Territorial Men 9: Carter Altaraza

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER NINE

 
CARTER tries to live his life again after he lost a dear friend, Keith. He went back to Navy Seal and focused on his job there. He also visited his doctor regularly to heal his invisible wound that was hiding in the depth of his head.
 
Those gunfire and explosion are the ones that really trigger his anxiety. Normal na sakit ‘yon ng mga Militar na sumabak sa giyera at madugong labanan. He can still deal with bloody combat, but as long as he can, he will avoid explosions because it reminds him of his troops that died in the middle of the war. He hates explosions a lot.
 
It was a long and rough road being in the service, but he couldn’t be grateful enough that until now he’s still breathing despite all the traumatic events that happened to him.
 
The good news so far about him is…he already received an honorable discharge and that is the best reward he knew he deserve.
 
“What’s your plan?” Clane asked casually.
 
They are in Altaraza Hotel, inside his brother’s office.
 
Carter poured his glass of whisky.
 
“I’ll help you with La Secreta, if you’d allow me.”
 
Clane is the one who manage the security agency since Keith left them.
 
Napasimsim si Carter sa alak nang maalala ang matalik na kaibigan. It’s been a year, he can still feel the pain of losing a brother though, but he’s not complaining. He used to it.
 
“It would be great to have you there.”
 
Knowing his brother, he’s too busy running two empires, Altaraza Hotel & Resort, and his wife’s family business, the Villamor Hotel. It will be a big help if he helps him to manage La Secreta.
 
After a few more minutes, Colton arrived.
 
Carter smirked because his youngest brother barely visit Manila just to see them. He’s living in their mansion with his wife, as their parents requested.
 
“What are we going to talk about?” Colton asked before he could sit.
 
“I don’t know to Kuya,”
 
“This is about La Secreta,”
 
“Ah. What about it?” Carter shifted his sitting position.
 
Clane sipped on his whisky, crossing his legs, sitting on his damn swivel chair, while he and Colton are in front of him as if they are doing a job interview. What the fuck?
 
“I am too busy, I can help but I can’t fully handle agency anymore.”
 
Nagkatinginan sila ni Colton na para bang alam na nila ang kahahantungan ng usapang ito.
 
“Alam kong hindi niyo kayang tumanggi. So yeah, I’ll give both of you the responsibility to continue what Keith left us.”
 
“I’d love to. I was about to ask you about that.” It was Colton. “Since the main office is near the Villa, I can do the work there.”
 
Then Colton glances at him, waiting for his words.
 
“Walang problema sa ‘kin. Alam na ni Kuya. I will work in La Secreta.”
 
“Okay, good. You can leave me alone now.” Clane dismissed them and motioned the exit door.
 
Carter leered at his brother. This brute really has the ability to be rude.
 
“The chopper is in the helipad, do you wanna go to Villa, Kuya?” Colton sounds like he’s inviting him.
 
“No, thanks. Go ahead and have a safe trip.”
 
Colton stood up. “Anything else you want to say?”
 
“Nothing. Just get your ass out of here, Colton.” Clane arrogantly rested his back on his swivel chair. “Enjoy your trip.”
 
“You know what, you should be grateful that this urgent meeting is for Keith, if it wasn’t, I will never ever visit here for nonsense.”
 
“We know that, Colton. We are sorry to bother you,” Carter said sarcastically.
 
The fact that Clane made this an urgent meeting knowing that Colton is in Villa Altaraza made him feel bad for his youngest brother, that he needed to use their chopper just to be on time. The funny thing is, his stay in that office is shorter than his travel time to get there.
 
“I appreciate your presence though.” There was sarcasm in Clane’s voice.
 
Colton just snorted and left them.
 
“Ikaw? Ano pa ang hinihintay mo?”
 
“I will stay for a few minutes.”
 
He was waiting for Kielton’s call. Mas naging malapit sila ni Kielton simula nang mawala si Keith at nang mag-asawa na ang iba nilang kaibigan. Silang dalawa ang natira pero sa palagay niya ay mapag-iiwanan na siya, dahil ang gago, mukhang lalagay na rin sa tahimik.
 
