No Escape Series #2: No Resolve

Chapter 30: Danger Signal (S-O-S)

Shots were being exchanged, but they and Rhian were not able to immediately protect their friends; they were screaming for help because the armed men were pulling them. Gerald, Lance, Terrence, and Vernon try to fight, but they just beat them.
 
Until the armed men took the friends, including Yanna, “No!” Rhian yelled as they were completely gone, but unexpectedly, there were still some armed men still firing at Rhian, Vahn, and Gregory.

Rhian tries to stop them, but she too has been captured by the armed men. Only Gregory and Vahn were left; they were too late, and they couldnʼt catch up with Rhian, Yanna, and friends.
 
After a while, there was another car that stopped. They pointed a gun at him when they saw Director Alvarez get out of his car. “Vahn, did you like my surprise?” sabi nito.

“Hayup ka talaga! Pakawalan mo sila!” nanggagalaiting sabi ni Vahn. “Huwag mong hintayin na kalabitin ko ang trigger at iputok sa iyo ito!”

Napangisi naman agad si Director Alvarez. Lumapit siya kay Vahn na hindi inaalintanang maaaring iputok nga ni Vahn ang kaniyang baril. “I am asking a very simple favor of you, Vahn, Vahn, pero mas pinili mo pa rin na kampihan ang babaeng iyon kaysa sa akin na ama mo?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I can never consider you my father, Director Alvarez? You are a criminal; people like you should rot in jail!” galit na sabi ni Vahn.

“Well, goodluck na lang kung magtatagumpay ka pa sa pagligtas ninyo kina Rhian at sa kaniyang mga kaibigan. Hindi kita pipilitin na sumama sa akin. Ako na mismo ang gagawa para naman hindi na ako nag-aaksaya sa oras.” Tatalikod na sana si Director Alvarez nang magsalita si Vahn kaya natigilan siya.

“Sandali!” Gregory immediately looked at Vahn, worried about what his decision might be. “Iʼll go with you, and I wonʼt let you hurt a single one of them!” He quickly approached Vahn and whispered to him.

“Ano bang naiisip mong gawin, Detective Vahn? Kasama ba ito sa mga plano mo?” tanong niya. “O baka naman nais mo talagang gawin ang mga ipinag-uutos niya?”

Hindi na sumagot si Vahn sa lahat ng katanungan ni Gregory. Napatingin naman agad si Director Alvarez kay Vahn saka tumango. “Vahn, baka sinasabi mo lang iyan dahil... nasa plano mo talaga ito kung sakaling nasa alanganin na ang buhay nila Rhian?” paghihinala nito.

Pinilit na ibinaba ni Vahn ang kaniyang baril para hindi na siya paghinalaan nito. “I will never allow myself to be harmed by you, but I will only go with you to make sure that none of Rhianʼs friends will feel sorry for me.” Gregory immediately shook his head when he heard from Vahn, because it didnʼt seem like a good idea if he went with Director Alvarez and did what he asked him to do.

Hindi niya alam kung paano iyon gagawin ni Vahn, ngunit kailangan niyang kumilos at itigil ang anumang maaaring mangyari, lalo na sa kapatid niyang si Yanna.

***

Habang nagmamaneho ng kotse si Gregory, hawak niya ang kaniyang phone saka mayroong tinatawagan. “SOS! Rhian and her friends are now is in danger!” sabi niya sa linya. “Tinambangan kami ng mga tauhan ni Director Alvarez, pero sa kasamaang palad, sumama na rin si Vahn sa kaniya.”

“Ano?” hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Cyruz nang marinig niya ang sinabi ni Dr. Gregory Aceder. Pareho silang nagkatinginan ni Lloyd. “Alright, alright, weʼll take care of tracking Sir Vahnʼs signal. We will also send backup if we can trace their location.”

“Update ninyo ako agad. Nasa alanganin din ang buhay ng kapatid ko.”

“Alright, doc, salamat sa report.” Agad naman na pinatay ni Greg ang kaniyang phone, nag-iisip kung ano ang mga susunod niyang gagawin.

