DANCING WITH THE VILLAIN

IV | A Crown's Deal

Adriene Constance

Adriene was used to making decisions and had learned the lesson of suffering the consequences of making wrong ones. Ngayon ay isa sa mga panahong kailangan niyang gumawa ng napakaimportanteng desisyon. To be a spy in exchange for the continuous financial support of her family from the crown... was a good offer but the price could be her life.

Her father used to be a spy before and she never saw him again. And once she agrees to be a spy for the Crown, she may not be able to see her family too. Hindi niya alam tatanggapin niya ba o hindi.

Those guys from the Crown surely knows how to entice. Sambit niya sa kanyang sarili.

"Anak, ayos ka lang ba?" Napatingin siya sa kanyang ina na nakatingin sa kanya. Saka naman niya napansin na umaapaw na ang lababo ng tubig kaya agad naman niyang pinatay ang gripo.

She gave her mother a tight smile before she said, "Ayos lang ako, ma. May iniisip lang."

Her mother looked at her as if she wanted to say something else but chose to close her mouth. Ngumiti lang rin ang inay niya sa kanya at marahang pinisil ang kanyang balikat.

"Maaga tayo bukas, ha?" saad nito sa kanya bago nagpunta sa kwarto. And that's when she remembered tomorrow. Kaarawan ng lola niya at ang tanging hiling lang nito ay magsimba sila. Her grandmother is turning 70 tomorrow and she was still so full of energy. Kung wala lang itong sakit ay sigurado siyang mas malakas pa sana ito.

She immediately finished washing the dishes at agad nagpunta sa kanyang silid. Doon naman niya nakita ang folder na natanggap niya kahapon sa babaeng nagngangalang Ariela. It was her mission once she accepts the offer but given that they already have given her confidential information, it would only mean they have already expected her to agree being their agent.

Adriene had no idea about being an agent. In fact, she never—not even once—imagined being one. It was a job that killed her father. A job that might kill her too if she agrees.

She sighed and rested her back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. For so many years she had avoided them only for them to find her first. Ang hindi lang niya maintindihan ay sa lahat ng pwede nilang irecruit ay bakit siya pa? Mas maiintidihan pa niya kung magaling siya sa pagiging agent—hell, it is something that should be studied. Like how they did it in the army. She never did any of those! Adriene thought it must have been because of her relation to her father which also makes little sense because despite her father being an agent, she wasn't one and she never planned to be one. Hindi niya mapigilang isipin na may mas malalim pang dahilan ang Crown para siya ang piliin. Hindi na niya naisip ang ganoong bagay noong nakausap niya si Ariela. Her mind was too occupied and shocked by the news that she wasn't asking the right questions at that time.

May isang araw pa siya bago hihingin ang kanyang pinal na desisyon. And before that, kailangan muna niyang mag-isip ng mabuti. She sighed and rolled on the bed at saka nakita ang envelope sa kanyang mesa. Kinuha niya ito at binuksan. Bumungad ulit sa kanya ang mukhang isang lalaki.

His dark eyes tells many stories. Na para bang nakita na nito lahat ng kasamaan sa mundo. Hindi niya mapigilang matakot habang nakatingin sa lalaki. He is handsome. Dangerously handsome. Just looking at his profile, she couldn't help but wonder how could anyone be so good at being bad. Sa unang tingin masasabi niyang kalmado ang lalaki. Someone who doesn't need to raise his voice to demand respect. And fear. Ngunit kalaunan ay nakikita niya rin ang ngiti nitong medyo may pagkapilyo. Na para bang isang tingin lang ng lalaki ay malalaman na nito lahat nang tungkol sa kanya.

Her eyes darted towards the texts on the side containing the man's details.

"Rhysand Marfori," she mumbled. She has never heard of that name before. "Ivory Skulls," she continued reading. Napagtanto niyang isang grupo ang Ivory Skulls na ang tanging gawain ay magsmuggle ng mga illegal na bagay. Aside from that, there are too many things involved with the group: gambling, fights, and...killings. Rhysand Marfori, the man she was tasked to spy is the leader of a group named Ivory Skulls in Sinclaire who delights in playing the criminal. They kill their enemies. They kill whoever is on their way. And should she agree to spy on them, then she would surely be dead once they find out about it.

