I glared at the traffic signal above the post when a red light flicker. I stepped on the break harshly to avoid bumping to the car in front of us. Napadpad kami sa isang syudad na maraming nagdadagsaang sasakyan kung kaya't tuluyan na kaming naipit sa trapiko.

"Stupid cars," I murmured to no one particular and begun tapping my finger on the steering wheel impatiently.

We are just about a few kilometers away from our destination. And this fucking traffic is getting into my nerves! I could feel the rage twisting inside my chest like a rubber band. With the thought that I'm getting closer and closer to his mansion, I could feel the band tightening. It was as if the inside of this car is pressing together against me.

"So," Gazelle spoke, breaking the long silence since we left April in the restaurant. "Si Devon Henderson ay ang Don ng Clemente Mafia?" wika nito kasabay ng pagberde ng ilaw sa stoplight.

My grip to the steering wheel abruptly tightened and I stepped on the gas angrily. Just the thought of it,it already makes my blood boil. Agad kong nilagpasan ang mga kotse sa aking unahan at matulin na pinatakbo ang sasakyan.

"H-Hey!" gulat na sigaw Gazelle sa bilis ng aking pagpapatakbo. "Dahan-dahan lang!" she started to panic. Mabilis niyang sinuot ang kanyang seatbelt at mariin itong napakapit rito. "Aurora, dahan-dahan lang!"

I didn't listen to her. Instead, I did the otherwise. Mas binilisan ko pa ang pagmamaneho. Malakas na bumusina ang mga sasakyang bigla-bigla kong nilalapagsan.

"Well, I don't know how to make this thing slow," kalmadong wika ko sa kanya. "Besides, it's my first time to drive." I told her, adding fuel to her burning fright. It's true, anyway. I mostly commute whenever assassinate someone back then. And right now, it's not hard for me to manipulate and drive cars. I can learn by just simply looking at it.

"WHAT?!" isang malakas na sigaw nito pabalik sa akin. Gulat na gulat itong napatingin sa akin na tila tinubuan ako ng isa pang ulo. I just gave her an annoying, lazy smirk. I think if there are numerous seat belts on her chair, she would buckle them all around her body right now.

"You can open the door beside you and jump now." I said sarcastically.

"Oh, my God!" sigaw nito. "Tell me you're fucking joking!"

Hindi ko siya sinagot at hinayaan siyang magwala sa kinauupuan nito. I went to the other lane as I'm about to overtake another bus. Malayo pa lang ay may natatanaw na akong isang malaking trailer truck na sasalubong sa amin. I increased the speed and horned the bus, but it won't back down.

"Truck! AURORA, THERE IS A TRUCK!" Gazelle shrieked beside me as the truck gets closer. Well, I can clearly see that. The panic in her voice rose a thousand times. I gave her a swift glance. Hysteria is eating her alive. Halos ilubog nito ang sarili sa kinauupuan. She's muttering curses under her breath while her eyes are wide open.

I stepped on the gas more and the engine roared louder. The motion pulled as to our seats as I firmly gripped on the steering wheel. I narrowed my eyes at the coming truck blankly, void of fear. Gazelle made another high shrill piercing cry of terror together with the loud horns of the truck. Meters away, she covered her head as she curled herself on the passenger's seat.Before it could even crash us, I quickly maneuvered the car to the right, passing through the gap between the truck and the bus.

I overtook the bus successfully over that coming trailer truck. This time, I loosened and decreased the speed of the car.

I can still hear Gazelle taking sharp intakes of breath like she's running out of oxygen, still unmoved from her covered position. 'Di nagtagal ay unti-unti itong sumilip sa daan.

"A-Are we dead?" she asked with her shaking voice, still panting.

"Not yet," I answered. "But soon you will, if you'll continue screaming." My ears almost bleed with her shrieking voice, tsk.

Napaayos ito ng upo at mariing sinuri ang kabuuan ng sasakyan, pati ang tinatahak naming daan. Pawang sinusigurado niya talagang walang bunguang nangyare. I completely rolled my eyes at her.

"H-How did y-you... How the hell did you do that?" lubos na nagtatakang tanong nito.

"Do what?"

"That!" She motioned the road exaggeratedly. Mangha at gulat itong tumingin sa akin. Ngayon naman ay halos wala ng ibang sasakyan ang tinatahak naming daan. Paunti ito ng paunti. We are getting much nearer to that isolated place.

"It's called timing and a little bit of beginner's luck," I answered blankly.

She started muttering multiple curses again and lectured me not to never ever drive again. Like I would listen to her, moreover obey her. Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin. Soon, the panic inside her had subsided, resulting to a peaceful silence.

I was momentarily driving smoothly when a car popped beside me, claiming the other lane. Then, a van overtook us followed by another car on Gazelle's side. And I wasn't a complete moron not to quickly recognize that they are in positioned to corner us. I'm about to stepped on the break when I had a glance on the side mirror and there is another one convoying behind us.

Damn. We're already trapped.

"What the... Sino ang mga ito?" Gazelle noticed as she nervously looked around.

