Chapter four: Recruit

"What are you doing outside? Who is following you? Why are you at our property?" Sunod sunod kong tanong sa babaeng nasa harapan namin ngayon.

Hailey gave her first aid, pero mukhang intimidated siya dahil sa titig nung boys. "Can you guys quit it?" I whispered.

"Takot siya, at hindi siya makasagot kasi ganyan ang mga titig niyo sa kanya." Singit ni Hailey.

"I uh... I can hear you guys." Napalingon kami doon sa babae, she was shyly looking at us.

"Hi, what's your name?" Tanong ni Hailey at naglagay ng fake smile.

"Maeve. How about you guys, what's your name?"

"Why do you need to know our name?" Taas noong tanong ni Ryota.

"Just answer our questions." Singhal ni Calyx.

Nanatiling tahimik lang si Cassian kasi hindi alam kung ano gagawin sa babaeng nasa harap namin. He also looks disgusted. "I was outside, naligaw kasi ako. I saw this house's gate open. I went inside to feed my curiosity. Nagulat nalang ako nang biglang may lumapit sa akin at sinugatan ako. Hindi niyo siguro narinig yung mga gunshots kasi may silencer parehas ang mga baril namin. We went on a chase, paikot ikot ako at patago sa kung saan saan. Hindi ko na kaya lumaban kaya lumapit na ako sa pinto niyo."

"First of all, sino hindi nagsara ng pinto?" Inis na tanong ni Cassian.

They all looked at me with a sign of disappointment.

"Tss. Why are you lying, Maeve. Is that even your real name? Pagkagaling ko doon sa pinuntahan ko, sinarado ko yun. I also locked it." Siningkitan ko si Maeve ng mata at tinaasan pa ng kilay. "So, the only thing is bago pa ako makabalik nakapasok ka na ng walang nakakaalam na ni isa sa amin, or sinundan mo ako nung pumasok ako at hindi kita napansin. Which one is correct?"

"Tell us, what the hell are you doing here and what are you trying to do?" Ryota asks in a monotone. She was looking so nervous, dahil tama ako, she was lying.

"Fine... I'm a supporter of Ravenna. I also know that you guys are not just a normal famous group of people. Kabilang kayo sa isang corporation na pagmamay ari ng tatay ni Ravenna." Biglang tumaas ang kilay ni Cassian kay Maeve wanting her to talk more. "I heard that she has left your group and I want to know why."

"Why do you want to know why? Does she know you?" Tanong ni Cassian.

"Since you are a supporter of her, bakit mo pa tinatanong pangalan namin eh mukhang alam mo naman siguro." Singit ni Calyx.

"Kuya Cassian, don't worry. Hindi ko ipapahamak girlfriend mo." Sabi ni Maeve at nanlaki mata ko at lumapit sa kanya para takpan yung bibig.

"What?" Tanong niya.

"You don't know? They broke up..." Sabi ko at nanlaki mata ni Maeve. "You didn't see her instagram posts and IG stories?"

"I-I'm sorry, hindi ko alam na tungkol pala ito sa inyong dalawa."

"It's fine." Sagot ni Cassian.

"How old are you?" Tanong ni Hailey, siguro nagtaka din siya kung bakit niya tinawag kuya si Cassian.

"I just turned 18 last month, why?"

"Nothing," Sabi ko at nag isip. What if we take her in our group?

"D'yan ka lang 'wag kang gagalaw." Sabi ko at sinenyasan silang apat na sumunod saakin.

"I say we should take her." Sabi ko. Agad umiling si Cassian.

"Hindi, ayoko." Sabi niya.

"Kung isa sa atin ma-kidnap, we should just frame this girl and turn her in." Sabi ni Ryota.

"Hmm, I agree we need new blood." Singit ni Hailey.

"Ang weird lang na nagpakita siya the moment we see a picture of a Ravenna crossed out." Takang tanong ni Calyx.

"Again, we're talking about her and she's sitting right there." Pagpaparinig ko.

"'Wag lang natin ipakita na ayaw natin sa kanya, let's just use her." Sabi ni Hailey. I sighed and we all went back to Maeve.

"Do you want to be a Mafia in training?" Tanong ko, at biglang nagliwanag mata niya.

"You mean it?"

"Ay hindi, malamang. You will start next week in training with us, and you will stay in the basement. Don't touch our things, we won't touch yours. Respect our privacy, don't go inside the rooms upstairs, they are all occupied with ourselves." Sabi ko at tumalikod.

