BOOK 3: The Mafia Game (Hiatus)

TMG 43: Tell Me About It

TMG 43 ♠

Vincent Mc Garden

By the time I made it inside the car sitting on the far end of the ground floor, I am literally sucking for air with both my nose and open mouth. My mouth felt dry, tongue and throat are as raspy and scratchy as sandpaper and lungs burning from the lack of oxygen.

Pagod na sumandal ako sa backseat at ipinikit ang mga mata. I tried to concentrate on my breathing pattern but the continuous sound of glass shattering, bullets digging the walls and frantic steps from the outside – or more like above me, on the first floor of the building – is too disturbing my feet are itching to step outside and bury a bullet in each Rogue's empty head.

But Azmael's firm words of get in the car and stay the fuck there is still ringing in my ears. I still don't understand why I am taking orders from him when I am the Empress here and I'm the one who should be throwing commands to him.

Fucking devil.

Muling nagbalik sa isipan ko ang mga nangyari kanina, and L was right. Saktong pagliko namin sa fire exit, nagdatingan naman ang ibang Rogues emerging from the elevator, mindlessly stepping over the lifeless bodies of the two men lying on the hallway in an attempt of chasing us when they saw us running and escaping. Nakakainis lang dahil habang nakikipagsabayan ng putok ng baril si Azmael sa mga Rogues na nasa likuran namin, short range fight lang ang nagagawa ko sa mga nakakasalubong namin. But the good thing is, they aren't that strong for me that I managed to knock out two in a span of five minutes and stole their guns. And by the time we made it half way down the building with our harsh breathing, that's when I saw Tobi Ferrer... with King Del Fierro, both armed and stoned face.

I don't have a single idea of what King is doing here and honestly, I still don't know until now. I just don't understand... why?

A loud, harsh knocks on my window side flinched me out of my thoughts with a hitched breath, eyes going wide and a mile a minute beats of heart. It's him, King; face stoic and lips pursed in thin line, mouthing the word open. Hindi ko sinasadyang pangunutan siya ng noo dahil... ano ba kasing ginagawa niya dito? Kung may papapasukin man ako sa sasakyan na ito, it's Azmael and Tobi. He's out of the choices, obviously.

Napansin niya siguro ang reaksyon ko dahil napahilamos ito ng dalawang kamay sa mukha. Doon ko lang napansin ang maliit na hiwa nito sa kaliwang parte ng leeg at mga galos at pasa sa kamao.

Inis akong napabuntong-hininga saka inabot ang lock sa driver's seat para buksan ang mga pinto dahil automatic-lock ang sasakyan. Mabilis ko namang tinuro ang shotgun seat sa harapan ko bago siya lumingon sa likuran niya na mukhang may tinatawag dahil sa galaw ng kamay nito. Sa totoo lang, kinutuban akong baka Rogues ang tinatawag niya at set-up lang 'to para mapatay ako. Dahil bakit nga naman ba siya nandito? Wala naman siyang kinalaman sa business na 'to. Or so what I thought. Because the moment I saw Tobi and Azmael walking from a distance towards the car, my stomach leaps and dropped to my guts.

The great Azmael is injured with a bleeding left shoulder. How stupid of him.

"I'll drive." Ani ni Tobi matapos siguruhing ayos lang ako at walang sugat na natamo. Umikot ito sa driver's seat, si King sa passenger habang prenteng naupo sa tabi ko si Azmael.

Bukod sa kaunting galos sa braso, pasa sa kamao at putok na pang-ibabang labi, wala naman ng natamong malala pa si Tobi. Hindi tulad ng katabi kong wala ngang pasa at galos sa ibang parte ng katawan, may tama naman ng bala sa kaliwang balikat. Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit parang wala lang sakanya 'yung sakit no'n dahil blangko at kalmado lang ang itsura nito.