CHAPTER 48

VALENTINA IMARA MEADOWS

Magkahawak pa rin ang kamay naming dalawa ni Helios nang makarating sa first floor ng basement ni Atlas, kung saan naka-locate ang main lab niya. There was blood splattered across the white tiles, and the place was in complete disarray. The large flat-screen TV was shattered, along with the items displayed on the tables.

"Ria!" malakas kong sigaw.

My gaze shifted to the open steel door of the lab. "Papasok na tayo," sambit ko sa kan'ya.

I moved quickly, and he didn't say a word as I pulled him inside. I immediately turned into the first hallway we passed, heading straight to Section 1's main hall in Atlas' laboratory.

Kung wala sila sa mga kuwarto kung saan sila naka-assign, paniguradong nandito lang sila sa loob. Section 1's main hall had special emergency lock doors that automatically sealed off the area when an intruder entered.

I stopped abruptly and let go of Helios' hand. My attention was drawn to the broken scanner. It was clear someone had tried to destroy it to gain access but failed. The scanner was smashed, with only a few exposed wires visible.

"Try connecting those wires. Maybe it'll open."

Napalingon ako sa sinabi niya. "Wala ako masyadong alam sa mga gan'yan..."

"It's okay. I'll try to open it and see if it works," he volunteered.

I felt his hand on my waist as he guided me to the side. He crouched down and started working on the emergency lock door in front of us. Kapag nabuksan niya na 'yon pati ang entrance ng section 1 main hall ay awtomatiko na rin na mabubuksan.

"Shit!"

Mabilis na bumaba ang paningin ko kay Helios na abala sa pagkakalikot ng wire doon. He abruptly pulled his fingers back, shaking them in the air as if he'd been burned.

"Bakit? Anong nangyari?" nag aalala kong tanong sa kan'ya.

"The wire is hot," he replied. "Looks like someone has tried multiple times to open this, and I think it overheated from all the attempts."

"Baka nga..." sagot ko. "Masyadong mahigpit si Atlas sa mga security dito sa warehouse niya. We won't be able to open that just like this. I'll try to contact Pallas—maybe he can open it since the scanner came from him anyway."

"Ano?! Natingnan mo na ba lahat? Wala sa labas yung asawa ni Atlas. Baka naman nandoon siya sa hindi mo pa naiikutan."

"Lahat ng puwedeng mapuntahan sa blueprint nitong basement at warehouse ay napuntahan na natin!"

"Tanga! Umikot ka pa! Paniguradong nagtatago lang siya sa mga gilid!"

Naramdaman ko ang paghawak ni Helios sa braso ko at hinila sa gilid para magtago. Silence filled our position until we were certain that Perses's men had moved away.

"Atlas' wife," I heard Helios whisper beside me, mimicking what one of the men had said earlier.

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya kaya napalingon ako. Nandidilim ang ekspresyon sa mukha niya at halos mag isang linya na ang kilay niya. The look on his face made it clear he didn't like what he'd just heard. His stormy gray eyes were sharp, focused intently on nothing in particular.

"Fucking hell, why am I getting jealous of my own father? This is so annoying," he muttered to himself.

Pinanood ko siyang paano mainis na napahilamos sa muhka gamit ang palad at napabuntong hininga pa. Napapailing na kinuha ko ang kamay niya pinagsalikop ang palad naming dalawa.

"Ikaw talaga. Don't worry, Helios. Alam mo naman na sa 'yo lang ako. You don't have to be jealous. Most of all, you know the truth—Atlas and I are not married," malambing kong sabi sa kan'ya. I turned to face him and looked up before gently stroking his jaw. "We've already claimed each other, and there's no taking that back."

"Okay. I know there's no taking it back, and I won't let anyone else have you, Hexia. I've known from the start that you were always mine," he replied firmly.

He cupped my face in both his hands, making sure my gaze was entirely focused on him—on him alone.

"I know, Helios. I love you," I said softly.

"I love you more, baby," he said, his voice rough yet laced with an alluring tone. There was a possessive edge to his voice, as if he was terrified of losing me and had already claimed me as his own.

Napabuntong hininga na lang siya at yumuko bago patakan ng maliliit na halik sa aking labi. I tapped his shoulder and moved a little away from him to focus on contacting Pallas.

I pressed my earpiece and spoke, "Hello? Pallas?"

I called out Pallas's name several times, but there was no response. Someone did answer, but it was Atlas, and he sounded out of breath.

"Atlas? I need Pallas' help to open the Section 1 main hall of the laboratory. Ria and the others are inside, and the emergency lock doors are already down. Kailangan na makalabas silang lahat bago pa may masamang mangyari rito sa basement mo. Delikado at baka ma-trap sila rito," mahaba kong lintayan.

"Okay, I'll connect you to him now."

"Alright, thank you. Nasaan ka ngayon? Maraming bang tao d'yan?"

"A few. Hinahabol pa rin namin si Perses. He's trying to escape. He had the nerve to attack us, but now he's running like a coward."

