The Deception's Rage

Chapter 4

Zale

I let out a low groan when I heard something outside. Napatingin ako sa orasan at three o'clock pa lang ng madaling araw. Lumabas ako para tignan kung ano o sino ito, ngunit biglang may sumalubong sa aking axe. Mabilis kong iniwas ang ulo ko dahil 'yon ang target na matamaan. The axe got stuck in the door.

"What the hell?" I exasperatedly said.

Aurelia starts to walk into my direction and takes out the Axe from the door. Ipinatong niya 'yon sa balikat niya at muling humarap sa akin. "Sorry, I didn't see you," mapang-asar na aniya.

Bumalik siya sa pwesto niya at sinimulang iwasiwas ang axe. She's not only good at using daggers? Ibinato niya muli sa akin 'yon, pero sinalo ko ito. Muling nagising ang diwa ko dahil sa bigat ng axe. Pucha, mabuti na lang at hindi ako napaluhod. Tumakbo ulit siya sa pwesto ko para kuhanin ito at kumindat. What's with her?

As she lifted the heavy axe with ease, her muscles tensed and her eyes were focused on the log. With a fluid motion, she swung the weapon towards the log in front of her, splitting it into two with a loud thud.

Nagtuloy-tuloy siya habang ako ay nanonood lamang sa ginagawa niya. Pinag-krus ko ang dalawa kong braso at sumandal nang kauti sa pinto. I never thought her skills were beyond just one weapon. She adjusted her grip and stance as she tried different swings and strikes.

"Wanna spar with me?" she asked, wiping the sweat off her brow.

I hesitated for a moment. "Axe's not my specialty," sagot ko. Ni buhatin nga sa saglit na segundo, nahirapan ako! "If I were to spar with you, it would be like signing my own death warrant."

"It's alright," she said with a grin. "At least you'll learn the basics when you spar with me."

Napa-irap ako sa hangin nang ihagis niya sa direksyon ko ang isang axe. "Nagtanong ka pa," pambabara ko sa kaniya. Siya rin naman pala ang masusunod, tinanong pa ako.

Aurelia picked up her axe, and I followed suit, gripping the handle of mine tightly. Naglakad ako patungo sa harap niya, a few feet apart, with our axes at the ready. Umikot pa kami nang ilang beses para maghanap ng tyempo at maghintay kung sino ang unang aatake. Suddenly, she lunged forward, swinging her axe towards me with speed and accuracy.

Napamura ako nang mahina dahil sa ginawa niya. I couldn't keep up with her. I managed to dodge her attack. Gumilid ako para mabilis na ma-counter ang ginawa niya. Our axes clashed, producing a loud metallic sound that echoed through the air.

"You're not that bad," she remarked.

We continued to exchange blows, each of us trying to outmaneuver the other. Karamihan sa mga atake niya ay hindi ko na makita. Here movement were fluid and precise. One wrong move, malilintikan ako.

I tried to copy what she was doing and I managed to land a hit on her. "Ganito ba?" Ngumisi ako sa kaniya.

She pursed her lips and launched a series of rapid strikes that left me barely able to keep up. Hindi ko na nasundan ang mga sumunod niyang galaw, kaya natamaan ako sa may bandang siko.

"Done already? I haven't even finished my warm up yet," reklamo niya nang sumenyas akong time-out na.

Sabay kaming pumasok sa loob ng bahay. Dumeretso ako sa refrigerator para kumuha ng tubig. Habang nagsasalin ako ng tubig sa baso ay dumaan siya sa likuran ko at may binulong.

"Don't move. I feel like there's someone watching us."

Watching us?

Lumingon-lingon ako sa paligid, pero wala naman akong naramdamang kakaiba. How did she sense that? Kumuha siya ng kutsilyo at pinaglaruan ito sa kamay niya. Aurelia slowly walked towards the door without making a sound. Her footsteps were silent and careful.

Ilang segundo ang lumipas at saka siya bumalik sa tabi ko. "What's wrong?" I bluntly asked.

"No worries, wala na sila," she replied. "Whoever that is, I'll find them."

Ininom ko na ang tubig sa baso ko at nagpaalam na aakyat na ulit para ituloy ang tulog kong naudlot kanina. I wonder if she's still sleeping. Para siyang laging gising. Kung hindi naman, ang swerte niya dahil wala siyang eyebags.

Napabalikwas ako sa higaan nang marinig ang sunod-sunod na katok mula sa labas ng kwarto. Pagbukas ko ng pinto, bumungad sa akin ang mukha ni Aurelia. She had raised her right eyebrow at me while crossing her arms.

