Chapter 4. Second life

From that electric chair, they transfered me into a new confined space again for I guess another interrogation, huh? I bet, this FBI agent hasn't find them yet that was why he came back here para pigain ako sa mga tanong.

I smirked. Even if they torture me, they will still get nothing dahil totoo rin naman na wala talaga akong alam sa plano nila. Just because I was the last one he talked to doesn't mean I was an accomplice.

But, come to think of it, who is he really? Ganon ba talaga siya kagaling at nagawa niyang pahintuin saglit ang execution ko? I sighed. Hindi pa ako gustong makita ni kamatayan. Hindi pa nga yata talaga ito ang oras ko. Baka mamaya o bukas siguro.

Bumukas ang pinto at pumasok ang ilang uniformed officers na halatang hindi rito sa ADMAX naka destino. Lumapit ang isa at naglabas ng duct tape. Marahas niya itong dinikit sa labi ko. Ang isa naman ay tinakluban ang buong ulo ko gamit ang itim na tela.

Sinubukan kong mag pumiglas pero malakas sila at marami. Pinosasan ako mula sa likod at hinila ako palabas.

I kept hearing metal doors na nagbubukas and there's more footsteps. Dumaan kaming hagdan pababa and seriously, hindi ko alam kung saan ito papunta. I heard this prison has an underground cell for the most dangerous criminals. Are they going to put me in here?

After a minute of walking, may bumukas ulit na metal door and from that biglang nasilaw ang mata ko mula sa mataas na liwanag na biglang tumama sa mata ko. Sinubukan ko ulit mag pumiglas.

Saan nila ako dadalhin? Shit!

Mukhang nasa labas na kami ah. My thoughts confirmed when I heard a car engine nearby. Isang metro pa lang, na-amoy ko na agad ang pabango sa loob ng sasakyan.

I started losing my patience. I tried to shout but all I could make is muffled screams. Inupo nila ako sa sasakyan, there's two men sitting and I'm in between.

The car engine started. Masiyadong tahimik sa loob ng sasakyan na ultimo paglabas ng air-con ay narinig ko. Until I heard a pinch of pain on my fucking neck.

When I realized I was injected, nawalan na rin ako ng malay.

I cry harder to the warden not to kill me. I was back in that electric chair and the warden is smirking at me.

"Please, don't kill me," I begged,

The priest, the attorney and the other officers are laughing like a maniac while watching me suffer. They will be happy if I die. I begged them, please, don't push it! Give me another chance!

But the warden only smirked and pushed the red button. The electric activated at mabilis itong gumapang patungo sa utak ko hanggang sa buong katawan ko. It shock my whole body to death and from its high voltage, any second and I will be dead. I couldn't take it any longer, I closed my eyes and waited until I lose my consciousness.

Please, end it now.

It hurts,

"You deserve to die, Autumn!" I heard somebody shouted at me.

Bigla akong napa balikwas sa kaba. I was sweating in bullet when I woke up from that nightmare. I inhaled deeply and sighed, a bit relieved that it was just a dream.

I touch my arm, head and leg. Kompleto pa naman ako. Buwisit na panaginip! And those officers who kept smirking at me, damn them!

I realized something is wrong when I noticed how light the place is. Napatayo ako sa couch ng makitang wala ako sa kulungan.

I'm in a condo, there's nobody but me, I could tell it from here since it's a studio type unit. I scanned the whole place at mukhang bago lang ito. Hindi isang condo na tinitirhan.

I loom around, trying to find any tools that can help me to defend myself. Walang kahit na anong gamit sa kitchen. There's only the queen size bed, side table, television, a couch and some magazine beside it. The kitchen has nothing but its sink and faucet. Pumunta ako sa restroom at binuksan ito-nothing.

Sinubukan ko rin buksan ang pinto pero sarado ito. Dumiretso ako sa bintana at binuksan din, pati na rin ang back door patungong balcony. Paglabas ko, napagtanto na nasa pinaka mataas akong palapag ng gusali. Heck! Deads agad pag nagtangka akong tumakas dito!

