"You're here. It's been a while honey." Maria was about to kiss her husband but he slightly pushed her.
"Is she awake?" Julsen asked pertaining to his child.
"Don't you miss me?" Dismay was written on Maria's eyes when her husband didn't give her at least a glance.
"Why would I?" His brows formed into and finally looked at her but with sharp eyes. "I want to see her. Open the door."
Maria had bloodshot eyes. She was hurt by the treatment she was receiving from her husband. They are not like before.
"Sweetie..." Julsen whispered and sat at the edge of her bed. "Hold on a little bit. Hm? Daddy would like to play with you again. We will play again after you regain your strength." A tear fell but he immediately wiped it away.
Maria was hopeful too that one day, her child will be as cheerful as before. People think that she just did everything horrible for herself but little did they know that she's just doing everything to find a cure for her dying child.
"How long will it be, Maria? It's been years." Julsen faced her, asking when will be the end of his daughter's suffering.
"I know. I know. Can't you see, I'm trying."
"Trying? By killing other people?" He tried his best not to shout and stay calm. Their child is just there. She might hear them arguing.
"We have... we have no choice." She brushed her hair with her fingers. "We need them for clinical trials."
"Julianna will never like the idea of—"
"I don't care. I want her to have a good life. Even..." She cried. "Even if only for a short period of time."
"Open your eyes, Maria!" Julsen slightly looked at his daughter, he might wake her up at any time. "Go outside and look. People are dying! This is not what we aim for."
"We're close to success, Julius Sean! Can't you just wait? That's what I only want, for you to be patient."
"I've been patient for a long time, Maria. Even our child. She's enduring everything."
"That's why I need your support. Why can't you just support me?!"
"Lower your voice. You might wake Julianna up."
"Mom... Dad..." Julianna weakly called her parents. The two both went beside her. "I know... I know that you're arguing."
"W-We're not sweetie." Maria held her hand and squeezed it a bit.
"D-Don't lie, mom. I know... that's enough. You two were tired because... because of me—"
"We will never be tired of taking care of you, sweetie. Don't think like that." Julsen kissed Julianna's forehead that made her close her eyes.
"You're tired and I am too... Thank you for staying with me... I... I want to rest."
"No. No, baby!" Maria cannot stop herself from crying in front of her daughter. "Please baby... Please don't leave mommy, hm? I... I will do everything just... just don't leave."
"Maria, stop that. You're just making things hard for our daughter. Stop crying." Julsen helped her to stand up.
"D-Don't cry, mommy. I don't want to see you cry."
Maria immediately wiped her tears when the door suddenly opened. The old man caught their attention.
"Oh, is this a reunion?"
"Dad." Julsen greeted his dad but the old man just tapped his shoulder and proceeded to his granddaughter.
"Hi angel! How are you?" He sat on the side of the bed like what Julsen did earlier.
"I'm... I'm fine, grandpa." She said but opposite on what she looks like. Her body slowly giving up, she only has a week or two.
"Good to know." He smiled at her. "I have something for you."
"Really? What is it?"
"Ta-da!" He showed her favorite toy, pororo.
"Wow... thank you, grandpa. You're the best!"
"Of course I am." The two both laughed and the old man stayed with his granddaughter for a minute while the two, Maria and Julsen, went outside. They don't want to ruin the atmosphere inside.
"Both of you," The old man was serious unlike earlier when he's with Julianna. "What are you doing? Act accordingly! You're just making her weak."
"I'm sorry." Julsen apologized.
"How's the plan?"
"It's going according to the plan, dad."
"Good. We couldn't waste more time. Maria," The old man shifted his gaze into her.
"Yes sir?" She is never nervous in front of everyone but when it comes to her father-in-law, she can't move.
"You know what to do. Her life is in your hands. One wrong move, she'll disappear."
"I'll... I'll do my best."
"Don't just do your best..." He paused. "Perfect it. Perfect timing, perfect cure."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll go ahead."
"Take care, dad." Julsen walked him until they reached the exit.
"You too." The old man tapped his son's shoulder. "No matter what happens, protect our family. Family comes first."
"I will."
+++
"I got the warrant." Danryll just finished a call from the higher ups. "Let's go."
Dr. De Vega, Trestan, and Blair were left at the secret laboratory to finish the cure. Danryll and Zyrille took Hailey to Mrs. Santos while Sanchez, Ferran, and Timotheus proceeded to the police station to prepare themselves.
"Everyone's ready?" Ferran asked, who will lead the arrest. "No matter what will happen inside, die with honor."
"Officer, everything's ready." SPO1 Arnon Mojares, one of San Lorenzo's policemen declared.
"Let's go."
Everyone got inside their respective vehicle and Danryll arrived just on time.
"What is she doing here?" Timotheus creased his forehead when Zyrille entered the police car.
"She's going with us." Danryll casually said while preparing his gun.
"No. Leave." Timotheus doesn't want to risk any civilians. "This is not the business you should interfere with."
