#DS6Unwavering #CirCoal #SharkFamily #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: NEEDLE

CIRCE'S POV

7:01 PM

I would have struggled more. I would have jumped in the ocean without a second thought. I know I have more of a fighting chance out there than here. Even without my surfing board, I am a strong swimmer.

But I didn't.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself on a cargo boat surrounded by huge container vans with my hands tied tightly together. Waiting for me to wake up is a person that I never thought had it in her to do something like this.

It was like there was a switch in her that had been turned on. I hardly recognize the woman that I'm seeing. Like they're not the same person as the one that I met and became friends with.

They didn't notice at first that I was awake. They were talking. Her and Julius. Fucking Julius. I knew that there was something creepy about him.

They were arguing. They were so busy snarling at each other that I could have made a run for it. The ocean doesn't scare me as much as these people. Then I heard it. The sound of crying.

Hindi lang iyon isa. Hindi lang iyon nanggagaling sa iisang direksyon. I could even hear a weak thumping, as if someone was trying to attract attention. To ask for help. And I thought of my daughter. There's no way they left her at the house. There's something inside me that just knows that they won't show mercy.

"Hindi natin siya pwedeng isama sa mga ibebenta na babae. Sa tingin mo ba titigil ang Coal Dawson na iyon na hanapin siya? Masisira ang negosyo ko. Pumalpak na nga eh. Hindi na ako makakabalik sa Isla Brews dahil hinahanap na nila ako ro'n. Sinabi ko na sa'yo kasi na hindi magandang ideya na i-hack natin sila. Hindi lang nila iyon gagamitin laban sa akin. Sigurado akong sisirain nila ang buong operation. Alam mong hindi lang ako ang may kinalaman dito. Maliit lang ako kumpara sa mga malalaking taong kasali rito. Kapag nalaman nila na nabulilyaso 'to dahil sa ating dalawa kahit pa makulong tayo hindi tayo magiging ligtas."

"Ang dami mong reklamo. Kumita ka naman di ba?"

"Mas malaki ang talo ko. Wala nga akong nakuha kahit piso sa Coal na 'yon at kahit sa pamilya niya. Ang nagawa ko lang kontrolin ay ang text at tawag sa cellphone niya. Ngayong alam na nila sisirain nila ang buong system ko." Galit na dinuro ni Julius ang babae. "Ikaw lang ang nakinabang dito. Ako ang nawalan ng malaki."

"You're such a drama queen. Eh di babayaran kita. Problema ba 'yon?" Pinagkrus ng babae ang mga braso niya. "Huwag kang mag-alala. Wala naman akong sinabi na isasama siya sa ibebenta."

"Eh bakit natin dinala 'yan dito?"

The woman tapped her temple. "Think. This is a perfect gravesite."

I instantly understood the meaning of her words. I didn't need to jump into the ocean. She's already ahead of me.

One will fall into the deepest sand.

One will burn to dust.

And in the end, everything will return to ash.

"Oh. Look who's awake."

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko habang pinapanood siyang naglalakad palapit sa akin. I want to scream. I want her to tell me everything. I want to understand. But I know that whatever she says, nothing will explain all of this. Nothing can justify this insane game she started.

She regarded me for a second, and the corner of her lips tipped up. "I hate that most about you. You're too calm. Too confident. Parang walang makakabasag sa'yo. I've been waiting for the moment that I will finally see you break."

"Where's my daughter?" I whispered.

"We'll get to that later."

"Tell me, where's my daughter!"

A stinging pain spread on my cheek as her slap landed on it. I could feel a ringing in my ears from how hard she did it.

She let out a satisfied breath. "That felt good." Bahagya siyang yumuko at napaigik ako nang maramdaman ko ang paghawak niya sa likod ng ulo ko para hilahin ang buhok ko. "You don't call the shots here, Circe."

I gritted my teeth. "She's just a child. Wala siyang kinalaman dito. You can be angry at me and Coal, but she has nothing to do with this."

"Of course she has a part. She's your daughter." Kumislap ang mga mata niya sa galit. "She's the result of you being a whore. Kung sana tumahimik na lang kayo sa isla na 'yon wala sanang problema. Pero ang kapal kasi ng mukha mo. One night stand ka lang pero gusto mong mag-level up. Coal didn't see that you're just using your daughter to tie him down." Dumiretso siya ng tayo at ngumisi. "And by the way, I'm not angry at him. Not anymore. After this, after you and your daughter are gone, I'm going to forgive him. He will forget about all of this. He will forget about that child because she could be replaced the way you could be too."