"From Clemente Mafia, perhaps," I told her. "Sent to kill us before we ever reach the Don's haven."

On top of the van, in front of us, a bearded man poke. Gazelle gasped when the guy showed a rifle and pointed it on us. He's shirtless and we can clearly see his tattoos roamed all over his body, looking perfectly like a jailed goon.

"No, they aren't from Clemente Mafia," she exclaimed. And I silently agreed. As far as I remember, Mafia guards nor assassins from the organization weren't these cheap looking bystanders. I think the tattoos of this man pertains other symbols from unknown organization. So, who are they?

"Do you have a gun here or any weapon?" I asked her urgently.

"My job is to search for information, I don't have those kind of stuffs!" Natatarantang sagot nito sa akin. Dammit! Very classic, Aurora. Susugod ka sa Don ng wala ni isang dalang armas. Well, I never thought of encountering this kind of ambush in the middle of an empty road. I was thinking that I could just find an alternative weapon or steal a gun their.

The man started directing the gun at us. And I'm already planning on bumping the car to the van when the bearded guy suddenly dropped lifelessly. Blood splashed in the mid-air until it slightly rained to the windshield. The van wiggled and I discovered the front tires were already flat. I don't know what's happening in front of the van but something exploded in their. Nagsilitawan ang mga iba pa nilang miyembro sa bintana ng kanilang saskyan na tila sinisilip ang nangyayare. The convoying car behind overtook us again. Something chaotic is happening outside. Nagkakagulo sila.

But, who the hell shot the guy?

"What the fvck is happening?!" Gazelle yelped beside me. Well, I have the same question too.

The van wiggled more and the driver stepped on it's break abruptly and harshly that we could actually hear the screeching sound of the flat tires as it forcefully stopped. Ang kaninang nasa likod naming sasakyan na saktong umabante ay 'di nakaiwas at tumama sa tumigil na van. This time, I stepped on the break too, together with the two cars beside us.

Tahimik at mapanuri naming silang pinanood na magsilabasan. Hinawakan ko ang handle ng pinto sa aking tabi upang lumabas nang bigla akong pinigilan ni Gazelle.

"Wait! Stop!" tinuro niya sa akin ang mga magagarang sasakyan na paparating. They're all rushing to our direction and parked recklessly. Unti-unting naglabasan ang mga nakasakay rito at may mga hawak ding di-kalibreng baril. "I...I know them!" she told me.

"I know them, too." Those newcomers were surely assassins of Clemente Mafia. And I have worked with them years ago. I can see familiar faces.

In front of us, there is like two groups of scorpions in a battle. The goon-like members of the unknown  org approached the Clementes'. Isang matangkad na lalaki ang nagsasalita at may nakakalokong ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. They started talking and we can't obviously hear their conversation. Few seconds later, the war abruptly started.

They can't see us inside, the car was tinted. Bullets tore through each one's body, sending splinters of flesh flying. Mas marami ang sumugod sa 'di kilalang organisasyon pero mabilis pa rin silang naubos. Others tried to hide behind the cars while attacking but the Clementes' just killed them almost effortlessly. Hindi na ito nakakapagtaka. The mafia wasn't on top in the underground society for nothing.

Ilang minuto lang ay tuluyan ng naubos ang kanilang kalaban at halos kumpleto pa sila, daplis lang ang natamo. Kasabay ng pagbasak ng katawan ng isang estranghero mula sa kabilang grupo ay siyang pagdating ng isa pang humaharurot na sasakyan. Isang pamilyar na sasakyan na sa tingin ko ay nasakyan ko na.

My lips slightly parted as I breathe deeply. I pounded my trembling fists against my thighs while glaring at the car parked a couple of meters away from us. My heart started beating too fast and I can feel the rage grows thicker and thicker. Lumabas mula sa sasakyan ang seryosong mukha ng taong matagal ko ng hinahanap. The mafia assassins quickly approached him with respect. Why didn't I noticed this earlier?

"Oh, my God... It is true," mahinang wika ng katabi ko na tutok na tutok din sa mga pangyayare sa labas.

Sa pagkakataong ito, agad akong lumabas sa sasakyan ni Gazelle. I heard her called me, trying to stop me to go, but I didn't listen. The smell of the blood of corpses welcomed me from the outside. Sabay-sabay silang napatingin sa aking direksyon. Some stared at me shock. Yes, of course, Aurora Silvestre, the fvcking traitor of Clemente Mafia, showed after almost four years.

I couldn't care less about their reactions. I only looked at my one and only target for now whose staring back at me. I walk to his direction without breaking the eye contact. His guards lined a few meters behind him looking alert at me. Dead, ire silence enveloped the atmosphere that I could only hear my footsteps as I come near him.

I stopped a meter in front of him. I stared at his eyes, void of any emotions. We held each other's gaze across divide like they were connected by invisible strings. I could feel the tingling sensation on my skin. It was as if the air between  us was filled with a static charge that would shock anyone if they came too close.

"Finally," I said and my lips formed a vicious smirk.

"Aurora." I can almost hear a hint of plea and longing until it abruptly covered by the sound of different guns positioned and pointed directly at me.