"Yes, I'll call you later."
"Yes, I'll update you."
"I'll come back soon, I know that."
"Come back unscathed, duly noted."
"Alright, stay safe, Chlis."
Binaba ko na ang tawag, "She's really overprotective of you, huh?" ani Laura habang may binabasang magazine, "Isn't Karla the same to you?" I countered, "Yeah, pero that's because we like each other. Eh kayo ni Chlisté?"
"Ganiyan naman talaga siya dati pa ah."
"Pero mas lumalala lang, in a good but scary way."
"How is that scary to you?"
"Because that might ruin your friendship."
"Its nothing. She doesn't have any siblings and she doesn't talk to her cousins that much so I'm like a little sister to her, that's it."
"Kalma," tumawa naman siya. Inirapan ko na lang siya at 'di sumagot.
That made me wonder though. Nag-iiba ang turing sa'kin ni Chlis these days, and tama si Laura, lumala in a good but scary way. Well, I'm sure its nothing. We've been friends for more than 5 years, I'm sure nothing negative will happen between the both of us or between the four of us, Beauvémeux. Hopefully.
Nasa private plane kami na pag-aari ko. Yes, akin 'to, I bought this plane because I love traveling and I'll have easier access, and besides, my uncle, which is Laura's father, has an airline company. So I can use their airline's runway in almost every country. 
The last mission I was sent to was in Miami, that was one of the easiest mission that was given to me to be honest, now I'm being sent to Russia, Dad said that some organizations under ours is acting high and mighty in most parts of the country, even planning to spread their "power" to neighboring countries. Sadly for them, they were dumb enough to leave tracks of what they've been doing for the past year, and Dad's informants followed them for the last two months and now we're here, I'll be busting their asses the moment I get there. They should know their places in this world, you should work you ass to get to the top just like what my Dad did when Lolo died. The organization, in terms of business companies, nearly went bankrupt. 
"Ano plano?" tanong ko kay Laura, "Still checking the premises, ipapakita ko na lang sa'yo then you decide kung ano gagawin natin. How many hours left 'til we arrive?" 
"Approximately 9 hours, kaya magsimula tayo sa pagplano when we're halfway there, masiyado pang maaga."
"Alright," sagot niya, "I'll get going," tumayo na ako mula sa pagkakaupo. May dalawang kuwarto 'tong eroplano, yung isa akin, yung isa ay para sa kung sino man ang kasama ko. 'Di naman ganun kalaki 'to, sakto lang para sa'kin, sa pilots, stewardes, at sa magiging kasama ko. May washroom, lounge kung saan ako galing, at siyempre, 'di mawawala ang food section. Pagkarating ko sa room ko, wala namang special. Just a bed, a drawer beside it, a medium-sized closet, a table and a chair. There's no shower because when I travel, it usually doesn't exceed 12 hours so I'm good. And I only use this plane when I'm traveling from one country to another, but city after city? Nah, waste of fuel. I changed into a fresh set of clothes before settling on the bed. I'm not yet sleepy kaya I opened my laptop, answered some emails, surf though Instagram for a few minutes before entering YouTube. Ito lang ginagawa ko pag gusto kong antukin at matulog. 
"Now for the last step, throw your cookies into the oven for 45 minutes," was the last thing I heard before dozing off.
"Ano plano mo sa future?"  tanong niya sakin. Nakaextend ang kanang braso niya at 'yon ang ginagawa kong unan habang ang kaliwang kamay naman niya ang ginagawa niyang unan. "'Di ko alam, pero ikaw pa din kasama ko for sure," tumingin ako sa kaniya at ngumiti, nakita ko namang nakatingin na pala siya sa'kin. Nasa backyard kami ng bahay ng parents ko, I'm still living with them, at nakatingin lang ako sa stars at the night sky. "Baliw," she chuckled, "Pero seryoso, Win, ano nakikita mo sa future mo?" napaisip naman ako, "Magiging artista ako, ipupursue ko ang music. Alam mo naman kung gaano ko kagusto maging singer 'di ba? Tapos siyempre, nandun ka rin," tumango naman siya, "Yeah, ako magiging number one fan mo babe, asahan mong lagi akong nasa front row seat," sambit niya at napatawa na lang ako, "Ikaw?" 
