Chapter 46: Beaten

"ITALI niyo nang mabuti!"

Isang tinig ang nagpagising sa'kin. At first, it was blurry, and I can't recognize where I was. Nang mapansin ko ang paligid ay halos lumuwa ang mata ko ng makitang nasa tuktok ako ng isang establishemento.

"We've done our part. Labas na kami sa gulo niyo. We, hunters, don't meddle with your thing, it's a law," anang boses.

Hunters?

Pamilyar ang hubog ng katawan nito at ng mapadapo ang tingin ko sa mukha niya ay agad kong nakilala iyon. Siya 'yong nakalaban ko sa mansyon! Agad silang umalis ng kasama niya at halos manlaki ang mata ko ng tumalon sila palapag na 'to.

Napadapo ang tingin ko kay Jandron.

I want to move, but my body can't. May nakataling lubid sa mga paa ko at kamay. Ilang ulit akong napabuga at napahigop ng hangin para pakalmahin ang sarili pero hindi ko magawa!

Sino nga ba namang tao ang kakalma kung ganito agad ang bubungad sa pagdilat ng mga mata? Fuck! I don't want to die!

I screamed, but after that I felt a rough hand slap my face. The intensity of that slap almost separated my soul from my body. My cheek heated, and the pain lingered on my face. I felt my blood drip on the side of my lips.

Agad kong tinapon ang tingin sa taong gumawa no'n sa 'kin. Medium-sized man with a scar on his left eye. Katamtaman din ang kulay at parang magkasingtangkad lang kami. It's Jandron.

I glared at him.

"Ito na ba ang pinagmamalaki ng Del Vecho na 'yon? Itong babaeng 'to?" He grabbed my hair and pulled it. "Aba mabangis 'to, ah?" Dalawang beses niya akong sinampal. "Del Vecho knows how to choose a girl, huh?"

"Let go of me, fucktard!" diing wika ko at dinuraan ng dugo.

His veins on his head pop up. Nanlilisik ang mga mata niyang napatitig sa 'kin habang pinapahiran ang dugong kumapit sa mukha niya.

"You bitch!" he shouted furiously and punched me in my stomach. "Matabil din pala ang dila mong babae ka! Kaya pala gustong-gusto ka ng gagong Del Vecho na 'yon."

"Mas gago ka!" inis na sigaw ko.

Another slap landed on my cheeks, this time with more force. Ramdam ko ang pagputok ng labi ko at panandaliang umikot ang paligid sa ginawa ni Jandron.

"Kung hindi ka lang importanteng pain baka kanina ko pa pinaputok 'yang bungo mo!" galit na aniya at dinuro-duro ako gamit ang nguso ng baril. "Kailangan ka pa namin kaya magtiis ka dyan!"

I glared even more, mabilis ko siyang dinuraan kaya mas lalong nagpuyos sa galit.

"Aba't!" Gigil niyang dinakip ulit ang buhok ko at isang sampal ulit ang natamo ko.

"Let go of her hair, douchebag!"

A familiar voice echoed in my ears. My heart began to pound as I slowly raised my eyes.

Nahagip pa ng mata ko ang pagdaan ng takot sa mata ni Jandron, pero agad din nawala 'yon.

Agon, together with Nick and Ardeen, set foot on this rooftop with a gun in their hand without any wound on their body.

His sharp eyes locked on Jandron. "Don't let me repeat my words," Agon's voice roared.

Fear flickered on my system when I saw his face. That cold and ruthless font that everyone feared in this world.

Nang mapadako ang tingin niya sa gawi ko ay napalitan iyon ng awa at pag-aalala sa sitwasyon ko. His eyes were asking if I'm okay as I nodded and gave him a smile.

Lumapit si Agon ng ilang hakbang pero agad na naalarma si Jandron.

"Isang hakbang pa, puputulin ko ang taling 'to!" sigaw niya at agad na tinutok ang kutsilyo sa lubid.

Agad na nanlaki ang mata ko at napatingin sa ilalim. Tiyak bali-bali ang katawan ko kapag malalaglag ako r'yan!

Agon's eyes were constricted with fear, and he stopped walking.

"Don't involve her with our fight, Jandron. Hindi ka talaga lumalaban ng patas," inis na sabi ni Agon.

"That's true!" dugtong ni Nick.

"I second the motion!" Ardeen seconded.

Napalingon si Agon sa kanilang dalawa at sinamaan ang mga ito ng tingin.

These two idiots!

Walang-ano ano ay bigla silang sinugod ng mga tauhan ni Jandron at doon lumabas ang isa pang lalaki.

