JAXON 47
ONE LAST CHAPTER AFTER THIS
THEN
EPILOGUE
THEN
HELLO BRYSOOOON!
POSTED NA ANG PROLOGUE NI BRYSON.
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HIHI.
IT'S already late night, and Macey's still awake. Nami send food to her room, asking her to eat even just for a bit since her IV wasn't attached to her, and she didn't eat anything yet since this day except few sips of water when her throat is feeling dry.
Wala naman siyang ganang kumain, o gumalaw. All she could think of was she's tired. She's exhausted and she want to see her child again. Iyon lang ang gusto niyang gawin. She feels so helpless, in pain and angry...and it made her got up from her bed. She wiped her tears and looked at the food beside her bed.
Kahit wala siyang gana ay pinilit niyang kumain kahit kaunti. Nang matapos ay lumapit siya sa pintuan ng kwarto niya at tahimik niyang ini-lock 'yon. She can hear her friends outside with their muffled laughs, and arguments. Mukhang busy ang mga ito, at panatag na kasama siya kahit nagkukulong lang siya sa loob ng kwarto niya buong maghapon. They lether think, and clear her mind.
And to her luck, somehow, her mind became a little bit clear, and even at her state, she knows where to go.
She cleaned herself and fix. She wore a simple white shirt, and pants bago niya pinatungan ang sarili ng itim na jacket. She checked herself and breath. Pinakiramdaman niya ang sarili niya. Her chest is aching a little bit, but she knows she will survive. Kinuha niya ang pain relievers sa comfort room sa kwarto niya at uminom ng ilang tablets na sa tingin niya ay sasapat sa gagawin niya, after that, she look at herself in a full length mirror.
Her eyes were puffy, and she lost weight. She looks so restless and tired but she didn't care at all.
She scoffed. "Maling mali na rito mo ako dinala Jaxon..." she whispered, feeling the anger in every fiber of her being.
Lumapit siya sa vanity mirror niya at binuksan ang pinaka-ibabang drawer roon. Good thing she keep the tools that Arrow gave her back then in her house. Tumakas pa siya noon kay Jaxon para lang maitago ito sa bahay niya dahil paniguradong makikita iyon ni Jaxon sa condo unit.
Nang makuha na niya lahat ng kinakailangan niya ay isinara na niya 'yon bago binuksan ang walk in closet niya at hinawi lahat ng damit niya papunta sa kaliwa. A secret door greeted her sight. Candace designed her room herself and every detail of it was designed for her safety and escape in case of any emergency when her father and brother will come to her.
Isinara niya ang walk in closet nang makapasok siya sa loob, at tuluyan nang binuksan ang secret door. It creaks at bit since it wasn't used for a long time, so she carefully opened it. Nang mabuksan niya 'yon ay hinawi niya pabalik ang mga damit niya, and it didn't take too long before she found herself at the back of her house. May secret gate rin, at maingat niya 'yong binuksan. When she was out, a simple car was parked before her.
Everything was prepared from the very start...but she didn't expect that she would escape from her life, not from her family who were awfully cruel to her.
How ironic.
She drives the car away from her house. When she reached the highway, she pressed something on her dash board so no one will know where she is. Iyon kasi ang sinet-up ni Arrow para sa kaniya in case she'll get missing for longer than the usual whenever her family got her.
After she turned off everything, she opened her spare phone and called Chin's number. She's sure that Chin knows where's her child.
Ilang Segundo muna itong nag-ring bago niya narinig ang boses ng nurse. "Hello? Sino 'to?"
"Where's my child?" Macey asked in an instant with her stern voice. Gone her lively aura. Gone her bright attitude. Hindi niya makita ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan niya pang ngumiti o maging masigla.
She's so broken.
She lost everything, at ang tanging akala niya na makakapitan na niya sa wakas ay iniwan siya sa ere.
"M-Macey?!"
"Where is Jayda?" she sounded so pissed.
"Macey...uhm..." she noticed the hesitation in Chin's voice.
"Where?" her eyes started to mist. "W-where is Jayda?"
"M..macey-"
"Putangina! Nasaan 'yung anak ko?!" she shouted her frustrations. It's been over a month since she lost her child. Since she was shot, and she can't do anything to save her baby because she's hanging into life that time too, and when she woke up, she was too weak and her mind is in chaos but she tried to look for her baby pero mukhang pati iyon ay ipinagkakait pa sa kaniya.
Napakadamot.
Wala na nga iyong anak niya. She already lost her child because she's too weak, scared and powerless.
Makita lang.
