Agency

Chapter 14. Agency

"CAN you hear yourself?!"

Napapitlag si Bree sa lakas ng sigaw ni Devon. He never shouted at her during normal days. Tuwing nasa training noon, o sa misyon lang siya nito nasisigawan.

"Why would you want to be fucked?" naniningkit ang mga matang tanong nito. Namunula rin ang buong mukha.

"Well, I just thought I might forget my feelings with Rexton if I try to have sex with other men. Kung pipili ako, ikaw na lang, hindi ba? No strings attached pa."

"What kind of logic is that?"

"Why? Ayaw mo ba? You know I'm a virgin despite of having lots of flings back in college. Hindi ka lugi sa 'kin, Dev. I'm a good kisser, too. Sabi ng mga ex ko."

"That's not it—"

"Wait, you mean, you want me?"

"You're confusing me! I'm telling you that you cannot have sex with some man or stranger."

"Why though? Other girls at my age do it, you do it, too."

"So? Not because other people do it, you're going to do it, too. Don't cloud your judgment."

"But, you're experienced—way older than me. I'm just guessing that you can do it casually with me."

"Fuck!"

Kahit niyaya niya ito ay nagulat pa rin siya nang yumuko ito at sakupin ang kaniyang labi. Ilang sandali niya itong hinayaan hanggang sa tumigil ito sa paghalik sa kaniya.

"Why aren't you responding if you want us to have sex, then? Thought you're a good kisser?" he mockingly asked while his lips were still pressing onto hers.

"I—" She didn't finish her sentence when he took that advantage to enter her mouth. Ilang segundo pa lang ang nakalipas nang lumaban siya sa halik nito ay bumukas na ang pinto.

"Get off her!"

Napatili siya nang mabilis na nakalapit sa kanila ang bagong dating, hinila si Devon, kinwelyuhan, saka sinuntok.

"Rexton, stop it!"

Naiwan sa ere ang kamao nitong nag-aambang suntukin ulit si Devon. Ngumisi naman ang huli ay pinunasan ang pumutok na labi.

"Damn it!" Bumaling siya rito. "Dev, go to the emergency. Palagyan mo ng ointment iyang sugat mo."

Nakakalokong tumingin ito kay Rexton na hawak-hawak pa rin ang kwelyo ng suot nito. "You heard her, dude."

Nagpupuyos sa galit si Rexton nang bitiwan niya ang pagkakahawak kay Devon. The latter stood straight, fixed the collar of his shirt, and went outside the room.

Bumalik ang tingin niya kay Rexton at kitang-kita niya ang pamumula ng mukha at ng kamao nito. Even his exposed chest—since he's wearing a v-neck shirt—was reddish, too. Mukhang nagulat ito nang husto sa nasaksihan.

"Bakit mo kahalikan ang matandang iyon?!"

"Matanda? He's still on his early thirties."

"Why are you kissing? Are you in a relationship, huh? Tell me."

"What relationship? Hindi, 'no! We kissed just because I'm horny."

"What did you just say, Brianna Lei?"

"I said I'm horny. Paulit-ulit ka."

Suminghap ito at marahas na bumuntong-hininga. "Do you fuck each other whenever you're horny? How many times did you spread your fucking beautiful pair of legs to him?!"

She blinked her eyes. Never did he ask her vulgar things like that before.

"Forget it."

"Bakit mag-isa ka lang pala? Akala ko ba, kasama mo si Ate Chelin?" she changed the topic.

Alam ng mga itong nasa ospital siya dahil ang nagpanggap na Bree na si Peach ay nagkunwaring nalunod habang lumalangoy sa dagat, dalawang araw matapos makipagkita sa mga kaibigan.

Ginawa lang naman iyon para mailusot ang biglaang pagkaka-ospital niya. She said she'd just rest at home, but Devon insisted she should stay at the hospital until her fractured ribs were fully healed.

"Nasaan si Ate Chelin, 'kako?"

"She still have exams." Naningkit ang mga matang tinitigan siya nito mula ulo hanggang paa. "Namayat ka 'ata."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hindi ka na galit?"