"Hmm," she hummed, "Siguro magiging pulis ako, or detective. Gusto kong sundin ang yapak ni ate,"  tumingin naman siya sa kalangitan. Gustong gusto niya maging pulis, una, dahil sa ate niya at pangalawa, dahil sa mga pinapanood niyang crime shows, lalo na ang Law and Order. Sabay naming pinanonood 'yon eh, tas nagpupustahan pa kami. Happy moments with her.
"Ano iniisip mo?"
"Ikaw," I mumbled mindlessly, "Ikaw ha, pinagnanasaan mo nanaman ako," tawa niya. "Asa ka," inirapan ko naman siya. Ginulo nanaman niya buhok ko, "Ba't gustong gusto mong guluhin buhok ko? Tagal kong inayos 'to 'tas guguluhin mo lang," reklamo ko sa kaniya, "Bakit? May iniimpress ka bang iba?" Saan naman niya nakuha 'yon? "Anong connect?" 
"Nagpapaganda ka sa iba?" 
"Uy, hindi ah. Gusto ko lang na maayos ang itsura ko 'pag nagkikita tayo."
"Win," tawag niya, "Lagi mong tatandaan na kahit anong itsura mo, gising o tulog, maganda ka sa paningin ko, okay?"  She said before kissing me on my forehead, ang swerte ko sa'yo Issa.
"Ang swerte ko rin sa'yo, Win."
"Mind reader ka ba?" I looked up to her, "Huh? Baliw, sinabi mo kaya 'yun," we looked at each other for a moment and laughed together. 
Naputol naman ang tawanan namin nang may tumawag sa'kin.
"Shy!"
Napaupo naman kami ni Issa mula sa pagkakahiga. Nilingon namin ang tumawag sa'kin. Si Ate Nash pala, "Why?"  
"We need to go," she said hurriedly, "What?! Why? Where?" sunod sunod kong tanong. "Basta. For now, just follow me..." she trailed off, napansin niyang kasama ko girlfriend ko, si Issa. "Oh, you're here," she said, sounding disappointed, Ate doesn't hate Issa, so why this tone? "Listen, Luanne, you need to leave. Kailangan naming umalis ni Shyrvielle,"  seryosong sambit ni Ate, "Why? Saan kayo pupunta?" Issa held my hand and guarded me, "Hindi rin alam ni Shy, saka na niya malalaman pagdating namin, so please? Our family needs us," pakiusap ni Ate. Tumango naman si Issa. "You need to go home, Luanne. Stay safe. Lock the door when you go out, ihahanda ko lang mga gamit namin. Don't worry, I'll update you," she said in one breath. Issa hugged me tight before kissing me, "Wag kang maging pasaway sa ate mo ha?" tumango na lang ako kahit 'di ko alam ang ibig niyang sabihin. Lumapit naman siya kay ate at may binulong sila sa isa't isa, "Anong nangyayari?" I intervened.
"'Di mo na kailangang malaman."
"Saka ko na sasabihin sa'yo."
Sabay nilang sambit. Lumapit si Issa sa'kin, "I love you, Win," lumingon siya sa ate ko, "Keep her safe, for me," she hugged me and kissed my forehead before walking towards the door and left. 
"So what do we do?" 
"Huh?"
"Shy, sabog ka ba?"
"Fuck, sorry. I just woke up," and that dream of mine kept bothering me, I saw her again. Issa. But this time, her image is clearer. I can see her eyes better, her chubby cheeks, her beautiful smile. "Fine, I'll explain it to you one last time," she explained to me how the place works. After that, I told her the plan. How we'll enter, how we'll negotiate, what to do if things go south and how to escape. The Ivanovs, the family that holds the organization under my father's, is hosting a party in their mansion. We're not invited, but my Dad is the reason why they're at the top right now and that's the reason why they're having a party, to celebrate. How dare they. But hey, baka akalain niyong yun lang ang rason ha, no no, it's because they're acting all high and mighty that they're forgetting those who feed them, and even planning to spread their manpower to neighboring countries without consulting Dad. The audacity of these motherf%$#&rs. 
"That's it?" 
"Yep."
"Simpler than I expected."
"It depends if they choose the hard way, all I know is there will be some ass kicking scenes later."
"Tayong dalawa lang ba?"
"There'll be back up if needed. When will we be landing?" 
"Sabog ka nga, nagland na tayo tanga."
Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya bago tumayo at nagtungo sa bintana at itinaas ang cover nito. She's right. And its already dark. "So shall we?" aya niya sa'kin. I grabbed my backpack and my duffel bag from the couch, "Tara."
