Undercover Bride (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Damira's waiting for us," ani Hudson sa akin nang magkita kami sa labas ng headquarters.

Muli ay napabuntong-hininga ako nang maalala ko ang nangyari sa Maldives. We were able to retrieve Lee's body but it was not on the state na gusto ni Damira. He was lifeless when we got his body from the rock formation. According to the autopsy, ang bala na tumama sa dibdib nito ang tuluyang tumapos sa buhay niya. Right after we updated Damira about it, galit na galit nito kaming binulyawan.

Sa tagal ko nang nagtatrabaho sa El Carter, ngayon ko lang naranasan ang ganito—na pumalpak sa misyong ibinigay sa akin. Kung sino ang babae na nakasagupa rin ng team ni Lee ay wala kaming ideya ni Hudson. Para itong bula na pagkatapos magpakita, bigla ring nawala. The only thing that we could tell about her is that she's a she at kagaya namin ay matindi rin ang galit nito kay Lee.

"She's furious as hell," he added, pertaining to Damira. "I never imagined that this day would come. I mean, having a conversation with Damira about a failed mission? So not me."

"I couldn't blame her and her anger. We have our order and didn't do as she said," I uttered.

Magkasabay kaming naglakad papunta sa office ni Damira. Pagkapasok na pagkapasok namin ay halos mata ng mga kasamahan namin ang bumungad sa aming dalawa. Of course, they know. Wala naman kaming kahit na anong maitatago sa iba pa naming kasamahan dahil nagrerelease ng mission note ang The Hub—once na nagfail ka, nakalagay naman ang rason kung bakit. Ang kaibahan lang sa kaso namin, wala pang rason na nailalagay at hindi pa rin namin alam ni Hudson kung may parusa ba kaming makukuha.

"I don't care if you killed that girl! You should've protected Lee!" Damira said furiously nang makarating kami sa office niya. "If only I know that the both of you can't execute this mission properly and neatly, I could've assigned another team to do it! It seems like it's a wrong idea to put too much trust to the both of you!"

Walang kahit na sino sa amin ni Hudson ang nagsalita. Ako mismo sa sarili ko, I know that I could do better yet wala akong ginawa—wala akong nagawa. At that moment, my hands were tied. It's as if my years of training has gone to waste dahil sa nangyari sa misyon sa Maldives.

"The Hub will do another examination on Lee's body and once we found out that the both of you have something to do with Lee's death, you will face the rightful punishment. Understood?" she asked. I nodded as a response. "Leave my office. Now. I don't want to see the both of you."

Nagpaalam kami ni Hudson kay Damira ngunit wala na itong sinabi pa. The life in El Carter is just like that. Once you failed, wala kang karapatang magpaliwanag, lalo pa kung isa ka sa mga top agents ng organisasyon. The expectations are high and once you failed to reach that, lalagapak ka talaga nang sobra.

The golden rule in this line of work is to not have a record of a mission failure because this is nothing like the normal life. In here, failure is not the key to success, rather, it can create a lot of havoc, not just in your own workspace but also to the whole organization. Kahit papaano ay dapat pa kaming magpasalamat ni Hudson na ayon lang ang natanggap namin galing kay Damira.

I went inside my Porsche Panamera and drove to Long Beach Peninsula. I needed some time to breath and think kahit pa hindi ko rin alam kung ano pa ang dapat kong isipin. Lee's gone, we failed, hindi ko rin mahanap ang babaeng dapat sisihin dahil wala itong iniwan na kahit na anong bakas. Masyado siyang malinis magtrabaho and I doubt that she's just an ordinary lady. Paniguradong matapos ang ginawa niya, just like me, she'll go back living with her own identity.

When I couldn't find my usual peace kapag pumupunta ako sa lugar na 'to, I drove back to my apartment. Agad akong naglinis ng katawan at saka ibinagsak ang katawan sa kama ko matapos kong magdamit. I opened my television to watch some news, lalo pa sa nangyari sa Maldives, but one certain news caught my attention. It's not what's about it, but who is. Anger thrummed through my veins as my fury sprang to life.

It's the President of this country, ang taong may matagal ng utang sa akin. Ang taong dahilan kung bakit pinasok ko ang ganitong buhay. Ang taong sumira ng buhay ko!

I closed my fist habang pinapanuod ko ito kung paano siya ngumiti sa kausap niya sa interview, sa kung paano ito tumawa and right there and then, I wanted to make him pay for his sins. Kahit pa alam kong may kapit ito sa El Carter, labas ang organisasyon sa dapat kong singilin sa kaniya.

