THE sound of crashing thunder roaring furiously woke up Rocket in the middle of the night. The rain was pouring so harshly that she could hear the wind howling through her window. She tightened her grip in her blanket when silhouettes of men passed her bedroom window and she could hear their footsteps from the wet ground when suddenly her door opened and her mother approached her quietly.
Kassandra signaled her to keep quiet and Rocket nodded confusedly. Her mother pulled her out of the bed and gasped when she felt her mom's icy cold palm shaking while covering her with a blanket. It was as though she could see her mother shed a tear but it was too dark to see. Another lightning lit up their surroundings and Rocket turned her gaze to the window when she saw someone.
"Mommy?"
"Shh!" Kassandra said and pulled her out of the room.
"Hurry up!" From the end of the hallway, her father Raoul walked towards them and carried her. He was soaking wet from the rain and Rocket felt the tension when she saw her father's terror-stricken face.
"They found us, Raoul. They're going to kill us. Rocket...I can't let our daughter die..." she heard her mother say in her trembling voice.
Rocket squealed when she heard a loud bang from the first floor and followed by a man's voice calling her father's name. They entered their family room and Kassandra locked the door before running towards them.
"We can't escape from here, Raoul!" Kassandra uttered with vulnerability. Rocket couldn't understand why her mother was crying but even her eight-year-old self knew something was wrong. Ever since she could remember, she always had a happy family. Her father Raoul was the most caring parent she ever knew. He gave her everything she wanted and he never failed to tell her that he loved her. And her mother, she'll never ask anything if she has Kassandra. Their family is the most beautiful thing she ever had.
"Mom? Dad? What's happening?" She asked.
Raoul attended to her and kneeled. "Anak..." he said and a single tear escaped his eyes. "Rocket, listen to me. There are people in our house right now that wanted to talk to me and your mommy and it might not go as I planned. You're smart, beautiful and..." Her father paused as he couldn't control his tears anymore. "A-and remember that you're the best thing that I ever had. I will always love you from the bottom of my heart."
Her father pulled her in a tight hug and Rocket chuckled with the weird act of her father. He then carried her and opened a huge wardrobe before putting her inside it.
"Rocket, I need you to stay inside and be quiet, okay?"
"Okay, daddy."
"Don't make a noise whatever happens. I want you to cover your ears as much as you can, alright?" He added. Rocket nodded and smiled at her dad before turning her gaze to her crying mother who gave her a tight embrace.
"I love you, Rocket." She whispered and kissed her cheeks.
"I love you, mommy and daddy. You both are the best parents in this whole wide world!" She said, Kassandra tried to have a huge smile but still broke into tears.
"Raoul!" Someone yelled from outside making them turn their gazes to the door.
"Kassandra, we have to go." Her father said.
Rocket held her mother's hand as if she didn't want to let her go but Kassandra patted her head and mouthed everything will be okay before letting her go and closed the door. She couldn't see anything from inside but she heard the door open loudly. There was a small whole from the wardrobe and Rocket tried to peek on it but all she saw was shadows of men.
"Where is she?!" She heard a man's voice yelling. "Do you think you can hide anything from me?! Where the fuck is she?!"
"I won't tell you anything!" That was her mother and it was followed by screaming, loud thudding sound and slapping. "Even if you kill me right now, you'll never have my daughter!"
"Stop!" Raoul said. "It is me that you want. Don't hurt her anymore."
Rocket heard a snickering laugh. "Ahh, how could a regular person like you ruin everything?" the man said and there was a moment of silence. "You did this to yourself. You could've lived in peace if you just..."
"I did my job," Raoul said and was followed by a nervous chuckle. "And I don't regret the mistakes I made because everything will be over someday. You'll see the end of your empire with your own eyes."
"You son of a bitch." The man said and his voice was full of rage. It was cold and Rocket felt the fear run through her body just by hearing his voice. "Regan." He called someone and there was a sound of struggling then followed by gunshots.
"Kassandra!" Raoul screamed.
"Mommy..." Rocket whispered and her eyes widened when she saw her mother's body lying on the cold ground, blood starts staining the white marble floor.
"You are fucking devil!" Raoul's voice made Rocket move away from the door. "I should've killed you when I had the chance!"
"Yes, that's what they called me before. Now, now, don't be mad Raoul." the man uttered, and it was followed by silence. "Where is the kid?" He added but it was all silence again. "You should've never put your nose to something you'll regret, Raoul. Andiamo!"
Rocket didn't hear anything after the man said those words. She was sobbing silently as she watches all men leave the room and as the lightning strikes the sky, it illuminated the room where they are and Rocket will never forget the cold, green eyes she saw that night.
"YOU have one mission," Those were her superior's words as soon as she walked inside his office. It was packed with all the agency's highest board of directors, and she felt a bit of nervousness as they all turn their gazes at her. "Obtain any information about the boss of the criminal organization, La Cosa Nostra. We'll infiltrate this underground club where they do prostitution and drug trafficking. There are reports of human trafficking activities in this club as well and if you can get any information about it too that will be appreciated. I'm giving you two weeks, agent Guevarra."
"I can get you more information if I stay longer."
"No," he said with finalization and leaned his hands against the conference table. "This organization killed a lot of our agents. We don't know who we're dealing with, Rocket."
"But superior—"
Camilton then slammed the table. "No buts, Guevarra. You're dismissed. The chopper is ready to leave in twelve hundred hours. Get ready."
Rocket couldn't do anything but sit in the conference room while everyone was leaving. She felt powerless whenever the discussion is about the organization who killed her parents. She wasn't as excited as she was before this mission was given and as expected from her superior, he gave her a time-limit that she knew will never be enough.
According to the information they got from the previous agent who did this mission, the club was called whore house and it was always guarded by armed men. She knew that this mission was a suicide. Like all the agents who went there, Rocket expects that she'll never leave that place alive. If she can gather all the information, then her life will not be wasted.
It's been a decade since they started monitoring all the activity of La Cosa Nostra. Their agency was trying all their best to subdue the organization but the government was too frightened to even lend a hand and help them. But Rocket's father took the risk and found the name of that organization, resulting in his fatal death.
At exactly twelve pm, Rocket was already at the rooftop where a chopper was waiting for her. She'll be dropped off at a military base in Manila and she will meet a woman who will take her to the whore house as a stripper.
"Please, don't do anything stupid, Rocket." Louis Camilton said and pulled her for a hug. "I don't want to let you go but I know you've been waiting for this your whole life." He then held onto her shoulders as he was looking directly into her eyes and there was an emotion in it that Rocket couldn't name. "Whatever happens, always stick to your instincts. Don't let them get to your head and never trust anyone but yourself. Rocket, from now on it's just going to be you."
Rocket nodded and clenched her fists. "I will remember everything you taught me, ninong. I will be back, I promise."
Louis smiled. "I will hold onto that."
Rocket didn't waste any second and ride on the helicopter. As soon as the doors closed and she settled on her seat, they immediately flew to Manila where her probably last mission would start.
