Chapter 15

I walked back to my apartment and as I came back, my roommate isn't there or he might be on his work. Agad naman akong tumungo sa shower at matapos ay nagpalit ng masusuot. Naupo naman ako sa kama, hindi pa rin maalis sa isipan ko kung anong posibleng mangyari kapag nangyari ang mga inaasahan ko. The only thing I could see right now is being with Prentice, if being with her would complete then I'm still picking up the piece of my shattered self to make the whole again to be with the woman I love.

I need to change the course of my life if it means risking myself into dangers.

Naisantabi ko rin ang pagpunta sa address na binigay sa akin ni Natasha pero hindi naaalis sa isipan kong isama iyon sa plano ko kung magkakaroon man kami ng deal nitong mga mafia. We do share the same enemy—not mine but my brother's but whoever enemy he has was already mine. Hindi man madali ang lahat pero kung gugustuhin kong tapusin ang impyernong ito, magagawa kong takasan ito palayo sa kaharasan.

Nang mapag-isipan kong pumunta sa GCS para sabihin kay Gio ang plano ko, hindi ko alam kung anong magiging reaksyon niya pero kung magiging dahilan naman ito para magtagumpay ako—kami sa misyong ito, mas madali ang paraang ito para mapagbagsak si Lula. I may not really know the deep reasons kung bakit tinutugis ng GCS si Lula pero sa nakikita ko ngayon, Lula's hiding to them.

Every people she had belonged, betrayed she ends up hiding and maybe the reason behind her actions that she couldn't face the fact that she'll lose everything once she held up by the mistakes she did. Lula is a target, she's the mission.

I picked up my jacket, put my phone and wallet on my jean pocket and leave the unit. Good thing that when I am around at the unit, Enrico wasn't around. Maybe it's a good thing after all because it doesn't bother both of us, we just shared the same unit with boundaries.

Pagkalabas ko ng apartment ay napahugot na lamang ako ng malalim buntunghininga, I always forget that Gio carjacked my car and it's not easy for my transportation. I get used to driving around alone but if this is the sacrifice I need to have, I shall get used to it every day until the day I'm no longer tied up with the things Gio put me into.

I'm no slave of his being, I get to end it no matter what happens.

Naghintay naman ako ng masasakyan at hindi katagalan ay dumaang taxi na siyang pinara ko. Hindi ko naman sinabi ang lugar napupuntahan ko bagamat sa kalapit na lugar lamang upang hindi mapaghalataan kung saan ako nagpunta. GCS premises remain secret for a long time and it hasn't been a raid or what, they feel they are safe because they know they have been out of the radar from the police but I won't be staying long until the day that worst thing could happen.

When we reach my dropped off, nilakad ko naman ang daan papunta sa GCS. Just the usual and tricky part, you wouldn't even know it exists. Nang marating ko ang dulo ng eskinita ay inalis ang malaking plywood at kumatok sa pintuan. Nang sumilip ang tauhan at makita ako, muli niyang sinara ang maliit na butas saka tuluya akong pinagbuksan ng pinto. Hindi naman ito nagsalita sa pagdating ko kundi diretsyo na lang din naman ako hanggat sa marating ko ang lounge area, walang gaanong tao sa paligid dahil umaga pa at tiyak mamayang gabi pa sila magdaratingan dito.

"Dude!" nabigla naman ako ng biglang may tumapik at bumulaga sa likuran ko, pagkaharap ko ay si Gio lang pala. "What are you doing here? Did I say you have to be here?"

I shook my head, "no, you didn't. I'm on my own will."

Napakunot noo naman ito, "really, why?"

"I have something to tell you some big news that could you and my mission."

"Hm..." he hummed, nodding. "I wanted to hear that, Danny. Let's go to the barside, I wanna hear that."

"Of course, you wouldn't wanna miss it." Ngisi ko pa.

Tumungo naman kami sa sidebar at kinuha ni Gio ang dalawang maliit na baso at bote ng whiskey. Kanya naman sinalinan ang baso saka inabot sa akin.

"Whiskey for breakfast?" I asked him.

Napakibit-balikat naman ito sa akin, "got used to it, c'mon, take a shot."

Hindi na rin naman ako tumanggi at ininom ang shot glass. Lalagyan pa niya sana muli ito pero tumanggi. I can't drink too much, not right now.

"So, what brought up you here?"

"I know how we could easily take down Lula."

Umayos si Gio ng kanyang pagkakaupo ng makuha ko ang kanyang interes, "I'm all ears, Dan. Tell me all of it."

"Just like you said, Lula is the enemy of GCS and to add more conflict on her side, I found that another group was also looking for her. Lula has been making a lot of connections that it turns out, she's breaking every rule that in the end, she's running away from the trouble she made."

"Yeah, I know that Lula has been making connections but what does this more convincing that we could take down Lula? Or are you just trying to point out that you easily wanted to get out of this mission? It's not that easy, Dan."

"No, no, it's not." I said, "this group that I'm telling, I've encountered them."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I followed them."

Agad naman niya akong binatukan, "Gago ka ba, Dan! Paano na lang kung mahuli ka at kung anong intensyon mo sa lugar na iyon."

