Somewhere in the concrete jungle, at an old abandoned building in the suburbs of the City of Sierra de Oro, armed men were playing cards. Behind them were a ten-year-old boy, an eleven-year-old girl, and their eight-year-old sister, tied back to back, fearing for their lives.
"Boss, what if their father finds out where we are hiding?" One of the armed men asked.
"That's why you were tasked to make sure that wildcat could not trace us here!" The leader of the armed men furiously responded while looking at the helpless children and drinking a can of beer.
"Relax, their father can't even track down a rat!" Another kidnapper remarked as a deafening banging could be heard at the door.
"Who's there?!" The leader of the kidnappers asked rhetorically, as he prepares to shoot whoever is forcibly trying to break down the door.
When the door finally fell down, a man walked through, aimed at the kidnappers, and started rapidly shooting them without hesitation. Shortly after the whole incident, the police arrived because they were trailing the man, but could not keep up with him. When it was finished, the man slowly approached the three petrified children and embraced them.
"I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to the three of you." Said the man.
"Dad, we were also brave!" The little girl boasted to the man who just smiled at them, whilst wiping away his tears.
"Mayor Marino, may we have a word with you?" One of the police officers asked, to which the man agreed and took with him the three children.
"Mayor, it turned out that your 'favorite' enemies masterminded this kidnapping," the chief of police told the Mayor who stared back blankly, unperturbed by the information.
"Placing my kids in a perilous situation and my wife in distress is something I cannot forgive," Mayor Marino told the chief of police. "Perhaps, I'll send a group to retaliate, so you need not interfere with this matter, chief".
Karl Marino has been the long-time Mayor of Sierra de Oro. He holds powerful connections both domestically and internationally. His rise to power began as being a simple businessman; he worked tirelessly, until he became a business kingpin then used it to his advantage to reach the status of a political tycoon. Due to his influence he earned the respect of everyone in his social circle – politicians and businessmen alike. He was similar to the Godfather; people could always depend on him when they needed help. And just like the Mafiosi patriarch something is expected in return for all the help he extended. His friendship always came with a favor and he collected whenever the time was right.
Ten years after the kidnapping incident – on a rainy evening at the City Hall – Karl was sitting behind his desk, looking outside the window, humming a lullaby. Standing behind him was Charlie Ong, a tall & slender middle-aged half-Chinese man, a former prosecutor who now serves as State Senator of San Carlos. He and Karl have developed a strong bond over the years. To Mr. Ong's right was Gustav Ojeda, a former sugar baron turned Governor of Santa Isabel; he was no taller than Charlie, but seemingly the same height as Karl.
"It's been an uneventful year." said Gustav, lighting a cigarette.
"Indeed. It has been a while since you drove away those northern syndicates." Charlie told Karl.
"I can't make a move because the President is closely monitoring my every move. Karl responded eyeing his two friends, "We have to be very cautious, you know, I cannot easily pull the strings these days".
In the middle of their pressing conversation Ms. Alberta Santos, Karl's personal assistant, came in and told the Mayor that his twins have arrived from their errand run and wanted to speak seek an audience with him.
"What are you? Some kind of emperor?" Gustav asked appallingly. He looked at the two teenagers who were standing at the doorway and gestured for them to come in.
Alexandra Jiena is the first born, hence eldest of the Marino children, her father fondly refers to her by her second name; she possesses no ounce of resemblance to her father. She is taller than Karl; Jiena stands at five feet nine inches tall; she dabbles in modeling and is a beauty queen in the making. She has been dubbed as a worthy successor to her father in the political arena; having the wit, the convincing oratorical skills, and her ability to be two steps ahead especially in crucial situations. Although Jiena has the same qualities as her father, still many of her father's allies see her as a threat, because they see her as an Alpha Female who could betray them when given the chance.
Rafael, the fraternal twin brother of Jiena and born ten minutes after his sister, on the other hand is the complete opposite of his sister. He stands at six feet in height, mesomorphic build, innocent-looking with bow-shaped lips, and jet black hair. Rafael is a good-looking man; he has his father's charms, but luckily not his looks. The usual first impression of him is that he seems aloof, but he is really just timid; interestingly this is a trait uncommon for boys of his stature. Besides this point, his shyness has always been a factor as to why Karl is not so keen on having Rafael succeed him in politics or in the family business.