He canʼt just be worried, and even though heʼs out of these things, he still needs to help because theyʼre his friends too. In a restricted area, Felix was just hanging there, holding his gun. He first put it down by his side, then grabbed something from his pocket.
 
From one of its cases, he took a piece of cigarette and lit it with the lighter he was carrying. Behind him was a large iron fence, and what he was sitting on were only piles of goods, garbage, or broken appliances.

He has no doubts about how long or when he will leave here because he owns this area, and another thing is that he is thinking of a way to kill Vahn, especially when he finds out that he is the real son of Director Alvarez.
 
“Detective Felix Alvarez!” He was stunned when he heard a voice calling his name.

Nilingon niya iyon at nakita kung sino ang taong iyon, pero napailing na lamang siya saka ipinagpatuloy ang paninigarilyo. “Anong ginagawa mo rito?” muli niyang rinig na nagtanong sa kaniya ang lalaki.

“Malamang, this is my area, ano pa ba sa inaasahan mo?” suplado niyang sagot without looking at that person. “Eh ikaw? Anong ginagawa mo rito sa teritoryo ko, Dr. Gregory Aceder?”

“Gusto ko lang ipaalam sa iyo na nasa panganib ang buhay ng pinsan mo.” Felix frowned slightly, but he rolled his eyes and still couldnʼt turn to the other person. “Hawak na ng mga tauhan ng dad mo ang mga kaibigan niya, maging ang kapatid ko. Ano, uupo ka na lang ba riyan at hahayaan silang mamatay isa-isa?”

“Ano bang pakielam ko sa kanila? No matter whatʼs going on, Iʼm not going to keep up with Dadʼs plans. Kung sa bagay, talo lang din naman ako kapag nagpunta pa ako roon,” sabi ni Felix.

“I donʼt mean to sound like Iʼm complaining about your familyʼs misunderstanding, Detective Felix, but what I have to say is just my opinion,” sabi ni Gregory. “Even though I don't know Rhian well, I can see she wants to protect you from harm.”

Nanatiling nakaupo lang si Felix, pero naririnig niya ang mga sinasabi ni Gregory. “I donʼt even know whatʼs going on between you, Director Alvarez, Rhian, and Detective Vahn. But you wouldnʼt be acting this way if you didnʼt harbor feelings of anger and envy.”

“Ano bang pinagsasabi mo?!” At that time, he was able to stand up from his seat and face Gregory.

He took the cigarette out of his lips and dropped it in the trash. “You donʼt know anything, so donʼt say your opinions because thatʼs all nonsense!” he said, and he walked away, but before he had gone far, he overheard Gregory speaking once again.

“Bago mo sabihin iyan, Detective Felix, huwag ka rin pakasigurado na kapag namatay si Rhian at si Detective Vahn, sa tingin mo ba, magiging malaya ka na? Do you think your dad will notice your attention?”

Napakunot ang kaniyang noo. Sumagi sa kaniyang isipan ang mga bagay na iyon. “Director Alvarez is a serial killer, and you are aware of this since lumabas na ang katotohanan. Remember this, he has the ability to kill you at any time, on any day without considering na anak ka niya.”

He was becoming enraged as a result of the wrath he was feeling, and his fist was folding and trembling. Gregory picked up his phone to answer a call from Cyruz, but as soon as he heard him mention the location they had tracked, he put the phone down and immediately left.
 
Felix was dumbfounded from where he was. Gregory wasnʼt there when he turned around to look in that direction.

“Felix, hindi ko alam kung maaasahan ba talaga kita sa mga plano ko. Remember this: as long as I live, I will never allow you to lead the things I have planned for so long.”

“You know, from the beginning, Iʼve been nice to you, right? I just want you to feel that you are very important to me. Kaya kita itinalaga bilang team leader ng task force agents, dahil alam kong ikaw lang ang maaasahan ko, higit pa kay Felix.”

He heard the noise over and over in his mind. He heard everything his father was saying, and he also heard the conversation between Director Alvarez and Vahn in the office, and thatʼs when he grew even more angry.

“Why are you doing this to me, Dad?”