Hostage

1

CHAPTER 1

Security detail. Body guard.

They were all just fancy words for one thing: adult baby sitter.

She couldn't believe her ears. Years of training in the academy, sweat, blood and tears, all for what? Baby sitting?

She bit the inside of her cheeks so hard, it might start bleeding any second now. To be quite honest, security detail was not that bad of a start. It who she's working for that's got her nostrils flaring.

"Tito naman, sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng maging boss, siya pa?"

"Nadine, sa kanila rin ako nagsimula when I finished sa academy. Also, sabi ng tatay niya na, kung ikaw ang security detail nun, baka sakaling sumunod sayo, nakailang body guard narin kasi yun.."

"That's exactly my point, Tito! Nakailan na siya! Kilala ko yun, baka nga ako pa makapatay dun instead of protecting him e..."

Nadine's Tito nearly spit his water. He knew very well about how she felt about him. She found him childish, annoying and a handful. Sure they were childhood friends, but if this was going to be her job, who knows how long she can last.

"Grabe naman 'to, 'Nak, atleast, may trabaho ka na. Simula na yan. Don't tell me na hindi mo kaya yang kaibigan mo?"

She rolled her eyes, brows still furrowed but finally giving up. "Kaya noh, batukan ko nalang siya kung ayaw niya sumunod."

"Ang galing mo rin eh noh? Alagaan mo ng mabuti yun. The one and only purpose of your job right now is to make sure na walang mangyayaring masama kay James. Is that clear?"

She woke up the next day thinking that her Tito's job offer last night was only a nightmare. But she looked to her left where her outfit was all prepared and sighed as she got up half-heartedly.

Mabuti siyang kaibigan and all in all, matalino rin, don't get me wrong... Pero iba rin kasi yung utak ng taong 'to eh... She thought as she got ready.

Pero iba 'to, Nadine. Trabaho. Walang personalan. Professional dapat.

She kept repeating that over and over as she and her Tito drove up to the Reid's house. A second home for both of them.

When her tito was assigned there, she would tag along since there was no one else to take care of her. She was welcomed there as if she was part of their own family, Malcolm treated her as his own daughter, more than willing to share their home. A house is more of a home when there's more children in it, he always said.

He often told Nadine and her tito that sometimes he felt sorry for James, being the only child in the house and that he was glad because if there was one person who can talk James out of whatever ridiculousness he was planning, it was Nadine.

And that was their friendship ever since. James the troublemaker and Nadine the ever-KJ friend.

Once the car was parked, her tito glanced over at her. "Oh ano?"

"Tito, hindi na ba pwedeng magback-out?"

He only laughed and stepped out of the car, leaving Nadine a silent answer.

Malcolm was already greeting her tito with a firm handshake when she approached them. He pulled her in for a familiar hug.

"It's so nice to see you two again, come in, come in!" He said, gesturing for them to follow. "The last time you were here, you were just about to enter into the academy. Now look at you!"

Nadine smiled. It was true, after she went in, she was driven to get through it and finish with flying colors.

"Thanks Uncle..." Nadine said.