Mas lalong nanindig ang balahibo niya nang makita ang ibang detalye tungkol sa lalaki. Napagtanto niyang magkakapamilya lang ang mga miyembro ng Ivory Skulls at nang makita niyang may miyembro silang babae, hindi niya alam kung kakalma ba siya o mas matakot.

Binasa niya ang mga gawain ng mga ito. Most of their activities are centered around Sinclaire but she could see a note on the side written in red ink saying, "Might be expanding." Kung totoo iyon ay mas lalo siyang natakot. If these men could take over Sinclaire and is expanding over other territories, they will be close to unstoppable. She continued reading about their under-the-radar activities. The most recent one they did was the riot in a bar called Neinhart Haven. The more she read, the more she understood that Filip Neinhart established a bar in Sinclaire and the Ivory Skulls raided it before taking it as their own.

If she's going to say to say something, she could tell that Ivory Skulls are bullies. She flipped to the next page only to find it empty. Iyon lang ang tanging impormasyon niya sa Ivory Skulls at ang lider nitong si Rhysand. Hindi niya alam kung sapat na ba iyon kung sakaling papayag siya o kailangan pa ba niyang maging mahusay sa paggamit ng baril o kutsilyo—walang siyang ideya. And walking right into Sinclaire seemed like walking into a lion's den since they practically owned the city.

Napapikit siya nang mariin at hinilot ang sentido at hindi niya namalayang nakatulog na pala siya.

***

Alas kwatro y media pa lang ay nagising na siya. She heard some noice in the kitchen at alam niyang ang inay niya lang iyon. Agad bumangon si Adrien at itinago ang envelope sa kanyang bag. Ngayon ang kaarawan ng kanyang lola kaya agad siyang lumabas at naghilamos.

"Tulog pa po ba si lola, nay?" tanong niya sa ina. Lumingon naman ito sa kanya at tumango.

"Hayaan mo na muna. Baka napuyat iyon kagabi. Hindi raw siya makatulog."

Bigla naman siyang nag-alala. "Ayos lang po ba daw siya?" tanong niya at naupo sa silyang naroon.

"Ayos naman pakiramdam niya, nak. Magigising din iyon. Hindi ko muna ginising. Mahimbing kasi ang tulog."

Tumango naman siya saka tinanggap ang bigay na kape ng kanyang ina saka siya napatingin sa orasan. "Alas singko naman siya nagigising lage, nay. Hintayin nalang natin."

She cleared her mind from what she had read last night and decided to focus her day on her grandma. Kaarawan ng lola niya nghayon. She can't afford to be thinking of other things when it's her grandma's birthday. And she should be waking up by now. Only that her grandma wasn't. And it's already past five.

Nagkatinginan sila ng ina niya at saka sinugod ang kwarto kung saan natutulog ang matanda. Labis nalang ang takot nila nang makitang nasa sahig na ito nakahiga. Everything became a blur. All she could remember was calling the ambulance and her mother wailing while trying cradle her grandmother.

Nang makarating ang ambulansya, agad naman nilang isinakay ang lola. Nakahinga lang sila nang maluwag nang mnakarating sila sa hospital at idineklara ng doktor na maayos na ang lagay ng lola niya. Napaupo siya sa silya doon at napahilamos sa mukha. She felt her mother sit beside her at napabuntong-hininga lang din ito.

"Kailangan na niyang maoperahan, ma," saad niya sa ina habang nakatingin sahig. They're been doing the maintenance but unless her grandma doesn't undergo surgey, her condition might worse.

Tahimik naman ang ina niya at napalingon siya rito. Alam na niya kung anong iniisip nito kaya naman hinawakan niya ang kamay ng ina niya.

"Ako ang bahala. Hahanap ako ng paraan. I promise," she said and squeezed her mother's hand. Her mother gave her a tight smile and she couldn't bear to see the look on her face. Na para bang naaawa na ito sa kanya sa mga nangyayari sa buhay nila.