I opened my mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Not when I feel like I'm being strangled, the invisible rope tightening around my neck second by second.

"Please... please don't." Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I looked at her. "Ako na lang. Huwag ang anak ko. Please. Not my baby."

Her lips quivered, and for a moment—for one single moment—I thought there was still some humanity left in her. Until she threw her head back and laughed.

"I didn't know you'd break this easily." She clicked her tongue in mock disappointment. "I was expecting you to be more fun, Circe."

"No! Please... please not her. Not her!"

Dumilim ang mukha niya at nilingon niya si Julius. "Gag her."

I struggled. I struggled with all the strength I have. But I have no match for a man who knows his way around situations like this. After all, he's been abducting women left and right. Bumaluktot ang katawan ko nang maramdaman ko ang pagtama ng kamao niya sa tiyan ko. The pain was blinding enough to blur my vision.

He quickly gagged me with the familiar piece of fabric. A yoga hammock for aerial yoga.

She pulled out a chair, and she sat in front of me. Her eyes are shining while she looks down at me, as if she enjoyed seeing me kneel on her feet. "I'm sick of hearing your voice. I'm sick of hearing you speak and convincing everyone that you're righteous. Bidang bida ka eh. Laging nakikinig sa'yo lahat. Lagi ikaw iyong may nasasabi na para bang alam mo lahat. Kaya ngayon, makikinig ka lang. Consider it as payment for keeping my mouth shut while you ran your mouth."

Nilagay niya ang hintuturo niya sa baba niya na para bang nag-iisip. "Where do I start?" Lumiwanag ang mukha niya. "How about we start the story with Coal?"

There's so much anger at her that it's not normal. Like she would shoot someone dead at a minor inconvenience.

"I met him at a gathering. Everyone's attention went to him. Everyone wanted him to notice him. This man who looks like he got everything in his life in order except when you look in his eyes you'll see that he's lost. Just like me." Sinalubong niya ang tingin ko. "I know someone and he introduced us to each other. Coal was a gentleman. He listens to me when all of my life everyone treated me like I'm just a decoration. Nandiyan lang sa isang tabi. Walang buhay. Walang desisyon. Walang pakiramdam. Dinadaan-daanan mo lang pero hindi mo talaga nakikita. Hindi mo pinapansin."

She was smiling, but her eyes were burning with anger.

"Of course all the whores in that event, women like you, tried to take his attention away from me. I tried to dissuade him. I told him stories about those women that would turn him off." Kumuyom ang mga kamay niya. "And my mousy cousin, sweet little Andrea, still succeeded in catching his attention. She slept with him." Tumayo siya at nagpalakad-lakad. "I wanted to wring her neck so bad."

My eyes widened. Did she... kill her own cousin? "

"I can hear your mind turning. I didn't kill her, FYI. I tried. But that dumb bitch became a nun before I could." Bumasag sa paligid ang matinis niyang halakhak. "Nang gumaling siya alam mo ba ang sabi niya? Pinagaling daw siya ng Diyos. She didn't even know that she was just lucky. Unlike my brother and mother who died with a mysterious heart attack. Iba kasi iyong ginamit ko kay Andrea. Baka makahalata na ang pamilya namin lalo na at alam nila na galit na galit ako kay Andrea dahil kay Coal." Bumalik siya sa pagkakaupo. "Anyway, I was so angry. Sa kaniya at kay Coal. That's why I was so mad when he called for I don't know what reason. But I just can't really forget about him. Andrea ruined my chances. Kung hindi dahil sa kaniya sana magkasama kami ni Coal. Saka tinawagan niya ako. Ibig sabihin iniisip niya rin ako."

She killed her mother and brother. Hopelessness creeps into me. If she didn't show them mercy, how can I expect that she will do it for me? No, not even that. For Kaise.

