Episode 1

‘During the second hearing of Mayor Asuncion’s case, his side denied his subjection to illegal drugs, they said that the mayor was not a part of buying and selling operation. Attorney Arnulfo boldly stated that he had strong evidence to prove that he was involved in transaction of illegal drugs.'

Dale Garrovillo along with her parents and her sister Angela were watching the news about the case of Mayor Asuncion, the current mayor of Manila. The news spread out in the whole city declaring that the mayor was involved in illegal drug operation.

Her dad, Attorney Arnulfo, was currently handling the case. According to him, the mayor was hard to fight with because of his strong influence and power. He was able to escape in many imputations because of his strong connection.

Dale was eighteen and her sister Angela was only fifteen. They were the only two children of the Garrovillo couple.

While watching, Dale and the rest inside the sala were blown away when they heard a gunshot. The television screen shattered and its broken piece spread out on the floor.

She hid behind the sofa, covering her ears and won’t stop shivering. She closed her eyes when she heard a loud gunshot again. All she could do now was to hide because she had no idea what was going on.

She slowly peeked from the back of sofa trying to see the scene. Her knees were shaking but she could not help but wanting to see who came. Five men in black with masks entered the living room. They opened the cabinets and searched something inside of it.

"Find the drive!" commanded by one of them.

"All right boss!"

The men stopped the search when guards arrived in the living room. They were so alarmed that they immediately fired at their guards.

Dale could see how the bullets reached the body of their guards. She was trembling and tears in her eyes came out as she saw what just happened. She couldn't move her body. What if the bullet hit her? What if the men kill all of them? What will going to happen when they see where she hides?

She turned her attention to her daddy, mommy and sister Angela. They were also hiding behind the sofa next to her. Her father faced her and motioned to run when the opportunity arose. She didn't know what her dad was planning, but suspected that it was a bad idea.

Her father stood and showed up. Her suspicion was right, he was planning something. She didn’t like what on her father’s mind. She tried to avoid the negative thought that might happen to her dad. 'I hope not!' she prayed.

"Why you’re here? What do you want?" asked by her father.

"Where’s the drive?" The leader of those men pointed the gun in front of her father.

"It wasn’t here. You are looking for nothing!" Her father answered with a loud voice. He also pulled the gun from the belt he was wearing and fixed it to man’s direction.

"Who are you?" Her father asked again.

The man took off the mask and smiled at her father who had made her father’s eyes glaze over after seeing the man's face.

"You?" her father asked in shock.

"Yes, it’s me, Aries. How are you?"

Her father did not answer, instead, he straightened his back and fixed himself up. "Get out of here! The drive wasn’t here!" shouted by her father.

While they were busy in talking, Dale hugged her knees while looking to whom his dad had conversation. The man had a Chinese looking eyes and almost the same as the age of his father.

Dale's eyebrows were nearly meet while listening. She didn't know what her father and the man was talking about. Only thing she knew was, they were looking for a 'drive'. He also heard that the man called his father 'Aries'.

She withdrew herself back when he heard a gunfire again. Her eyes widened at what she saw. The bullet ran though her father’s forehead. Red fluid dripped down from the wound on its forehead.

Dale closed her mouth to stop herself from shouting. She didn't want them to hear her noise because she was afraid to be found. Even though she was able to stop her cry, she couldn’t stop her lips from quivering.

'Who are they? If they only want the drive, take it! Just let all of them live!' she prayed silently.

"They're here!" Dale turned to the man who had seen him. She immediately stood up and approached her mommy and sister Angela. She hugged her mother tightly. She felt she would be safe in the midst of it. She forced herself into her mother's body as if it could hide her from the man.

"Get out of here. Save yourselves!" her mother ordered them so she shook her head. Her mom grabbed her and kissed her on her forehead. She knew what was her mother was planning. She didn’t want to leave her mother alone that’s why her tears started to fall off while facing her mother.

Her mom's eyes pleaded so she could do nothing but to obey her. It's hard for her to leave her mommy, but she had to. She had to leave her to save themselves. She pulled her sister aside and ran.

