Hypocrisy (3): Freelancer Aider

What you thought is true might be a lie,

And what you thought is a lie might be true.

In this world full of predicaments, everything is unsure.

______

I felt my stomach grumble as I smell the aroma of coffee coming from---- who knows where it came from. My eyes are still closed so I don't know.

"Arghh" I moaned habang hinihimas ko ang tiyan ko. Nagpagulong-gulong ako sa higaan bago buksan ang aking mga mata. Bakit ang sakit ng katawan ko?

I heard the sound of the door being opened. Is dad home already? I opened my eyes and rose from lying.

"Dad?" But to my disappointment, it was a girl with a messy bun and thick eyeglasses. It was not my dad. She seems startled base on her position right now. Nakahawak ang isa niyang kamay sa kanyang d****b habang ang isa ay nakahawak sa mesa para maging suporta sa katawan niya upang hindi matumba.

"Gising ka na pala. Ipinaghanda kita ng pagkain." She said the moment she recovered. I didn't answer her, instead, I roamed my eyes in the room. Hindi ko 'to kwarto at siguradong hindi ko 'to bahay dahil walang ganitong kwarto sa bahay.

Then, the memory of last night flooded my brain. I was put into sleep by that wicked police officer. I quickly put my guard and asked her a question.

"Where am I?"

"In my room?" She hesitantly answered.

"Huwag kang mag-alala, ligtas ka rito. My pals, saved you from those guys." I crease my forehead in confusion. Sinong pals?

"Harsh and a cheeky guy? You met him right?" I frowned. The only guy that crossed my mind was the guy from last night who asked me if I wanted to die. I kinda get who she meant.

"Way to go to describe Silver." Matawang-tawa na sabi ng lalaking kakapasok lang ng kwarto. He has a brown hair and fair skin. Mataas rin siya, siguro mga 6'3? Napangiwi naman ang babae sa sinabe ng lalaki.

"I know you have a lot of questions for us but you need to eat first." the guy with the brown hair said and dragged the girl outside the room with a smile. Who will eat a portion of food prepared by strangers? Who knows if they put someth--- the door opened again and the head of the brown hair guy stick out.

"Wala yang lason. Good guys kami." He said and exited with a mischievous smile on his face. I hate to admit it but my stomach is grumbling because I am hungry. Maybe I'll take his word na walang lason yung pagkain.

Come to think of it, if they really wanted to kill me then, they should have done it when I was unconscious. It was the best opportunity for them but they didn't do it.

Who cares? If I'm going to die then I should die with a full stomach!

*****

"Tapos ka na ba kumain?" tanong ng babaeng nagdala ng pagkain sa akin kanina. Hindi ako sumagot at pinabayaan ko lang siya pumasok sa kwarto.

May inilapag siyang damit sa kama, "Suotin mo 'to pampalit. Kung gusto mo nang makipag-usap, nandoon lang kami sa labas." She said and left me alone in the room. Agad akong nagpalit ng damit at dahan-dahang lumabas ng kwarto. I was amazed by the set-up outside the room.

There is a big whiteboard full of red threads and pictures of some--- wow, the faces that were plastered on the board were not that ordinary. Most of them are big shots. I'm quite surprised that my dad's face was also included in their collection. Anong gulo ba ang pinasok mo dad?

Then I saw a dark room. I took a peek at it, and I saw several computers that were lined up in an organized manner. There was also a guy sleeping on the swivel chair in front of a monitor. Just who are these guys? 

I sat at the table where the girl was sitting. Paniguradong hinihintay niya ako. Yinayaya niya akong umupo.

"I'll try to answer all your questions." She said.

"Pero bago yan, ako si Arth, si Maqu naman yung lalaking pumasok sa kwarto kanina at yung lalaking nandoon sa computer room ay si Hori."

"Wha----" I was about to ask her when she cut me off.

"Gusto ko lang klaruhin na, sasagutin ko ang mga tanong mo na alam ko ang sagot." Tumango ako bilang pagsang-ayon.

"Why am I here? How did I get here?"

"Una, nandito ka kasi ito yung sa tingin namin na ligtas ka. Pangalawa, Sil, and Maqu knocked out everyone and carried you all the way here." 

