XOXO!

The memory of his mother makes Leo happy and sad at the same time, hindi na nga niya namalayan ang pag agos ng mga luha.

Leo suddenly jerked when his phone vibrate.

"Sir I already found her!"

"Where?"

Pabigla niyang sagot sa kabilang linya, the other line give him the exact location bago niya ito pinatayan. 

Leo dialed another number, and this time he was hoping against hope that he would picked up the phone immediately before it's too late.

Nakailang ring pa ito bago may sumagot sa kabilang linya.

"Hello?"

Matagal nakasagot si Leo ng marinig ang boses ni Rain sa kabilang linya.

"Hello—who's this?"

"Rain it's me!"

Leo said na tila may bikig sa kanyang lalamunan, he's words barely come out from his mouth.

"Oh! How are you? Is your mom ok?"

Sunod sunod na tanong nito na ikinakunot ng kanyang noo, bigla niyang nailayo ang telepono sa sarili. 

Am I really calling the correct number? Wala sa sariling tanong ni Leo, ba't parang ibang Rain ata ang nakausap niya ngayon.

"Hey—I know you're mad at me. I'm really sorry if I could not protect your mom, I'm sorry for being useless!"

"No! I did not blame you for that, Rain. She's fine, don't worry!"

Narinig niya ang pagbuntunghininga ng kapatid sa kabilang linya.

"It's not your fault—" 

Ani Leo na di na mapigilang mapahagulgol.

"Yaaaah. .shithead—you alright?"

"Rain. .listen to me. I can't call you for long, I'm wired top. They would realized this call won't registered. Do me a favor, let's meet, isama mo si Sophia!"

"Why?"

Rain's voiced was suspicious.

"Glaiza's in danger!—I don't have time to explained everything. .three,one,six,five, twenty,fifteen,twenty one,fourteen! XOXO"

Leo said before cutting inulit pa ito ni Rain sa kanyang utak.

"Who's that?"

Rain jerked when he heard Sophia's voice. 

"Are you alright?"

"I'm better—who called you?"

Nag aalangan pa si Rain bago banggitin ang pangalan ni Leo.

Mula kasi ng mawalan ng malay ang dalaga sa may scrap yard ngayon lang ito nagising.

"How long did you guys put me in sleep?"

"Nah. .we did not put you to sleep, it's your brain—"

Rain argued with her.

"What happened back then?"

Nagtatakang tanong ni Sophia wala kasi siyang matandaan pagkatapos ng laban nila ni Kurt.

"You've passed out! Nahirapan pa kaming hanapin ka as you removed the communicator—"

"Oh right!"

Anya ng may maalala.

"Did that bastard—"

Napailing si Rain.

"But it's ok Leo wanted to met us, he said Glaiza is in danger!"

"Where?"

Sophia exclaimed.

"I don't know! he just told me about numbers and—

"What numbers?"

Nagmamadaling tanong ni Sophia, she already knew Leo's phone was being wired top.

kaya kung tahasan man itong tumawag he would just give a code instead of an address.

"Three,one,six,five, twenty,fifteen,twenty one,fourteen! XOXO"

Rain said habang isinusulat ni Sophia sa papel ang mga numerong binanggit ng lalaki, napatingin ng makahulugan si Sophia ng banggitin ni Rain ang huling kataga.

"What does it said?"

"It's not what, it's where!"

Sophia showed him the address, Rain gasped in shocked.

"Cafe town?"

"Yes—let's go!"

Nilamukos ni Sophia ang naturang papel at inilagay sa bulsa. They did not informed Lance and the others, for everyone safety.

Wala pang limang minuto ng marating nila Sophia ang naturang lugar, they just went inside and approached the receptionist.

"XOXO" 

Kaagad niyang sabi that makes Rain gasped in awe.

"It was a code?"

"Yeah!"

Bulong niya rito, pero deep inside she knew there's more to it.

"Just give me a moment ma'am!"

The receptionist said.

Pagkatapos ng ilang segundo may ibinigay ito sa kanyang isang envelope, Sophia recieved it, and walked casually in the lift.

Ng nasa loob na sila saka pa niya tiningnan ang laman ng naturang envelope, it was a room key in a VVIP suite. 

The two of them already noticed that they were being followed, they immediately went inside the room and found another envelope lying in the table.

"What the heck is going on?"

Di makatiis na tanong ni Rain after a long silence.

"Leo knew we are being followed, he said someone around us is actually a rat!"

"Who do you think?"

Sophia did not answered, she don't want to assumed or suspect anyone but whether it's true or not Leo still had a point, being cautious in this kind of situation is not a bad idea at all.

After five minutes the two men stared in confusion when two nun just passed by in front of them, holding a rosary and bible in their hands. 

Tiningnan nila itong maigi but the two nun casually walked as if they don't exist.