"I'm fine, ma. Ayos lang ako. Gagawa ako ng paraan para may pera tayo pang paopera."

Tumango lang ang ina niya saka humagulhol sa kanyang balikat. And that moment, all she could ever think was the offer made by the Crown. Kung tatanggapin niya ang alok nito, she had to make deal na sasagutin ng mga ito ang operasyon ng kanyang lola.

Kaya naman habang nasa labas siya ng hospital ay tinawagan niya ang numero na nakalagaysa isang card na narooon sa envelope. After three rings, someone answered from the other line and she could already recognize Ariela's cold voice.

"Have you made up your mind?" tanong nito sa kanya. She didn't even need to introduce herself because Ariela already knew it was her. As if she had been expecting her to call.

Napalunok nalang siya ng laway saka tumingin sa hospital. She closed her eyes and heaved a deep breath before she said, "Yes. Pick me up at the same place. I have something to talk to you about."

"If that's not about your decision then I am afraid I can't--"

"Payag ako. Papayag akong magtrabaho sa inyo. I am willing to take whatever job the Crown will put me through. But I just have to be clear on the other terms and conditions."

Saglit na tumahimik ang kabilang linya bago niya narinig ulit ang boses ni Ariela. "Very well. They will pick you up at the same place in twenty minute. Be on time." Iyon lang at ibinaba na ng babae ang tawag.

Adriene looked at the hospital one last time before she went to the same place where she first saw the men in black. And true enough, minutes after she arrived, a car stopped in front of her. Sumilip siya sa loob at doon niya nakita ang mga lalaking kumuha din sa kanya noon. They didn't bother to go out of the car and take care because they know this time, it was her who was willing to come.

Agad naman siyang sumakay sa sasakyan and endured the silence and the dread bago sila makarating sa gusaling pinagdalhan sa kanya noon. The interior was spotless clean that it almost felt like she was transported to another dimension. Agad naman siyang dinala ng mga lalaki papunta sa silid kung saan naroon at naghihintay si Ariela.

The woman did not bother to lift her head until she was seated in front of her table. She folded her hands on the table and looked at her.

"What about the terms and conditions do you want to clarify?" tanong nito sa kanya.

"My grandmother," she said. "Kailangan niyang maoperahan. We don't have money to make that happen. I will accept the job offer and I want you to pay the cost for my grandma's operation as well as her maintenance."

Ariela stared at her for a few seconds before she picked up a pen and started writing it down. "Very well," saad nito matapos isulat ang sinabi niya.

"Like you promised, you have to double the monthly allowance my family's going to receive and her maintenance too."

Ariela nodded and looked at her. "That's what we agreed."

She heaved a deep breath before she said, "Good."

Agad naman tumayo si Ariela at kumuha ng isang papel. Inilahad ng babae iyon sa kanya at saka niya ito tiningnan. Nang basahin niya ito ay doon niya napagtanto na isa iyong kontrata.

"You will work for us for six months. Sa loob ng anim na buwan na iyon, kailangan mo kaming bigyan ng kahit anong impormasyon tungkol sa kanilang grupo. Kapag napagdesisyunan mong huminto sa trabaho bago matapos ang kontrata, ihihinto rin namin ang sustento sa pamilya mo habang-buhay. Kapag nangyaring mamatay ka habang nasa misyon, ipagpapatuloy ng Crown ang pagsusuporta sa pamilya mo." Seryosong nakatingin si Ariela sa kanya.

"At kung matapos mo ang anim na buwan, babalik ka sa normal mong buhay na parang walang nangyari. Kakalimutan mong naging espiya ka at kakalimutan mo ang naging usapan na ito. Maliwanag ba?"

Adriene looked at the paper on her hand. A contract that would bind her to hell. She was scared. Ngunit naalala niya ang kanyang lola at ang kanyang ina. Wala siyang ibang magawa kundi tanggapin ang alok ng babae. Kaya naman tiningnan niya ang babae at sinabing, "Naiintindihan ko."

And it was the start of the Crown's Deal.

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