"Keep it calm, Gio. I didn't even say a word at mukhang naniwala naman sila sa akin. They spared me, they let go of me. You know that I've got charms no one can resist. But whatever, that is not that point. I told them that we have one sole enemy and that's Lula. They almost agreed but they will talk it about first to their boss and that's it. I'm just telling you, if you wanted Lula to pay for the debt she made, you can trust me on this one."

"Who's this group anyway?"

"I don't know..."

He smirks, "how can I trust you when you don't even know this group, Dan. Nag-iisip ka ba? You could put this mission and jeopardy, sana naman inisip mo 'yon."

"I know that, Gio. And don't forget that you're the one who put me in this position. And I'm trying to get my ass off of this terrible nightmare, trying my best to bring back the life I deserved. Don't you ever said I don't think every of my actions, Gio 'cause I did. From the very first moment you lead me here, I did. Just to get away from this place, from you."

Gio doesn't give a comment but takes a couple of whiskey shots.

"They called them some mafia—"

"Wait—" pagtigil ni Gio sa akin saka natawa, "did you just say mafia?"

I nodded to him, "I know what I said."

"The funny thing here Dan is that mafia's not real around here." aniya, "if you heard that they're mafia or they called themselves like that they're not real. I know them Dan because they're the only ones who called themselves like that. Everyone knows."

"So you know them?" I asked, then he nodded. "Then why didn't you asked help from them?"

"Because they're not our friends, Dan. They're just like us but they do terrible things—"

"Just like GCS."

"Fair enough." He smirks, "but if you insist that they can help you, just don't forget that you shouldn't bring GCS or anything to anyone about us, understand?" I nodded at him. "Because once they knew that you were working with us, you're screwing up yourself. You just don't put yourself in danger but also us. It could mean war, Dan."

"Is that supposed to make me feel scared because I'm not scared of it. I just need this to get over."

He shook his head, "it's the truth, Dan."

"And you heard that Prentice and I were having a baby girl,"

"Cool," he timidly said.

"Aren't you happy for me?"

"I do but I can't be part of that life of yours, Dan. Just like what I said, once you're done with this mission, you're gonna leave everything behind that connects you to GCS. You have to forget you had a brother."

"Yeah..." was the only thing I said.

"Anyway, how they will find you?" Gio asked.

"I gave them my number," saka ko nilabas ang burner phone. "I gave them this number."

"What the fuck, Dan?"

"I just hope they won't suspect anything."

"Yeah, fuck hope for that."

"But hey can I get my car back?"

He looks at me with a mocking smile. "Oh, what about your car?"

"I just need my car, please. It's all I have right now."

"I'll think about it." ngisi pa nito.

"Is there any bed I can sleep here?"

"Why?"

"Dude, I'm worked on a graveyard and I'm already tired. I just need to sleep right now and continue my work later."

"You can take my bed, it's on the second floor, right to the end corner."

"Cool, cool. I'm gonna head up there!"

"Don't trash my bedroom, Danny."

"I'm not messy like you do, brother."

Agad naman akong tumungo sa kwarto niya at nang mapasok ko naman ang kwartong tinutukoy niya, pagkabukas ko pa lamang ay napaikot na lamang ang mata ko sa paligid. This isn't the rebel and miserable Gio, it looks like his bedroom on our house. It put smile on my face because he doesn't forget even though he put everything on danger, our parents doesn't know about this or what I've been doing. There's still good in Gio, if he needs to bring back the things he had lost, he can just make up the things he did even if ending up in jail would be the end of the line for him.

Tuluyan rin naman akong humiga sa kama. It immediately made me fell asleep because of how the comforter feels so smooth in the skin. Wonder why Gio made this room looks more casual than his rebel appearance.

For so how long, I didn't know notice how much I got some sleep when Gio barged into the room, calling me out my name so loud it made me jumped out of the bed.

"I bet this was yours, it keeps ringing," Gio said and throw the burner phone to me, I almost didn't catch it because of Gio's terrible throwing. "Is that them?" Napakibit balikat naman ako sa tanong niya. "Then answer it," he demanded at saka ko sinagot ang tawag. Hindi naman siya umalis sa kinatatayuan niya at nag-aabang ng balita sa tumawag sa akin.

Nang marinig ko ang boses sa kabilang linya at ang instructions na binigay nito sa akin ay puro oo na lamang ang naisagot ko rito. Nang ibaba ko ang tawag halos hindi tumigil sa mabilis na pagkabog ang dibdib ko.

"So, who was that?"

"It's them, Gio. Their boss wants to meet me."

"When?"

"Tonight, 10 PM."

"But you have your work, Dan."

"Just this night, Gio. I need to do this."

"Whatever you plan, but what I just told you to need to understand everything of it, okay?"

I nodded to him, "I won't screw this up."

"Okay," he said and as he was about to leave, he calls me once again. "I know you missed this." Then he throws something to me that when I caught, it was my car keys. "The only problem Dan, your car isn't around here. It's in the impounding area, better get it fast."

"You know how to trick me, Gio."

"Thanks, Danny. Now, get up on the bed and do what you what to do. You don't have enough time, your baby's coming soon... Goodluck, Danford." when Gio left, I felt something there. Alam kong nag-aalala rin siya sa sitwasyon ko, hindi man iyon halata sa kung anong pinapakita niya. Kilala ko si Gio, kilala ko ang kapatid ko.

6 PM. I've slept for too long, I won't get to work tonight and I'll just reason anything when I came back but for now, one way to end this mission, dealing with the enemy of my enemy.