War Goddess

Chapter 15

[15]

Dianhell

The romantic 'getaway' scene lasted for half an hour when we both realized it's time to pack our things for the trip. The real getaway trip.

Hindi naman na kami nagsayang ng oras dahil sa bawat paglipas ng araw ay may mga buhay na nawawala.

Reports from Zion leaders all over the world are flooding into every communication devices of the main headquarters. Ang side namin ay tinatawag nang Resistance dahil kami lang ang nangangahas na pumigil sa pagsakop ng Spade sa bawat maliliit na siyudad. They're growing too fast. Too powerful. Bukod sa matataas ang skills nila bilang independent assassins, nasa kamay din nila ang malalakas na pampasabog at high-tech armory.

Hindi ito masyadong ramdam sa political world. Ang alam lang ng mga nation leaders, isa ito sa mga hakbang ng anti-governments para pabagsakin sila. Na hindi naman palaging successful.

But no. That is just one of their goals.

Dito palang sa Pilipinas ay marami nang miyembro ang Spade. Pinapatay nila ang mga government officials sa mabilis na paraan. Like those assassins that Max encountered at Carson Hotel two months ago. Wala silang pattern katulad ng isang serial killer.

Whoever holds any kind of power is a threat to them. Kaya sigurado ako na nasa top list nila ang Zion. At ang US government.

I wouldn't be so bothered about their plans on our family. Lolo will never let them get to us. At alam ko na ang pag-atake ng Shadow Knights sa Cephyr Castle ay inaasahan na niya. Iyon ang isang technique na nakikita ko sa kanya sa tuwing kinakalaban siya ng ibang mafia groups.

Pinapalapit niya ang kalaban hanggang sa makabisado niya kung anong kilos nito. Saka niya ito mamanipulahin.

That technique would never work for me and my cousins. We're too eyecatching, and changing our appearances is not an option.

Itong mukhang ito, babaguhin ko para talunin sila? No way.

"I'd rather die." I said matter-of-factly.

Taimtim lang ngayon ang tingin ni Khian na parang ayaw din niya sa klase ng topic na pinag-uusapan. Rosario, on the other hand, is grinning like an idiot. Bakit pa kasi pumunta dito ang lalaking 'to?

"What? It's going to be fun." sabi niya at may kasama pang pagtaas ng kamay hanggang balikat. "Changing your appearance, like what Arril Monte did back then to fool the Head Master, will work for you. It's just cosmetic surgery. A lot of people are doing it."

"First of all, unnecessary surgeries can—and will definitely—harm my imperfectly perfect body. Maraming kailangang i-consider bago ako operahan. And after that, I'll have continuous medication and I may have to undergo follow-up surgeries. In short, it's unhealthy. Second, I will never ever color my hair black. Masisira ang buhok ko dahil sa foreign chemicals at hindi mo ito kayang palitan. And third, why do you even know about lolo's supposedly fiancee?"

"I've known the Head Master before I became the chief. Before knowing you." Uminom pa muna siya ng kape at naiinis talaga ako dahil nagpapakakomportable siya sa pamamahay ko. "My family buys his services. Alam mo namang nadadagdagan ang mga kalaban ng angkan ng mga Rosario sa Batangas. People don't want to accept that we're ruling the land for decades. Can you believe na naging matalik na magkaibigan pa sila ng tatay ko?"

"It still doesn't explain why you're here. Hindi ka pupunta rito kung mang-aasar ka lang at magsa-suggest kung paano ko magagawa ang misyon." Tinignan ko siyang maigi. "Are you doing this to find a way to arrest me?"

Inikot niya ang mga mata na parang tanga ang kausap niya. "You heard your grandfather. A larger enemy is taking down our government. Hindi nga lang Pilipinas ang may ganitong problema. I saw them first-hand. They shot the presidential spokesman just last week while he's doing a press conference. Hindi lang ikaw ngayon ang threat, Lady Dianhell. Face it."