The Fifth Order

9 | The Flight

Chapter 9: The Flight

TIME FLEW FAST and we were now aboard the plane that would take us to Cebu City. After we left the agency, we made sure that no one was following us and we remained wary of our surroundings. Mahirap na't baka bigla kaming atakehin ng mga kalabang nagpalaboy-laboy at nagmamanman lang pala sa paligid.

"Ako na," Chase offered and took both my backpack and duffel bag. Hinayaan ko na lang itong ipasok sa overhead compartment ang mga 'yon.

Now, where might I put myself comfortably?

"Zai!"

Napatingin ako kay Sie na siyang tumawag sa 'kin. She signalled me to sit beside her, which I gladly affirmed.

"No, sa akin tatabi si Zai."

I stopped when Chase held my wrist. Sinamaan siya ng tingin ni Sie at akmang bubulyawan ito nang dumaan si Mav sa pagitan nila. I frowned and instantly pulled my hand away from Chase's hold. Seriously, wala bang pinipiling lugar ang pagbabangayan nila?

"Stop acting like kids, you two. We're on a public plane and you don't want to get yourselves into trouble," sita ni Mav at nilapitan ako. "Zai's going with me. You two sit beside each other and shut up."

Chase and Sie were both silenced, and before I left them, a smirk was evident on the guy's face while the latter was clearly annoyed. Napangisi ako at tumabi kay Mav na ngayo'y nakaupo sa tabi ng bintana. Nais ko rin sanang umupo sa gawing malapit sa bintana, ngunit hindi na lang ako nagreklamo.

"Here." She handed me a pack of VCut. I smiled and took the chips from her. Binuksan ko iyon at sabay naming kinain.

"P're, partner in crime na talaga tayo palagi," Sev chuckled.

I turned to look at the guy and saw Ace tailing behind him. They sat on my right side, two chairs before us. Nasa tabi ng bintana si Sev habang si Ace ay nasa gawing aisle. I stared at the latter. He was already doing fine when we left the agency, but after what had happened, it seemed like he was distancing himself from us. Inaamin kong nasanay na ako sa pagiging tahimik nito, ngunit parang lumala ang katahimikang iyon pagkatapos ng nangyari.

"Hey." Mav gently nudged me. "Tumatahimik ka, ah? Okay ka lang?"

If she hadn't interfered, I would have still been staring at Ace right now. Hindi ko namalayang napatitig na pala ako sa lalake nang matagal dahil na rin sa lalim ng iniisip.

"Yeah, right," dagdag ng babae nang hindi ako magsalita. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Tuluyan na akong napalingon sa kaniya at nakitang na kay Ace na rin ang kaniyang mga mata. A wry smile formed on her lips. "Kaicer Montemayor," anito na siyang nagpatigil sa akin. "He's a good guy, Zai. He may be strict and quiet most of the time, but he's probably the best leader. He doesn't brag about his skills through words, but shows them off whenever we're outside the agency—performing missions and when he protects us from danger. He may be cold and unlikeable on the outside, but he's soft and kind on the inside."

My lips shaped into a thin smile. I might also not show it, but I could see through him, and what Mav said was all true.

She chuckled. "You may be wondering why I know all of this. Well, we came from the same place. Both of us were once a part of the Ebon Society, Zai."

My mouth gaped open with the sudden revelation. Tila natutop din ako sa kinauupuan dahil sa narinig. Why is she saying this to me?

"Marami kaming pinagdaanan nang nasa puder na kami ng Ebon," pagpapatuloy nito kaya nakinig na lamang ako. "I thought that they were just good enough to save me from the rags, but hell no. They picked me up because of my ability. They used us to their benefit. They were monsters!"