Chapter Three

Angela

January 14, 2022

"Sagitarius, is everything clear?"

"Yup. Just like the night sky." I hugged myself as the cold wind blew.

"Sag, there is a storm outside. Are you telling us something is not right?"

"Just kidding. Calm down, Libra. I can do this. I can already see the target."

"Just make sure that he will see you."

"I already have a plan. Don't worry. I've been in this field for four years, for Pete's sake! Trust me on this one!"

"Oh yeah? And just how many targets did you knock out before even gathering information? Even when you were in the intelligence unit, you were way too impatient. I can't even believe that I've been working with you for almost seven years!"

"Come on, Libra. You're the one who offered me this job. Anyways, I'll hang up. The target is finally approaching."

Hindi ko na hinintay pa na magsalita si Ellisa at naghanda na para sa naisip kong plano.

Nang makita na dadaan na sa harap ko ang target namin ay nagmamadali ako na lumapit na ako sa kaniya.

Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at halos lumuhod na ako. Basang-basa na ako dahil sa ulan at puno na rin ako ng putik

"Sir, tulungan niyo po ako. Palimos naman po. Kahit magkano lang po. Kailangan ko lang po ng pampagamot ng nanay ko."

Nakalugay ang wig ko pero sinigurado ko na hindi iyon maalis kahit pa basang-basa na ako.

Muli niyang binawi ang kamay niya at nandidiri siyang tumingin sa akin bago ako marahas na itulak palayo. "Wala akong maibibigay sa iyo! Tumabi ka, nagmamadali ako!"

Nagmamadali siyang lumakad papalayo pero hinabol ko sya at hinawakan ang laylayan ng polo na suot niya.

"Sir, parang awa niyo na po. Kailangan ko po talaga ng pera. Gagawain ko po lahat. Parang awa niyo na po."

Saglit itong tumingin sa akin. Tinignan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa na tila ba sinusuri ako.

"Kahit ano?"

Para akong tanga at sunod-sunod na tumango.

"Sumunod ka."

Tumayo ako at pinagpagan ang tuhod ko. Niyakap ko muli ang sarili ko dahil sa hampas ng malamig na hangin na tumatama sa balat ko.

"Now that's easy." narinig kong natatawang sabi ni Ellisa.

Sumunod ako sa kaniya at pumasok kami sa loob ng isang bar, malakas ang tugtog at mas madilim sa loob kung ikukumpara mo ito sa ibang bar.

Dumeretso siya sa isang pinto na may daan pababa ng gusali. Pag dating sa baba ay may panibagong pinto ulit at pagpasok namin ay may entablado sa harap at marami ang tao na nakapaligid. Lahat sila ay may suot na maskara.

"Sisiguraduhin ko na ang pera na kikitain mo ay maipapadala sa pamilya mo." para siyang baliw na tumingin sa akin.

“Sandali! Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?” naguguluhan kong tanong.

Alam ko na kung ano ang mangyayari pero kailangang hindi siya maghinala sa akin.

“Basta! Malaki ang maipapadala ko sa magulang mo. Mamaya ay kakausapin kita para maipadala ko sa nanay mo ang kikitain mo ngayong gabi.”

Hindi na ako sumagot kaya naman ibinaling na niya ang atensyon niya sa isang babae na labas-pasok sa isang kwarto na tanging kurtina lang ang nagsisilbing pinto.

"Brenda! Palitan mo ng damit ang isang ito!" tinulak niya ako papasok sa kwarto at agad naman akong hinila ng matabang babae na tinawag niyang Brenda. Mahigpit ang kapit niya sa braso ko. Kung hindi ako undercover malamang ay binalibag ko na siya. But I have to keep my act up.

"Suotin mo ito!" ibinato niya sa akin ang itim na lace lingerie na pang itaas at mailing maong shorts, kasama ang maliit na tuwalya. Itinulak niya ako papasok sa maliit na sulok na natatakpan lang ng kapirasong tela. Ang tanging natatakpan lang ng damit na ibinigay niya sa akin ay ang dibdib ko at halos makita na rin ang singit ko sa shorts na suot ko.

Bago lumabas ay kinuha ko ang maliit na cutter sa bulsa ng suot kong shorts kanina at inilipat iyon sa shorts na suot ko ngayon.

