#DS8Uncovered #LuMa #BearCouple #DaggerSeries
CHAPTER 5: RESILIENT
LUNA'S POV
Gumapang ang kilabot sa akin at kaagad kong ipinasok sa ignition ang susi para paandarin sana iyon. I was about to turn it when I stopped. Damn it.
I took in a huge breath and let it out slowly. I rarely panic, but if there's a time to start, now is not the right time.
I quickly pressed the button that would manually lock the doors without turning on the engine. I reached for my phone to press the speed dial. I turned the loudspeaker on, and then I opened the glove compartment. May kinuha ako mula sa loob niyon.
A male voice could be heard on my phone. "Please provide the location and nature of your emergency."
I would have called my brothers, but I don't know where they are or the status of their availability. I don't have the leisure of time to call them one by one.
I was the only Dawson not working for the company. While they forced me to learn self-defense, which I never used or thought of using, I am not trained like them. So they made sure that I had a line on the speed dial that was specifically made for emergencies.
"I'm in the basement of Maven. The old building. I'm inside my car. I have a reason to think that it might have been compromised. I'm not sure if this is the targeted car of the man I just saw since there's two other cars here, but I don't want to find out if I'm right."
I'm rambling, but I couldn't help it. I wondered before what I would have done if I were in a situation that required me to protect myself. The life of a journalist isn't exactly peaceful, even if I'm in the fashion industry.
My association with Dagger alone puts me in a possibility of danger, but I can't say that there's no one out there that I have pissed off because of the things I've said and written.
I know that if I'm attacked, I won't just stay still and do nothing. Even if I have a low chance of winning. But I haven't really thought about what I would do if I were facing something more extreme. Like the first thought that came to mind when I was about to turn on the ignition.
A bomb.
"Are there any nearby secure locations you could move to, away from potentially compromised vehicles?"
"I don't think I can go back inside the building. He's in there."
I could hear typing on the other line. "I'm patching you up with Sir Axel. Hang tight. Help is on the way."
There was a click, and before I could even speak, I heard my brother's voice. I'm used to his calm and gentle voice, but this time I could hear the edge on it as if he were trying to contain himself.
"Luna, stay low, don't make sudden movements, and don't start the car. Do it now."
I slid down my seat. "Tell the response team that I have a gun. Huwag kamo nila akong gulatin masyado."
"They'll make their presence known before approaching your car. Dagger activated the nearest police station, so they might already be in the area. Once they checked everything, stay with them. Kuya Gun is in Manila with Lia, but we can't reach him just yet. Kuya Pierce and Kuya Thorn are already in the chopper."
Kuya Domino is still in Colorado with his wife, and Kuya Coal is in Siargao. At kasama ni Kuya Trace si Magnus.
"Huwag niyo ng guluhin si Kuya Domino. I'll chat him later–"
"Nasabihan ko na si Coal at napadalan ko na ng message si Domino."
As expected, he is fast. "Then at least don't tell Magnus about this just yet. Or Kuya Trace."
"Trace was informed of your situation."
Which simply means that there's a possibility that he has already told my husband. Damn it.
"I might be just overreacting. Maybe I'm just wasting everyone's time."
"It's better that you waste our time than for you to risk your life."
He's right, of course. I know none of them mind if I disturb them. Hindi lang sila kundi maging ang mga empleyado ng Dagger. The privilege of being the Dawson princess.
I can't say that I didn't enjoy using that privilege for my own benefit. What I don't want is to use it in this kind of situation.
"You don't need to stay with me, Kuya. I know you have to work."
I know it's better for him to do what he has to do than to stay on the call with me. All my brothers excel in their jobs, but Kuya Axel is particularly good when it comes to being the head of the Spine Point.
There's three important classifications in Dagger. It's like imagining a real-life dagger. It has a spine, a blade, a bolster which is the handle, and all of them lead to the top or the point of the dagger. The Blade Point, the Spine Point, and the Bolster.
Blade Points handles the field investigation, which consists of different operations, and security, which comprises of various risk management tactics. The Spine Point, on the other hand, handles investigative research and security control. Nasa kanila rin ang departamento ng forensic at cybersecurity.
"Stop worrying about anything except for yourself."
"You doing your job at this point means exactly that." Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na hininga. "I'm going to end the call. I'll try calling Kuya Gun."
Kilala ko ang mga kapatid ko. None of them would like to be left out in this kind of situation.
It was his turn to sigh. "Fine. But call me back if he doesn't answer."
"Sure."
"Luna," he said with a warning in his tone.
"Okay, okay. I promise."
When he finally lets me end the call, I quickly send a message to Magnus, telling him I'm fine, before I look for my second oldest brother's number in my contacts. Wala pa sa pangatlong ring ay may sumagot na ro'n.
My brother's rough, deep voice could be heard on the other end of the line. "What's wrong?"
Always straight to the point. "Have you read your messages?"
"Hindi pa. Kalalabas lang namin mula sa venue ng event ni Lia. I was about to call Axel since I saw his miscalls. What's going on?"
