A monster does not recognize himself in a mirror – Mike Klepper

THE LYING GAME | XM AGENCY SERIES

CHAPTER FOUR |TINY CELLS

ELI

I called Meara and found out that River was already out of danger. Good thing Meara and Riel already talked about what happened to them. I wanted to visit her and her son but since Riel was already around, I didn't want to bother them anymore. Finally, they got the happy ending that they wanted to happen in their lives.

I thought my job was already over. Meara's case against her ex-husband was already done. She got the money that she deserved. After years of living with that monster, no amount of money could compensate the emotional and physical torture that Perry gave to her. Luckily, she chose to stood up and fight, and now, she was already free.

Unfortunately, Ghost gave me another job connected to Meara. He found who was the one who ran over River. Knowing Ghost who wanted to put his nose to other people's business, here I am waiting for the call of that fucking driver who almost killed River.

            And I was bored of waiting to get the call. Ghost said that the client should be the one to call me so they won't suspect that I am connected to someone. So, here I am, trying to kill time.

I took up a deep breath and pressed the passcode to this warehouse. I looked around and saw two men looking at me and nodded their heads. The door opened and I got in then I stopped walking. I looked around and smiled when I saw the tiny prisons that were built around this warehouse.

Prisons personally made for men that I defended in court.

I killed some but there were others who I liked to play with. Lalo na iyong mga matitindi talaga ang kaso. Ghost love to visit this place too. Especially when he was bored, he would come to visit this place ang play with those people inside these cells.

Tahimik ang buong paligid. Tahimik akong lumakad at dinaanan ko ang hilera ng mga kulungan na naroon na may mga taong nakakulong. Dumeretso ako sa pinakadulo at humila ako ng isang silya at naupo doon. I knew this cell was Ghost's favorite. Actually, this was Ghost's idea. This was his happy place to torture these monsters who did grave things to other people.

Hindi ako nagsalita at nakatingin lang sa lalaking nakahiga sa semento at namamaluktot. Kung makikita siguro ito ng mga kakilala ay siguradong hindi nila aakalain na ito ang lalaking ito. Walang ligo. Mabaho. Mahaba ang buhok. Sira-sira ang damit. Naghalo na ang dumi ng sahig at natuyong dugo sa damit nito. Siya din naman kasi ang may kasalanan. Sinabi na kasi na bawal pa siyang maggagalaw matapos ang operasyon niya, hindi siya nakinig. Sige siya sa pagwawala dito at pagsisigaw kaya ilang beses na dumudugo ang mga sugat niya. Well-fed naman siya dito. Lahat ng mga presong narito. Isa iyon sa utos ni Ghost. Huwag na huwag gugutumin ang mga preso. Para kung makikipaglaro man siya sa mga ito, gusto niyang may lakas ang mga ito. Ayaw daw niya ng mga lampa.

Nakita kong bahagyang gumalaw ang lalaki. Mahinang umungol. Halatang may iniinda pang sakit. Sabagay, hindi naman agad-agad makaka-recover sa ginawang operasyon sa kanya. Demonyo man ang lalaking ito, at least nagkaroon ng pakinabang ang mga parte ng katawan na nakuha sa kanya. Four people got their new lives because of him.

Gumalaw ang lalaki at tila hinang-hina na nag-angat ng mukha. Nakita ko ang eye patch na nakatakip sa kaliwang mata niya. Pilit siyang gumalaw at humihingal na umayos ng upo.

"I-I need a proper doctor," mahinang sabi niya. Nanginginig ang boses at parang maiiyak pa.

"The doctor is always checking on you and he said you are on your road to recovery. And I can see that." Umayos pa ako ng upo at dumekuwatro pa.

"Why don't you just kill me," ngayon ay alam kong umiiyak na siya.

"Kill you? Why are we going to kill you? Killing is the easiest escape from what you did to people. Saka hindi ka ba natutuwa na ang mga nakuhang parte sa katawan mo ay nakatulong sa ibang mga tao? Just to let you know that the recipient of your cornea is now going to school again. I am still checking what happened to the other three but I am sure they are beginning to live the best of their lives."

"Tapos ako ang ginanito n'yo. Patayin mo na lang ako."

Napahinga ako ng malalim. "Perry." Napa-tsk-tsk pa ako. "Peregrin Azaceta. The billionaire Perry Azaceta." Napatawa ako. "Do you want to know what happened to your ex-wife?"

