Wicked Ways 2

Book two Chapter 13

“You’re right,” I said.

“Alam ko!” he said smugly. “Minsan bobo ka din eh.”

I ignored him and opened my car. “Let’s go.”

Matapos ang tatlumpung minuto ng tahimik na byahe--binusalan ko si Liam--ay nakarating din kami sa isang restaurant kung saan nakipagkita si Noah. Tinawagan kasi namin siya at ipinagbigay alam ang pakay namin. Sabi niya magkita na lang kami sa malapit sa justice court kung saan kami magrerequest ng warrant.

“Will we be able to get a warrant that easily?” bungad ko agad nang makita ko siya.

“No-Yes.” aniya. “No in real life, dahil kailangan natin ng evidences against Mr. Bermudez, which I doubt kung meron tayo sa ngayon. But luckily, yes, with all the connections you have.” ngumisi siya sakin.

Bahagyang nakahinga ako ng maayos sa narinig ko. Minabuti kong utusan muna si Liam na tawagan ang kaibigan ng tatay niya, isang known politician iyon. If ever na hindi umubra, I always have other back ups like my dad’s golf buddies.

I almost gagged. I hated them back then, I never knew that time will come that I would have to kiss their wrinkled asses just to get favors. Normally, I wouldn’t do that. Pero para sa asawa ko, handa akong gawin ang lahat. Kahit pa siguro magpasagasa sa tren o tumalon sa balon, gagawin ko para sa kanya.

“Wala parin bang kumokontak na kidnappers, or what?”

Umiling ako.

“If it were ordinary kidnappers, they would have called long ago.” he said, echoing what I was thinking.

“I know,” tumango lang ako. Hiniling ko noon na sana ordinaryong kidnappers na lang ang kumuha sa asawa ko. Kahit pa siguro ilang milyon o bilyon ang hingin nila sa akin, ibibigay ko. I will give everything I own without blinking just for the safety of my wife. I badly want her back. No, I need her back.

Bahagya pa kong nabigla nang biglang sumulpot ang partner ni Noah na si Piper. May dala siyang mga kape para sa amin. She put down one on my front and I muttered a swift thank you at her.

She settled on a sit beside Noah and studied me. Titig na titig siya sakin na wari mo’y inaarok niya ang tunay na tumatakbo sa isip ko. Kunot noo na napatitig din ako sa kanya. She was so engrossed with studying me that she isn’t aware I was also looking at her.

“What?”

She flushed a little and tilted her head on one side as if assembling her scattered thoughts. “So, do you have other suspects aside from Mr. Bermudez that we could, you know, investigate on?”

Umiling ako. “Wala pa sa ngayon, but I’ll let you guys know,” I sighed frustratedly and threw my hands in the air. “Talaga bang wala pang development sa kaso niya? Baka may hindi kayo sinasabi sakin?”

They both shook their heads, while Liam took his sit beside me. Kakatapos lang niya makipagusap sa pinapatawagan ko.

“So? Anong sabi?”

“He will take care of it, consider it done, bro.” he gave me a light tap on the back that didn’t do anything to comfort me, even a bit.

It’s been a week, for God’s sake!

Alalang alala na ’ko kay Charlie. Hindi ako sanay ng ganito ko siya katagal na hindi nakikita. We’ve been inseparable since the time we patched things up two years ago. Kumbaga sa isang alcoholic o adik, nagkakaron ako ng withdrawal syndrome. But this is nothing compared to that. Far worse than any withdrawal symptom imagined. Every minute she’s away feels like dying a thousand deaths. Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ako tatagal ng ganito. This is starting to eat me from the inside. Until I’m nothing but a hollow, empty shell.