Chapter Twenty Six

Sumunod ang dalaga sa binata paakyat sa bahay, hanggang sa makalabas sila. Eugene sighed and stopped and looked at Vodka who was following him. He was about to tell her to stay inside the house but she beat him to it. 

"I'll go with you!"

"Stay behind me, you stubborn woman."

Kahit na kinakabahan ay hindi maiwasan ni Vodka na napangiti dahil sa tinuran nito. She was stubborn, alright. Sinenyasan siya ni Eugene na manatili sa loob nang buksan nito ang pangtaong gate. 

Vodka can hear Felix's voice and another voice from a woman outside, it was quite familiar to her ear. Felix's and Eugene talked for a split minute then the men gave the woman with a familiar voice the third degree. 

Hindi makatiis si Vodka at sumilip kung ano ang nangyayari sa labas. Isang matangkad na babae ang nakapagitan sa pader at sa katawan ni Felix. Pigil pigil ng huli ang mga kamay ng babae sa likuran gamit ang isang kamay habang ang isa pa ay may hawak na baril at nakatutok sa ulo ng babae. Eugene also had his gun pointed at the woman's face. 

Hindi makita ni Vodka ang mukha ng intruder dahil nakabaling sa kabilang direksiyon ang ulo nito na nakadiin sa pader. 

"I... I think I know her," she interjected and walked closer to them. 

"Finally, nandito na ang sadya ko. I told you I want to see her," kalmadong wika ng babae. 

"I know her, she's harmless... I guess."

Bahagyang lumuwag ang pagkakahawak ni Felix sa estranghera at sandaling tumingin sa kapatid kaya nagawang makawala ng babae at maagaw ang baril mula rito. 

"Drop it or I'll shoot you!" Eugene uttered dangerously because the woman pointed the gun to Felix's whose eyes were provoking the woman to pull the trigger. 

"Drop the gun, Scarlet. You said you want to talk to see me, let's talk, civilly," Vodka who then glared at her idiot of a brother for being so infuriating. He doesn't care a bit if there's a gun pointed at his head that could blow anytime. The side of his lips slightly twitched tauntingly at scarlet. 

"If we're in a different situation, I won't hesitate to blow your head off," Scarlet said angrily at Felix. 

"I regret showing mercy the moment I saw you here earlier," Felix then witnessed how her lips curved in a mysterious smile. 

Nakahinga lang ng maluwag si Vodka nang ibaba ni Scarlet ang baril at inumang pabalik kay Felix. 

"Tell your boyfriend to put his gun down," baling nito kay Vodka gamit ang sarkastikong boses. 

"It's okay," saad ni Vodka na nakatingin kay Eugene. Nang hindi ito tumalima ay lumapit siya rito at marahang ibinaba ang braso nito. Hindi niya alam pero malakas ang kutob niya na hindi masamang tao ang may-ari ng nightclub na palagi niyang pinupuntahan noon, halos gabi-gabi, noong hindi pa nangyayari ang pagpatay sa anak ng isang congressman sa loob ng nightclub. 

She saw couple of times, though they only talked once, she was sure that this mysterious woman in front of her was a friend. 

"Let's do the introduction inside, it's dangerous here, who knows there might be snipers around."

Dahil sa sinabing iyon ni Eugene ay agad silang pumasok sa loob ng gate, subalit alerto pa rin ang dalawang lalaki sa maaaring gawin ng bagong dating. Pagkasara ng gate ay agad muling idiniin ni Felix si Scarlet sa pader at kinapkapan. 

"Asshole!" mura ng dalaga sa binata dahil sa ginawa nito. Bahagya pang napangiwi dahil sa pagkakadiin ng kanyang dibdib sa pader. "Let go of me!"

"Stay still!"

Napabuntung-hininga si Vodka na pinapanood ang kapatid at ang may-ari ng nightclub. Pinakawalan na ni Felix si Scarlet ngunit makikita pa rin ang pagiging alerto sa mga mata nito. Si Felix ang tipo ng tao na hindi madaling magtiwala. It will take time to gain his trust and respect, he wasn't cold but he's close to stern and authoritarian. 

Pagkapasok sa loob ng bahay ni Eugene ay nagpakomportable ng upo ang kanilang bisita habang si Felix ay nakahalukipkip na nakatayo sa harapan nito at muling isinailalim sa third degree ang dalaga. 

Hinawakan ni Vodka ang braso ng kapatid at sinamaan ito ng tingin nang magkasalubong ang kanilang mga mata. Ilang katanungan na ang ibinato nito kay Scarlet ngunit wala naman itong tugon na nakukuha sa dalaga na prenteg nakaupo sa ibabaw ng sofa at nakatingin kay Felix ng may pang-uuyam. At mukhang malapit nang maubusan ng pasensiya ang kapatid niya. 

"I'm the one she wants to talk to, calm your ass down and let me handle this. She's harmless," Vodka firmly asserted to Felix and then took a quick glance at Eugene's direction, who was leaning on the glass and was observing their visitor, he nodded at her in approval. 

