ICE
I emptied the whiskey in my goblet and followed Trace and Atlas after they left me in the study alone. I walked to the hallway while glancing at the lifesize portraits of the Ferreiras and Silvas family members along the way. My image was there too, same with Trace and his sister Paige, Atlas and his twin Althea, in the counterpart of the Silvas, Hail and Brix portraits can be seen too.
As I entered the conference room, all their eyes looked at me. Everyone is waiting for me, obviously.
I stepped in boringly.
“Mabuti at nandito ka na, hijo.” Mama said and I smiled at her. She used the Filipino language so only a few could understand. Ganoon naman niya ako kausapin kapag kaming dalawa lang talaga.
That is a certain fact of being someone with Filipino blood, kahit saan yata makaabot ay lalabas pa rin ang pagiging Filipino. I am not good in accent of the language but I can comprehend and speak fluently. Being raised in this kind of family, we need to be linguist. Hindi nga lang kasama ang Filipino language sa inaaral pero dahil ang mama ko naman ang nagturo sa akin ay ibang usapan na iyon.
My mother being half-Filipina, that makes me quarter-Filipino. At isa pa, usually ay gano’n si Mama kapag nagwo-worry siya sa akin at ayaw niyang ipaalam kay Papa ang pag-aalala niya. Ayaw na ayaw kasi ni Papa na nagmumukha akong hindi makaalis sa nangyari sa nakaraan.
Indeed. Papa thought that thinking about what had happened before was wasting time. That I should focus ahead and stop whining about the past.
Again, I closed my eyes to relive the memory in my thoughts. It is still painful. Fucking painful! But I need it... I need it to never forget how my family was bombed to death and to never forget about my plan to revenge.
And that tattooed woman… I am inquisitive about her.
Questions in my head are not only for the mastermind of the tragedy but also…
Why did she save me after I thought she would kill me?
How did she know the FSO and my connection with the family’s organization?
And why… why can’t she be found? Is she still alive? I hope so. How I hope so.
“Ice, can we start this meeting?” Trace asked me with irritation on his face because of boredom. “I need to go to the US after this. I am a very busy person, just to inform you.”
“Sim, vamos começar,” I walked to my chair.
Mama gets out of the room among other family members who were not part of the board meeting. Ans for two hours, I listened to their reports, checked the figures, and gave the floor for their proposal.
“May I have the floor now?” Trace asked all of us.
I gave him a side glance, this cousin of mine was not interested before in FSO, which is why I don’t know why he is here with a proposal.
“May I have the floor now, Ice?” Trace repeated his query, and I cocked my brows to gesture at him to say what he wanna say.
“Thanks, my proposal is simple. Join Foedus.”
My eyes boringly looked at him and saw Atlas was grinning beside him. Atlas has an idea already about what Trace is planning, of course. Magkasabwat na naman ang dalawa.
“Trace, you are the head of Foedus and a member of FSO. You are enough already to represent us in that organization.” Papa was the one who spoke that.
“Tio Ansel, look… I am giving this family's organization its chance to be protected by Foedus.”
“Are you telling me that FSO is nothing compared to your Foedus?” I sense papa's hypertension is starting as Trace's words are kinda insulting.
“Well, let us face the fucking fact, Tio Ansel. The supposed head of this organization is Brix’s adopted son, right?” Trace asked a question I sensed was dangerous for him.
Brix's eyes daggered to Trace as soon as the latter heard the 'adopted' word for his youngest son. I smirked dahil mukhang may mag-aaway na ilang sandali pa.
"Trace, are you telling me that Art doesn't deserve to be my heir?" galit na tanong na ni Brix. I grinned, sabi ko na nga. Trouble yata ang hanap ni Trace sa pag-attend ng meeting ngayon.
"I am just stating a fact, Brix." Trace to Brix na hindi na okay ang itsura. "Stop acting like I said those words to Art's face. I treated the boy as yours and never questioned his identity. I am only pointing out something that everyone here should consider."
I sighed. Looking at my cousins while listening to their points of view made me think about how chaotic we are now. Then a flash from the past made me remember her. Hell...
****
“I’m gonna show you something, Ice.” She told me while I was hugging her. She was only eighteen, and I was twenty-three. We were in a hotel where I booked us for a night. She's my girl, and we have been seeing each other for two months.
“What is it?” I asked curiously while smiling at how she looked happy.
“I have a tattoo…” she excitedly informed me.
“Tattoo?”
“Look!” She showed me the letter ‘I’ on the side of her left breast.
“I?” I was speechless; obviously, it was my initial.
