Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of voices. My head was pounding, my hands tied behind my back, and the air was thick with the smell of damp concrete. It was dark—too dark. I had no idea where I was.

Then, I heard them. At ang boses na narinig ko na noong nakaraan.

"...Aitsu da. ( That's her. )"

Mahina lang ang boses nila ngunit dinig na dinig ko. Hindi ko sila nakikita dahil nagising akong kaharap ang pader. I tried not to move an inch and just pretend to be unconscious. Hindi ko alam kung anong pakikinggan ko e hindi ko naman sila naiintindihan.

"Kawaii na... ( She's pretty, huh? )" Says the other guy.

I think I've heard that from one of Miles' favorite anime shows. Does that mean cute? They're so weird.

I clenched my fists. I needed to get out of here. Fast.

"Oh, matte! Ugokita. ( Oh, wait! She's moving. )"

Tumikhim ako. Grabe, pati pag-galaw ng kamao ko napansin nila? They're that sharp?

"We're not allowed to touch her till he arrives." And someone finally spoke my language! Parang kararating lang nito. "Bumangon ka na. Alam naming gising ka na." Oh my god. He can speak filipino too?

Dahan-dahan akong bumangon at humarap sa kanila.

There were three of them.

The first one had a sharp gaze, parang binabasa niya bawat galaw ko. His black hair was messy, strands falling over his forehead, pero ang pinaka-kapansin-pansin sa kanya ay 'yung silver eyebrow piercing niya, catching the dim light. He leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, mukhang relaxed lang—but I knew better. Alam kong nagmamasid siya.

Then, my eyes landed on the second guy, and my stomach twisted. Napalunok ako—kilala ko siya. Siya 'yung nasa bathroom nung party. The one I caught harassing that girl. His face was exactly the same as that night, expressionless, unreadable, like he didn't care. Pero alam ko kung anong klaseng tao siya. I remembered the way he tightened his grip on her wrist, the way his eyes flickered with irritation when I walked in. And now, he was standing right in front of me, tahimik lang, observing. But this time... ako na 'yung trapped.

Then, the last one walked in. Unlike the others, he looked clean, controlled—too put together for a place like this. He wore a crisp white polo buttoned all the way up, tucked neatly into black trousers. His movements were precise, calculated, parang bawat galaw niya may dahilan. He didn't need to say anything, but the moment he stopped in front of me, ramdam ko agad na he was like the one in charge.

"W-What do you want from me?" Lakas loob akong nagsalita. Indeed my job was never easy and nerve wrecking but I was never put into a situation like this. At hindi ako sanay maging mahina.

"Madelaine Salvatierra, right?"

I frowned. How in the world did they know my name?

At teka nga, hindi ba ako hinahanap nila Commander? I assume I've been missing for like 3-5 hours now. And they're not even bothered? Malakas ang connection ni Commander kahit saan, imposibleng hindi nila ako makikita.

"You still don't know what you did, do you?" Nakapamulsa itong nakatayo sa harapan ko. Napalunok nalang ako sa tangkad niya, halos matabunan na kasi ang natatanging ilaw sa silid na ito.

Napatingin muna ako sa lalaking nakita ko sa banyo noong party. Parang alam ko na kung anong nangyayare. Ano, galit sila dahil hindi nag tagumpay ang misyon nila kaya ako ang puntirya nila ngayon?

"I know. And so what?" May lakas pa talaga akong mag taray! But I just can't show them na takot ako. Mas lalo lang sila gaganahan na kawawain ako.

"And do you know what that have cost us?" He leaned a bit. "Justice."

Justice? I chuckled. "Are you kidding? Anong hustisya pinagsasabe mo? That guy almost harm that woman! Baliw ka ba?"

Kumunot ang noo nito. "You clearly don't know what you're talking about." Lumayo ito at naglakad dahan dahan paatras. "Next time, kapag hindi mo gulo, h'wag mong pasukin." Wika niya habang nakatitig lang sa'kin.

Hindi ako nakasagot. 'Di ko maitatanggi na pakialamera ako nung mga oras na yon, pero hindi ko rin naman basta basta balewalain na may babaeng nasa pahamak.

"Ryu-san kita zo. ( Ryu's here )"

"Yoshi, onna okita na. ( Good, cause she's awake. )"

"Hey! You! I still remember what you did from the party! Pakawalan mo'ko o malilintikan ka sa'kin?" Sigaw ko sakanya. Gosh, ito ba talaga ang tamang panahon para magmayabang?

Yakuza 'tong kaharap mo, Maddy! For pete's sake.

I heard him sighed. "I told you, it was none of your business. If you'd just let me do my job, you're not tied up here."

Napasinghal ako sa sinabi niya. Talagang wala silang awa mapababae e no? "Pag talaga nakatakas ako rito, pag uumpugin ko kayong tatlo!"

