Chapter 38: My Mark

~RYU~

All my life, my role was being the kid who follows what his family wants him to be. Iyon ang buhay namin ng pinsan kong si Cooler. No exception. Bawal umayaw. Kailangang sundin. I breathed heavily as I hurried down the empty hall. It’s past midnight and the whole house was silent.

Nasa mansion ako ni Homer. I’m here to do something. Ni minsan ay hindi ko ginustong pumunta rito. This place is a living hell for me and my cousin noong mga bata pa kami. I didn’t expect I will be here voluntarily tonight.

The halls were dim but the lamp post on the terrace gives an eerie glow in the halls. Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan ko nang makarinig ako ng mga papalapit na yabag. Sumandal ako sa dingding at nagmasid. Base sa hakbang ng kung sino man iyon, I’m certain it’s one of the PSGs that guard the house.

Mula nang itinakas ko si Victoria ay nagdagdag na ng tao para sa kanyang kasiguraduhan si Homer. He’s a crippled old man. Kahit gaaano pa kanakakatakot ang presensya niya, he cannot do anything without a gun and his limbs.

Mas lalong nagiging malapit ang naririnig kong yabag kaya bumalik ako sa daan at naglakad hanggang sa makasalubong ko ang isa sa mga PSG at umakto ng normal. I stopped in front of him at nag-initiate ng usapan.

“Nilibot ko ang harapan ng bahay, mukhang wala naman akong napapansin. Saan ka naglibot?” tanong ko. My voice is different than my usual speaking voice, thanks to Amber’s friend Math. That tech geek really knows a lot. She gave me a voice changer in form of a necklace.

“Doon ako sa bahagi kung nasaan ang kwarto ni Homer kasama ni Charlie,” sagot ng PSG, no hint of suspicion in his voice. I know he won’t suspect me at all with that question, it’s the same question that the guard I knocked down unconscious asked me. Iyon marahil ang tinatanong nila sa bawat isa kapag nagkakasalubong sila.

Napansin kong nakatingin siya nang maigi sa akin. “Parang ngayon lang kita nakita.”

Damn, my disguised didn’t work? No way. I maintained my calm demeanor. “Kahapon lamang ako nakapasok.”

Tumango ulit ang guard at tila nakumbinsi. “Ah, isa ka pala sa mga bago lamang.”

“Oo, si Jake ang nagrekomenda sa akin.” Tumango ulit siya sa sinagot ko. Jake is the guard I took down on the way here. I got his in-ear and hid him in one of the closet of the rooms in the first floor. “Mag-iikot pa ako sa kabilang bahagi.”

Nilagpasan ko siya at patuloy na naglakad ngunit ramdam ko ang mga titig niya sa likuran ko. Damn, why didn’t he walk on the opposite direction?! I really can feel his gazes behind me.

“Sandali!” narinig kong sabi niya. Damn. Did he see me through?

I sighed silently and walked back towards him. I hate this, I hate people wasting my time but I’m not here as Ryu. I came disguised as a guard so I have to act like a guard. Huminto ako sa tapat niya at hinarap siya.

His eyes dropped on my wrist. “Bakit wala kang suot na relo?”

I looked at my wrist and it’s missing their black wristwatch. I never thought they have a uniform watch, too. I only picked the guard’s in-ear and other important thing like flashlight and gun but I didn’t think that the watch was essential, too.

I rolled down my sleeve and showed my wrist. Walang relos doon ngunit may nakaikot na manipis na chain sa kamay. “Wala akong relos pero meron akong chain.”

“Chain? Para saan iyan?” he asked, looking baffled with the chain on my wrist.

I immediately removed it and in a blink of an eye, it tangled the chain on his neck, choking him. Bahagya siyang nanlaban but in a swift movement, I knocked him unconscious after I hit a pressure point at the ridge of his neck. “This is for smart-asses like you.”

Avoiding any trouble, I pulled him on the nearest door and hid him inside. Kinuha ko rin ang suot niyang wristwatch just in case another smart ass noticed I’m not wearing any. I continued walking on the dim corridor of the house. I checked for random guards again and gladly I haven’t meet one after the two that I knocked down already.

Few more steps and I’m down to my goal-- reaching the old man’s study room. The throbbing in my chest doubled as I reached for the knob. Homer is up to something. He will not stop until he gets what he wants from Victoria. May plano siya and that’s what I want to find out.

I sneaked inside his study, walking as stealthily as I could. I felt my flash drive on my pocket and cracked my fingers. I felt the thin rubber on my palm. I used it to conceal my prints and I’m itching to touch his computer but I have to be careful first. After checking for any threats around, my fingers did their job.

No sweat in logging in but I am not assured that this computer contains helpful information. I rummaged through his files, checking every single details of it and at the same time being vigilant. No use. This doesn’t contain anything.

