The man had no chance.

I gave a small nod to Sanada and she slipped behind the man and used her bare hands to snap his neck. He gave a surprised grunt as Sanada hit the correct pressure points that would immobilize him. His eyes bulged and his hands formed into claws but it's too late. The light extinguished from his eyes forever. My partner lowered him down gently on the floor and I would have laughed because she was so careful with the man she just killed.

That was the last of the guards on this wing.

This time the information wasn't a fluke. I didn't bother calling it in to HQ. I've doubted our security for the past month. Lahat ng impormasyon namin regarding this particular case had been misses and near-misses. I can't let the main HQ think that our branch is a dead weight this early in the game. Nobody messes with me and my squad.

I opened the door at the end of the corridor which opened up to a long corridor that extended on both ends.

"Shall we toss on it?" She winked at me.

"Tails." I called the shot and she flipped a coin from somewhere in her person.

"Heads." She showed me her hand. Heads it is then. I turned to the left wing while she went to the opposite side. 

We took the first flight that we could get our hands on once we reached Clark. Iniisip ko na mas may chance kaming maabutan si Tiu at hindi kami ganoon kabilis ma-track kung dito kami sasakay kaysa pumunta pa kami sa NAIA. I'm not gonna let whoever is watching to beat me so easily. My hacking skills brought me to the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pumunta rito sila Tiu, but I'm pretty sure that I'll get answers if I track him down.

Most of the rooms are unoccupied. I heard a sound of a door opening so I slid into the shadows of a fire exit. Loud music flooded the corridor for a while mula sa kuwartong pinanggalingan ng room service. Seems like a party is going on inside the Presidential suite. Well, that sounds favourable to me. I spied another cart coming in with booze and other finger food. Pinalampas ko muna ang bell boy before I moved up to him and silenced him with a swift blow to the temple. I dragged him and his cart to the fire exit where I stripped him of his clothes.

Now, we're talking. 

***

They barely gave notice as I pushed the cart inside the room. The lights are dimmed pero may disco ball na nakakabit sa ceiling at malakas ang tugtog ng club music from the cleverly designed sensorround speakers. Scantily-dressed girls danced on top of the tables habang nakaupo ang mga couples na naglalampungan at humihithit ng marijuana. Another small group was having a session sa kabilang dulo. Makapal ang usok at halo-halo ang amoy. I struggled not to inhale the substances.

Brian Tiu sat like a king in the middle of the room habang katabi ang dalawang nagseseksihang babaeng halos wala ng damit. His hands are painting lazy circles on their thighs and chests. Is this the man Maria is gonna marry?

The hell you care Ali.

I need to focus on the job.

Itinigil ko ang cart at nagsimulang ibaba ang mga pagkain at alak sa counter. My eyes darted here and there. Two bodyguards who towered like Battista stood behind Tiu habang ang isa naman ay nagbabantay sa labas ng tingin ko ay master's bedroom.

I need a distraction.

"Rm. 4720 Sanada," I kneeled down the floor para magmukhang pinupulot ko ang nagkalat na basyo ng mga bote na naroon.

"Oh finally," a girl stumbled in front of me with a drunken giggle. She could barely keep her eyes open pero inabot pa rin niya ang isang bote ng mamahaling alak. "Babe!" She called to a man who is having a serious lip-lock with another girl. She stomped her foot and went over to him. Nakita ko kung paano niya hinila ang lalaki para siya naman ang halikan. The other girl bent down to the table in front of them and took a snort from a row of what looked like crystal. They opened the bottle and took turns drinking the wine.

Another couple went past me and the man pushed the girl on top of the counter. I turned away just as I heard their moans and clothes being ripped.

The door opened once more and another woman entered. I tried to hide my smile as Sanada gave me a seductive grin.

Now where the hell did she get that outfit?

I watched her do her magic. Habang busy ang bantay kay Rika, I slipped inside the masters bedroom. I immediately saw a laptop resting on the side table. Naka-idle ito and I moved the mouse kaya nanghingi ng password. It took me a few minutes to crack the code. I took my knife and extracted the SD card I kept inside the false handle. I quickly downloaded what I can habang chinecheck ang emails ni Tiu. I'm impressed at how big his influence is internationally. Hindi small fry itong si Tiu that's for sure. One email address caught my eye.

I can't make a mistake.

What does Brian Tiu have to do with this person?

