Isabella Jaime Wilson, work as an escort. She was forced to live a life she never desired because of the overwhelming debt she incurred when her parents passed away. Started to embrace her new life, losing sight of the divine significance of her fem...
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The silence was soothing everywhere. The gloomy and noisy jail has finally turned into a long pretense of peace.
This is what I've been waiting for.
“Jam,” bulong ni Barry na nakatayo ngayon sa gilid ng pintuan. She was scanning the hallway to see if there were still officers roaming around.
“It's clear. You can do it now,” she added. I got out of bed, reached under my bed for the electronics, and inhaled deeply.
Barry continued to watch over me while I began using the netbook to unlock the drive.
There's only one folder there when I open it. I clicked and looked around; all I saw was news and paperwork concerning cases much like mine.
“Did you find anything? ”
Umiling ako.
“I'm not sure, Barry. This file is already complete, and everything is in detail. If Lenard and his team didn't find anything suspicious here, how would I even do that? "
She peered back again outside, and when she was sure that no one was approaching, she walked close to my bed.
“We've already spent months in this place. We can't just give up, Jam. I promise you that I did not murder that man. I did not kill anyone. At ikaw, you are aware of your innocence, right? "
I tightened my jaw and nodded at her.
“If Lenard didn't discover anything here useful to both our cases, then he must be looking in the incorrect spot. Because the fact that both of us are innocent but are suffering here in jail is overwhelming evidence that something is wrong and that someone is using innocent people as scapegoats to hide the real killer," she continued.
I gulped and looked at her directly.
“Tama, alam natin pareho na mga inosente tayo. And Carter even said that he was almost framed up. I remember when I woke up at the hospital, I heard Shang talking to somebody. And that person said that the reason I am prohibited from accepting visitors is because they know that Carter is my friend. And they even say that he was a tricky man.”
“Do you mean that person knew Carter?”
“It appears like that.”
“Then Carter must've known that person as well,” giit niya na ikina kunot ng nuo ko.
“Hindi eh. Carter had already spent more than a year looking for this man. And I know him; he was smart, and if he knows this person, he might have an idea or even just a suspect. But none; he was so eager, just like us, to find the mastermind, but even he didn't know who we were dealing with.”
“If that's the case, then maybe there's a reason why that person knew, Carter.”
“Hold on, let's check the dates.”
“What dates? ”
I look for Carter's file instead of answering her inquiries. I eventually located it after a lot of scrolling, clicking, and searching.
I considered the potential reasons why that unidentified individual would remember him after comparing the dates of his case to those of the other victims they have rescued.
“Do you find something else?”
I showed her the gadget and began scanning the window.
“Look closely; this is the date when Carter has been framed up. And this is the rest of the saved victims.”
Barry scans the files and gasps in shock.
“Carter was framed up two years ago, on March 6th. Just like ours, the evidence points at him. However, a month after the nonstop trial, he was declared not guilty. The evidence does not look sufficient to pronounce him innocent. Aside from that, he has witnessed that he left the gym that evening.”
“And so? ”
“He was saved—the first ever framed-up case that didn't go according to their plan.”
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Barry ng mapagtanto ang pinupunto ko.
“That person must have known Carter for that reason, then. He was so unhappy that Carter managed to escape away from this; that's why he can't forget about him and why that unknown person seems to be terrified of him wrecking his plan again.”
I nodded.
“Not just that; Carter was the one rescuing the others, right? That person might know what Carter and Lenard's team are doing.”
“Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. And wait—”
“What? ”I asked curiously. She stopped for a moment and made an unreadable expression.
“Carter was shot, right? What if it was on purpose? ”
“What do you mean? ”
“Oh god! Jam, the police didn't even catch us.”
“Catch us—What? Barry, tell me what's on your mind. ”
“Do you recall when we emerged from the sewer and the cops started after us? Although it was busy in a public place, a gun was fired. And Jam, it was really close, but Carter was the one who fired the shot instead of everyone else.”
My breathing seemed to get agitated, and my eyes grew wide.
“And after we emerge from the tunnel, they pursue us once more. Yes, they had noticed us, although they were quite a distance away. It seems strange that Carter was the only one who got shot again.”
I was taken aback by what she said.
“Barry, kung totoo ‘ang sinasabi mo, then Carter was in danger.”
“I think so too.”
Tila pinagbagsakan ako ng langit at lupa sa nalaman. Whether Barry's conclusion was correct or not, the worry will always be with me. I spent the next few days and nights looking into the other cases and wondering what had happened to Carter.
I now regret not showing up whenever someone tried to visit me; even though Barry was able to hide my wounds from the police by claiming that I was ill, I was always thinking about Carter and how I should make my first move when I was left alone in this cell.
Fortunately, just as fate brought me to this point in my life, opportunity presented itself to me once more.
"I heard you're sick," uttered the man, whose existence I detest.
Why are you concerned? I said icily, keeping my back to the wall and not bothering to turn to look at his repulsive face.
"Come on, Jam, put the past behind you, please. Remember, this isn't our first time having sex. Avoid becoming overly dramatic.”