"It's been too long since I last saw these two!" said a visibly enthusiastic Gustav. He then added, "Eugene is coming over this weekend to visit you, Rafael. Make sure to clear your schedule for him."
"I'm looking forward to seeing him after quite a while, Uncle." Rafael replied.
"Dad, let's go home?" Jiena interjected. The twins' father nodded in compliance and exited his office together with his children, his friends followed close behind.
---
At the Marino residence...
The family was having dinner; it was a rarity as of recently, but there was a special occasion forthcoming and so they were complete. Karl briefly gazed at his children, all the while smiling as they ate dinner; a little of each of their favorites was prepared. Karl was simply over the moon for having all of his children under his roof again.
"I could not be happier at this moment. The simple joy of having to eat dinner with my children is simply priceless. We have not been able to gather like this for a long time now." Karl told his children, mustering up all the strength to prevent his voice from cracking.
"Dad, before all this fortune we were always able to experience this simple joy." Jiena happily replied, "Which is why we want to stay here with you. For good." She added.
Karl's eyes grew wide open upon hearing his children's decision, knowing the dangers surrounding his work; his throat suddenly dried up and he had to drink some water from his chalice. He then said, "I thought all of you were only here to prepare for Bianca's upcoming 18th birthday? How the hell did you come up with this decision all of a sudden?" he asked with a mix of confusion and joy.
"Dad, did you skip taking your medications again?" Kyoko, the third child and second daughter, jokingly asked.
"You do realize we were just on 'vacation', right?" Bianca, Karl's youngest child, doing air quotes added to Kyoko's query.
"Tokyo was beautiful but," Jiena reassured her father, who could do nothing but scratch his head in disbelief, "We will all be studying at a university in Manila, don't you remember?"
Karl's smile reached from ear to ear. He looked towards his son and expected he would chime in. Rafael just looked back at his father, grinned sheepishly as his way of saying he had nothing to add, but wherever the family is he will also be there without hesitation
-----
Bianca's eighteenth birthday was held at a five-star hotel – it was lavish and extravagant, nothing but the best for Mayor Marino's daughter. The allies and those closely attached to the Marino family were present and mingling with one another. It was evident this was an exclusive gathering of the elite and who's-who of the country. The occasion was planned and hosted by the best organizer in the Philippines; booking him required a year's notice, but since he owed Karl a favor, an exception was made for her daughter. The food was prepared by a five star Michelin chef; the cake she prepared would rival that of the Philippine President's inauguration cake. For the adults, an abundance of Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (from Napa Valley in California) bottles were served.
The debutante made her grand entrance. The whole room stood still, and all eyes were on this beautiful girl now turned lady. Her magnificence would make any parent proud.
Bianca, the debutante was born to Karl and a Japanese mother who inherited her father's pouty lips and droopy eyes, the least of Karl's genes, she didn't have the towering height of both Jiena and Rafael, but her intelligence and comprehension have always put her slightly ahead of her siblings. She is cherished by her father, because Bianca reminds him of her mother and the fond memories they had.
On the hall's balcony, Karl and his confidantes were huddled, a perfect bird's-eye view for looking over at the festivities. Karl was contemplating accepting guests who wished to seek his unique services in exchange for a future inescapable favor. At the same time he was wary of party crashers who managed to get past security and could cause trouble.
Karl gulps down a glass of wine. He obviously has the look of concern and is starting to become uneasy, but not because of the alcohol.
"There are ten people lined up by the stairs, waiting for their chance to speak with you. Are you sure this is a good idea and during your daughter's debut no less?" Charlie asked Karl anxiously.
"I will let my personal assistant take over." Karl remarked, adding: "Ms. Santos, please take down whatever concerns these people have and squeeze them in my schedule in the upcoming weeks, I will deal with them by then. Other pressing matters have come up." Reliable as ever, Alberta went to work immediately.
"Why the sudden change of mind?" Charlie asked.
"A suspicious feeling crept up when I saw that guy over there," Karl pointing at a man who stood out because although properly dressed, his clothes were clearly put together to try to blend in, but Karl's keen sense of observation saw beyond his disguise. Karl posted: "Something tells me he is no friend of Bianca's or any of my children for that matter. For the past 15 minutes he has been trying to socialize with people, jumping from one group to another, I could see from the other guests' facial cues that they do not know him."
