Chapter 27

"How's it going?"

"It's going smooth."

"Come on, be honest to me, Femella."

She sighed on the line.

"I'm suffering right now. I don't know what to do anymore! I hate this! I want to quit this and go somewhere else and change my identity! I feel so powerless. I'm starting to doubt myself. I wanted to end this so badly, Rowald. I do not have anyone by my side. It's hard. Lagma Rey is not someone I should go against. Not with my current status now. I'm poor. I have no money, no connection. I don't have my family by my side. We had long been in the gutter. So I think this mission is impossible."

I shifted in the wooden chair I'm sitting in and drank some water.

"Stick to the plan. Maverick has already fallen to you so you can now execute the plan. It's the only way that can work. Remember, time is our worst enemy here. If Lagma finds out about you, it will be game over."

"No. I have long discarded the plan of using him to further my agenda. I will spare him this time. Why didn't you tell me that you know who Lagma is? If I didn't remember him during his visit to the mansion to talk to my father then I wouldn't have any idea of who he really is. All this time, I know that fuckin bastard."

"Timing is everything, Femella. If I told you right away then you would completely disregard Maverick in the board plan. I can't allow that. He needs to fall for you for my own sake. After that, you can do whatever you want."

"I scrapped that plan long ago, Rowald. That's why I did everything to avoid Maverick but that guy is persistent. I've waited for the help my uncle had promised me but he didn't come. Things happened and before I could even act, Maverick flew me into his island. I admit the idea to get back to the original plan is tempting but I can't risk earning his wrath."

I lit a cigarette and poured liquor into the glass.

"But you can risk the life of your sister?"

Femella was silent so I continued.

"Maverick is your only hope and chance here. Let him go and you also let go of your sister's freedom. Don't kill your sister. Think about what you had promised to your parents before they died. Think about the fact that it's you who should have been suffering there, not her. You should have been in her place."

"Shut up, Rowald! In the first place, no one should be in that someone's fucking place if it weren't for that fucking Lagma! This is never my fault or her fault. It's purely Lagma's."

I finished the entire contents of the glass.

"Can that stop what's bound to happen then? It won't, right? That won't erase the fact that Trisha has been suffering for eight long years in his hand. Give in, Femella. Do what is necessary."

She laughed desperately.

"You know what Rowald, I've been thinking these past nights. I've been thinking about the possibility that if I were the one taken that night, would my parents kill themselves too? Will they ask Trisha the same favor they have asked me? Sometimes I think, if it's really worth it. I could just easily forget everything, move on, and live my life. Fuck! I've already wasted fuckin' eight years of my life running after a nameless and faceless abductor. I've sold myself. I've been a prostitute just to do what they have asked me to do. And you know what, after all of this, whatever this fucked up life will lead me into, even though they're dead, I will never ever forgive them. Being an Alcantara has become a curse. I hate my life. I hate this."

I heard her sob. Something is telling me to stop this but lives are on the line here. I hardened my resolve and continued berating the woman.

"Fix yourself. Don't cry over spilled milk. This is not the time for you to think about that. Put yourself together. Back to the game plan. I will give the information I gathered to Dave. And Femella, Lagma is planning to migrate to the US together with your sister this month. If that wouldn't do something to you then I don't know anymore what will. Think it over again. Maverick is your one and only chance to get Trisha."

"But I don't want to screw his mind. He has suffered more than enough."

"Too late for that. You already did. When you decided not to tell him the truth."

I heard something shattered in the background.

"It's better for him to think that it's all just part of his dreams. Who cares if he can't remember me? I'd choose his peace of mind over mine, Rowald."

"You're selfish, Femella. I would have understood you if it were just for your own personal life but how about Trisha? Would she choose to not be remembered by Maverick?"

Another silence.

"Think about it very hard. It's time for you to take the matter into your own hands. Your little money wouldn't do a thing to Lagma. You need a solid offense and it's Maverick."

"What a manipulative jerk you are, Rowald. I knew all along that you have a personal interest in helping me. You deliberately hid my existence in the crime scene so that you can use me for this."

"Leave my personal interests to me. I'm dropping this call. You have to decide now."

"I don't know why you're doing this, Rowald. Maybe we have the same reasons but promise me, you'll be with Maverick when this is all over."

I sighed gratefully.

"Leave it on me."

I stood up after throwing the cellphone on the table then went into the bathroom. I took off my clothes and thought of the crying woman while I'm the shower. I held the ouroboros tattoo on my neck.

"My loyalty is in El Draconem. Forever and ever."