INSANE RAINS

CHAPTER 18 - Clandestine

"It was already three months when Grace gasped for breath but it is still retaining, roaming in my head. I am afraid of losing my only daughter. I can't Bil." Melanie brought out the issue to Billy as they were sitting waiting for the cups of coffee to come. She held his left hand which was laid on the table, and had told him to leave everything to the law, "Do not smear your hands with black blood." And she suddenly changed her tone, "I cannot blame you but she had chosen you to be her better half. I never regret of you but will you promise me the safety of my daughter?"

"As long as I live, I promise ma." Billy placed his right hand on top of Melanie's, and tapped.

The daybreak ambiance was stone-cold, and fog was prevalent in the area that made the forest completely invisible. The Domingo secret place were covered with dense growth of trees and underbrush; a place Ben had built for a purpose of hiding out in case they will be in great danger. It was bungalow sitting in the mountainside where people there or even tourists were restricted to trek and wander around this area of Cambulo. A No Trespassing signage was hanged in the entrance, its surrounding was fenced, and was not mowed. The three-hectare land was covered with non-bearing trees, environing the bungalow, that add to the freshness of air. In this place every summer vacation, Billy was trained of martial arts, fencing, gun handling and firing, and defensive and offensive techniques, when he started to be teen, for almost four years.

"Your coffees are ready..." Grace spoke, holding a tray of three cups of coffee and newly baked pandensal (bun) made by her. "O. You're talking so serious. What's all about?" she added before she served.

"Uhm. We're just talking about our stay here." Billy shortly answered. He stirred his coffee.

"Mmm-hmm..." Melanie added some creamer in her coffee.

"By the way -" Billy uttered to diverge the confabulation. "I'll be going down to the farmhouse to settle things." When he said settle things, Grace had this feeling of he'll plan to search the one who sniped us because since the accident was not thoroughly investigated, Billy was always doubting the police investigation which he always refers as money-machine-crocodiles.

"Love. Bil, do not put the law in your hand." Grace settled her butt on the chair, and leaned forward to reach his hand.

Billy looked at her then glanced Melanie, and smiled. "Do not be bothered of me. I can handle myself."

"Luke will be coming with you." Grace said, and gave herself a sip. Melanie was just mum.

"No. He'll be left here. Once again, Mrs. Domingo, I - can - handle - myself." Billy prolonged and gave an emphasis on the word I can handle myself. "I'll just settle things and contact pa. I'll come back in two hours." And took the last sip of his coffee.

Billy stood and kissed her cheek, "I'll go now."

"Have breakfast before you leave."

"It's okay. I'm not hungry." And he went in the room to change his cloths. Grace headed in the kitchen and put two egg-sandwiches and a pair of banana in a lunchbox.

"I'll keep going." Billy uttered as he was going out, but Grace outreached Billy to hand off his breakfast. "Thank you, Love." And kissed her.

Billy trailed down to the house where he parked his Compact-SUV. He had reached the farmhouse in 30-minute time.

Upon reaching the farmhouse, Billy directly went in the room to take a bath before he will talk to the tenant regarding the rice field. The rice field was in tenancy of Buoy Ullani. After the death of his grandfather, Wigan, the land titles were transferred to his father and to his aunty Liza equally. The rice field and 4-hectare land were given to Ben, and the company which was ere named JBG Furniture and a house and lot in Baguio City were given to Liza. However, after the demise of Ben, Liza had managed all their properties and put the rice field in tenancy since Billy was mentally not stable at that time.

Just after he took a bath, he went to the living room to consume whatever was in the lunchbox when he had glimpsed the gift from Liza which he had almost forgotten, and her words before she died came to Billy.

"Bil...ly! The gift. Did you open the gift?"

"You need to know all. It was not an accident; it was an order to kill all of you. Red Dragon is revenging for his brother, Black Dragon... I was looking for the drive and case then to bring Red Dragon down. I concealed everything to you Bil..."

"Ask Dr. Dodge Walter. Your father. Read the letter!"

"Bogs. Jacob."

He could still hear her travailing moans when she said the name of her child and husband.