Kaya lang…sa tingin nila, inilayo mula kay Kielton ang babaeng kinahuhumalingan nito. Bigla nalang nawala. Bigla nalang hindi nagparamdam sa kaibigan niya pagkatapos masangkot si Kielton sa iligal na droga.
 
Kielton asked him to find his girl and since they are now really good friends, he will help the brute. Ayaw niyang magkaroon ng baliw na kaibigan.
 
“Do you mind?”
 
Clane motioned the sofa, telling him to transfer there because he’s such a distraction while his brother is signing and reading those damn papers.
 
“I have a question, Kuya.”
 
Hindi ito nagsalita, abala sa ginagawa, ngunit alam niyang nakikinig naman ito sa kanya kaya nagpatuloy siya.
 
“Wala ka ba talagang alam?”
 
Clane paused for a second, then leered, like as if this topic is tiring.
 
Ever since, Carter believed that Clane knew something about Keith before he died. Hindi niya alam kung bakit kahit sinabi na ni Keith sa kanya noon na walang nakakaalam ng kung anoman ang itinatago ng kaibigan, hindi niya pa rin maiwasan na huwag tanungin ang Kuya Clane niya.
 
Knowing this brute in front of him, he has a wide connection, he can easily get information if he needed, no matter how confidential the information is, he can pull a string just to get it.
 
“Alam mo sa ating dalawa, mas papaniwalaan ko na ikaw ang mas may alam kung may itinatago man si Keith sa atin. You know why? Because before he died, you were the one who he always with.”
 
“Wala siyang sinabi sa ‘kin. That brute is very, very secretive.”
 
“Then, you can’t get that kind of information from me.”
 
Matagal niya pa tinitigan ang kapatid, kaya lang ay nanghahamon din ang balik na titig nito sa kanya, sinasabi sa kanya na wala talaga siyang makukuhang impormasyon mula dito.
 
“He was still conscious when I left him. He was responsive. It’s so strange that he didn’t survive.”
 
“I know it’s hard for you, Carter. It’s hard for me too, because I and my son were the reason why Keith did that, he wanted to save us, he saved us.” Clane put down his pen, he’s now ready for this conversation, he continues.
 
“I blamed myself, I was very guilty. I wished I’d be more careful, I should’ve waited for the right time, but I was so eager to escape that night to save my son. I can catch the bullet for Cole, or any of us there, and Keith was there, he didn’t even think twice to catch that fucking bullet. Did you know how much it hurts me that his life ended that way?”
 
Carter remain silent this time, he just sipped on his whisky. He knew that his brother is in pain too when Keith left them, Clane was just so good at controlling his emotions, that he never see him cry!
 
“I didn’t cry because I tried so hard not to. I hope that you will learn how to let him go. Alam kong masakit para sa ‘yo, pero…palayain mo na siya, Carter, kahit mahirap.”
 
Ang nakakabinging katahimikan na bumalot sa kanila ay nagpapaalala lang ulit na dapat ay matuto na siyang palayain ang dapat palayain. Sa mga sandaling ‘yon ay dapat natanggap niya na ang pagkawala ni Keith.
 
Dapat ay hindi na sumisiksik sa isip niya na baka…palabas lang ang lahat ng ito, na baka…hindi naman talaga patay ang kaibigan. Pero alam niyang sobrang imposible niyon dahil lahat ng ebidensyang nagpapatunay na wala na talaga si Keith ay nakita niya na.
 
“Kuya, baliw na ba ako?” Wala sa sariling nabanggit niya dahil sa mga naiisip.
 
“You’re not. It’s just that losing him hurt you so much that until now you still believe that he’s still alive. But, Carter, he’s not. He’s really gone.”
 
“Minsan ba naisip mo na baka…palabas lang ang lahat ng ito?”
 
“I did. I really did.” Clane sighed, he played with his glass. “It was so crazy to admit this but I honestly came to the point that I thought about it…that maybe Keith was just protecting us, so he tricked us with his death.”
 
Alam niya…alam niyang hindi kaagad naniwala ang kapatid niya na patay na si Keith kahit pa nakita na nila na wala ng kulay ang balat nito, maputla na ang labi at hindi na humihinga. Nasa harap na nila noon ang ebidensya na wala na ang kaibigan nila…pero hindi nila agad ‘yon natanggap kaya hindi nila kaagad pinaniwalaan.
 
