Chasing that Billionaire (LOB series #3)

Chapter 34

I don't know kung ilang oras na kaming nandito ni Rustan sa loob ng garage. I'm also thirsty and hungry. I don't even see the kidnappers, all I saw was two guys na naglalaro ng cards while smoking some cigarettes sa gilid at binabantayan kami. Gosh, typical kidnappers that I see in a movie. Akala ko oa lang sila pero totoo pala. How lame. Wala bang something na kakaiba? Yung hindi ko nakikita sa mga action movies?

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko as we heard a gunshot not far away from here.

"Finally!" Rustan said exasperatedly.

"Anong finally? Bakit finally?" I asked na natataranta. I hate guns. I hate the sound they make. I have a feeling na I'm gonna get killed tonight.

"My brother's team is here." He said with a smirk. Hindi ako natuwa. Omg! Don't tell me walang pulis? Anong oras dadating ang pulis?! Kapag safe na kami? Gosh! Are we shooting some lame filipino movie here? But as reality show?!

The two guys immediately stood up and took their guns. Five or six more went inside. Lumapit sila sa isa't-isa at mabilis na nag usap. Hindi ko na sila narinig since medyo malayo sila and I can hear gunfires na palapit ng palapit. Lumapit sila sa amin at tinanggal ang pagkakatali namin sa chair but our hands are still tied.

"Just do what they say hanggang sa mahanap ka ni Enrique okay?" Rustan said when we heard the kidnappers saying that they are splitting up. Tumango ako. "Don't worry. He'll find you."

Rustan and the other guys went left, while the guys pushed me to the opposite direction.

"Bakit niyo ba ako kinidnap? I'm just a normal citizen of this country. If you only ask for a ransom, my brother would give it to you naman agad. Mayaman siya. Hindi naman kailangan na umabot pa like this. Stupid." Sabi ko as they push me.

"Tumahimik ka." I scowled.  Aray ha. Their grip on my arm is too hard. I'm sure it will leave marks on my skin.

I'm nervous because they have guns, pero hindi masiyado. I know naman kasi na ililigtas ako ni Enrique. Because that's what leading men do in movies. They always save the leading lady, and that's me.

I heard gunshots everywhere. Sobrang lapit na nanginig ako sa takot, lalo na nung nagpaputok ang isa sa mga lalaki na kasama ko. I screamed as I heard another and another. Sobrang bilis na ng tibok ng puso ko. Parang anytime tatama sa body ko ang isang bala and I will just bleed to death. Nanginginig na din ako sa takot nang may makita akong isang dead body sa dinaanan namin.

We stopped and guys around me started shooting in different directions. Nakita ko silang pa isa-isang tumutumba hanggang sa isa nalang ang matira. Itinulak ako ng isang lalaking kidnapper dahilan para matumba ako sa sahig. I closed my eyes nang makita na tinutukan ako nung lalaki ng baril. He's going to kill me.

Oh no. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead.

Enrique's face flushed in my mind. His smile and laughter and then the way he cried that night. Mamamatay ako nang hindi sinasabi sa kanya ang tunay na nararamdaman ko.

I heard the sound of the gun at hinintay na tumama sa akin ang bala pero ang tagal. Is it really that slow? Akala ko ba guns are like the speed of light kapag naiputok na? I slowly opened one of my eye and I saw Enrique's face as he approached me. I looked behind him and I saw the kidnapper's lifeless body on the floor.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" He asked as he untied the rope on my wrist behind my back.

"Captain tara na." I looked at Sprite, he just nodded his head at me. I never saw that kind of aura in him before. Palagi kasi silang jolly and they always tease me. Pero yung nga itsura nila ngayon, parang handa silang bumaril ano mang oras. It's kinda scary. I'll remember to never be on his bad side kundi patay ako.

"Enrique I have to tell you something." I said as we ran. Hawak niya ang isang kamay ko. I can still hear gun shots, hindi parin pala tapos.