"Jogo, you fucker!"

Tinawanan ni Jogo si Agon. He walks towards me and points his gun at my forehead.

Halos manlamig ang buo kong katawan ng maramdaman ang matigas at malamig na nguso ng baril niya.

"Lumaban ka kung ayaw mong mamatay ang minamahal mong asawa." Halakhak ni Jogo.

Tiim-bagang na tinitigan siya ni Agon at walang emosyong tinapon ang baril na hawak.

"Hon!" sigaw na alma ko, nanlalaki ang matang napatitig sa kaniya.

He looks at me as if saying everything will be all right.

"'Yan! Ganiyan dapat, Del Vecho. Ayaw mo naman pa lang mawalan ng asawa ng maaga."

"Throw your guns," he commanded Nick and Ardeen.

"Tsk." Nick.

"Booo!" Ardeen said.

Both of them throw their guns and put their hands in the air.

"Bugbugin niyo na ang mga 'yan!" utos ni Jandron.

"Tingnan natin ang angas niyong magkakaibigan!" napanuyang wika ni Jogo. "One wrong move and this woman here will die."

Isa-isa ng sinipa at binugbog silang tatlo ng mga tauhan nila Jogo at Jandron.

"Hon! Nick! Ardeen!" mangiyak-ngiyak na tawag ko ng hindi talaga sila lumaban.

Nakaluhod at duguan ang bibig nina Nick at Ardeen, inis na inis na ang mukha pero nakangisi pa rin.

"That's all you got?" Nick challenged them.

Isang hampas ng kahoy ang nagpahiga sa kaniya.

"Nick!" awang-awa na tawag ko. "Stop that! Stop this shit! Tama na!" nanggagalaiting sigaw ko kina Jogo at Jandron.

Aliw na aliw silang dalawa sa nakikitang pambubugbog sa tatlo at tatawa-tawa pa.

Dahil malapit si Jogo sa 'kin ay dinuraan ko ito. "Fuck you!"

Bago pa man ako makapagsalita ulit ay nakatanggap ako ng suntok sa tyan.

"Fuck you, Jogo! I will really kill you if you touch my wife!" galit na sigaw ni Agon amhabang nakahawak sa tagiliran niyang natamaan ng kahoy.

Isang sigaw ko ulit ang bumalot sa rooftop na 'to matapos paluin silang tatlo ng baseball bat ng sabay-sabay.

"Ano ba! Please fight them! Huwag niyo akong isipin!" Nagpupumiglas ako pero hindi pa rin ako makawala habang malayang dumadaloy ang luha sa pisngi ko. Parang mas lalo lang humihigpit ang pagkakatali sa katawan ko kapag gumagalaw ako.

My heart was pounding not for the fear but for what I'm seeing. My face is now full of tears, wishing this is just a nightmare.

I always admired them ever since for their strengths and wit. I've seen them fight and will walk through the fire no matter how dangerous it is. I have always known them for their unbreakable bond.

Now, they are on their knees, full of bruises and blood, and not fighting back. Not because they couldn't but because of me. I'm their weakness!

Looking at them, powerless and unable to do anything because of me, made my chest tighten.

They are all beaten!

"Fight back! Please! Huwag niyo akong isipin!" I yelled, crying.

I know they wanted to fight. I know they could end this in a split second. Seeing their balled fist and clenching jaw with their sharp eyes made me stop from crying.

I contained my emotion. I need to calm down first. If I wanted to help them, I would need to help myself first.

I moved my wrist and twisted it. It hurts a lot! The rope was digging into my skin whenever I moved, but I know this pain is nothing compared to what my husband and his friends felt.

Dahan-dahan kong inabot ang maliit na bulsa sa likod ng pants ko. I have a small knife hidden there. I started to cut the rope slowly, not making any noise or being noticed.

Lumambot ako ng husto ng isang sapak pa ang natamo ni Agon sa kalaban. Napaubo siya ng dugo at napasalampak sa semento. He was barely recovering from that punch when another set of punches flew on his face.

Oh god! My husband!

The man I know for his ruthlessness is not fighting back and taking all the punches because of me! The man who never surrendered and bowed to anyone is now throwing up blood and is full of wounds.

Mapanuyang tumawa sina Jogo at Jandron at lumapit sa kanilang tatlo.

"Look at you fuckers! You are helpless and doing nothing just because of a woman," ani Jandron at kumuha ng isang tubo. "Ano ka ngayon Del Vecho? Ito ba ang pinagyayabang mo? You're weak!"

"Let my wife go, asshole!" Agon's voice roared while he spit the blood from his mouth.