"Wala na akong pakialam sa babaeng iyon. Nakuha na niya ang gusto niya. Pera ko lang naman ang habol niya." Ngayon ay may galit na sa tono ng salita niya.

"Sobra ka naman kay Meara. Of course not. She was not after your money. She was after for your love. Affection. She was after for a real family that was deprived to her. She thought she will get that from you. But what did you do? You abused her. Raped her. Asawa mo na, niri-rape mo pa. Binababoy mo pa." Napahinga ako ng malalim. "She endured so much pain from your hands. Good thing, Riel came to her life."

"Demonyo ang lalaking iyon. Siya ang dahilan kung bakit tumapang si Meara." Gigil na sabi ni Perry.

Natawa ako. "Trust me, they are bound to meet. They are bound for each other. It's their destiny."

Umangat ang tingin sa akin ni Perry at kahit isang mata na lang niya ang nakatingin sa akin ay kitang-kita ko ang galit doon.

"When I get out of here, I will kill you. Not in easy way. I will do the things that you did to me. To you and your fucking old boss. I will torture you. Without mercy. You will die in your own scream." Pagbabanta niya.

Umalis ako sa kinauupuan ko at lumapit sa rehas na bakal sa kulungan ni Perry.

"If you can get out of here. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. This place, you will die here. All of you criminals imprisoned here will die. Not the easy way." Kinuha ko ang sigarilyo na nasa bulsa ng pantalon ko at kumuha ng isa doon. Sinindihan ko iyon at ibinuga ang usok sa kanya. Agad na napaubo si Perry at alam kong nahirapang huminga. He was still healing from the pneumonectomy that was performed on him. Muli akong humithit sa hawak kong sigarilyo at muling ibinuga ang usok sa loob ng selda niya.

"What were you saying again?" Pang-aasar ko pa. "I can't hear you." Wala naman siyang sinasabi kundi ubo lang siya nang ubo. "Don't worry, Mr. Azaceta. You will have your time to die. Unfortunately, not today." Tinapik ko pa ang selda niya at tumayo na doon at naglakad. Hindi ko na pinakinggan ang pagtawag niya sa akin at dere-deretso akong lumakad. Tinungo ko ang isang opisinang naroon at naupo ako sa couch habang nakatingin sa dingding kung saan nakapaskil doon ang mga litrato ng mga kriminal at serial killers na nakakulong dito.

Mga kriminal at serial killers na ipinagtanggol ko sa korte. Napahinga ako ng malalim at pinatay ang sigarilyong hawak ko sa ashtray na naroon. Naupo ako sa couch habang nanatiling nakatingin sa mga litratong naroon.

Dumadami na sila. We needed to dispose some. Sigurado ako, sa dumadaming kriminal sa mundo, hindi na sasapat ang mga kulungan namin dito. Kailangan naming magbawas at si Ghost na ang bahala doon.

Napangiti ako napailing. Fucking Ghost. That man didn't have any conscience at all. I couldn't feel it to him anymore. Sabagay sinabi na naman niya iyon sa akin noon. The moment his wife died, that was the time he killed his humanity too. He would give a person a chance to live if he knew that person was redeemable or he could have a use of him, but if he knew that the person was beyond saving, he won't give any second chance. He would torture and kill without mercy.

I already lost count how many people Ghost killed. Minsan hindi ko rin kinakaya ang mga ginagawa niya. Those unconventional ways of tortures that he was giving to those people was really traumatizing. Hindi ko talaga makakasanayan. Minsan gusto ko na siyang pigilan pero hindi ko rin magawa. Dahil sa tuwing naririnig ko kay Ghost ang mga kasamaang ginawa ng mga taong iyon, deserve nila kung ano ang nangyari sa kanila.

People won't understand Ghost's ways but for me, he was just giving justice that our own justice system failed to give to those people who hoped to have it. I knew and I saw it every day in the court. These days, justice was for rich people only. If someone had the money, power and connection, they can easily get away from their sins.

Tumunog ang telepono ko at nakita kong G ang lumabas na registered caller. Sinagot ko dahil siguradong si Ghost lang ito.

"Did they call already?" tanong niya.

"Nope." Umayos ako ng upo at sumandal pa sa couch. "Do you really think they really need a lawyer? This..." kinuha ko ang piraso ng papel sa bulsa ko at tiningnan ang pangalan ng client na ibinigay niya. "Joseph Vicente? Ghost, there is no witness with what happened to River. Only me, Meara and Riel."