Hearing what he said makes me grit my teeth in rage, but I had to keep my cool.
“Yeah, I know. You may leave now,” I replied.
Silence followed, but I knew he was still inside the room.
“I said, leave,” I repeated, but he was still there, standing behind me.
“Jam,”
“Don't call me by that name or any of my names.”
He breathed heavily.
“I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't come back here,” he said.
I sat up from bed, stood in front of him, and gave him a sharp look.
“What did you say? ”
“I said, hindi kana sana bumalik pa dito.”
I bitterly laughed.
“Why? Because you can't resist having sex with me again? What? Are you going to rape me and call it sex again?! ”I retorted.
Carlo stepped back and gulped repeatedly.
“That's not what I meant.”
“Then what? ”
“Your…”
“Tell me.”
“Jam…”
“Tell me! Or I will f*cking kill you right here right now, so that when I realize that I truly did kill you, I won't be out of control about proving my innocence just like now! “
“You're in danger! ”
It stunned me. Not because of what he said, but rather because he informed me of this.
“Really? I'm in danger. Do you think I didn't know that?”
“No, that's not what I'm referring to. Isabella, someone is going to kill you here inside. You must be—”
A punch made him stop talking.
“Do not fool me, Carlo. After what you've done to me, do you think I will believe this concern? You are a f*cking bullsh*t! And I f*cking despised you! ”I said, finally releasing my anger.
“I am telling the truth.”
“Maybe you are, but who cares? Why do you sound concerned? Tang*na, Carlo galing mong artista, huh, ano? Akala mo hindi ko alam na sangkot ka sa mga taong dumiin sa akin dito? Sige nga, if you're really concerned, tell me who's the mastermind. Tell me who killed Clifford. ”
“Hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mo, Isabella.”
“Liar!”
“I swear, I didn't know who you were referring to. I just overheard officer Shang say that we have to cover somebody who is going to kill you.”
“Cover? So sinabi mo na ngang may kinakaman ka,” giit ko. Agad siyang umiling at muling umurong palayo sa akin.
“No. I mean, yes, I was covering for someone who wants to get inside, but I don't know who's the mastermind you are referring to.”
“Oh, come on, Carlo, stop pretending! ”
“I am not, okay? I know I did horrible things, and you are angry with me, but geez, I didn't do anything like that.”
I look at him in disbelief, still not convinced that he was not part of whoever framed me up.
“If you really insist that you were innocent, don't you think your lawyer should be the first one to blame? ”
Agad kong ibinaling ang mga paningin ko rito.
“Anong sabi mo?”
“Jilbert Guam, he's your lawyer, right? Why don't you ask him about that? He should be your first suspect since he wasn't even opposed when the trial started.”
“What do you f*ckin’ mean? ”
“You know what, Isabella. You've been saying that you're innocent since day one.”
“Because I am! ”
“Sabihin na nating totoo, pero bakit ako ang pinagbibintangan mo? Alam mo bang hindi manlang naghanap ng autopsy results, ‘yang lawyer mo? So, kung may ituturo kang kasabwat ng kung sino mang gumawa niyan sayo, he should be the first one to point out, not me.”
Tumaas ang dalawang kilay ko sa inis.
“You have a point, but I still don't believe that you didn't have anything to do with what had happened to me.” After I said that, another punch landed on his cheek.
Since he didn't expect my blow, he wiped the blood that flowed from his nose and grabbed my wrist, but before he could pull me, I twisted my wrist together with my body and then used my elbow to strike his stomach.
I merely stared at Carlo as he moaned in agony. Unsatisfied, I continued to kick him, delivering a blow that I had learned from Barry's martial art.
He tried to choke me and trip me with his leg whenever he had the chance, but I won't let that stop me. I put both of my hands in front of his hold and used all of my strength to break free from it. As soon as I'm free, I leap and stand up.
Carter is about to punch me, but I just smile at him. I waited for him to attack, and as soon as he did, I grabbed hold of his arm, turned it around to face his back, and struck his side neck with my other hand. However, I still can't settle, so I take my pillow and toss it aside, holding the pillowcase in my hand. This is the kind of anger I've never felt before. It was incredibly full and devoid of any other feelings except rage.
I didn't even hesitate when I started strangling him, covering the pillowcase up to his neck.
“Oh, gosh! Jam, what are you doing?! ”Barry comes rushing to me, preventing my attacks. But when she noticed how angry I was, she looked at me and asked.
“Is this the man who—” her words stop when a bunch of police officers get inside, rescuing Carlo.
When they eventually took Carlo out of our cell, Barry let go of me. However, as Barry rushes to the door, he attacks the policeman who is meant to close it. He then goes to Carlo, who is now joined by the two policemen. She leaps from her spot, kicks Carlo in the face, and then spins around to land another blow on his head.
Carlo fell to the ground, unconscious, which surprised me.
Then, I found myself imprisoned in the dark cell, alongside Barry.
“Did we just make our first strike? ”She said.
The quiet of the hallway allowed us to hear each other even though we were locked in a different cell.
"I suppose we did," I answered.
A long moment of silence passes before both of our little laughs fill the room.