"You can tell me later." Sabi niya habang tumitingin sa paligid. Someone tried shooting in our direction and we immediately hid behind a wall. Sprite was on the other side and I can see him na bumabaril kung saan galing yung mga putok. I can also see him looking at us.

"No! I have to tell you this now." I have to tell him. Paano kung mabaril ako? What if mamatay ako today? I won't be able to tell him these things kapag ganon. It will be my greatest regret if that happens. Baka hanggang sa kabilang buhay hindi ako matahimik. Kapag nangyari yun mumultuhin ko talaga siya.

"Mira. That can wait. We are in the middle of—"

"I love you." I cut him off. "We are in the middle of life and death situation that's why I'm telling you now... that I love you. So much. And I'm sorry."

His face softened and he held my face before he kissed me on the forehead. "I love you too."

"Ah Maam, Captain baka pwedeng mamaya na yan noh? Baka mamaya maabutan pa nila tayo. Ayoko pang ma-deds." I rolled my eyes at Sprite. Panira talaga.

Nagsimula nanaman kaming tumakbo. Wala na ding nagpapaputok sa direction namin. Sprite must've shot them. We stopped at humawak si Ernique sa earpiece niya at nagsalita. "Demitri, I don't hear any gunshots." Tumango siya habang pinapakinggan ang mga sinasabi ni kuya. Nandito din pala siya.

"It's done. Okay na. We'll meet them at the back." We walked to the back of the building. I looked at Enrique. Shocks, I'm afraid of guns pero omg talaga! Bagay na bagay sa kanya ang ganito. Super cool, parang pang Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt ganon! Gwapo!

"Why are you smiling?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Masama bang mag smile?"

"No, but you're making a perverted smile." I laughed at hinampas siya sa dibdib.

"Ang kapal." Napailing nalang ako. Then it reminded me to ask. "Do you know kung sino ang kidnappers? Bakit nila kami kinuha ni Rustan?"

"Heidi and her guys. Those men must've thought that Rustan was me." Tumango ako. "Sinaktan ka ba nila?" I shook my head.

"I didn't saw her. Si Heidi. Hindi sila nagpakita sa amin." Tumango siya.

"That's because they were busy. Hindi naman talaga kayo importante sa kanila, they were actually planning to kill para mas lalo kaming galitin. They want me and Demitri, but didn't expect this encounter. Gusto niyang gumanti sa ginawa namin three years ago. Too bad for them Rustan has a gps on his watch."

We walked until we arrived at the said parking lot. Nakita ko na din doon si kuya Demitri and he immediately hugged me and asked me kung okay lang ako. I also saw Leo and Diana together.

"You should go home. Sprite and Coke will take you." Umiling ako at hinawakan ng mas mahigpit ang kamay ni Enrique.

"Ayoko. Dito lang ako sa tabi mo." I don't want to leave him. Paano kung may mangyari sa kanya habang nasa bahay ako? I don't want to be away from him. He sighed.

"You should go with her." I looked at my Kuya Demitri and grinned at him. You're the best talaga Kuya. Sinusuportahan mo ang kalandian ko! He rolled his eyes. He gets it. "It's also safer if you're with her. Kami na nila Leo ang bahala dito."

In the end wala nang nagawa si Enrique kundi ang sumama sa akin pauwi. Julian immediately hugged me when she saw me although she didn't asked me anything. Kuya must've called him naman na. Wala na din akong lakas para magsalita. Nung nandito sa bahay, saka ko lang naramdaman ang pagod. I'm too tired.

I hugged Enrique by the stairs. Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto na kaming magkayakap doonng mahigpit, all I know is we were both hugging each other na parang ano mang oras pwedeng mawala ang isa.

"I love you." I said again. "I love you. I love you. I love you." He chuckled.

Nang makita ko kung gaano kadelikado ang trabaho niya and when I learned how a life can turn into nothing anytime in just a second, I have realized that the most important thing is showing the people you love how much you value them. Not just with Enrique, but pati narin with my family. I don't want my life to end without them knowing how much I love them.

"You know that I love you too." He said and I felt him kissed the top of my head.