CHAPTER 22

I opened my eyes but the white room hurt my eyes so I shut it again. I heard noises beside me, and I know I'm hearing it right, it's mom and dad.

I felt my eyes sting even though I'm shutting it tight. I remember everything now, every detailed that happened to me since I was born.

"Hindi mo sana ginawa 'yon! You know she's not okay! Paano kung may nangyaring masama sa kan'ya!? Sabihin mo sa 'kin, Zhen! Papaano mo maibabalik ang buhay ng anak ko!"

"Walang nangyari sa kan'ya! Kaya puwede ba? Tumahimik ka na lang!"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw my mother crying in front of my dad.

"Hindi mo alam ang nararamdaman ko! Malapit na s'yang mawala sa 'kin noon, ikaw ang dahilan no'n! At ngayon. . . ngayon ikaw mismo ang gumawa! Paano mo 'to nagagawa sa anak mo!" she said as she cried louder.

"Hindi ko gagawin 'yon, Ai. Hindi ko kayang patayin ang anak natin, hindi ko s'ya pinuruhan sa parte ng katawan n'ya na ikakamatay n'ya kaya huwag kang mag-alala."

Mom stood up and slapped my dad, my eyes widened but I keep quiet. "Anak mo s'ya kaya dapat hindi mo s'ya kayang saktan! You should protect her not hurting her! She's suffering all these years and yet you. . . you made her life miserable!"

Dad stood up and pointed my mother. "Sino ba sa atin ang gumawa nang bagay na nagpa-miserable sa buhay n'ya? Hindi ba ikaw? You created a scandal, I don't even know how to count it! Because of that, your daughter is embarrassed! Because of your stupidity!"

"I did that for you and for everything! You told me to do it so you shut up your mouth!"

Dad breathing ragged, mom looked away because of what she said. I cried silently as I stated at them weakly. I can't even move my body, it's hurt. Even my head hurt even more, the pain is unbearable.

"Zhail. . ." my mom called me right when she saw me awake.

I blinked my eyes weakly and looked away. They've been lying to me, how can I trust them?

"You're awake,"

I didn't talk, I looked away and shut my eyes to avoid their gazes. I don't want to talk to them, they're the reason why I'm suffering. They're the reason why I lose my love of my life, my friends, everything. I don't want to trust them.

I hate them.

"Zhail, anak. . ."

Mom held my hand, I want to take it away from her but I was too weak to even move. I just let her and acted like I was sleeping to avoid her.

"Zhail, kausapin mo si mommy. Please?"

I didn't talk, I wanted to hugged her but my anger towards them were too much. I don't want to say something that might hurt them, though, I'm still weak to shout at them. I don't want to talk to them.

For now, I just want to gather all my strength to escape this constrictive love of my family. Nakakasakal na sila nang sobra.

I heard her cried because of my silence. I don't know what's dad doing but I know he's watching me.

"Let her, give her some time to unwind. Let's talk if you're healed, Zhail. And I won't take a no for an answer,"

Hindi parin ako nagsalita. I heard the door shut and I know it's dad, he just left after that? What am I to him, a toy? After playing and hurting so bad he'll just leave behind?

My heart sunk, that is not my dad. He would never be my dad, my dad is a softy guy. He loves me very much that he didn't even want me to have a scratch when I was still a baby.

Mom keeps on giving me affection, she always give anything I want. She stayed by my side until I get recover, umuuwi lamang s'ya kapag maliligo at kumuha ng mga damit ko. She will eat and sleep beside me, kahit na hindi ko s'ya pinapansin.

Wala akong ni isang salita na nabanggit simula nang magising ako. Maybe three weeks?

Sa loob ng mahabang araw na 'yan ay puro ako pagpapagaling. I wanted to ask dad for my crew's whereabout but he didn't visited me since that day. I was so devastated by my crew's situation. I wanted to know if they're okay, they also got a shot from my dad's army.

"Zhail, kumain ka na."

I looked at my mom when she entered my room with a basket of fruits and a paper bag of foods.

I let her prepare the table for us when she was done, I stood up from my bed and sat in front of her. She was smiling cheekily but I just remained stoic, I ate my food without even looking at her. Nagsasalita lang s'ya nang nagsasalita kahit alam n'yang hindi ako nakikinig.

When we were done, she cleaned everything. I just let her even though I'm fully recovered.

The doctor said, I can go home as long as I want. Dad said I'll be leaving the hospital tomorrow morning, and now it's noon. I'll just wait for midnight tonight and I'll escape.

And as what i've been planning, when my mom dozed off and after fooling their guards and also let them dozed off with my punches I walked away from the hospital.

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang marating ko ang orphanage kung saan matatagpuan ang ACA. I entered it and use the same way I often use.

Commander X welcomed me as soon as I enter the agency, maybe they saw me entering the underground from the system.

"Agent Angel, you're nowhere to be found for a month! Where have you been?" he said as soon as I reached their place.

I didn't answer him, instead I asked. "Where is my crew?" they all looked at me unaware of everything that'd happened months ago.

"You shouldn't asked us about that, you know where they are. What's happening, Angel? We don't have any idea what's you've been up to!"

I was shock, of course I should. Lahat nang mga ginagawa ng ACA agents ay alam n'ya, this is the first time he said that in front of me. Surprisingly, I didn't freak out. I should think about everything that turns out to be the wreak havoc.

He asked me again and again but I didn't hear him out, I left him and walked to Nana's office. When It entered it, papers to papers were shattered all over. Foods are stinking, I don't even know how she manage to smell all of this.

"Nana," I called her.