It's a good thing I didn't bring my gun.

"Tapos ka na ba?" galit na sigaw ni Brenda.

"M-matatapos na."

Matapos masigurado na ayos na ang lahat ay lumabas na ako.

Tila demonyo na tumingin siya sa akin. "Maganda ang napulot ng kapatid ko ngayon. Milyones na naman ang kikitain namin."

Paglabas ko sa sulok kung saan ako nag bihis ay tsaka ko nakita ang kabuoan ng kwarto. Maliit lang ang espasyo at kung tutuuisn ay siksikan na kami rito, karamihan pa sa mga kasama kong mga babae ay umiiyak. Ang ilan sa kanila ay menor de edad pa.

Nang umalis si Brenda ay pumunta muli ako kung saan ako nagbihis kanina at agad kong sinabi Kay Ellisa ang sitwasyon.

"There are about ten people here. Three of them are minors."

"So, the intelligence team was right. The bar is indeed a front for human auction. Stay put, Sag. We will raid them once we have enough evidence."

"Roger that."

Lumabas na agad ako at akmang uupo pa lang sa tabi ng isang babae ay sakto naman na pumasok muli si Brenda sa maliit na kwarto at hinablot ako.

Nasa gilid na kami ng entablado at nilagyan na ako ng posas ni Brenda.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our auction! For this night, we will start with the most valuable item! You can have this one as your slave or even your sex doll!"

Itinulak ako ni Brenda papalapit sa nagsasalita.

Brando Pelaez, our main target for tonight. He's the preparator in this human auction.  Every auction that he makes is an Absolute Auction. Meaning, there is no ceiling. Anyone can bid how much money they want to bid. The highest bidder will be the one who will get the property. But in his terms, it's the person that he is selling.

Nagkunwari akong natatakot at nanatili na nakayuko.

Marahas na inangat ni Brando ang mukha ko para makita ng lahat. Halos maalis na ang suot kong mask but it's a good thing that Ellisa secured it nicely. Sinigurado niya na hindi iyon basta-basta matatanggal.

"Isn't she Gorgeous?"

Marami ang pumalakpak at naghiyawan. But there is this one guy that is silently sitting in the corner. It's like he's just observing.

"We will start with 5 Million pesos!"

Isa-Isa nang nagtaas ng kanya-kanyang number.

"Six and half million!"

"Eight million!"

"Ten million!"

Are these people crazy? They are going to spend millions just for this auction?

"We will enter in thirty seconds. Be prepared. Make sure that Brandon won't be able to escape."

"Ten million! Any higher bids? Going once, going twice, and-" Brandon was cut off when someone raised his number.

It was the guy from before. I thought he's just observing.

"One million."

Everyone in the hall laughed at him.

"Sir, didn't you hear me earlier? The starting price is five million pesos. Not one million pesos."

"Who told you that I'll pay in peso? It's one million. One million dollars."

Everyone went silent.

Oh, this guy is crazier than I thought! He's going to spend fifty million pesos in this auction?

Magsasalita pa lang si Brando nang may Malakas na galabog kaming narinig. Tumalsik ang pintuan na pinasukan namin kanina pababa dito. "Everybody keep your hands above your head!"

Nagsipasok ang nasa limang katao at may hawak na kaniya-kaniyang baril kaya naman ang lahat ay yumuko na.

Patakbo na Sana si Brando pero mabilis ko siyang nahablot at napadapa sa sahig.

"P-paano? Naka-posas ka!"

"You mean this one?" ipinakita ko sa kaniya ang posas na ikinabit sa akin ni Brenda kanina. "It's pretty easy to pick the lock of this shit."

"Kasama ka nila?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Isang mahinang pag click ang narinig ko. Naramdaman ko na may nakatutok sa ulo ko. Paglingon ko ay may hawak na baril si Brenda at nakatapat iyon sa akin.

"Pakawalan mo siya o pasasabugin ko ang ulo mo?"

I silently reached my mini cutter from my pocket.

"I'm sure you won't do that." Itinutok ko ang maliit na blade ng cutter ko sa leeg ng kapatid niya.

"Nagpapatawa ka ba? Anong magagawa ng maliit mong cutter sa baril na hawak ko?"

"Don't underestimate the capabilities of my cutter. Sure it looks cute but it has already killed around twenty criminals since I had it."

