Chapter 31
1403 Words
Chapter 31 - Saved From a Fate Worst than Death
He took me into the garden as he desperately looked for a way to escape from the people who he thinks are after us.
“Professor, they are gone now, it is okay...” I called to him as he pulled me along. “Professor, we can stop now.”
“Hindi pa... kailangan pa natin lumayo!”
I stopped on my tracks so suddenly, he almost fell back on me. I held him in my arms then, trying to comfort him.
“A-ano ba?! Kailangan nating tumakas!” he shouted.
“No, we are safe now,” I told him. “You have saved me. I am fine now.”
I held his shaking body closer to mine. He was still hyperventilating.
“It is okay... I am fine, thank you, professor. Thank you for saving me.”
It took a while for him to calm down.
“H-hindi ka ba n’ya... n-nagalaw?”
“Hindi,” I said, shaking my head.
“H-hindi ka n’ya k-kinagat?” he asked again, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Hindi,” I answered again, holding his hand up to my nape for him to feel. “You saved me, professor. You took me away from that alpha. And I thank you for that.”
He broke down after that.
He started crying like a small child as he collapsed on my shoulder. My people came then, but I signaled them to keep away.
Later on, the security escorted us to the police station to report on what happened. It was a good thing that there were security cameras in the balcony. They saw how Dr. Heathlow forced me down the stairs to the garden. I even told the investigators to take a sample from the goblet of wine that I dropped, and check it for drugs.
Meanwhile, Prof. Antonio sobered up and told us his version of the story.
“Bumalik ako nang naalala ko na... na maraming alpha sa lugar, lalo na nang naisip ko na baka pilitin nanaman ni Hi- ni Dr. Heathlow si Dr. Abdel. Matagal na kasi yung nangungulit sa kan’ya,” he said. “Pagdating ko sa dining hall, sinabihan ako ni Pedro na sinama daw ni Dr. Heathlow si Dr. Abdel sa labas ng balcony, kaya’t dumiretso na `ko roon para hanapin sila...”
“Kung ganon, saan nanggaling ang bote ng alak na ipinambato mo?” asked one of the investigators.
“May nakasalubong ako’ng waiter, inalok ako ng alak mula sa bitbit n’yang tray. `Yung bote ang kinuha ko.”
“Bakit `yung bote? May binabalak ka na ba’ng gawin noon pa lang?”
“Nakita ko sa may pinto na hinahatak ni Heathlow si Dr.Abdel... kaya...”
“Prof. Antonio has agoraphobia, I informed them, “He was already having a panic attack by then, so he probably took the bottle subconsciously as a way to defend himself.”
“`Yun... at dahil kilala na ang tao’ng `yun na mahilig talagang bumiktima ng mga omega.”
“Kaya mo po ba’ng patunayan `yan?” asked the investigators.
“Kaya nga walang omega sa division nila, eh,” he answered. “Pero hindi. Hindi ko `yun kayang patunayan dahil tago lahat ng kaso n’ya,” he said with a frown.
“And Dr.Abdel, you were the one who was molested, yet you don’t seem to be bothered by the incident at all,” the investigator asked me.
“I am quite used to alphas forcing themselves on me,” I answered. “And as you can see, I am also adequately protected.”
I looked at the two men standing at the end of the room. They were wearing black suits with tie-pins bearing our family crest of three stars within a crescent moon.
“Sino ba ang mga `yan?” Prof. Antonio asked me.
“They are my guards.”
“Guards? Eh, bakit ngayon ko lang sila nakita? Kanina, bigla na lang silang nagsulputan!”
”That is their job,” I told him. “They are not supposed to be seen.”
“Ka-lalaking tao, hindi nakikita?” his frown deepened, “`Wag mo’ng sabihin na nakatira rin ang dalawang `yan sa bahay ko?!”
“Of course not,” I answered him, “I value my privacy as well.”
“Pero... matagal ka nang binabantayan ng dalawang `yan?!” he asked again.
“There are actually four of them.”
The professor’s eyes widened upon hearing this.
“So, kahit kailan pala, p’wede ako’ng umbagan ng mga bantay mo dahil sa mga pinaggagagawa ko sa `yo?” he sounded worried.
“No,” I replied. “They know you are no threat to me, after all.”
He looked offended by this, but his lawyer, Mr. Derejedo entered the room before he could react.
“Eric! Ano nanaman ang nangyari?!”
“Aba, wala ako’ng ginawang masama, ha!”
“That is correct, Mr. Derejedo, on the contrary, Prof. Antonio just saved me from a fate worst than death.”
He looked at me, funny.
“I was almost r***d and bitten by an alpha.” I explained.
“Is that so?” His eyes widened, but he seemed to be more concerened about the professor. “Ayos ka lang ba? Hindi ka ba inatake? Wala ka ba’ng napatay?”
“Wala, `no!” Prof. Antonio mumbled like a child being fussed over by his parent.
“I presume that this is not an isolated case?” I asked.
“Well, you see, Eric still gets panic attacks sometimes, although not as frequent as when he was a kid.”
“And the trigger is an omega in distress, am I right?”
They looked at each other, then looked at me. Mr. Derejedo nodded. He then went to the head investigator and showed him some papers.
“I have here my client’s diagnosis for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia,” he told them. “Ayos na ba `to para sa kaso n’ya kay Dr. Heathler?”
“Heathlow po, atorni.” corrected the investigator.
“Pero, kung gusto pa rin magsampa ng kaso ni Heathler, eh, `di kami aatras ng partner ko na si Atty. Del Mirasol,” Mr. Derejedo continued.
“Okay na po ito, Atty. Derejedo, kami na po bahala sa iba,” said the head investigator.
“Salamat, kung ganon, at kung wala na po kayo’ng ibang kailangan ay aalis na kami ng mga kliente ko.”
We left the police station with murmers of `Judge Dredd’ in the background.
“Who is this Judge Dredd?” I asked when we exited the building.”
“Ah, that would be my father,” Atty. Derejedo said with a smile, “He’s a well known judge who favors omegas and have sent countless alphas to justice. So if ever you need a lawyer, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” He faced Prof. Antonio. “And you, ayoko’ng makarinig na sangkot ka nanaman sa kung anu-ano’ng kaso, ha? Next time that happens, sasabihan ko na si Louie para s’ya naman ang umasikaso sa `yo!”
“Opo, tatay, sorry na po, tatay, `wag n’yo na po idamay si nanay,” the professor said sarcastically.
“Hay, kaya ka napapaaway dahil sa ugali mo’ng `yan, eh. Isn’t that so, Dr. Abdel?”
“Exactly.”
“Sige, pagtulungan n’yo pa `ko.”
Mr. Derejede looked at him fondly and rustled his hair.
“Sige na, umuwi na kayo at susunduin ko pa si Franklin sa work n’ya.”
“Ganitong oras nasa labas pa si Lin?” the professor asked him.
“`Oy, `wag mong ismolin ang kakambal ko, ha?” answered Mr. Derejedo who drew himself up to his full height, “tandaan mo, lagi kaming natatalo ni Louie `pag `yun ang ka-sparring namin. Sige na, uwi na!”
“Take care as well, Mr. Derejedo,” I called to him. “Thank you for your assistance.”
- Writer
