Falling for Her Shadows

CHAPTER 6

THE CITY GLITTERED below like a sea of lights. The wind howled around the Rios Tower, the tallest building in the city — a perfect sniper’s perch.

Nylah’s target was three miles away.

Nylah lay flat on her stomach with the rifle pressed against her shoulder and her eye locked on the scope.

Kalmado lamang siya habang hinihintay ang paglitaw ng target niya. She has done this thing many times. And she had always made plan B when it comes to sniping target. Because there were only two results, she will succeed or fail.

Through the scope, she saw Silas Luca step out of the dilapidated warehouse by the docks. Hindi ito nag-iisa, may kasama itong dalawang tauhan. Pero wala sa tauhan nito ang atensiyon niya kundi kay Silas Luca mismo.

Nylah exhaled slowly, her finger tightening on the trigger.

This time, she won’t let Silas Luca stepped out of this country alive. Maraming mga inosente ang namatay dahil rito at nag-iwas ito ng trauma sa maraming tao.

Her sights aligned with his head.

She didn’t blink and…

…pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The shot rang out like thunder, but no one on the ground had time to react. A split second later, the bullet tore through Sila’s head, ripping blood and flesh as he was flung backward onto the dry concrete.

Umagos ang dugo mula sa ulo nito at kumalat sa semento.

Nagkagulo ang dalawang tauhan ni Silas.

Nylah didn’t flinch. She shifted her scope and fired again.

One of Silas’ men dropped with his blood pooling dark against the pavement.

Sinubukan pang tumakbo ng isa pero hindi na ito nabigyan pa ng pagkakataon ng muling nagpakawala ng isang bala si Nylah. The man’s body collapsed dead.

Muling tumahimik ang gabi maliban sa ingay ng mga sasakyan sa ibaba.

Nylah stayed still for three long seconds, her eyes still on the telescope of her rifle, scanning for any other threats. When she was satisfied, she slowly lowered the rifle.

Kalmado lamang siya pero walang makitang emosyon sa kaniyang mukha.

She disassembled the sniper rifle with practiced speed, hands moving with precision. Barell, scope, stock — each piece tucked neatly into the hard case na parang hindi nagamit. She wiped her gloves with a cloth, erasing any trace of gunpowder residue, then stood.

Inilabas niya ang cellphone at tinawagan si Kael.

“Chief.”

“Clean it up. Leave o trace and send his body back to where he belongs. And make sure no one will involve the Rios’ Tower,” she commanded.

“Yes, Chief.”

Pinatay ni Nylah ang tawag at ibinalik ang cellphone sa bulsa.

Kapagkuwan bigla siyang natigilan nang marinig ang yabag na papalapit sa kinaroroonan niya. The footsteps were heavy, deliberate and echoing against the rooftop.

Mabilis niyang kinuha ang case saka nagtago sa malaking ventilation unit. Ngunit sa ganoong pagkakataon, kalmado pa rin siya. Pero nang makita niya kung sino ang pumasok sa rooftop, bumilis ang pagtibok ng kaniyang puso.

Ashriel Rios.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and his long sleeve was hugging every muscle of his body. Wala na itong suot na coat at necktie.

He walked to the railing, pulling out a cigarette, and for a moment the city’s most powerful man just stood there, silhouetted against the skyline like a figure carved from shadow.

Nahilot na lamang ni Nylah ang sentido. Hindi na siya nagtaka na makikita niya ang lalaki sa Rios Tower pero sa lahat talaga ang oras at pagkakataon.

Nylah held her breath and crouched lower, careful not to make any sound.

Ashriel lit the cigarette. Then he leaned against the railing, exhaling smoke into the night.

Kahit madilim ang paligid, Nylah was trained. Malinaw niyang nakikita ang mga nangyayari. And she was fortunate that Ashriel Rios was an ordinary businessman, he couldn’t smell the faint smell of gunpowder that still clung to the air.

Mahigpit na nakakuyom ang kamay ni Nylah. For some reason, kinakabahan siya na makita siya ni Ashriel sa lugar na ‘yon. If he turned and saw the weapon case — it could all end here.

Napailing si Nylah. Ano bang iniisip niya?

Wala naman silang koneksiyon ni Ashriel Rios. Bakit ba siya nag-aalala?

Ilang beses lang silang nag-usap sa tuwing pupunta ito sa coffee shop niya.

Nylah studied Ashriel from the shadows, and for the first time in a long time, she felt something unfamiliar during a mission — a pang of unease in her chest. Ashriel’s postured was relaxed, but his face looked tired. She had seen men like him before, men who carried the weight of too many battles, just not the kind fought with guns.

Napabuntong hininga si Nylah habang nakatingin pa rin kay Ashriel. Moments later, he flicked his cigarette over the edge, straightened his shoulders, and walked back toward the rooftop door.

