Chapter 3

Sinubukan kong habulin ang babae pero nawala siya sa gitna ng maraming tao. Hinanap ko siya sa paligid ngunit hindi ko na siya nakita pa. I screwed up my hair out of irritation. Wala na akong pakialam kung pinagtitinginan na ako ng mga tao at kung anong iniisip nila.

Damn it! Ang tanga-tanga mo, Alexis! Nasa harapan mo na ang taong nakakita sa ‘yo ‘tapos hindi mo pa napansin?! This is frustrating!

What if that woman had spoken? My life will no longer be the same. Lahat ng mga nakapaligid sa ‘kin ay madadamay. Nang dahil sa isang pagkakamali, magbabago ang buhay ko. Goddamn it!

Sa inis ay umuwi na lang ako. To calm my irritation, I took a half bath before turning on my computer and started to hack the CCTVs. Una kong hinanap ang lugar kung saan niya ako sinadyang banggain pagkatapos no’n sa mga lugar kung saan ko siya sinimulang habulin. Kahit saang anggulo ng mga camera ay hindi nakikita ang kanyang mukha na tila ba alam niya kung saan siya makikita ng mga CCTV.

Napahilot ako ng sentido dahil sumasakit ang ulo ko pagkatapos ay ipinagatuloy ko ulit ang paghahanap. I can only see her back and her jacket and nothing else. That girl, I'm sure, planned it. Sa tingin ko rin sinusundan niya rin ako.

“This is frustrating!” Napasabunot ako ng buhok ko nang bigla na lang siyang nawala na parang bula. I'm not sure where I'll be able to locate her now. She entered an alley and vanished the last time I saw her. I looked for another establishment where she may be able to enter, but fvck! She’s nowhere to be found!

Napasandal ako sa swivel chair ko. Hindi ako makatulog no’ng gabing ‘yon. Maraming bagay ang pumapasok sa isipan ko. Ngayon paano ko siya hahanapin?

Nagising na lang ako nang may narinig akong nabasag sa labas ng kuwarto ko. Mabilis kong kinuha beretta 92 na nasa ilalim ng unan ko saka kinasa at dahan-dahang naglakad patungong pintuan. Binuksan ko nang kaunti ito upang makasilip ako sa labas. The living room is too messy, and all the fragile items are broken; even the vase I care about and brought worth a million in a bid just broke.

Nang makalabas ako ay may biglang sumugod sa aking upang mabitawan ko ang baril na hawak ko. Tiningnan ko kung sino ang taong nanghamak pumasok sa condo ko, it was a man who covered his entire body with tattoos, including his face. I gave him a blank stare. He burst out laughing like a lunatic.

"So, you're the Exis she's referring to?" He smiled. "You're more attractive than I anticipated. Now I'm wondering why you're covering your damned lovely face." He licked his lips as he was slowly approaching me.

Tumayo ako’t agad ko siyang inatake. “Who sent you?” I questioned as I curled my fist and aimed the front of his nose with my left elbow, then grabbed his waist and dragged him to the ground, twisted his arms, making him moan in pain, while my legs were ringed around his head, unable to move. “Who’s she you’re talking about?” ulit ko.

“Argh! I-I don’t know!” nahihirapan niyang saad. A dagger has fallen from its safe spot, and it is visible in my peripheral sight. Since malapit lang ang cabinet ay kinuha ko ‘yon ngunit nakawala ang lalaki kaya malaya siyang nakagalaw.

Unprepared, he stretched his leg as he kicked my face that made me fell. I groaned in pain when a broken glass pricks my hand. Napansin ko na pinulot niya ang nabitawan kong dagger at humarap siya sa akin while licking it. Is it something they have to do when they want to kill someone? Kina-cool ba nila kapag ginagawa ang bagay na ‘yon?

Agad niya akong sinugod and he was going to stab me when I grabbed the gun that had fallen before and shot him in the head. As the drips of blood spread, he gradually dropped to the floor. My neighbors aren't alarmed since the beretta 92 has a silencer. Pumasok ako sa kuwarto ko at kinuha ang aking phone. I checked the building's CCTV cameras to see whether that man was with anyone. When I noticed that others were flocking to my unit, I massaged my temple.

“This is insane!” I whispered.

These people! How could they know my unit?! Nangyari na ang kinakatakutan ko. Ngayong alam na nila kung sino ako, hindi na nila ako titigilan pa. They can now track me down no matter where I go. That girl—I'll find her and make her pay for what she did, whoever she is.

