PROLOGUE

DIS-ORAS nang gabi, humahagibis na sumalpok ang isang sasakyan na may sakay na apat katao— isang nasa katamtamang-gulang na lalaki na siyang nagmamaneho, isang kasing edad nitong babae na nasa passenger seat ng sasakyan at nasa backseat naman ang isang dalaga at isang binatilyo—sa harap mismo ng isang pribadong ospital. Sa sobrang lakas ng pagbangga niyon ay nayupi ang harap ng sasakyan at nabasag ang windshield.

The entire emergency room immediately went into action after the medical staff saw the situation outside. After the hospital's security checked the car, the four unconscious patients in the car were immediately taken inside the emergency room.

The two of the four patients—the driver and the one on the passenger seat—were pronounced dead on arrival. It was a miracle to the medical staff how the driver could drive in such a condition and arrived at the hospital just right before he died.

However, unlike the driver, the woman in the passenger seat died in the car while on the way to the hospital.

As for the two surviving patients, one was in the surgery while the other one was at the death door in the ICU. No one knew if they would survive, and the doctors could only do their very best to help the two patients.

"Doctor Bren?"

Doctor Bren, the Chief of Hospital, who was standing in front of the ICU, turned his head to the side to look at who called him. It was a Police Officer in uniform.

"Kayo ho ba si Doctor Bren?"

Tumango ang doktor. "Yes. That's me. Anong kailangan nila?"

Lumapit ang pulis kay Doctor Bren at nagpakilala. "I'm SPO4 Immanuel Dulce. Nandito ako para magtanong tungkol sa apat na pasyente na dumating dito sa hospital niyo kagabi. Dito ako tinuro ng nurse sa information desk."

Hindi kaagad umu-o o nagbigay ng impormasyon ang doktor. "Tungkol saan ang tanong niyo, SPO4 Dulce?"

Kaagad na nagpaliwanag si SPO4 Dulce. "Kagabi, nakatanggap kami ng tawag. Pinasok daw ang bahay nila ng isang magnanakaw. Ibinigay niya samin ang address niya at sinabi niyang papunta siya sa hospital kasama ang buong pamilya niya. Kaso, bago pa niya masabi kung saang ospital, naputol na ang tawag. Pinuntahan namin ang address na binigay niya at doon namin napagtanto kung ano talaga ang nangyari. Kaya naman kaagad naming hinanap kung saang hospital pumunta ang buong pamilya. 'Yon ang rason kaya nandito ako ngayon."

Pinakinggan at inintindi muna ni Doctor Bren ang paliwanag ni SPO4. Nang makitang wala namang problema at dahil pinakita nito ang I.D. nito na magpapatunay na pulis nga ito, sinabi niya ang impormasyong alam niya.

"Kung isang pamilya nga sila... dead on arrival ang mag-asawa na nasa unahan ng sasakyan. Kalalabas lang sa surgery ng babae nilang anak at nasa ICU siya kasama ang nakababata niyang kapatid na lalaki." Tinuro ng doktor ang ICU na hindi kalayuan sa kinatatayuan nila. "Base sa sugat na natamo ng apat, halatang hinding simpleng pagnanakaw ang nangyari."

"Kaya kailangan naming mag-imbestiga." Tumingin si SPO4 sa ICU. "Kapag may nagising sa magkapatid, pakitawagan ako kaagad, doc." Binigay ni SPO4 ang numero niya. "Kailangan kong makausap ang magkapatid para malaman ang nangyari."

Tumango si Doctor Bren saka napabuntong-hininga ng makaalis ang pulis.

Nasa kritikal na kondisyon ang magkapatid. The daughter was stabbed, and the son was nearly beaten to death. Pinagdarasal ni Doctor Bren na sana magising ang dalawa pagkatapos nilang gawin ang lahat ng makakaya sa mga ito.

But unfortunately, Doctor Bren's prayer was unanswered. The siblings didn't wake up.

At tulad ng mga nakaraang araw, bumisita na naman si SPO4 Dulce sa labas ng ICU. Habang nakatingin sa pintuan ng ICU, may tinawagan ito sa cellphone.