"So I started planning. I'm a very patient person. Pinapanood ko lang siya sa malayo." The light in her eyes died, and she skewered me with a look that could melt skin. "Then you happened. You spread your legs for him. Pero alam mo? Kaya ko pa rin siyang patawarin. Kasi sino ka lang ba? Isa ka lang sa mga babae niya. Then I started noticing it. He stopped seeing other people. Sometimes he does, but it wasn't like before. He doesn't look interested. I'm not even sure he could see them. He couldn't see them. He couldn't. He couldn't!"

She's not sane. She's far from it. She's so gone that I doubt anyone can fix her.

"I vowed that I wouldn't be the same. He would see me." Kumuyom ang mga kamay niya. "I made sure that I know where you are. Wala naman akong balak guluhin ka. I just want to make sure that you will stay where you are. Far from him. So I befriended someone you know. I worked on it for years. Who knows if she would be helpful, right?"

Corine.

"Mahilig siya sa yoga. Nag-enroll ako sa yoga studio na pinupuntahan niya sa Manila. It didn't take a lot of time before we were the best of friends. Then I told her that I'm planning to have my own studio." She cackled as if she found it hilarious. "It wasn't mine. It was owned by Rebecca. She's a woman that lives in the same building that I used to live in. People usually mistake us for being cousins. They said we have similarities." She rolled her eyes as if she hated the fact. "She was always giving out flyers about her new business. So iyon ang naisip kong sabihin kay Corine. Noong una ako lang ang uma-attend ng classes ni Rebecca. Inaaral ko lang. When I was ready, I invited Corine to the studio. May private room kasi doon so iyon ang nirerentahan ko. Corine, being her dumb self, never found out that I don't own the place. Nakikita niya lang na kinukuha ko ang susi sa isa sa mga empleyado at dumidiretso na kami sa kuwarto. I even introduced her to the employees."

If she's not Rebecca, then who is she?

"After awhile I started telling her that I need a place to breathe. That I'm so tired and need a vacation. She told me about Siargao. Sabi niya ipapakilala niya raw ako sa mga kaibigan niya. The rest was history." Sumandal siya sa upuan at bumuntong-hininga. "Then I got distracted by my side business with Julius. Nakilala ko siya sa isang group. He loves money, and I do too. Conveniently, sa Siargao siya nakabase. It's a win-win for me. I get to keep an eye on you, and I'm earning money. But I got fucking distracted. Coal found you and your daughter! His daughter!"

She ran her hands through her head, and they stayed there for a moment, gripping her own hair. "I was suddenly out of time. Because of you." She gritted her teeth. "I tried so hard, you know? I hate you but there are times that I didn't want to hurt you. I tried not to. I was the new girl in the group. Those bitches talk a lot and it's like they don't see me. They don't see me. They don't! But you... you always try to include me. Kapag may pinag-uusapan at sila lang ang daldal nang daldal sinisiguro mo na tanungin ako kung ano ang opinyon ko. You did your best to make them open more to me."

Her words could have given me hope, but they didn't. I know there's no changing her mind. I can see it.

"I warned you. I warned you again and again so you would leave him. I kept sending you those threats so you would leave him! But you can't keep yourself away from his dick. In the end, you're just a desperate whore."

I never been scared like this before. Not even during the biological attack scare. But this time, I don't fear that I'm going to die. I am scared for a much more horrendous ending. This time... it's not just my life that is on the line.

"I was running out of time. Noong una nagtago ako sa likod ng pagpapanggap. That I was your stalker. Iyon kasi ang kadalasan na case sa kanila. I've read the books. I have them memorized by heart. But I know it wouldn't hold long. My facade. I'm counting on the fact that I have layers covering me. Number one is Coal's ex. She thought Coal has been sending her messages. Hindi nakikita ni Coal iyon at hindi rin niya nakikita ang mga tawag at text mo. Para maramdaman mo na dumidistansiya siya sa'yo. That's your weakness, right? Being cheated on. Being abandoned."

She knows so much. So she used it all.

"Second distraction is the missing women. They are the big issue. When you die, they would just think that you were one of the victims. And lastly, Rebecca. Siya ang una nilang hahanapin at iimbestigahan at hindi ako. I made sure that Coal wouldn't see my face while I'm pretending to be her. Just in case it would trigger any memory of who I really am. Rebecca is my identity. Siya ang pagbibintangan." Kumurba ang malawak na ngiti sa mga labi niya. "You see, we have a resemblance. Not enough to mistake us for one another. Except when I change a few things." Patagong nilingon niya si Julius at bumulong siya sa akin. "A bit of prosthetic here and there, a wig, and a convincing fake mole... voila! I look different."

