"Flashback: Erso Hallick"

The music distorted when someone entered in our house. He was wearing a weird white trench coat and the way he look at my father is terrifying and spine-chilling to watch. His left hand was holding my father's neck. Because of his heavy grasp, my father's breathing pattern collapsed. I tried to stop him but he was strong. He easily put me a hundred of paces away from him using his only powerful push.

My father and I left the Headquarters for the reason of he needs to be a simple and normal people like everybody else. He just wanted a normal life with me. A normal life without a dagger buried under our backs. If he felt dagger because of our identity, I felt hatchet. How am I supposed to give vengeance to Pauline if I am no longer part of Headquarters?

The General decided that Dad and I can now act freely without worrying and submitting consent to the Headquarters. My Dad convinced the Directors and the General to set us free from our obligation in Headquarters after the incidents that created by my Dad inside the CRYPTIC's subsidiary base. Because of what he did, I am now stuck in our old house. The house where we was shot. I am impressed that despite of lack of maintenance in our house, it still stood sturdy after many weeks of our absences. After we unpacked our baggage inside our house, that was the time a group of men entered in our house. A guy wearing a white weird clothes pointing a gun straight to the head of my Dad.

I was just only 18 years old. He was in his 29 in a great physique. How can a vulnerable body of mine can take that strong push? Of course, I can't. I was in a state of pain. I couldn't move my right arm because of his vigorous attack. I earned a severe injury from my right arm, giving me a enormous pain signaling my brain. Even though he heard me in agony, he preferred to ignore me and he focused his all attention from tighten his grip on the neck of my Dad.

I have no idea who the hell he was. I don't know why he spent the rest of his evening torturing my Dad.

"I gathered an information from my sources. It stated that you have something from me." A despicable voice I heard from his mouth. "Where is he?"

"I-I know nothing," my Dad insisted.

"You will tell me or you will enjoy this scene?" The sentence from the guy who was holding the neck of my Dad escaping from his mouth.

The end point of the gun jabbed my head and they are not messing around. If my Dad would still insisting, they would probably kill me. They would kill us both. My Dad saw me crying in the corner of our house, waiting to welcome one bullet inside my head. The guy asked my Dad for a second time and my Dad took a final glimpse of me and he spitted these words:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Siyaszo Diasque."

"Are you telling me now where the metallic orb is?"

Nagtaka ako sa tanong ng lalaki kay Dad. Ano ang metallic orb na kanyang sinasabi? Hindi kaya ay kasabay ng pagtakas ni Dad sa kanilang subsidiary base ay natangay niya ang orb at dahil doon ay nauwi kami sa ganitong sitwasyon?

"Nasa mga kamay ni Siyaszo Diasque."

Nagulantang ang lalaking nagbabanta kay Dad at nang masulyapan ko ang mukha ng aking ama ay nakita ko siyang nanangis sa sobrang lungkot at takot na kanyang nararamdaman. Binalak kong lapitan siya para pakalmahin pero agad akong hinatak pabalik ng isang lalaki sa kanilang grupo upang panatilihin ang distansya ko kay Dad.

"It can't be. He is our loyal member of CRYPTIC. He created a machine that can give someone's a unmeasurable ability. He is our assets and you are trying to destroy his name?"

"You have my kid, What is the reason why I still lying to you?"

Matapos iyong masabi ni Dad agad siya nitong sinampal ng malakas at lumabas sa bunganga ni Dad ang kanyang sariling dugo. Hindi pa siya nakuntento sa kanyang ginawa at pinagtatadyakan niya ito ng matindi hanggang sa magmakaawa na si Dad na tumigil na siya sa kanyang ginagawa.

"YOU ARE SON OF A B-" I cut off my swearing at the man who was hurting Dad when he focused on me. I immediately felt a very heavy blow that hit my stomach. I tried to regain my consciousness and I still could help myself to fight back.

Napaliyad ako sa sobrang sakit at hindi pa siya natuwa sa kanyang ginawa. Sinipa niya ang aking pagmumukha at agad akong tumalsik sa kaliwang bahagi ng aming salas dahil sa lakas ng kanyang ginawa.

"What a pest," pang-iinsulto nito sa akin at nabaling ang kanyang atensyon kay Dad. "Now, Let me ask you. Where did you hide the metallic orb? If we go back when you started to be a member of our group, I know that something's off with you. I know from the start that I don't like you. I don't like your face and I don't like every piece of you. And when I discovered that you are helping and leaking our information to your real organization, there was a heaven inside my chest because my guts are correct and I have reason now to kill you in front of your kid. The most frightening last scene of your life before you die!"

Pinatayo nito si Dad gamit ang kanyang paghila sa buhok nito at narinig ko ang pamimilipit sa sakit ni Dad dahil sa katarantaduhang ginagawa ng lalaking nakasuot ng puting kasuotan na tila ba ay hindi siya nabibilang sa grupo na kanyang kasama.

"I am telling the truth."