"Hindi pa rin nagigising?" Kaagad na tanong ng nasa kabilang linya.

"Hindi pa."

Napamura ang nasa kabilang linya. "Bantayan mo nang maiigi. Kailangan tayo ang unang makakausap sa magkapatid na 'yan kapag nagising sila. I'm pretty certain those two have told their daughter about it."

"Yes, Sir. Ako ho ang bahala."

"Sige. Siguraduhin mo na may makukuha tayong impormasyon sa magkapatid. Kapag nakuha mo na, alam mo na ang gagawin mo."

"Yes, Sir."

When the call ended, SPO4 sat outside the ICU to make sure he would be the first to know if one of the siblings had woken up.

Meanwhile, inside the ICU, a male nurse working inside received a note from a hospital staff, who just left. He opened the note and read it.

'Outside threat. Secure the cubs. Rescue: 23:00.'

After the male nurse read it, he soaked the note in water on the sink until the paper melted, leaving no evidence. Pagkatapos ay pasimple siyang sumilip sa labas ng ICU para makita kung sino ang nandoon.

It was SPO4 Dulce. Again.

The male nurse sighed. Mukhang mahihirapan silang ilabas ang dalawang pasyente kung may nakabantay na Pulis. Oh, well. It's not like it's going to be a problem.

After calmly assessing the situation, the male nurse went back to his work as if nothing had happened.

Few hours passed after that and at exactly eleven in the evening, the ICU's door was hastily pushed open, and two patients were rushed out to the operating room.

"Anong nangyari?!" Kaagad na tanong ni SPO4 Dulce ng makitang sabay na inilabas sa stretcher ang magkapatid na hinihintay niyang magising.

"Emergency! To the O.R.! Hurry!" Iyon lang ang sagot ng nurse habang nagmamadaling itinulak ang stretcher patungong operating room.

Walang nagawa si SPO4 Dulce kundi ang sumunod at magbantay sa labas ng operating room. Not knowing that the patients he was waiting for would never come out of the operating room and would be pronounced dead in a few minutes.

Inside the operating room, the nurses pushing the stretchers did not stop, passing through a few rooms and entering a door used for disposal to get to the hospital's basement parking lot, where an ambulance was waiting.

"Dom, do you think we're doing the right thing here?" The driver of the ambulance, Von Per, asked the man observing the children in the back while the tracker, Ruthgar, was busy with his laptop on the passenger seat. "You know who these children are. Keeping them is a risk—no. This is a risk. We haven't been on the field for years. I thought we're done with this."

Dom ordered Klaus to monitor the children's vitals before answering Von Per. "Whatever their parents did, it was not their fault. We shouldn't crucify children for their parents' mistake. They're faultless in this matter. And I know this is a risk, but I can't say no to justice."

"But—"

"No buts." Dominick tied his hair into a man bun before adding, "I already made my decision, and I will take full responsibility for it. We can't let these children fall into the Triad's hands."

Von Per sighed. "What will we do with these children, then?"

"Give them a new life and let them choose their own path. And if, even after all that, they still choose to follow the crook path of their parents, then that's when we will bring our judgement upon them. But tonight, they're just children who had lost their parents. They're innocent."

"Only the brother is innocent, I think." Ruthgar interjected after being silent for a while. "According to the data I just received from our spy, the daughter knows something."

"Then let her decide what to do with what she knows when she wakes up." Dominick's decision did not change. Then he leaned back and let out a loud sighed. "Ah. I missed my Happy. I want to go home after this."

Von Per sighed and focused all his attention on the road while Ruthgar was making a new identity for the children. To give them a new life, they needed new names and a new identity.

A few days after the children were rescued, the girl finally woke up while her younger brother remained asleep. The girl did not shed a tear even after she learned what happened to her parents and how they were now orphans. She bravely faced their situation, courageously accept what had happened and endure the pain that came with it.

All she cared about at that moment was her little brother. How to care for him and how to protect him.

From that moment on, the happy-go-lucky girl who was born and raised in a loving home was no more. She was replaced by a grieving daughter with a hallowed heart full of pain. And she wants vengeance.

CECELIB | C.C.