Bullet

Chapter 36

"NEON!" I shouted as I embraced him.

"Nadia." Yinakap niya ako pabalik.

"Master Chief Sergeant de Luna." Almarez acknowledged him. "You're still injured. Halos mamatay ka na. Bakit nandito ka? You should have evacuated earlier. Colonel Francisco informed me that you're still not fit for duty, more so of being back in our operations. Kailangan mo nang mauna---"

"Sergeant Almarez, chill." Neon let go of me as he smiled a little. Halata ngang medyo nanghihina pa siya. "I saved your lives. I only pulled the trigger of my gun. Barely four bullets."

"Kailangan na nating umalis." Nag-aalalang sabi ni Doc Annie. "Hindi puwedeng dito pa tayo nag-uusap. Kailangan nating ma-evacuate ang mga kasamahan natin at kailangan na rin nating makaalis."

"Doc Annie is right. We should go. I'll drive." Nauna nang sumakay si Almarez at sumunod naman kami kasama si Neon. Inalalayan nila ako na makasakay ngunit hindi ko mapigilan na lumingon pabalik.

"How about the others?" I worriedly asked. "Bakit hindi na sila sumama sa atin?"

"Nadia," Neon started to explain. "Kailangan magpa-iwan ng iba. Kung hindi ay hindi makakaligtas ang mga unang evacuees. Alam kong hindi na ito binanggit pa sa iyo ni lieutenant colonel pero alam na namin ang matagal ng pakay ng Guerilla rito sa Filipinas."

"Ano iyon? At bakit hindi sinasabi sa akin ni Valente ang tungkol dito?"

"He just does not want to stress you. Everyone knows that when Apollo is with you, it only meant that he will focus on your family and your family alone. Ayaw niyang madamay ka pa sa kaguluhan na kargado lang dapat ng Task Force." Doc Annie said.

Napabuntong-hininga ako roon. Nagsimula na rin umandar ang truck.

"Guerilla's goal is to find the hidden underground warehouse that belonged to a Mexican cartel before. Dangerous and complex bombs and weapons are kept there. Gusto nilang kunin para sa advancement nila at mapabagsak na rin ang base natin. Though it is strategically hidden. Ang blueprint at location ng warehouse ay nakatago sa isang USB."

"Where's the USB?" I asked right away.

"Long before Lieutenant Colonel Santiago breached the Guerilla base as a spy, they already had the whole USB. Pero nasa process pa raw iyon ng pagde-decode kaya ginawa lahat ng asawa mo para makuha iyon at masira bago pa malaman ng mga taga-Guerilla ang location ng warehouse. It was his first major, solo mission as high-ranked spy in the Task Force, back in Canada."

Tumango ako. I urged Neon to continue.

"Pero ang USB na iyon ay nahahati pala sa dalawa. Lieutenant brought both. But Zamora got it. Iyon ang misyon niya. Kunin ang ninakaw noon ni Lieutenant Colonel Santiago. Pero ang nakuha lang ng traydor ay ang kabilang parte ng USB, hindi niya pa nahahanap iyong isa. Kung hindi sila mapagsasama, walang makakaalam ng impormasyon ng warehouse."

"Then? What happened next? Where's the other part? Nahanap na ba?"

Neon nodded. "Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit bigla kaming bumalik dito sa headquarters. Dahil nalaman na namin kung nasaan ang isa pang parte ng USB. Grabe ang takot ni lieutenant nang ma-realize niya kung saan nakalagay ang kabilang parte ng USB. Dahil nasa iyo iyon, Nadj."

I stiffened. "W-what?"

Doc Annie nodded. "Yes, Nadia. Nasa iyo. Nasa loob ng kuwintas na palagi mong suot-suot. Diyan." Then she pointed at the necklace that Valente gave me before. The one he assured me that will protect me at all cost. "That's his special necklace."

Napatingin ako sa kuwintas at hinawakan iyon. "Paano na? Anong gagawin ko rito?"

"Apollo already extracted the USB from your necklace when you were unconscious. Iyon ang agad niyang ginawa nang mapuntahan ka niya. He's afraid that Zamora will hurt you the moment he learns about the other piece of the USB. Pero ayaw naman ni Apollo na alisin iyang kuwintas mula sa'yo."