Humagikhik siya na para bang aliw na aliw siya sa mga nangyayari. As if she's giddy with excitement. "Coal will never know. After all of this is done, he will be heartbroken. His whore will be found dead and his baby burned alive. He will be back to being lost, and this time I'll be the one to find him. I will be the one who will stand by him. No more Circe and Coal." Her eyes grew distant as if she were already imagining it. "Ashley and Coal. Just the two of us."

I couldn't even scream. I couldn't move. All I could do was look at her through blurred eyes as my heart sank into the deepest part of the ocean. Long way before I do.

Please. God, help my daughter. Kahit huwag na ako. Huwag Niyo lang siyang pababayaan. Save her. Please save her.

Tumayo siya at lumapit sa akin. Marahang tinapik niya ang pisngi ko na kanina ay sinampal niya. "This is your fault. You left me with no choice."

COAL'S POV

6:27 PM

I want to destroy something. Everything we do ends up in a dead end. The only thing we can follow is the trail left on the devices that have been hacked. But to access and infiltrate the opposing system, we will need a lot of time.

We have already come to the conclusion of Isla Brews. The moment that we did, the employees we had stationed in Siargao, Allen and Pike, made sure to squeeze every bit of information from the owner, Levi. He's the main suspect, but nothing's clicking with him. Kaya inalam namin lahat ng tungkol sa mga nagtatrabaho para sa kaniya. We found everyone except for a man named Julius.

He's slippery. He knows how to cover his tracks. Even his family doesn't know where he is. He just disappeared.

Following his trail is tricky. We weren't getting much that would connect us to Circe, but information is popping up in regard to his connection to the missing women in Siargao.

"This is nuts."

Nakatayo si Domino habang nakatingin sa nakadikit na mga larawan sa paligid ng conference room na nasa pang-limang palapag ng gusali ng Dagger.

I am not proud of what I'm seeing. It was something I owned up to a long time ago, and I wouldn't deny that there were times before that my ego-inflated head acted like it was an achievement to have this many women, but it's been ages since I've thought that way. Most especially not when Circe and Kaise came into my life. I have a daughter now. I will shoot someone for her if anyone who has acted like me before shows interest in her.

"None of them sounded insane, though." Napapakamot sa ulo na nilingon niya ako. "They all have alibis. Marami sa kanila ang mga may boyfriend at asawa na. No one sounded like they want to jump your bones, but some showed concern for you. They're decent women who don't seem to hate your guts. At least not all of them. Iilan lang ang gusto kaming babaan ng telepono nang sabihin namin na para sa'yo ang tawag. But those are more because they already have someone in their lives and they are not interested in throwing that away for a hook up."

"They're good women," I murmured.

All of them were like me. We were all lost and looking for companionship. We were all looking for something that we didn't even know we wanted. I found mine. So knowing that they found theirs, I am happy for them.

"You slept with all of them?" Nang tignan ko ng masama si Domino ay nag-angat siya ng mga kamay. "Just asking."

"No," I grumbled.

"Really?"

"Some I just went out with."

"Medyo nakakagulat din no? Expected ko talaga sisigawan at mumurahin kami," sabi ng kapatid ko na si Trace na abala sa laptop na nasa harapan niya.

"It wouldn't be a surprise. I never ghosted anyone. Kapag kailangan ko ng tapusin, sinasabi ko sa kanila. It feels wrong to just disappear from their lives. Mabuti pang sisihin nila ako kesa isipin nila na may mali sa kanila kaya sila bastang iniwan. I didn't want that for them since I know how that feels." Malakas na bumuntong hininga ako. "Some didn't want to end what we have, and I still did because I thought it was for the better. Some hate that I didn't run after them after it was them that ended it."

"It's a good thing you didn't delete their numbers or else it would be harder for us. Pero hindi niyo ba pinag-aawayan iyan ni Circe? O hindi niya alam?" tanong ni Domino.

"She saw them once, and she didn't say anything. I told her I would delete them, but she just said I don't need to."

My older brother, Pierce, shook his head. "You know that women have different vocabulary, right? Sometimes when they say no, it means fucking delete those numbers or she will castrate you."