“Howell will never lie to me, I saw all the evidence about how that little vein near Keith’s heart hit the bullet, that ended his life.”
 
Nakita niya rin ang mga ‘yon para lang masigurado ang totoo. He even sneaked on BMC just to see those medical records of Keith. He even assumed that Howell lied to them for Keith, but he wasn’t, he knew he was not.
 
“Did you really make sure that he’s dead? Since you went back to the hospital that night.”
 
Clane sighed tiredly.
 
Hindi niya pa rin tinitigilan itong kapatid niya tungkol sa nangyari kay Keith sa paniniwala niyang may kinalaman ito. Pinagkakatiwalaan niya ang kapatid pero alam niya rin kung paano ito gumalaw, tahimik at malinis.
 
Have you ever felt this fucking feeling? You trust a person himself, but at the same time, you’re doubting the way they move? Because you knew their ability and credibility to do things privately, without leaving any evidence for you to doubt them.
 
Kaya talagang hindi niya pinapatahimik itong kapatid niya sa mga tanong niya at simpleng pag-iimbestiga. Call him crazy, but he don’t give even a single shit.
 
“I did make sure. Tingin mo babalik ako sa hospital kung mabilis kong natanggap ang pagkamatay niya? I will never leave Keith with those people alone. I needed to make sure that they respect Keith’s body, I needed to make sure that Tuazon will be in the right place.”
 
When Carter’s phone vibrated in his pocket, he kinda felt that it was Kielton.
 
“Go ahead and stop disturbing me about Keith.” Taboy ng kapatid sa kanya.
 
Hindi siya nakinig, bagkos, sinagot nalang ang tawag ni gago.
 
“What?” Carter annoyingly asked.
 
“Where the fuck are you right now?”
 
“Who are you to ask about my whereabouts? My parents didn’t even bother to ask me that.”
 
“Tss! Samahan mo ko.”
 
“Saan?”
 
“Airport.”
 
“Okay, pick me up. Altaraza hotel.”
 
“I’ll be there in a bit. Move your ass now.”
 
Carter stood up, preparing to leave.
 
“Alam mo, kahit sino sa atin ang maunang magpaalam, sisiguraduhin ko pa rin na nasa maayos na kalagayan ang mga katawan niyo. You should do the same to me.”
 
Carter groaned. “Stop that. I don’t like that kind of conversation.”
 
“This is the reality of life. We need to bravely face it.”
 
“Wag mo akong bilinan. Ganyan na ganyan si Keith sa ‘kin bago siya namatay. Ayokong mamatay ka Kuya, hindi ko kayang patakbuhin ang negosyo natin, baka ako ang mapatay ng magulang natin kapag nalugi. Sayang naman ang lahi ko.”
 
Habang nagsasalita siya ay may disgusto lang siyang tinignan ng kapatid.
 
“Leave.” Taboy nito sa kanya na para bang hindi sila magkadugo.
 
Carter left Clane’s office and waited to Kielton in the lobby.
 
 
ALANDRA can’t still believe that she’s traveling to the Philippines at that moment.
 
Kahit ilang oras na siya sa ibabaw ng ulap, hindi pa rin mawala ang takot na nararamdaman niya. Her hands were still shaking a bit and her stomach is fluttering, she can’t even eat!
 
She closed her eyes when she remembered Cambria, her daughter was sleeping when she left. Alam niyang kapag nagising ito ay hahanapin siya kaagad, wala pa man ay naluluha na siya. Her poor baby girl will wake up without her.
 
She spent another more hours before the plane landed in the airport. At dahil hindi inaasahan ang pagbalik niya sa Pilipinas, hindi niya kaagad nasabihan ang magulang kaya wala siyang aasahan na magsusundo man lang sa kanya.
 
The good thing is when she called her brother Kielton, he answered and agreed to pick her up.
 
Alandra isn’t really sure why almost all people were looking at her as if she’s a celebrity, but they didn’t bother to get near her, they are just looking at her, with admiration and wow in their eyes.
 
