Pretty Deadly

Kabanata 6: Logan

"We're here, Mitch."

Yeah. I know, Ed.

"Well, wala naman ako'ng choice diba?" I said, not moving a single inch. I really don't want to. I really don't.

"You'll be fine. Just show her your exam scores. Alam kong matutuwa siya."

"You think so?" some how, deep inside, I feel relieved. Sana nga matuwa siya. Kahit ngayon lang.

"Yup. She would be proud." he said, smiling at me.

"Thank you, Manong Edgar. I'll be going na po."

"You're welcome, Mitch."

I got out of the car while Ed parked it sa basement ng mansion. I was left with a trembling hands. I sweat.

Everytime na uuwi ako galing Saint Louis's, an all-girls school, ay ganito ang nangyayari sa'kin. Nenerbyos sa sarili kong tahanan.

Actually, hindi talaga 'tong mansion ang ayaw kung balikan kundi si Mommy.

"Oh Ma'am Mitch!" kita ko'ng sigaw ng aming mayor doma, si Susan.

"Andiyan kana pala. Hala pasok na po. Ako na po'ng magdadala ng mga bagahe niyo, nasa garden kasi lahat ng mga kasambahay."

"At bakit naman po?"

"Bumuli ho kasi siya ng mga pine trees mula Australia kahapon. E ayun, nagtitrim na silang lahat ngayon. Pati nga mga rosas pinatanggal niya."

"Huh?" I stopped walking. "I planted those! Bakit niya kinuha?"

"Masakit daw sa mata, Ma'am. Sorry po, kung alam ko lang, e sana napigilan ko pa siya."

I sighed. It's fine. It is.

"Okay lang po, Susan. Never mind that."

"Ilalagay ko po ba 'to sa attic o sa room niyo?"

And I smiled to her.

"Sige po."

She already knows when I smile to her, I want to be alone. Mas gugustuhin ko pang matulog sa labas kasya makasama ang dalawa kong kapatid. Yeah, they were not that nice at all.

"Pa?" I knocked on his door. Waiting for his response, I knocked again.

"Papa?"

"Ma'am, nasa attic hu si Sir."

"Ano'ng ginagawa niya du'n?"

"Abah. Hindi ko po alam. Nilagay ko nalang po mga bagahe niyo sa gilid ng kama niyo. Kayo nalang po ang bahala du'n. Tinatawag na ako ng Mommy mo."

"Paki sabing nandito na ako, Susan!" habol ko pa sa kaniya.

Ano naman ang ginagawa ni Papa sa kwarto ko? Puntahan ko nalang kaya? Well, pinuntahan ko nga. I feel something's bad is going to happen, again. I feel something is wrong.

I rushed to the stairs. "Pa!" sigaw ko habang tinatahak ang hagdan. "Pa?"

As I opened the door, I fell on my knees seeing a terrible scene. A scene that changed my whole life. Forever.

"Mitch!"

"Ay anak ng butiki!" sigaw ko naman.

Jusko. May pasigaw-sigaw pa 'tong babaeng 'to. E magkatabi lang naman kami.

"What's wrong?" she said.

Lahat! Lahat lahat!

"Nothing" sabi ko naman. Akala niya siguro 'di ako marunong mag-english e.

"Are you okay?"

I said yes to her question and the rest was unclear to me. Natulala ako.

"Is that the Woman with Hat by Henri Matisse?" turo ko sa isang painting sa wall. I even saw one of Paul Klee's most expensive paintings.

I saw her smirk-which annoys me even more, on me. "Yes" she said.

"Tell me, Rossete, sino ka ba talaga?" seryusong saad ko. I can even feel my body shiver on fear.

This mansion, the ladies and this woman's smirk, they were all over me. They're creeping me out.

"Ever heard of Midnight Beauties?"

"Nope." I replied.

"We're the Midnight Beauties, an secret organisation of assassins. Oh corrections, it's beautiful assassins pala." I even heard her chuckle between her sentences, na para bang wala lang ang lahat sa kaniya.

"You've asked me why you're here, right?"

I nodded.

"See this picture? She's Victoria Kim na kilala rin bilang The Firebird sa organisation. She was on her last mission nang mawala ang contact namin sa kaniya. Watch her POV cam, Mitch." she said while showing me the video.

She was running in the video. Rinig ang kaniyang paghingal. Lumingo pa ito sa isang sulok. Then a bright light filled the video clip that was followed by a gunshot.

"Anak ng tinapa! The fvck! Shit ano 'yon? Tangina." sunod sunod kong bulyayaw.

I saw Rossete laugh on her sit. Kumunot ang noo ko.

"What is wrong with you!" I shouted with matching patayo pa ah.

"She was killed! Tapos nakuha mo pang tumawa? You're a monster!"

"Ahahaha, I am a monster. A beautiful one."

"Argh, you're unbelievable."

"Listen, Darling. She died and that is it. She devoted her life on this mission, and there's nothing we can do to bring her back!"

I was left stunned.

"So what's it with me?"

"Her mission was to kill one of the Four Beast, Logan Alexander III who was the mastermind behind the New York City bombing attack. No one had ever seen Logan's face except Victoria. Kaya kailangan namin ng magpapatuloy sa nasimulan ni Victoria."

"And that's me?"

Itutuloy...