PART XII
Alex squinted her eyes as she scanned the bar. Everywhere she looked, there were lewdness and obscenity around. There was an old man ogling and kissing a girl too young to be his daughter on a corner. There was a couple dancing indecently on the packed dance floor. And then she saw an old man going up the room with a young girl. She found herself grimacing. She felt sick. The place is like a meat market where the youngest and the juiciest meat is sold to the highest bidder.
Her eyes then landed on a young girl sitting against the corner, her eyes darkened by too much kohl. Just by looking at her tanned skin told Alex that she belongs to a Malay race. Gingerly, she walked towards her and smiled.
"Pilipino ka?" She asked. The girl looked up at her and stared at her momentarily. Then as if absorbing her words, she smiled.
"Oo!" She exclaimed. Alex smiled and sat down beside her. "Susmaryosep! Buti na lang at nakakita ako ng kababayan ko dito!"
"Bakit nag-iisa ka yata?" Alex asked as she chewed her gum noisily.
"Eh paano yung iba eh naiakyat na ng mga sakang na yan." She replied. Then she sighed, her fingers running through her black hair. "Mahina ako ngayon. Palibhasa meron ng dumating na mga bagong shipment eh."
Alex's eyes slightly narrowed.
"Shipments? Ibig mong sabihin mas bata?"
"Eh ano pa nga ba?" The girl answered smirking. "Ku… aayaw-ayaw pa kunwari. Hoy, ganyan din ako nung una ako dinala rito noh!"
"Anong agency ka?" She asked casually. The girl turned to her and laughed out loud.
"Anong agency? Illegal ako dito manash… gaga kasi ako eh. Komo sakang, madatung, binoypren ko. Ayan, nagising na lang ako, iniwan na nga ako, dito pa sa p---- inang lugar na to!"
Alex nodded her head thoughtfully. Japanese boyfriend? So far, their target is a man…
"Ibig mong sabihin talagang tinakbuhan ka?" She asked dramatically. The girl fell thoughtful for a moment. Then she shook her head.
"Hindi, actually naloko yata ako eh." She replied slowly. "Feeling ko kaya lang ako niligawan para dalin dito kasi halos lahat ng Pilipina dito ganon ang kwento."
"Talaga?" Alex replied. "O eh bakit di ka umalis?"
"Sus! satin-satin lang to ha," She began as she leaned towards her ear. "Sindikato yata ito eh. Hindi na ko pwede umalis, papatayin ako pag umalis ako. At saka bakit pa? San naman ako pupunta… pero p----ina! Kahit saan! Basta wag lang sa pu---inang impyernong lugar na to!"
Alex tried to keep a straight face. She was horrified of what she had learned. So they are basically sex slaves here. Just thinking about that made her anger flourished even more. She would definitely nail those guys! She would definitely make sure that they pay!
"Alam mo, hirap na ko. Hirap na hirap." The girl began looking at her with woeful eyes. "Kadalasan pipilitin ka kahit ayaw mo, minsan pa nga walang pakialam kung maysakit ka…"
"So sino ang recruiter nyo?" Alex asked casually. The girl shrugged.
"Sa totoo lang kahit hanggang ngayon di ko pa rin siya nakikita eh." The girl answered. "Basta ang alam ko lang, lagi ko kasing naririnig na tinatawag siyang Fujito-sama… sama ibig sabihin pinakamataas… bwisit talaga! Napilitan pa ko mag-aral ng Hapon na yan! Ke hirap-hirap!"
"Maiba ko, taga-saan ka?"
Alex blinked and looked at the girl. She forced out a smile.
"Quezon City." She replied.
"Talaga? Aba, bihira kumuha sa Maynila ah… ako kasi taga-Batangas." She replied. Just then, the girl giggled and looked out.
"Type ka yata non oh!" she exclaimed. Alex followed her gaze only to find her eyes landing on Aya. He was looking intently at her, like a fox guarding its young.
"Swerte mo! Gwapo ah… busangot nga lang ang mukha pero gwaping." The girl gushed. "O pati yung kasama, nakatingin din sayo… gwapo ren! Balato mo na lang sakin yung isa!"
Alex looked at her then to the two men. She realized that she was referring to Yohji. Her eyes fleeted from Aya to the grinning Yohji beside him. When there eyes met, Yohji smiled lazily and winked at her from his lowered glasses. Alex tried her best to suppress her laughter upon noting the warning look Aya gave him.
"O mag-aaway pa yata!" The girl laughed out loud. Alex shook her head with amusement. After a moment of staring contest, Aya stood up. She was about to stand up as well when she felt a pair of slick arms wounding around her waist.
"Kirei…"
"N-nani?" She began turning around. She smiled nervously as she saw a Japanese man nipping at her ear.