I saw her body stilled, she slowly turned her head to me and shock was written in her face. Her eyes widened but then she shook her head.

"No, I'm hallucinating again! Just focus on your work, Nana! You'll find her soon!"

She turned her back at me and started to work again, I smiled a little. I started walking towards her and sat beside her.

"Nana, help me." I uttered.

She stilled and shook her head numerous times, I saw how she teared up while staring at the monitor and busied herself.

"H-hindi,"

I smiled and chuckled. "I'm alive, Nana. Look at me and please, just please talk to me."

She slowly faced me and held my face, she started to tear up even more. She jump on me for a hug making me whimper in pain, that's hurt.

"Zhail! Oh my gosh! Where have you been!"

She cried on my arms and even though my wounds hurt a little, I let her. She need my embrace to bring her back to her mentality.

"I'll talk to you about that, Nana. For now, I want you to help me find my crew. Please. . ."

I never beg before, I never did. Even in my darkest night, I never beg for anyone. Even my dad asked me to leave the country for my study, I never beg to stay. Just now, for my crew.

She stood up straight and clean her table, after that, she sat comfortably and faced me.

"Okay, what should I do?"

"I need you to track them, I wasn't sure if they're still in Cebu–"

"Wala na sila do'n," she cut my words.

I nodded and thought about dad's other properties. "I know something, sa Quezon something uhm. . ." I tried to think about it again and again. Hindi pa masyadong klaro ang ala-ala ko kaya hindi ko masabi agad. "Something from. . . near the Hôtel du Soleil. It's not abandoned, I think it's a garage. I'm not sure, just check it."

She nodded and started to tapped, I was amazed how fast her hands were. Though, I'm fastest. I was just too tired to do it now, also, I have Nana to cover me. I'm sure X helped me finding my crew, after all they're still their agent.

"Then somewhere in Abra, ang alam ko may kampo sila doon. I'm not really sure but just observe the movement in their camp. Baka makakuha tayo nang impormasyon,"

She nodded once again and proceed to the other monitor. The room is spacious for a lot of computer, the system is always on and never been off for safety purposes. So instead of waiting for her, even though she's fast, I helped her. Kahit pagod ako.

We were using the satellite so it wasn't really that hard to track and hack some CCTV, so I search a lot in Baguio and recall my memory from the past. I've been there once, maybe at the age of ten. But I still remember every inch of that place so I also checked it.

After that, I also checked his property in Muntinlupa, Rizal, Iloilo, Davao and Cebu. I was too preoccupied that I didn't even realize that X had entered the room. He's watching the two of us working on finding them.

"Nahanap n'yo na?" he asked.

I shook my head and massage my head to lessen the pain of stress. I really hate it when my head throbs, it's painful. I can bear with it but since I was such a hard-headed woman, okay, let's enjure the pain.

I waited for hours just looking at the monitor, the situation itself is not easy. I can hardly hack their system, I can't notify it. Though, I still had some extra curricular  to do that's why I left Nana's room.

The room I occupied for years, where I ready everything, from guns, bombs to system. X was there when I entered, he looked at me as soon as he felt my presence.

"I'm glad you're here, I need to talk to you."

I nodded and sat in front of him. I crossed my legs together with an open arms, I stretch my arms and stared back at him.

"What is it?"

He pointed the monitor in front of me, when I looked at it, a man in a hoodie and a familiar woman were talking beside the unfamiliar bar.

"You know that woman right?" I nodded as an answer. Who wouldn't know her? She's my bestfriend! "Wave was the one she was talking to" I stilled. "If you're thinking about her, rebelling against the law, you're wrong."

He chuckled. "I'm afraid to admit that. . . they deceived me real good, Caion and Wave were a great actors. I didn't even believe they were part of the most hidden agency in the world. Their existence is fearful, it was a colossal mistake to take them down. If they're not working in that agency, I'm sure as hell we are over."

I am too, hearing it from him, I don't want to believe. And seeing Andy talking with him, everything freaks me out.

"What's the deal with that woman?"

I don't feel like calling her by her name. It sounds weird and awkward, it's been years since I last talked to them. I hardly believe what they've been up to these years but then, I know I can trust her. After all, she's that trustworthy.

"She's just a good friend of them, she's a good doctor and a good friend of your love of life–Leviste." I rolled my eyes because of that, I hate the feeling when he said that. It feels nostalgic calling him my love of my life, it feels nice but awkward.

"Anyways, she's not part of that agency. Her friend–Astrid Sivan–were the one." doon ako napatingin sa kan'ya mula sa pagkatitig ko sa monitor. Sivan?

"She's an agent?"

He nodded. "Actually, a lot of them is an agent. I was surprised when I learned about her circle of friends, they're such a successful women with such a very cool aura's. Most of them were women in uniform, I hate to admit but I wanted to take them to work for us."

There. I was happy. Genuinely.

Who would thought that all my friends, from the weakest to the strongest will achieve such as that? It'll take a lot of time to spend my time with them. Sure is.

"Caion and Wave just helped the girls, that's why they're involved."

I know.

When I remembered everything after I woke up from my illness, I already knew they were helping me. Zyleen and Lie found their love. That's a relief. Kaya pala tinulungan ako ni Wave sa pagtakas doon, dahil asawa sila ng mga kaibigan ko.

How 'bout Levi?

Yes, what about him?

I was still confused about everything. About the funeral, the body, everything. Did dad set it up? Who's that woman then?

"About your crew, if you want–"

X's words were cut off when someone opened the door aggressively.

"Alam na namin kung nasaan sila!"