Bumalik ako sa loob dahil nilamig ako sa lakas ng hangin. Sinara ko ito ulit at nagpasya na humiga na lang sa kama. Nasaan ako? When I looked outside, hindi ko ma-recognize ang paligid. Masiyadong maraming towers but I don't think na nasa New York ako.

Sinong nagdala sa akin rito? Shit! Hindi kaya, ang matandang iyon? Dali dali akong tumayo at binuksan ang TV. I switch to News TV at naghintay ng latest update.

'Autumn Niebes, the hitman who assassinated our Vice President has been taken to the chamber. Any minute from now and we will be hearing her death from the jail warden. Finally, justice has been served. We will get back to you shortly once we received an update.'

What the fuck! Hindi pa sila updated na wala na ako sa ADMAX. Ilang minuto lang at malalaman din nila na tumakas ako.

Shit! Hindi ako tumakas! May nag takas sa akin!

May maniniwala ba sa akin?

Then, I heard the doorknob moved. Tumayo ako ng maayos at naghanda sa kung sino ang papasok. Like what I said kanina, wala akong nakita na anomang patalim o maaari na magamit para dipensahan ang aking sarili maliban na lang sa mga tela na narito, at alam natin na hindi magiging sapat 'yon kung determinado sila na patayin ako.

Unti-unting bumukas ang pinto at pumasok ang isang matandang lalaki. Busangot ang mukha nito na humarap sa akin. Habang sa likod niya, pumasok din ang isang babae na naka suot ng police uniform na may 1 star rank.

"I see, you're up," the man spoke.

He's just wearing a casual clothes like shirt and a sweater on top of that, maong pants and rubber shoes. He seated to the chair at the dining.

"What am I doing here, and who are you?"

Sinara ng babae ang pinto at katulad ng matandang lalaki, naupo rin siya sa isa pang upuan.

"You can call me Boe," he said, "And this lady is General Murillo from the Philippines."

"Why did you abducted me?"

The old man who wants to be called Boe laughs at me, "We saved you, dumb ass!"

"I didn't need a saving! I already accepted my fate!" this is really confusing, who are these people? "Bring me back to ADMAX."

"We can't! Oh, he's here!"

May kumatok sa pinto. Tumayo ang babae at binuksan ito. Pumasok ang maraming agents dala ang isang lalaki na naka takip ng sako ang ulo. Nag pupumiglas ito kaya naman mahigpit ang hawak sa kaniya.

Binalibag siya sa kama, habang ang isang officer naman ay tinanggalan siya ng posas sa kamay.

Hindi ko mapigilan na kabahan ng mabuti. Pinagmasdan ko ang mga agents, at walang duda, mga FEDS ito!

Shit! Ano ba talagang nangyayari?!

"Fucking feds!" the man shouted, inis niyang tinanggal ang sako sa ulo.

When he realized he's not alone, napatayo rin siya kagaya ko.

"Fuck! Who are you?"

"He said he's Father and that lady is mother." I joked,

He looked at me in disbelief, paniwalang paniwala sa sinabi ko.

"Are you-"

Natigilan siya ng tumayo ang matandang lalaki. Kumuha ito ng baso at nag salin ng tubig mula sa sink.

"You will call me Boe. She's general Murillo from the Philippines. You are contractors, aren't you?"

I nodded, he nods too.

"Let's say-the Feds, and other inter-agencies is facing a turmoil within their department that nobody right now are can be trusted to execute a mission,"

"We are going to do the mission instead," the man spoke,

"You will haunt down these sets of criminals and each job done, your sentence will be reduced as payment."

Hindi ko na napigilan ang mapatawa, ano ba ang sinasabi ng matandang 'to? "Criminals will haunt other criminals? Are you kidding me?"

"No, Autumn, I don't joke." binaba nito ang baso sa lababo, at malamig na tumitig sa amin.