Makakahinga na sana ng maluwang si Nylah dahil aalis na ito pero bigla na lang itong tumigil at tumingin sa pinagtataguan niya.

Napahigpit ang pagkakahawak ni Nylah sa case at pinigilan niya ang kaniyang paghinga.

Ashriel stared at her hiding place for a long second before he turned and left.

Nylah breathe out a relief and slipped out from behind the vent. Inayos niya ang sumbrero sa kaniyang ulo saka umalis ng rooftop hawak ang case na naglalaman ng kaniyang gamit.

She left the Rios Tower with nothing happened. And slid to the black SUV waiting for her.

“Chief.” Kael greeted the Chief as she sat inside the van.

Nylah nodded.

“Clear all my traces,” Nylah ordered.

“Yes, Chief,” Nyx Calderon answered, the tech and intel hacker of Black Lotus.

Tumango si Nylah. She closed her eyes. “Send me back to my apartment.”

Kael looked at Riven who was behind the wheel. “Let’s go.”

Riven nodded and maneuvered the SUV.

AS THE LAST CUSTOMER left the coffee shop, Dex turn over the board with written ‘CLOSED’. Then the man sitting at the corner stood and walked towards the counter where Nylah were reading the last set of intel reports from last night’s operation.

“Chief,” Nylah’s second-in-command entered quietly said, breaking the silence and tablet in hand, “it’s confirmed. The authorities recovered Silas Luca body early this morning. The coroner’s report already marked it as a high-caliber kill. And—” he swiped across the table, “—the body has been claimed by the Italian consulate. They’ve arranged for immediate repatriation. He’s already enroute to Italy.”

Hindi nag-angat ng tingin si Nylah. Tumango lamang siya habang hindi mabasa ang ekspresyon ng kaniyang mukha.

Kael smirked faintly. “The death of high-profiled criminal Silas Luca had been on the news and the streets were already talking. Half in this country’s underworld knows Black Lotus is awake again. Some are spooked. Others are curious.”

Sinalubong ni Nylah ang tingin ni Kael pero hindi sinubok ni Kael na tumingin ng deretso sa mata ni Nylah. He looked away immediately.

“Then let them wonder. Let them stay scared. But make sure no one links back to me. If even a whisper reached this city about who pulled the trigger, I want it dead before morning.” Wika ni Nylah sa malamig na boses. Walang pag-aalinlangan sa kaniyang mga utos na para banag normal lamang ito.

“Yes, Chief.”

Isinara ni Nylah ang laptop saka nagtimpla ng kape. “Double-check Silas’ network. Anyone who might try to avenge him. I want you to cut them off before they breathe my name.”

Sandaling natigilan si Kael bago nagsalita. “And if they come for you?”

Tumaas ang sulok ng labi ni Nylah. “Then they’ll learn why Black Lotus survived when the others didn’t.”

Natahimik si Kael at napatingin kay Dex at Rita. Ngumiti lang naman ang dalawa sa kaniya saka bumalik ang mga ito sa pag-aayos ng upuan at lamesa.

Nylah’s indifferent face softened when she saw Evron came out from her office. Then she turned back to her second-in-command, her mask sliding back into place. “Dismissed,” she ordered.

Tumingin siya kay Rita at Dex. “The coffee shop opens at seven tomorrow.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Tumango si Nylah saka ngitian ang anak na naglalakad palapit.

“Momma, uuwi na po tayo?”

“Yes, anak.”

Binuhat ni Nylah ang anak saka hinalikan ito sa pisngi.

Evron giggled.

“Close the coffee shop,” Nylah ordered and left with Evron.

The three left in the shop slightly bowed their head as the Boss left at the back door with her son.

Habang pauwi si Nylah at buhat niya si Evron.

Silas Luca was dead. The government was pleased. The mission was clean.

And yet… for some reason, she couldn’t shake the image of Ashriel standing on that rooftop with smoke curling around him like a shadow.

For the first time in years, the Chief of Black Lotus felt like she had been the one hunted.

“This is not good,” Nylah muttered.

Nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad hanggang sa makarating siya sa apartment.

Unbeknownst to Nylah, Ashriel was following her. Nasa loob ng isang sasakyan si Ashriel at nakatingin kay Nylah at Evron.

“Mr. Rios,” Sam cleared his throat, turned his head, “it was confirmed. Ms. Nylah Auclair is single and she’s not married.”

Ngumiti si Ashriel. “That’s good then.” Aniya.

“Mr. Rios, are you interested to Ms. Nylah?” tanong ni Sam. Ito ang unang beses na nag-imbestiga ang amo niya sa isang babae.

“What do you think?” tanong naman ni Ashriel.

“But Ms. Nylah had already a son—”

“I don’t care,” wika ni Ashriel habang nakatingin sa apartment ni Nylah. “All I care is about the present and future. I don’t care about the past,” he said.

Napatango na lamang si Sam.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Mr. Rios.”