"I'm kind of in a situation."
"Are you drunk in some bar? Dito ba sa Manila. Lia and I can pick you up."
"Uhh... no."
"The police station?"
Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. I can't get angry about it since there was that one time when he picked me up from one. I think I was nineteen at the time, and I kicked someone in a bar because he was being pushy to a drunk girl I saw. Nagpunta lang kasi sa comfort room ang dalawang kasama niya at naiwan siya. Noong una pinagsabihan ko lang ang lalaki pero nang hindi pa rin siya tumigil at nakita kong hinawakan niya na ang babae ay doon na ako kumilos. He was so drunk that he fell and bumped his head so hard on the nearest table that he needed to be brought to a hospital. Kaya ako napunta sa police station.
"No. I'm in my car. I'm quite sure that someone is waiting for me in the building if I go back inside. I could start the car and leave, but I have a feeling that it would explode."
Unsettling, eerie silence enveloped the other end of the line. It only lasted for a few seconds before he said, "I'll be there in a few. Grab your gun and don't hesitate to shoot, Luna."
When Kuya Gun says "don't hesitate to shoot" it doesn't mean to aim and pull the trigger, incapacitating the perpetrator to give me time to run. It means to aim where that person would be permanently stopped.
Lahat ng mga kapatid ko ay sinubukan akong turuan ng mga bagay na makakatulong sa akin kung sakaling malagay ako sa sitwasyon na kinakailangan kong protektahan ang sarili ko. I found it tedious and unnecessary before, but I let them because I knew it would help them feel better.
Pero sa lahat ng mga kapatid ko, ang pagtuturo ni Kuya Gun ang gusto ko laging iwasan. His teachings are brutal.
I hear a click, signaling the end of the call. Hindi na ako magtataka kung paliliparin niya ang sasakyan para lang makarating kaagad dito.
"Police!"
Sumilip ako sa bintana at nakita kong may tatlong unipormadong lalaki na may hawak na baril ang lumabas mula sa pintuan ng basement.
Their uniform doesn't mean anything to me, though. Malay ko ba kung may kasama ang lalaki kanina at nagawa nilang makakuha ng pekeng uniporme ng pulis.
Lumapit ang isa sa tatlo at nagsalita siya. "Stay in the car, ma'am, until your brother calls you."
Hindi ako sumagot pero katulad ng sabi niya ay nanatili ako sa sasakyan. They circled the car, probably looking for the potential explosive device. It wasn't long before my phone rang. Kaagad na sinagot ko iyon nang makita kong si Kuya Axel ang tumatawag.
"The police are there," he said as a greeting.
"I can see them."
"Dumating na rin ang chopper. Nandiyan na sila Kuya. Exit the vehicle and enter the building."
Sinunod ko ang sinabi niya at kaagad na lumabas ako habang hawak pa rin ang phone sa tapat ng tenga ko. I saw another police officer waiting at the door of the basement, and I rushed towards him.
"Don't use the elevator. I'll call you again later."
"Thank you, Kuya," bulong ko.
Ibinaba ko ang tawag at kasam ang pulis na umakyat kami sa hagdanan. Hindi pa namin nagagawang buksan ang pintuan na magdadala sa amin sa ground floor nang bumukas iyon at iniluwa ang mga kapatid ko na sina Kuya Thorn at Kuya Pierce.
I gave them a shaky smile. "I overreacted, haven't I?"
Imbis na sumagot ay hinapit ako ni Kuya Thorn palapit sa kaniya. He hugged me tight for a few seconds before he let me go and transferred me to Kuya Pierce's arms. Walang salitang naglakad siya papasok ng ground floor at lumapit sa ilan pang mga pulis na nandoon at nagkukumpulan.
"I don't understand what's going on," I whispered.
Kuya Pierce rubbed my shoulder. "We will soon."
"Did I overreact? Was I just being paranoid?"
Ilang sandaling hindi siya nakasagot. Nang mag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya ay nakita kong nagtatagis ang mga bagang niya.
"Kuya?"
"You didn't."
It was two simple words, but it means deeper than what they seem. Because if I wasn't just being paranoid, then that means I was really in danger.
"Did they find him?" I asked.
"He escaped the moment you were inside the car. We found the security guard unconscious and bleeding from the head."
I paled. "Holy shit. Is he... is he—"
"They brought him to the hospital to get checked out. He's alive."
I've known Maven's night guard, David, for years. Dahil ako ang kadalasang huling umaalis ng kompanya ay lagi ko siyang nakikita at nakakausap. He's fifty-two, and he has a fifteen-year-old daughter. Matagal ng namatay ang asawa niya kaya siya na lang ang kasama ng anak niya. If he had died... she would have been left alone.
Pabalabag na bumukas ang pintuan ng lobby. I saw my brother, Gun, crossing the distance between us with just a few powerful steps before I was pulled away from Kuya Pierce's arms and into his own.
"Kuya... I can't breathe..."