Ang mukhang 'yan ang bangungot ng buhay ko. I saw him, hindi ako pwedeng magkamali. He was the one who ordered to kill my family! Kitang-kita ng dalawang mata ko kung paanong magmakaawa sa kaniya ang mga magulang ko yet he showed no mercy on them. So I want him to pay for my loss triple the price!

Kinuha ko ang folder na nasa bed side table ko at binuksan ang files na nakalagay roon. It was a profile of someone special to the President. Hahanap lang ako ng tiyempo and I will definitely execute my plan that I've been keeping ever since the day I got into El Carter. Hindi pwedeng ako lang ang mawalan ng pamilya. Hindi pwedeng ako lang ang nagdurusa. I will make him suffer gaya ng kung paano ako naghirap dahil sa ginawa niya!

We were taught not to be consumed by our anger because it will definitely affects us in every mission, but this one's diferent. I want everything to be perfect because I am mad as hell to this man!

Nang buklatin ko ang sunod na pahina ay nakita ko roon ang nag-iisang litrato ng pamilya ko na natitira sa akin. It's been a long time since the shooting happened, but my nightmare's still here, lingering in my mind like a loop. The blood they shed to protect me, mom's smile to assure me that everything's going to be okay, their plea and their cry, the sound of the fiired gun, lahat ng nangyari noong mismong araw na 'yon, sariwang-sariwa pa sa isip ko. It's the kind of nightmare na hanggang sa huling hininga ay dadalhin ko.

Agad kong pinunasan ang luhang lumandas sa pisngi ko. I never imagined my life to be this complicated, to be this...lonely. But this man, this selfish and greedy man, took away the most important people in my life. I didn't die, pero pakiramdam ko ay pinatay niya na rin ako dahil sa ginawa niya.

When I opened my eyes, everything's dark. Kinapa ko ang switch ng lampshade ko at doon ko nakitang halos alas siyete na ng gabi. It's almost dinner time at hindi ko na rin namalayan na nakatulog na pala ako. I checked my phone, wala pang message na kahit na ano. I immediately got up with my phone in my pocket and went to the kitchen to prepare my dinner.

I was busy setting the table when my phone vibrated. Tinignan ko kung sino ang tumatawag and it was Hudson.

"What?" I asked upon picking the call up. I heard him sigh from the other line. "If you're here to annoy me—" he cut me off before I could even finish my sentence.

"Priscilla updated me that the investigation on Lee's body has been done successfully," he uttered.

"You called to tell me that? I am not surprised, Hudson, not even a bit."

Hindi na bago sa The Hub ang magkaroon ng mas mabilis na imbestigasyon kumpara sa mga normal na ginagawa ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno. We have high technologies to help us accomplish every work in a blink of an eye.

"And they already have the result about the gun which ended Lee's life."

My brows formed deep folds. "They do? How did they find a match?" I asked. "I mean, we didn't have the gun used by the perpetrator who killed Lee...so I am quite confused."

He did not answer, but another notification bell rang. Inalis ko ang cellphone sa tenga ko para tignan kung ano 'yon and when I saw the email's subject, halos mawalan ako ng lakas dahil sa pagkagulat. What's the meaning of this?!

"The bullet which ended Lee's life is the same bullet found in your gun, Brielle," Hudson declared.

"Bullshit! I am getting suspended for something that I didn't do?!" I exclaimed. "You know about the truth, Hudson! How can I even fire my gun when I wasn't carrying it—" I stopped nang maalala ko ang naging encounter namin ng babae sa kwarto ni Lee. When she kicked the gun out of my hand, paniguradong doon nito nagawang kunin ang baril ko, and to set me up, she shoot Lee using it.

"I tried explaining to Damira but she wants to meet you," he said. "She said she only wants to hear the truth from you and only you. Meet her tomorrow, Brielle."

I forcibly let out a smile upon hearing his statement, but I know it didn't reach my eyes. It froze on my lips before sliding down my chin before finally shattering on the floor. Alam na alam ni Hudson ang patakaran. They wanted to know the truth from me yet hindi nila ililift ang suspension ko dahil sa mga mata nila, guilty ako sa paggawa ng kasalanang iyon. I am wordless with rage. I immediately ended the call nang hindi nagpapaalam kay Hudson dahil wala akong gustong makausap sa kanila. Paulit-ulit kong binabasa ang email na galing sa The Hub, pero wala sa mga 'yon ang nagmimake sense para sa akin.

This is bullshit!