Gusto niya lang makita kung nasa maayos na lugar si baby Jayda. She can't even say...she can't even accept what happened to her baby, because to her heart, and to her mind, baby Jayda's still inside her, and soon will be kicking against her tummy, but as hours passes by, everything sinks in.
It was too painful.
Gust na niyang sumunod.
Gusto na niyang sumuko.
"N-nasa...--"-Jayda's in cemetery already..." Chin told her where's her baby and frequent sobs escape her lips when she finally heard where's Jayda. Para siyang sinampal nang napakalakas.
Bakit...
Saan ako nagkulang...
She ended the call, and tried to focus on driving even though her tears keep on falling. She stepped on the gas as hard as she could so she could finally reach baby Jayda. Itinapon niya sa gitna ng highway ang phone niya habang nagmamaneho so no one could track her, and could disturb what she's about to do.
But little did she know, there's a small red dot blinking since earlier against her fingers.
Kailangan ako ng anak ko.
It wasn't that long when she finally entered the location. Bright lights surrounded the place, and the green pigment of grasses reflected against the light. There were marble stone as she drives slowly...until she reached a small house.
She stopped the car, and left.
Hinanap niya sa paligid. She looked at each marble stones situated against the grasses. It was bright so she didn't had any hard time reading the names one by one, until her eyes settled on the corner. The rectangular marble stone were surrounded with violet roses and tulips around it and a small bunch of violet mistletoe. She can see other kinds of flower, and all of it was color violet.
Natigilan siya. She almost can't make her feet move, until she was finally able to read the name written on the tombstone. Para siyang tinakasan ng lakas. The name was written using a violet ink as well, and she almost kneeled in her place...
Jayda Maeve Skyler
In loving memory of Mommy and Daddy-Ninangs ang ninongs.
20**
"Jayda..." Tuluyan na siyang napalupagi sa sahig. With her trembling hands, she touched the tombstone. "N-no..."
Nandito na ako anak...
Please...
Bumalik ka na...
***
"Oo-paki, shit! Jaxon, nawawala si Macey!"
"How come she's not in there?!" Jaxon's voice roared around the room, and Zane looked at him with confusion in his face, but slowly he shook his head in worry like he already has the hint on what's happening.
"Hindi ko alam! Naka-lock iyong kwarto tapos pagbukas namin wala na siya 'ron!" natataranta ang boses nito.
"Damn it-"
"Can you find her?
He sighed deeply. "In every fucking way." He hissed and ended the call.
Nang matapos ang tawag ay nagtatanong ang matang tumingin sa kaniya si Zane. Gusto niya pa itong bigwasan dahil may maliit na ngising naka-ukit sa labi nito. "What happened?"
"She's missing." Tinalikuran na niya ito at nagmamadaling umakyat papunta sa computer room niya. Most of the computers were broken inside. Simula nang magulo ang sitwasyon ay palagi siyang nagwawala, and his computer wasn't replaced like it used to.
Umupo siya sa pinaka-maayos na PC niya. He opened it, and accessed all the system he could access. There were glitches but he managed to clean them all away from his way. He sends a distress signal to is father para mas mabilis niyang mahanap ang dalaga. It will take time if he would look for Macey like what he did to her friend, Arceloisthe.
Then his phone rang.
It was Chin. "Jax! Tangina, si Macey!" bungad nito.
"Where is she?"
"H-hindi ko alam-tumawag sa akin, nasaan daw si Jayda-"
"What did you tell her?" His jaw clenched. Hindi niya talaga dapat iniwan si Macey sa mga kaibigan nito. He noticed how careless her friends were sometimes. They spend their time in arguing from time to time hanggang sa hindi na ng mga ito namamalayan na natatakasan na ito ng binabantayan nila.
"Sa...sementeryo...sorry Jax-" he turned off the call, and immediately searched for Jayda's place. His hands were moving fast. Zane entered the room, talking someone over his phone. Hindi na lang niya 'yon pinansin hanggang sa ma-access niya ang security cams ng sementeryo. Different angles of camera were on the screen. He tried looking for Jayda's place, but it wasn't there.
Hindi sakop ng security cams.
"Fuck." He hissed. He tried so hard to stop himself from breaking the useless computer.
"Anong problema?" Zane asked him. Umupo ito sa tabi niya.
"I can't access the cams." He hissed. Trying to find a way. "Blue, look for any resources." He commanded.
"Noted."
