"Kill Me, Attorney." (Law Series #3)

PART TWENTY-EIGHT: THE PHOENIX WHO NEVER DIES

"NEWT IS DEAD..."

With my trembling hands and legs that were about to disown me, tears escaped my eyes.

"He's dead... Damn... Newt..."

I looked at Avery who was crying harder than before. She was covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably. It was the first time I saw her this emotionally wrecked.

"Avery..." I uttered and my voice cracked.

Gustuhin ko mang lumapit ay hindi ko magawa. Ni-hindi ako makagalaw at gustuhin ko mang maglakad ay animo nanlambot ang sistema ko sa sinapit ni Newt.

"They killed him brutally," Avery said in between her tears and there was anger in her voice. "They could've shotted him once, but they didn't! They tortured him... Oh my god, Newt..."

I cried even harder when I remembered how he took all the bullets and died with a smile on his face.

"He's gone... Newt is gone..." Avery screamed while crying.

That was when I went to her and hugged her tight.

"Avery... stop hurting yourself, hmm?" I said with tears coming out from my eyes.

"It's my fault, Neska," she said and her voice was shaky. "If only we disbanded, hindi ito mangyayari. Kung matagal pa lang binuwag na namin ito, hindi na sana 'to mangyayari. Siguro, by this time, Newt won't have a PTSD. He'll have a comfortable life with a wife and his kids..."

She looked down and cried again.

"I took his supposed good life, Neska," and she bit her lip. "It's my fault... It's my fault..."

I cupped her face. She was showing symptoms of her PTSD. She was panicking.

"Hindi, okay?" panghihikayat ko sa kaniya. "Imbis na sisihin natin ang sarili natin, let's make sure we'll win para hindi ma-uwi sa wala ang buhay ng mga nag-sakripisyo para sa atin, naiintindihan mo ba?"

Avery didn't answer. Tears just kept on forming in her eyes.

"Naiintindihan mo ba?" ulit ko.

Avery looked down and cried again.

"Hindi ko alam," sabi niya. "Ang dami nang napapahamak dahil sa 'kin. Hindi ko na alam, Neska. Ewan ko."

"Hey, hey," I said as I touched her hands. "You are one of the strongest woman I know. You are a Heimsworth and no one should mess with a Heimsworth, remember?"

Hindi siya sumasagot at patuloy lang na sinisinok dahil sa pag-iyak.

"Will...Will Aubrielle be safe?" tanong niya.

"She has to," sagot ko at muling nangilid ang mga luha. "Newt offered his life for her. She has to live, otherwise Newt's sacrifice will be put to waste."

"Oh my god," sabi ni Avery at ikinulong muli ang mukha sa palad at umiyak. "We are dying one by one..." .

"Avery, we will fight 'til the end," I said, encouraging her. "Whatever it takes."

Nagsimula siya magpahid ng luha.

"May signal na ba? We have to call the authorities now."

"But Newt told us not to associate ourselves with them," sabi ko. "Mayroong iba sa kanila na parte ng mga agila."

"We have to take risk, Neska. Napakarami nila at bilang lang tayo sa daliri. Mamamatay tayong lahat 'pag hindi tayo humingi ng tulong."

We were looking at each other for few seconds. Her eyes were convincing me.