"Ha! Sinong niloko mo?" Mas Itinutok niya ang baril sa ulo ko.

"No one! Marami na ang nagsabi na niloloko ko sila about this cute cutter but most of them ended up dead."

Bago pa niya makalabit ang gatilyo ng baril niya ay mabilis ko nang nahiwa ang kamay niya nabitiwan niya iyon.

It left a deep cut that made her scream in pain. The blade of my cutter is just about 1.5 centimeters long but with the right slash and right speed, it can leave a deep wound.

"Told you."

Ibinalik ko naman ang atensyon ko kay Brando.

"Do you want to see how sharp this cute thing is?"

Namuo ang pawis sa noo niya at nanginginig siyang umiling.

Lumapit na sa akin si Ellisa. She's also wearing a mask that has the same design with the mask that I'm wearing right now.

"Good job, Sag."

"Thanks."

"We will take it from here. We have caught twenty six bidders."

"Twenty six?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You can have a look."

Agad naman akong pumunta kung nasaan ang mga na huling bidders.

"Kulang ng isa."

"You mean there are twenty seven bidders?"

"Yes! The one who bidded one million dollars!"

Bumaling si Ellisa sa mga kasama namin.

"Go and search around the area."

Agad naman sumunod ang dalawa.

"Aries, this is Libra. We have one missing bidder. Go and check the area."

"Roger that." rinig kong Sabi ng nasa kabilang linya. Bumaling naman muli sa akin si Ellisa.

"You should go home. Asher is waiting for you."

"Oh shoot! I almost forgot! I promised to watch a movie with him!"

"Hurry up!"

Mabilis na akong lumabas sa establishment at sumakay sa gray Toyota Wigo na nakapark sa di kalayuan. I removed my wig and my mask before tossing it at the back of my car. I also changed into my regular clothes before driving back home.

I'm still living at Themis Homes or should I say the third floor of Themis Cafe? It's already past Eleven. Pagpasok ko sa living room ay nakahiga na si Asher sa carpet habang nasa hawak ang tablet niya.

"Honey, Mommy's home." Ibinaba ko ang sling bag ko sa couch at naupo.

He sat on the carpet and crossed his arms.

"You promised me that we will watch a movie. But you're late."

Umupo ako sa harap niya bago ginulo ang buhok niya.

"I'm really sorry, Honey. You know that Mommy has important business tonight right?"

He looked away and pouted "Yeah."

"You must've felt alone. Why don't we sleep tonight and let's go shopping tomorrow?"

"But I'm not sleepy yet." He yawned right after he said that.

I giggled as I picked him up. He wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his face on my shoulder.

"Mommy, I'm already a big boy. You shouldn't carry me like this anymore." halos pabulong niya na sabi.

"Asher, you just turned six a couple weeks ago. You're still a baby. You are my baby."

Binuksan ko na ang kwarto niya na dating stock room. Right after the girls knew the gender of the babies I'm carrying, they renovated this room.

Unfortunately, one of my children died. The night I gave birth to them, a fire occurred in the hospital. And it started in the Nursery. Some newly born children didn't make it. About five children died in that accident. One of them is Ashley, my daughter.

"Mom, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Hmn? Okay. If you say so."

I closed the door of his room and went inside my room and laid him on my bed. I changed my clothes into my pyjamas and laid next to Asher. He hugged me and buried his face on my chest. I gently stroked his hair as I began to hum a lullaby.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we will be happy if Ashley is here?"

It took me several seconds before answering. "Of course. You will not feel lonely, especially when I'm out doing missions."

"Do you think she will be pretty just like you?"

"Of course, honey. She's your twin. You are handsome and for sure, she will be pretty. She will look just like you."

"But I don't want her to look just like me."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"I want her to be as pretty as you."

I kissed his forehead while smiling.

"Can you still remember what she looks like?"

"Yup. I can clearly remember how she smiled at me when I held her way back then."

"How about me?"

"Hmn, I can remember how you glared at me. Nakasimangot ka noon. But when I smiled at you, you stopped frowning."

Hinintay ko kung may itatanong pa siya pero nang tingnan ko siya ay mahimbing na ang tulog niya. I smiled weakly as I kissed his forehead.

"Good night, my angel."