Chapter 5 (Part 1)

"Aaah!" Ang malakas na iyak na iyon ng isang lalaki ang pumuno sa isang abandonadong gusali. 

"Tanginang to... Sinabing tumahimik ka!" Naiinis na sigaw isang lalaki na nakasuot ng itim na amerikana at kurbata, saka nito sinuntok ang duguan ng mukha ng lalaking umiiyak habang naka-upo at nakagapos sa kahoy na silya. 

Sa lakas ng suntok na pinakawalan ng lalaking ng naka itim na amerikana ay halos matumba na ang silyang kinauupuan ng lalaki ngunit naging maagap ang dalawang lalaki na kasamahan ng lalaking naka amerikana sa paghawak at pagpigil sa silya upang hindi ito tuluyang matumba. Then the guy that was holding the left side of the wooden chair grabbed the man's hair and pulled it upwards upang makatagpo ng tingin nito ang mga mata ng lalaking naka amerikana.

"Ang lakas mong ngumawa pero kapag tinatanong na kita, tumatahimik ka na. Eh kung tuluyan na kaya kita, ha?" Pagsisindak pa ng lalaking naka amerikana.

The man who's face is swollen and bleeding spoke in a shaky and small voice, "M-maawa na kayo... Hi-hindi na ako uulit—" ngunit hindi na natapos ng lalaki ang pagmamakaawa nito dahil inundayan na naman ito ng suntok ng lalaking naka amerikana ngunit sa pagkakataong ito ay hindi na mukha nito ang sinusuntok ng lalaki ngunit ang tiyan na nito na halos magpaluwa sa mga mata ng lalaking nakagapos. The man in black suit and tie then said, "Hindi 'yan ang sagot na gusto kong marinig!" At muli ay pinagsusuntok na naman nito ang nakataling lalaki.

"That's enough, Jaguar." 

Tumigil sa pagsuntok ang lalaking naka amerikana at ibinaling ang tingin sa lalaking nagsalita. 

"Pero boss—"

"I'll handle him, Jaguar." Malamig at mapanganib na sabi ulit ng lalaki. 

The man in a black suit and tie named Jaguar immediately backed down upon hearing what the man he calls boss said. 

The man Jaguar called Boss then stood up from the plastic chair he was sitting in and went out from the dark part of their building. And the moment the boss came into the light, the man in question immediately froze, and fear filled his face. 

"You don't have to look so scared, Mr. Santos. It's just me, your friend. When did I ever hurt you?" Asked the boss saka niya ibinaling ang tingin sa dalawang lalaki na pumipigil sa upuan at nakasabunot sa buhok ng lalaking nakagapos na si Mr. Santos, "Let go of him boys. You're scaring our good old friend." Mabilis naman na ginawa ng dalawang lalaki ang sinabi ng kanilang boss at umatras na rin ang ito ng dalawang beses mula kay Mr. Santos.

"H-hunter..." Sambit ng lalaking nakagapos. 

The boss, Hunter, smiled at Mr. Santos. "So you still remember me. I thought you had already forgotten since we haven't seen each other for," Hunter looked at Jaguar, that was just a few steps behind him, and asked, "How long was it?" 

"Three months," Jaguar answered nonchalantly.

"Right. Three months." Ani Hunter bago ibinalik ang tingin kay Mr. Santos, who's not frozen anymore but is now shaking in fear. "Three months is quite long, isn't it, Mr. Santos? Alam mo, medyo nagtatampo ako sa'yo. Because after everything we've been through, you just ran away without telling me. And you did not only run away, but you also brought my money and my possessions with you." Hunter clicked his tongue while shaking his head. He then held Mr. Santos by the chin. "Not only that, pinagod mo rin ang mga tauhan ko sa paghahanap sa'yo. They spent three months looking for you, and it turns out they couldn't find you easily because you already had someone other than me protecting you. You were already under the protection of the Delgado Group, weren't you?"

"N-no... Hunter... M-magpapaliwanag ako..."

"Magpapaliwanag ka? Sige. Ipaliwanag mo sa akin ngayon. Ipaliwanag mo sa akin kung bakit kinailangan mong dalhin ang pera ko at ang mga pag-aari ko. Ipaliwanag mo sa akin kung bakit pinili mong makipag-tulungan sa mga Delgado at traydurin ako pagkatapos ng pinagsamahan nating dalawa. Was it money? The protection? Or did they threaten you and your family?" 

Mabilis na nanlaki ang mga mata ni Mr. Santos matapos marinig ang huling tanong ni Hunter. 

"So they did threaten you. What was it? Did they tell you they'll kill your wife and your daughters?" Muling tanong ni Hunter sa seryoso ng boses. 

Napalunok si Mr. Santos at nanginig ang kanyang mga tuhod. Hunter's face and even the way he speaks screams danger. 

