Tangled With The Devils (Devils #2)

Chapter 21

__Chauslte's POV__

"ANOW na ba ang nangyare?! Aba't dinala mow na ba siya doown sa gusto mong dalhin--"

"Mang Konrad, I want you to find out about Steinz right away."

I abruptly said, cutting whatever nonsense he was trying to say. I pressed the wheel with my thumb finger hoping to calm down.

"Uhh...specifically ano?"

Now I was pressing my eyes shut. I was planning to get it on together.

"His whereabouts and his recent activities."

"Oh sige, oh nadala mow na ba siya sa--"

"And also I want you to call for an hacker and search for the IP address of Maxwell's daughter." I say's as I was looking over the rear view mirror. The view where in that little brat's school is slowly disappearing.

I felt unease when I heard that she is being threatened by someone else. My body just moved automatically as if it was my responsibility to look for whoever the culprit maybe.

"Okay, okay sige, so ano na ang nangyare--"

"Alert me as soon as you found out where he is."

"Oo nga, perow--"

"Right now."

I ended the call.

There is only two person whom I suspect would be doing this. It's either Alex or Steinz.

The recent activity of Alex can't really be found out. Even if I hired the most skilled investigator. That freaking guy is good at hiding his identity.

I wasn't planning to receive the oncoming call on my phone but when I saw who is calling I answered it in an instant.

"What b*llsh*t are you trying to pull, Alex?!" I said as soon as I received the call.

"My, my, I haven't seen you for months then this is what you'll give me as a greeting--"

"Stop threatening her!"

"--you're ungrateful to a man who have given you power."

A**hole, I already had power when I am not yet under your influence.

"Whatever you are planing to do--"

"You can't stop me. Besides it's getting boring waiting for the right time. So I played a little."

My teeth clenched. "Play all you want but leave her out of it!"

"Oh, it just happen that Victorique is qualified to be my playmate. Why? Are you somehow angry because I am stealing your toy from you?" The tone of his voice made me want to break the wheel I was trying not to forcefully turn.

"Alex, don't you dare--"

"Why are you so desperate to have her anyway?"

I was squeezing my eyes shut. I don't want to loose my temper or I'll probably go crazy again.

Good for nothing!

You're weak!

Both of my ears started to ring in an unbearable way.

"Is it because you think that she can cure your disorder?"

My breathing became ragged when I heard what he said. I knew that he was trying to trigger it, the symptoms that will lead to my break down. Soon, it would take over my mind and body, I have to prevent it.

"Let's say that she can, Chauslte. But the question is can you keep her by your side?"

She died because you are too weak!

"D-don't provoke me Alex."

"What am I provoking? Your anger? Those voices?" My eyes widen.

Die! Die!

My head started throbbing. I steer the wheel to turn the car at the side of the road and stepped on the breaks as soon as I got away from the road.

"Enjoy your sufferings while you can, Chauslte." I didn't want to listen with his laugh afterwards.

I threw the phone away. The ringing worsen as I struggled to reach for the medicine at my compartment but the voices are overpowering my senses, it's getting out of my control now. All the pills scattered at the floor and it took longer for me to reach for one. There is no time for water so I swallowed it against my dry lungs. I pounded my chest with my fist to push down the pills that is stuck in my chest.

"It won't hurt, Hades."

I froze in my place when that familiar voice scratched against my ear. My eyes automatically searched for the man that I knew was seating beside me.

"In this way, you'll be strong."

My eyes widen in horror when I saw in his hand a scalpel.

"Injure the pain."

"No..." I pleaded. My heart started racing and pounding violently inside my chest.

This is what I hated the most. The feeling of fear and the feeling of being helpless. Every part of my body shakes hard, making me sweat. I kept begging but the man beside me didn't listen to everything I'll say.

"I'm not weak." I tried convincing the man but I was too late. He wielded his scalpel against my skin.

I could still feel the pain as I heard the cut in my flesh. My blood pouring and sliding on my beaten skin. The memory of it was fresh, like it just happened yesterday.

I closed my eyes, hoping that when I didn't saw that man, the pain would disappear. But it didn't. The voices got louder and louder. I grabbed the wheel in front of me then I used it as the wall to pound my head on to. I breathed to ease the pain. Right now, all I wanted is to catch whoever is threatening Victorique.

"Ahh!" I groaned when the pain worsen.

One strong hit at the steering wheel and I lost consciousness.

"Mama."

The boy had to hide from his father as he fed his mother with his leftover food. With the bread and a half-bottled water, he bit only a mouthful in order to share it to his starving mother. The mother was in a daze as she accepted the bread.