"You didn't open the e-mail that I sent you." Seryoso na ngayon ang timbre ng boses ni Ghost.

E-mail? May e-mail ba siyang ipinadala sa akin?

"Kahapon pa. Before I even go to your house. Oh," mahina siyang napatawa. "Busy ka nga pala ng mga oras na iyon. You have a playmate. The cute chick."

"I'm sorry I didn't get your e-mail." Napahinga ako ng malalim. "And you know I needed some diversion after a high-profile case." Katwiran ko sa kanya.

"And this will be a high-profile case, Eli. Check the email," utos niya.

Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin at inilagay sa speaker mode ang telepono ko tapos ay tiningnan ko ang padala niyang e-mail. Video iyon. Mukhang kuha sa cellphone. Pamilyar ang kotseng nakukuhanan ng video at sigurado akong iyon ang kotse na ginamit nang mabangga si River. Sa harap ng kotse ay may mga nakaharang na mga tao na kapit-kapit ang bisig para hindi makadaan ang sasakyan. Panay ang busina ng kotse pero hindi tumitinag ang mga tao. Naririnig sa video na niri-rev ng driver ang sasakyan tapos ay bumubusina pa rin ng malakas. Pero nagulat ako sa sumunod na nangyari.

Pinaandar ng driver ang sasakyan at sinagasaan ang mga taong nakaharang sa daraanan nito. Walang pakialam na dinaanan ng sasakyan ang mga nakalugmok na mga tao at mabilis na pinaharurot paalis doon ang minamanehong sasakyan.

"What the fuck?" Gulat na gulat ako sa nakita ko.

"That's viral. You didn't see that?" Natatawang sabi ni Ghost.

"No." Sagot ko at nanatiling nakatingin sa video na inulit ko ang parte na sinagasaan ang mga tao. "He ran over those people." Komento ko sa sarili ko.

"He did. Two are critical in the hospital who sustained head injuries and rib fractures the other one is already discharged."

"This is fucked up," naiiling na sabi ko. "Hindi pa ito nahuhuli?"

"I told you the family is wealthy. Natakasan niya ang ginawa kay River but this time, he did that in broad daylight with lots of witnesses. Itinatago iyan ng magulang ngayon. Tumatawag sa matitinding koneskyon and I am sure they are going to talk to the victims to settle." Paliwanag pa ni Ghost.

"But this is already evidence. Fuck this," napipikon talaga ako at napabuga ng hangin sa inis. "Remind me again why I am defending this kind of people?"

             "Because you are going to give them their dose of their own medicine after," natatawang sabi ni Ghost. "You chose this life, Eli. And you told me you are enjoying it. In your own words, justice these days is based on how a person can pay. Just like this man. We know that he will win. He will get away with this even if there is evidence and witnesses. These people that he ran over, trust me, they will settle with a small amount of money he will offer. We can't blame them. They needed the money and they needed it for their family. That's why we are here to give the justice that they deserve."

Hindi na ako sumagot. Marahan kong hinilot ang magkabilang sentido ko.

"They will call. Wait for it and you know what to do." Pagkasabi noon naputol na ang usapan namin ni Ghost.

Painis kong binitiwan ang telepono ko at napapailing. Damn those rich people who abuses their power. Mga mahihirap lang ang kayang tapakan.

Muling tumunog ang telepono ko at nakita kong unregistered number iyon. Sinagot ko.

"Attorney Eli Suarez?" Paniniguro ng tumatawag sa akin.

"Speaking. Who is this?" Mukhang kilala ko na ang tumatawag.

"This is Jose Vicente. Father of Joseph Vicente. Mr. Greg Laxamana referred you and he said you can defend my son. I guess you already saw what happened."

Hindi agad ako sumagot at pilit na kinalma ang sarili ko tapos ay ngumiti kahit wala akong kaharap.

"Of course, I can do that." Punong-puno ng confidence ang sagot ko.

"Good. That's good. When can I meet you for this? I need to clear my son's name. He has been being mauled by the media and these people who doesn't know what really happened. All they saw was the fucking viral video but they didn't know the real thing behind it." Bahagya pang tumaas ang boses nito.

"My secretary will call you when will I be available. Don't worry about your son. We will win."

"Thank you, Attorney Suarez."

Hindi ko na hinintay na sumagot pa ang lalaki at ini-end ko na ang usapan namin. Painis kong binitiwan ang telepono ko.

All right. Let the games begin.