His system load, and he's patience already wearing thin. Gusto na niya kaagad mahanap ang dalaga. It's dangerous for her to go outside alone with her state. She's not in the right mind...and she could be reckless anytime. She even tried to kill herself because of so much pain and self blame.
Jaxon's couldn't allow that to happen.
"I'll ask Nancy for help." Zane told him. Tumango na lang siya habang busy sa paghahanap ng paraan.
He dialed Chin's number. Maybe he could track the number that Macey used. It has always been like that.
"Jax-"
"I'll peak into your phone." Ani niya. Chin seem to understand him, and didn't talk back. He connected his phone on the computer, and his phone connected on Chin's. He tracked Chin's phone and her call logs. Nakalagay doon ang recent call na hindi pamilyar na numero sa kaniya. It wasn't even saved in the contacts and it was almost an hour ago.
He tracked the number, and the moment he clicked it, the navigation showed immediately, but it wasn't the one he's looking for. It was in the middle of the highway.
"Damn it. She threw her phone somewhere."
"Ano? Wala ka bang anything na pwedeng magamit? Jax, c'mon, delikado kay Macey-"
"The ring." Napalingon siya nang magsalita si Zane sa tabi niya. He has this lopsided smile on his face like he won over something.
Kinutuban na siya sa sinabi ng kaibigan niya. Easton and Zane borrowed the ring when he bought it. Nakita kasi ng mga ito sa gamit niya matapos niyang bumili ng sing sing.
"What?" his forehead knotted.
"Her ring." Zane told him like he's making a point. Then it clicked to him the idea. He was too pre-occupied to even think why Zane borrowed the ring to him for about a day that time.
Napatingin siya sa sariling daliri at nakita niya ang kapares ng singsing na binili niya kasabay ng singsing ni Macey. Those two are in a single package. It's not an engagement ring, but a marriage ring.
Zane smiled at him. "Rings always makes two people connected like an invisible red string to life and death." Nagkibit balikat ito. "Give it to me..."
Wala sa sariling hinubad niya ang singsing na suot, tsaka niya lang napansin ang maliit na pulang ilaw. It was blinking continuously every after few second.
Zane did something on his phone bago nito itinapat sa singsing ang cellphone. It wasn't that long before a navigation appeared on Zane's phone. Napangisi na naman ito bago iniharap sa kaniya ang mismong screen. There's a moving dot, surely it was Macey.
"Alam mo ba kung saan papunta ang lugar na 'to?" Zane asked. Even smirking, Zane sounded unsure and worried as well.
Pinakatitigan niya ang mapa. His heart skipped a bit, and he felt his blood leaving his body. Pakiramdam niya lumamig ang buong paligid habang nakatingin sa screen ng phone ni Zane.
"Fuck..."
"We need back-ups." Zane said like it was a final command.
Damn it, Macey.
You can't go there alone.
***
"Thank you po..." Macey bowed her head when an old woman handed her the flowers she requested. The old woman just smiled at her. Halata na sa matandang babae na inaantok na talaga ito.
"Wala iyon iha..."
"Pasensya na ho sa abala..." she apologized. After she was done talking with Jayda, after crying her heart out, she knows she just can't leave without giving her anything. Wala siyang dalang kahit ano bukod sa pera niya. Good thing there are small flower shops outside the cemetery, and she tried knocking to them until an old woman, noticed her while throwing some garbage outside her store, and asked her what's the problem.
She asked for some flowers, and willing to give any amount even her car but the woman refuse when she learned that it's for her late child.
Nang makabalik siya sa puntod ng anak ay tahimik niyang inilapag ang bulaklak sa tabi ng tumpok na mga iba pangbulaklak. She even noticed the violet baby socks in between the flowers, and she already knows who gave it to Jayda.
She smiled at the tombstone. "Baby..." her voice cracked, touching the marble stone against her. "Igaganti kita... igaganti kita..."
She wiped her tears away before standing up. Buckling herself up. She heaved a breath before walking away from Jayda. She silently promised herself and Jayda.
I'll comeback.
Satisfied.
She went back to her car. Kapagkuwan ay pinaandar niya ito papunta sa lugar na matagal na niyang tinatakasan. Palagi. Hindi niya sukat akalaing siya mismo ang pupunta sa lugar na 'yon na puno ng takot at paghihiganti. She can't even feel fear. She didn't even mind if she'll kill someone tonight.
Habang tumatagal ang biyahe niya ay padilim ng padilim ang paligid. It wasn't different from Ace Lucifer's Laboratory, and headquarters. It was both far from the city. Walang bahay at tanging puro puno ang bubungad sa mahabang byahe bago makarating. It will take hours before reaching the place. The hidden place of Bulacan.