He took it and tore the wrapper, "Her fave book, Changes." And he was wondering why did she gave it to her. It was an unusual wedding gift. He flipped the cover and had read, "To Billy." And their family picture was inserted. He picked it up and had read, "Email: Psychelovergeek@gmail.com"

He was completely perplexed. "What does she want to tell." And what she had said in the wedding eve party, "Yes, I know... But I need to say something to him... He need to know..." had flashback to him. "She wanted to tell something to me but I didn't give her a chance."

And turned the pages, in chapter one a scribble: FIND, and words were underlined in a red ink: data. to do more. to fight time. to conquer odds beyond hope. to steal back just one life. one man. one woman. one child...one more. try to save each life. Billy furrowed his forehead trying to understand what does she really wanted to convey. He took a pen and a notebook, and wrote the words in order. She might want to say find the data to do more, to fight time, to conquer odds beyond hope, to steal back just one life, and he stopped. Since they were all dead, this one life might be me and she wanted me to avenge for my father, mother and Brail but what does she mean try to save each life? Did she mean I'll try to save others' life? - that was really loosening of screws.

Billy continued to turned the pages until chapter ten but there's no written words or underlined words. He flickered the pages and glimpsed scribbles on the page of chapter 14 so he took a look, Sir Walter was written in cursive. And underlined words: message. him. Stop blaming yourself. I have a confession to make. But God only knew. interview him. He concluded that Sir Walter may be Dr. Dodge Walter, his psychiatrist, and the email address was his. He jutted down Sir Walter s***h Dr. Dodge Walter and below the name was Psychelovergeek@gmail.com.

He flickered the pages again until the end chapter but was nothing scribbled or underlined. However, in the back cover was an embedded SD card. "What's this?" And he quickly inserted it in his phone and opened the only file BILLY, and had read silently the letter with her passport picture at the left margin.

Billy, iho, I know that you're doubting about every snap of my finger. I know you are investigating me. I always look after you wherever you go because I know they are hunting you, not only to kill you but also to take back what their treasure. I can't get the hundred percent to believe every word that I will tell you. I can't blame you for that because I concealed the hope and truth. However, let me tell you the things that you need to know...

I am an undercover agent, known as Liwanag. I and PURE was established to fight against international think-tank, Ten Horns, to control the world. Ten Horns are the ten countries which pursuing the one-world government, aiming to rule the world and to operate their agenda. Every nation has a representative assigned to control and to weaken the government by their agenda. In the Philippines, Mr. Ming Tan a.k.a Red Dragon and Mr. Chi Tan a.k.a Black Dragon were appointed to work their ways to hold the neck of Philippines. Red Dragon is a tycoon and a lord of cocaine Mafia. Black Dragon holds syndicates and criminalities. They had used their power and wealth to influence and to blackmail government officials and police forces. They conspired to control, if they fail to kill, the president so as to operate their agenda. However, Captain Wigan Domingo had an encounter with Red Dragon at the Port of Manila and seized the flash drive, which is assumed to be the list of conspirators, not only for illegal drug cartels but mainly for controlling the nation, and the case, which is assumed to contain the bioweapon. Captain Wigan died in the encounter but Ben and the backups came over in due time. And we don't know who was handling the drive and case, but we assumed it was Ben. And that's the only information that I knew.

We, PURE, are working to cripple the cornerstone of the scheme, which is Red Dragon. For your knowledge, PURE, an agency that doesn't exist in a fix establishment or building and never had joined in any government organizations, aims to bring back peace and to refuse Ten Horns' agenda of controlling the world by publicizing their conspiracies. We purely restore the government of the people, government for the people, government by the people because they were deprived of their rights by anomalistic-crocodile-officials, who aimed only for their own richness.

Because of all these things, they are after us to get back their so-called treasure and to kill us. They don't know our real names for we are using codes but they had known Ben as The Hunter, and had chased after him. Everything that's happening to us is not coincidental, it is planned. The death of your family is planned...Ben's comrade...other innocents. We cannot bring them down without evidences. You know the law, Billy.

I couldn't tell everything here Billy. Email him!

