Seven Days with the Arrogant Spy (Elestia 2)

Ch. 10.1

PAKIRAMDAM ni Renz ay may mga mabibigat na bloke na nakapatong sa mga mata niya.  Pero unti-unti ay sinubukan pa rin niyang imulat ang mga mata.  Ang una niyang nakita ay ang kisame ng sariling silid.  At agad na nagbalik sa kanyang ala-ala kung bakit mabigat ang pakiramdam niya.  The damn doctor drugged her!  After examining her, the demon doctor injected her with some kind of anesthesia.  Agaran siyang nakatulog pagkatapos.  Napabangon siya bigla at dagli niyang naramdaman ang pag-ikot ng paligid niya. 

"Good, you're awake."

Napapitlag siya sa biglang intrusyon ng bagong tinig.  Napalingon siya sa pinanggalingan no'n at nakita si Lancer na nakatayo malapit sa pinto.  "You scared me."  Lumapit ito at naupo sa gilid ng kama niya.  "How long was I out?"

Tiningnan nito ang wall clock sa kwarto niya.  "Twenty-six hours."

Napatanga siya dito.  "A day?  Oh that evil doctor.  What did she inject me with, a horsse tranquilizer?"

Nagkibit-balikat ito.  "I guess she really want you to rest."

Tiningnan niya ang binata.  Ngayon na nahimasmasan na siya, may isang bagay siyang napagtanto.  "You didn't leave."

"Well, you were right.  This is the right place to look for information so I stayed.  And I must say, it was quite productive."

"That's right, kahapon before that evil doctor got in my way, I was about to tell you--"

"I already know," putol nito sa sasabihin niya.  "I kind of spied on your father yesterday.  This morning too.  Your older sister called."

Marahas siyang napabaling dito.  "Sigurado ka ba?  Anong pinag-usapan nila?"

"I didn't actually hear the whole conversation since your sister was on the other line.  But the gist of it was, sa tingin ko sinabi ng kapatid mo na ayos lang siya but she didn't tell your father her location so he's a bit angry about that.  But your father's staff triangulated her location.  They were pretty much prepared.  Iniisip nila na na ang lugar kung nasaan ang kapatid mo might also be the place where the terrorists are.  I agree with them.  Especially if Elestia's knights decided to take things on their own hand."       
Naalala niya ang sinabi ng ama na planado ang pagkawala ng prinsipe at ng knights nito sa safehouse sa Baguio at malamang sumama ng kusa sa mga ito si Cate.  "Why would they act on their own?" tanong niya na ang tinutukoy ay mga taga-Elestia.  "Wala ba silang tiwala sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas?"

"Hindi naman siguro sa gano'n.  But something was already wrong even before the terrorist attack happened.  That prince on the cruise ship?  He's not the prince of Elestia.  With his built and the way he moved, he's probably one of the prince's knight."

Hindi naman siya makapaniwala sa narinig.  "Are you sure?"

"MI6's database is topnotch, so yeah, I'm pretty sure.  Ang hindi ko lang sigurado ay kung bakit kailangang magpanggap na prinsipe ng isa sa mga knight.  It's either for security purposes o may nangyari na sa prinsipe bago pa man sila makarating dito sa bansa.  Those terrorists were looking for the prince at kung tama nga ang hinala ko na nawawala ang prinsipe, then they didn't have anything to do with it.  But that was only true before the terrorist attack happened.  Someway, somehow, they probably managed to get to the prince.  And that's the reason why those knights are making their move now."

Napatitig siya dito.  She should be bothered by the fact na isang impostor 'yong prinsipe na nagpakilala sa kanila, but instead she was amazed by Lancer's ability to deduct.  Sa isang simpleng pag-uusap sa telepono ay napakadami na agad nitong impormasyon na nalaman.  That was probably just normal for him, being a spy and all.  But nevertheless, she was still impressed.

"At kung tama ang hinala ko, then that damn assassin would also be there," pagpapatuloy nito.

Hindi na nito kailangan pang tapusin ang sinasabi para malaman niya kung ano ang susunod nitong sasabihin.  He was going to wherever that place was.  "I'm coming with you."

"No," agad nitong wika.

"Lancer, I'm not going to sit my pretty ass here while my sisters are out there.  Kung tama ang hinala mo, there's a big chance that they will be caught up in the cross-fire.  So I'm coming with you whether you like it or not.  And honestly, kung hindi mo talaga ako gustong sumama sa 'yo, you should've just left before I woke up at hindi mo na sinabi sa 'kin ang mga impormasyon na 'to.  So you're not allowed to say 'no'."

Isang malalim na buntung-hininga ang pinakawalan nito bago marahas na hinagod ang buhok.  "Tama ka, I shouldn't have told you.  Just goes to show how sloppy I became since I met you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're not good for my brain or any part of my body for that matter."  Hindi na niya natanong kung ano ang ibig nitong sabihin dahil bigla na lang itong tumayo.  "Kung desidido ka na talagang sumama sa 'kin, then get up and changed clothes.  Kailangan pa nating mag-isip ng plano kung paano ka mailalabas dito without anyone noticing."

"Magpaalam ka kay Daddy.  If he asked kung nakapagpaalam ka na sa 'kin, just tell him I'm still asleep.  He will surely offer you a ride, accept it.  One of the PSG would probably drive you back to wherever you are staying.  At habang pasakay kayo ng sasakyan, I will snuck inside the car's trunk."

"That's your plan?"

"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

"Let's just get on with this then," naiiling na wika nito bago lumabas ng silid niya.

Tumayo siya at agad na nagpalit ng damit.  A sleeveless blouse, ripped-off jeans, and a pair of snickers.  Sumilip siya sa pinto at nakahinga ng maluwag nang makita na walang PSG na nagbabantay do'n.  Iniisip marahil ng ama niya na natutulog pa rin siya hanggang ngayon kaya hindi na ito nag-abala na maglagay ng bantay sa labas ng silid niya.  Well, considering the amount of drug that witch of a doctor gave her, iisipin din niya na baka mamayang gabi pa siya magigising.

Bago lumabas ay nag-iwan siya ng maikling note para sa ama, sinasabi dito na 'wag itong mag-alala at may kailangan lang siyang gawin.  Maingat siyang naglakad sa pasilyo, making sure that no one would see her.  And thirty minutes later, she was inside the trunk of a black BMW driving to God knows where.