"Okay. We'll join you once I get Ria and the others out of here."

He didn't respond, and I knew he had ended the call on his earpiece. At the same moment, a loud noise filled the area as the emergency lock doors lifted back into the ceiling. The main door to Section 1's main hall opened wide.

"Let's go. Kailangan pa nating pumasok sa loob," I said to Helios. He took my hand again and led the way into Section 1's main hall.

Nang makapasok sa loob ay bumungad sa akin ang mga tauhan ni Atlas na mga nasa sulok ng pader na para bang nagtatago. They probably thought an enemy had entered. There were many of them, and the fear was evident on their faces. Toward the side, I saw Ria moving quickly as she treated a man who appeared to have been shot.

"It's me, Hexia. Don't worry. Aakyat na tayo sa taas para makaalis na rito. Si Atlas at Oceanus ay nandoon na rin. We need to leave now before it becomes too dangerous and we get trapped."

"Hexia!" dinig kong sigaw ni Ria sa akin.

Lakad takbo akong nagtungo sa kan'ya at mahigpit siyang niyakap. I patted her shoulder before walking past her toward a closed room within Section 1's main hall.

"Anong gagawin mo?" tanong niya.

"We need to get out of this basement. If we get trapped in here, it'll be hard for anyone to rescue us," I answered briskly.

I glanced at Helios, who was now looking at me with a serious expression. I extended my hand toward him. "I need an extra magazine of bullets. Do you still have any?"

"Sure. Here," Helios quickly pulled out the magazine tucked at his back and handed it to me.

When I glanced at Ria, her expression was full of curiosity, almost like there was a literal question mark on her face. I already knew what she was thinking. I smiled at her and gave her a small nod.

"Umatras muna kayo," utos ko.

We both moved back, and I aimed my gun at the scanner. A gunshot echoed throughout the Section 1 main hall, shattering the scanner. I handed the gun to Helios after destroying it.

"Atlas didn't use high-tech scanners here, making it easier to bypass them in emergencies," I explained to everyone. Yumuko ako at may kinalikot pa sa wire bago mabuksan ang pintuan dahil doon.

The steel door opened automatically, revealing an array of weapons neatly lined up inside—close-range, mid-range, and long-range firearms, sniper rifles, and machine guns. I stepped in and picked out a gun.

"Kumuha na kayo ng kan'ya kan'ya niyong mga baril. Once everyone has theirs, we'll head upstairs." Nilingon ko si Helios. "Ikaw din. Kumuha kana ng baril mo d'yan."

Ilang beses akong nakatingin sa kan'ya dahil nakatulala lang siya sa akin. "Are you okay? You look lost in thought. Don't tell me you're hiding an injury from me."

He remained silent, his gaze fixed on me, not saying a word. I gestured to him that I'd step out for a moment and be back soon. I peeked outside the weapon room and saw Atlas' men still watching me, standing by hesitantly.

Ginalaw ko lang ang ulo ko papasok sa loob para senyasan sila na kumuha na kaya dali dali silang kumilos para sundin ako.

They quickly rushed inside and grabbed the first weapons they could lay their hands on. I noticed Ria entering as well, picking up a Glock 45. She approached me afterward.

"Ako ng bahala sa kanila na umakyat sa taas para hindi masyadong maraming tao rito."

I nodded. "Sure. Mag-iingat kayo. Alam naman nila kung paano gumamit ng baril. Hindi ba?"

"Yes, don't worry. We can handle ourselves as long as we're armed. Mauuna na ako, Hexia. Please take care."

"I will. Be safe," I replied.

Tinalikuran niya na ako at tinanggal ang suot na puting lab coat; iniwan niya lang ang itim na t-shirt. She took the lead, guiding the others out of Atlas' basement, while I stayed behind to handle what was left.

I scanned the room. Everyone in the weapon room was busy with their own tasks. Some were putting on bulletproof vests, with Helios helping them. Once everything seemed in order, I knocked loudly on the steel door to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone listen up! If you see any of Perses' men, kill them. Is that clear? Huwag kayong magdadalawang isip na barilin sila dahil kung gagawin niyo 'yon kayo ang mamamatay. Everyone who's armed already, head to the main hall and proceed to the elevator. Move now!"

Everyone nodded in understanding and followed my instructions. I headed to a rack of snipers and grabbed an AWM, carefully inspecting it before loading the magazine.

"You shouldn't come with us, Hexia," Helios said, his voice full of concern. "Go with the others escaping. Let us handle things here."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya habang abala sa pagtingin ng scope ng sniper. Kunot noong inangat ko ang paningin sa kan'ya.

