Tangled With The Devils (Devils #2)

Chapter 4

IT was seven-thirty in the morning, to everyone it may seem too early but to someone like her who believes that time was precious—and obviously time is gold— that time is already late. And top it all, she was a detective.

"You're already going?" Detective Dishneal looked at the man lying down beside her.

"It's already 7:30."

"Come on Neal, it's not yet late." Hindi ito pinansin ni Dishneal at tumayo na mula sa pagkakahiga sa kama.

Sinuot niya ang nagkalat na damit sa sahig habang ito naman ay gumulong lang padapa at siniksik ang sarili sa unan.

"I'm not like you Pierce, I prioritize my work."

Tumango lamang ang binatilyo at bumangon ng bahagya sa higaan.

"Yeah, and that's the problem with you."

Komento nito habang pinapanuod siya sa pagbibihis. Dishneal did not mind, besides she had nothing else to hide from the guy for the benefits them claiming in each other.

"What case are you holding?" Pierce asked.

"For now I have none since the Smith Abduction case are solved."

Inadjust niya an gang baril sa kanyang beywang at sinuot na ang kanyang coat, saka niya hinarap ang binatilyo na muling humiga sa kama.

"But you know that it's a sham, pierce." Dishneal said with a furrowed eyebrow.

"What sham?"

"That the case was now solved." Dishneal insisted.

"What a freak, Dishneal. Let the case rest for a while." Pierce said. "and you might not notice it, the case would reopen again."

Dishneal rolled her eyes and snatched her carkeys from her bedside table.

"And I don't think that I will ever catch him."

"But you caught him didn't you?" Umiling si Dishneal.

"He surrendered to the police, Pierce."

Tumango lamang ito, walang interes sa kanyang mga pinagsasabi.

"Yeah, keep saying that. He surrendered because your team got him cornered." Pierce said, obviously trying to make her feel better. She's rather insulted because of the fact that pierce actually thought that she can't handle that kind of failure.

"Don't try to comfort me, Pierce."

"Why are you so obsessed with that criminal by the way?"

Hindi na niya nasagot ang tanong nito at tumalikod na lamang siya at sinabihan itong aalis na siya. By the time she got inside her car, she already turned her radio on to check if there was some recent case.

There was none, so hopefully she could find some unsolved cases back at the office once she started digging in some files.

Habang nagmamaneho papunta sa headquarters nila ay hindi niya maiwasang mapaisip tungkol sa naturang kaso. Her obsession towards the case always puzzled her coworkers, it was bizarre they said for she used mostly all of her time in this case.

Ngunit sa kanyang mga kasamahan ay wala siyang sinagot ni isa. Not because she doesn't want to giver her answer, it's because she herself doesn't even know why she was so obsessed. She doesn't know why Chauslte's background caught her interest. But it was more than just a mere interest.

Napatigil siya sa pagmamaneho nang biglang may lumitaw na imahe sa kanyang utak. She gasped in shock thought she can't recognize what those flashes of images were. The steering wheel is hard against her forehead and her scar at her temple ache as she tried retrieving her memories.

But the only thing she was certain about is that she already met Chauslte Lachlan before.

__Victorique's POV__

"ANO?! Tanga ka ba?!" Nilayo ko ang phone ko palayo sa aking tainga nang walang pakundangang sumigaw si Ynalee sa kabilang linya.

I adjusted my crouching position at the damp pavement just beside Spencer's house. Medyo namamanhid na nga ang tuhod ko sa kaka-bend pero tiis lang kung gusto kong may makausap ako.

"Yna, hindi kita tinawagan para sabihan ako ng tanga!" Nanggigigil na saad ko sa kanya sa nanlalaking mata. Kung nandito lang siya sa harapan ko eh hindi ako makapagpigil at binatukan ko na rin.

"Eh nakakaasar naman kasi yung binalita mo sa akin. Imagine binulabog mo ako sa panaginip ko para lang sabihin kung gaano nakakabangungot ang kinahantongan ng proposal sa'yo ni Spencer!"

Muli ay inilayo ko sa tainga ko ang phone.

"Ano ba kasing problema mo?!" Tanong nito sa kabilang linya. "diba dati naman ay atat kang maging boyfriend iyang si Spencer. Nagpropose na ang long time crush mo, damo na ang lumapit sa manok pero bakit nagpapabebe ka pa?!"

"Hindi ako nagpapabebe noh!" Asar na saad ko sa kanya.

