The Bestfriends

15

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Red:

Ang dami ko nang sugat at pasa sa katawan. Hindi sapat na may dalawa akong baril dahil madalas, may mga nakakalampas at nakakalapit saakin kaya inaatake nila ako head on. So I have to remember everything they taught me about close combat.

May lalaking papalapit saakin at kahit anong baril ko, naiiwasan niya. Nagsasayang lang ako ng bala, so I chose to fight him head-on. May dalawa siyang dagger na hawak and how I wish Jamie had enough time teaching me how to fight against dagger users.

He slashed his daggers at muntik nang matamaan yung mukha ko pero nakailag ako at itinama ang handle ng baril ko sa mukha niya. Napaatras naman siya at napahawak sa ilong niyang tinamaan ko. But that wasn't enough. Hindi masyadong malakas ang pagkakatama at nakarecover agad siya kaya umatake ulit.

Itinutok ko ang baril ko sakaniya ngunit ngumisi lang siya na parang inuunderestimate ako. Ipuputok ko na sana yung baril pero tinabig niya lang yung kamay ko and the next thing I knew, nakatutok na yung patalim sa leeg ko.

"Any last words, princess?"

Nag-igting ang panga ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Tinignan ko si Cristoff pero busy pa siya dahil marami ring umaatake sakaniya. Pati yung iba hindi ako napansin and I thought, 'I'm on my own right now'.

Napapikit ako – not to wait for the dagger to slash my neck but to think.

Think, Red.

What would the old me do?

Then I remembered what Scott told me during our training.

"You were number 1 for a reason. Hindi lang dahil ikaw ang bumuo sa grupo natin, but because you abilities exceed that of ours. And your main ability is in close combat just like mine. Just remember to release the tension in your body and let your reflexes do the job."

I opened my eyes and I immediately knew what to do. Since nakapatong yung lalaki saakin and my right leg is between his two legs, ginamit ko iyon para itama ng malakas yung tuhod ko sa sensitive part niya. Nang dahil sa impact no'n, napahawak yung lalaki sa tinamaan ko at napahiga sa lupa. I took that chance para bumangon.

Nakatutok ang baril ko sakaniya nang bigla siyang magmakaawa. "No. Please, no. Please." I had second thoughts if I should kill him now or let him go. I kept telling myself that I don't want to be a killer, but I'm in a position right now where my only choice is to shoot this man.

Nagsimulang sumakit yung ulo ko. I'm starting to have a vision. There was a huge fight. May hawak akong baril at kasama ko ang mga kaibigan ko pati na rin sina Cristoff. I don't know what was happening but a lot of men were coming at us. May lalaking palapit saakin but I shot him in the forehead at nang matumba ang lalaki, nilapitan ko ito at binaril sa dibdib ng tatlong beses. (Ref.: The Barkada Ch.12: Blood Bath)

Nang bumalik ako sa reyalidad, nakita ko yung lalaking umatake saakin at tumatakbo na siya palayo saakin. Nang dahil sa vision na nakita ko, I had another glimpse of who I was in the past. Isinantabi ko muna yung doubts ko at inisip na nandito ako at ginagawa koi to ngayon para protektahan yung mga taong importante saakin. I can deal with my doubts later. I can't let him get away and hurt others.

Kaya ang ginawa ko, instead of shooting him dead, I aimed at his legs. I shot his right leg first at tumama naman ito. Napasigaw siya at paika-ikang naglakad. Naglakad rin ako palapit sakaniya para mas madaling maka-aim. So I shot his left leg.