"What do you want to do" Gustav asked tensely, as he was mentally entering into an attack mode. He could not believe anyone had the gall to crash the party of her god-daughter.
"Let's get him." Charlie suggested, his brows meeting at the middle of his forehead. He was thinking the same thing as Gustav.
Karl pondered it thoroughly and said, "No. Let's not cause a scene during this special day in my daughter's life. The trauma will most likely ruin my relationship with her along with that of her siblings."
So, Karl alerted security via their earpiece radio. He gave out the order to remove the individual from the party and the premises. He requested it be done discreetly, but if ever the nuisance becomes uncooperative, excessive force may be used.
---
Meanwhile, on the party floor...
Rafael was sitting alone at the corner drinking his soda, watching Bianca-his younger half-sister-having the time of her life; taking in all the attention given to her. He could see his father and his associates at the balcony; he also noticed by their body language that at one point the conversation became a bit intense. It was not his concern, and he knew whatever it was, his father had it under control.
"Rafael, why don't we go dance? Didn't you notice the girls who have been eyeing you all this time?" said Eugene, his best friend. "I didn't know Jiena and Kyoko had so many gorgeous friends!"
"I'll follow you after I finish my drink." Rafael responded, encouraging Eugene to join the festivities.
"Rafael," Jiena called his brother's attention, beside her was a beautiful girl who was as tall as her; she had short hair, skin smooth as milk, she has thin lips and brown eyes, and a smile which beamed with radiance. Rafael was immediately mesmerized by the lass' beauty. "You look stunned." Jiena observed, "By the way, this is Kanna Fontierra, and I believe she is from the same section as you are. She tells me you never had the guts to introduce yourself to her? Is that true?"
Rafael's palms started to sweat and blood was starting to race to his cheeks, the start of blushing. One could surmise it was due to embarrassment, and though that may be partly true, it was also because of excitement. Rafael knew the feeling of being in the presence of Alexandros of Antioch's work of art, the Venus de Milo, and standing in front of Kanna was, in his opinion, a more priceless experience.
And in a somewhat involuntary move, he grabbed her hand, shook it and introduced himself with all the confidence and bravado he could squeeze out of himself, said he: "Hi, I'm Rafael. We are in the same class, aren't we? It's so nice to finally meet you. I would have introduced myself a long time ago, but I wasn't so sure what I should say first. And now, here we are! Am I rambling? I'm rambling aren't I?" He did not break eye contact, and he kept shaking her hand as he was talking.
"Woah, Casanova! Let her hand go or you might pull it off from the socket! Also, this is not a speed round. You have all night to let her answer the questions." Interjected his fraternal twin sister. Kanna, forcing herself not to laugh by covering her mouth with her free hand, introduced herself with all the poise of a proper lady, "I'm Kanna, it's also nice to formally meet you Rafael. And to answer your questions: Yes. Yes. Aaaand definitely." At this point Rafael turned bright tomato red.
Jiena could notice and decided it was only fair to add to his suffering, being that she is after all his older sister, by ten minutes. Coyly said she: "Sooo, I got a lot of other guests to entertain. You both have obviously been introduced to each other, which means I can leave you two alone." Jiena could clearly see Rafael shaking his head, gesturing for her not to leave, she looked him dead in the eye, about-faced, and exited. She was proud of herself and she knew his brother would be fine, well it was more of a 60-40 chance; how you place the odds is totally up to you.
"Wow. She really left me out to dry." Rafael said, supposedly only to himself but he did not notice he was talking out loud.
"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by that?" Kanna asked.
"Oh, my god! You can read minds?!" Rafael shockingly asked her back.
"No, silly. You were talking aloud." Kanna slightly giggled in response.
"Oh. That's good then," Rafael let out a sigh of relief and he continued, "I was just saying how could my own sister leave me like that. She knows very well I know nothing about speaking to girls. Let alone the pretty ones."
"You think I'm pretty?" Kanna asked just to tease the boy. Rafael slumped over and hung his head, realizing he was talking aloud again. He threw his hands up a bit as if to say that he gave up trying hard to make it seem as though he had self-control.
He admitted to her, "Of course I do. I mean, that's the whole consensus in our school since we were in first grade."
A bit perplexed, Kanna retorted, "But what does that have to do with you not being able to approach me and introducing yourself to me?"
