"Don't do it." Sabi ng isang boses at bago ko pa makalabit ang baril ay may biglang isang putok. May isang taong lumabas mula sa likod ng isang puno, he was holding a gun kaya napatutok ako ng baril sakanya. He was wearing suit and a black mask covering his forehead down to his nose. Hindi masyadong klaro ang itsura niya kasi mas dumilim na ang paligid at tanging outline ang nakikita ko.
"Sino ka?" tanong ko.
"Put the gun down Miss Carminatti. I won't shoot you." Sabi lang niya at lumakad papunta sa katawan ni Brendan.
"Bakit mo siya binaril?" tanong ko at binaba na ang baril, if he was going to harm me, he would've shot me instead of Brendan.
"If I didn't, you'd have to do it." Sagot niya.
"Back to the first question. Sino ka?"
"Hindi na importanteng malaman mo." Sagot lang niya at napalingon saakin. "Siguradong pagsisisihan mo kung ikaw ang bumaril sakanya."
"Pano mo naman nasabi?"
"Kasi alam kong iisipin mo na baka may nagawa ka pang iba keysa barilin siya." Sagot niya at natahimik ako. "Truth is, you can't do anything to save him. He chose his path. He gave you the better choice, not without a price."
"His life." Sagot ko nalang. He was already dragging the body to the side.
"No. Not his life. He was a dead man either way. He chose to let you live. That was the risk he took." Sabi niya at natigilan sandali habang nakatalikod saakin. "Many would die for you. You have to do everything to live for them."
"You don't know me." Sabi ko at napalakad papalapit sakanya.
"Wag kang lumapit." His voice was pleading pero humakbang parin ako at binaril niya yung headlights. Mas lalong dumilim ang paligid.
Alam kong dapat akong matakot pero hindi ko alam kung bakit kampante ako na hindi siya kalaban. Nanatili nalang akong nakatayo.
"Letting you live means that another life would be sacrificed." Patuloy niya. "He chose to die not because of you. His death means she'll be useless to them."
Natahimik siya sandali and I felt like I was hanging on his every word.
"If dying... her safe,... do it." Masyadong mahina ang pagkasabi niya na putol-putol yung narinig ko but I felt a longing in his words. "You can't save everyone. There will always be sacrifices."
"I can try." Mahinang sabi ko nalang sa sarili ko.
"Be safe... L." sabi lang niya and bago pa man ako makapagtanong ay di ko na siya makita. Matagal rin akong napatitig sa mga puno hanggang sa may ilaw ang naggagaling sa daan galing sa Vermillion Mansion.
Without anyone saying anything ay alam kong isa siya sakanila.
A ghost.
Like the Poison Queen. Like the enemy. Like Faust and Frey.
Nanatili lang akong nakatayo doon hanggang sa narinig ko nang may tumawag sa pangalan ko.
"L!" boses ni Dylan at tumigil na ang sasakyan di kalayuan saakin. I sighed and turned to them.
"Okay ka lang?" tanong niya na bakas ang pag-aalala sa mukha.
"Gusto ko nang magpahinga." Sabi ko nalang at naglakad na papunta sa kotse. Bigla nalang bumalik ang lahat ng pagod ko nang matapos na ang nangyari.
"Hanapin mo ang lahat ng malalaman mo tungkol sa isang hitman, his name was Brendan." Sabi ko kay Grey bago ako tuluyang nakasakay sa kotse.
Kailangan kong pag-isipan ang lahat ng nalaman ko kay Brendan. If he was telling the truth then...
"L..." biglang sabi ni Dylan na siyang nagda-drive ng kotse.
"Not now Dylan." Putol ko.
I was out of it. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko sa nalaman ko. Should I believe Brendan? He's dead. He won't get anything for lying. From what I recall I wala rin siyang alam kung sino at narinig lang niya iyon kanino.
***
Pagdating ko sa mansion ay agad na akong umakyat ng kwarto. No one talked to me about what happened pero alam kong mamaya ay magtatanong rin sila. I needed time to collect myself.
Mga ilang minuto lang akong nakaidlip nang magising ako ulit. Pagbaba ko ay dumiretso na ako sa office kung saan alam kong nandoon si Klent. Pagpasok ko ay nandoon nga siya at kausap si Chase.
"Been a long time." Sabi lang ni Chase saakin.
Pilit akong ngumiti.
After a while ay umalis na rin si Chase.
"Okay ka na?" tanong agad ni Klent.
"Fine as I can be." Sagot ko.
"Nagawa na ni Grey ang inutos mo." Natahimik bigla si Klent.
"Anong problema?"
May kinuha siyang papel at nilagay ito sa table sa harap ko.
"Is that him?" tanong ni Klent at tumango ako. "Nasan na siya? Ba't mo siya kilala?"
"Dead." Sagot ko and Klent cursed. "He tried to kill me but told me to kill him instead."
"And the body?"
"Wala na." sagot ko at napahinga ng maluwag si Klent.
"You shot him?"
"No... May ibang dumating. Nakamaskara siya at kinuha niya ang katawan ni Brendan." Kunot noon sagot ko. "What the hell is the problem Klent?"
"That, L." turo niya sa picture ni Brendan. "Is Brendan Velino. Also known as Brendan De Lucci."
"Baka nagkakamali lang kayo. He's Romanian. Not Sicilian, I recognized the accent."
"Yes. The bastard son of The De Lucci Boss to a Romanian woman." Sagot ni Klent na nagpatahimik saakin.
That means... If I shot him... I would've wage a war against the De Lucci. Bastard son or not, blood is blood.
"Sino yung pumatay sakanya?"
"Hindi ko alam. Nakamaskara nga siya tas ayaw niyang sabihin kung sino siya. Ang sabi lang niya ay hindi siya kalaban. He took the body and was gone." Sagot ko at napatitig lang sa picture ni Brendan. "Brendan told me to kill Don Cartino for him. He was holding hostage someone important to him."
"Don Cartino played both of you like fools." Sabi ni Klent at alam ko na ngayon kung anong plano ni Don Cartino. "It was trap, for both of you, De Lucci knew that. Alam ni Brendan ang mangyayari sa oras na patayin mo siya. The De Lucci will ask for blood, yours L. But Brendan outsmarted Cartino. Somehow, sinabihan na niya ang Boss ng De Lucci before he even came here. Yan lang ang dahilan kung bakit wala dito si Liam ngayon para isuko ka sa mga De Lucci."
Sa hindi pagpatay saakin ay nililigtas niya rin yung taong importante sakanya. They would let her go kasi wala na siyang silbi sakanila. Alam niya ang mangayayari and he gave me the best option.
Brendan gave me the only choice where I would've lived. He just didn't expect someone else to shoot him. Hindi ko rin pwedeng itago si Brendan sa isang safe house kasi alam ko naman na malalaman at malalaman ng mga Capriotti at siguradong hindi rin papayag si Brendan kasi manganganib parin ang buhay nung importante sakanya.
"Nakamaskara?" tanong ni Klent after a while. "Was it black? Yung tipong tabon ang upper part ng mukha?"
"Oo." Sagot ko. "Anong alam mo?"
"Parang kilala ko na kung sino yung dumating."
BINABASA MO ANG
The Game Changer (Mafia Families #2)
ActionThe hero of this story is dead. He risked his life to save mine. And I lost everything. There is nothing left for me but a path of revenge. And there is nothing I would not do because I have nothing to lose. You think you know me, you think you know...