Maraming nag kalat nang mga basyo ng bala sa makintab na sahig sa isang silid. It's a training room, maraming mga kagamitan at armas na nag kalat.
On the firing range side of the room, maririnig mo ang mga sunod sunod na putok ng baril. A beautiful girl is holding a gun, her expertise is evident whenever she pulls the trigger.
Bullseye
Lahat ng bala ay walang mintis na tumama sa dibdib ng mga dummies.
"Weak" mahinang komento nang isang binatang lalake na tahimik na nanunuod lamang sa tabi.
Narinig naman ito ng babae at humarap sa kaniya at itinutok ang hawak na baril.
"You can never be Una, no matter how many sweat or blood you give. Hindi mo mapapantayan ang galing nya"
"Bullshit Azi! How dare you compare me to her?!" Pinaputukan nya ang binata ng tatlong beses, ulo nya ang punterya nito. She's determined to kill Azi, pero tila wala lang ito sa binata at kumuha pa ng sigarilyo at nag sindi.
"See? I can even predict your moves. If it was Una, unang bala palang wala na akong buhay dito. You can never be her" kalamadong saad nya dito.
Makikita mo ang galit at poot sa sa kaniyang mga mata habang nagsasalita ang binata. Yes, she can never be as good as Una. But, she will do everything to be Una.
"Youre wrong Azi, i am Una. It should've been me! Kukunin ko lahat sa kaniya, dahil sa akin ang mga yun"
Muli itong nag paputok ng kaniyang baril, at tumama na ito sa ulo ng isa sa mga dummy. Determinado syang pabagsakin ang lahat nga mga humaharang sa kaniya, lalong lalong na sa babaeng tinawag nilang Una.
"You said it to your self Cece, you should've but your not. You already send Primus to the depths of hell. You cannot bring the Emperio down"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Timothy Riley
All problems has all it's solutions, all questions has it's answer. Maraming solusyon at kasagutan, you just have to choose kung saan ang tama at kung ano ang iyong paniniwalaan.
But when it's a life and death situation, pipiliin mo yung alam mong madali lang. But your pride is at stake, and you choose to ignore it. It's a desperate move.
I am standing in front of the door of the person whom i loathe the most, i curse everything about him. I even promised my self not to see him anymore, pero desperado na ako ngayon.
I rung the doorbell, alam kung nandito sya. It's funny that the person whom i call 'pal' before is the person i hate the most now.
"Hey Timmy, i didn't expect you to be here. Ganyan mo na ba talaga ako ka miss at sinadya mo pa talaga ako dito?"
Huminga nalang ako nang malalim, kailangan kung pakalmahin ang sarili ko kahit na gustong gusto kong bangasan ang pagmumukha nito.
"Hmmm let's see you want our friendship back? I would not say no to that"
"No Atticus i need your help"
"Are you that desperate? Saakin kapa talaga humingi ng tulong, knowing how much you hate me to hell"
"I still hate you Atticus, and yes i am very desperate. Gusto kung maka pasok sa underground auction na gaganapin mamaya sa Moonlight Hotel" nakita ko ang pagka bigla da kaniyang mukha.
Knowing Atticus Lipiskey, malaki ang kapit nya sa mga illegal na bagay. For a gangster like him, and his wealth hindi impossibleng hindi ako makakapasok. I need his influence, darating sa event nayon ang isa sa mga ulo ng Emperio. Kailangan ko nang makita ang asawa ko sa madaling panahon.
"You really are desperate, ni hindi pa nga kita pinapasok sa bahay. Ofcourse i can get you inside, but are you really sure? Killers, murderers, assassin's are present. One wrong move your going home with a bullet hole in your head"
"I don't care, i'm taking my chances"
~~~~~~~~~~~
I am now entering the lobby at the Moonlight Hotel, nandito rin sina Raizel. I asked Atticus na isama silang lahat. I told them everything about By's abduction. At first they don't believe in me i just showed them the evidences and my plan for tonight. I got their support kaya nandito silang lahat.
