“Catch!” I immediately caught the name tag that Cara threw in the air. And as I attach it to the uniform that I’m wearing, Parker suddenly came to me and puts a surgical mask on my face.

“Thank you…” I whispered and he smiled, “Nilalandi mo ba ako?”

Cara suddenly laughed hysterically, making the woman beneath groan even louder. Which made Spencer put a duck tape on her mouth, and with a grin he suddenly turned at us.

“Gusto kong maging ring bearer n’yo.” Halos mapamura ako dahil sa biglaang pagsingit ni Spencer sa usapan. Nakangiwi kong tinuon ang atensyon ko sa paligid nang bigla akong hinigit ni Parker palapit sa kanya, maging sina Spencer at Cara ay hinigit ang babaeng tinutungtungan niya.

Tahimik kaming nakamasid sa mga gumagalang guwardya sa paligid, madilim at malamig ang simoy ng hangin dito sa Besodiah. At ngayon lamang ulit kami nakatapak dito sa siyudad pero tila ang dami naming napansin na pagbabago o sadyang wala lamang talagang bozo sa paligid.

Napabuntong hininga na lamang kami nang makaalis sa aming direksyon ang mga guwardya, nang aalis na sana kami ay bigla na lamang kaming nasilaw sa matinkad na liwanag na nagmumula sa flashlight.

“Section 3, building 44. There are four intruders in the perimeter and a harmed citizen.”

I gulped when Cara cholerically looked at the man. She suddenly waked into his direction and dragged him by pinching his ear, which made me realized who the fuck it was.

His companion heaved a sigh and turned the flashlight off, “Alex, sinabi ko na sa’yo na masamang pag-tripan ang girlfriend mo. Alam mo namang hindi na’n alam ang salitang biro—”

“Subukan mo pangdagdagan ang sasabihin mo. Magagaya ka rin dito sa tanganhg ‘to, Peter.” At dahil sa pananakot ni Cara ay agad na tinikom ni Peter ang kanyang bibig at umakto na tila wala siyang sinasabi kanina.

“Aw. Aw— Baby, tama na—”

“Nakuha mo ba pinakuluha ko? Subukan mong hindi at itatapon kita sa kabilang city kasi napakawalangkwenta mo.”

“Ouch naman.” Ako na ang napangiwi dahil sa kabaklaan n’ya. Nang samaan siya ni Cara ng tingin ay tumingin siya kay Peter na s’yang nag-itsa sa kanya ng isang bag.

Awtomatikong lumapad ang ngiti ni Cara at ang kanina’y halimaw ay tila naging anghel. Niyakap n’ya ang kapatid ko at hinalikan pa sa noo. Mga kadiri.

“Kaya mahal na mahal kita e,” sambit pa ni Cara.

“Battered boyfriend,” Parker commented.

All of a sudden, Alex looked at us and brooded at Parker, who was still holding me. “Dude, how long are you going to wrap your fucking arm to my sister?” Alex exclaimed.

“Eternity,” Parker answered.

I felt the sudden blood rush to my cheeks, making me cough, “Kuya, nilalandi ako oh…”

“Paki ko? Edi maglandian kayo r’yan. Idadamay niyo pa ako sa katangahan niyo.” Binalik n’ya ang atensyon kay Cara habang nakaturo pa rin s’ya sa amin ni Parker, “Ang tatanga, pota.”

Tangina. Kuya ko ba talaga ‘yan? Ang walang kwenta naman n’ya.

Natatawa akong tinulak ni Peter paalis sa dilim, maging kinuha niya ang walang malay na babae at nagtungo kami sa likod na bahagi ng Besodiah kung saan tinatago ang malalaking sasakyan na nakukuha ng ibang apostles sa mga nirerecruit nila.

“Damn. We can’t even open the lights…” I whispered as soon as we get inside the RV, which was hiding in between two buses like a sandwich.

The lights were off and we can’t even talk loudly because the apostles might hear, especially that we are on a mission of invading their territory.

“Oh. I freakin’ miss you.” I slammed my body to my bed and rolled.