"May problema ba tayo? Bakit gan'yan 'yang sinasabi mo? Hindi ko hahayaan na umalis na lang dito basta basta ng hindi tinutulungan si Atlas at Oceanus," sagot ko sa kan'ya at hindi na iwasan na may pagka-irita ang tono ng boses ko.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at kinalma ang sarili. "Listen, Helios. Hindi na ako si Sarah... I'm not the same scared person I used to be. I've been working in this organization for years now—I'm used to this. Higit sa lahat kaya ko ang sarili ko. I don't need to be a damsel in distress. I can protect myself—"

I didn't finish my sentence because Helios cupped my face with both hands, making me look up at him. His ash-grey eyes, filled with worry, stared deeply into mine. I could see how much he was concerned for my safety.

"I know. I know, baby. I'm just worried something bad might happen to you," he said softly.

I let out a small laugh, grabbing the collar of his shirt to pull him in for a quick kiss. Then, I patted his arm and turned away to grab an extra magazine for my AWM sniper rifle.

"Para na tayong nakikipag patintero kay Satanas simula noong pumasok tayo sa ogranisasyon na ito, Helios," natatawa kong sabi. "Kaya huwag ka ng magugulat, okay. Matagal ng nasa panganib ang buhay natin."

Tipid ko lang siyang ningitian at tumingkayad para halikan ang labi niya. "The only thing left for us to do is keep dodging him."

▄︻デ══━一

"Atlas, can you hear me?" I said after pressing my earpiece.

We had already exited the warehouse, and Ria's team had also managed to leave. Some of them were helping take down Perses' remaining men. I ducked as I heard gunshots.

"Yes. Anong ng sitwasyon sa basement?"

"The lower levels are clear. Helios will head your way to assist you. I've got a sniper rifle and will provide backup from behind while you search for Perses," I replied, glancing at Helios in the short distance.

Abala siya ngayon sa pakikipaglaban sa mga tauhan ni Perses. I stayed hidden against the wall, scouting for a high ground position where I could set up properly with my sniper rifle. For emergencies, I had a close-range weapon strapped to a leg holster on my right thigh.

"Clear, Perses' men are down," Helios said as he approached me, breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath.

The sound of crackling flames consuming wood filled the air now that the area outside Perses' warehouse was secure. All that remained was to locate Perses himself and end this chaos, but, as expected, he was hiding like a coward in the fight he started.

"Kailangan na nating puntahan sila Atlas at Oceanus. They're tracking Perses."

"Where are they?" he asked.

I gestured for him to wait, as I needed an update from Atlas on their current location.

"Atlas, where are you? Clear na ang labas ng warehouse," I asked, pressing the earpiece again.

"We're in the middle of the forest. Damn this old man, he led us all the way here. We've been searching for him, but he's hiding. He's definitely still around since I managed to shoot him in the leg earlier. He can't have gotten far because he won't be able to run fast," Oceanus answered, indicating that Atlas' line was currently off.

"Malapit na ba kayo sa arko ng Rarito?"

"Yes."

The line went silent after that. I grabbed Helios by the hand and led him to his motorcycle.

"Malapit sila sa arko ng Rarito. Park the bike about a hundred meters before the arch itself, and we'll head into the forest from there. You go ahead, and I'll find a spot to set up because this rifle isn't ideal for close-range combat."

I gripped my AWM sniper tightly and quickly hopped onto his motorcycle.

"Before I head to them, I'll help you find a good spot you can climb—"

"No, ako ng bahala d'yan. You need to head there now, Helios," I interrupted him. "Perses might be trying to find a way back to your mansion. There are a lot of escape routes near the Rarito Arch. Even if he manages to get back to your mansion, it won't matter because Atlas' backup is already there, waiting for him."

Napabuntong hininga na lang siya at narinig ko pang mahinang napamura bago sumampa sa motor nito at pinaandar.

"Please, baby. I just want to see you safe before I go. Once you find a spot, I'll head straight to them. Allow me to take care of this because I just want to ensure you're alright before I head out."

I placed my hand on his waist, and the sniper rifle was wedged between our bodies. He revved the engine and headed toward the entrance of Rarito Street.

"At talagang may lakas kapa ngayon para lumandi, eh 'no?" panunudyo ko sa kan'ya.

"I just love you so much; that's why I'm like this," he quickly replied.

A faint smile appeared on my lips, and I gently stroked his back, since I couldn't kiss him with him driving. I bent down and quickly kissed his back, leaving a red lipstick mark on his white long-sleeve shirt.

"I love you too, Helios. I love you so much—"

"Fuck! Hexia, go to Perses' mansion! He's gone! We missed him! He got into a black Jaguar, and he's heading there for sure!"

Halos mabingi ako sa biglang pag sigaw ni Oceanus. He was shouting, and I felt like my eardrums were about to explode. I could even hear the rapid gunfire on the other end, as if they were showering Perses' car with bullets.

"Copy that!" I shouted back. I tapped Helios' arm before speaking.

"Perses' mansion, now!" I shouted so he could hear me.

Helios just nodded, and with a loud roar of the engine, he sped off toward the mansion to follow Perses. Well, there was no way for him to escape now because I knew he was about to be cornered.

It was a huge mistake for him to go back there.

SHANGPU