CHAPTER 33

VALENTINA IMARA MEADOWS

"What's going on here, Hexia!?"

Hindi ko pinansin si Atlas at akmang hahabulin sana ang gagong Helios na 'yon nang mahawakan niya ang braso ko para hatakin pabalik sa loob ng fitting room. I tried to struggle, at kung ano ano na ang lumalabas sa bibig ko ng maalala na tanging underwear nga lang pala ang suot ko!

Fuck it!

"Young lady, I think it would be better if you got dressed first," Atlas said seriously, habang nakahawak pa rin sa braso ko.

I was still fuming because of what happened. Ang duwag na 'yon?! How dare he just leave when we weren't done fighting! Iritableng padaskol kong tinanggal ang kamay ni Atlas sa braso ko at basta na lang kinuha ang dress ko sa sahig at sinuot 'yon.

Eh, ano pa nga ba ang kailangan kong takpan!? Halata naman na nakita na ni Atlas na naka bra at panty ako! Damn it! I can really feel my blood boilding with anger towards Helios. Bakit ba siya tumakbo? Pinapakita niya lang na duwag siya! Baliw ba siya?

Ang yabang yabang niya kanina tapos ngayon tatakas lang? Swerte niya at hindi ko siya nasaksak ng bubog nitong salamin. Sisiguraduhin ko talaga na sa susunod na mangyayari 'yon, I'll make sure that he definitely bleeds out and runs out of blood.

Huminga ako ng malalim. Ilang beses kong ginawa 'yon para man lang kumalma ang sarili.

"Helios was here earlier," seryoso kong sabi kay Atlas.

Nakita ko na humigpit ang hawak niya sa malaking paperbag na bitbit niya habang nakakunot na ang noo sa akin.

"We were about to kill each other, but he ran like a coward!" reklamo ko sa kan'ya. Ramdam ko na naman na umiinit ang ulo ko dahil sa nangyari kanina. Tinuro ko pa ang daan kung saan siya tumakbo. "Duwag," I muttered under my breath.

Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin at tinalikuran siya. I grabbed a long gown hanging nearby. Fortunately, the long gown I had chosen remained undamaged, and thank God because I don't have a plan to find another one. Masyado na akong pagod sa sobrang daming nangyayari sa araw ko ngayon. I didn't even try to stop Atlas when he took my gown and carried it for me.

"Alright, I understand. Can you please calm down?" he said to me calmly.

"Paano ako kakalma, Atlas?!" I couldn't help but shout at him. "He's getting on my nerves. I swear to god," my voice trembled slightly. "The next time I see him, I won't just scratch him. I'll make sure whatever weapon I have will leave a deep mark on him, especially when I use Saf at him."

Atlas simply shook his head at my outburst. "Your back is bleeding. Let's go home so Ria can treat your wound."

Isa pa pala 'tong problema ko. I curse under my breath. "I need laser treatment for this. I chose a backless long gown, Atlas. I can't have a scar on my back while wearing something like that," I requested.

He nodded. "Sure. Ria will do the laser treatment for you later when we get to the warehouse—"

"Oh my god! Are you okay, Ms. Hexia?"

Parehas kaming napalingon ni Atlas ng marinig ang boses ng saleslady na nag-assist sa amin kanina. She covered her mouth and took my hand para makaalis na sa fitting area. Kitang kita ang mga nagkalat na dugo namin ni Helios sa fitting room.

"I apologize. Please come out so we can take care of the mess in the fitting room."

Atlas and I exchanged glances. He nodded his head towards the hallway exit of the fitting area, parang sinasabi na kailangan na naming umalis. I nodded back and followed him. Hindi ko pa maiwasan na hindi mapadaing sa tuwinng naglalakad ako dahil ang tela nitong dress na suot ko ay nagagasgas sa sugat ko sa likod.

We sat on a long ottoman, waiting for the saleslady who had assisted us earlier. I sat with my arms crossed and after a few minutes, the saleslady returned to update us on the situation.

"I apologize, Mr. Collazo and Ms. Hexia. We checked the CCTV footage from before the incident in the fitting room, but we couldn't find anything. It seems like our CCTV system malfunctioned. I apologize for the inconvenience. As a token of our apology, we can give you a voucher—"

"No, it's okay. Just put the long gown in the paper bag so we can leave," Atlas interrupted the saleslady and handed her the long gown she was carrying. "I'll talk to your manager later."

"O-okay, Mr. Collazo. I'm so sorry again."

Tumango na lang si Atlas bilang sagot at tumayo na rin para umalis ng makita na nakalagay na sa malaking itim na paper bag ang long gown na susuotin ko.

