Natalie Trilogy Book 3: The Last Stand

CHAPTER 4: She Finally Burst it all Out

C H A P T E R 4:

S H E F I N A L L Y B U R S T I T A L L O U T

“Are you really sure about your decision?”

Isang buntonghininga ang ginawa ni Natalie saka inisang lagok na iyong natitirang gatas sa kanyang baso. Nasa living area na sila ng bahay ni John. Wala na ang mga taong basta na lang nang-trespass sa property. Pagkabalik nila roon kanina mula sa isang site kung saan lumapag ang helicopter ay wala na ang mga naiwang mga taong naka-tactical gear.

But then Brian was still there. Now he was asking her the question she didn’t know how to answer. “Yep. It’s too risky, Brian, to just accept their proposal.”

“I’m actually surprised. I mean, that’s the opportunity there and you didn’t grab it.” Tinititigan siya ni Brian na parang isang malaking biro ang ginawa niya. “I worked with Andrés Garza, and I must say, he’s one of those favored beings by the US Government.”

That was Natalie had been waiting for from Brian: iyong magkuwento ito tungkol sa matanda. “So, Andrés, huh? What kind of work did you exactly do with him? And who is he?”

Napamaang si Brian. Kung dahil ba sa tanong niya, o dahil parang mayroon itong ‘aha’ moment sa kanya ay hindi siya siigurado. Ah, how could she outwit a Navy SEAL? Hindi ito makaka-qualify sa pagpasok sa isang elite joint special force kung hindi mataas ang intelligence ng lalaki.

SEAL Team Six. Natalie could not let go of what Ivanna had said earlier about Brian. Miyembro ang lalaki sa SEAL Team Six. Wala man siyang ideya kung ano iyon, pihadong espesyal ang naturang grupo.

“So, I was right. You actually didn’t turn down the proposal.” Natawang napailing si Brian.

“I told you. It’s risky so I have to make it appear as if I turned them down. We’ve known each other for what? A year, right? So, I’ve got to use tools at my disposal first to know what’s the deal with that old man---" I mean to have, at least, a hint what's up with the proposal.

Halata rin naman kasing dating magkasama ang matanda at si Brian. Magkakilala. Natural ay lulubos-lubosin na niya iyon, hindi ba?

Lalong natawa si Brian. “Tool at your disposal, huh? You mean our one-year friendship?"

"Yup."

"It's a thing that isn’t supposed to be disclosed to civilians like you, Maria.”

“C’mon, Brian, please. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

Napahilamos ng mukha ang lalaki at sa hitsura pa lang nito, mabilis itong sumuko sa pangungulit niya. Pabagsak na sumadal ito kinuupuan sofa. “Before I was deployed to Iraq many years ago, I was assigned to be part of a special task force. Remember what I’ve told you before? I’ve worked with the FBI, CIA, and DEA to extract drug kingpins from Mexico?”

Mula sa pagkakatalumbaba, napaupo nang tuwid si Natalie, tumango. Nakarating sa dulo ng dila niya kung ano at sino si Andrés, na isa sa magiging bahagi ng proposal iyong gustong ipahiwatig ni Brian. Hindi lang siya sigurado kung tama iyong nasa dulo ng dila niya.

Nagpatuloy si Brian. “When I first met Mr. Garza, he was introduced to us as a CIA Agent. But he was far more than that. He was the one that would interrogate a drug mule, or a drug kingpin, after that, we were going to seize another drug kingpin again. He was the one who gave us command. He was like our CO. Years later, suddenly, the task force dissolved. And I have no idea what happened.

“But,” Brian’s tone this time was alert, “when I saw those men in those kinds of tactical gear, I doubted that the task force really did dissolve, especially with the presence of that DEA Special Agent earlier.”

Maybe, Andrés would recruit her to be part of his task force. Ang nakakapagtaka lang ay kung anong dahilan bakit hindi niya kailangang malaman ang nasa “proposition” hangga’t hindi siya umo-oo. Ganoon ang naging siste ng isip ni Natalie sa dumaang mga oras. Nakaalis na si Brian pauwing Mississipi. Nasa kuwarto na rin siya pero hayun pa rin siya: nakatingin sa ceiling. Humahapyaw rin kasi ang ideya ng kasalang Marga at Bradley.

Ngayong araw na iyon.

“There’s no rush, Natalie. You still have plenty of time to think. Just give me a call when you’ve already decided.” Iyon ang sinabi ni Ivanna kanina nang tanggihan niya ang offer ng mga ito. Ang problema lang, wala nang natitirang oras si Natalie. Hindi niya kayang sikmurain na magiging ina ni Prince si Marga. Lalong hindi niya matanggap na wala man lang siyang hint na nakuha mula kay Brian bakit wala nang atrasan kapag um-oo na siya kay Ivanna.

Wala talaga siyang pagpipilian.

Noon na kinuha ni Natalie ang unan sa malapit saka iyon isinubsob sa mukha niya. Doon ay nagsusumigaw siya. After a while, hindi na nakatiis si Natalie na kunin ang kanyang phone mula sa bedside table. Tumayong nagpalakad-lakad siya nang paroon at parito sa kuwartong iyon, hinahanap ang numero ni Ivanna.

Ilang segundo rin ang dumaan bago pikit-matang tinawagan ang babae. Alas singko na ng umaga. Pihadong gising na. Bagaman sa kaloob-looban naihilig niya: sana ay tulog pa si Ivanna at isang milagro ang dumating --- isang anghel na nagkatawang lupa para iligtas siya sa kung anumang susunod na mangyayari. Marami na siyang maling desisyon, lahat ng iyon ay dahil padalos-dalos siya at hindi pinag-isipan muna ang lahat --- bagay kung bakit naroon siya ngayon sa sitwasyon iyon.

“God, please, kung masama ang magiging epekto ng gagawin ko, give me a sign huwag ko lang ituloy.”

But the sign she was asking never arrived. Nasagot na ni Ivanna ang tawag.

Shit . . .

“Natalie?” Ivanna sounded surprised, ecstatic, even.

“I’m in.” Walang ligoy-ligoy, rekta bagaman parang nais na lang niyang masuka.

“Really? T-That’s good news.”

“In one condition.” Of course, everything had a price.

“Oh, sure. Anything, Natalie, unless if it was against with the proposition I offered you, of course.”

“Help me go to Bradley’s wedding today. I want to see my child just from afar. Promise, I won’t do anything reckless. I just want to see Prince so bad . . . and . . .”

At last, that was the burst out she’d been waiting for. Kung ang iyak niya nang makarating si Ivanna at banggitin ang lagay ni Bradey ay napahagulgol siya, ngayon ay higit pa sa hagulgol ang ginawa niya.

Napaluhod siya sa sahig at doon ibinuhos lahat ng sakit.

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