The familiar private road greeted her sight. Walang bantay ang bungaran. She stopped the car few meters away before she can enter the private road. Bumaba siya sa kotse niya at ibinaon sa nakapusod niyang buhok ang matalas na sheathe. It was just a small sheathe so it can be hidden in her hair.
Inayos niya 'rin ang baril na nakatago sa bewang niya. She used to be scared of guns. She was just a kid when she saw what it can do. Namatay ang inosenteng tauhan ng pamilay niya sa harap niya. It was just a random shoot from her brother so she will 'learn' how to use it. Gun was also used to kill Maxine in front of her. It was a birthday gift from her brother.
Isa 'rin iyon sa dahilan niya kaya niya binuhay si Maxine bukod sa gusto niyang bumawi kay Jaxon. She just can't live her life, blaming herself that someone died because it's her birthday. She feels like...a killer as well.
The whole place was surrounded with tall trees along with the tall grasses around so she didn't had the hard time hiding herself as she walk going to the main quarters of Black Coffins. She had one tattoo because she belongs to them, but she removed it using the laser treatment, pero hinayaan niya ang marka na naiwan sa kaniya. It was just a small bar code, but instead of black ink, she used a skin tone color so no one would notice, specially Jaxon.
She didn't remove it in a purpose. Iyon ang tanging paraan niya para makapasok sa loob ng HQ nila, if worse comes to worst.
When she finally reached the HQ, there are lots of guards around with their huge guns and other firearms outside the main entrance. Napalunok siya. She can't be coward right now and be scared of the like she used to. Back then, she has no reason to fight them, but now, she's holding one and that's importantly valid.
The building reflected against the surroundings. Kung mapapdaan ka lang ay aakalain mong walang HQ na nag-eexist, but if you'll look closer...you'll see a tall building.
Macey carefully pulled out the needle in the pocket of her jacket, along with a small blow-pipe. She took a deep breath before putting the blow pipe in her mouth along with the needle that has tranquilizer in it. Sunod sunod ang pag-ihip niya hanggang sa ang mga bantay ay isa isang napahawak sa leeg ng mga ito bago unti-unting natumba.
Not having any sound with her footsteps, she hid herself kung saan hindi siya makukuhanan ng kahit aling camera. Lumapit siya sa encoder ng gate ng building. She pressed her wrist on the scanner, and the green color of it went orange for about seconds. Napakagat sa labi niya, hoping that it would turn out green, dahil kapag nag-pula ito ay iisa lang ang ibig sabihin.
Everyone inside the HQ will detect an intruder.
Pigil ang hininga niya habang nagloloading ito. It showed a red color, after waiting but it wasn't an alarm but another verification password. With her trembling hands, she pressed her code.
MACS-that stands for her real name. Macey Andrella Carassco Saez.
She silently went in. Alam na niya ang pasikot sikot sa buong lugar, hanggang sa makarating siya sa loob ng mismong HQ. Her clothes were strange, kaya sa bawat pasilyong papasukin niya ay paulit-ulit siyang nagtatago. It was extra difficult for her, she's also avoiding the cameras to caught her. Matagal na niyang nilisan ang lugar na 'to. It was a complete nightmare for her. A torture, but bringing back those times just made her weak and scared.
Wala akong oras na matakot.
Para sa anak ko.
She just wanted to leave this place...but she was constantly being dragged back to the place she considered hell hole. She tried to be a good one, even better, but they're just trying to unleash the demon inside her. Hindi alam ng pamilya niya na pare-pareho silang may dugong demonyo.
If her family can do worst.
She can be an evil too.
They forced her in doing one...no matter how she escaped it. They really tried to escape the line she drew.
Pumasok siya sa loob ng isang kwarto. There are people inside. Umikot ang paningin niya sa loob. It's the main control panel of the whole HQ.
10.
There are ten guys inside, and they're pretty skillful.
"Who are you?" Napatayo ang isa sa kanila. She smirked at him, and shook her head.
This time, she's not gonna hold back like what she used to. Ilang ulit siyang nasaktan. Ayaw niya lang lumaban, pero hindi siya bobo para hindi matuto. Hindi siya tanga para hindi Mabasa ang mga galaw nila, and even she doesn't want to be thankful, Jaxon taught her a lot of things in fighting. It was wiser and faster and can't easily be read, and it was far more different from what she learned from her childhood.
"I need to use this place, would you let me?" she asked in cold voice.