Rafael, trying his best to reason his way out said, "Well, I'm a really quiet and I just keep-to-myself most of the time," Kanna interjected, "I have noticed and that is a valid counter point. Please continue."
Rafael could feel he was walking on a tightrope now and one false move could mean his demise, but he soldiered on, "I always had it in my head that you would reject me outright if I tried talking to you." He tensed up and grimaced as the words came out of his mouth.
Her assumption of what his answer might be was right, so she exclaimed, "Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Or maybe a loser, we'll find out. You see Rafael, you judged me as a 'mean girl' just because everyone says I'm pretty. Did you ever think there was more to me than just my looks?"
Rafael was tongue tied, "Uhhh," was all he could manage to say; he felt like he was drowning but with air rather than water. "Well, I think you're cute and it's too bad that we did not become friends earlier on."
Kanna quickly added before he could think of something stupid to say. Rafael is now confused, as if he wasn't already tortured enough. Her lips gave out a smile along with her eyes and she beamed radiantly again.
Rafael was dumbfounded and he could think of nothing else but to kiss her. Instead, he quickly downed a glass of bubbly and invited Kanna, "Would you like to dance?" In her head she was ecstatic, but she chose to be mysterious and with poise responded, "Yes. Yes I would."
As Rafael was leading Kanna to the dance floor, he suddenly realized that the song has become slow and quite romantic. He could not wrap his head around where the time went; all night long all he could hear was upbeat party music. "When did Kyoko decide to tell the DJ to change up the pace?" He thought to himself.
Rafael pulled Kanna close to him and gave her a look that he knew what he was doing. He had dance lessons as a child, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever think it would someday pay. So, what Rafael failed to comprehend was that time flew very quickly when he and Kanna were talking and it seemed to speed up a bit more than they danced intimately like they have known each other for a very long time.
"I really wish this night would never end." Rafael whispered to Kanna. "Stop. You don't mean that." A secretly flattered Kanna replied when in a Cinderella-esque manner her phone alarm rang. She knew it was her curfew alarm, but she still made sure just in case she could steal a little more time with Rafael, alas, it was really time for her to leave. She begrudgingly said, "I better go, it's already late." Her poise disappeared and a look of disappointment flooded her face.
Rafael could see but did not point it out. He then offered, "Can I give you a ride home?" to which Kanna happily accepted.
Rafael and Kanna left the hotel and went to a posh community where the young lady lived, the black convertible stopped a huge mansion. Slowly Kanna went out and bid farewell to Rafael
"See you around at school." Kanna told the lad.
"I hope we can get together often." Rafael embarrassingly said.
"Of course we will!" Kanna exclaimed, forgetting she had to hide her excitement. She then got out of the car and hurriedly went inside their mansion.
Rafael tried to stop her, to ask her what she meant by that, but everything happened so fast he didn't have enough time to react. So, with a sense of triumph, he left the posh village and went back home.
---
Upon arriving home, Jiena, Bianca and Kyoko have already went to bed, while Karl was in the living room. It's unclear if Karl is just relaxing or brooding, but this has been going on for quite sometime now, before he goes to bed at night. Noticing that Rafael entered their home, "You just got home? Where have you been?" Karl asked.
"I gave my classmate a ride home, Dad." Rafael answered as he was entering their living room and sat just across his father, who was a bit busy with his laptop. Karl tried to tease his son by saying,
"Make sure she's worth it or else your efforts would be pointless." The punchline missed its mark and came out somewhat serious. Rafael sensing his father's intention replied, "I know dad, you have taught me well. I am thankful to have a father like you."
Hearing this, Karl dropped what he was doing and smiled proudly at his son. Karl, with a lighter tone this time, ordered "Off to bed with you, then." So Rafael went to his room, leaving him alone to continue reading an email from his laptop, which he must have read thrice by now.
---
The next morning, the maids were busy cleaning the whole house. Jiena, Rafael, Kyoko and Bianca were having breakfast when they noticed that their father was in a hurry.
"Where are you going?" asked Jiena
"Your Mom is coming home," answered Karl "I'm fetching her at the airport."
"Can we go with you?" asked Rafael
"No, you have school today," Karl responded as he left the house and headed towards the airport.
---
It was already eleven in the morning; Karl was patiently waiting at the airport lobby, observing his surroundings. He looked at his watch, making sure he is on time. Suddenly, he heard a husky voice from afar.