“It’s your initial.” She giggled and started undressing. “I only have tonight to spare with you, Ice.”
After she had undressed, she pushed me into bed. She positioned above me and kissed me while unbuttoning and unzipping my pants. Her hands were trembling while doing that.
I pulled her, and I kissed her deeply. I love her. I knew I loved her… and what she did make my member rock hard.
****
“Com o devido respeito, Tio Anselmo! Estou apenas preocupado com FSO e o que estu dizendo é a verdade que esta organização precisa de Foedus!” Trace’s persuading voice makes my attention back to the meeting.
I clicked my tongue as I made a tsk sound. If I do not intervene, my father will start to punish this arrogant cousin of mine in our family's way of discipline.
“We are not interested in joining Foedus, Trace.” I end their discussion.
“Hah! Really, Ice?” he mockingly asked me.
“Told ya!” Atlas said in his light tone to Trace. “Just accept the screwing fact that I am the only one interested in being part of your Foedus, Trace.”
“No one will join Foedus!” I almost growled with every word I said to stop their nonsense.
“Fuck you!” Trace said that in his 'fantastic' way.
“Mouth, Patricio!” That was Tio Anton.
When I glance at Hail and Brix ay hindi umiimik ang magkapatid. Like telling me na bahala na ako dahil ayaw na nilang patulan si Trace.
Ibinalik ko ang tingin ko kay Trace. His heavy breathing was evident; I knew it was because he didn’t like my decision. I shook my head in disbelief at what was happening. He just came out of nowhere and now acts like an angel from heaven sent to guide us.
There is nothing wrong with his proposal, but FSO is still prospering, so we don't need an alliance, especially Foedus.
FSO could stand on its own.
I agreed on what he said to me earlier in the study room, na kung sa Foedus ay matutulungan niya ako mahanap ang nagpapatay sa pamilya ko. Iyong bagay na iyon ay naniniwala ako pero ang ipinamumukha niya sa aming lahat na kailangan ng FSO ang Foedus niya ay isang kalokohan.
We continued the meeting. Trace and Atlas no longer said a word. Tahimik na lang sila at mukhang may pinaplano na naman. Si Atlas ang iniisip ko, masyado itong humahanga kay Trace at hindi ko maintindihan ang kagustuhan na sa Pilipinas muna manirahan.
I adjourned the meeting after there was nothing to talk about. I left the conference room, walked to the lanai, and stayed there for a while. I was looking nowhere as I remembered Libby and Millie... and how unfair I was to them for not introducing them to my family.
Even though she was not my first love, Libby was still the first woman that made me aim again for a peaceful life. And the only one who made me whole again after the… the accident that day...
After Hope died in the accident because of me.
Hope...
“Ice…”
I didn't turn around to face the one calling me. It was Atlas.
“Se você vai me dizer que gosta de se juntar a Foedus, então pare por aÍ, Atlas. I am not going to listen to your wants. You will kill yourself joining Foedus." Inunahan ko na si Atlas dahil alam ko na ang sasabihin niya. Pilipinas na naman.
“Let Atlas go with me,” Trace interrupted, and I turned to face him. I am taller than Trace but how he looked at me is like telling me I should not contradict his plan.
“Sim, o Trace está certo. Desculpe, Ice. Mas eu preciso ir com meus planos.” Atlas walked away after saying that. I was left with Trace grinning at me like he was telling me he had won our cousin’s favor.
I know what Trace is doing. He wanna provoke me as he wanna convince me to join his Foedus. Kung bakit ito nangungulit ay wala rin akong ideya.
“You laid your cards, and I already declined. So stop pushing your luck now, Trace. FSO still matters to me.” I told him to clarify that nothing could change my mind.
“The hell of deciding fast, Ice!" Trace chuckled. "Words of wisdom for you, Isidro. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is important. Your strength will be your advantage. Your weakness is your priority. Put that in your mind, for I can foresee that you will lose all of your strength because of your weakness. Better listen... You.Need.Alliance!”
Trace left me after he stated that. A lopsided grin formed on my lips as I didn’t give a damn about the weakness and strength drama of Trace.
The only thing I know and need to follow is my favorite word. Focus.
Yeah… Focus is the game. That is the only thing I believe in aside from... hope.
Yeah. Hope.