Ibinalik ko sa tamang ayos ang kanyang computer, removing all the traces of my intrude. Tumayo ako nang maayos at nang masiguradong wala akong naiwang kahinahinala ay tumalikod ako at naglakad papunta sa pinto. My breathing halted when my side caught the ashtray on the edge ngunit agad ko na iyong nasalo bago pa man iyon bumagsak. Damn, I mumbled under my breath before I put it back nicely.

Lumabas ako ng study at naging mapagmatyag ulit. The next place I want to check is Homer’s room. It’s dangerous but I have to take the risk. I strode towards the stairs but stopped halfway when I meet another PSG.

I still acted naturally, do things as what PSG does when they meet. “Saang bahagi ka naglibot?” tanong ko.

“Sa poolside,” sagot ng guard. “Galing kami ni Charlie roon.”

I mentally cursed. Damn that Charlie. Same name that the guard that I took down recently said. I’ll be in trouble if he knows the guards he met are now unconscious. I guess I have no other choice but to take down this one as well.

“Naglibot na ako sa sala,” sagot ko at humakbang sa direksyon kung nasaan ang mga kwarto. If this guard will suspect me for anything, saka na ako gagamit ng lakas upang pansamantalang mapatahimik siya. Ramdam ko ang mga tingin niya sa akin habang naglalakad ako. I was itching to look back but I restrained myself. That would be very suspicious. I need to hold back.

Napatigil ako sa paghakbang nang marinig ang kanyang sinabi.

“Kung hinahanap mo ang kwarto ni Homer, wala kang mapapala roon.”

What the hell?! I stiffened on my track as I tried to process the words he said ngunit pinigilan niya ako.

“’Wag kang lumingon,” wika niya in a very convincing man-voice. “May mataas na kalidad ng night vision camera ang bahaging ‘to ng bahay. Magiging kahinahinala tayo.”

Damn, she’s V in disguised. How come I didn’t noticed it?! And how come she noticed me in disguised?! Guess I really can’t fool the master of disguise herself.

“Bakit ka nandito? Don’t you think it’s too dangerous for you to be here?! Damn V, you should think thoroughly next time before doing things like this.” I prevented the urge of saying more but damn, I really want to say a lot of things and scold her for being this courageous. It’s too much that it’s very annoying. Paano kung mapahamak siya rito?! I know Homer. He doesn’t have consideration even on his own blood, let alone Victoria who is not related to him in any way!

“May kailangan lang akong tapusin,” sagot niya. “Siya nga pala, nasa loob ng closet sa pangatlong kwarto si Charlie. Hind siya makakalabas doon kung walang magbubukas ng closet. Kung madaanan mo, ikaw na lang ang magbukas.”

Her voice is different from her usual and she didn’t even need any device to do it. I clenched my fist as hard as I can. I questioned myself so many times why I was here, sneaking on my grandfather’s house. This is not as what I was told to do. I sighed before looking back ngunit wala na roon si V na nagpapanggap na isa sa mga PSG.

I deeply sighed again as I remembered the last conversation I had with Homer before I decided to come here.

“Since the day you were born, I see the potential in you,” Homer said in a nostalgic tone. “I was so happy that Athena’s first born is a son.”

His hand tapped his wheelchair and he moved to my direction. I was stunned and a lot of things are running in my mind right now. Why am I here? What’s the point of his words? Why is he telling me those?

“I don’t want to sound bias to my other grandchildren but I have to be honest, you’re my favorite.”

I kept my smirk to myself. As if the others like to be his favorite. Every Vander hates him, kahit si Mommy at si Cronus. Cooler and I used to quarrel when we’re kids and the only thing that could make us cry is that whoever says “mana ka kay Homer.” Kapag naunahan ka sa pagsabi niyon, talo ka. We hate him that much. I talked about him with the other guys. Gray hated him so much knowing he’s the root of the underground business. Zywon doesn’t care for him at all. See? No one really likes him.

“I think you hanging out with those thieves somewhat helped you develop your skill to be one,” wika niya at tinapik-tapik ang balikat ko. “Make me proud, Apollo.”

My brows met as I looked at him confusedly. “Anong ibig mong sabihin?”

“You’re a thief too, like them. After you saved that woman, she trusted you now sigurado ako roon,” he replied, taking a puff on his cigar. “Learn from them. The skills of that man will be very helpful for us, for your father since Tartarus is in-charge of the explosives and regarding that woman, steal the location of the loot from her. Pinagkakatiwalaan ka niya kaya magiging madali lamang ang lahat. If you will be able to, then we don’t need her anymore and she can live freely. Just the location, Apollo, I know you can do it.”

I was snapped to my current thoughts when a cold wind brushed my face. Homer is right. I’m a thief, too, and I’ve done the basics. Now he’s given me a mission and that’s stealing the location of Black Diamond’s loot from her. My mark is Victoria...

Unfortunately, I’m here, doing the opposite of what Homer has told me to do.

I failed doing the basics of being a thief...

I fell in love with my mark.

Damn.

#

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