"Saan?"

Baliw ba ito? Kanina'y halos bugbugin nito si Devon sa galit.

"Ah, that you two kissed? I don't give a damn now. I just thought he's taking advantage that's why I acted up."

"Ganoon ba?"

"Why? Should I care about your sex life?"

Umiling siya.

Nagalit lang pala ito dahil inakalang sinamantala ni Devon ang sitwasyon. She disappointingly sighed, and didn't mind his protruding veins on his neck and forearms.

"I'll go now. I just went to check on you. Okay ka naman pala." He's freaking cold as an iced coffee!

"Wait!" pigil niya nang akmang tatalikod na ito. Saglit itong tumigil. "I want an iced caramel coffee, with lots of whipped cream. Bilhan mo ako." She even pouted. Natatandaan niyang mula noon ay hindi nito matanggihan ang pagpapa-cute niya.

"Magpabili ka sa matandang huklubang boyfriend mo."

Napamaang siya dahil hindi man lang siya nito nilingon at dire-diretsong lumabas ng silid. She sighed her frustration.

"Well, at least, I saw him."

REXTON repeatedly cussed aloud the moment he went in his car. Sa sobrang galit niya ay namuo na ang luha sa gilid ng kaniyang mga mata. He felt that familiar pang in his chest again, and he knew that aside from being mad, he was jealous, too.

But still he found himself driving to the nearest coffee shop.

"One iced caramel coffee with lots of whipped cream, Miss," aniya sa nakatulalang cashier. Sinamahan na rin niya ng cake.

Naghintay pa siya ng ilang minuto bago tuluyang nakuha ang in-order na kape at cake. Naglalakad na siya pabalik sa parking lot nang tila sirang-plaka na nagpaulit-ulit sa utak niya ang naabutang eksena sa ospital kanina.

He bit his lower lip hard until it bled a bit, and he almost threw what he ordered for Bree in the trash bin. But he saw a street child who's roaming around the parking, so he gave her those foods instead.

He decided to go home straight and just take a rest. Hindi na siya dadaan ng opisina, tutal ay wala naman siyang gagawin doon.

Pagkarating sa mansiyon ay naabutan niyang nagwo-workout sa garden ang pinsan niya. He's on his break that's why he's there. Bukas ay uuwi rin ito ng Davao.

He told Jave his sentiments and the latter offered him his friend's services.

"What do you mean I should hire Phoenix? Aanhin ko ang bodyguards?"

"Ah, you still didn't know yet." Napatango pa ito bago nagpatuloy. "He just put up that business almost a year ago. Do you remember when I told you he wanted me to work for him?"

Tumango siya.

"But I can't. I work under the government."

"I'm not getting any of it."

"Phoenix isn't just a prestigious security agency, Rex. It's a private intelligence agency, too."

He scowled. He's not familiar with that.

"You know secret agents and the stuffs?" He didn't respond. "Damn it, i-Google mo!"

Iniwan siya nitong nakamaang sa hardin. Mabilis na kinuha niya ang cellphone sa bulsa ng kaniyang pantalon para i-search ang tungkol doon.

But before that, he browse the website of a famous coffee shop, and ordered some iced coffee and cake for Bree. Isang serving lang dahil baka bigyan pa nito ang kasama nitong matanda. Pina-deliver niya iyon sa address ng RM Center, ang ospital kung saan naka-admit ang kaniyang kababata.

Pagkatapos niyon ay pumasok siya sa kwarto at naligo. Nagsuot lang siya ng boxer shorts saka nagpatuloy sa pagre-research ng impormasyon tungkol sa kung ano ang agency na tinutukoy ng kaniyang pinsan.

A private intelligence agency—a non-government organization devoted to the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information, through the evaluation of public sources.

Kadalasan ay pribado ang pagtatrabaho ng mga ito. The agents sometimes obtained information deceptively or through on-the-ground activities for clients...

He searched for more.

"Hmm... Interesting."

Out of curiosity, he asked his cousin for the head's contact number, and immediately set up a meeting with him.