"No I'm not!" Sabay na muling napatingin ang magkapatid kay Scarlet nang magsalita ito, parehong nakakunot ang noo. "Harmless, I mean."

"You-"

"Shut up!" asik ni Vodka sa nakakatandang kapatid nang muli na naman itong bubuwelta. Marahas na napabuntung-hininga na lang si Felix at napahagod sa buhok bago umupo at walang magawa kung 'di matamang magmasid sa dalawang babae. "You're, Scarlet, right? I've seen you a lot of times in the nightclub, and we've talked once," panimula ni Vodka. Hindi siya mapanatag ng isangdaang porsiyento dahil sa presensiya ng misteryosong babaeng ito na nagtatago sa ilalim ng maskara. "What do you want from me? Why are you here? Are you with the people who are trying to get me killed?"

Sandaling natahimik ang kaharap ni Vodka at hindi kaagad sumagot, tinitigan siya nito ng ilang minuto. 

"Yes, you're right, I am Scarlet."

"Scarlet what?" Felix's interjected. 

"Just Scarlet," the woman answered flatly. 

"Why are you here and what do you want from me?" muling tanong ni Vodka bago pa makabuwelta muli ang kanyang nakakatandang kapatid at pagmulan na naman ng argumento ng dalawa. 

"I'm the owner of Tipsy Talk, what else? I need to know the truth and I know you could give me that."

"Not enough reason," Eugene who was not convinced with her answer. "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point, what are your intentions?"

"Impatient are we, Mr. secret agent of the NBI."

"How... how did you know?" Vodka asked, she was shocked. 

Nagkibit lang ito ng mga balikat at muling itinuon ang seryosong tingin kay Vodka. Kapagkuwan ay dumukwang ito palapit kay Vodka at may ibinulong sa tainga nito.

Napasinghap si Vodka. "How... you are her!" Vodka blurted incoherently. Nang hindi sumagot si Scarlet ay nakumpirma ang kanyang hinala. "You are Isabella's older sister? How did it happened?" 

Scarlet whispered to her ear some sort of a phrase that Isabella once told her. Bella bell together forever. Only Isabella and her long lost older sister know that, it was their sister's code, Isabella told her. 

"You could say that. I only wanted to make her safe and to clear her name. She might've stabbed Patrick Castillo once, but she is not the killer."

Vodka nodded in approval. Bahagya na siyang nakarecover sa gulat dahil sa natuklasan. 

"I... I trust you," Vodka said. She doesn't know what hits her but she really trusted the woman in front of her. She heard Felix's complaint and she gave her brother a warning look. "Let's hear her out. I trust her and you should trust me on this one."

Natahimik muli ang kapatid at tila sumusukong itinaas ang dalawang kamay. Ngunit kasalungat niyon ang ekspresyon sa mukha nito. Ipinagpasalamat ni Vodka na walang sinabi si Eugene, it means he trusted her decisions. 

"I have an idea why they were hunting you. As you know, I am the owner of Tipsy Talk, but I am also good in gathering information just like Mr. Secret Agent here, and I heard and see things."

"What's that supposed to mean?" naguguluhang tanong ni Vodka na hindi agad nakuha ang sinabi nito. "And he's not Mr. Secret Agent, he has a name, Eugene!" dagdag niya na nilangkapan ng inis ang boses. Making Eugene smile in one corner. 

"Oh, I see," Scarlet exclaimed blandly. "Anyways, you have, in your possession, a thing that is valuable to them. They wanted to get that item back and kill everyone who knows its existence."

"What is that item?" si Felix na kalmado na ngayon. 

"I don't know, you tell me." Ngunit dahil sa isinagot ng dalaga ay muli na namang nag-init ang ulo ni Felix. 

Hindi pinansin ni Vodka ang dalawa at nag-isip. Isang bagay na hindi niya pagmamay-ari ang nasa kanya at hinahanap ng mga taong iyon. Could it be? 

Nag-angat siya ng tingin at nakasalubong ang mga mata ni Eugene na nakatingin sa kanya. Ang kislap sa mga mata nito ay nagtatanong at nagtataka. 

"The phone!" 

Natigil sa pagpapalitan ng tingin sina Felix at Scarlet dahil sa sinabi ni Vodka. 

"Foolish me, I forgot to tell you about the phone I picked on the nightclub's floor. I didn't even tell the police about it because I was scared and confused and I don't want Isabella to be involve in that case by surrendering to the police the necklace I saw that dawn." Ipinaliwanag niya ang nakuha niya noong madaling araw na pinatay si Patrick at ang muling pagkakadiskobre ng mga iyon sa ilalim ng upuan ng kanyang sasakyan. 

"Where is it now? Did they get it the moment they searched your house?" si Eugene. 

Umiling si Vodka at tiningnan ang tatlo na naghihintay sa kanyang sagot. "I hid it somewhere."