The Fifth Order

11 | The Control

Chapter 11: The Control

WITH EYES WIDE opened, I stared back at Ace, whose body was still pressed against mine. His eyes were quite illuminating, and with the help of the light coming from the partially opened door, I saw how his jaws constantly clenched.

Why do I always have to end up with this guy?

"Sige, I have to hang up. Baka magtaka na sila't wala pa ako sa itaas."

The voice became vivid, and before I knew it, the door creaked open as the bulbs were switched on, revealing the structure of a room that I wasn't familiar with. Doon ko lang din napagtantong nakatago pala kami sa dalawang aparador na ipinagdikit.

I could hear the footsteps getting nearer on our side. Without hesitation, I held Ace's collar and pulled him closer to me. He frowned but didn't mumble a word. I was feeling really uncomfortable with our position, but I didn't want the culprit to get alarmed! Moments after, a familiar masculine perfume touched my nostrils, making me frown as I dug deep into my memory, trying to remember the person who owned that scent.

Aside from Ace's perfume, minsan ko na ring naaamoy ang pabangong ito rito sa ahensiya. I just couldn't pinpoint who it was, but I'm pretty sure that it was a guy.

I was stilled when I heard him humming an unfamiliar tune. Nagtagal pa iyon ng ilang minuto bago namin narinig ang papalayo nitong yabag. Pinatay nito ang ilaw bago isinara ang pinto ng silid. When he was finally gone, that was when I noticed that I was holding my breath for too long.

Hindi ko pa man gaanong naisaisip ang mga nangyari, naramdaman ko na lang ang marahang paghila sa 'kin ng aking kasama.

"T-Teka—"

My words trailed off when we had already gotten out of the room. I was drowned in my thoughts that I hadn't discerned our arrival at the conference room. Teka, ba't kami napunta rito nang ganito kabilis? Was I that preoccupied?

"Ay! Hindi na pala kami nakasunod sa inyo sa baba. Tinamad na kami, eh," salubong sa amin ni Chase nang makapasok kami. Their eyes immediately landed on our hands—my hand that was still held by Ace. I slowly pulled it out of his grip, but he only held it tighter.

Mav grinned, while Sie gave us a confused look. Chase, on the other hand, squinted his eyes, and Sev smirked.

"May nangyari ba?" tanong ni Sie. "Namumutla ka 'ata, Zai."

Really?

I was expecting Ace to tell them what we had heard in the basement, but I was muddled when he didn't.

"She isn't feeling well, and we're heading to her room, actually. We only passed by to check on you," he nonchalantly said. Tuluyan ko nang tiningnan ang likuran nito at sinimangutan. I was about to speak when he hauled me out of the room and took the hallway towards our quarters. Nang tuluyan kaming makalayo ay hinarap ko na ang lalake.

"Why didn't you tell them?" Akala ko talaga'y sasabihin nito sa kanila ang aming nalalaman.

He strolled his eyes around before looking back on me. "Sa kuwarto mo muna tayo. We can't talk here." Naglakad kaagad ito dahilan para mapatakbo ako upang makahabol.

"W-What? Bakit kailangan pa roon? Wala namang tao rito, ah?" But I received no response.

Silence continued to wrap us as we arrived in my room. I frowned for the nth time when the guy followed me inside. Didn't he know that this room is for my privacy? Akala ko'y sa labas lang kami ng kuwarto mag-uusap?

"What now?" I lowly uttered as my body's weight fell on the bed. I never thought that traveling would be this exhausting.

"I can't tell them what we heard. It's too risky. We don't know who the traitor is. For now, let's keep it to ourselves."