasaan ka man. Andyan yung target ko malapit lapit lang sa inyo." She let her guard up, she knew the phone was tampered again at nilagyan nanaman ng tracker.

"Pero wag ka mag-alala, I'll kill him kaagad." That's when she felt something poking her, "don't move or I'll kill you."

She sighed, may narinig siyang tumawa sa kabilang linya. "Goodluck with him." The call ended

She felt the sharp object pushed in her side, she winced in pain. She can't believe na may papatayin siya sa day off niya.

-T.M.B-