"And also, walang pwedeng maka alam na ikaw ay magiging isa na sa amin. Don't ever post something on social media without us knowing." Dagdag ni hailey.

"Leave before it gets dangerous at night." Sabi ni Calyx. Pagkalabas ni Maeve sa amin I heavily sighed at sinalampak ang sarili sa sofa.

"Just what the hell are you thinking?" Galit na tanong ni Cassian at napakamot sa ulo.

"Let's just use her, humina tayo dahil nawalan tayo ng isa" Calyx.

"He's right, she could be useful in many ways." Singit ni Ryota.

"That doesn't mean we're going to recruit her. No one can replace Ravenna and that's fucking final!" Sigaw ni Cassian, at napayuko kaming apat. Yung tipong siya ang leader saamin at hindi ako.

Nakakatakot ang itsura niya, he's definitely a carbon copy of her. "Gusto kong ako ang magtre-training sa kanya, pahihirapan ko siya hanggat sa umayaw na siya." Umalis na si Cassian at umakyat na ng hagdan.

Inilabas ko ang cellphone ko at tinawagan si Mr. Hendrix.

[Kaede! Hello what can I do for you?] Medyo maligalig na tono nito, ayos lang ba to?

"Okay ka lang ba? Did you drink? Whatever. I just want to tell you that we found a new replacement for Ravenna. But she will be in training at bawal pa siya magkaroon ng badge, baka magyabang na kaagad yung lokong yun."

[Hmmm] sabi niya at mukhang nagiisip. [What's her name, I need to get a background of her first before I let her with you.]

"Maeve lang alam namin, at 18 lang siya. That's all we know"

[What?! You recruited someone and didn't even ask her the basic personal questions?!] Halatang galit na sabi niya.

Narinig ko siyang bumuntong hininga, [what does she look like?]

"About 5'5, green eyes, has silver highlights on her hair that is long like Ravenna's pero siguro mga 1 inch shorter I think. Medyo chubby pero attractive naman." Bored na sagot ko.

[That's good enough, I'll update you on Thursday.] Agad niyang binaba ang tawag.

Pinikit ko ang mata ko sandali, pero agad kong minulat dahil nakarinig ako ng malakas na basag galing sa basement. Agad akong pumunta doon at nakita kong puro bubog sa sahig at kamao niya.

"Ano bang problema mo?" Nagpipigil inis na tanong ko habang nakatingin diretso sa mata niya.

Natigilan nalang ako nang bigla na lang siyang naiyak. "Kahit ilang beses ko na tong sabihin, miss ko na siya. Sobra, putangina." Napahawak siya sa mukha niyang hindi tumitigil ang agos ng luha.

"Snap out of it, kailangan mo nang mangalimot. She's not coming back, not until she gets what she wants to where she is right now." Seryosong sabi ko.

"How did you know na meron siyang kailangan sa pinuntahan niya?"

"Simple, she's Ravenna. And I've known her for years. Alam kong hindi siya aalis ng bansa ng walang plano at balak. For the meantime focus on yourself and this Mafia job that you entered."

"How can I forget her kung maya't maya naririnig ko ang pangalan niya? Puro nalang siya ang nasa isip ko lalo na't kayo din ang kasama ko. Every move I make I always fucking remember her." Nagsimula na ulit siya umiyak.

"If only I could travel back in time and tell myself to not get involved with Alferez. Pero parang mali naman yun, kasi hindi ko naman siya makikilala. You know what screw what I said."

Umangat ang tingin niya sa likod ko, naramdaman ko din na nandun na yung tatlo pero hindi ko lang pinansin. Yumuko ulit siya at nagsalita ulit.

"I will remember my promise to my mom before she died. 'Anak, promise me. Don't live with regrets. Follow your heart more than your head. Follow your intuition more than expectations from those close to you.' I miss my mom, and her. Silang dalawa lang ang babaeng minahal ko ng sobra."

Biglang lumapit si Ryota at Calyx sa kanya at tinapik ang balikat.

"I already told everything in my mind. But I'll post something on Instagram." Sabi niya at tumango lang kaming lahat.

It was a stolen picture of Ravenna in a white flowy dress with a gun in her hand.

_Csn_Prm

Probably the last time I'm going to post something about you. Actually every post I have was you, only you with me. I never post anything on social media, but I want to show the world that you are mine. Sadly, we just ended. I really love you, and I will always do. But I have to fix myself in order for you to be proud of me. For now, I will forget you.