Bound by Bullets and Vows

CHAPTER 1

INSIDE A ROOM that smelled of oil, metal and fear. Isang lalaki ang nakagapos sa isang steel chair. Nakatali ang kamay nito sa likuran at nakakadena rin ang mga paa nito para hindi makatakas. Sa kaniyang hitsura, mistula siyang isang delikadong preso na hindi pwedeng makawala.

Napatingin ang lalaki sa pintuan at kapagkuwan kay Alaric na nakatayo. He was searching for an escape that didn’t exist.

Pinatay ni Alaric ang hawak na sigarilyo bago lumapit sa lalaking nakagapos sa steel chair. His posture was relaxed and didn’t speak. His silence was a weapon and he wielded it well.

The man gulped in fear as the Leader of Shadow Organization, the feared mercenary group in Asia, approached him. He has been working in the underground since he can remember. At halos lahat ng mga nakausap niya, walang may gustong makaharap ang isang Alaric Theo Volkov—the man who built his empire step by step from the mud until it became well-known in the Underground and even some rich private companies hire him for protection in exchanged of big amount of money. He was known being formidable leader and commander and also known for his ruthless tactics. Hindi niya akalain na isang araw makakaharap niya ito.

“You know why you’re here,” Alaric said in a calm voice.

Mabilis na umiling ang lalaki. “Hindi ko alam. I swear. I just move shipments. I don’t ask questions.”

But for Alaric who has been a mercenary leader for many years, he knew that man in front of him was lying. Tumaas lamang ang sulok ng kaniyang labi saka naglakad palapit sa metal table. He picked up the data slate resting on its surface. One swipe brought up a manifest filled with serial numbers, rerouted transponder codes and altered delivery paths. It was a clean work, professional... too professional for someone who "just moved shipment.”

“Alam mo ang pinakaayaw ko sa lahat ay ang nagsisinungaling ng harapan,” sabi ni Alaric sa malamig na boses.

Julian, the second-in-command of the Shadow Organization, was standing at the corner, shakes his head. Matagal na siyang nagtatrabaho bilang kanang kamay ng Leader ng Shadow Organization at kilala na niya ito. No one can lie within his keen eyes.

“You rerouted three crates last week,” sabi ni Alaric. His eyes never leave the screen. “You also changed authorization tags and disabled tracking for forty-seven minutes.”

Nag-angat ng tingin ang lalaki.

Alaric met the man’s eyes. “That requires access you don’t have.”

The man’s breathing stuttered.

Malamig na ngumiti si Alaric. “Here’s how this ends. You tell me who paid you, and you will leave this room alive… shaken… injured, maybe, but alive. Who knows?” Nagkibit siya ng balikat. “Or you stay silent, and I start removing variables.”

Napangiwi si Julian and looked at Ronan—third-in-command of Shadow Organization. Variables means by leader… was body parts.

The man swallowed hard. “This is illegal.”

That almost earned a reaction but Alaric’s cold smile disappeared. “Illegal only matters when laws still protect you,” he said. “Right now, they don’t.”

Umayos ng tayo si Alaric saka tinanguan si Julian.

Ronan stepped forward without a word. May inilagay siyang compact device sa lamesa. It was designed for pain rather than fatal damage. Technically non-lethal, but painful. Ito ‘yong klase ng sakit na pipiliin mo na lamang mamatay kaysa ang maranasan ito.

Pero bago pa man ma-activate ni Ronan ang compact device, the man broke. He spilled names out in a rush—routes, and a rival group operating behind shell companies and clean contracts.

Nakinig naman si Alaric hanggang sa matapos na magsalita ang lalaki at sabihin ang lahat ng alam nito.

When the man finally ran out of words, Alaric turned toward the door.

“Wait,” the man rasped. “You said I’d walk out.”

Napatigil si Alaric habang ang kamay niya ay napahawak sa handle. “I said you’d leave alive,” he replied evenly. “I didn’t promise comfort.”

Ronan dragged the man away as Alaric stepped into the corridor.

Julian let out a small sigh. “So, one must be careful when negotiating with the Leader of Shadow,” he said and looked at Ronan. “Don’t kill him. Ipapadala pa natin ‘yan sa Boss niya.”

Tumango naman si Ronan.

Alaric headed to the armory, stripping off his jacket as he walked. His reflection in the glass caught his attention—sharp eyes, and no emotion. This was the version of him people expected because he was a mercenary. A Leader of the fearsome Shadow Organization in Asia.

Sinuri ni Ashriel ang kaniyang baril saka ito ibinalik sa kaniyang holster.

He secured the armory and headed to his office.

His Shadow Organization is a mercenary group in the Underground. Shadow was a fearsome underground organization in Asia. He has inherited this from his grandfather. His parents want to live a normal life, so they left. But his grandfather was not convincing and since his parents passed away, his grandfather passed the title to him.

And he turned it to an empire with wide influence and connections.

Napatingin siya sa isang larawan na nakapatong sa lamesa. It was a picture of his family. And his parents were the only reason why he was still respecting human life and not engaged in so much violence.

Yes, his group was listed in the Underground Organization, but he never does anything below the line. He never does p**********n, drugs, or smuggled weapons. He only does kill, but not the innocent, only those people who deserved to die. And his group offers protection in shadow for rich people in exchanged of money.

“Boss,” Julian knocked on the open door.

“Come in.”

Pero nang pumasok si Julian, hindi ito nag-iisa. May hawak itong lalaki na nakatali ang kamay sa likuran.

Kumunot ang nuo ni Alaric. “This is…”

“Pakawalan mo ako! Wala akong ginawa—”

“Shut up.” Julian gagged the man’s mouth. Then he looked at his Boss. “This man r***d a young girl—”

Hindi pa man natatapos ni Julian ang kaniyang sasabihin nang tumama ang dagger sa nuo ng lalaki. He looked at his Boss in shocked and later, he shook his head. Though his Boss was cold and ruthless, and the most feared mercenary leader of the underground in Asia, he couldn’t bear this kind of crimes.

“Never leave evidence,” Alaric ordered.

Julian slightly bowed his head. “Yes, Boss.” Then he needs to burn this body. Napabuga na lamang siya ng hangin. He was already used to this. So, it’s no problem for him. He dragged the body out of the boss’s office.

Alaric looked at the blood spilled on the floor, and he doesn’t feel any remorse about what he did. One thing he couldn’t bear was that kind of crime—r**e.

“This world was really full of evil,” he muttered.

And he was not an exemption because he knew himself, he was no saint.