Chapter 3

"Where the hell have you been?" Pag alalang tanong ni Ravika nang magkasalubong kami sa hallway. "And you look troubled, anong nangyare sa'yo?" 

I sighed, heavily. "May babae kasing nabastos sa loob, I had to help to her." Pero hindi naman sya mukhang nabastos, she was like about to get kidnapped. Still, it was harrasment. 

"Really? Should we call for help?" Napalitan ng pag alala ang ekspresyon niya.

I rested my back against the wall, crossing both of my arms together. "You don't have to. She ran away when I get a hold of that guy." Napatingin lang ako sa sahig, inaalala ang mga nangyare kanina. "Parang may mga kasama yung lalaki kanina, he's japanese and it seems like may kailangan sila sa babae." Sabi ko na parang wala sa sarili.

"How did you know?" 

I looked up and met Ravika's eyes, "he's talking to someone with his earpiece on." Of course, I know that. It's our way of communicating with each other during our missions.

"That's indeed worrysome." She replied, "just brushed it off from your mind. Nakatakas naman na yung babae diba?" 

Right. I'm sure she's safe now. 

Is she, really? I was even threatened by that guy na babalik sya at gagantihan ako. But no, he can't do that, I hope. "Yeah, I guess so. Can this just stay between us two?" I don't want them to worry about something anymore. Aalis na kami bukas for a trip and I don't wanna spoil the fun. 

They need some rest.

"I won't." I smiled at her for reassuring me, "tara, let's not miss the party." 

I tried to prevent my self from thinking about what happened earlier, like what Ravika suggested so. I just really hope that everything will be fine for that girl. She really look terrified and threatened back there as hell.

The following moments went smoothly as I wished. The boys weren't back yet from god-knows-where they went. Lily came back and we, girls just had fun and had a couple of drinks as commander came back also, carrying a huge duffle bag. 

"What do we got in there, old man?" Lily asked.

He grin, "Napoleon's reward." 

"Does that mean we'll stay overseas longer as planned?" says Ravika with a flash of excitement upon her voice.

"I only promised a week." 

"Come on." Reklamo nina Lily at Ravika. 

Napailing nalang ako. Gusto ko rin sanang mag tagal na nakahilata lang at walang ginagawa pero dahil sa nangyare kanina ay parang gusto ko nalang mag trabaho araw araw.

"Where's the boys? We're going home. Our flight will be tonight." 

"Ano?! Ba't ngayon mo lang sinabi? Edi sana nakapag ready kami!" 

"Ang arte talaga ng mga babae ano." 

I glared at him. "Ba't kasi now lang?" 

"Para bigyan kayo ng sakit sa ulo bago mag relax. Tsaka maaga pa naman ha." Parang kasing edad lang talaga ang kausap mo kapag kaharap mo ito e.

Sabay na kaming lumabas at hinanap ang boys. Saktong may paparating na tatlong sasakyan nag uunahan. We took a few steps back dahil baka lasing na ang mga mokong at mabangga pa kami. But as always, they did a perfect turn and parked it well. 

"Tsk, I forgot my gun," Commander mumbled under his breath. Bumaba na rin ang mga baliw. "When did I permit you to hold a race here?" 

"Si Wilson kasi boss e." Turo ni Wallace.

Wilson laughed, "sumunod ka naman!" 

"Gusto ko lang uminom!"

"What's that?" Yeraz asked when he noticed the duffle bag carried by his dad. 

Hinagis naman ni Commander ang bag sakanya at nasalo naman ni Yeraz iyon. "A time bomb." He joked and all of them stood back with a shock on their faces. Natawa lang ang matanda sa mga reaksyon nila, "it's a reward for a job well done." 

Lumapit naman si Peter. "Ayos ah! Magkano akin d'yan?" 

"Anong sa'yo? Para sa bakasyon natin yan, dimwit." Sagot naman ni Lily sakanya. 

"Maka-dimwit naman 'to!" says Peter but Lily jusy rolled her eyes. 

"I wanna pack my things already. Can we go now?" Ravika butt in. 

"Same ride! I'll go now." Pupunta na sana sa sasakyan si Lilith nang magsalita si Commander. 

"No. Peter, you'll drive my car. Yeraz, you'll drive me home and Madelaine, you're coming with us."

What?! Does it mean I'm gonna be on Yeraz's ride? No! No! No! 

"Okay." I nodded, like I don't bother at all. But deep in side, it's frustrating. Ayoko nga sya makasama! 