On the other hand, Cara was busy inspecting the name tags that both Alex and Peter stole from the other apostles. And those apostles they collected were hidden in the underground base. They are being helped by Tito Tristan and the others by removing the capsule in their body.

Tyler who was watching the RV opened a lamp and languidly looked at us. He smirked when he saw Parker sitting at the bedside and whispered something.

“Sina Cara at Alex ang magkatabi… Tapos ‘yong kapatid ko at si Amira… Si Tyler naman asang pumayag ‘yan na maging katabi ko. So, I’m stuck with you, Sergeant dumb-dumb,” Peter said to Spencer.

Spencer grimaced and disgustedly looked at him, “Who told you that I wanted to sleep with someone?”

“As if that—”

“Sa bubong ka. Tutal naman ay sanay kang mag-isa.” Mahina akong natawa dahil sa banat ni Spencer. “Joke lang, Kuya Peter. Baka maipalapa mo pa ako sa mga kamukha mong mga bozo.”

“So… What’s with your security shit outfit?” Tyler asked Alex and Peter.

Alex and Peter glanced at each other and made fist bumps.

“You’ll never believe—”

“Just tell it, Stupid Alex.”

Alex glared at Tyler and cleared his throat, “We kicked some asses earlier. So, we will disguise ourselves as security personnel. And not of the genuine pigs or shits,” Alex said.

“We’ve also learned that every day, Tito August is requesting five people at the time to clean Alpheus. But out of five people only one or two always comes back, aside from that they are always traumatized,” Peter explained. What a scam. How the fuck can five people can freaking clean a whole city? “And I think, you all should stay out of that list. But don’t worry, we will think of a better idea to sneak in the Alpheus City without getting caught.”

“So… For a while, we need to blend in?” Cara asked.

“Yes.”

“Ang boring naman. Maiiwan ako sa RV.” Patampong humiga si Spencer sa kanyang higaan saka ito nagtalukbong.

Nang mapahikab ako’y hinubad ko ang uniform ng mga apostles dahilan upang maging sando at shorts ang suot ko. Iniyakap ko sa aking sarili ang kumot, nang maramdaman ko ang pagpatay ng nag-iisang bagay na nagbibigay liwanag sa munting RV ay pinikit ko ang mga mata.

“Sleep, people. We’ll have a very tiring day tomorrow.” Alex and Cara made their way to the bed above us. I can hear their flirty murmurs and it was somehow ringing in my head.

Regardless of how foolish my idea was, they are still doing it with me. Not because they have no choice, but because this is the only way in order for us to know the reason for this apocalypse.

“Night dreaming?” I heard Parker whispered as he laid beside him.

I chuckled, “Corny…”

All of a sudden, I felt his skin brushing to mine as he slowly wrapped his arms around my waist with his chin resting on my shoulder. And with every breath he releases, the undeniable shiver was coursing through my spine.

“Damn… Let me sleep,” I whispered.

“Kami rin patulugin niyo.” Dinig kong sambit ni Spencer dahilan upang parehas kaming matawa. Mas lalo namang humigpit ang yakap n’ya sa akin dahilan upang humarap ako sa kanya. “Kuya Alex, grabe mga walang respeto oh. Parang wala ‘yong kuya sa taas kung makalandi ha,”

Pare-parehas namin na narinig ang mahinang tawa ni Alex, “Ay. Ano ‘yon? May pinaguusapan kayo?”

“Matulog ka na, Spencer. Magkapatid nga ‘yan, parehas malandi,” sambit naman ni Tyler saka ito nagtakip ng unan sa mukha.

Muli kong binaling ang atensyo ko kay Parker saka ito nginisian, “Let’s sleep, lalaking patay na patay sa akin.”

“Wow. Ang yabang ha,”

“Well…” I whispered and gently closed my eyes.

Parker kissed my forehead, and when I thought we can finally sleep. He brushes his nose to mine, making me open my eyes once again.

And with our locked with each other, he slowly leaned his face to mine. As our lip touches, he gently bit my lower lip as if he was asking for permission. I can feel my thirst for his next move, but he suddenly smirked and leaned to my side.

“Sweet dreams, Amira.”

#