They saw one of the nun called a taxi.

"Which church—"

"West country road!"

Napatango nalang ang driver.

Habang nasa sasakyan, wala silang imikan na dalawa. 

Habang ang dalawang lalaki ay napatakbo papunta sa may reception desk.

"Room 104, sino ang naka check in doon?"

Tanong ng isa sa mga lalaking sumusunod kina Sophia kanina.

"I'm sorry sir but we could not—"

Natigil ang naturang receptionist ng makita nito ang badge ng lalaki.

"Wiat a minute sir. .ah! Dalawang madre po ang naka check in sa suite na iyan!"

"What about the VVIP?"

Natatarantang tanong ng lalaki.

"I haven't seen them coming out, sir!"

"Ok!"

Anito bagamat hindi kumbinsido.

After a while Sophia and Rain already reached the church. Malayo palang sila nakita na nila agad ang bulto ni Leo bagamat nakatalikod ang lalaki, they knew it was him.

"I'm warning you— be nice to him!"

"Geez!"

Kibit balikat na sabi ni Rain, pero nagtaka pa ang lalaki ng bigla syang yakapin ni Leo ng mahigpit nang makita sya nito.

Rain doesn't know why but he felt as if he also missed him, he hugged him back without even knowing it.

"I'm sorry buddy!"

Hinging paumanhin ni Rain in a sincere tone.

"It's ok!"

Ani Leo na ginulo ang buhok nito, it's a simple gesture of a big brother towards his younger sibblings.

Pinigil ni Leo ang pagragasa ng kanyang emotion sa mga uras na iyon.

"Mom send her regards to you, she asked me to thank you for saving her and standing up for her in my place—"

"That's fine! I did not know she's your mom back then, but still kahit naman siguro sinong anak hindi makatitiis makita ang isang ina na tinatarantado ng sino man!"

Leo stared at Rain with pondness in his eyes, he suddenly thought that they could've been happier if the two of them grow up together. 

They would be cat and dog knowing Rain's temper, their house would be in a mess all the time, and their mom would have a sore throat for shouting on them. 

But nevertheless in the end of the day the three of them will sit and eat in the table like a normal family. 

How wonderful would that be? Ani Leo sa sarili.

"Do you missed your brother?"

Wala sa loob na tanong ni Rain. 

Napatingin naman si Leo ng makahulugan kay Rain ng bigla itong nagtanong tungkol sa bagay na iyon.

There was a panicked in his eyes, pati si Sophia na matamang nakikinig sa kanila ay napahugot ng malalim na hininga, palihim silang nagkatinginan ni Leo.

Pero bago paman makapagsalita ang sino man sa kanilang dalawa, Rain spoke again.

"Your mom said, he's already dead!"

"Ye. .yeah!"

Pagsisinungaling nito, bago paman lumalim ang pag-uusap ng dalawa Sophia interrupted them.

"It's getting late, we need to discussed our plan!"

Meanwhile. .

After two hours of waiting the two nun finally arrived but as soon as the two men saw them, They just realized they were fucked up.

"We're doomed!"

"Bakit?"

Nagtatakang tanong ng lalaki.

"Natakasan tayo, tanga!—Haissst!

"Huh? Di naman natin sila nakitang lumabas, ah?!"

Anitong napakamot sa batok.

"Sila yong dalawang madre na dumaan sa atin kanina!"

"Eh bumalik—"

"Tanga!" 

Anitong binatukan ang lalaki.

"Di mo ba napansin na magkaiba ang suot ng dalawa kanina sa kulay ng suot ng dalawang dumaan ngayon?"

Napanganga na lamang ang isa ng marealized nito ang malaking katangahan.

Two hours before. .ng nasa loob pa ng VVIP suite sina Sophia at Rain they found an envelope.

It was an instruction arranged by Leo on how to get passed with those two men who were tailing them, with out getting noticed.

Sophia open the cabinet, she saw two habits hung neatly in the rock.

"There's no way I'm going to wear that one!"

Napamulagat na sabi ni Rain kay Sophia.

"This is against the rela—"

"We don't have time, I can go on my own if you don't want to!"

"Fine!"

May pagsukong sabi ni Rain, he just muttered something under his breath before wearing the habit.

"Please forgive me!"

He said while looking up, hinila sya ni Sophia papunta sa ajoining room ng kanilang suite, Sophia open the door locked it again.

They went out with the rosary and bible in their hands.

"Remember to walk straight and don't look back!"

"Got it!"

As what Leo said the two men he mention in the note, really exist. May pagtataka pa sa mukha ng mga ito ng makita sila.

One of the men almost stop them but the other one forbid him from doing so, he probably knew it was religiously impolite.

Sophia smirked ng makalampas sa kanilang dalawa.