Bumaba na kami at dumiretso agad sa loob ng airport. Pagkatapos ng lahat na dapat gawin, lumabas na agad kami ng building at doon kami sinalubong ng isang kotse, "Welcome to Russia Lady Winter and Lady Laura," the driver greeted us and opened the car door. Sa backseat kami siyempre. Tahimik lang kami for the whole journey. The driver dropped us off sa isang hotel. Hotel ni kuya Zaph. Bukod sa trabaho namin para sa family business, may sarili din naman kaming trabaho 'no. Ate Nash is a successful architect, Kuya Zaph established his own real estate company, and I'm a celebrity. Three siblings with different dreams forced to do the same thing for our family because its a family legacy. Insert air quotes.
Family legacy my ass.
Once I took our room keys, dumiretso na agad kami sa elevator. Nagpareserve lang kami ng rooms. Gusto ko na magpahinga 'no. We'll start the mission by tomorrow. 
"Night, couz."
"Night, bitch."
We said to each other before proceeding to our respective hotel rooms. Magkatapat lang naman kuwarto namin. 
Pagkapasok ko, pinagmasdan ko muna ang buong kuwarto. I placed my bag on the floor and did my thing. I turned off every source of light and checked them all. Including the lamp beside the bed. Once I'm done, I took two guns from my duffel bag and placed them in the most hidden locations inside this room, took my camera from my backpack and set it somewhere that has a wide coverage of the room. Every time I'm staying in a hotel, this is what I do, nasanay lang siguro and just a precaution na din. 
Then all the recordings I collect will be saved into a hard drive, simple as that. I always carry a weapon with me everywhere I go, I just disguise them like matching it to my outfit. 
"Naks, ganda naman ng pinsan ko," Laura said when she arrived, "Duh, of course. Ako lang 'to," I smirked. "Ayon, lumaki agad ang ulo," binatukan naman ako. 
"Aray ah, gagang 'to," inayos ko naman ang buhok ko. Papunta na kasi kami sa party. Kaninang 7 P.M. pa nagsimula pero ngayong 8 P.M. lang kami magpapakita, para malakas ang entrance. Bongga. Ganern.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yep, I checked before I went here. They're in position, and the assigned ones are already at the party."
"May kasama ba tayo papunta don?"
"Nope, just the two of us."
"Good, let's go."
Tumayo na ako and made my way out, sumunod naman si Laura.
Pagkarating namin sa venue, of course, they stopped, not literally. Like sino ba naman 'di titigil 'di ba? Kanina pa nagstart yung event tapos ngayon lang kami dumating, paspecial din eh.
"Who's that?" 
"Who are they?" 
"Who's the girl in a black dress?" that'll be me, madame. 
"Oh my gosh, she's Shyrvielle Cervantes, a famous singer. She's a member of a girl group based in the U.S.A."
There were too many people, mostly women, gossiping about the two of us, in Russian of course. Ako naman 'tong makapal ang mukha, pumunta ako sa gitna, "Hi everyone!" they cheered, I guess they know me already, "I'm guessing y'all know me already," I heard murmurs of "Yes."
"Please let me enjoy this night, I'm here for personal reasons so let's all enjoy this night," I said and bowed and they cheered again. Bumalik naman ako sa kinatatayuan ng pinsan ko, nakita ko naman siyang nakahawak sa sentido niya habang nakatingin sa baba, "Ilan na nabilang mong langgam?" I approached her, "Tan%$na mo, nakakahiya ginawa mo," kinurot niya pa akosa tagiliran. Aba't. 
We walked into the house again, "Oh! Lady Winter, how nice of you to visit us," the son of the Ivanov family, Mikhail, greeted us. I smiled, a fake one. Ugh, how I hate fake smiles, but I need to. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, how come we weren't told that you would be visiting?" 
"I do mind you asking, now take us to your father."
"Ang taray mo," Laura whispered, "Naiirita ako sa pagmumukha ng lalaking 'to," tumawa naman siya sa sagot ko. Totoo naman eh, 'di ko alam kung bakit basta naiirita ako sa mukha niya. He looks like a typical fuck boy. 
"Dad, someone visited us."