"We've got some work to do, Zale."

She was already dressed in her teacher's uniform, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, with her bangs left out. She wasn't wearing any makeup, yet she still managed to stand out effortlessly. It seemed that even the cut I gave her on her right eye had no impact on her appearance. Sabagay, anak ng artista, eh.

"I know I look stunning," untag niya sa akin. "But you need to shower and drive me off."

Narinig ko ang mahina niyang halakhak nang padabog kong isara ang pinto sa harap niya. "Ang hangin, grabe!" bulong ko sa sarili.

I quickly took a shower and dried my hair. Nag-suot lang ako ng plain black t-shirt at bumaba na. Aurelia was sitting on the kitchen counter while sipping her coffee.

"Alright, Zale, here's the plan," Aurelia began. "I've prepared a uniform for you to disguise yourself as a repairman. Once I create a distraction by tampering with the faucets in the restroom area, you'll need to enter the scene. Give it about 30 minutes after I call you before you make your move."

I nodded. Sinubukan kong makinig nang mabuti. I can't f**k this up or else I'll be f****d.

She laid the map of Valleydale University on the table and pointed out the entrances and exits. This school is really big.

She continued, pointing to various locations on the map. "The first floor's restroom area is where we'll initiate the operation. It's marked here on the map. Once you're inside, Axel will take care of the CCTV cameras. He'll disable or redirect them, ensuring we'll have minimal surveillance."

Sinundan ko ang mga tinuturo niya at tinandaan ito. I traced the route with my fingers, while visualizing the path in my mind.

"After you're done in the restroom area, you'll need to make your way to the third floor," she explained. "To do that, you'll have to use the elevator. It's located near the east wing, as indicated on the map."

"How about the staff members?" tanong ko.

"You handle that," umirap siya sa akin. "Now, this is crucial. I need you to come to the Admin's office once you're on the third floor."

"Noted," tumango-tango ako.

She handed me an earpiece. "Take this earpiece. Wait for my signal before you make any moves inside the Admin's office. We need to make sure our plan goes smoothly."

Pagtapos ko siyang ihatid, dumeretso ako sa malapit na mall para magpalit ng damit. Nakipagkita ako kay Axel para magpalit ng sasakyan. I can't use the one I used before. That would be suspicious.

"Good luck on your first assignment," Axel cheered on me.

I gave him a small nod. After a few minutes, Aurelia called.

I answered the call and heard her voice through the earpiece. "Are you ready?"

Nagpakawala ako ng buntong-hininga bago sumagot para pakalmahin ang sarili. "Yes, ready na."

"Remember, you have to wait for my signal before making any moves," she reminded me.

I made my way to Valleydale University, wearing the disguise as a repairman. I parked the car a few blocks away from the campus to avoid drawing attention. Naglakad ako patungong university at naki-halubilo sa mga studyante at staff members.

Pagtapak ko sa first floor, pa-simple akong nagmasid. Suddenly, I heard the sound of rushing water and saw a group of students gathered near one of the faucets that was spraying water uncontrollably.

Naghintay ako ng ilang minuto bago kumilos. Pumasok ako sa restroom area at nagkunwaring inaayos ang sirang gripo, habang ino-obserbahan ang paligid. With the distraction in place, I could focus on my task without drawing too much attention.

Nang matapos ako sa restroom area, dumeretso ako sa east wing. Bahagya kong tinagilid ang ulo ko habang naglalakad, inaalala ang mapa na ipinakita sa akin ni Aurelia kanina. I located the elevator and pressed the button, waiting for it to arrive. As the elevator doors opened, I stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor.

Maayos ang pag-akyat ng elevator, at inihanda ko na ang sarili ko para sa mga susunod na mangyayari. When the doors opened on the third floor, I discreetly made my way towards the Admin's office, staying close to the walls and avoiding any staff members or security personnel.

Nakarating ako agad ng Admin's office. I hesitated for a moment, waiting for Aurelia's signal. Ilang segundo makalipas, narinig ko rin ang boses niya. "Now, Zale. Go inside and proceed with the plan. Make sure to get inside the director's office."

I pushed the door open and entered the office, finding a few staff members going about their work. I approached the reception desk and cleared my throat, catching their attention.

"Excuse me, I'm here to repair the network connection," I said, putting on my best professional tone.

The receptionist looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression. "Repair? I wasn't informed about any repairs scheduled for today."

Ah, s**t. Sinubukan kong huwag mataranta. "It must have been a last-minute arrangement. The IT department sent me to fix some issues they detected."

