⍟HARLEY⍟
"Why does Gemma is not telling me anything." I said at saka pagalit na inilapag ang cellphone ko sa lamesa.
"Harley, please--"
"No Ken, she clearly knew something and she is not telling me." I said and hit the table with my hand. "It's been two days!" I added.
"Harley, we are at the coffee shop. Please don't make a scene." He said at dahil naman doon ay napahinto ako.
"Right" I said at tumingin sa paligid, buti na lang at walang masyadong tao doon sa coffee shop na iyon.
"So, why did you call me again to meet you?" He asked matapos sumimsim sa kape na in-order niya.
"Because you are the only one who can understand me right now." I answered. He gave me a teasing smile at saka tinusok-tusok ang braso ko gamit ang hintuturo niya.
"You make me feel special~" He sang. I pursed my lips again then grabbed his finger.
"Tumigil ka nga, bubuhusan kita ng mainit na tubig." Banta ko naman sa kanya and thankfully, umayos naman iyon. "Is that a TWICE song?" I asked.
"Yes." Ken answered at saka sumimsim ulit sa kape niya. "So, what is your plan?" He asked.
"I think I will just look for the answer by myself." I mumbled.
Ilang segundo naman itong nakatitig sa akin before he shakes his head.
"Nope, hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko sa isang to." He said at saka umiling ulit. "Nope." He repeated.
"Come on, akala ko ba ikaw ang partner in crime ko?" I asked and he chuckled.
"I never said that." He answered. "You should consult your friends before you did something reckless, ayokong magsakay ng bangkay sa kotse ko." He added.
"I am not going to kill someone!"
"I am not talking about someone's corpse Harley, I am talking about yours." He said at napa-awang naman ang bibig ko dahil sa sinabi niya.
"First of all, I am not going to die okay?" I said and took a deep breath before I continue. "And second, I am not reckless! bakit ba laging yan ang sinasabi niyo sakin?" I asked in irritation.
"Because it's true."
"You're not helping." I deadpanned.
"What am I suppose to do? support you in your crazy ideas? hell no." He said.
"Well, I don't want to be in the dark. Malay ko ba kung isang araw may biglang bumaril na lang sa akin tas hindi ko man lang malaman yung totoo? habang buhay kong pagsisisihan sa langit yon."
"Sure ka bang sa langit ka napupunta?"
"Sabi ko nga." I said at saka nag-iwas ng tingin. "Bakit nga ba ikaw ang tinawagan ko ulit?" I asked.
"Because I'm special." He answered full of confidence and that made me roll my eyes.
"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." I muttered.
"How about you tell me your plans and I will decide if it is good or not?" He asked.
"Sure." I said.
"Okay, what is your plan?" I asked.
"I am planning on going back to the city where I was raised... back in my past."
"Your past?" He asked in confusion.
"I'm a former member of a gang okay? I think I need to visit the grave of my father figure...it's been awhile." I said at nakaramdaman naman ako ng kung anong kirot sa puso ko nang maalala si Felix.
Kung buhay pa siguro ang isang iyon, panigurado hahampasin niya ako ng tungkod na lagi niyang dala.
"Hold on." Ken said nang mag-ring ang phone nito. Kaagad din naman niyang sinagot iyon nang tumango ako.
"What do you mean...oh...okay...I understand...okay I'll call you." He said at saka ibinaba ang tawag.
"Sino yon? babae mo?" I asked and he chuckled because of that question.
"Selos ka? please don't be jealous, ikaw lang naman ang baby ko." He said and winked at me.
And he earned a hit in the head because of that.
"Aray! grabe talaga! paano na lang kung mag-asawa na tayo niyan? panigurado puro bukol na ako." Reklamo naman nito. Sinamaan ko naman siya ng tingin and thankfully umayos naman ito. "Call of duty." He said.
"Naglalaro ka non?" I asked.
"No! I mean, I have work to do." He explained.
"Oh... so hindi mo ako masasamahan?" I asked and he slowly nodded.
