CODE GENERATION

Code Numbers Association

I looked at Lan and smirked para ipagyabang na I made the right decision. He just shrugged his shoulders implying the whatever gesture.

Hinila ulit nila kami pababa sa hagdan which we tackled silently. Only you can hear our footsteps. Makitid ang daan at tanging ang mga torch-like light lang ang nagbibigay liwanag na kulay dark blue kaya kunting liwanag lang talaga nabibigay nito.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs. May pader ulit at parang scanner sa gilid. Nilagay ni 18 ang palad nito doon at biglang bumukas ulit ang pader sa harap namin. Cool.

It was even mesmerizing when the wall fully opened and we can see different gadgets, large monitors and big screens with busy and serious people on their all black and fitted outfit na parang pang secret agents sa mga movies. Women even wear their killer black boots' heels that they can seriously rock. Nice I like it.

As we walked through the opened wall, sabay sabay kaming tumingala at binasa ang nakapaskil sa taas na parang arch. But only Snow managed to say it out loud.

"Welcome to Code Numbers Association"

"Hindi ko nga alam kung welcome talaga tayo dito eh tsk." -pagsusungit ng hampas Lupa. I bet that he's still not in the mood dahil hanggang ngayon kinakaladkad pa rin kaming parang mga hostage

"Get over it Lan" -I hissed at napansing papasok kami sa loob ng isang room. Malawak ito at all black pero maliwanag dahil may ilaw sa loob ngunit wala ni isang gamit na nandito.

Hanggang ngayon napansin kong wala pa ring umiimik sa amin.

"Excuse me but are you guys mute?"- tanong ni Snow.

Hindi na rin siguro siya makatiis sa sobrang tahimik. Now, what. Ano bang ginagawa namin dito?

After five seconds sabay sabay kaming napalingon sa pinto nang bigla na naman itong bumukas at iniluwal si 18 na nakababa na ang hood ng cloak kasama ang isang lalaking naka v-neck shirt na gray at may tatak na IV sa bandang baba ng collar bone niya. He looks freaking hot with his hair a little bit messy.

Sabay sabay naman na nagbaba ng hood ang mga taong nakabantay samin as they lower their head to greet him. Looks like the lower the number the higher the position is. I wonder...

"Is this already all of them?"- he asked while eyeing us.

"Yes sir, only three." -number 18 answered.

Napatitig ako sa kamay niyang humawak sa may earing niyang nasa left ear niya. Well that made him hotter. I bet he's detecting something too like what 18 and 22 did to us.

"They're ordinary" -maikling pahayag niya. Tinitigan niya kami isa-isa bago nagtanong.

"So what were you doing roaming around the forest?"

Mukhang wala namang balak sumagot yong dalawa kaya ako na nag volunteer.

"We were suppose to hike at Mount Sinai but my cat  found a predator at the forest nang hindi sinasadyang napasok siya dito at sumunod naman kami but then the compass wasn't working so we got lost as we are trying to find the way out" -I stated as a matter of lie and fact.

Napansin ko yon nong pumasok kami sa forest na to. I brought my own compass and as soon as we entered, it started to move directions na parang walang tama but the compass in the map was doing  fine although nakakalito lang din ng konti kaya medyo natatagalan kami.

I saw him smirk as he uttered— "There's really no direction here, darling"

I arched an eyebrow and heard Lan's foolish rant.

"Now what? Are we just gonna stand here while your men still point their bungling guns to us?"

Mukha namang nagets ng Four na to at sinenyasan ang mga ibang code numbers to release us. Ugh. Finally nakakangawit sa kamay. I saw how Snow stretched her arms as she ask them to lend her camera. But to much disappointment they didn't dahil wala dito yong mga gamit namin.

"We're sorry but we needed to check your things for security purposes but dont worry we found nothing suspicious..."—Four started

I frowned my eyebrows. "And?"

"Until this cat started to scratch everyone that brought a small chaos in the security room."

"Surfina!"- I called out when my cat suddenly popped out behind his back to his neck then jumped into my arms. Oh this kitty cat na tulog lang buong lakad namin sa bag.

Well, she's no ordinary cat dahil siya lang alam kong pusa na di takot sa tubig at mahilig mag surf sa dagat. No joke, she really is a genius kaya kami nagkakasundo eh.

"Meow~"- paglalambing naman niya sakin

"Okay so I guess napagod kayo sa little adventure niyo. Why dont you guys settle in your rooms first as we prepare your dinner? Nandon na rin mga gamit niyo"- said Four na may kasamang palakpak pa to get our attention

"Delikado na sa gubat pag dumidilim na so why don't you guys settle here for tonight so that you can leave peacefully tomorrow. Ipapahatid ko na lang kayo hanggang labas ng forest. So shall we?"

He offered his hand to the door gesturing na lumabas na kami at siya na ang maghahatid samin sa kwarto.

Namamangha pa rin talaga ako sa mga nakikita ko dito. All are high-tech. Ba't parang ang tahimik naman ata ng dalawa? I looked at Snow who was busy eyeing the new technologies. I should've known hilig niya mga to. Sunod naman akong tumingin kay Lan. He looks pretty serious habang magkasalubong ang kilay. Alright, I know. Parehas kami ng naiisip. Something is wrong, really wrong.

Why do they act as if nothing happened at mukha lang kaming mga bisita na napadaan lang? Okay, that was the plan of us but the acting game was just too easy na hindi ko na alam kung sino na ba sa amin ang umaarte lang talaga. Maling mali eh. Are they tying to play games with us? Dont they see us as a threat? Bakit parang ang kampante nila? Paano pag pinagkalat namin tong association nila sa labas, hindi ba sila nababahala? Ugh! I dont know who's acting real anymore.

Tumigil kami sa harap ng tatlong pinto. Mukhang magkakaiba kami ng rooms. Binigay niya samin ang card na mukhang susi nito at sinabing ipapatawag na lang daw kami pag dinner na. Pagkatapos, pinapasok na niya kami sa kanya kanya naming room.

But before i turn my back, i had the urge to ask him

"Anong meron sa mga Code Numbers?"

Tinitigan niya muna ako na mukhang sinusuri. For the first time umurong ang dila ko at medyo nagsisi sa tanong ko ng masilayan ko ang pagtaas ng kurba sa sulok ng mga labi niya. Nagsitayuan ang mga balahibo ko at bumilis ang pintig ng puso ko ng makita ang mala demonyong ngiti niya.

Hindi ako makagalaw. Lumapit siya sa tenga ko at bumulong.

"Darling, if I were you I'd stop myself from forming questions in my head. After all, curiosity always kills the cat."

Nalasing ako sa init ng kanyang boses at napapitlag ng marahan niyang kinagat ang earlobe ko.

There I was left dumbfounded.