Natawa naman yung lalaking may piercing sa kilay. "Feisty. I like her."

Pinagsasabe ng mokong na 'to? And who's Ryu?

"Hey."

Lahat kami ay napalingon sa kararating lang na lalaki. He's wearing an oversized white shirt paired with a gray sweatpants. Parang kakagising lang ata nito. And his hair, medyo magulo. May piercing pa sya sa ilong. His aesthetics are similar with this eyebrow pierced guy.

All of them bowed down when he entered, except this formal looking guy. Ugh, I don't know their names kaya idedescribe ko muna sila ngayon.

So this is their boss. He looks basic to me.

"She's awake."

"Yeah. I think I pulled a muscle carrying her to my car. She's so heavy." He then groaned as he stretched his arm.

Excuse me? Who's he calling fat?

But wait, he can converse in english too?

"Why did you even pick her up on your own?"

"I can't trust these idiots right now." Sagot naman nung Ryu. "I just used Seiji to lure her out since they already met."

They planned that so well. I can't believe I fell into their trap!

Mr. formal answered. "You could've called me." Not gonna lie, mas aakalain ko pang ito sya ang boss nila. He's quiet distinguished.

"I need someone to look out for the transactions so yeah," sabi nito habang nakapamulsa. "Besides, I wanna meet her personally for the first time." Tumingin ito sa direksyon ko.

But are they still going to have a chitchat in front me? "Hoy! Iuwi niyo na nga ako!"

Napangisi sa'kin itong tinatawag nilang boss. "You're annoying."

"Are you the man? Well, you're quiet lousy to be a Yakuza boss."

He frowned. The boys' expressions changed from serious to what-the-fuck-did-she-just-say look. "Good thing I didn't change my mind when I was talking to your old man or whatsoever."

Tila nabuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig nang marinig yon. He talked to Commander?! Anong nangyare? Ba't hindi pa nila ako sinusundo?

"Where are they!?" I shouted, angrily while trying to untie my self.

"Too bad, they're not risking their life for you."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Anong pinagsasasabi mo?"

"What happened back there?" Mr. Formal asked.

"They agreed to make her my prisoner in exchange for that russian girl's life." What? Is he talking about Ravika?

"What did you do!?" Now, I'm getting real mad. Kapag talaga nalamam kong isa sakanila ay nasaktan, I'm going to peel this jerk's skin off!

Ngumisi lang ito at tumingin ulit sa kausap niya at doon nagkwento. "Nagkalat sila sa buong resort para hanapin 'to," turo nito sa'kin. "I asked Sato to hold one of them hostage, then he saw that russian gal. Then we made a deal."

"What deal?"

"To finish that woman off or to bring home this fucking twat."

He's evil! No, mas masama pa sya sa masama! Papasa talaga sya bilang papalit kay satanas sa impyerno!

He laughed while telling his story, "I only asked till I get rid of Dean's daughter. Pumayag naman sila. Just who the fuck says no to me, right?"

"Ako! Hindi ako papayag! Sa tingin mo ba ibibigay ko sa'yo ang gusto mo?"

"You? Even your friends gave you up to me." He smirked, "just follow my orders and you'll stay alive till the deal's off."

I hate him! I hate him for saying that. I'll definitely find a way to get my ass out of here. I wasn't trained by Zeus for nothing.

"Fine." I sighed, "But fuck you.” I said, showing signs that I surrender. There's no point on protesting against them. Lalo na't wala ako sa teritoryo ko. Nasa pugad ako ng mga kriminal.

He smirked, then pats my head like a dog. "You just saved Seiji from cutting off his pinky finger."

I looked at that guy from the party. So his name is Seiji. He doesn't look good today though.

"Bring her to my office." This guy, Ryu ordered Seiji and pierced guy bago sila umalis dalawa ni Mr. formality. Pinagtulungan nila akong patayuin. Tinanggal na rin nila ang pagkakatali sa'kin.

"Wala bang thank you d'yan, Seiji?" Sarkastiko kong tugon nang makawala na ako sa pagkakatali.

He looked at me straight in the eye. "You're crazy." Seryoso niyang sagot. "Tetsu, hawakan mo yan nang mabuti."

Tetsu chuckled. "Copy that. This chic looks tough."

I glared at them both. "Seiji, Tetsu, weird names."

Hindi na nila ako pinansin. They just grabbed me out from this room. Hindi ko alam kung saan nila ako dadalhin, pero sana makahanap ako ng tyempo na makatakas.

At this moment, I can't think of an idea. Aside sa wala akong makitang pintuan o kahit sign na exit, ang hihigpit ng hawak nila sa braso ko. Parang hindi babae ang hawak hawak nila.

I stumbled as they dragged me forward, my barefeet scuffing against the concrete. The corridor was long, lined with doors just like mine. Closed. Some slightly open, revealing the same emptiness I'd woken up in. A prison, but not a typical one.