"Think of this as your redemption. A newer chance to make things right. You will have a chance to rebuild your life, your freedom-all you gotta do is haunt these fugitives. You catch one, 8 years will be reduced to your sentence."

"Okay, I'm in."

Hindi na ako nagulat sa sinagot nung lalaki. Napa upo ako sa edge ng kama at napaisip. His offer is tempting but can I really trust this old man?

And what are the odds that he will trust us just like that? Anong hawak niya sa amin?

"What if I refuse?"

The man laughed, "Kill joy,"

"You can't really decide for that, Autumn. This is a matter of 'I only decide' and you will do just your job."

Napa-iling ako, this is impossible.

"I refused. Find somebody else! Just do a little research and criminals will be willing to do things for you. Just, bring me back there."

"Are you sure, woman? You gotta think about it. This is a good chance for us. I want my life back, and I won't have to be so guilty because we're doing the right thing either way! Think about it, the life inside, hell, right? I mean, compare to mine, yours was too much to be sentenced to death since you only killed the Vice President. There are more criminals inside who deserve that chair more than you do, but they only gave it to you because some powerful people was pulling the strings!"

"You know me?"

Ngumisi ito, "You're famous, who wouldn't know you? I'm Nicolaz by the way."

I know what he's talking about. Marami na rin ang nagsabi sa akin niyan noon pa. Ilang buwan lang ako na sistensyahan tapos death penalty pa agad in five years. Samantalang ang bigat ng kaso ko ay dapat life imprisonment lang.

But because I killed the Vice, and these powerful people were stressed by the people's request to put me in the death row, add to it that they used me for their political advantage, in six months, my life was decided.

It was unfair, right? But the thing is, tanggap ko na e.

"You know, we injected you a device that only I can activate once you refused or you escape from us, so, you don't really have a choice."

What the fuck!

"So, Autumn, I guess you are in."

Redemption? Hah! Gusto kong matawa. I was there, succumbing my life to its creator and now this old man will come and gave me what? A fucking chance!

Ito na yata yung madalas kong napapanood sa mga pelikula. Aba, at talagang mangyayari sa akin 'to? How cliché!

That happened few months ago. Boe came and give meaning to my new life. Being a contractor will never be easy, but when it gets you a new version of it, why not enjoy it?

Everybody think I'm still in jail. Well, for the record, I'm still officially in prison serving my sentence. My execution was delayed due and that the authorities gave me another 4 months to live. Hindi ko alam kung anong sinulid ang hinila at pinasok ni Boe at nagawa niya ang mga ito.

While unofficially, I was outside the ADMAX doing orders from the good side of the world. Funny, isn't it?

I was this bad woman, now I was working with the good guys. You didn't expected it, did you?

I didn't! Pero, bilog naman talaga ang mundo. Minsan, nasa baba ka, minsan sa taas. Kung masama ka noon, ngayon mabuti ka na.

Oh, well, masama pa rin pero nabawasan na ng mga kalahati.

What? I'm doing a job for the greater purpose!

I deserve a seat up there in heaven!

"Autumn, are you daydreaming again?"

I looked at Nicolaz and smirked, "Yeah! I'm bored. Why?"

He only looked at me in disbelief, "Dude, you're swinging in a fucking 50th floor of the building. Stop drooling and get your ass up there! You're delaying the mission!"

Nicolaz is my partner. He's quite a bit nagger but he's not to be taken lightly. Nicolaz is an assassin from the underground. I wasn't just sure which mafia he served from but once you've seen his skills, you can tell he's come from a very dangerous one.

He's more skilled than I, and I usually do the manpower like this dahil dito naman ako magaling. Ang pumuslit. Hindi naman ako ganon kagaling, hindi ako kasing batikan ni Nicolaz, but you know? Each of us has an expertise.

I clicked the button para tumaas ako ulit when the string snapped. Nanlaki ang mata ko matapos makita na mula sa itaas ay naputol ang tali na sinasabitan ko.

"What the-"

Before I could even react, bumulusok na ako pababa. Fuck! Failed again, damn it!