Her brother is already in the waiting area, so she moved her ass out quickly. Para siyang nabunutan ng tinik sa lalamunan nang mabilis na mahanap ng kanyang mga mata ang kapatid, kumaway siya dito at kaagad naman itong napatakbo palapit sa kanya.
 
Okay, she’s now aware that Kielton is very famous in the Philippines, she couldn’t deny it because now everyone is looking at both of them!
 
Kulang nalang talaga ay lumapit sa kanila ang mga tao para lang magpa-picture. And her brother noticed it, so he simply guide her away from those people.
 
What Alandra didn’t really expect is…from afar, she saw a familiar face of a man. And when that man walks in their direction, Alandra felt like a lot of butterflies flying inside her stomach.
 
The more the man gets closer, the more she gets more uncomfortable, and what annoys her is she can clearly see how good-looking he is in person. Though his photos were good enough, but seeing him in person hit differently.
 
“Hi,” Carter Altaraza greeted her cooly, his lips seems like hiding a damn smirk.
 
Alandra gripped on his brother’s arm because she suddenly felt nervous with this man’s presence. Pakiramdam niya ay may kasalanan siya dito, siguro dahil hinayaan niya ang sarili na gamitin ang larawan nito bilang ama ng anak niya.
 
And you know what, Cambria even asked her to print those photos of him and she did!
 
“Who are you? One of our tauhan? Here, help my brother.” Instead, she told him, to hide her nervousness!
 
She even pushed her suitcase to him just to appear that she really mistake him as one of their bodyguards.
 
“No, he’s my friend,” Kielton said. She almost rolled her eyes, of course, she knew that!
 
“Carter Altaraza,” the man introduced himself and lifted his hand for a handshake.
 
She saw the sexy veins on his arms, that she always noticed in his pictures.
 
“I’m not interested.” Masungit na sagot niya at hindi tinanggap ang kamay nito.
 
Inside Kielton’s car, Alandra is just listening to the two. She’s sitting at the backseat, nasa unahan ang dalawa. She notices that Carter is stealing a glance at her through the rearview mirror, what she can only do is to leer at him!
 
“I’ll be fine in Okada, fratello.” Alandra crossed her arms and look outside the window.
 
Is this really for real? She’s in Philippines without her baby girl? She can imagine Cambria having a tantrum because she left her in Italy. She really needs to make a video call once she arrives in her hotel room.
 
“Okay, but when are you going to meet our parents in Cebu?”
 
“Give me a few days. I will call them later.”
 
“Are you really okay?” Kielton asked, he took a quick glance at her.
 
Alandra sighed, of course she’s not really okay. Hindi rin nakatulong na namimiss niya kaagad ang anak.
 
“I’m okay, thanks.”
 
They arrived in Okada safely. Hinatid siya ng dalawa sa hotel room niya.
 
For some reason, Carter is silent, but she can sense that he’s also silently looking at her, as if he’s checking her. What’s with this man?
 
“I’m gonna take a shower first.”
 
“What do you want to eat?” Kielton asked.
 
“Chicken salad and give me some wine.”
 
Alandra went to the shower room.
 
There, she felt relaxed but at the same time, she felt so tired. She doesn’t want to stress herself from thinking about what happened in Italy, but it really scares her until now.
 
Alandra wrapped a silk robe after she took a shower.
 
Paglabas niya ay halos mapatalon pa siya dahil naabutan niya si Carter na tahimik nagmamasid paikot sa kanyang silid. He seems like checking the wide glass wall, where she can see the city view and other tall buildings from afar.
 
“You know, I’d be happy if you leave me alone.” She said that caught his damn attention.
 
When Carter turned around to see her, that’s when she realized that talking to him was a mistake. His eyes shamelessly look at her from head to foot, then stopped on her face, he smirked.
 
“I’m just checking if nobody will see you once you decided to walk around here naked.”
 
That counter-back made her cheeks burned. How dare he think that way? And how the fuck did he know that she used to walk around her room naked or only wearing underwear?
 
“I don’t really mind if someone sees me naked.”
 
“Yeah?” His eyes spark mischievously.
 
Alandra walks to the side table near him to get her phone. She’s aware that Carter is watching her, it felt like he’s amazed by her, and he didn’t even bother to hide it.
 