I wanted to laugh because I can imagine Belaya saying those words to him, but I'm too worried to find joy in anything. "Circe is Circe. If she tells you it doesn't bother her, it means it doesn't bother her."

"You should still delete them or change your number."

Hinilot ko ang sentido ko. "I'll delete them, but I won't change my number." Nang makita ko ang ekspresyon sa mukha nila ay napailing ako. "It's not because I'm keeping them as a backup or something. That's fuck up since I am in a relationship that I won't ever want to be freed from. I didn't keep those numbers for that intention even before Circe. I told you, they are good women. Some of them I even became friends with." Sumandal ako sa kinauupuan ko. I haven't slept well for weeks, and I'm bone tired. "The world is messed up. Though I hope it won't happen, there might come a time that one of those women will need Dagger. Not me but us. Whether I like it or not, I am connected to them, and I won't turn my back on a person that needs us just because we had a past. Circe will castrate me for that."

I felt a heavy gaze on me, and when I looked in its direction, I saw my eldest brother, Thorn, looking at me in a way that I know our father would have looked at me at this moment. I looked away and sighed again.

I'm not a saint. Alam ko ang mga mali ko at alam ko hindi ako perpekto. But there's no way in hell that I would intentionally hurt someone. Noon man o ngayon.

"I'm getting us coffee," Domino said after awhile.

He opened the door and stepped out. A gust of wind entered the room, knocking one of the pictures on the wall to the floor. Tumayo ako at kinuha ko iyon. I traced the name written on a piece of masking tape on the bottom of the printed picture.

Andrea.

"What happened to Andrea Miralles?" Hinarap ko sa kanila ang hawak ko na larawan. "Nakausap niyo ba siya?"

"Oh that one's interesting," Kuya Trace said as he reached for a folder. "She actually went into the convent. Sabi niya matagal na niyang gustong mag-madre pero ayaw daw ng pamilya niya. Then she got sick. Like really sick. They all thought she was dying. She then told her family to bring her to the convent. Kahit man lang daw sa huli mapagbigyan man lang siya."

"Is she..." I trailed off.

"No. She's fine now. She said that leaving her family and everything else outside was the right choice."

"And she was miraculously cured from whatever disease she was suffering from?"

"Is that impossible?" Kuya Axel asked, entering the conversation. "There's a reason why the higher power is called the higher—"

"I know. I'm not saying I don't believe in miracles or that there are things that can't be explained with science. But there's just something off about this one."

People think that detectives and investigators are supposed to have superhuman powers. But reality is far from the movies. In truth, films usually butcher the reality of genuine detective work. Coming across a lead is harder than the ones depicted on screens. Sometimes it's not like a puzzle but more like finding a needle in a haystack.

Right now, we really need to find that needle.

"You can't put it down." Nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Kuya Thorn. He looked at the picture I was holding. "There must be something in it. Trust your gut. You know better than to ignore it."

"Talk to us," Kuya Gun grumbled.

"She's Andrea Miralles. A very sweet woman. One of the sweetest actually, which is why I didn't want to be involved with her in the first place. But she wanted it, and she seems desperate to find an answer. Hindi na nga ako nasorpresa na pumasok siya sa kumbento. She's too kind to be out here."

"Where did you meet her?" tanong ni Kuya Pierce.

"It was an event. I can't remember what kind." Nagsalubong ang kilay ko at pinakatitigan ko ang larawan. "She wasn't the first one."

"What do you mean?"

I can feel the hair on the back of my neck rising. Tumingin ako sa direksyon ni Kuya Axel. "Search for Ashley Miralles."

He didn't waste a second. Not any of them. The room, which was starting to become heavy with dullness, became engulfed with tension.

"What do you mean she wasn't the first one?" Kuya Thorn pressed.

"Hindi siya ang unang nakausap ko sa event na iyon. Remember the beach outing we had? When we were in the middle of Ember's case? We played truth or dare. Isa sa dare sa akin ay tawagan ang isa sa nasa contacts ko."

"The one who screamed at you for sleeping with her cousin?"