As our cars pulled out of the place, the engine purred beneath us, vibrating with a kind of power that made my heart race—though not from excitement. I'm trying not to take a look at Yeraz at the front seat but—he glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his dark eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place. 

My eyebrows raised involuntarily. "Tinitingin tingin mo?" I muttered under my breath, though I knew he couldn't say a word cause his dad's here.

“Everything okay back there?” Commander Zeus, sitting in the front passenger seat, asked, turning slightly to glance at us.

“Just a lil bit peachy,” I replied, forcing a smile that I hoped didn’t look too strained. 

“Well, you two should lighten up. I’ve got some news.” Commander Zeus paused, looking serious. “I heard from one of my contacts that my friend's daughter has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. She’s tangled up with some Japanese mafia.”

I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. The mention of the Japanese mafia hit close to home—too close. Naalala ko na naman tuloy ang nangyare kanina sa bathroom. I shot another glance at Yeraz, who was still stealing glances at me. I bet he doesn't know. He's out here.

“What kind of trouble?” Yeraz asked, his voice steady, though I could sense the underlying concern. He was finally turning away from me to focus on the road.

Commander Zeus leaned back in his seat, letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s worse than a trouble. One of her father’s men accidentally killed someone close to the Japanese mafia's boss—someone important to him."

I felt my chest tighten. This was no simple business dispute. 

Yeraz’s jaw clenched, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. “At gusto nilang gumanti."

Zeus nodded. “Exactly. The girl’s just a toy for them to lure out her father. They’re going after her to make her father pay for what happened."

My mind flashed back to the bathroom, to the girl I saved. Should I tell them that I saw her? I suddenly felt the need to help. I could've done more... 

But we don't really get to be involve if we aren't hired to do the mission. "Did his father ask for our help?" I asked. 

"Actually, he did." He replied, "but I declined."

"What?" Why would he do that? 

"We're not yet ready for that kind of job. We're talking about a Japanese mafia, a Yakuza." 

Right. Although, everyone in the group knows how to handle a gun and are good with combat skills. But not strong enough to stand against a mafia. 

"Now, going to Japan feels weird." Yeraz muttered, maintaining his eyes staring at the road. 

I chuckled a bit. "Scared?" 

"Of course not. Are you?" Tanong nito pabalik. 

Kung alam niya lang ang ginawa ko kanina. Sayang, gusto ko pa naman sanang gumanti sa hapon na yun. 

The rest of the ride passed in a tense silence, the weight of the mission ahead sinking in. Soon, the city lights faded behind us, and we pulled up to the mansion. We didn’t waste time. Once we step together inside, the group gathered to pack up for Japan. Lahat sila ay nagmamadali dahil sa sobrang pagkasabik.

In my room, I threw a few essentials into a bag—clothes, my skin care, and my make up. My mind was racing, thinking of what would happen to that girl. Sana ay mahanapan na ng solusyon para tigilan na sila ng mga hapong yun. 

---

Hours later, we were on our way to the airport. The flight to Japan was smooth, all of us are in a good mood. Not really me but I'm trying my best to smile and act the usual. Zeus didn't say anything about the declined mission. Ayaw niya raw sirain ang hinihintay nilang bakasyon lalo na't dito kami pupunta. 

After what felt like an eternity, we landed in Tokyo. The city was alive—vibrant lights, crowded streets, the pulse of energy unmistakable. 

We arrived at the hotel, a resort that was a strange blend of luxury and tension as we drag our suitcase through the lobby.

The staff were overly polite, as they always were in Japan, but there was a subtle edge to their courtesy. 

As we checked in, Commander Zeus quietly handed out room keys. “Let's meet together at the dining hall after checking your rooms," he announced, his tone leaving no room for debate.

Once inside my room, I sat on the edge of the bed, staring out at the city skyline. The lights blinked in the distance, a reminder of how far from home we were. We've never been to an asian country before, this sure feels different—lalo na't may nangangailangan ng tulong namin pero hindi namin tinanggap.

But I also don't think we could be much of a help. Like what the old man said, we aren't ready yet to face such strong people. Mapapahamak lang din kami.

I decided to change my clothes from jorts and a fitted top to a long plain black dress that exposes my back tattoos. Lumabas na ako ng kwarto at tinahak ang daan papunta sa dining hall. I saw Miles also on his way kaya nagmadali akong maglakad para makasabay ko sya.

"Parang kanina ka pa bothered. Anything wrong?" Miles checked on me. 

I looked at him back. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just feeling overwhelmed." 