"You wanna dance?" He asked in slurred Japanese. Alex tried her best not to puke upon smelling his alcohol-rich breath.
She looked on and saw Aya purposely walking towards her, his eyes gleaming with anger. Alex immediately held out her hand, a signal for him to stop. Yohji immediately got her point since he stopped Aya with his hands. Smiling at Yohji, she then turned her attentions to the man.
"Hai!" She replied smiling then giggling out flirtatiously. Who knows, this must be Fujito-sama or something.
The man gruffly pulled her towards the dance floor. He yanked her to him, grating his hips against her as he swayed her roughly against the music. Alex gulped nervously as she fought the urge to kick him in the groin.
"S-so, you work here?" She said.
"Hai." The man drawled against her ear. Alex desperately searched for something to say.
"I belive I haven't seen you before." She said. "You new or something."
"Un." The man replied pulling her closer that she felt his excitement quickly growing. "Fujito-sama… so good. He gave me work…" He slurred.
"Really?" Alex said. "To tell you the truth, I haven't even seen my employer Fujito-sama… have you?"
"No."
"So where do you-- " Just then she stopped in mid-sentence as a yelp came out of her mouth. She gave a small cry as she felt the man's hands touching her on her behind.
"Who cares about Fujita-sama?" The man growled on her ear, his tongue flicking out. Alex squirmed as she felt it against her ear hole. "You're hot baby, why don't we go up?"
"Uh-- Anou…" Alex desperately stuttered as she felt losing control. She squirmed, this time, quite violently from his grasp.
"Let go of me or I'll scream." She hissed.
"Then scream all you want." He said. "I like them fiery." She cried again as she felt his hands creeping up to her chest.
"Yes, baby cry all you want…"
"Can I cut in?"
Alex looked up only to find Aya standing before them, his gaze menacing. She heaved a grateful sigh.
"Get away!" The man growled. "I got to her first."
Alex fidgeted nervously upon noting the look in Aya's eyes. It read murder and certainly she doesn't want unnecessary blood shed tonight.
"How much do you got?" She asked Aya. Aya's eyes widened with surprise. The man smiled leeringly.
"50,000 yen." He replied.
"70." Aya said, playing along.
"Tsk." Alex began as she untangled herself from the man. "Sorry darling." She added as she walked towards Aya. She put her arms around him and smiled as she felt Aya's arm around her waist for effect.
The man growled and pulled her forcefully to him. Alex gave a yelp as she felt herself almost stumbling down. Yohji finally stood up and walked towards them upon realizing that the three are already making quite a scene. The crowd is already parting up to make way for the show.
"You heard the man, buddy." Yohji began coolly, popping out suddenly. "Hand the girl to the highest bidder."
"I got to her first!" The man shouted. Yohji wrinkled his nose upon smelling the reek of alcohol in his breath.
"Let go!" Aya threatened like a kid as he pulled Alex to him.
Yohji rolled his eyes with exasperation. Leave it to Aya to talk his way out of this with suave.
"Why you-- " The man began his fist flying into the air. Aya jerked his body away therefore preventing him to have a taste of his knuckles. He shoved Alex to Yohji who immediately caught her in his arms.
"Gottcha, kitten." Yohji said as he winked playfully at her.
"Now I actually knows how it feels like to be a ball." She muttered. Then she screeched as she saw the man holding out a gun.
"Look out!" She screamed. The gun went off with a loud bang but Aya managed to duck just in time. Then before she knew it, people began scrambling and screaming everywhere. Panic set off as people ran simultaneously towards the exit.
Aya growled his anger as he wrestled with the man, ignoring the chaos around him. He easily knocked the gun from his hand because of his drunken state. He then pulled him gruffly by his neck collar, his eyes gleaming with absolute fury.
"Name?" He asked, his breath flaring.
When the man refused to answer, Aya gave him a strong blow on the face.
"Name?!" He repeated this time shouting furiously.
"Hey man, come on!" Yohji shouted upon noting the big bouncers running to settle the frantic crowd. "I don't want to be beaten into a pulp, man!" He added.
"Come on!" Alex cried pulling Aya by the arm. "Let's go!"
Aya let out a furious growl before letting go of the man. He gruffly dropped him on the floor and ran, following Alex and Yohji out of the bar. Once outside, they found Omi and Ken running towards them anxiously, no doubt already prepared to give them back up.
"What happened?" Omi exclaimed looking immediately at Alex. "We heard gunshots!"
"No time to talk! Let's go!" Yohji exclaimed as he slid in the driver's seat. Alex slid in first then Omi and Ken followed next. Aya slid beside Yohji as the
Roadster's engine purred out. Yohji immediately shifted into gear and sped on the highway.
next >>