"I am involved, so I have every right." She just finished taking care of her gun and amusement danced in Timotheus' eyes. It is very unusual for a woman to do it, especially because everything she does is not connected to this. "Don't worry, I can handle myself."
Sanchez started the car's engine and they traveled along the empty road of San Lorenzo. The place looks like a ghost town, and it's too silent.
They arrived at the laboratory and turned into chaos when the guards suddenly attacked them. They successfully got inside the building but in an unexpected turn of event, their comrades pointed their guns at them.
"O-Officer Mojares, what is the meaning of this?" Ferran widened his eyes while looking around.
Danryll and Zyrille were nowhere to be found and just the three of them, Ferran, Alfarez, and Sanchez were at the center.
"Everyone overrated you three. Little did they know that you are all stupid to enter this place." Arnon Mojares laughed at them. "Officer Ferran, hm... you're not supposed to be here. You should have just died in that abandoned house."
"What? So you're the one who..." Ferran couldn't believe what this man was saying.
'F*ck... he was the one who put that fake case folder on my table!'
"Mojares..." Sanchez clenched his fist. "Traitor."
"Unexpected, right? Say your last words, Officers. Your souls will soon rot in hell." Mojares looked at everyone under him and gave the signal.
Suddenly, lights switched off and that's the cue, they immediately wear their night vision goggles.
"Move!" Ferran shouted and attacked their co-police and other men under the organization.
—
Inside the car where the five planned on something...
"I heard something horrible." Everyone looked at Sanchez. "At the police station, I heard Mojares' group. They're going to kill us there."
"What the f*ck?" Ferran couldn't help but to curse.
"He's one of the organization's dogs. That f*cking traitor."
"What are we going to do now?" Danryll asked, nervous of what would happen later.
"Back off?" Zyrille joined the conversation.
"No," Ferran was determined. "We must finish them or they will finish us."
"So what's the plan?" Timotheus asked.
—
Danryll and Zyrille shutdown the source of power and the three will handle the rest. Zyrille ran as fast as she could along with Danryll and they bumped into Maria.
Maria pointed the gun at Zyrille and was about to pull the trigger but Danryll kicked her hand to let it go. Zyrille kicked her on the stomach but she immediately dodged it and gave Zyrille a blow on her face.
"Sh*t." Zyrille cussed before wiping the blood on her lower lip. "The same intensity years ago."
Danryll was about to help his sister but she signaled him.
"Stay back. It's between us." Zyrille glared at Maria who was playfully smirking at her. "It's been a while... Dottie."
Maria's eyes slowly widened as she heard that nickname coming from Zyrille's mouth.
"It can't be. You..." Maria trembled after she realized who the person in front of her was. "You're dead! You're already gone years ago!"
—
"Dottie! How's your... date?" Carina's smile suddenly faded when she saw Maria crying. "Why are you crying?" Instead of answering, Maria hugged her best friend tightly.
"I should have listened to you." Maria faced her and wiped unstoppable tears. "The f*cking idiot! He ghosted me! Ugh!"
"What?! Should I kick his balls?" Carina was mad too. "How could he do this to you, Dottie?"
"Don't worry, I already did it when I saw him with someone. Hmp! Goodbye to his future."
"You did?" Carina's eyes widened. "That's my girl!" They both laughed but were interrupted by Timotheus who just arrived.
"Ice cream?" He asked.
"Ah... You're the lucky one." Maria was a little envious because Carina found the right man for her.
"You'll find yours soon, Dottie."
"I hope so."
—
The two had a catfight not until the guards found them and rained them with bullets.
"F*cking idiots! Why are you attacking me?!" Maria got angry because she almost died but Zyrille pulled her to hide.
"Dr. Garcia? We're sorry." One of the guards shouted.
The power went back and Danryll clearly saw the targets. He exchanged bullets with them until he finished them all.
"Stupid."
"Maria!" Zyrille called her but she continued running away.
"You f*cking b*tch! Die! Die!" Someone who was infected by the virus, attacked Maria along the way. He injected her with the syringe containing the purple liquid.
"Ah!"
"N-No... No!" Zyrille's heart sank at the sight. She was about to reach her old best friend but Danryll pulled her.
"Zyrille..."
"Dottie!"
The man was too weak and later died because he was in the last stage where the virus consumed his whole body.
"D-Dottie... no."
"C-Carina." Maria was about to reach her but she stopped. She pointed at the card not so far from them. "Get that card. There are bombs implanted in this building."
"What?" Danryll creased his forehead.
"In less than ten minutes, it will explode. Everyone is going to die. Please..." The virus quickly spread in Maria's body because of the physical contact and the liquid injected to her. "Inside my office there was a secret room. Please... Please save my daughter."
"Y-You had a daughter?"
"Don't waste any more seconds. Save her... I... I beg you."
"Let's go." Danryll pulled Zyrille to do the task.
"Farewell." Zyrille smiled sadly and after she turned her back, tears fell.
Maria vomited blood and her breathing sped up. Later, she was gasping for air.
"I... c-can't believe this w-will be my end. F*ck this life."