"Same here. Parang hindi ako sanay mag relax. This is actually my first time to spend a week without staring at the monitor for a day." He chuckled.

Natawa rin ako sa sinabi niya. "Kaya nga. Buti hindi pa lumalabo mga mata mo no?" 

"Baka immune na." Biro niya, "you look so good, by the way." 

Ngumiti ako, "thanks, baby boy." I said and pinched his cheek. 

Nakarating na kaming dalawa sa dining hall at nakita namin agad silang lahat. We sat down together.

As soon as we sat down, Peter smirked across the table at Miles. "Miles, dude, you ready to catch some hot chicks tonight? Or panay laptop ka na naman magdamag?"

Miles laughed, shaking his head. "Hot chicks, you mean? I only know my hot screen monitor."

Peter leaned back, shaking his head too. "You're hopeless, Miles."

Ravika chimed in, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Hopeless? Miles is just here to unplug, while you, Peter, are here to show off."

Wallace, already sipping on a glass of whiskey, looked up, amused. "You gotta do something with your girl, Pete." he chuckled, nodding toward Peter. "Luckily, I’m here for my whiskey, no distractions necessary."

Lilith laughed, giving Wallace a low pitch clap. "Oh, we know, Wallace. The only thing you’re committed to catching this trip is a glass of aged whiskey."

Pinaningkitan nalang ni Wallace ng mata si Lilith. Habang kami ay natatawa nalang sa usapan nila. 

Halos mangiyak sa kakatawa habang pinapanuod si Miles na ginugulo ni Peter. Wallace raised his whiskey, acting like he was giving some profound toast, and we all burst out laughing. I let myself sink into the moment, feeling like we could finally relax for once.

Pero bigla akong natigilan. I saw someone blending in with waiters and staffs. He was wearing all black and a cap. I couldn't even see his face dahil sa facemask nito.

Nanlamig ang buong katawan ko. Napa-kurap ako habang napahawak sa leeg dahil sa kaba, agad na tumingin ulit para makasigurado.

Wala na siya.

Napatigil ako, pilit pinapakalma ang kabang bumilis bigla. Tumingin ako sa paligid, pero parang walang ibang nakapansin. Tahimik pa rin ang mga waiter, at patuloy lang sa tawanan sina Peter at Wallace. Pero sigurado ako sa nakita ko—may tao doon, nakatingin sa amin.

Napainom ako ng wine nang makaramdam ako ng takot. That pair of eyes—I think I’ve seen them before. It felt familiar to me, and not in a good way.

"Maddy, are you okay?" Wilson asked, snapping me back to reality. They were all looking at me at this moment.

I nodded a couple of times. "Y-Yeah, can I excuse myself for a sec? I need to use the bathroom."

"Come back immediately," Commander Zeus said in a firm tone.

Tumango lang ako sakanya at umalis na sa hapagkainan. I honestly didn't know where the bathroom was, and I wasn't planning to go there. I needed to find that guy.

I pushed through the hotel doors and stepped outside. The night air hit me instantly, a cold breeze wrapping around me as I made my way down to the beach. My feet sank into the soft, white sand, grounding me as I scanned the shadows, listening for any sound that might give me a clue.

Wala masyadong tao rito ngayon. Tanging hampas lang ng alon ang naririnig ko. I hugged myself as the cold wind swayed my hair away, brushing against my skin.

Nagkalat ang mga iniisip ko nang biglang may mabigat na presensyang lumapit mula sa likod. Bago pa ako makagalaw, isang malakas na braso ang pumalupot sa katawan ko, parang bakal na posas na hindi ko matakasan.

“Shh,” a low, commanding voice murmured against my ear. A voice so deep and authoritative, it sent chills down my spine.

Bago ko pa maunawaan ang nangyayari, isang kamay ang marahas na tumakip sa bibig ko, kasabay ng pagdikit ng panyo sa ilong ko. Matapang ang amoy—kemikal.

Shit.

Pumiglas ako, pilit kinakalas ang pagkakahawak sa akin, pero napakalakas niya. His grip was unyielding, calculated—hindi ito basta simpleng abduction. This was a message.

My vision blurred. My body started to betray me, limbs growing heavier by the second. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but the world around me was slipping away.

Sa huling saglit bago ako mawalan ng malay, naramdaman ko ang mainit na hininga sa tabi ng tenga ko, kasabay ng malamig na tinig na bumubulong sa akin.

"Kore kara wa ore no mono da." (You're mine from now on.)

Then—darkness.