I wonder if it just wasn't me being taken. It would be easier for me to plan an escape. Mas maraming utak, mas madali.

"No one's helping you here." Seiji spoke like he was reading my mind.

"Did you dig deeper about me? I'm Maddy Salvatierra, I'm Zeus'—" I paused. I almost forgot that I'm not allowed to say anything about our group. But they're a mafia, they can probably have access to everything.

"Zeus' what?"

Umiling ako. "Nothing." Looks like they only know about my name.

Thanks to Miles, again. He made sure our personal information are perfectly hidden.

I counted turns. Left. Right. Another left. A staircase, but not the kind for emergencies—these steps weren't meant for escaping. They led up.

The surroundings changed. The raw cement gave way to something else. Dark wood. Paper lanterns casting a soft, deceptive glow. The faint scent of incense masked the underlying sterility.

We stopped.

A set of sliding doors loomed ahead, larger than the others. One of them slid open with a quiet hiss, revealing a space that was anything but empty. A single chair sat by a low table, facing a window that stretched across the wall. City lights flickered beyond the glass.

And then—him.

Alone.

"Ikeru yo ( You're able to go )."

Both Seiji and Tetsu let go of my arm as they both bowed to their in sync. "Hai!"

And that leaves the two of us in here.

The silence in the room wasn't comforting—it was the kind that pressed against my skin, thick with something unspoken

I stayed on my feet, my muscles tense, refusing to let the cold air settle into my bones. The room was too carefully designed—dark wood, dim lighting, the faint scent of whiskey in the air. Nothing about it felt accidental. Unlike the man sitting in front of me.

I thought mafia bosses are intimidating and scary. This one's weird, weirdly irritating. The way he talks, the way he moves, he's just plain mean.

"You can take a seat."

"I'm good." Nanatili akong nakatayo. I'm not taking orders from anyone, no matter what status you have. Si Zeus lang ang sinusunod ko.

Tahimik kong pinagmasdan si Ryu habang naupo siya sa tapat ko, nakasandal sa kanyang upuan na parang wala siyang inaalalang problema. Ang tahimik ng paligid—masyadong tahimik—na parang hinihintay lang ang unang magsalita.

Pinagkrus ko ang mga braso, hindi inaalis ang tingin sa kanya. Kung iniisip niyang matatakot ako sa presensya niya, nagkakamali siya.

"Let's not waste time," sabi ko sa wakas. "Ano bang gusto mo?"

Bahagya siyang ngumiti, pero hindi ito umabot sa mga mata niya. "Straight to the point. I like that."

Hinaplos niya ang ibabaw ng mesa gamit ang mga daliri, parang pinapalipas ang oras bago sagutin ang tanong ko. "I need something done, and I believe you're more than capable of handling it."

"Handling what?"

Hindi siya agad sumagot. Sa halip, kinuha niya ang isang tasa ng tsaa sa tabi niya, marahang sumimsim bago ako muling tinitigan.

"A job," sagot niya sa wakas. "One that requires your... particular set of skills."

And what does he know about my skills? I was sure he doesn't know anything about me.

"I don't have skills. I'm just a friend from that party."

He chuckled like I just cracked a joke. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Napailing iling ito, "I know what you do."

I looked away. Imposible. I know they're more capable of doing things but we have kept our job a secret for couple of years. Even large drug syndicates and wealthy crime families we encountered don't know about us.

"You're a call center agent, I'm sure your communication skills might be a good help in negotiating with other clans." Napatingin ako sakanya ulit.

Oh. So that's what he meant. But he really did dig information about me.

"Why do you need me? Nauubusan na ba kayo ng tao para gawin trabaho niyo?" I scoffed. For all I know, Yakuza can have 200 or more people.

"You ruined our plan, might as well use you for work."

I rolled my eyes. "How's that plan so important to you? Wala ka bang plan B?" Duh, ang daming solusyon sa mundo, gusto niya talaga manakit ng babae.

"I don't fucking care. I want to murder someone important to Dean and you ruined it."

"Dean?" I only know Dean Stravos, one of commander's friend. He's a boss from an organization, which also works for something illegal.

"Dean fucking Stravos." Right, this was commander has been telling about. "Anyway, you're gonna be staying with the boys. I'll ask them to bring you at home."

Home? I'm staying with these lunatics? "Where's that place?" Am I really stuck with them? Bigla akong nalungkot. No matter how I try to be strong and unbothered, I'm still worried about them.

I'm sure something terrible happened that caused them to let this dimwit have his way.

I'm missing them at the moment.

"Why would I tell you?" He stood up and walks near the telephone hung at the wall. "Bring this brat home."

"Home my ass."

He smirked. "It's a home, Salvatierra. Trust me."