Mr. Santos knew how dangerous Hunter Ramirez is. Unang kita niya pa lamang rito dalawang taon na ang nakalipas ay alam na niyang hindi ito ang klase ng tao na dapat niyang banggain. 

Mr. Santos met Hunter when his shipping company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Hunter offered him help in exchange for letting their group use his company however they wanted. And because Mr. Santos has no one else to turn to, he agrees to Hunter's proposition. Kinalimutan niya ang konsensya niya, at ibinenta niya ang dignidad at integridad niya.

Sa una ay nakaramdam pa siya ng takot ngunit nang lumaki at nakilala na ang kompanya niya ay tuluyan na siyang sinakop ng kasakiman, at mula noon ay nagkaroon na siya ng mabuting relasyon kay Hunter and Hunter even began to recognize him as his friend. Everything is going well. Both his and Hunter's businesses are doing well. But everything has turned into chaos when the Delgado group barged into his home and threatened him using his family if he won't do as they say. 

Afraid of his family getting involved, he did what the Delgado group asked. He told them everything he knew about Hunter, his group, and his businesses. He then ran away with his family, bringing the money he was supposed to give Hunter under the Delgados' Protection as they promised him. But it's only been three months since he ran away, but Hunter and his men have already found him, and he is now at Hunter's mercy.

"Based on the expressions in your face, I can tell that I have asked the right questions." Muling pagsasalita ni Hunter. Muling umiling si Hunter. May panghihinayang na makikita sa mukha ni Hunter ngunit alam ni Mr. Santos na hindi iyon totoo, na pagbabalat-kayo lamang iyon. He was aware that Hunter only treated him as a friend because he still has the need for him, but now that he has betrayed his trust, siguradong tatalikuran na siya nito at malaki ang tyansa na hindi na siya makalalabas sa abandonadong gusali na kinaroroonan nila. 

"I trusted you, Mr. Santos. Being betrayed by you has never crossed my mind. After all, I made you fucking rich. I made you the person you are right now, and this is how you repay me? What a useless fucker." At bago pa man makahuma si Mr. Santos ay malakas ng dumapo ang kamao ni Hunter sa kanyang pisngi na dahilan upang malaglag ang dalawa niyang ngipin at halos panawan na siya ng ulirat.

At hindi pa nakuntento si Hunter. Paulit-ulit pa nitong sinuntok si Mr. Santos habang sa magtalsikan na ang mga dugo ng lalaki at matumba na ang upuan na kinauupuan nito. Tuluyan na rin itong nawalan ng malay ngunit kahit halos hindi na humihinga si Mr. Santos ay hindi pa rin ito tinigilan ni Hunter. He kept punching Mr. Santos, letting out all his anger towards the man who betrayed him, and no one in his men dared to intervene even though the original plan was to not kill Mr. Santos until they get all the information they needed from him. That was because they knew better than to stop their boss when he’s mad. Baka kapag pinigilan nila si Hunter ay baka sila pa ang isunod nito. 

Hunter’s men thought Mr. Santos will end up dying, lalo na at tila wala pang plano si Hunter na tigilan ito. But someone suddenly appeared to stop Hunter from his madness, and it was no other than Leon, Hunter’s consigliere. Leon then said, “That’s enough, boss. We still haven’t gathered any information from him.”

Mula sa pagsuntok na naman sanang muli ay napatigil si Hunter. Nilingon niya ang kinaroroonan ni Leon at ganoon na lamang ang sabay-sabay na paglunok ng kanyang mga tauhan nang makita ng mga ito ang ekspresyon sa mukha ni Hunter. Tumaas din ang mga balahibo nila sa katawan na minsanan lang mangyari.

Hunter looked like a demon who was about to kill someone, and that someone could be Leon. But Leon did not even faze. He has that same cold expression on his face.

Hunter gave Leon a hostile glare, “Are you telling me what to do, Leon?”

“I am not, boss. I am simply stating a fact. Besides, you have an appointment today, don’t you? You can’t let a woman wait.” Maagap na sagot ni Leon without batting an eye. 

Natigilan si Hunter, and so were his men.

Woman? Did the boss get a woman? Jaguar asked in silence. And the rest of Hunter’s men have the same question too. Ngunit bago pa man masagot ang katanungan nilang iyon ay kumilos ng muli si Hunter, and it’s not to go back on punching Mr. Santos, but to ask for a towel to wipe the blood on his hands. 

Matapos punasan ng tuwalya ang kamay ay binalingan ni Hunter si Jaguar, “You do the rest. Just make sure that bastard is still alive and his tongue intact enough for him to answer our questions.”

“Yes, boss,” ang tanging naisagot na lamang ni Jaguar na sinabayan pa niya ng pagtango. 

“I’m leaving. Come with me, Leon,” muling sabi ni Hunter. 

Kaagad naman na sumunod si Leon kay Hunter while Jaguar and the rest of his men stared at Hunter with shocked faces, still wondering if their boss had gotten a woman.