▄︻デ══━一

"Care to explain to me what's happening inside the fitting room, and I ended up seeing you just in your underwear?" seryosong tanong ni Atlas habang nagmamaneho na pabalik sa warehouse.

Umismid ako. Hindi ko napigilan na mapairap habang nakatingin sa mga punong nadadaanan namin sa labas bintana ng kotse.

"Nasabi ko na sa 'yo kanina pa," sagot ko at napabuntonghininga na lang ulit ng maalala ang pangyayari 'yon. "Helios suddenly entered while I was taking off my clothes because I was going to try on the long gown I chose."

"He's also following me, Atlas. That's my hunch," ani ko bago siya lingunin, seryoso pa rin siyang nakatingin sa kalsada.

"You might be right, or you might not be."

"I'm right, okay," I replied. "Many people want to know who you are and what you are. Maybe Helios was also sent by his underboss to kill me because you're going to be the next. Both Helios' underboss and he are in faction uno, hindi ba?" tanong ko sa kan'ya habang nakakunot ang noo.

"Yeah."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Tapos hindi mo ba alam ngayon? Kalat na sa website na asawa raw kita? Are they out of their minds?" Napailing na lang dahil doon. "Lalo na 'yang Helios na 'yan. Walang magawa sa buhay at nangugulo pa ng buhay ng ibang tao."

"Maybe because of that fake news, I'll be the next target to use against you. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens, but they're even better than fake news, huh."

"Just don't mind them—"

The car we were in jerked violently as we heard multiple gunshots followed by what sounded like raining down on us. Mas lalo na rin sa likuran namin! Mahina akong napasinghap at napahawak sa handle ng itaas ng salamin nitong kotse.

Mabuti na lang talaga at bulletproof itong sasakyan namin.

"What's happening!?" I shouted at him, gripping the handle above me. Atlas quickly turned the steering wheel and sped up.

"They followed us," Atlas replied quickly.

"Ha?! Sino!?" I shouted again as whoever was shooting continued to fire at us.

When I didn't get an answer from Atlas, mabilis akong lumingon sa likuran namin. A black car was following us, also driving at high speed.

I took a deep breath before looking back at Atlas. I don't need to panic; walang dapat na ikataranta kung ganito ka seryoso at kalmado si Atlas.

"I'll help you. Ikaw na bahala mag drive hanggang sa makarating tayo sa warehouse, okay?" I said seriously to him.

"Sure. We're almost at the Rarito," he replied quickly.

Tango na lang ang sinagot ko bago tinanggal ang seatbelt sa katawa. Alam ko na ang isa sa kotse ni Atlas at Oceanus kay may mga hidden compartments sa baril nila. I raised the long seat in the back and found a hidden AK-47 inside.

Napangisi na lang ako nang makita 'yon. I grabbed it quickly and grabbed the rifle; I even checked the magazine twice. Nang makitang ayos naman 'yon, binalik ko agad sa loob ng baril ang magazine nito. I kicked off my sandals somewhere to make it easier for me to move.

"Be careful, you might not be able to handle the recoil of that," Atlas warned.

I smirked at him. "Madali na lang 'yan sa akin, Atlas. My training would be useless if I couldn't control the recoil of your rifle."

Napailing na lang si Atlas sa naging sagot ko. For the last time, I made sure that the magazine was securely attached. The familiar sound of the rifle being cocked filled the air. I tossed the extra magazine that I grabbed from their stash onto the dashboard, para madali ko na lang 'yon abutin kung sakaling mag mauubusan man ako ng bala.

When I knew that everything went perfectly, I fastened my seatbelt again and double-checked the lock to make sure it was secure.

I made sure the magazine was securely attached. The familiar sound of the rifle being cocked filled the car. I tossed the extra magazine I'd grabbed from their stash onto the dashboard so I could easily reach it if I needed to reload. When I was sure everything was okay, I fastened my seatbelt again and double-checked the lock to make sure it was secure.

"That's not my rifle, Hexia. It's Oceanus' rifle."

I rolled my eyes and buckled my seatbelt back on. "Whatever."

"Just drive, and I'll handle them."

"Okay."

I opened the door and flinched as they fired a barrage of bullets at the open door. The door was destroyed by the force of the gunfire. Natulala ako saglit dahil sa pagkabigla at dahan-dahang napatingin kay Atlas.

"Shit. We're screwed. Kotse ni Oceanus 'to, hindi ba?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, he can buy a new one."

Naipit ko ang aking labi at pinigilan ang sarili na huwag matawa.