"Oh, Lady Winter. How blessed are we that you decided to visit us!" The man exclaimed, I believe he's Sergei Ivanov, the head of their clan. "Quit the sweet talks, Sergei, you know why I'm here," his nice facade faded and was replaced with a mocking smile, seeing that stupid face of his indicates that things might go south. "Its just business, Princess, what can you do? Your father does that, too, why can't we?" he laughed mockingly and his son just chuckled, "Kalmahan mo lang," bulong ni Laura. I took a deep breath and smiled, "You're a businessman, Sergei, therefore I conclude that you're not dumb but when I heard what you just said? You proved my belief wrong, now shall we talk about this matter in private?" I smiled sweetly like an innocent girl that knows no violence. His face darkened and turned to his son before nodding, "This way, ladies," naunang maglakad ang mag-ama at sumunod lang kami. 
We walked across room, but of course, the guests we ran into kept saying "Congratulations, Mr. Ivanov," or if they see both me and Laura, "Good evening, ladies," that we answered with a smile. Walked and walked and walked until Mikhail stopped in front of a door, he opened it and let his father enter first then him, I let Laura enter first before I did. Behind the door was a hallway, it's not narrow, it's not wide either, and it's not that long. Just a few strides and you'll reach the end of the hallway.
God, these heels are killing me. 
Pagkarating namin sa dulo ay binuksan namna ni Mikhail yung pinto, kagaya kanina, at hinayaan kaming pumasok bago siya. Ang kuwartong pinasukan namin ay parang office lang. I think this is Sergei's office. Nakita ko naman siyang umupo sa upuang nasa kabilang side ng lamesang kaharap namin. "So ladies, let's continue our conversation earlier," he arrogantly put his feet on top of the table and leaned on his chair. Cocky motherf&#$%r.
"Of all people in this room, you should know that, Sergei," I firmly said and sat on the chairs in front of the table. Laura didn't take a seat because she won't be able to move later. "I'm confused, Lady Winter, care to elaborate?" Ugh, if only I could kill this bastard right here, right now. But no, Dad said eliminate anyone but him. Such a nuisance. 
"I would like to play this game with you, but I'm not in the mood."
"I'm afraid I can't go under the radar for a little while."
"Then I'm afraid you'll be under the radar permanently."
He chuckled, "You can't do that, I'm essential!"
"Ugh, what are you, a Karen?" Laura said and rolled her eyes. 
"Shut you trap, missy."
"Ang pangit mo, matandang bakulaw."
Natawa naman ako sa sinabi niya. Pikon.
"Quit it. Now, Sergei, if you don't follow what I want, you know what happens. You were taken to that place, weren't you? You don't wanna go there again, not as a visitor but a prisoner, now would you?" His face went pale. I smirked, "So what would you like to do? Its your choice, not mine," I leaned on the chair. 
"Mikhail!" 
I stood up and turned around. I saw Mikhail rushed towards Laura and put his arm around her neck before pointing a knife at her. I sighed and looked down.
Things will definitely go south.
"You know Sergei? You're so smart, but you're so dumb."
He didn't answer, but instead, the door opened and a dozen of men entered the room. Only a dozen? Oh right, they don't know.
"You can't escape, Lady Winter. Now that I'll be keeping you, your father will allow me to spread my manpower around Asia! Or better yet, I'll ask him to hand over a few of his successful businesses to me in exchange of his beloved daughter and niece," he laughed maniacally. Nababaliw na 'tong gurang na 'to, napailing na lang ako. "Idiot."
"What?"
I signaled Laura, then she elbowed Mikhail on his stomach before kicking him away. I kicked the nearest guy to me in his face and he fell face down.  I saw Sergei panicking, what a pussy. Then I saw another man attempting to attack me so I preceded him and kicked his nuts. "Whoo! Nut shot!" I cheered. I punched the other guy that I kicked earlier, he fell face down again. They're a bunch of losers. I saw how Laura faced two guys in one go, geez, this girl is greedy. Kidding aside. Mikhail was aiming to stab Laura so I kicked him on his side, I noticed on the mirror that a guy was coming to me so I turned around, I wasn't fast enough so I got punched in the face. Ang sakit non ah, tagal ko nang 'di nasasapak, punyeta. 'Di naman ako natumba kaya nakabawi ako agad and gave him an uppercut, a jab and kicked him afterwards. Suddenly, a strong pair of arms locked me, I struggled to break free but luckily, Laura saved me by kicking the guy, at nasama pa ako nung bumagsak siya. I didn't waste time embracing the pain so I stood up and kicked him. "Bitch, Ivanov's running away. Go after him, I'll take care of this."
"You sure?" 
He broke the man's arm he was fighting seconds ago, "Hundred percent sure."
I smiled at her and ran after the bastard. Such a pussy.