They both looked at her phone when it vibrated for a call. Alandra smile when she saw the caller. Excitedly, she answered it and face the screen to her to see Cambria.
 
“Hello, my love?” She even waved at her daughter.
 
Alandra is too busy staring at her daughter, Cambria is still wearing her sleepwear, holding her bottled milk, laying in their bed, she just woke up.
 
She forgot that Carter is there, listening to her with his furrowed eyebrows.
 
“Why did you leave me, mommy?” Cambria’s voice shook, it echoes the room, her lips trembled.
 
Napanguso siya, nakita na naiiyak na ang anak.
 
When she saw that Carter shifted his standing position, she leered. Who cares if this man heard her conversation with her daughter? Nobody care.
 
“Uh, I need to…” she can’t find words to say.
 
“…Asha told me that my daddy is woyking in the Philippines. That’s why you came theyr.”
 
Alandra massages her temple because Rasha is really putting her in trouble. Now, Cambria believed that this Carter Altaraza is her father, even she told her he wasn’t.
 
“No, Tita Rasha was joking.”
 
Cambria sighed. Her face is so sad, it hurts her.
 
“I’m sorry because I left you while you were sleeping.”
 
Alandra got teary eyes when Cambria started to cry.
 
Napatingin siya kay Carter na nakatayo lang doon, tahimik siyang pinapanood. Napanguso siya at talagang naiiyak na rin dahil sa hikbi ng anak.
 
“I wanna go to the Philippines, m-mommy. I wanna be w-with you. I wanna be with my d-daddy.”
 
“Of course, you will. Just give me a little more time, okay? We’ll bring you here.”
 
“But I want tomoyow!”
 
“I will try as soon as possible, okay?”
 
“Okay.” tapos ay humikbi ulit ito.
 
“Uh, do you wanna see my room? I can tour you.” She playfully asked her daughter, wiggling her eyebrows.
 
Kahit papano ay sanay naman ang anak niya na umaalis siya at hindi uuwi ng ilang araw basta magpapaalam lang siya, kaya lang noong umalis siya sa Italy ay hindi siya nakapag-paalam dito dahil mabilisan at biglaan lang ang paglipad niya sa Pinas.
 
“Yes mommy,” Cambria said and put her bottled milk on her mouth.
 
“Okay, here’s my room’s view,”
 
Alandra switched the camera but gasped because instead of showing the view from the outside, the camera went straigth to Carter.
 
“Oh! My daddy! My daddy!”
 
Alandra eyes widened when Cambria keep saying those words.
 
“I saw my daddy! I saw my daddy, mommy!”
 
Nakita niya ang anak na patalon-talon na sa kama, masayang-masaya.
 
When she glances at Carter, he has this confusion on his face, his forehead is knotted.
 
He tilted his head on the side, staring at her, like as if waiting for her to explain to him what’s going on…of why all of a sudden, her daughter called him ‘Daddy’?
 
“N-no, he’s not.” Nataranta siya. “Look, I like the view here.”
 
Alandra changed the topic and put the camera on the glass wall, but her daughter is obviously not interested in the view anymore.
 
“No! No! I want daddy! I want my daddy!”
 
Hindi na maipinta ang mukha ng anak niya, para bang kulang nalang ay aawayin siya kapag hindi niya ipinakita ulit si Carter!
 
“I don’t mind you showing my face again to your daughter, so she will know that I am not her father?” Carter muttered, as if it’s a big help, but it wasn’t!
 
Once Cambria got a full view of Carter Altaraza, her daughter will really believe that he’s her daddy!
 
‘Yun nga lang na mabilis lang nahagip ng camera ang lalaking ito, ay nakilala kaagad ng anak niya, ‘yon pa kayang harap-harapan niyang ipapakita si Carter?
 
Cambria started to cry and urge her to see her daddy again, her cries and sobs echoed the room.
 
“…than making her cry like that?” Carter continue, nananantiya ang boses nito.
 
Naiinis siya na hindi maintindihan! “Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

“I better be,” he shrugged his shoulder. “Anyway, if the father looks like me, then, you have good taste.” then he winked.
 
The audacity of this man!