When I couldn't hear the continuous gunfire anymore, I leaned halfway out of the car. Tanysado ko naman na 'yon na hanggang baywang lang

Yon. Makakasigurado rin naman na ako na hindi ako mahuhulog dahil sa suot kong seatbelt. When my position seemed precarious, I shifted a bit more until my thighs were exposed.

I aimed the AK-47 I was holding at their car and fired continuously. My lips curled up in a smirk when I saw the bullets penetrate the car.

Sinong tangang susugod at susunod sa amin na hindi bulletproof ang sasakyan?

"This is going to be easy," bulong ko sa sarili.

I aimed the rifle at their tires, but they managed to dodge just before I pulled the trigger. I wasted a lot of time, but some hit the front of their car. Hindi nakatakas sa paningin ko ang isang lalaki na basta na lang lumitaw sa sunroof ng kotse nila at tinutok ang baril sa akin.

Hindi ko inaasahan ang pangyayaring 'yon, but before the opponent fired at me. I felt Atlas' hand on my arm and pulled me back inside. My heart raced as I gripped my gun tightly. Atlas and I ducked as the backseat window shattered.

I don't know why, but I felt a thrill of excitement as I heard the continuous gunfire. Naiinggit ako!. Why didn't Atlas have a gun like that?!

"I want that," hinihingal kong sambit sa kan'ya ng lingunin siya. He calmly swapped out the empty magazine in the gun I was holding.

"You want what?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he drove, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"Yung baril na ginagamit nung lalaki kanina. I want one like him. Anong klaseng baril 'yon? It's a machine gun, right? Where can I get one?" sunod-sunod kong tanong sa kan'ya dahil sa tuwa, a grin spreading across my face despite the adrenaline coursing through me.

"That's an M249. Don't worry, I'll get you one. I'll talk to Oceanus after this. Maybe he knows someone who can get us the gun that you want right away."

Nakangising tumango ako sa kan'ya. My senses were overwhelmed, the recent gunfire still sharp. Yet, a dangerous excitement surged within me, fueled by the adrenaline of the chase.

Nang makalagpas kami sa arko ng Rarito doon na tumigil ang mga sunod-sunod na pagputok ng baril. I started to reload my gun while smirking. This was my chance. Ginawa ko ulit ang posisyon ko kanina bago ako hilahin ni Atlas papasok sa kotse.

I aimed at their vehicle and adjusted my stance for stability as the car sped on.

"Just hit their tires, Hexia," Atlas instructed, his tone steady even as chaos erupted around us.

Mabilis akong tumango sa kan'ya. "Noted."

I took a deep breath, focused, and aimed carefully at the front tire of their vehicle. I pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, and satisfaction washed over me as their car swerved violently, its tires screeching in protest. Lumipas pa yata ng ilang segundong pageywang geywang ang kotse bago naging maayos ang pagmamaneho nila roon.

After a second I noticed a man in a black mask leaning out of their car; muli niya na namang tinutok ang machine gun na hawak niya sa akin. But I was faster. Maayos kong naitutok ang hawak kong baril at walang sinayang na oras, the bullet was hitting him squarely in his head. His dead body collapsed back into the car.

"Yes," mahina kong bulong sa sarili.

Natatawang napailing ako at inayos ang pwesto ko. And suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke poured on the side of the road, covering the asphalt in a dense fog as if some dry ice machine had gone wild. The smoke spread across several meters, and in the middle of it all, a loud, bone-shaking rumble echoed. The road ahead began to rise, lifting like some kind of gate, and had another driveway under it.

"Oceanus, meet us in the underground parking lot. This is an emergency," dinig kong banggit ni Atlas seryosong boses habang nagmamaneho pa rin.

Mas bumilis ang pagmamaneho ni Atlas sa kotse papunta sa kalsada na umangat bigla sa harapan namin. Merong daanan 'yon pababa kaya doon kami pupunta.

"Keep firing, Hexia."

"Got it,"

Kahit na may makapal pa rin na usok at nahihirapan pa ako na makakita, inayos ko pa rin ang postura ko sa paghawak ng baril. I need to stay focused, ready to fire at any sign of movement from the cars behind us. The bullets were everywhere; they sprayed across the road. And right now I was holding them off as we approached the entrance to the underground parking lot.

At makalipas ng ilang minuto, saka lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag ng tuluyan na kaming makababa at makapasok sa loob. We passed through the secret passage, descending into the dark, sheltering shadows of the parking structure.

I let out a shaky breath, my heart still pounding as I looked back. No one was following us anymore. The passageway grew darker, and the lights from street lamps glowed as we moved farther into Atlas' underground parking lot.