"Damn it! Follow them! Maybe they have the drive!" commanded of the leader of the black men. They fired Dale and Angela. Dale and Angela stand still even though they were followed by the bullets. They wanted to go out and saved themselves.

Every time Dale and Angela heard the gun shots, they were momentarily stop from running.

But they had to keep running. They had to survive!

"Angela!"

Dale shouted when her sister was hit on the leg. She raised her sister and helped her walk.

They began to walk slowly because of the injury of her sister. The men were coming

closer to them.

Dale turned her eyes to the men. 'They're close’. Her chest was pounding. The beat of her chest was pumping so hard because she knew how slowly they walk. She wanted to speed up but her sister couldn’t hold it anymore.

"Big Sis, you can leave me here," cried Angela.

Dale shook her head and tightened her grip on her sister. "No! I'm not leaving you! Let's get out of here together!"

She had no plans to leave. They were the only two left, her daddy and mommy were gone. She couldn’t accept it if her sister would leave her also.

She looked at her sister when Angela took her hand off to its shoulder.

"Angela!"

"Get out of here!" Angela shouted then pushed her away.

Dale wished to approach her sister again but she had stopped because of the sudden explosion. The whole place began to shake and the large part of the broken walls started to fall.

She looked to Angela but she only saw a large rock to her sister’s direction.

"No! Angela!" she shouted. She ran closer to the rock and tried to lift it. But whatever strength she gave, she could not move the stone. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't do anything. The stone was too big for her small body. She was annoyed at her weakness. She couldn’t even save her sister. She could not fulfill the promise that they had said together. She hit the rock hard resulting her to feel pain. She bent over and shook her hand that she used to beat the hard rock. Her sister was gone! Her mommy and daddy were gone too! She was alone now. What will happen to her after?

The place moved again. Dale’s vision began to spin off, and the movement of the ground also shook her legs. She fell on the floor. She had to get out before she could be hit by a huge rock. She had to hurry or else she wouldn’t able to get out. She would lose her way to exit because of the rocks that might cover the door.

She crawled to go near the door way. ‘A little bit more!' When she finally succeeded to get out, she was safe. It was only few more steps away, she would able to survive.

She reached the door and opened it. She didn't have the strength to walk down the stairs. She just rolled herself over so she could get down. That was the fastest way for her to get off the stairs. She was right. She was able to bring herself down immediately. It was dangerous, but it was the only way to escape from the falling rocks.

Dale fell to the cement. Her head and back bumped onto the small pieces rock on the ground.

She slowly opened her eyes. Even though it was dim, she was still able to see their house burning. Maybe that was the result of explosion she had heard earlier. She didn’t sure what was the real cause of the blast but probably it was done by the men in black who entered inside their house.

A man walked closer to her.

Dale looked at the figure of the man who appeared before her. She wanted to see the man’s face but she could only see a silhouette of him because of the dark. She prayed that the man near to her was a friend and not an enemy. She raised her hand and tried to reach the man. She wanted to ask for help but no voice came out to her mouth. She was hoping him to give her a hand for help and not to kill her.

The man was holding a gun pointing at her direction. She could manage to see how the gun was risen up but before she could see the next scene, her vision went in black.

Five years had passed but Dale could still remember the events, the time when her family was killed.

She clenched her fist because of anger.

Up to this day, she had still no idea what those men needed to them. Who they were? What was their connection to her dad? Why were they looking for a drive?

So many questions were shattering in her mind, but, one was clear to her, that was the anger for those who killed her family. Anger for whom who shoot her father.

She paused and looked back as Sid spoke.

"Dale, I know where Gonzalez is."

"Where?"

"In Binondo," Sid answered her in lightly tone voice.

Dale took her Glock 17 pistol and dagger. She slipped it on the leather belt she was wearing. She had always had those two to protect herself. Since the day of her family’s death, she taught to protect herself from danger. She could only trust herself and she should learn not to depend from the help of other people because they were not on her side all the time.

Dale and Sid walked out from the condominium. They went straight at the parking lot where Sid’s gray Hyundai Accent car was located.

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