Billy clenched his jaws when he had read the last part. Tears were continuously cascading from his eyes. "Why did you conceal this...everything to me?" And laid his phone on the table, "Aunty Liza, I'm confused. Why did you do this? It is my right to have known these things before everything had happened."

He grabbed his phone again and clicked sss, he made another account.

From: ConQuestion@gmail.com

To: Psychelovergeek@gmail.com

Subject: I don't know!

I don't know who you are but aunty Liza told me to email you after she died. I have a few questions that needs immediate response:

Tell me about the flash drive and case.

Who are involved in PURE?

What does the agenda of Ten Horns?

Who is Mr. Ming Tan?

I am confused of all the things that I knew. I need answers of my many questions. And I have this feeling that you could help me.

And he had sent it. It was three hours had passed, and had forgotten all the things that he should do. The rain was so heavy and the cool breeze creeped on the skin of Billy giving him a chill. He had called Peter to ask for the update of the sniping incident report, as he was waiting for Sir Walter's response.

"How are you, pa?"

"I'm doing good. About the sniping incident, the sniper was arrested and had confessed his real purpose. He had told that he had made it because of business matters so he decided to kill Liza. That's the report. Unfortunately, you and Grace were involved." and he was about to say However, I don't believe it... I know it was Red Dragon's plan.

"If we're talking about money, really, people got crazy. They can kill for money."

"Uhm. Billy, may I cut you off... I just need to finish things."

"Uh. It's. It's okay pa. Go on."

Just putting the phone back to the table, a notification tone had sounded. He reckoned it was Sir Walter. He read: "Unearthing Red Dragon by Mandaragit." He opened the link and browsed it. The things about Ten Horns and Red Dragon that Liza told on her letter was the content of the hypertext. He thought deeply and looked perplexed, he scratched his head. "Ah!" He screamed in anger.

"I've been blaming myself...I was right of what I had seen. I was not hallucinating."

He locked the door and went directly in his car, he checked his sss and there was a reply from Psyche-lover-geek. He had read with his eyes, "That is a matter that couldn't be talked about in here." After heating the engine, he had ridden back to Cambulo.

Thirty minutes later, he directly went up the mountain after parking his car. When he was in the middle of the trail, he met Luke with Grace in his back, and Melanie. "What happened?"

She was cleaning and I found her in the floor fainted." Melanie answered pantingly.

He immediately carried Grace down the mountain and drove in the nearer clinic. Upon reaching the clinic, Grace was already conscious. "What happened?"

"It's okay. You need to be checked up..." Billy chaperoned her out the car to the clinic.

Ten minutes or more, the doctor came out smiling.

"How's she?" Billy and Melanie chorused.

The doctor smiled again, "Nothing to be worried, she was pregnant. It's three months and two weeks."

The word pregnant swept all the worries of Billy and uncontrollably shouted, "Yeah! Oh ho!" and said in a loud voice, "I'm now a father! I'm a father..." and galloped in to the room. He was smiling like he had forgotten everything he had known. "I'm now a father..." and embraced Grace. "Yes. Mr. Domingo." Grace uttered with a whip of smile.

Melanie was that happy that she couldn't remove her smile.

"Baby be strong." Billy bent and spoke in her belly as he was rubbing smoothly.

On the other hand, news swiftly spread its wings around the Philippines: It was written in the newest column by Mandaragit that Mr. Tan is an alleged lord of all Mafias in the Philippines, especially, cocaine cartels and syndicates. He is known as Red Dragon, and the conspirators are also uneathed.

"How could a chaste, generous person do what they are telling. It's all speculations. Allegations! He's helping Catholicism and doing charity. He's a God-fearing man. How could you tell that! Whoever you are? Mandaragit. You have no proof." A woman from Taguig City madly rattled off the personality of Mr. Tan as Mr. Tan and not as Red Dragon. The way they spoke about Mr. Tan showed that Manila was really controlled by his money.

"He support us, who are small and incapable, more than the government." A man answered when asked about Mr. Tan.

Mr. Tan blew the smoke in the air and commanded his men to search and find whoever Mandaragit is, "Kill that little bird!"