Hovering

Chapter 43. Hovering

"WHAT?" baling kay Sinned ni Rexton nang mapamura siya.

Imbis na sagutin ito ay lumapit siya sa babaeng bihag. "Is she in that house?"

Nanatiling tikom ang bibig nito.

He cussed aloud. "Kalbuhin n'yo ang babaeng iyan."

Naiiling na ngumisi ang tatlong agents na nandoon at alam niyang susundin siya ng mga ito.

He stormed outside the building and drove to Colonia Monserrat, on where the house was located. Mabilis lang ang biyahe lalo pa't malapit-lapit lang naman.

While on his way, he informed Arc to go to that house. Rexton also called him to tell him that backups were coming as well.

As he was told, the door was unlocked, so he managed to get in easily. Kinapa-kapa niya ang switch sa pader at sinindi ang ilaw. Bumulaga sa kaniya ang maayos na mga kagamitan. Walang bahid na may gulong nangyari roon kahapon.

He tried to recall the plan about yesterday and he managed to remember the interior of the house. He went to the basement but there was no one. Maging sa basement ay hindi halatang nagkaroon ng madugong engkwentro roon kahapon.

He went to the maid's quarter but there's no suspicious activities in there as well.

While checking thoroughly, someone arrived. He alerted himself before he wen outside the room. Nakahinga siya nang si Arc pala ang dumating.

"Have you found something?" bungad nito pagkakita sa kaniya.

Umiling siya.

Nagpatuloy sila sa paghahanap pero wala pa rin talaga. Lagpas isang oras na nang makatanggap siya ng tawag kay Stone kaya tumigil muna siya sa paghahanap. Nasa isang bodega siya ngayon nang sagutin niya ang long-distance call.

"What is it?" tanong niya.

"I'll be coming to El Salvador, too. But that's not the reason why I called."

He kept still.

"Dice told me she found Rellie."

"Where?" Kumabog lalo ang dibdib niya.

"We don't know exactly where. But I think that the place was familiar. I'm sending you the video. Wait for it."

"W-what video?" Kinabahan lalo siya nang maalala ang mga napanood na video mula sa mga nakalap nila. Hindi niya kakayaning makita si Rellie sa ganoong sitwasyon.

"It's filmed by those two whom you've captured. It was uploaded in their dark website yesterday."

Nagtagis ang bagang niya at inihanda ang sarili sa mga maaaring makita. Ngunit hindi na niya naghintay pa ang video nang manatili ang nga titig niya sa pader ng bodega. Naningkit ang mga mata niya nang mapansin iba ang kulay ng gray na pinturang nasa pader. Mas matingkad ang nasa parteng iyon. Sa gilid niyon ay may mga timba at pinturang nakatambak. Instinctively, he removed those pails and he noticed a dirtier part of the wall. Just on that part.

Wala sa sariling sinipa niya iyon at bahagyang umangat ang parteng matingkad ang kulay. He gasped because his heart was beating too fast that he wanted to rushed inside that secret passage.

He tried pulling the wall but that couldn't be done. When he slid it sideway, on his left, and it worked. Bumulaga sa kaniya ang isang bakal na pinto at binuksan niya iyon. Just a few meters away, there's a door made of wood and he tried to open the door.

It was unlocked.

Staying alert, he slowly pushed the door. It was so dark that was he turned om the flashlight on his phone until his eyesight adjusted.

The smell of sex dominated the dark room as he saw the king-sized bed in the center. Magulo iyon at marumi.

On his peripheral vision, she noticed someone who's on the opposite position of the bed, and his heart dropped when he recognized that that person was the very same person he's been searching for.

Nabitiwan niya ang flashlight at patakbong sinarado ang distansya sa pagitan nila. He knelt to the ground to level their gazes and he almost died when he saw her condition up close. He immediately checked her pulse and it was weak.

"R-Rellie..." his voice broke as his tears fell.

Tulala ito at marungis, sugatan at bugbog-sarado. He wanted to hug her so bad, to embrace her and tell her that everything was fine, vut he couldn't do so. Natatakot siyang baka may mga vali ito at mas masaktan kung yayakapin pa niya nang mahigpit. Sa huli ay inayos na lang niya ang pagkakatali ng roba nito.

He kept on murmuring, "You are safe now, Rellie. No one will hurt you anymore..." But he's getting no response at all.

He immediately called Arc and told him to call for the backups or the ambulance since he knew he could not talk straight now.

Right after, he went back to Rellie and cupped her face.

"Rellie... I'm here..."

Hindi na ito nakatulala sa direksyon ng kama at bumaling na sa kaniya, pero nakatulala pa rin at hindi makausap ng maayos, ni hindi ito kumikibo.

Patuloy sa pagtulo ang luha niya dahil hindi rin niya matanggal ang posas sa magkabila nitong kamay at kitang-kita niyang nagsusugat na iyon.

Kalunos-lunos din ang kalagayan nito dahil bukod sa namayat ay halos wala na ito sa sarili.

Ignoring the sex toys scattered on the floor, he focused on staring at Rellie's face, catching her gazes, as he kept on telling her she was safe in his arms now.

Sa malamlam na liwanag mula sa kaniyang cellphone ay kitang-kita niyang nakatulala pa rin ito sa kaniya.

Until a tear fell down on her blue eyes. Doon ay napansin niya ang matinding emosyon sa mga mata nito: takot, sakit, at pagod. Lumamlam ang mga mata nito habang patuloy na lumuluha hanggang sa halos pumikit na ito.

"Rellie... Don't close your eyes, baby... P-please, keep fighting..." sumamo niya sa garalgal na tinig.

Sa ganoong sitwasyon sila naabutan ni Arc at paulit-ulit itong nagmura pagkasindi sa ilaw at nakita ang mga damit, dugo, at kung ano-ano pang kalat sa loob ng silid. Alerto nitong hinanap ang susi ng mga posas subali't isa lamang ang nakita roon. Pagkatanggal sa isang posas ay lupaypay na bumagsak ang kamay si Rellie na kaagad niyang nasalo.

Saktong dumating na ang backups nila na kaagad na inasikaso si Rellie. Napaatras siya matapos matanggal ang isa pang posas dito, at natulala na lamang siya nang bigyan ng oxygen mask ang babae, hanggang sa pumikit ang mga mata nito.

Sinned felt as if he was hovering between life and death when he saw Rellie closed her eyes in that critical situation.

Nagkagulo ang mga umaasikaso habang si Arc ay napapamura. "Save her!"

Natuliro siya at patuloy sa pagtulo ang luha nang masdan niya kung paanong sinusubukang iligtas ang babaeng pinakamamahal niya na nag-aagaw-buhay.

Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas at pakiramdam niya ay hindi siya humihinga sa mga sandaling na iyon.

He rarely prayed, but at that moment, he prayed over and over for Rellie to be saved, and that, he would even trade his life if it was possible just to make sure that she would make it.