"If you lie to my face," pagbabanta nito kay Dad at agad na sumenyas sa kanyang kasama na itutuok sa aking ulo ang isang baril. Kapag hindi natuwa ang kausap ni Dad sa sagot nuga ay tiyak basag ang aking bungo, "I'll ask you again, Where is the metallic orb called flash drive?"

"NASA MGA KAMAY NI SIYASZO DIASQUE!"

"YOU ARE SON OF A B-" naputol ang kanyang sinasabi nang mayroon nagsalita sa isa sa mga kasamahan nila.

Lumapit ang kasama niyang lalaki at mayroon siya nitong pinakita sa kanyang hawak na glass tablet. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang kanyang pinakita pero base sa ekspresyon na ginagawa ng lalaking kasagutan ni Dad ay hindi ito makapaniwala sa kanyang nababasa. Sa sobrang galit nito ay mabilis niyang hinablot ang glass tablet mabilis itong hinagis sa pader. Sa lakas ng kanyang ginawa ay nanlambot ang tuhod ng isa sa mga kasamahan niya sa sobrang takot.

"You!" Nanlilisik na ang mga mata ng lalaki sa sobrang galit. " You! Both of you are working together!?"

Hindi sumagot si Dad bagkus ay binigyan siya nito ng isang nakakainsulto nitong ngiti na lalong ikinagalit ng lalaki.

"Siyaszo Diasque took the metallic orb and secretly escaped from our subsidiary base. That was the report coming from our main base," sabi nito kay Dad at agad niyang pinigilan na huwag gumawa ng aksyon na ikakapalya ng kanilang plano, "Change of topic. Where can we find this traitor!"

"I won't tell you!"

"You won't ?" tanong ng lalaki at agad isinundot sa aking ulo ang dulo ng baril.

Tinignan ako ni Dad sa mata at nakikita ko sa kanya na handa niyang ipagkalulo ang kanyang matalik na kaibigan para lang sa kanyang anak. Hindi ko siya pinayagang sabihin sa kalaban ang sekretong bahay ng mga Diasque pero hindi siya nakinig. Kapag magkataon na malaman nila ang bahay ni Siyaszo ay mawawalan ng isang lider ang Headquarters.

"I will tell you but please let my son alive."

"Oh I will," masayang sabi nito at agad akong binaril sa kaliwang balikat ng lalaking kumakausap kay Dad.

Naramdaman ko ang init ng bala na pumasok sa aking katawan. Hindi ko mapigilang umiyak dahil sa sakit na aking nararamdaman. Pinilit kong takpan ang sugat pero hindi ko mapigilang pahintuin ang dugong umaagos mula sa aking katawan. Narinig ko ang pagsigaw sa sobrang pag-aalala ni Dad sa akin pero mas nanaig ang paghalakhak ng lalaking bumaril sa akin dahil sa sobrang tuwa.

"Now tell me!"

"I will tell you."

"No lies?"

"No lies."

Nang masabi ni Dad lahat-lahat ang kanyang nalalaman ay biglang tumigil ang aking mundo. Kung alam ko lang na magiging ganito ang mangyayari sa aking buhay ay dapat noong una palang na nagkita kami sa opisina ni General Diasque ay niyakap ko na siya ng mahigpit. Niyaka ko na siya na parang wala ng bukas. Hindi ko namalayan na tumutulo na ang mga malulungkot kong mga luha sa aking mga mata dahil sa aking nakita.

Kung alam ko lang na mawawala si Dad sa aking buhay ay dapat hindi na ganoon ang naging pagtrato ko sa kanya. Dapat ay mas pinahalagahan ko siya. Dapat ay hindi niya narinig ang mga masasakit na sinabi ko sa kanya. Kung alam ko lang ay dapat hindi ko na siya trinato ng ganun.

Napuno ng paghagulhol ang buong bahay dahil sa pagkamatay ni Dad. Kabaliktaran naman ang ginagawa ng lalaking pumatay kay Dad sa aking dinarama. Labis ang aking kalungkutan pero siya ay tila ba isang halimaw na masayang-masaya sa kanyang ginawang pagpatay.

"You haven't know my name yet, kid."

Tinignan ko siya ng masama habang pinipigilan ako ng iba niyang mga kasamahan na gumawa ng ano mang bagay na ikakapahamak ng kanilang lider. Kung maabot ko lang ang pagmumukha niya ay walang mo iyong babalatan at ipapakain sa mga kasamahan niya. Walang katumbas na hustisya ang kanyang ginawa. Higit pa sa kamatayan ang gagawin kong parusa sa kanyang ginawa.

"I am Erso Hallick. I tracked you all way down here because of that tracker tattoo inside the wrist of your Dad. He has a high position in our organization. He didn't know that he assumed tattoo was a tracker device. I always hated him. I hated him so much so I did a tracking device just for him because I know one day that he is a rat and I am correct with that prediction."

Balak ko pa sana siyang sagutin pero biglang nandilim ang paligid at hindi ko na maramdaman ang aking mga kamay at paa at hinayaan kong bumagsak ang mabigat kong katawan sa sahig ng aming bahay. Ang aming bahay kung saan pinaslang si Dad.

Thank you for reading :)