Warmth
"Ayos ka lang po, Ma'am?" muling lapit ni Arthur sa akin, may dalang mineral water at inilahad iyon.
"Ikaw dapat ang tinatanong ko niyan, Arthur. Are you okay?" I asked.
Kahit gusto na ni Colonel Chavez na umalis na ako, hindi pa rin ako makaalis. I want to stay and make sure that my employees are safe especially the guests.
"Oo, Ma'am. Grabe 'yung nangyari. Nakakatakot sa loob. Lalo na't nakikita kong tinututukan ng baril si Kaycee Williams."
I am still trying to process everything. Kaycee Williams, the vip guest, is part of the mission.
Hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit sa dinami-daming venue na napili niya, dito pa. Is it because this is Draven's land? Iyon lamang ang tanging naiisip ko.
"Kilala mo pala 'yung target, Ma'am?" si Arthur.
I nodded seriously.
"Nagdadrugs siguro Ma'am kaya napariwara."
Maybe. Lalo na't nakulong din siya. I'm really clueless about what happened to him. At hindi ko rin alam kung may ideya ba si Draven tungkol sa buhay ni Trison. They're good friends. Para nang magkapatid lalo na't sabay pang lumaki, sabay na nangarap, kaya hindi ko alam kung ano ang nangyari.
A warm touch caught my attention. Napabaling ako sa sumulpot na si Draven at hinaplos ang aking siko para kunin ang aking atensyon.
He looked at Arthur first, then his eyes drifted to mine.
"I'll send you home," he said in a controlled voice, his eyes shifted to Arthur again.
Umangat ang aking kilay. Sumulyap ako kay Kaycee Williams na nakihalo na sa mga pulis. She glanced at me while she's talking seriously. Nagkasalubong ang kanyang kilay saglit at ibinalik ang tingin sa mga pulis.
"Si Arthur na ang maghahatid sa akin," sabi ko sa matabang na tinig.
Draven looked at Arthur intensely. Arthur cleared his throat and nodded but he looked so nervous when Draven looked at him critically.
"I brought my car. The two police officers are waiting for us. It's too dangerous. Ipapahatid ko rin ang sekretarya mo pauwi," aniya.
I am waiting for Kaycee Williams to talk to me personally. Iyon ang hinihintay ko kanina pa. She's our guest. And she needs to explain more about this mission lalo na't baka masagot niya ang mga nagpapagulo sa isip ko. I'm suspecting that it's overplayed. Tila ba may pinagtatakpan kaya iyon agad ang naging reaksyon niya.
Yes, I do not have the rights to question their mission or to participate in this operation because I am not a police officer, but because they are on my territory, I do have the authority to demand some answers. Kung may nangyaring masama sa kanya kanina, sagot ko siya. Sagot siya ng aming management. Kami ang madidiin at masisisi.
Everyone's insisting I need to go home. It's almost eleven. Sinigurado ko nalang muna na wala na ni isang empleyado sa hotel, ang mga floor ay wala na ring lamang naka check-in, bago ko pinagbigyan lahat ng kanilang gusto. Lalo na't parang hindi ko na makakausap si Kaycee Williams pa dahil masyado nang abala.
Draven escorted me in the parking lot together with the two police officers.
"Hindi ba dapat si Kaycee Williams ang ihatid mo?" I asked bitterly.
"Why? Coz you want your secretary to send you home instead?" Draven interjected.
Kung hindi ko lang nakita ang media sa parking lot at pinagkaguluhan kami saglit, baka nahagip pa sa camera ang iritasyon ko kay Draven.
