Saving Humanity

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Saving Jared

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Saving Jared

Holly

"Why won't you let me see him?" galit na tugon ko.

The President chooses to ignore my question, focusing instead on the papers laid in front of him. Somehow, the gesture makes me even more angry.

Sa inis ko, tinabig ko ang mga papel sa mesa, kasama na ang baso na may lamang tubig. It shatters in pieces on the floor, the water soaking the papers.

"Holly," the President says my name as if it is something that gives him tremendous stress. I'll give him more, if he doesn't answer my question. "You need to calm down, or I'll call the soldiers outside to take you out.

"I dare you," I say, my voice seething. "Go ahead and call them. I don't care. Hindi ako aalis dito hangga't hindi mo sinasagot ang tanong ko.

He sighs in resignation, staring at the wet papers on the floor. He's putting on a show, I'm fully-aware of that. What he is right now is just a role: a man with a lot of responsibilities thrust upon him, and has no choice but to accept his faith. He's playing the role very well, like a good actor he is.

Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na alam ko ang lahat. Na alam ko ang pakikipagsabwatan niya sa mga extra-terrestrial beings. But I have to play my cards carefully. I can't reveal anything all at once, lest I suffer the same faith as Jared.

Then a thought occurs to me.

"Just let me see Jared," I plead. "Just once. And I'll leave you alone."

"I can't let you see him," the President responds. "He might be a danger to you. Inamin niya mismo na siya ang pumatay kay Kenneth, pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi niya pa rin sinasabi ang dahilan."

I stare at him, disbelief written all over my face.

He lets out a sigh again. "He's a very dangerous man, Holly. I just wish that we could've seen it sooner."

"Kanino niya inamin na siya mismo ang pumatay kay Kenneth?" tanong ko. "Sino ang kumausap sa kanya?"

"Ako mismo," diretsong sagot ng Presidente. "Inamin niya mismo sa akin ang krimen na ginawa niya."

"No one else was present during that time?"

He stares at me--then he shakes his head.

I knew it. Pakana niya lang ang lahat. He's framing Jared, setting him up for a crime he didn't commit. For sure, the confession he's talking about is fake as well. He's hiding Jared somewhere, I know exactly where it is.

Huminga ako nang malalim upang pakalmahin ang sarili ko. Hindi pwedeng malaman ng Presidente na alam ko ang mga ginagawa niya. I have to be careful, if I want Jared to live.

I'm threading in a thin line here. Everything is a dangerous game, and I have to play carefully to win.

"Please, let me see Jared," I plead. I have to continue this pleading game, in order for me to have a believable performance. "Kahit isang beses lang. Kailangan ko lang siyang makausap."

I have to make the President believe that I'm heartbroken over Jared's capture, but at the same time, I also don't doubt the confession that he mentioned.

"I'm sorry, Holly." The President looks at me with pity shining in his eyes. "I really can't let you see him."

I'm surprised by how easy it is to let the tears fall, to let the sobs escape my throat and wrack my body. Ginamit ko ang pag-aalala na nararamdaman ko para kay Jared. Kailangan kong umiyak. Dapat kong ipakita na nasasaktan ako.

The President gets out from behind his desk, and walks towards me. I feel a strong urge to slap him when I feel his hands caressing my back, but I let him do it. I swallow my disgust, using it to fuel my tears and prolong my sobs.

As I cry in the office, being comforted by the most disgusting man that I know, there's only one person that occupies my mind: Jared.

*****

Once I managed to calm myself down, I ĺeft the President's office without so much as a glance. I've put on a great show, and I hope it'll buy me time to formulate a plan to save Jared.

Kenji would've been a great help, if he's not too blinded by his grief. He is so sad that Kenneth is dead, that he refuses to think logically. Siya ang nakakita sa bangkay ni Kenneth, at ng murder weapon na nasa kamay ng natutulog na si Jared.

If Jared really committed murder, why the hell would he sleep in the same room with the person he killed, and hold on to the murder weapon like a prized trophy? It just doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't even need to think critically to point out the absurdity of it all.

It doesn't matter. I still have Raf and Ephraim. Alam ko na tutulungan nila ako sa mga plano ko.

But in order for me to gain their trust, I have to trust them in return.

That's why I decided to tell them everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Where Jared and I came from, what happened during our time outside, the alliance between the President and the extra-terrestrial beings, and their plan.

By the time I'm done talking, both Raf and Ephraim are staring at me with their eyes wide and their jaws hanging open.

Raf is the first one to speak. "Okay, first of all, that's one hell of an adventure. You've been keeping this from us all this time?"

"I can't just tell you about it right away," depensa ko. "I had to make sure that I could really trust you guys first before I decided to tell you everything."

"So, the man imprisoned in the secret basement is actually a scientist, and he's the father of one of your companions?" Raf's eyes cannot be wide enough. "That is so cool."

"Yeah, except that our lives are literally at stake here. So... no. It isn't as cool as you'd expect."

Ephraim keeps his mouth shut, which is a little unusual for him. He is staring at nothing, and he seems to be lost in thought. I reach out across the table to touch his hand. In an instant, his gaze is on me.

"Are you okay, Ephraim?" tanong ko sa kanya. "Anong iniisip mo?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing. It's just... I'm just amazed by what you've told me. And I always thought that the President is up to no good, so I'm not really surprised about that part." He lets out a chuckle. Still, I can feel that he wants to say something more.

"But?" I ask, prompting him.

Huminga muna siya nang malalim bago sumagot. Maging si Raf ay naghihintay rin sa mga susunod niyang sasabihin.

"But... What can we possibly do against those extra-terrestrial beings? It's not like we have superpowers to use in order to defeat them. We're just... ordinary teenagers."

I'm kind of expecting him to say that. Ephraim has always been doubtful of what he can do, and he tends to do that to the people around him as well. But right now, I need him to be strong. I need his full potential in order for him to help me.

"I know, Ephraim," I admit, which gets me a strange look from Raf. "Alam ko na masyadong malakas ang tinatangka nating kalabanin. But we have to try, right? We can't just sit here and do nothing. Even how small it is, we need to make a change."

I look them in the eyes. "We have to start at something small. Something that will jumpstart everything. Let's start with saving Jared."