And Hope… I miss you…
Portuguese: Sim, vamos começar. (Yes, let’s start.) Com o devido respeito, Tio Anselmo. Estou apenas preocupado com FSO e o que estou dizendo é a verdade que esta organização precisa de Foedus! (With due respect, Tio Anselmo. I am just concerned with FSO, and what I am saying is the truth that this organization needs Foedus!) Se você vai me dizer que gosta de se juntar a Foedus, então pare por aÍ, Atlas. (If you are going to tell me that you would like to join Foedus, stop there, Atlas.) Sim, o Trace está certo. Desculpe, Ice. Mas eu preciso ir com meus planos. (Yes, Trace is right. Sorry, Ice. But I need to go with my plans.)
YUMI Six months na mula nang araw na iyon… mula nang araw na bumalik sa alaala ko ang lahat dahil kay Sir Rex, dahil sa pagtawag niya sa akin ng Hugo. I crossed my brows as I frowned. Ako si Hugo… ang tinatawag ding Agent H sa grupo ng mga Sicarius ng Incognito. Since I went missing, ano ang dahilan at hindi nila ako hinanap? Imposibleng hindi nila alam na buhay ako. That night… Nasa alaala ko na ang lahat… Of that tragic night! Si Liza Pratts… ang anak niyang si Libby at apong si Millie… pare-pareho silang hindi ko nailigtas at si… si Isidro Andrade, ang asawa ni Libby, iyon ang pangalan niya na ayon lang sa impormasyon mula sa ipinadalang file sa akin ni Helio nang gabing iyon. Isidro Andrade. I smirked sadly. Nagtago pa siya sa Andrade na apelyido. Hindi na lang pinalitan nang tuluyan ang buong pangalan, kung gustong mamuhay na malayo sa kinalakihan niya. He should not used Andrade at baka hindi pa na-trace kung sino siya, baka hindi pa nadamay ang mag-ina niya. But…
ICE I was staring blankly at the wall. I was like that after reading Lash's information that he messaged me. After the chaotic annual meeting ay hindi ko pa rin napigilan si Lash sa pagsama kay Trace sa Pilipinas, and as I heard, as of now ay natagpuan na niya ang pakay niya roon. I breathed out harshly sa asar sa dalawang pinsan ko. That message is taunting me. Atlas sent that to inform me na natulungan na siya ni Trace after just months staying in the Philippines. It was like telling to my face na malaki ang nagawa ni Trace for him samantalang ako ay hanggang ngayon nag-aalangan pa sa pagsama sa Foedus, na sana ay siya na lang ang alukin ng membership. A knock on the door made me take a glance at it. I stood up and opened it. I am expecting some contacts to be here at this moment. “Hi, Sid…” a beautiful woman greeted me with her seductive smile. She is wearing her dark red fitted dress. Tube-like design, and without her blazer, her boobs look like they are getting out of her d
YUMI I need to find Ice, at sa ngayon ay ang lalaki sa harap ko ang tanging pag-asa ko. Yes, I know na si Sir Rex lang ang pwedeng makatulong sa akin lalo na at siya na ang may sabi na associate ng grupo niya ang mga taga-FSO. Rex Pellegrini, the mafia king of his clan. That is all I remember from the file I read years ago in Incognito. Nandoon ang file ni Sir Rex pero nakalagay lang sa archive. “Incognito…” bulong ko sa pangalan ng organisasyon namin. Hindi ko alam if may idea si Sir Rex sa grupo namin lalo na at hindi naman kami considered na mafia organization. We are just working for mafias, syndicates, mobsters, terrorists or even the government as long as they give a reasonable price to offer Helio. We are assassins and sometimes... mercenaries. “Incognito indeed.” Sir Rex boringly tapped his left hand's fingers on his desk while leaning on his swivel chair. “What about that group?” “I was raised by that group and—” “Trained. Punished. Tortured. What else?” “I hate the
ICE Habang nililinis ng mga tao ko ang loob ng apartment ay nag-uusap naman kami ni Kyle, ang hacker na sinasabi ng contact ko kanina na dapat kong makausap. Siya ang hinihintay ko kanina pa, but Avery disturbed the moment. Thinking of Avery ay nilingon ko siya at saktong nasa body bag na. Mukha na lang niya ang nakikita ko. I supposed to offer her money para magsalita pero inuna niya ang pagka-loyal niya sa Incognito. But thanks to her at binigyan niya ako ng dahilan para maging interesado pa lalo sa Incognito. I am interested more because I wanna know who is Hugo at bakit ako pinagbibintangan na nagtatago sa kaniya. “Boss, check this one.” I checked the file in Kyle's tablet that he is showing me. Binasa ko ang mga nakasulat doon na kung ano-ano, mga tungkol sa mga nakalap na information sa taong tinutukoy. I scanned it all. Iba-ibang mga lugar at personalidad ang naging trabaho na ng taong pinapabasa sa akin ni Kyle. Muli kong ibinalik sa pinakataas na naka-highlight ang tingi
