She's My Angel with a Shotgun

CHAPTER 43

SAAB'S POV

WE MADE sure Silver is finally safe. Nilapitan ko si Ry nang marinig ko ang mahinang daing niya. I could only give her first aid to lessen the blood flow from her wounds... matapos non ay nagpatuloy na kami sa huling pakay namin.

There's no way Jacovo could get out of this place. Ang buong gusali na ito ay napapalibutan ng mga tao ng HQ. Its either he surrender or die... I think he would prefer that later.

"Ry, what happened to you?" nakasalubong namin ang Dad ni Ry. He scanned his daughters body.

"What about Apollo?" Ry asked.

Malungkot ang ngiti ni Tito Hiro. "He's gone... forever."

Ry nodded. "That's great. I'll see you outside."

"You should let the other team handle this. I can't lose you, anak."

"This is our mission, Dad. I'll be fine because I'm with Saab."

Ngumiti ako para mapanatag siya. "Tama! Ako kaya ang perfect partner ni Ry, Tito!"

Pinagpatuloy na namin ang paghahanap pagka-alis ni Tito Hiro. Inayos ko ang benda sa kamay at tagiliran ko.

Damn that, Marcio! Good thing he's dead.

We were hoping to see Jacovo pero iba ang sumalubong sa amin.

"May factory ba ng tauhan si Jacovo sa basement niyo?" asar kong tanong.

Sabay sabay silang tumakbo para sugurin kami.

"Oi, oi! Hindi ba kayo tinuruan na bawal saktan ang mga babae?" sigaw ni Maru. He's with Seive and X.

I felt relieved. Parang nawala ang sakit mula sa sugat na meron ako.

"Tsk! That's cheating!" saad ni Seive mula sa likod ko.

Weirdly, I'm having fun fighting with these ugly guys right now. I know I should be serious but this moment just reminded me of all of our missions.

Lahat kami ay hinihingal nang matapos na kami sa kanila.

"That was fun," tawa ni X. Mukhang masaya nga siya dahil bihira lang naman siya tumawa.

"Come on," aya ni Maru. Tinulungan niya kaming makatayo. "We can't get our money if we don't finish that guy."

"Look out!"

X suddenly jumped towards me as if to protect me from something. Agad humarang sila Maru and Seive sa amin.

"X..." nanginig ang kamay ko.

"Yah! Good shot!" sigaw ni Jacovo mula sa hindi kalayuan.

Inalog ko ang katawan ni X. "Oi, X. Wake up."

"Fuck!" mura ni Seive.

"Don't you dare shoot me or we are all gonna die together," banta ni Jacovo.

Tumayo ako para silipin siya. Nakasuot siya ng bomb vest at hawak niya sa kabilang kamay ang detonator.

I looked at Ry. Nakatulala lang siya na nakatingin sa katawan ni X. Hinawakan ko ng mahigpit ang kamay niya.

"Ry... come on." I cleared my throat.

"Follow my instructions and I'll consider letting you live." utos ni Jacovo.

-

Inutusan niya kaming pumasok sa isang silid. I noticed the wires on the wall. Is he planning to bomb this whole building?

"Don't try your dirty tricks on me. Kundi ito ang magiging libingan niyo."

Bigla ay magkasunod niyang binaril sa hita si Maru at Seive.

"No!" pigil ko.

"Shut the fuck up!" dinuro niya ako gamit ang baril niya.

"Why don't you just stop here?" tanong ko.

"Where's the fun in that?" he said.

[We're going in.] saad ni Captain mula sa earpiece namin.

"And I know they can hear us from outside. Don't even try to come here." dagdag ni Jacovo.

Well, shit.

"They're not gonna let you live," banta ko.

Tumango siya. "I know. I plan on dying here... with you," humalakhak siya. "Ah, I'm sorry about your friend. That bullet was meant for Ry."

Ry hasn't spoken since earlier. What are you thinking about Ry?

"Ganito nalang..." simula niya. "Why don't you choose a sacrifice? Someone who will die with me here? Isn't it fun?"

"Then, I'll stay," biglang saad ni Maru.

"What? No!" pigil ko. "Sira ka ba?"

Ngumisi siya. "We have to make sacrifices, Saab. Mukha namang seryoso siya sa sinabi niya."

"And? I can't let anyone die," I looked down. " We already lost X."

"Ako nalang," si Seive. " I'm sure my father would understand."

Pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata. "Isa ka pa!"

"Sigurado ka bang pakakawalan mo sila?"

Nilingon ko si Ry nang magsalita siya. Her face looks blank, I can't read what she's thinking about. May plano ba siya ulit?

"No, Saab," saad niya na tila ba nabasa ang iniisip ko. "I can't think of anything."

"Then why are you saying that? What about your family huh? What about Silver?"

Bakit ba gustong gustong mamayay nitong mga 'to?!

Hindi na niya ako pinansin. Tumayo nalang siya at nilapitan si Jacovo.

"I'll stay here,"

"No, Ry!" sigaw ko.

"I am your leader. I'm responsible for this, Saab."

"By dying?" singhal ko. "You think I'll buy that? Sama sama tayong aal---"

Mukhang umabot na si Jacovo sa limitasyon niya kaya nagpaputok na siya ng baril.

"Narinig niyo naman siya," ngumiti siya at hinawakan si Ry. "You are free to leave."

-

We safely got out of the building. Unti unti nang lumiliwanag ang langit. Mabilis tumalima ang mga kasamahan namin para tulungan kami.

"What about Ry?" tanong ni Tito Hiro.

Right, it's not yet late. We can still save her. Sinabi ko kaagad sa kanila na kailangan ni Ry ng tulong. Captain quickly ordered the other teams to retrieve Ry, pero bago pa sila tuluyang makapasok ay isa isa nang nagsabugan ang mga palapag ng building na pinanggalingan namin.

"Ry!" Tito Hiro ran towards the building pero pinigilan siya agad ni Captain.

I fell to my knees as I watched the building burn. I kept pounding my chest, para kasing may kung anong nakabara rito. Sinubukan kong suminghap ng hangin.

"Saab..." pigil ni Seive sa akin.

I can feel my tears flowing. Narinig ko ang sunod na sunod na pagmumura ni Maru. Pero ang pinakamasakit pakinggan ay ang pag-iyak ni Tito Hiro.

"I have to find her..." saad niya. "I already lost my wife, Lee. Not my daughter."

Walang sinabi si Captain. Hawak niya lang si Tito Hiro para pigilan siya kung sakaling tumakbo siya ulit.

We finished the mission...

but at what cost?

*****