She was staring in a space and can not comprehend what was happening around her. But she need to eat in order to make sense of everything.

"Ito ang kinita ko sa pagbebenta ng mga...," Hindi niya natuloy ang sasabihin. "Kumain ka nalang muna mama." The boy just left the bread on his mother side.

He stood up to get more water for his mother but before he could move a step, a forceful hand pulled him by his hair and in a second he was shoved on the floor, causing him to injure his head.

"A-aray..." He whined as he felt his mother hand grabbed him by his hair once again while holding the bread with her hand.

"Sinabi ko bang pakainin mo ako?!"

Nanlaki ang mata ng bata at sinubukang alisin ang kamay ng nanay na mahigpit na humahawak sa kanyang buhok.

"M-mama..."

"Pinapakita mo ba na ang anak na ngayon ang nagpapakain sa nanay?! Ganoon na ba akong walang silbi sa'yo?!"

"Mama..." Wala siyang nagawa nang pinasak nito ang hawak na tinapay sa kanyang bibig at sinubukang ipakain sa kanya ang buo.

Kahit na nahihirapan at halos mabilaukan ay sinubukan niya pa ring kaining ang tinapay na pilit na pinapasok nito sa kanyang bunganga. Nang bitawan nito ang kanyang buhok ay agad na binaling niya ang kanyang mukha sa sahig upang iluwa ang ilang tinapay na hindi niya nailunok. Umubo-ubo siya at pinunasan ang luha na lumandas sa kanyang mata.

"Hades, anak..."

Biglang yumukod ang ina at ang kaninang galit nitong mukha ay napalitan ng magandang ngiti na parang hindi nangyari ang ginawa nito kanina.

Binuksan nito ang magkabilang kamay at niyaya siyang lumapit dito. Agad niyang tinapon ang sarili sa braso ng ina at doon ay binaon ang ulo.

"Mama, ayaw ko na po..." Iyak niya habang nakasubsob sa dibdib nito.

"Hmm..." The mother hummed a familiar tune, a tune that would always make him doze off. That would make him relax and feel safe even if he was in her embrace.

"Helya!"

Agad na napadilat ang mata niya nang marinig ang boses ng kanyang tatay. Yumakap siya sa kanyang ina ng mahigpit, ngunit nanatiling payapa ang mukha ng ina na parang alam nito na walang mangyayaring masama.

"Ma..." He pleaded to his mom. But the mother just smiled once again.

"Walang mangyayari, anak." Pagpapalubag-loob nito sa kanya kahit na takot na takot na siya sa palapit na palapit na yabag ng kanyang tatay.

"Helya! Hades!"

 "Mama...," Kumapit siya ng mahigpit sa nanay. That moment what he needed the most is someone who'll protect him.

And that someone who'll give him protection is none other than his mom. But it turned out that he was wrong.

"Magiging okay lang ang lahat...," Tumango lamang ang batang lalaki ngunit nagulat siya nang bigla nitong hiniwalay ang sarili sa kanya at itulak siya. "kasi poprotektahan mo si mama diba? Hindi mo hahayaang saktan siya ni papa diba?"

Nanlaki ang mata ng bata nang maramdaman niya ang paghigit ng tatay niya gamit ang kanyang buhok. Masakit na ang kanyang anit dahil sa ginawa ng nanay niya kanina ngunit mukhang hindi pa tapos ang kanyang paghihirap.

"Mama!" Pakiusap niya sa kanyang nanay na walang ginawa kung hindi ay umupo at tumawa.

Ngunit nang makita niyang may ilan pang tao na lumapit sa kanila ay hinila ang kanyang ina ay nagwala siya mula sa hawak ng kanyang tatay.

"Hades! Hades! Tulungan mo ako!" Sigaw ng kanyang ina.

"Mama!" He screamed in tears as he saw them shoved his mother on the ground.

He knew it was his responsibility to save his mother. His mother was incapable of anything and he is the only one that can save her. Gagawin niya ang lahat protektahan lamang ang ina.

That's when the first time he lost control. Even with his frail body, he tried fighting his father. Tried to save his mother...

I gasp when out of my mouth when I heard a knock at the window. A police with a flashlight in hand is gesturing for me to roll down the window. Breathing hard, I tried to calm down and remember where I was and what I was doing.

"Sir!"

His eyes scanned the pills on the ground and the phone that was now having an incoming call.

Mang Konrad is calling and I picked it up, ignoring the police who was now violently tapping the his window.

"Sir, can I ask you to step out of the car?"

I have no time to talk to him and I started the engine. I stepped on the accelerator and drove my way through the road.