YUMI“Did Ice know that you have a son?” A question from Sir Rex that made me stunned for a while. “No.” I sighed sadly. “Hindi niya nalaman na buntis ako noon.”“Why?” Napatigin ako kay Sir Rex. Gusto ko sana siyang biruin na tsismoso niya naman kaso baka matuluyan ako. Pinigilan ko na lang mapangiti isipin na ang pogi ni Sir Rex pero tsismoso. “Why?” muli ay tanong niya. “I left him and I know he still believes I am dead as of now. Hindi naman niya siguro ako nakilala that night. Hindi naman niya siguro alam na ako ang nagligtas sa kaniya. But I remembered that he tried to point his gun on me, bago siya nawalan ng malay.”Thinking of the night after the bombing made me sad. Kung hindi pala ako naunahan sa pagbaril kay Ice ng mga Italiano na iyon ay baka ako pa pala ang nakapatay sa ama ng anak ko, sa lalaking kaisa-isang minahal ko. “Incognito made you left him?” tanong naman ni Sir Rex na nagpangiti sa akin. Buti na lang pogi itong boss ko kaya okay lang na tsismoso. Ngiti
ICESo Incognito knows my involvement with their top agent… Their top agent, which I have no idea about, was Hope. My first love. The woman I first think of starting a family. We may be young then, but we were in love. I love her truly, and so she does love me in return. But what if... it was just a lie, or just what I thought... Muli kong naalala ang pagluluksa ko kay Hope noon. Naalala ko ang ilang beses kong pag-iyak at pagsisisi kapag ako lang mag-isa at naiisip ang nangyari sa kaniya. Siya ang dahilan kaya naisip ko na maging simple ang buhay namin ni Libby. Si Hope ang dahilan kaya naisip ko na para hindi matulad sa kaniya si Libby ay magsisinungaling ako tungkol sa tunay na status ng buhay na mayroon ako.And now, Libby died miserably kasama si Millie, at ang anak namin na hindi pa lumalabas sa mundo… now that they died ay malalaman ko na buhay si Hope. And her work... Hell!!!Napapikit ako. That is why Avery was using her body to lure me, para mahanap kung saan ko tinatago
YUMI Three months had passed at sabi ni Sir Rex ay kailangan niya pumunta ng Austria. I heard them talking. May kausap siya, mga tao niya at pasimple lang akong nakinig dahil tumutupad ako sa usapan namin na magpapanggap lang akong walang naaalala. Iyon ang usapan para masiguro na hindi ako pag-iinteresan muna ng Incognito. Ang sabi ni Sir Rex ay kahit siya hindi maintindihan ang plano ng Incognito, kung bakit pinapatagal pa nila ang pagsugod sa akin. And then I said baka dahil kay Ice… probably they want me to get back to Ice first. So ganito na nga lang muna ako. Pretending just a stupid nanny of Baby Reign could make me less targeted. I will remain as Mayumi Lumacad and should forget my name Hugo in Incognito or even Hope. Hindi ako ang mga iyon. Anyway, Mayumi Lumacad is my real name. My true name. Ito ang pangalan na nakuha ko sa orphanage kung saan ako nagmula. Ang pangalan na dahilan para pahirapan ako ni Helio. “Yumi!” tawag sa akin ni Miss Izzy. I faced her. Kung m
ICE After all the stupidity I did as I join Foedus, I am now an associate of the 'amazing' organization. Fuck that cousin of mine. Kung hindi ko lang talaga kailangan ang tulong niya ay hindi ako sasali sa grupo niya. The initiation was sickening. At lahat yata ng galit ni Trace ay sa akin inilabas kaya ang paglalatigo sa akin na dapat ay isandaan lang ay ginawa pang dalawang daan. At ang gago, natapos ko na ang orgy at three kills ay may dinagdag pa. Pina-marathon pa ako kasama ng isa sa mga alaga niya. Pandadaya na lang ang nagpanalo sa akin. Gawin ba namang mag-one on one kami ng cheetah niya sa pagtakbo. Ano naman ang laban ko sa alaga niya? Pero desidido akong manalo kaya sinaksakan ko ng droga pampatulog. But Trace is right… tama naman talaga siya. Sa Foedus ay may paraan para matapos ang paghahanap ko sa mga sagot. And now here in Italy ay ilang araw ko nang inoobserbahan ang galawan sa mansion ni Pellegrini. A phone call disturbed me at napatingin ako kay Kyle na kasama ko