Beneath the Armor

Chapter 6: Escape

Chapter 6: Escape

Serriene’s POV

The club lights were still flashing in my head as we left Lavinia's grand opening. It was wild even for her. Now, though, the city blurred outside the car window, the glow of street lights flashing past while Kane drove silently beside me.

I leaned back, stretching my arms a bit to shake off the energy from the night. "Did you enjoy the night, Kane?" I asked, breaking the silence. He just nodded, eyes glued to the road. So typical always serious, always on guard, parang laging may paparating na kalaban.

“You know,” I added, glancing at him with a half-smile, “you don’t always have to act like the world’s about to end.”

Mabilis siyang sumulyap sa akin, just a quick look, his lips barely curving into a smirk. “With you, Serriene, that might be true,” he replied, before he turned serious again.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He let out a small laugh, pero halos natabunan iyon ng tunog ng isang makina sa di kalayuan. I frowned, noticing how his hands suddenly tightened on the wheel.

“Kane…?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

“We’ve got company,” he muttered, his voice low, parang mababang dagundong.

My heart skipped a beat, a mix of excitement and fear tingling through me. There was something about danger that was intoxicating, but this was no game hindi ito ang klase ng thrill na hahanapin ko.

A loud bang shattered the silence,
the car lurching as the tire exploded. In one jolt, everything spun out of control. My heart hammered wildly,my breaths coming short and panicked. I glanced at Kane, and hiseyes had shifted into somethingcold, lethal.

"Kane—" my voice trembled, but he
cut me off sharply. "Stay down," he ordered, his voice low but carrying a deadly edge. Before I could react, bullets began to rain down on us, shattering the windows and showering us with glass. I gasped, curling up and covering my head, feeling the tremors run through me.

Nasa harap ko si Kane, mabilis at
matalim, parang anino na dumadaan
sa dilim. Ang mga mata niya ay
malamig at walang kaluluwa, at ang
bawat kilos niya ay isang pagninilay ng kamatayan. Nakita ko siyang kumilos nang mabilis, hinugot ang kanyang baril, at lumabas ng kotse ng walang kalabit sa takot.

Bumagsak ang mga bala sa paligid
namin. Isang lalaki ang lumapit sa
kotse mabilis, mabagsik-ang baril
ay itinutok diretso sa akin. Pero
bago pa siya makabaril, si Kane ay
tumalon mula sa likod ng kotse,
gamit ang bilis na parang anino.
Tumama ang mga bala sa likod ng
kotse, sumabog ang mga salamin at
nang nakita ko si Kane,
walang kaluwagan sa kanyang mga
mata-mabilis niyang kinuha ang
kutsilyo at sinaksak ang leeg ng
kalaban, walang kalabit na awa.

"Don't look away," he growled at me.His voice, calm yet laced with ice,penetrated the fear that was
tightening my chest.

Tumakbo siya sa paligid ng kotse,
ang mga mata niya ay focused, lahat
ng galaw niya ay planado, walang
pagkakamali. Ang katawan ng
kalaban ay nakabitin na parang
puppet na tinaga. Ang katas ng dugo
ay sumabog mula sa mga sugat na
tinamo ng kalaban. Hindi ko kaya
tumingin nang matagal. Bumangon
ako mula sa kotse at napansin ko
ang mga kalaban na patuloy sa
pagsugod sa amin. Hindi pa tapos
ang laban.