"Eh anong tawag mo doon aber?!

"That's called...,"Nagisip ako nang ibang word para idescribe ang tungkol sa ginawa kong pag-reject sa proposal ni Spencer. "nahihilo..."

Noong una ay wala akong narinig na reply sa kabilang linya abaka naisip ko na muli siyang nakatulog kakahintay sa isasagot ko sa kanya.

"Nahihilo?" She said in a ridiculous tone.

I know, the way I describe thing is so poor.

"Oo."

"At bakit naman?! Pinaikot ka lang ba ni Spencer at kailangang ganyan mo idescribe iyon?!"

Kinagat ko ang labi ko saka sinubsob ang ulo sa aking tuhod. I don't know how to explain to Yna about my mind is kinda messing around me.

"I don't know, Yna," Sabi ko, "something complicates everything."

"What is that 'something' and 'everything'?"

Bumuntung-hininga ako at pumikit ng mariin. I don't have to lie.

"Actually, I don't really know, but something have been of since—"

"Since the day you came back when that Chauslte kidnapped you."

Napangiti ako sa sinabi niya/ ito ang maganda kay Ynalee eh, she got most of the things right. The perks of being an observant person, I wished I was her.

"Ric-Ric, what happened to you?"

Natigilan ako. Hindi dahil sa tinanong ni Yna, there was something in her voice that made me nervous.

"What? I'm still the same."

"Yeah, it was still you. When you returned I knew that a part of you would change. But not the way I thought you've changed." Yna said, making me even more nervous. "this one is different. It's almost as if some part of you was missing."

Napalunok ako sa sinabi niya, pakiramdam ko ay isa akong libro na kayang-kaya niyang basahin. I want to say that she was wrong, but I knew she could sense when I am lying so I just laugh. Gladly, it wasn't a nervous one.

"Huwag mo nga ako pinagloloko, Yna." Tatawa-tawang sabi ko. "at saka ano ba, ako pa rin ito. Talaga lang yata na hindi ako handa sa commitment." Tumawa pa ako ng mahina para mas kapani-paniwala ang sinasabi ko.

There was another dead air, but then after a long silence I heard her clearing her throat.

"Nandito lang ako kahit anong mangyari, Ric-Ric." Sabi niya. "kaming dalawa ni Elle, and if you're ready, please throw away your crown for denial, it's getting obvious."

Natawa ako sa sinabi niya. Finally the mood lightened.

"Sabihan mo nalang si Elle mamaya na magiinuman tayo.'

"At bakit naman? Ikaw ba ang na-heart break?"

Sumimangot ako. "Hindi pero gusto ko lang uminom."

Tumawa siya sa kabilang linya. "Alright, sasakyan namin yung kabaliwan mo ngayon."

Nagpaalam na ako sa kanya at pinatay na ang tawag. I sighed like a defeated fighter and let my head rest at my lap once again.

What is happening to me?

Una, paghinahalikan ako ni Spencer ay ibang lalaki an gang nasa isip ko. Pangalawa, madalas akong nananaginip na nakikipag-'ano' ako sa lalaking iyon. Pangatlo, tinurn down ko ang proposal ni Spencer!

Napasabunot ako sa pagkaasar. Did I hit my head when that 'devil' shot my chest?!

Muli ay napahawak ako sa naghilom nang sugat sa aking dibdib. This was a mark served as the reminder that he once invaded my system. Once?

Really, kill me now.

I am thinking now that I am the worst person.

"Ate!"

Huminga ako ng malalim nang marinig ko ang pagtawag ng pangalan ko ni Eros. Ayaw ko sanang ligonin siya ngunit nagulat ako nang sa pagangat ng ulo ko ay nasilayan ko ang isang tao na nakatago sa may damuhan sa tabi ng isang malaking puno. Ang mas nakakagulat pa ay nakatutok ang baril niya sa diresyon ni Eros na papunta sa aking gawi.

Nanlalaki ang matang nilingon ko si Eros na walang kamuwang-muwang sa nangyayari at tinakbo ang distansiya ng pagitan naming sa isa't-isa.

"Eros, bumaba ka!"

I screamed but it was too late, umalingawngaw na sa paligid ang nakakabinging tunog ng baril ngunit tuloy lang ang paa ko sa pagtakbo habang nakapikit ang aking mata habang tinatawag ang kanyang pangalan.

Then I heard another gunshot from somewhere. That's when I decided to open my eyes to find Eros seating on the pavement with open wide eyes as if he have witnessed something that have shocked him.

