Chapter 5

“Hey, what are you still doing there?”

I stiffened as I watch the guy easily knocked the men down who surrounds us. I can’t believe it. We’re surrounded by a total of ten persons and he easily handled it all by himself! Even the gun I’m holding is now back in his palm. Not to mention he did it quietly.

Nakapamulsa na siya ngayong nakatayo sa harapan ko. Hinihintay ang susunod kong sasabihin.

“You’re not with them?” I asked that made his eyes widened as if he didn’t expect he’ll be suspected as their ally.

“What? You assumed I’m their ally? These weaklings?” He pointed the guys that are now lying on the floor.

“Yeah?” I answered awkwardly.

Napaatras ako nang bigla niya na namang itutok ang baril sa akin, kinapa ko ang sarili at na-realized na nabawi niya nga pala ang baril mula sa akin kanina.

“Baba!” sigaw niya.

Nagsalubong ang kilay ko, anong pinagsasabi nito?

“What?”

“Hurry!” He’s losing his patience but I still don’t get it.

Later on, he suddenly pulled the trigger that made me jump by surprise. Mabilis ang paghinga ko nang tumingin sa likod. May lalaking duguan na nakahandusay sa sahig habang may hawak na baril. Bumalik ang tingin ko sa lalaki na halos patayin na rin ako.

“What the hell! You almost killed me!” I shout at him.

“You would have been killed if I didn’t shot that person,” tukoy niya sa lalaking nakahandusay sa likod ko.

“You didn’t warn me!”

“I did,” he casually said, returning his gun in his gun holster.

“Fevi, what happened?” I heard Fellin’s voice. I almost forgot, connected pa pala ako sa kanila.

“Nothing,” I said.

“What?” the guy in front of me asked. Sh*t. He didn’t notice my earpiece.

“Look. I have my own business here. If you don’t want to kill me, then I’ll go ahead and finish my mission,” I said and walk towards the door.

“Nah, you’re not going,” he said that made me stop from walking, nakaramdam ako ng kakaibang tensyon na nagpipigil sa aking gumalaw, “not until you tell me your name,” dagdag niya at doon lang ako nakahinga nang maluwag.

“Don’t you dare, bitch,” I heard Fion’s voice.

I’m about to tell him but I realize, we haven’t decided names for this mission! F*ck this! I just decided to tell him the name I used from my previous mission. He won’t notice that I’m lying anyway.

“Vanna,” I simply answered.

His eyes widened as if he just saw a ghost.

“Vanna? You mean, Vanna from that ceremony? I knew it!” nakangiti pang aniya.

I look at him. How did he know about the ceremony? When he saw my confused face, he explained everything to me. Like how I ended up on his car instead of Gin’s. He’s the guy I ran off when those men in black were pursuing me. That’s why he’s familiar. At first, I was shocked because I didn’t expect that that innocent look can possibly kill.

“So that’s what happened, huh?” I heard Fionna’s voice. Since Gin is there, he explains what happened from my previous mission. They also heard the latter because of this guy’s explanation.

“I didn’t expect to see you again,” said by the guy in front of me.

“Same here,” I answered, not giving any interest in this conversation.

“Don’t forget your job, Fevi. You’re almost running out of time,” Fellin warned. I prepared myself and walk towards the doorway.

“Am I free to leave now? I don’t want to face those men in black anymore.” I look at him with lazy eyes.

“Go ahead, I’ll watch your back,” he offered.

“What? I didn’t ask for your help!”

“Then you should be grateful that I volunteered.” He crossed his arms and leans on the wall.

Frustration run through my throat and faced him with no interest at all. I heaved a deep sigh and walked pass him.

“You know what, I don’t get it.” I stopped then faced him raising my left eyebrow.

“Get what?” he asked, clueless.

I’m now losing my patience. Usually, kapag may ganitong pangyayari ay nagpapatayan agad ang magkabilang party, but what happened earlier is different. Hindi ko alam kung anong purpose niya pero ayoko na ring magtanong dahil baka magbago pa ang isip nito. Hindi pa rin ako nakaka-get over sa ginawa niya kanina. The joy in his eyes whenever he assassinate someone, his innocent face after as if he’s not aware from what sin he did. I need to stay away from this guy.

“Nevermind,” sagot ko na lang.

He tapped his left ear and I saw a light from it. He also has an earpiece and I didn’t notice it until now.

“I’m done,” he said through it. I saw how his expression changed to a serious face.

Without a word, he faced his back at me and hurriedly walk towards the window where I entered earlier. But before he jumped out of it, he looks at me and grin.

“Ryven.”

Before I even blink, he’s already gone.

So Ryven is his name? Not that I’m interested though. I just shrugged and continue what I’m about to do.

I walk towards the last door in this floor. I’m confident that there’s no one following me and I think no one except me is here. I don’t know but I guess Ryven already took care of them. I was relieved when he did not follow me anymore. I’m imtimidated by his aura, it’s like our Dad’s... no, he’s more intimidating than my Father, I can say that he can kill me whenever he wanted to.

Pero bakit siya narito? Hindi ko akalaing magkikita ulit kami at sa ganitong sitwasyon pa. May kailangan din ba siya sa mansyong ito? Pero wala siyang dala maliban sa baril nang umalis siya. Magnanakaw ba siya? Umiling-iling ako. Mukha naman itong may class base sa pananalita at kilos nito. Hindi rin siya ordinaryong tao lang dahil alam ko ang gano’ng galawan. Bumuntong-hininga na lang ako bago bumalik sa trabaho.