Ramdam na ramdam ko pa rin ang pamamawis ng noo ko dahil sa nangyari kanina. Ang kamay ko ay nanginginig din dahil sa adrenaline rush habang ang puso ko ay nagwawala pa rin sa sobrang bilis ng tibok. When we reached the end of the road, Atlas parked the car, and Oceanus, looking flustered, was waiting for us.

"Atlas—"

He stopped mid-sentence and his jaw dropping in shock at the sight of his car. The rear window was shattered, the side mirror was missing, the passenger door was gone, at ang buong kotse niya ay may bakas ng gasgas at bakas ng bala ng baril. He walked past us and inspected his car like a madman.

"What did you do!?" he shouted. "Bakit niyo sinira yung kotse ko!"

"It's not our fault. The people who were following us are the ones who did that," I replied, walking towards him.

I handed him the AK-47 and patted his shoulder.

"I want the M249 machine gun, Oceanus," masaya kong sabi sa kan'ya habang nakangiti. "Let's start firing as soon as you get me a machine gun. Atlas has agreed, and you can't refuse."

His eyebrows furrowed as he turned to Atlas before looking back at me.

"Excuse me!? You have no right to order me around right after you ruined my car! I thought you were just buying clothes for Hyperion's birthday party, pero ano 'to!? It looks like you came straight from a war zone!" He was acting like a madman, going hysterical.

"You're overreacting again, Oceanus. It's just a car," Atlas interjected, holding a phone in his hand as we looked at him. "Now find someone who can sell us an M249 that can be delivered here within a week."

I grinned while looking back at Oceanus. Para akong bata na napagbigyan sa gusto ko ngayon.

Oceanus groaned in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. "We get most of our firearms from Iraq, Atlas. I'll just talk to Theus; maybe he has something ready—"

"Don't. Look elsewhere. Try asking Ismael; maybe he knows someone who has a stock of machine guns."

"This is unfair! You're going to pay for all the damage to my car. I want an exact replacement for whatever was damaged," Oceanus complained. His gaze fell on the rifle I had given him. "And you touched my AK-47!?"

I raised my hand and punched him in the stomach. He winced slightly.

"Tanga ka! What do you expect us to do? Not shoot them!?" I shouted back. "Thank goodness your car is bulletproof, or both Atlas and I would be dead."

"You're already an evil person; hindi ka mamatay agad agad!" he retorted. "Alam mo bang ikaw lang ang unang nakagamit n'yan? I haven't touched it since because it's for emergencies only."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the paper bag from the backseat. Mabuti na lang at walang damage 'yon. My poor long gown had been through so much before making it back to the warehouse.

"What do you think happened to us earlier? Was it a game? Training? Ay, malamang emergency yon!" I shouted at him again.

"Stop fighting—"

"Hexia!"

I turned around when someone grabbed me and pulled me forward. A strange man stood in front of me, ready na akong saksakin gamit ang pocket knife niya. Oceanus landed a powerful punch on the man's neck, knocking him unconscious. Agad na bumagsak ang lalaki sa sahig at nawalan ng malay.

"That's mine, you know."

"You almost got stabbed, idiot."

"Take him to the torture room while he's unconscious. We might be able to get some information about who ordered them to follow us," singit ni Atlas at nauna ng maglakad papunta sa nakabukas na elevator.

Oceanus and I nodded and followed him into the elevator after Oceanus carried the unconscious man like a sack of rice.

▄︻デ══━一

I blinked repeatedly as I watched the man who had been following us earlier while we were on the way to Atlas' underground parking lot. Nandito na kami ngayon sa torture room, hinihintay na sumagot ang lalaki sa mga tanong ni Atlas, pero hindi pa rin nagsasalita.

"I'm getting sleepy," I mumbled to Oceanus and nudged him.

We were both in our pajamas, ready to rest in our rooms, but Atlas called us here. His torture room was designed in all white, with drawers on each side containing various torture tools.

Nagamot na ni Ria ang sugat ko sa likod nang makarating kami sa lobby. She already put a bandage on them because she found some large cuts. I knew I got those from Helios pushing me hard against the full-body mirror in the fitting room. Kaya ang mangyayari ay magkakaroon ako ng laser treatment once na fully healed na 'tong sugat kong natamo. As usual, she used a high-tech laser from Pallas.

Of all the torture rooms I've seen, Atlas' torture room was the cleanest. I almost thought he was a clean freak.

"Who's your boss?" Atlas asked the man in front of him seriously.

The man was tied to a metal chair, his body restrained. Nakatanggal na rin ang kaninang may gapos sa bibig niya para man lang makapagsalita. The gag had been removed from his mouth, and we were waiting for him to speak.