***

Naghikab ako habang naglalakad. Nauna na naman sila Cassie at Andi at nahuhuli na naman ako so I tried to keep up pero masyadong kiti-kiti itong mga pinsan ko na excited nang makauwi. Masyadong sleepy town ang Sagada para sa kanila and they are dying to go back to partying after four days na malayo sa city. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Alistair yesterday pero maaga daw silang nag-checkout ng family niya. Hindi ko alam kung tama ba yung ginawa ko dahil alam ko naman na kabaliwan na gusto ko pa siyang makita pero nagbakasakali lang naman ako.

Ugh, Maria ngayon ka pa ba nagkakagusto sa lalaki? Nababaliw ka na?

I don't know what kind of spell he put on me pero simula ng makilala ko siya noong isang araw, parang nagbaliktad na ang mundo ko. Lagi ko na lang naiisip yung mga misteryoso niyang mata saka yung maloko niyang ngiti. Pati yung mga nosebleed niyang sinasabi na ang hirap sundan hinahanap ko din. Hindi miminsan akong pinansin ng mga tita ko na lutang. Hindi pa rin ako kinakausap ni Ama at ramdam ko yung tampo niya sa akin.

Tapos... tapos na-realize ko na hindi ko man lang pala nakuha yung number niya! Ugh, ang tanga-tanga ko! Paano na kaya yung sinabi niyang magkita kami after a month?

After a month? Ikakasal na ako kay Brian, should I really let this man rattle my peaceful existence? Paano kung hindi naman siya seryoso?

How can I trust someone I barely know?

Nababaliw na nga talaga ako.

I reached the van and went inside.

"What took you so long?" Maarteng tanong ni Andi na busy na naman sa kaniyang phone. Halos di niya bitawan ito sa kakapost ng photos at pag-twi-twitter ng woes niya dito sa bakasyon namin. Umupo ako sa tabi niya and pretended not to hear her question.

Wait, naalala ko puwede ko nga pala siyang hanapin sa social media!

Binuksan ko yung phone ko at yung hindi ko halos ginagamit na FB. Buti na nga lang at naka-save ang password nito dito sa phone ko dahil hindi ko na maalala. I typed search for Alistair Damien Zabala.

No User Found.

Wala siyang FB? Sinong tao ngayon ang walang FB?

I also tried Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Pati Tumblr pinatulan ko na. I Googled his name.

No User Found.

Ghad, bakit feeling ko stalker ako?

I typed in his brother's names. Meron namang lumabas na accounts for all of them pero nahihiya naman akong mag-send ng friend request. Baka mamaya niyan isipin nila ini-stalk ko si Ali. Er. I'm not that kind of girl.

Alam kong sa iba walang issue yung paghingi ng friend request, it's just their way of being social kasi nga social media, di ba? Pero sa akin kasi, di naman ako nag-fri-friend kung hindi ko talaga friend in real-life. Hindi ko gusto na napa-flood ang newsfeed ko ng mga post ng kung sino-sino.

My gosh, itigil ko na nga ito. Kinlose ko yung browser at itinuon ang pansin ko sa labas ng bintana ng sasakyan. I watched the beautiful scenery pass by.

Just like I'm watching my life pass by.

'Buhay ka pa Maria, live and struggle. Rage against the dying of the light.'

I closed my eyes as I remembered his words. Sobrang tinamaan ako sa sinabi niya. I've never felt more alive than when I imagined we were on the brink of death. I can almost imagine the look in his eyes and the way his sinful lips formed his words. Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko nang maalala ko kung paano niya ako hinalikan. I can feel my heart beating fast with the memories.

Oh God, ano pong ginawa sa akin ni Ali?

Noon walang importante sa akin kundi i-please sila Ama at ang mga kamag-anak namin, pero ngayon mas lalong lumabo yung desisyon ko na magpakasal kay Brian. Gosh, ano na nga ba ang nagawa ko sa buhay ko para lumugar na ako sa tahimik? Sure, I've travelled alot pero kasama naman ang pamilya ko. I haven't really tried to make a decision for myself.

Am I going to live the rest of my life with a total stranger? Magkakasundo ba kami? Brian is already in his mid-thirties at sobrang busy siya sa negosyo. Matutulungan ko ba siya? Would he want me?

Masyado akong maraming tanong at sumakit lang lalo ang ulo ko sa kakaisip. I saw Andi dozing off already at my side. Inikot ko yung mata ko sa mga kasama namin, may dalawang katulong sa likod na tulog din. Si Cassie mukhang may ka-chat sa phone niya habang ang mama niya ay busy na nag-g-games sa Ipad. Si Manong driver at yung isa pang driver na karilyebo niya nasa harap naman. Puno ng pamilya ko at mga kasambahay ang sasakyan pero feeling ko nag-iisa ako.