"What are you, people?"

"I really don't know but they call us freelancer aider,"

"Why save me?"

"Orders."

"From whom?"

"Boss,"

"What are your motives for saving me?"

"The drive," Drive? "and order by the boss."

"What do you mean by the drive? And who's your boss?"

"Yung hinahanap din ng mga lalaki sayo. At kung sino ang boss ko, hindi ako pwede magsalita tungkol sa kanya. Sabi niya, siya mismo ang magpapakilala sayo."

"What are his orders?"

"To protect you and get the information of where your father hid the drive."

"That's all?"

"Yes." Seryoso niyang sagot.

Parang wala rin namang saysay ang pag-uusap namin. She wants to avoid explaining. Tumahimik ako at napaisip, isn't it the same? They only wanted the evidence—eh hindi ko nga alam kung anong drive or ebidensya ang pinagsasabi nila.

"Kung iniisip mo na parehas lang kami ng humahabol sayo ay d'yan ka nagkakamali." She said after the deafening silence.

"What's the difference?"

"Very big difference, we protect you but them--- what do you think? Judging from the happenings yesterday?" She asked seriously while pointing the big difference between them to those guys.

"They'll kill you."

Her eyes were fierce and a sly smile was painted on her face as she uttered the words.

I shivered for a moment. The thought of having someone out there that wants to kill me made me anxious and panic. What will happen to me? Will I die? Then when? If my death is just one street ahead does it mean by staying here will prolong my life? I----- I stopped from overthinking when a piece of cloth covered the face of Arth.

"Tapos na ba kayong mag-usap? Marami ng tao sa labas, hindi ko kakayanin yun mag-isa." Sabi ni Maqu habang tinutusok-tusok ang ulo ni Arth na nakabalot ng apron. Bakit? May ano ba?

Tinanggal ni Arth ang apron na nakabalot sa mukha niya at tinapon kay Maqu. Nevertheless, Maqu easily avoided it. He sticks his tongue out to Arth and that made her fume in anger.

"Maqu!" She shouted furiously at Maqu and chased him.

"Get me if you can." Panunukso nito kay Arth.

Where did the serious ambiance from before go? Instead of having an answer mas dumami pa young mga tanong ko.

"Tss." I was startled when I heard a yawn, followed by an irritating sound on my back. I slowly turned my head only to find out a guy wearing an eye mask. He lifts the other side and looked at me with his bored eyes.

"H---hori?" I stuttered when I said it. Ngayong nakikita ko ang isa sa mga mata niya, agaw pansin ang eyebags niya. Still, having eye bags doesn't affect his looks. He's quite good looking.

"..." He just nodded at me and headed straight away in the direction of Arth and Maqu.

Wait---- everyone left.

So I'm alone in this spacious sala--- or what should I call this place? How can they be so carefree to leave me here? Staying here is not a bad thing. I can sense that they mean no harm. Pero kailangan ko pa rin tawagan sina Uncle Dante. They might panic and report me to the police which is not a good thing.

Pumasok ako sa pintuan na pinaglabasan nilang tatlo.

"Ummmm—Arth can I call----," I was not able to finish my statement because I was baffled by the sight of the three of them.

"Meron ka bang kailangan? Paano kita matutulungan? Kung nagugutom ka buksan mo lang ref sa loob ng quarters." She said as she tied her hair and wore her apron. She seems in rush.

They are wearing an apron. Maqu was holding a tray full of milkshakes. And I hear a lot of talking from the other side of the wall.

"Five milkshakes to table three." Said Hori who sticks his head out from the curtain. He's still wearing the eye mask. He made it as a headband.

"What is this?" I asked Arth.

"A café."

"I mean---why?" I don't know the exact question to ask her.

"Ah, nagtataka ka kung bakit merong ganito." She looked at me and smiled widely.

"You can say this is our front."

I opened my mouth in awe. I can't believe that these situations truly exist. I thought it was just in a book. What are they? Some sort of secret agent? Or is this a novel or what?

Arth did say, they are a freelancer aider.

Sinabunutan ko ang sarili ko. Anong kalokohan 'to? Am I still sane?

"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice spoke from my back.

"W---who are you?"