"What is it?"

"I've already did what you asked for." This must be a serious situation since he was speaking seriously and not with his annoying trying hard dialect. "I can't find Steinz yet."

"Just tell me a good news like he was dead." I mumbled.

"We're not yet sure. But we tracked the IP address of Ynalee Maxwell. And we just found out that one of her files contains information about...the leagues."

My forehead creased. "The leagues?"

"Yes, but not really informational, not enough to reveal who is the person behind--"

"What else?"

"Oh, we got the video. It was the day when Gandang Bebot's school was massacred."

I don't know if I will compliment him or should I just kill him because of the name he gave to Victorique?

"The one who was behind the m******e was the one whom I think had send the video. Have you caught a glimpse of the person who is--"

"No." Mang Konrad cut in. "And we traced also the IP address of the gadget of which is the email have been sent."

"What did you get?" I asked.

"Saint Lousina."

I almost stepped on the breaks when I heard what he just said.

"Come again?"

"Nasa bahay ampunan siya, panagalan ng bahay ampunan ay Saint Lousina. Tagalog na iyon, baka hindi mo pa ma-gets."

I ended the call and tossed at the seat beside me.

The memories of when I was in that place flooded my mind, it was infuriating that my hand trembled while holding the steering wheel.

I never planned to go back at that place but I think I have to.

I wiped the blood that was pouring on my forehead before finally accelerating the car.

I didn't realize that it was close to night time when  saw the sky. It will close anytime, I guess I need to move fast.

__Victorique's POV__

HINDI na niya ako binalikan kaya naman ang resulta pumasok na lamang ako kahit tinatamad na ako. Putik! Hindi ko kanina nakita si Ynalees sa  classroom, ang babae hindi na pumasok, hindi man lang nagyaya.

Kaya ang kasama ko ngayon ay si Elle.

Malapit nang matapos ang last subject namin, ni wala ngang pumasok sa isipan ko kanina habang nagdi-discuss si  professor.

Nang matapos na sa wakas ay nakahinga ako ng maluwag.

Kung sa iba hindi mabubuhay kapag hindi papasok ng school, ako halos mamatay na pag papasok sa school. Pero kailangang pumasok syempre, kasi ang basehan ng mga tao sa good employee ay ang mataas na grade at ang diploma.

Really, ano bang silbi ng grade? It's just numbers. Binabase kasi nila nag talino ng bata sa number na nakikita nila sa card nila.

Hay naku...kaya ang resulta niyan nape-pressure na ang mga estudyante para lang makakuha ng score na more than 75. Ang iba pa nga hindi pa nagse-settle sa  80 kasi hindi daw magandang tignan sa card. Hmm...so kung maganda sa mata edi ibig sabihin maganda na ang magiging performance mo.

"Gawin mo nga itong assingment ko."

 Mula sa pagliligpit ng gamit ko ay tinignan ko ang isa kong kaklase na laging mataas na grade na inaabot ang notebook niya sa kaklase kong lagi lang nagbabasa ng libro dahil mahiyain. Kaya laging absent kasi binu-bully eh.

"Victorique, anong tinitignan mo?" Tanong ni Elle habang abala sin sa pagliligpit ng gamit.

"Social observation lang." Sabi ko saka tinignan ang babaeng nasa harapan ko na natutulog.

Ito naman ang kaklase ko na laging antokin kaya laging napapagalitan. Siya yata ang nanganganib na bumagsak sa amin ngayong sem.

Nilapitan ko siya at niyugyog ang balikat para gisingin.

"Gising." Sabi ko saka muli siyang niyugyog.

Habang ginigising ko siya ay biglang pumasok sa isipan ko si...siya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero parang nakikita ko siya habang natutulog itong kaklase.

He was like a person who sleeps a lot but hard to wake up...

"Bakit?" Bagot na tanong nito saka tumingin sa akin. "Tapos na ba ang lesson?"

"Ah? Oo." Sabi ko. Kinuha ko ang notebook sa bag ko at binigay sa kanya. "Ito pala iyong notes ko sa dinidcuss ni sir."

"Ah, tungkol sa theory ni Descartes. Iyong I think therefore I am? Alam ko na iyong tungkol doon."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Really? Pwedeng paki-explain kasi hindi ko naintindihan iyong pinagsasabi ni prof. Puro kasi english at full of unknown words pa para lang magmukhang matalino."

Tumawa ito ng mahina. "Kaya nga siya hinire as a teacher kasi magaling mag-english eh." Tumatawang sabi nito.

May point siya.