I suddenly miss my sister Aurora. Noong mamatay sila mommy at daddy, kami na lang dalawa ang magkakampi pero iniwan niya rin ako. Pinili niya ang maging masaya kasama ng bagong pamilyang bubuuin niya.

Kaya ko bang gawin ang ginawa niya? Iniisip ko pa lang ay kinakabahan na ako.

Don't I also deserve happiness?

***

Ohem nakabalik na pala si Boss! Feeling ko malalaglag ang puso ko nang makita ko sa monitors na papasok na sa parking si Kuroneko, yung Honda Civic RS ni Jaguar. Basta na lang sila nawala sa grid ni Rika kahapon after nila manggaling sa failed mission sa Baguio. Sinubukan kong tanungin yung os-bitch kung ano ang nangyari pero dinedma lang ako ng bruha. Naku, kung salbaheng kabute lang ako baka kinalmot ko na siya pero pinigilan ko sarili ko.

"Agents, Jaguar is back!" I announced on the PA system. Naku sana nalinis nila yung studio dahil baka makita ni Jaguar yung kalat kagabi nila Yelle. Naisipan ba naman na makipaginuman ng kabuteng 'yon. Ito namang sila Jem at Shanvie at nakisali pa. Ilang shots lang ng tequila at naramdaman ko nang nahihilo ako kaya tinigilan ko na agad.

Ilang segundo at nakita kong may incoming call galing sa office niya.

"Welcome back, boss," I greeted him cheerfully.

"My office Icen. Now." Agad akong tumayo para puntahan siya. Malapit lang ang office ni Jaguar kaya agad akong nakarating. Naabutan ko siyang naghuhubad ng jacket habang si Rika naman ay nakahilata na sa sofa at mukhang pagod na pagod. Holy macaroni, are those hickeys around her neck?! May something ba sa kanila ni Boss? Shocks... shocks.... maloloka sila Trixie dito!

"Work on this for me." Inilapag niya ang isang SDcard sa kaniyang lamesa. "Absolute secrecy Clauson. Walang makakaalam. Not even HQ." Napalunok ako sa sinabi niya.

"Um, pero..."

"I think we need to up our defenses," Rika said with a groan. "You owe me Ali."

"Rest up, Sanada." His long hair looked messy na parang ilang beses niya itong sinuklay ng kaniyang kamay. Mighad, kaguwapong nilalang! Hindi makatarungan.

I clutched the SDcard in my hands. Ano kayang laman nito at saan galing si boss?

***

I closed my eyes for a while pagkasarado nila ng pinto. The trip had been exhausting but worth it. I got a message from Kuya Al na nasa Banawe pa sila at bukas pa ang uwi kaya wala naman akong kasama sa bahay kung hindi si Yaya Maring. Nasa conference pa si Mommy so wala naman akong gagawin kung hindi matulog maghapon.

Something is still niggling at the back of my mind.

Why would the same email address appear in two totally unrelated people's emails?

I've hacked through her entire life and there isn't a single connection with Brian Tiu.

What are you hiding Melanie Hernandez?

***

After a couple of hours of sleep, naalimpungatan ako sa panaginip ko.

Damn, pati ba panaginip ko kailangan nandoon siya?

It looked so vivid. She was wearing a white dress but rivers of blood flowed from her eyes. A thousand scintillating points twinkled from her skin. Her mouth opened and they poured out in an endless stream to the nightsky.

I don't believe in omens. I don't really know kung ano ang dapat kong isipin sa kaniya, pero alam ko when this thing with Tiu blows up, Maria will be collateral damage.

And it hurts to know that I might be the reason for her to get hurt.

Are you growing a conscience, Ali?

I got up because I can't sleep anymore. I opened the windows to let in fresh air inside my room. The smell of night flowers assailed my nostrils. Magaling mag-alaga ng halaman si yaya at puno lagi ng bulaklak ang garden namin year-round.

Bakit kahit anong pilit kong kalimutan ang babaeng 'yon ay pinupukaw niya ang aking isipan? I used to not give a damn about other people. Isa pa hindi ko naman talaga siya kilala.

Which reminds me...

I opened my browser and typed in her name. I scrolled through the usual things; FB, IG, Twitter... she kept a blog too. I read some of her works and my mind conjured an image of her.

So very fragile...

Hindi siya nababagay sa buhay na mayroon ako.

A/N:

Read. Vote. Comment. (kung gusto niyo lang. Haha.)

Thank you! <3