The Great Pretender

Chapter 30: Her

Vaughn Miguel

Habang binabasahan ako ng aking mga karapatang pangtao at ang kung anong mangyayari sa akin ay tanging kabog lamang ng aking dibdib ang aking naririnig. I can feel my blood racing through my veins, and the only thought that was going through my brain is that I. cannot. get. locked. up.

Hindi ako pwedeng makulong, habang nasa labas si Kamila. I cannot protect her from them if I am getting tortured in the publishing house. Yes. The reading of the Miranda rights is büllshît. Ain't no way W-1716 will give me humane rights after basically being a traitor.

Right before I could realize it, I felt my legs moving as the bullets rained all over me like a fúcking hail storm. I hissed when I felt one pierced through my right shoulder and one grazed my arm. Fúck! My adrenaline seems to be working just fine because I cannot feel the pain at the moment.

"Miguel!" Narinig kong tawag ni Direk sa akin subalit hindi ako tumigil. Mabilis akong tumakbo patungo sa armory room na nasa dulo ng opisina. When I grabbed the knob of the door, I could see my own crimson red blood dripping from my shoulder, down to my arm, soaking my hoodie. Humihingal akong sumandal sa pintuan sandali, bago ako mabilis na naglakad patungo sa isang moveable na estante ng mga ammunition at ibinara iyon sa naka-lock na titanium na pintuan.

Napamura akong muli habang ramdam ko ang pagdurugo ng aking mga natamong sugat.

"Miguel, you have nowhere to run!" Brimley said loudly as he bangs the door. They stopped shooting because this armory room that I am currently in is a box made with bullet and bomb proof material. Kinailangan na ganoon ang maging structure ng kwartong ito dahil hindi lang mga baril at field equipment ang naka-stock sa kwartong ito. Bagkus ay pati ang mga bomba na ginagamit namin sa big operations, I am talking from grenades, landmines, to C-4s. Kung aksidenteng ma-enable ang kung alin man doon at aksidenting sumabog iyon, ay mako-contain ang damage noon sa kwartong ito.

I quickly moved to the hand gun's panel on the wall and grabbed two Glocks and four rounds of ammunition with one hand. I used my foot to open the cabinet underneath the panels, this cabinet contains our field bags that already have first aid kits inside. I used my foot again to pull one bag and drag it on the floor. Lumuhod ako sa harap noon at mabilis na ipinasok sa bag ang mga gamit na nakuha ko. I also got a bulletproof vest, tear gas, and slipped pepper spray in my pocket.

Napadaing ako nang maisukbit ang bag sa aking mga balikat. My bullet wound is through and through, and a graze, so that means I have a lower chance of infection and it will be easier to clean later. For now, I have to quite literally run for my life.

"Miguel, Sir.....last warning bago namin pwersahan na buksan ang pintuan....." I heard Brimley say habang tinutulak ko ang cabinet ng field bags, patungo sa harapan ng pintuan. "Come on, man. You are wounded and bleeding......what did this woman have done to you that you're ready to risk it all and die for her?"

My jaw clenched matapos kong maitulak sa harapan ng pintuan ang kabinet. I shouldn't answer but I did.

"She loves me, Brims!" I yelled. "And she is innocent, I will stand by that 'till my last breath!" I said loudly bago ako nag-jog pabalik sa lugar na pinanggalingan ng cabinet. I smirked when I saw the door of the escape hatch on the floor. This leads to an underground tunnel that stretches about a mile long. I can out run them and get to the exit before they do. I know about this because Direk briefed us about this a long time ago, the purpose of this hatch is if we're ever breached by enemies, we have somewhere to run where we can make contact with the outside.

And Brimley knew that I knew about this. Still, he tried to make me think that there is no way out, he used my situation, my wounds, and my distress. We're cut from the same cloth so I know what he was trying to do and how to not fall for it.