"Eros!"

Muli kong tawag sa kanyang pangalan at nilapitan siya. Tinignan ko ang kanyang ulo, leeg. Dibdib at kung ano-ano pang parte ng kanyang katawan, ngunit sa nakakamanghang bagay ay wala siyang tamang natamo.

He was also in shock but I was relieved that nothing bad had happened to him. Nang ligonin ko ang taong may kakagawan nito ay nagulat ako nang malaman kong nakahandusay nap ala siya sa sahig at naliligo sa kanyang sariling dugo.

With a clean shot on his head.

"Victorique!"

Nilingon ko si Spencer na humahangos na tumakbo sa aming gawi.

"What happened? I heard three gunshots—"

Napatigil siya sa pagtakbo nang makita niya kaming dalawa at sa lalaking nakagandusay sa sahig. Then he moved in haste to walk near us, he bend down and hugged me tightly.

But I wasn't minding what is happening now at all. I just squirmed over the fact that I almost lost my little brother.

MABILIS na nakarating ang mga pulis nang tawagan ito ni Spencer. In an instance the whole place was covered with police cars and an ambulance. Nandito lang kaming dalawa ni Eros magkatabing nakaupo sa loob ng police car. Neither of us were saying anything, because I got no one to talk to for my brother is soundly asleep as if nothing happened, with usual get up, headphone on ears.

Pinanood ko ang pagiimbestiga na bawal ko daw alamin. Ngunit hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako mapakaling malaman ang detalye ng mga nangyari.

Then I saw Spencer walking towards the car I am in, he opened it before offering me a bottled water.

"Hey,' he said. "are you okay?"

Tumango lang ako, hindi pa rin talaga maalis sa utak ko kung gaano na kalapit na mamatay si Eros kanina.

"Thank you." Sabi ko.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "para saan?"

"For saving me earlier."

He looked at me with a blank expression. "I had no idea what you're talking about."

"Hah? You mean you're not the one who shot that guy earlier?"

Umiling siya, "No."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya at napahawak ako sa aking ulo at muling inalala ang kaganapan kanina. I was so sure that Eros was close to the bullet when I heard another gunshot and another.

Yumuko siya sa harapan ko at tinitigan ako. Now, it's hard to look at him.

"Victorique, there were three bullets at the crime scene, one belonged to the suspect. And the other two is a 440 Cor-Bon."

Kumunot noo ko. "A what?"

"It's a rare bullet, Victorique."

Tumango na lamang ako, bala pala yung sinabi niya kanina kaya hindi ko na-gets.

"So what about the suspect?" Tanong ko.

Hinawkan niya ang kanyang noo.

"His name is Jack Mendez according to his I.D. but we doubt that it is his name because there were other old I.D.'s with a different name."

"So he walks through different name?" I concluded, "a hit man perhaps?"

Tumango siya. "Yes. Other than that, there was no other information other than he was hired by someone. And that we have his phone under police department possession."

Bumuntong-hininga ako at umupo ng maayos sa kotse. Akala ko nga ay aalis na si Spencer sa harapan ko pero lumipas ang ilang minute ay hindi pa rin siya umaalis wari'y may gustong sabihin.

"Ipunta mo na kami sa school." Sabi ko na lamang kasi nagmumukha nang awkward ang sitwasyon namin.

"You can't Victorique."

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "At bakit naman?! Iniisip mo ban a baka sundan ako doon ng lalaking yon? Patay na siya diba. Kaya ihatid mo na ako—"

"I said you can't go to the school Victorique!"

Kinunotan ko siya ng noo at tinignan ko siya sa nanliit na mata. Umiwas naman siya at tumikhim na parang may tinatago sa akin. Nang kumilos siya para layuan ako ay hinila ko siya sa kanyang kwelyo.

"Bakit hindi ako pwedeng pumunta sa school, Spencer?!" I demended, eyes wide. "Answer me Spencer!"

"You can't because something happened to your school."

Napatingin ako bagong dating, I looked up to find out that it was Dishneal. She was wearing that dutiful look which is far more different from the Dishneal I met.

"Don't you dare—" Spencer started cursing but I stopped him and faced Dishneal.

"What happened?"

Tumingin muna siya kay Spencer bago niya binalik ang paningin sa akin.

"You're school have been massacared."

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya, lalo na nang dugtongan niya pa iyon.

"By the man who tried to kill you earlier."