Until Dawn (a MAICHARD fanfic)

2. Smuggled

MAINE

"Shit, Shai!" Shai returned with two people. She was still bleeding from her wound earlier. I rushed to her side, checking to see if her wound has gotten larger. "Sino 'tong mga to?" I asked as I glared at the two people who came in with her.

"Si Richard at si Patricia." She clutched her arm around mine as I mended her wound. "Kilala ko sila. Kasama ko sila dati."

I wanted to ask what happened and why they were no longer part of the rebel group but I digress. Instead, I asked her why I needed to go with them. "Pwede naman na ako na lang."

"Hindi. Sila ang kailangan makasama mo. Hindi sila wanted, at magaling sila sa survival." Shai said. "At tsaka sa kondisyon kong ito, di tayo makakalayo."

"Teka lang. Siya? Siya ang ide-deliver namin sa sentro? Bakit?" Patricia asked. Her short brown hair bounced as she came close to us. "Nevermind the bakit. Basta ang usapan, mai-deliver namin siya, babayaran niyo kami ng mga kailangan naming armas?"

"Oo." Shai replied.

"Kailangan ko makita." Patricia said. "Kailangan may pruweba ako na babayaran niyo kami matapos namin gawin to. Hello, malayo ang sentro."

"Fine. Pero hindi ko siya isasama. Richard, ikaw na bahala magbantay sa kanya." Shai said. Richard glared at me before nodding in her direction. There were darkness in those hazel eyes of his and something in them tells me that he's damaged. Handsome yet extremely damaged.

"We're going. I'll meet you at the usual spot." Patricia stated.

Before they left, Shai moved closer to me and said, "Sila na maghahatid sa'yo. Baka sa research facility na ulit tayo magkita. Mag-ingat ka." She looked at Richard then back at me. "You can trust him but keep that…" she pointed at my arm. "…to yourself."

I gave her a hug before she left.

"Sundan mo lang ako." Richard said icily as he led me to where we'd meet up with Patricia.

"So paano mo nakilala si Shaira?" I asked him while we were walking. I was trying to make small talk but he seemed cold and distant. "Sabi niya kasama ka sa kanila dati. So rebelde ka din dati?'

"Oo. Dati. Nagsawa ako. Puro salita. Wala namang nangyayari. Kaya umalis ako." He said. "Eh ikaw? Paano mo nakilala si Shaira?"

"Ex-boyfriend." I just said. I didn't want to go into detail, especially when my ex-boyfriend looked a lot like him, with those stunning jawline, a black hair that you'd just want to grab and eyes that you'd melt in.

"I'm guessing you broke off because he's either doing something for Shaira or he's just dead." I wished he wasn't too forward.

"He got infected." I hoped that he got the insinuation that I didn't want to talk about it.

"Nandito na tayo." He said. Good thing, too because that stopped him from asking more about my ex.

He removed his backpack then lied down the couch after closing the door behind him. "Ano ginagawa mo?"

"Nagrerelax. Try mo. Malayo pa pupuntahan natin mamaya." He said before covering his face with a beanie then dozing off.

Instead of doing what he did, I studied him. I  felt like at that point, I wanted to know more about him. He definitely has a great body, another thing he had in common with Den, but that wasn't what I wanted to see. I wanted to understand why the entirety of his exitence seemed broken.

A few minutes later, rain started pouring outside. It's been a while since I saw rain up close. I hid myself from the world when I Den died that's why after 9 weeks, it's really refreshing to get out once again.

I sat beside the window, warching the rain fall when I heard Richars speak in his sleep. He kept mentioning the word "day" as if it meant something then he woke up.

"Nagsasalita ka ba talaga habang natutulog?" I asked him as he sat up. He looked at me, puzzled. "Sinabi mo yung day na word ng paulit ulit. Any reason?"

"None of your business." He said icily, but he looked at me again. He was trying to gauge my reaction to the words he spoke so I just redirected him towards the outside.

I looked at the window and said, "Alam mo, ang tagal kong di nakita yung labas. 9 weeks ako nagkulong sa kwarto eh."

He gave me another puzzled look then stood up. He fixed himself then asked me, "Ano naman gusto ng kampo ni Shaira sa 'yo?" He looked at me directly in the eye, trying to find an answer but I wasn't able to gove him one because Patricia, his friend came back and got inside the room with us.

"Nakita ko na yung bayad sa 'tin. Medyo mas maganda kaysa sa mga nakuha natin sa smugglers na dumaan sa Quarantine Zone natin." She said. Our attention turned to her. "Tara na. If we deliver her by morning, makukuha na din natin ang mga baril."

Before moving towards the exit, Richard gave me another look that seemed as if he was studying me. I just stared back at him and it was the most intense stare that I've ever had from a person.