I let out a sigh and tapped my fingers on the table.
"I understand, nakalimutan ko hindi ka pa pala full-fledged member of the organization." I said.
"I'm really sorry, promise babawi ako and---"
"No worries, I understand." I said with a smile.
"Wait, what do you mean I am still not a full-fledged member?" He asked in confusion and that made me stop.
Oh shit.
"I mean... wait a minute, diba may trabaho ka pa? ano pang ginagawa mo dito? layas na!" I said evading the topic.
"Oh shit." He said at saka tumayo. "Gotta go, I'll call you." Paalam nito and he kissed my cheek before he walked towards the exit.
Nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag. Crisis averted.
My eyes widened when I realized something.
Did he just kissed my cheek!?
///
Tumingin naman ako sa wristwatch ko and my eyebrow raised when I noticed that I've been staying here in this coffee shop for about half an hour.
I let out a sigh again at saka tumayo mula sa kinauupuan ko, napahinto naman ako nang makita si Jack na kakapasok lang sa entrance.
And yes, he saw me.
"Harley." Pagtawag nito.
"Jack." I muttered.
"Can I talk to you?" He asked.
"Uhm...sure, let's have a seat." I said at umupo naman kami sa table namin kanina ni Ken.
He sat in front of me at bigla namang pumasok sa isip ko ang unang araw na pagkikita namin.
That happened in this coffee shop.
"So...what do you want to talk about?" I asked.
"Tita Mila was found dead in her house yesterday." He said at napahinto naman ako sa sinabi niya.
"P-please tell me that's not true..." I said still trying to process what he said.
"Sad to say...it is..." He muttered.
"Oh God." I said at hindi ko na napigilan ang mga luha ko mula sa pagtulo. "Oh my God..." I whispered.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He said.
"Someone killed her?" I asked.
"Yes." Jack answered and anger starts to fill every inch of my body.
"Who is it."
"Are you--"
"Who killed her." I stated.
Jack let out a sigh. "The same person who lead the attack on your house...I think he is also the one who shot you." He said.
Icarus. You bastard.
"I will kill him when I see him again." I whispered. "By the way, what do you want to talk about aside Tita Mila's death?" I asked.
Ilang segundo naman niya akong tinitigan bago sumagot.
"You told Gemma that you are involved in my shit, what does it mean?" He asked.
"Supposedly, nasa akin dapat ang memory card number two. But I don't remember having one of those in my possession." I explained. "There's only one person I think who can help me in this thing." I added.
"Who?"
"I can't say it right now." I said at saka tumayo mula sa kinauupuan ko. "Gotta go." Paalam ko dito.
"Wait, where are you going?" He asked in confusion.
"Jack, if I don't move right now. Baka maunahan nila ako sa memory card na iyon. I won't let that happen." I said and let out a sigh. "Maybe that memory card will answer all my question." I added.
"Can I come?" He asked and that made my forehead furrowed.
"Absolutely not Jack. It's dangerous."
"But you're with me. Y-you will protect me right?" He asked. "At isa pa, hindi pwedeng mag-isa ka lang na pupunta doon. You need a company...and maybe I can help" He added.
Nanatiling nakatingin naman ako sa kanya while my mind was debating if he should come or not.
He may be a great help.
But it is still dangerous.
Gemma trained him for few weeks, I thinks it's fine.
It will be worst if he both of us were caught.
I let out a sigh. "Fine, you can come. Wala din naman akong kasama." I said and we both walked towards the exit of the coffee shop.
///
Gemma opened the door and walked toward Axel who's waiting for her.
"Flammia."
"Sideris." Axel acknowledged.
"How many files are stolen from the library?" She asked as they walked towards the abandoned house.
"There are...five actually, and they are all placed in a memory card." Axel answered.
"Who stole it?"
"Garcia Family, sila ang book keeper ng mga panahon na iyon that's why they have an easy access to the library."
"When it did happen again?" Gemma asked and sat at the chair in the middle of the living room.