"What are you looking for?" said the familiar voice.
Karl turned and saw a woman dressed in a white business suit; short black hair, slim body and the complexion of a typical Japanese woman.
"Riko," Karl uttered, ecstatically embracing his wife.
Riko and Karl Marino have been married for almost twenty years. The two met each other at a party in Tokyo; it took only a year after they met for them to get married. Just like any other married couple, Karl and Riko's married life is not at all the match-made-in-heaven type, since their personalities collide, but even though it is not perfect they have put in the effort to make it work.
Karl for one has a tense attitude in contrast to Riko's and this creates a tense environment. Typical are their gender roles, as the husband is half-witted while the wife is a genius. The woman plans while the man executes, sometime she comes up with dubious schemes, despite her calm demeanor. The couple, however, has one goal in common, which is to raise their kids properly and away from the dangerous and filthy profession they have been involved for years. Nevertheless, Karl has always been submissive to his wife and her will, though he holds the final decision when it comes to family matters.
---
While the couple was walking towards the airport's exit, Riko paused and glaringly stared at another couple who were not only familiar but a recurring thorn to their family's side. This prompted Karl to also pause and follow the direction of his wife's gaze. He instantly realized who his wife was staring at.
"Albert," Karl acknowledged, calmly greeting the man who's in front of him.
"It's been a while, Mayor Marino," Albert uttered, clinching his fist. "I can still vividly remember what happened ten years ago."
"Wasn't that your clan's fault?" Riko interrupted to which both couples stood their ground for a couple of moments, staring at each other. Their respective entourage of bodyguards could feel the tension that was building up.
"Let's just go home, Riko. Now, is not the time." Karl told his wife, who followed him towards the exit.
"The battle isn't over yet!" Albert shouted at the couple which caused a short ruckus with the bystanders.
Karl wanted to answer back so badly, but as the Mayor of the city, he had to show some decorum and composure even in the face of his detractors.
Riko could sense the blood boiling from within Karl's body. She whispered to her husband and calmed her beloved down as they were entering their vehicle. She gestured to the driver to make haste. They left a furious, red faced Albert, who continued to clinch his fist and glared pointlessly at the airport's exit.
Little did the Marino couple know that this was just the beginning of a very long day. As their vehicle emerged out of the airport, Karl saw from the rearview mirror that the SUVs which their bodyguards were in had been stopped by a couple of vans. He could not see what happened next, but by the sound of it, the men from the van opened fire and a shootout ensued. In front of their vehicle was also a van which was following them, swerving in and out of their lane; a tactic of some sort to distract their driver. Suddenly one of the men opened the backdoor window and without hesitation pulled up his Steyr AUG assault rifle to his shoulder and shot the driver in the head. Before the shot happened, the driver already knew his fate, so he stepped on the breaks hard; the vehicle got to a screeching halt as the driver expired, but in the process doing his duty. Karl grabbed his wife's trolley and wrapped his arms towards her.
"Hang on to me!" Karl urgently said, prompting Riko to wrap her arms around his waist.
The man who killed the driver without hesitations noticed that the couple was trying to escape, so he ordered the three other goons in the van with him to pursue them. They took out their submachine guns and opened fire at the couple. Karl, while trying to cover his wife, ran inside a building trying to evade the rain of bullets from the firearms of these mysterious goons. Karl took out the Glock 19 he kept hidden in his inconspicuous side holster.
"You brought a gun?!" Riko shockingly asked. But she added, "Did you manage to bring an extra?"
"I only carry one!" Karl answered as they ran towards a restroom where they took shelter. Karl made sure that they were covered from both sides and that they were as safe as the circumstances allowed. He peeked at his would-be targets, took a deep breath, aimed, and opened fire at the supposed assassins; all 4 goons each took a bullet to the head, killing them instantly.
"What a nice way to welcome me back," said Riko, standing behind her husband keeping a calm demeanor despite being taken by surprise with the whole incident.
"Well, both of us are safe, aren't we?" Karl jokingly asked his wife. Although a thought in his head went: "If they ever manage to kill you, all hell will break loose." The police arrived in the scene and took charge of things. A backup set of bodyguards were called in to take the couple home. When they arrived, they were greeted with sobs of joy by their children, who saw the news and were relieved that both their parents were alive. A fitting end to a stressful day.
—chapter end—