I dashed out of my unit and ran through the building's exit. Through the CCTV, I can see that they entered my condo and searched every corner seeking me. Naglagay ako ng mga camera sa loob mismo ng unit ko para kapag wala ako at may taong nang hamak na pumasok ay makikita ko agad. Napahinto ako nang mapansin nila ang mga camera na nakatago sa paligid. Iniisa-isa nila itong binaril upang mawalan ako ng koneksyon sa loob.

Pagkalabas ko sa tenth floor ay napagpasyahan kong lumabas sa exit. May iilang bata na nasa labas habang naglalaro. Hindi ko na lang sila pinansin saka tumakbo na lang.

Napamura ako lalo nang may dala-dala silang mga baril at nagsimula naman silang nagpaputok. Yumuko ako upang hindi ako matamaan ang mga bala. Dali-dali naman akong nagpunta muli sa exit na agad nila akong sinundan.

“Come on, don’t fvcking follow me!” naiinis na saad ko.

Ngayon nagsisisi ako kung bakit sa twentieth-floor pa ako kumuha ng unit ‘tapos ako rin lang ang mahihirapan sa huli. I'm not eager to utilize the elevator as a means of escape since I'm worried anything terrible could happen to me while I'm inside. I saw something with those goons when watching the building's CCTV. They seemed to know where I was heading.

Nalaman nila kung nasaan nakatago ang mga camera sa loob ng unit ko na hindi naman alam ng kahit na sino. Kahit ang mga kaibigan ko ay hindi nila alam na may camera akong nilagay doon. But those thugs knew where it was. Hindi kaya may tumutulong sa kanila?

I started to shoot them back. Hindi p’wedeng wala akong gawin. If there's someone behind them trying to figure out where I am, I need to take some action. While shooting them, I dialed Wayne's number. Nagtago ako sa isang pader at nang hindi na nakarinig pa ng putok ay ako naman ang sumunod na nagpaputok ng baril.

“Alexis, my babe, are you on a Bay Road Club?” natatawang banggit nito, mukhang lasing base sa tono ng kanyang boses. He's having a great time on his vacation!

Wayne is referring to a shooting range where we frequently visit when we feel like doing it. It's our go-to destination for a great time or a friendly competition. However, I am unable to get there due to a lack of time.

“Check the cameras throughout the building where I live,” I ordered. “Fvck!” Naubusan ako ng bala kaya tinapon ko na ito sa gilid at nag-umpisa na ulit tumakbo.

“What the fvck?! Why are they following you?! Go to the right side where there are no people," he suggested. Instead of listening to him and going to the right side, I went to the left side. I'm on the second floor of the building now, and more people are waiting for me.

“What can you see?” I asked him. Sumilip ako sa pader kung saan ako nagtatago, patingin-tingin sila sa paligid dahil nawala ako sa paningin nila. I was hiding in a location where the CCTV cameras couldn't see me.

“I assume there are plenty of folks waiting for you. Ano bang nangyayari—wait, what is this?” Napakunot naman ako ng noo ko. What’s happening? “Wait, there’s another hacker who’s helping them. You'll need to exit the building now. I can assist you outdoors, but not inside the premises. This hacker is using some malware, and if that occurs, it will be able to track me.”

Under my breath, I swore. A hacker, to be precise. Because a hacker infiltrated my condo, they knew where I hid the camera, and that's why my apartment didn't sound the alarm when someone trespassed. And the hacker is the girl who approached me. Kaya pala hindi ko na siya mahanap matapos niyang mawala sa maraming tao. At kaya pala parang alam niya kung saan siya pupunta.

Ang tanga-tanga!

Nakalabas ako ng building nang hindi na nila nasusundan. Dumaan ako sa lugar na hindi ako makikita ng CCTV. It's a good thing I memorized the building's blueprint. I disguised myself in clean clothes that I had stolen from where I was hiding earlier, and I had placed a piece of clothing in my wound to stop the bleeding. Hindi rin nagtagal ay dumating si Wayne at naamoy ko ang alak sa kanya. Nagpunta kami sa La Corde at dumiretso mismo sa opisina ni Tito Sebastian.

“When did this happen?” he asked seriously.

I let out a sigh. Walang kuwenta kung magsisinungaling pa ako. Nalaman na nila na may mga naghahanap na sa ‘kin. "It began when my face was unveiled in Morocco, and someone was there. A girl approached me a few days ago, and I believe she is the hacker who sees me and helps them figure out where I am."

Napahilot ito ng sentido saka seryosong tumingin sa akin at sabay sabi, “Pack your things. I’ll be sending you to the Philippines.”