"It was stolen 5 years ago...the former book keeper which is the Harata actually retrieved the 3rd memory card but it was also stolen lately." He said at tumango-tango naman si Gemma.
"I have the memory card number 4 and 3." She said.
"Great work, Sideris." Pag-puri naman ni Axel sa dalaga.
Gemma looked at the man who's currently tied up into a chair not far from her, his mouth are gagged and his eyes are blindfolded.
"Who is this?" She asked.
"Oh, the one you requested." Axel said at saka lumakad palapit sa lalaki, He removed the blindfold of that man.
The man looked around before his gaze landed on Gemma who's looking at him with an unreadable expression.
The man's eyes widened and Gemma can see that he is scared.
Gemma removed her sunglasses and smirked at the man nang makitang mas natakot ito.
It's because she's wearing her famous white contact lenses.
"Awww...are you scared?" Gemma cooed and put her elbows on her knees. "You should be." She whispered before he slapped his face.
Axel cringe when he heard how hard that slap is.
I really don't want to mess that woman. He thought habang nanonood sa kanila.
Gemma grabbed the face of that man and looked directly in his eyes.
"W-who are you?" Tanong naman ng lalaki.
"Let me introduce myself." Gemma said and grinned like a maniac. "I am Sideris, your worst nightmare." She said at saka binitawan ang mukha nito.
"You...are the one who messed up the system kaya huli nang nakarating sa akin ang balita. Because of you, Harata family is dead." Gemma said then took a sip from the whiskey in the small table.
She must be stressed. Axel thought again.
"I will let you live...if you will tell me who sent you." She said at saka ibinalik ang tingin sa lalaki.
"I-it was a system e-error! h-hindi iyon sinadya!" The man defended.
"I personally checked the system and it was rigged." Gemma answered. "So, sino ang nagsasabi sa atin ng totoo ngayon?" She asked.
"W-wala akong kasalanan! w-wala!" The man argued.
"Sure." Gemma said sarcastically. "I don't have that much time, I guess we can do this in a hard way." She said at saka kumuha ng kutsilyo mula sa holster na suot niya.
Axel's eyes widened when Gemma plunged the knife on the man's left leg.
"Masakit?" Gemma asked to the man.
Gustuhin mang tumawa ni Axel pero nasa seryosong sitwasyon sila kaya pinigilan niya ito.
"Oh, gusto mo pa sa kabila? hold on." She said at saka kinuha ang kutsilyo na nasa kaliwang hita nito and she plunged it again on the right leg.
And because of that, the abandoned house was filled with the scream of that man.
He fucked up. Axel thought nang makita ang pagtulo ng dugo ng lalaki sa sahig.
"So...are you going to answer my question?" Gemma asked.
"Y-yes..." Bulong naman ng lalaki.
"Good...good...who is it?" She asked.
"I-it was the Marasigan." The man answered.
Umayos naman ng tayo si Gemma at ilang segundong tinignan ang lalaki.
Before she grabbed her gun and pulled the trigger, immediately killing the man.
"Sideris, why did you do that?" Axel asked in shock as he put his hand on the handgun and lowered it. "You told him that you will let him live if he told you the truth." He added.
"I didn't tell him that I was actually going to do it." Gemma answered and put back that handgun in the holster and then grabbed the knife on the man's knee.
"That's concerning." Axel commented as he silently followed Gemma towards the exit of the house.
Gemma stopped walking and faced Axel.
"Preserve the body, track the Marasigan Family then send it to them." Utos naman nito.
"Is it a war?" Axel asked.
Gemma let out a harsh sigh at saka isinuot ulit ang sunglasses niya. Covering the scary white contact lenses that she wears.
"They already broke a lot of rules kahit na hindi pa sila miyembro ng organisasyon, that family deserves to go down." Gemma said before walking away from Axel.
Axel let out a sigh and shuddered.
Damn, that woman really scares me. He thought.
End of Chapter Twenty