She glanced at the work order and nodded reluctantly. "Alright, let me inform the supervisor. Wait here."

As she made the call, I took a moment to look around the office, searching for any clues or devices that could aid our mission. Tumungo ang tingin ko sa pintong may nakalagay na "Director." It seemed like the director's office held the key to valuable information.

Aurelia's voice came through the earpiece again. "Zale, while you're waiting, try to find a way to get inside the director's office."

I nodded, knowing I had to act quickly and seize the opportunity. As the receptionist was busy on the phone, I discreetly walked towards the director's office door. I checked if anyone was watching before I reached into my pocket and pulled out a set of lockpicks I had brought with me.

Dahan-dahan kong inilagay ang lockpick sa lock. Napakagat ako sa ibaba ng labi ko dahil medyo nahihirapan akong kuhanin ang saktong posisyon. After a tense moment, the lock finally clicked, and the door swung open slightly.

Taking a deep breath, I entered the director's office, closing the door behind me to maintain the illusion that I was still waiting outside. The room was well-organized, with shelves filled with books and awards adorning the walls. In the corner, a large wooden desk held a computer, likely the one Aurelia had mentioned.

Lumapit ako sa shelves at pinagmasdan ang mga libro. Kumuha ako ng isa at tiningnan ito. Agad na kumunot ang noo ko nang may makitang parang dugo.

"What the heck?" bulong ko sa sarili.

"What happened?" agad na tanong ni Aurelia.

So, she was right. There is really something wrong here.

"I found blood in one of the books." I said.

Binalik ko ito sa dating pwesto at tiningnan pa ang ibang libro, wala namang kakaiba. Muntik na akong matumba nang may biglang lumitaw na tao sa gilid ko.

"f**k! You scared me!" I hissed. It was Aurelia.

"Really?" she asked, amused. "I kinda knocked out the receptionist, but she'll wake up anytime soon."

Pumunta ako sa desk ng director at pinagmasdan ang computer. Samantala, si Aurelia naman ay nanatiling nakatitig sa shelves. Nabaling ang atensyon ko sa kaniya dahil sinubukan niya itong itulak.

"Oh," she whispered as it moved. She turned to me and said, "I've already asked Axel to look into that computer. Just help me here."

The shelves glided smoothly along hidden tracks, revealing a dark corridor illuminated only by dimly lit sconces lining the walls. The air felt heavy with anticipation as we stepped into the unknown, our senses heightened.

"I don't feel good about this." I said.

"Same," she replied.

Medyo kinilabutan ako sa nakakabinging katahimikan. May mga pinto at mga number doon. "You think you can open all these doors?" tanong sa akin ni Aurelia.

I nodded. I tried to open one of the doors without difficulty. Living on the streets for a long time has become handy.

I reached out my hand, my fingers gripping the cold metal handle. With a gentle push, the door swung open, revealing a small room. Napatakip kami parehas ng ilong dahil sa masangsang na amoy.

Binuksan ni Aurelia ang flashlight niya sa phone, at namutla ako nang makita ang hitsura ng isang batang babae na nakahiga sa maruming mattress. She slightly opened her eyes and slowly crawled towards us. Sobrang dumi ng kwarto at andaming nabubulok na pagkain. Ang hitsura naman niya ay parang halos hindi makilala dahil sa dami ng sugat sa mukha at katawan.

"Isn't she the student who was reported missing?" Lumingon sa akin si Aurelia. "Is her name Carleigh?"

Now that I took a good look at the girl, I realized it was really her. How could someone do this? It's just inhumane. I'm sure the person who did this was heartless.

"Should I check the other rooms?" Sinubukan kong pakalmahin ang sarili ko. Kung mayroon pang ibang nakakulong dito, kailangan din namin silang maligtas. Bubuksan ko pa lamang ang isa sa mga pinto nang biglang hilain ni Aurelia ang braso ko.

"This is bigger than I thought," Aurelia whispered, her voice filled with a mix of concern and determination. "We need to find out who's behind this and what their motives are."

"That is, if you two can get out of here alive," a sudden voice appeared. "Just as I thought, you're suspicious, Ma'am Aurelia, as the first thing you did was threaten me."

As we turned to face the source of the voice, a chilling sight unfolded before us. Behind the director stood more than five men, each wielding menacing baseball bats with an air of malevolence. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls closing in on us.

"I think we're f****d," I whispered to her.

"Nope, they are," she whispered back, her voice laced with an intensity I had never witnessed before.