"Yes. That night after calling her, I deleted her number. Nakalimutan ko na nga na meron akong number niya. I never dated her. She was introduced to me by a friend, but I didn't want anything to do with her." I started pacing back and forth in the room. "I know we wouldn't get along. She showed interest in me, but I didn't show it back. She kept talking shit to every woman we saw in that event. Kahit mismong sa pinsan niya na akala ko noon ay best friend niya lang na si Andrea. And believe me, the nonsense she kept spewing could be lethal to anyone that has a fragile self-esteem. She wasn't even hesitant to use derogatory words against them."

It didn't take long for Kuya Axel to pull out something about her. Ilang sandali lang ay nasa screen na ang larawan ni Ashley.

"She's a graduate of biochemistry," Kuya Axel informed us. "There's not much information about her. She didn't apply to any jobs. Mayaman ang pamilya nila. They own a lot of pharmacies, and she's the sole heir. Her older brother died of a heart attack at twenty-five, and her mother suffered the same. A few years later, her father hanged himself with grief."

"Everyone's dying around her. Her cousin also almost died," I said more to myself than to them.

"She doesn't look like Andrea, even though they're cousins," Kuya Gun shared while staring at the screen. "But she has a bit of a resemblance to one of Circe's friends."

The screen flashes, and this time a picture of Circe's friend and Ashley's is put side by side.

They do have a resemblance. Barely. Di hamak na mas matanda ng ilang taon ang kaibigan ni Circe. I couldn't look away from the screen. "I met some of Circe's friends, but I haven't met this one yet. The first time I met Circe's friends was at the beach when they were doing yoga, but Circe didn't introduce me, and I wasn't near enough to see all their faces. Sa pagkakatanda ko rin ay may mga kaibigan siya na lumapit noon kay Ashton. I only saw their backs."

"She's the one with the yoga studio, right?" Kuya Axel probed.

"She is. Binisita siya ni Circe sa Manila. Domino and Warrick were with her at that time."

As if on cue, Domino entered the room, carrying a whole kettle of coffee. May dala rin siyang mga pagkain.

Kumunot ang noo niya nang tila maramdaman niya ang tensyon sa paligid. His eyes went to the screen, and the knot on his forehead deepened. "Why are you looking at Rebecca's picture?"

My hands balled into a tight fist. "Which one is Rebecca?"

Nagtataka man ay tumuro siya. He wasn't pointing at Ashley's picture. He was pointing at the other woman.

"Are you sure?" Kuya Thorn asked.

"Yeah."

"Not this one?" tinuro niya ang katabi na larawan.

"Nope. They have similarities, but they don't look the same. Though sa picture na 'yan parang mas matanda si Rebecca." Nalilitong tinignan kami ng bunsong lalaki naming kapatid. "Are we going back to the people we already did background checks with for double checking? I could look into it for fresh perspective. I was designated to Circe when you did the preliminary."

"Wait a second." Kuya Axel turned off the screen, and his keyboard and mouse clicking were the only ones that could be heard in the room. After awhile, the screen opened again. "How about now?"

The two images are back. This time, though, my brother edited Ashley's picture. He gave her the same hairstyle Rebecca has and altered a few things. It was uncanny. It was strange how traces of Ashley disappeared with just a few alterations.

"That's... weird." Tumuro si Domino. "She's more like this one. Younger."

This time he's pointing at Ashley Miralles' picture.

Fear crawled all around me. "Call Nevan and Warrick," I said to the room. "Now."

Before anyone of us could move, the speakers scattered around the whole building blasted. I could hear a woman's voice calling all Blade Points in the area for dispatch.

There's only one reason that an announcement like that would be made by the control room without needing our approval. It could only mean an emergency situation. It means a secured area has been compromised.

"Tell me." I knew they could see the haunted look on my face as I turned to Kuya Axel. "Talk to me!"

Hinarap niya sa akin ang laptop niya. On the screen, footage from the security camera of the beach house could be seen. I looked at the time. Not even five minutes had passed.

I grabbed the laptop and hurled it across the room. The image of Warrick and Circe's other friend slumped on the floor with Circe being carried out of the house while Kaise is in the arms of a woman is ingrained in my mind.

"We need a plan—"

I cut off Domino. "No. No more planning. I'm going after that woman."

He looked at our other siblings. "Kuya—"

"No!" My voice thundered around the room. "Not anyone of you would sit still if that's your woman out there. If your child was the one out there!"

They know it. They all know it.

"Fuck it," Kuya Thorn growled. "Let's plan in the van. We're going."

_____________________________End of Chapter 34.