Gumawa ng paraan si Atticus upang makapasok kami kahit hindi kami kabilang sa society nila. We are potential bidders, ginamit nya ang background ng mga pamilya namin.
And he have this so called rules——a rule rather. Na kahit anong mangyari, we can never ever tell them our true names.
"Are you ready Timz?" My glance shifted to Larkin. Alam kung this is very dangerous, and i am putting all our lives in danger. We never got involved in this kind of situation, lahit ni minsan. And now pinapasok na namin.
I nodded my head at sabay sabay kaming pumunta sa reception desk. Binati kami ng babae, and we show this black card na para lamang sa mga kasali sa Auction.
A man with a formal suit ordered us to follow him. He guided us to a private elevator, he pressed the only bottom thats going down. Sa loob ng ilang minuto bumukad ito at tumambad sa amin ang isang napakalawak na hallway.
Habang patungo kami sa isang pulang pinto na makikita sa dulo, walang nagsasalita sa amin. And i am very nervous, maraming mga hindi kaaya ayang pangyayari ang pumapasok sa aking isipan.
Binuksan ng lalake ang pinto, isa isa kaming pumasok roon. A crowd of people welcomed us, it is like a party may buffet at mag nagsasayawan sa isang tugtugin.
"It's okay Timz, nandito lang kami" tinapik ni Anthony ang balikat ko.
"Yeah Timz, and i think mag e-enjoy ako rito. Look at the buffet! Ang sarap ng mga pagkain" Thomas will always be Thomas, he never failed to make me feel ok.
Nabaling ang attensyon namin sa isang taong dumating. This one is very mysterious, sa lahat ng mga bisita siya lamang ang bukod tanging may soot na maskara. His aura is very dark na syang nagpatahimik sa aming lahat.
"That's Quartus" napatingin ako kay Raizel. Seryoso itong nakatingin sa sinasabi nyang Quartus, and his name rung a bell. He is the 4th head of Emperio.
I know now my target, we just have to execute our plan. Quartus sat on a round table. As if on cue, the host announces that the Auction is about to start and we must go to our designated seats.
The program started, halos malula kami sa mga presyong bine-bid ng mga tao. We just go with the flow, we join the aution nag b-bid din kami pero hindi namin nakukuha.
After almost an hour Quartus got up to his seat. Nagkatinginan kaming mag kakaibigan. It's time to execute the plan.
Raizel got up his seat followed by me, sumunod rin sina Anthony, Thomas at Larkin. Mabilis ang lakad na ginagawa ni Rai, Quartus is about to open the door when Larkin holds the knob first.
Ngumiti ito kay Quartus and he opened the door, sumingit si Anthony sa gitna ng dalawa that causes Larkin loses its balance.
"The hell! Anong problema mo dude?" Singhal ni Larkin.
"I'm sorry pare, nagmamadali lang" inalalayan ni Anthony si Larkin upang maka tayo ito. When he lets go his hands tumama ito kay Raizel and he bumps to Quartus.
"Tsss" lumabas na si Quartus sa bulwagan at dali daling pumunta sa elevator.
We didn't bother to go after. A smiled escapes Raizel Face, iwinawagayway nito ang cellphone na nakuha.
Dali dali kaming lumabas ng hotel, kinuha ko ang cellphone mula kay Rai nang nakarating kami sa parking lot. I browsed the phone at dismayado ako sa aking nakita. No single text and call logs. I scanned it again at napunta ako sa gallery.
And there's only one photo. Sibyl's unconscious and she's tied on a chair.
※※※※※※※※※※
A/N nakakalungkot isipin na sa isang iglap lang maraming buhay ang nawala. I used to go to Roxas Night Market to eat at gumala. I prayed for the souls of those who was killed, and an immediate recovery sa mga nasugatan at nadamay.
Babangon ang Davao!
#prayfordavao