ABDUCTED, AGAIN

Kabanata 27

After Hendrix called everyone to come in here, I just found myself being pulled by his tight grip, running as fast as we can downstairs. Alam na alam nito kung saan unang pupunta, kung sino ang unang pupuntahan. Through the gasps he makes, or the heavy stomps of his feet as we march down, I could feel the very tension in his entirety. The tension which tells me he is worried... and a bit scared.

And once we reached the farthest room from the stairs in the ground floor, ang kwartong alam kong kinaroroonan ni Tom, I began feeling the same tension. Because there's no way that that man can enter our villa without Tom knowing it. And the way things has turned out now, the way he was able to enter here leads us to one conclusion. Tom might be in danger.

Walang pasintabing binuksan ni Hendrix ang pinto. The force from the way he pushed the door almost threw me by shock. And the moment we both almost ran out of breath at the very second we found Tom lying on the floor, sparked an immeasurable fear in me. Quite unexplainable feeling, anguish, hatred, but most of all terror.

Nakaya ko noon nang maabutan namin ang nilamon na ng apoy na mga katawan ng tauhan niya. Nakaya ko iyon kahit gaano pa kadaming bangkay ang nasa harapan ko nang sandaling iyon, kahit gaano kong nakitang nadurog si Hendrix, silang lahat noong oras na iyon. I've overcome it, I've learned how not to let it haunt me iin every hour of my life.

But if... just if... one of them will be put to that same situation, I don't think I could ever be able to take it.

"He's breathing."

Napahinga ako nang maluwag ng pagsasalita ni Hendrix. Nasa tabi na ito ni Tom habang hawak-hawak ang pulso nito sa gilid ng leeg. His words sedated my system, numbing my knees and making me fall into the floor. He was swift to look back at me to check how I was. Pero tinaas ko lamang ang kamay ko para ipahiwatig na huwag niya na akong alalahanin, or maybe it was just my way to act tough and brave again.

Sunod kong narinig ang mabibigat at nagmamadaling yabag na nagmumula sa labas. Nang lumingon ako ay sinalubong ako ng mga nasisindak nilang mukha. Some rushed to Tom while the others helped me stand.

Nakapatay noon ang ilaw sa buong silid, pati na ang napakaraming monitor kung kaya't tanging ang liwanag mula sa nakabukas na pinto lamang ang nagpapailaw sa amin. Binuksan ko noon ang ilaw habang pinagtulungan nilang maihiga si Tom sa kama.

All of us fell silent. The whole time that Tom was unconscious, other than praying, all I did was to spy on them. No, they no longer look scared. Neither do they look in shock of what just happened. A lot worse than this happened in the past, they've been through things way scarier and terrorizing than this. Of all people, I should know that best.

But everytime one of them has been in danger, mula pa noon, kapag may napapahamak, nasusugatan, nasasaktan, although these same faces and expressions are what I've been seeing, still, I couldn't help but notice it, the pretentious look on their faces. I know they are all scared as much as I am, only that they're just more skilled in hiding it than I am.

"Nothing." Napaangat kaming lahat ng tingin kay Gavin. Nasa harap ito ng CCTV monitors, nire-review ang kuha ng mga ito kanina. "The footage wasn't deleted. All the CCTV cameras were just shut down the whole time Athena and Hendrix were away, and when Tom fell unconscious."

"Ibig sabihin, nanonood na siya magmula ng makarating pa lang tayo rito. He was just waiting for the right time to execute his plan," wika ni Jason.

If that's the case, that only means that that man was already here before us. He knew we were coming. And that leaves us to the question how. How did he know?

"Oy," tawag ni Rey kay Tom. Mahina nitong tinatapik-tapik ang pisngi ni Tom. "Gising na. Ang pangit mo matulog."

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi upang pigilan ang pagngisi. Gusto kong matawa sa ginagawa niya pero wala kami sa tamang sitwasyon para gawin 'yon.