Bahagyang lumuwag ang pagkakayakap niya sa akin at nagbaba siya ng tingin sa akin. The look on his face is downright murderous. Yikes.
"I'm okay," I told him.
"Not yet, but you will be," he said through gritted teeth.
I gave him a small smile and nodded my head. "Where's Lia?"
"She is still at the hotel. I left a bolster with her. She wanted to come."
She wanted to come here, but my overprotective brother didn't let her. Even so, I have a feeling I won't hear the end of this. Sigurado rin ako na lahat ng mga sister-in-law ko ay isa-isa na ngayong nakatatanggap ng balita tungkol sa mga nangyari.
"I'm going to turn off my phone," I declared. "We'll have dinner tomorrow. I need to take care of the move–"
"You're not going back here," Kuya Gun growled.
"But Maven—"
"The new bolsters will help with the move."
That's not exactly a bad idea. "But someone still need to supervise—"
He cut me off again. "Alex will be here tomorrow." Nang magtakang akong magsalita ulit ay umiling siya. "We'll notify him about what happened, and I'm sure he'll tell you the same. You're not going anywhere tomorrow."
I sighed. I have seven brothers and seven sisters-in-law. They will all bulldoze their way to get to me. "Fine. But I'm still turning off my phone. Tomorrow, we'll have a family breakfast, so I don't need to relieve what happened tonight again and again to tell what little I know about everything."
Sigurado kasi akong kinakailangan kong ikuwento sa kanilang lahat ang nangyari. I know my family. Hindi pwedeng magkukuwento ka lang sa isa dahil ang mangyayari ay anim na beses mo pang kailangang ulitin iyon.
Both my brothers didn't say anything, which I took as them agreeing with me. After awhile, Kuya Gun joined our eldest brother to talk with the police, while Kuya Pierce stayed with me.
I don't know how long I've been sitting on the lobby's couch since the three officers that I saw in the basement entered the floor. One of them is holding a clear ziplock bag. There's a cloth inside it, which doesn't seem to look like a bomb.
Tumayo ako at naramdaman kong nakasunod sa akin si Kuya Pierce. He didn't stop me as I walked towards my other brothers to know what was going on.
"Negative on the bomb," one of the three police officers said. Itinuro niya ang hawak ng kasamahan niya. "The car's alarm was disabled by the perpetrator, and we found this."
"I don't understand," I mumbled. "It's just a piece of fabric. Why would anyone want to put that in my car?"
Kuya Thorn's face was dark when he turned to me. "Luna, go to the chopper with Pierce—"
"No. I want to know."
His jaw tightened, but I squared my shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. I might not want to know, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. I don't want to be kept in the dark. Not when it's so obvious that I'm being targeted.
Kuya Thorn tipped his chin to the officer, and the man started explaining. "The perpetrator hid the evidence deep inside the seat structure and into the upholstery. He managed to patch it up so well that it was nearly unnoticeable. It wouldn't have been found even if you had a full-service car wash."
He's being vague, and I'm aware of it. I'm also aware of why he's having trouble giving me all the details.
My eyes went to the ziplock bag. I swallowed, tasting bile in my throat. I heard commotion near us, and I saw a car pulling up in front of the building.
Binalik ko ang atensyon ko sa police. "That fabric... It contains his DNA, doesn't it?"
He cleared his throat and nodded. "We believe so."
It's fucked up. It's perverted and revolting. And the fact that I've come face-to-face with him—to a man who would leave his bodily fluid in a place I wouldn't see so that I'd be clueless to its existence and would have it close for I don't know how long if it wasn't discovered—is turning my stomach upside down.
I turned and ran my way to the nearest trash bin to empty my stomach. Hindi pa ako nagtatagal doon nang maramdaman ko ang pamilyar na kamay sa likod ko na humahagod doon.
I looked up, and I felt my lips tremble when I saw Magnus standing beside me. "I-I'm okay. I'll get a lock on it. Just give me a second."
"You don't need to," he whispered back. "But I know you will."
For I don't know how many times tonight I felt myself being pulled into the arms of a man. This time, though, the warmth was so overwhelming that I could feel the coldness that had engulfed me since I realized the danger of the situation had started to melt away.
"How?" I asked in a quiet voice. "Because I'm stubborn?"
"That and because you're stronger than most people think you are. You're one of the strongest people I have ever seen, and I witnessed how you influence those around you to borrow strength when they need it." His eyes didn't leave my mind when he raised his hand to cup my cheek. I bit down on my lower lip, but he tugged on my chin so that I would let it go, as if he didn't want me to hurt myself. "Just like your name."
"My name?"
"The moon and its calming presence. One its share through its resilient light."
The warmth he's giving me has reached my heart. And for a moment, I let it. I let myself pretend that we're changing. I let myself believe that we were different.
For a moment, I let myself have the dream of my twenty-five-year-old self. Just for a moment...
Because that's what we can only allow ourselves to have.
__________________________End of Chapter 5.