Blazing Romance

Chapter 29

Axl's POV

Kalen softly roused me, notifying me that we had reached our safehouse. I shifted slightly as I unbuckled my seatbelt. At gaya ng unang pagtapak ko sa bahay na to ay sinalubong kami ng mga tauhan ni Chief, nangunguna si Minho.

"Hello boss, Mirko has fainted. It appears he was adversely affected by the loud explosion earlier. However, rest assured, he is now safe."

I simply nodded at him and expressed my gratitude. Kalen then led me inside the house, where I found Chief and Claud engrossed in the latest news broadcast.

"The residents of Palawan were left in a state of shock and fear due to the recent bombing incident at a local school. The event plunged parents into panic as they rushed to collect their children from the university. The number of casualties has not yet been disclosed, and the Head Principal is currently attending to the concerned parents..." 

"Concurrently, authorities are investigating a bombing incident within a tunnel that accommodates subway lines for large trucks. Within the tunnel, a vehicle was discovered containing two deceased individuals who have yet to be identified. Additionally, a child, discernible by his school uniform and identification lanyard, was found. It appears this child was a student at the same institution where an initial explosion occurred. An administrator from the school recognized the child as Mirko Fortalejo..." 

Chief turned off the television and annoyingly throw the remote control. Maging ako ay hindi naging masaya sa anunsyo bagaman naging tagumpay ang plano naming makuha si Mirko. Ang ilan sa estudyante at ang mga nagtatrabaho sa paaralan na iyon ay nadamay dahil sa mga lalaking nagplanta ng bomba. Minho mentioned earlier that there have been numerous casualties. This could cause trauma for both the children and their parents.

Heavily, I sat on the sofa and just covered my face with my hands. 

"Don't blame yourself. Those men would have done anything to take the child. What matters is that your plan succeeded. I'll donate to the school and ensure that the families and parents involved are well taken care of."

Ngumiti si Chief at sakto naman ang paglabas ni Claud mula sa kaniyang silid. Alam kong ilang pa rin siya sa ama, ganoon din naman ito sa kaniya. Umupo naman siya sa tabi ko at ginaya and pwesto ko. 

"The kid appears to be alright; I carried him upstairs earlier when he fainted. Perhaps he's in shock from the events that transpired earlier."

Sino ba namang hindi mabibigla sa mga ganap kanina? Ako nga ay nagulat ng malaman na may gusto na palang pumatay sa akin? Putangina. 

"Thanks Claud. How are you, by the way?" 

Hindi ko mapigilan ang magpeke ng mga ngiti kay Claud. Alam kong nakukuha niya ang pinagdadaanan ko pero hindi ko rin pwedeng ipakita sa kaniyang napanghihinaan ako ng loob. Maraming mga tanong sa isip ko,ni hindi ko alam kung kailan masasagot, pero sinusubukan ko pa ring maging positibo sa buhay. 

"I'm gradually regaining my strength. Yesterday, Chief was with me for another comprehensive body examination."

Napangiwi naman ako sa tawag niya sa kaniyang ama, pero hindi ko na pinansin pa iyon. Alam kong hindi pa rin komportable ang hangin sa kanilang dalawa. A time will come when they both can live in peace and comfort. For now, I'm just glad that Claud has finally reconciled with his father.

"How about you, though? How are you managing with all this chaos?"

I let out a sigh. I genuinely have no clue how to tackle his question. Maybe I should just play it cool and say, "Next question, please?"