A gunshot echoed in the training room. The bullet pierced the dummy's left chest. The man who fired the shot grinned. He removed his ear protection and turned to the small child beside him. Binuhat niya ito at tinanggal din ang ear protection nito.
"Easy, right, Von?" he asked.
The child frowned, burying her head into the man's neck. "It's loud, Dad. Why do I have to know how to use a gun?"
Natawa ang matanda. "To do good things!"
"Aren't guns bad?" she mumbled, fiddling with the silver tag on her father's necklace.
The man pursed his lips, not really knowing the right words to say. "You can use them to save people from bad guys."
The child just stared at him with innocence, head slightly tilted. The man sighed and put her down. Lumuhod siya para pantayan ang mukha nito.
"Proverbs 19:12—"
"You read the Bible?"
The man was defeated when his daughter looked at him with so much disbelief. Napakamot na lang siya sa batok.
"Sometimes," he awkwardly laughed, "but it says here that 'the king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.'"
Umupo ang matanda sa sahig. Tinapik niya ang kanyang hita kaya umupo ang bata rito.
"Not all kings are just and good, so they say you have to get on their good side. I think that's BS."
"Bullshit?"
Namilog ang mga mata ng matanda at pinigilan ang tawang kumakawala sa labi niya. "Von! That's bad!"
Napanguso ang bata habang nangingiti namang umiling ang matanda.
"Moral rebellion." The man glanced at his child. "Sometimes, a king's roar needs to be silenced, not feared. Living under a king's mercy is degrading. True justice sometimes needs rebellion."
"Can't understand. Use simple words." Pinisil ng bata ang magkabilang pisngi ng kanyang ama.
Natawa ang matanda. He ruffled his daughter's hair. "When you grow up, you'll understand. Sa ngayon, ibibigay ko muna ito sa'yo." Inabot niya ang kanyang baywang at nilagay sa palad ng bata ang isang pocket pistol.
"Beretta 3032 Tomcat. I'll teach you how to use it. Just promise me you'll use it for good."
The child stared at the pistol with fascination. It weighed perfectly in her small palm.
"Okay," she said with a soft smile.
Her father once again ruffled her hair, which annoyed the child.
"Dad!"
DAY 3
Vonnie · 0 : 30
GUNSHOT.
With my left hand, I planted three more bullets on the vital points of the target, immediately followed by a knife throw to the chest using my right hand.
Kumurap ako at bumalik sa paningin ko na punching bag lang ito at hindi ito totoong target. Hinipan ko ang bangs ko pataas at nagmamadaling lumapit sa bench kung nasaan ang bag ko na naglalaman ng aking mga armas. Patapon kong nilapag ang kutsilyo at revolver at hinalungkat ang loob ng bag.
Hinanap ko ang pager na binigay sa akin ni Cenzo. Tumama ang kamay ko sa isang pistol kaya sandali akong natigil sa ginagawa.
"The Bible is fucking genius, Dad." Umiling ako at nagpatuloy sa paghahanap.
BINABASA MO ANG
VANILLE
Mystery / ThrillerA masked figure threatens to unveil Van de Ville's secrets. In a desperate bid to protect their status, they enlist two antiheroes in a race against time to hunt the culprit down.