Kumunot ang noo ng kausap hanggang sa lumapit ito sa kaniya. She prepared herself, and she wasn't even surprised by his sudden attack. The whole place didn't even change. They would still hit a girl. No talking. Sugod kaagad.
She was able to dodge his every attack. Unti-unti na siyang hinihingal nang sunod sunod ang pagsugod ng mga lalaki sa kaniya. They were stronger and skillful as hers, pero hindi niya nagpadaig. She recall everything she learned, and she targeted their vital parts so she could beat them up easily.
It was minutes of fighting when she was finally done. She winced when she felt her left side hurt because of an unexpected kick. Napatingin siya sa paligid. The 10 men were finally beaten up, and even wincing, she walked towards the main controls. Good thing Arrow taught her a little, and she can apply it now. She pressed some buttons to turn off the security of the whole place, and the camera.
Nang matapos siya sa ginagawa ay lumapit siya sa pinaka-dulong parte ng kwarto. She saw the three switches below a table, and there's a required security scanner again, but it's not working anymore because of what she did. She sat so she won't having a hard time reaching the switches.
Then in a blink of an eye, the whole place lost their power supply. Darkness enveloped the whole place.
The three switches are for,
Main Power.
Back up security.
And emergency generator for the whole place.
At kahit pa buksan ng mga tao sa HQ ang mga ibang switches ng mga ito ay hindi gagana. There would be no alarm, and anything. They're totally blind. She turned off the main switch.
She left the place when she was finally done. Kinuha niya ang maliit na flash light sa bulsa ng jacket niya at binuksan 'yon. It served as her guide while she's ascending the stairs. Nakisabay siya sa mga tauhan sa lugar, they have their own flash lights, and obviously puzzled why the whole place was dark, and trying to press the emergency button but no avail.
Hindi rin nagtagal ay nakarating siya sa tapat ng pintuan. It was the only door in a single floor. Hinihingal siyang huminto sa harap ng pintuan. Ito lang ang bukod tanging pintuan na may sariling liwanag.
Candles.
She let out a small sarcastic laugh.
Coffins and Candles.
Black Coffins for an evil like him.
Death really suits him.
She didn't think twice, and she opened the door. Dim periphery greeted her sight, and she wasn't surprised at all, she was even excited. Scented candles lit up the whole place. A sly smile formed her lips.
"You really like candles that could burn you." Hindi niya alam kung saan pa nanggagaling ang malamig na boses niya. Even the bravery she have now.
She heard a soft dangerous chuckle. "You came...the dog finally have the guts to bit her owner."
Her jaw tightened. "I'm not your fucking dog."
Humalakhak ito. "A rabbit that keeps on running...or a rat that was lost?" anito sa nanguuyam na boses.
Anger slowly eats her inside. Ang tagal niyang nagpigil. She tried to look on the brighter side even though her family...her brother keeps on being cruel to her. Iniisip niya pa 'rin na kapatid niya ito. They're family and they there's no reason to hurt him back. Hindi naman gano'n e. yung porket sinaktan siya, e sasaktan na niya pabalik. She won't add fuel to the fire.
But what they did to her... They burnt her like she was no one.
And she's going to drag them to the fire, and let them feel what it feels like to get burnt from their own flames.
"I'm not here for that, kuya." She emphasized the word 'kuya'.
"Then why are you here?" he asked.
"I'm here for this." In a fast-swift move, she pulled the sheathe from her hair and immediately tossed it towards her brother, Clodoveo Carassco Saez.
And with the right momentum, and right force and motion, it pierce through the neck of her brother, almost vital so the blood gushed out rapidly.
Natawa siya kasabay nang pamamasa ng mata niya. She's trembling with anger that bottled up inside her for a very long time. She ignored it. She tried, but it's already too much.
"H-how could you do that to your own niece...?" she said with breaking voice.
Wincing, her brother let out a small smile. The insulting one. "It's not my niece."
Nagpanting sa tenga niya ang sinabi nito. "It's?" she asked. "My child is not a fucking thing that you could get out of your way in just a snap of a finger!"
Her right hand moved to reached the gun on her back, and pointed it to Clodoveo. She was about to shoot his brother when she felt a presence behind her, and covered her eyes and turned her over.
"Forget this...moment." That was his words before getting the gun in her hand and she heard frequent loud gun shots.
She immediately recognized who it was.
His familiar arms, his built his height and his warmth. She knows who it is.
"J-jaxon..." her tears continued to fall. Like her strength and braveness finally gave in when she felt his warmth against her...but pain and anger still enveloped her.
***