"Sa tingin niyo ba sasagutin ko 'yang tanong mo?" the man laughed.

I walked towards him, my brow furrowed. I stopped in front of him and clenched my fist.

"Oh? Anong gagawin mo, Hexia? Pasalamat ka nga at hindi kita nasasak. Paniguradong hindi ka na humihinga ngayon kung natuloy man 'yon," mapangasar niyang sabi sa akin ng makita ako.

I just smiled and walked to the side, binuksan ko ang isang drawer doon. I put on brass knuckles on my right hand and returned to the man tied to the metal chair.

"Hexia," I heard Oceanus and Atlas call out to me.

"Sa tingin mo matatakot mo 'ko? Babae ka lan—"

He couldn't finish his sentence as I raised my hand and punched him. Alam kong doble at sobrang sakit no'n dahil sa brass knuckles na suot ko. I saw his blood splatter on the floor from my punch. There was even some of his blood on my brass knuckles.

"You're right. I'm just a woman."

The man laughed quietly at what I said. Slowly, he lifted his head, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips, and I was caught off guard by what he did next.

Mariin akong napapikit ng duraan niya ako, dura niyang may halong dugo. Hindi man lang nakaligtas sa dura niyang may dugo ang suot kong silk pajamas.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Kakaligo ko lang! At mukhang kailangan ko na namang ulitin 'yon dahil sa kan'ya! Disgusting!

"Whore!" he shouted. "Pasalamat ka na lang at nakatali ako ngayon o baka hindi mo magustuhan ang gagawin ko sa 'yo. Mukhang tama nga ang sabi-sabi sa website natin... na maganda ka nga. Maganda ang asawa ni Atlas," natatawa niyang sabi. "Nice choice, Atlas."

I couldn't control my reaction to his words. I reached behind Atlas' waistband and pulled out the pistol. I knew he always carried one wherever he went, and it seemed my instincts were spot on. Hindi man lang din ako nagawang pigilan ni Atlas sa ginawa ko. I checked the chamber—it was fully loaded.

"Pinalaki ka ba ng magulang mo para mambastos ng babae?" I asked, my voice cold as I aimed the pistol at his shoulder and pulled the trigger. Ang nakakabinging tunog ng pagbaril ko ay umalingawngaw sa buong torture room. Nangibabaw ang hiyaw ng lalake sa harapan ko ng barilin ko siya.

"Or maybe you don't even have parents anymore?"

"Tangina mo!" he yelled, writhing in agony.

"You and Oceanus can go back to your room now, Hexia," Atlas ordered.

"No," I shot back, not even glancing at him.

"I'm taking out my anger on him for Helios, Atlas. Until he confesses who his boss is."

"Kung aamin ako sa inyo—"

"Shut the fuck up! Hindi kita kinakausap!" I shouted at the man tied to the metal chair.

I pressed the muzzle of the pistol against his wounded shoulder, twisting it to increase the pain. He screamed again, struggling against his restraints.

"Who's your boss?"

"H-hindi ko k-kilalla," pagsisinungaling niya.

I scoffed at his defiance. "Okay. mabilis naman ako kausap."

Tinalikuran ko na siya at naglakad patungo kay Atlas para ibalik ang pistol na kinuha ko sa kan'ya. Pero bago ko pa maibigay sa kan'ya 'yon, I swiftly turned back and shot him in the other shoulder and knee. He screamed once more, desperate to escape from the chair.

"You handle this. We're leaving," ani ko, hindi ko na rin naiwasan na mapahikab sa harapan niya dahil antok na antok na ako.

I walk inside the empty restroom and grab a tissue beside the rack after I wash my face. Nakarinig pa ako ng yabag ng paa, kaya napalingon ako sa gilid ko; si Oceanus lang pala akala ko kung sino na. Nakatayo lang siya sa bukana ng pinto at pinapapanood ako.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded quickly. "Oo, why?"

"Wala naman. Just thought I'd ask," he replied with a shrug.

I stepped out and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the lifeless man in the chair. Blood was pouring from his neck, and it looked like Atlas had slit his throat. Naglakad ang dugo sa sahig at gano'n din sa suot na damit ni Atlas.

"Did he say who his boss was?" tanong ko sa kan'ya ng malapitan siya.

He shook his head, still looking at the dead man in front of us. Then he glanced at Oceanus and motioned for him to take care of the body.

"Hindi. But he did give a clue about which faction his boss belongs to. He was too loyal to reveal a name."

"What faction?" tanong ni Oceanus.

"Faction tres," Atlas answered, turning to look at us, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"And I don't think this is going to be good."

SHANGPU