I slowly open the door and spot no one. The lights are off and when I walked inside, the light from the moon is passing through the window that’s why I can still see clearly through it. I saw a book shelf that’s full of thick books and a desk in the center. I guess this is an office.

I saunter towars the desk and saw the documents that I think were from company. They’re not important though.

“Fevi, still there?” I heard Fellin’s voice.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Okay, find whatever you find suspicious or anything that would gives us information about them,” she commanded. I roll my eyes even though she can’t see it. I know already what I am doing.

I read all the documents on the desk but found nothing. I notice this desk have four drawers so I pull out all of them and also found nothing. I’m about to lose my patience when I notice the drawer on the right side of the desk sounds suspicious. It’s empty but when I tap the base, it sounds like there’s an empty space inside. I grope the drawer to search for a hole and I am right! I felt a small hole on the outside base that a toothpick would perfectly fit to it.

“There’s one drawer here that looks suspicious and I found a hole,” I said to Fellin.

“Good. How big is it?” she asked.

“One toothpick would fit perfectly to it,” I said.

“Then find one.”

My jaw dropped from what she said. Did she think there’s a toothpick here? I rolled my eyes again and start searching for a toothpick but I’m already upset because there’s none. What should I do? Think... think... think...

“How about your needles?” Gin suddenly joined the conversation as if he felt that I’m struggling to find one. But he’s right! My needles! These needles’ size are just like toothpicks’. Stupid, Fevi. It didn’t even come out of my mind.

I picked one and slowly insert it to the hole. I was amazed when the upper base suddenly popped up. They’re quite good at hiding, huh? But not enough...not from me.

I took the envelope that’s inside. I open it and in my dismay, the envelope only contains pictures.

“What the hell!” dismayadong saad ko.

“What? What’s inside?” Fellin asked.

“A picture.” Umiiling na sagot ko.

The first photo is a whole family. A big family. The second one is two person which are also on that family photo, a boy and a girl that I guess are 15 years old and above. They are the only children on that family photo. From what I’ve seen, they look close to each other.

“Pictures? Of whom?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t look important at all.” I’m about to put it back when something fell from the envelope.

I took it and it’s a pendant. A silver key pendant.

“There’s a key pendant,” I said.

“Take it,” Fellin commanded.

“Hurry and get out of there, lady Fev. We tracked a group of men approaching in that mansion,” Gin said.

I didn’t waste any more time, I took the family photo and the key pendant from the envelope and place it inside my pocket. After I’ve done my work, I immediately jump off the window.

As I stepped outside the gate of the mansion, I threw away my hair tie, gauntlets, arm cuffed and long sleeve that revealed my maroon spaghetti. Gin’s right, I saw group of men approaching my way, there are about twenty persons. Dumiretso lang ako sa paglalakad na tila napadaan lang at nang makita ako ng grupo ng kalalakihan ay malagkit ang itinapon nilang tingin sa akin. I smirk after I reach the subdivision gate. They didn’t notice I’m suspicious at all.

When I reached our car, I immediately hoped in and we continue our discussion inside after I gave them the envelope.

“Who’s this?” Fellin asked as she grabbed the picture. I just shrugged because neither of us knows the answer.

“Let’s show it to our Father, I have this feeling that he knew them,” I said.

As we arrived at our mansion, we head straight to our Dad’s office. Luckily, he’s still awake and drinking his coffee.

“It’s late already, what made you come here?” he asked without looking at us.

Since Fellin’s the one holding the photo, she saunter towards Dad’s desk and showed him the picture.

I lean on the wall beside the doorway while rubbing my arms because it’s a bit cold. I now regret that I threw away my longsleeve on that subdivision.

“Did you know them?” she asked without showing any emotions. I’m just watching them while Fion is now sitting on the couch.

Dad looked at the picture and even though it’s quick, I notice how his eyes slightly widened. He paused a minute and sip again his coffee as if nothing happened.

“No,” he simply answered.

“You’re lying,” Fellin said.

“Even if I knew them, I won’t tell it to you,” he smirks before he sip again.

I clenched my teeth in dismay. This old man is really complicated. Later on, I suddenly felt a warm cloth embraced my back. It’s Gin’s leather jacket. He smiled after as if he knew that I’m freezing in cold. He really can read me, huh? I took a glance at Fion that’s now busy on her phone. Fellin and Dad continue their argument.

“Oh, come on! Don’t make this complicated to us. If you really want us to finish this as soon as possible, then give at least a little cooperation,” reklamo ni Fellin. This is the first time I saw her got interested in something. She’s this desperate to know who they are. Well, it took my interest too but I have more interest in the silver key pendant.

“How about this?” I showed him the pendant and smirk as I saw how his jaw dropped.

“That’s...” He didn’t finish his words and I noticed how his expression changes. Later on, he stood up and arranged the documents on his desk.

“Having that photo and pendant means you’re close to finishing your mission,” he just said that made us all confused.

“Can you please be more specific? You’re really complicated.”

“Yes, that’s who I am.” He sipped his coffee for the last time and look directly to Fellin.

“This is now the time you’ll show me the result of your years of training. To show me how far you improved.” He first look at Fellin and turn his gaze at me and Fion. I saw how Fellin gulp when Dad said his last words before leaving us in that office. “If you’re really worthy to be called the successor.”