"Wala lang naman, iyong theory niya ay tungkol sa existence natin." Sabi nito habang humihikab pa. "Na hindi daw tayo nage-exist na baka mali ang nakikita, naririnig, o kung ano man ang ginagawa ng five senses natin."

"So kung mali edi maaaring hindi tayo nage-exist? Paano naman ikaw na nagiisip na hindi ako nage-exist?"

Nagkibit-balikat ito. "Sabi ni Descartes na as long as mayroong mind tayo na nagiisip, na kinu-question natin ang mga bagay-bagay edi nage-exist tayo."

Parehas kaming napatango ni Elle sa sinabi niya. "Ahh...pero paano mo ito nalaman eh hindi ka naman nakinig kanina."

Sinukbit nito ang bag na parang atat ng umuwi. "Nabasa ko lang sa mga pinagbabasa ko na fiction. Binaggit lang doon. Sige aalis na ako." Sabi nito at umalis na.

Kaming dalawa naman ni Elle ay namind-blown sa sinabi niya. Siniko ko si Elle at binulongan.

"Elle, magbabasa na nga rin ako ng fiction baka sakaling magkaroon din ng alam."

Natawa si Elle, akmang may sasabihin na sana ito ngunit nag-ring ang phone nito kaya sinagot nito iyon.

Nakipagusap ito sa kabilang linya hanggang sa mamaya-maya ay lumingon ito sa akin at nagpaalam na aalis na. Tumango lamang ako at kumaway sa kanya.

Lumingon ako sa buong classroom at tinignan ang mga kaklase ko na paarang normal lang ang buhay. May kanya-kanyang problema. Pero hindi kasing lala ng problema ko. A problem about life and death is really that hard to have.

But the theory about Rene Descartes really interesting, it's about existence and the work of the mind.

I thought, does it somehow have something to do with mentality? I wondered if it could be apply with people who was dealing with disorders.

For example if a person who was hallucinating that a person is in front of that person, can they overcome their hallucination by thinking that everything around them doesn't exist? That only their mind who is thinking that the person is there is the one thing that exist?

In that way that person would ignore his hallucinations because it doesn't exist.

Hay...kung ano naman ang pinagiisip ko. Kaya bumabagsak ako kasi mas naka-pokus ako sa mga lagi kong kinukwestyon.

Nawala lang ako sa pinagiisip nang tumunog ang cellphone ko. Kinuha ko iyon sa bag ko at tinignan kung sino ang tumatawag. Si Ynalee lamang pala.

"Oh, Yna, napatawag ka--"

"Alam kong tapos na ang last subject mo kaya halika na, may pupuntahan tayo."

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad nang makita ko mula sa madaming naglalakad na estudyante and bulto ni Spencer at ni Detective Dumapidez. Ngunit hindi pa nila ako nakikita kaya ang ginawa ko ay magtago sa isang locker na nasa hallway.

"Ano? Saan ba tayo pupunta? Nandito na si Spencer. Mage-explain pa ako sa kanya tungkol sa hindi ko pagsipot sa kanya kahapon. Madami iyong tanong at sasagotin ko pa." Sabi ko at sinilip si Spencer mula sa pinagtataguan ko.

"Pabayaan mo na siya. Bakit importante ba siya kaysa sa pupuntahan nating tatlo?!"

Natigilan ako sa sinasabi niya. "Bakit saan ba tayo pupunta? At saka tatlo?"

"Na-trace na kung saan nanggaling ang mail. Doon siya sa Saint Lousina."

Muli akong bumalik sa pagkakatago sa locker at napasinghap. "Nahanap na ninyo?!"

"Oo! Bilisan mo na at maggagabi na!"

"Sige, pupunta na ako."

Ngunit natigilan ako sa paghakbang nang may maalala.

"Tatlo iyong sinabi mo, sino iyang kasama mo?"

Sino kaya ang dinagdag ng babaeng ito sa baliw na squad namind dalawa?

"Si Phearius, sabi ko na kung hindi siya sasama mamamatay tayong dalawa kaya sumama."

"Ahh..."

Sabi ko na lamang at humakbang na para makatakas at matakpan ng mga estudyanteng naglalakad, hanggang sa maintindihan ko ang sinabi niya.

"Ano?! S-si Phearius?!"

Binaba ko ang tawag niya saka tinakbo ang hagdanan papunta sa first floor. Nataranta pa ako nang sa paglingon ko ay sakto namang lumngon sa akin si Spencer at nagtama ang paningin naming dalawa. Kinabahan ako nanf makita nag panlalaki ng mata niya.

"Sh*t! Papatayin ko ang babaeng iyon eh!"