Chapter 5

Rock hovered over the files that Ervine had given him. It was about their search for the corpses of soldiers taken by Dr. Keston. He sighed violently.

"What do you think Dr. Keston will do with the corpses they took?" Ervine asked to him.

Rock looked at the reports on the paper again then he looked at his friend's face. He sighed.

"I'm not sure of my theory but..." he hung up what he was going to say.

"But what?"

"They seem to want to raise the dead." his language is straightforward.

Ervine was stunned on what he had said.

"Nonsense! What did that Dr. Keston think of himself? Is he a God who can raise the dead?!" Ervine's sarcastic language.

Rock shrugged at his companion's reaction.

"You know he's crazy about power until now, he has not lost his ambition to control everything. But that will never happen as long as Men in Action is here... Us."

"You are right. Our main goal is to get the cadavers back so they can go home to their families, those soldiers deserve to be given a proper burial. The animal is really very rude. The corpse is even able to be used as a tool for his experiments."

Rock scratched his neck. Ervine's head heats up really fast.

"Relax, I have mobilized our underground assets. And according to the reports they are updating on me, they will soon be able to trace the place where the corpses were brought. They guessed it was on an island. And that's what they need to know right now."

Ervine nodded.

"Good."

Meanwhile... Gracey smiled as she walked to the beach with her traveling bag. She looked up at the high hill and saw a very old house standing there. The coconut trees around it were also tall. She is going on vacation today with her Grandparents. Or rather to say that she needs to escape and hide and this is the best spot to do that thing. She took a deep breath to fill her lungs with fresh air. It feels so comfortable.

"What are you Rock?! I will not pay my arrears to you." she retorted.

She continued walking until she reached the large stone stairs. This place have a very peaceful ambiance. Perfect for her broken heart. She took a deep breath, the fresh air and the quiet. She hurried up the stairs until she saw a huge yard planted with many coconut trees and at the end was a big house with a Spanish design. It is said that his Grandfather inherited that house from his ancestors. Her smile widened when she saw her Uncle Sel busy managing his farm staff. They are currently harvesting coconut. It turned in her direction and was slightly startled. But eventually he smiled and waved.

"Graciana!..." his language was lively.

everyone turned to her direction and smiled. One of his Uncle's men approached and took the traveling bag she was carrying.

"Thank you, Mang Ambo." she smiled .

"Ma'm, I guess your visit is sudden?" smiling its language.

She was stunned and her smile went to grin. She could not tell the real reason why she came here.

"It's only now that I have time for vacation." she excused herself.

They walked to the house. But before that he went through her Uncle to mano.

(Mano, Magmano-its a gesture we used to do with the elders as a sign of respect for them.)

"You surprised us, Graciana just like Candice. Your sister is here too."

"Tito, Gracey please?" she said pouting.

Her uncle just laugh at her. Even so, she did not expect her older sister to be here.

"Wait, is Ate Candice here?" she wondered.

"Yes. She's been here for three days. What do you two really have in each other's intestines? You both think the same." He commented.

She just smiled at it. What can her good sister do here too? Shouldn't it serve Leon Acosta? Because, it says it lost the bet and... Oh my! She ran away just like her! She quickly entered the house and she found her sister Candice who was busy talking to their Grandpa and Grandma at the same time eating a delicious turon with fresh coconut juice.

(Turon-ripe banana, the variety is called saba. The short and fat one. Slices it, sprinkled with brown sugar then add some ripe jackfruit strip, wrapped and roll on brown sugar then finally deep fry. Best partner for brewed coffee and in summer, vanilla ice cream. You put the vanilla ice cream on top of it, then bite. Anyway, adding ripe jackfruit strip is optional.)

"Gracey?!" her sister's shocked language.

"Hello!"

"Graciana!" happy language of their Lola Cita.

She approached it and mano at her. She also mano with their Grandpa Mauro who was busy eating turon. She sat down next to her sister and Mang Ambo put down her traveling bag.

"Graciana, your going to have a vacation here?" their Grandfather suddenly asked.

"Ah eh... Yes ! I thought of taking a vacation here Lo, because I miss you and Lola. You know that last summer we went here with Mama, Papa and our siblings..." Gracey explained hesitantly.

(Lolo-grandfather, Lola-grandmother)

She sat down and started eating snacks as well. She was very tired from the distance she walked. She’d just commuted and she had a long journey. While they were eating a snack, her grandparents always asked how she was and if she had a boyfriend? But her sister Candice was more sautéed in the interview because this couple is already naughty... After she had a snack, she politely announced that she was going to her room. When her bag landed on the floor, she immediately jumped horizontally on the soft bed. She hugged the pillow. It was worth the long trip and the tiring walk. This is life! She heard the door of her room open, the bed slumped.

"Uy, why did you suddenly come here?" her sister Candice asked.

It was sitting on the side of the bed. She got up from lying down.

"Eh you? Why are you here too? It's impossible you are on vacation?" she asked curiously.

Her sister's eyebrows met.

"I was the first to ask." its language is stable.

She also raised an eyebrow at it.

"Well, when I answer your question... Will you answer mine too?" she said.

It sighed violently.

"Deal!"

"Ahm..."

Gracey sighed deeply first before she began her storytelling. She saw her sister staring at her intently.

"Sis... That man I stole a kiss from, suddenly came to my house yesterday and confronted me... He is an agent of Men in Action and he intends to charge me for my crime."

Her sister was stunned after she told the story. She was thrilling so she was annoyed with it.

"My gosh! Your luck, sis!"

"Tse! What luck is there?!"

"Ah its just! You'd think he was a busy person but he was able to give you time. Sis, your kiss looks poisonous and you got him!" Her language still trembled.

She frowned at it. Why is she the thrilled instead of her?! She was stunned by what she was thinking. Why does he have to be thrilled with Rock?!

"Eh you? Why are you here?" she suddenly asked.

Suddenly the beautiful smile of her sister Candice faded. Her eyes dimmed and tears welled up in her eyes. It averted its gaze from her.

"I-I can't do it anymore, Gracey..." she said sadly.

Her eyebrows met.

"Wait! Is that Leon Acosta hurting you?!" her angry language.

Her sister shook her head. She was stunned and stared at her face in astonishment.

"Eh what?" she hesitated to ask.

"I-I think I love him... So I left because I can't accept how I feel. One more thing, I will soon die of resentment when I see him dating someone... You know that, I was with him everyday and I will take care of everything about his dates. I feel like I'm killing myself for what I'm doing so I just thought of leaving and hiding. Because if I stay, I will die of jealousy and resentment. I don't know how the man I hate has happened, all of a sudden... I just wake up and realize that I already love him. I really can't accept it."

Gracey could not speak after hearing her sister's story. She rubbed her mouth... And after that she lovingly hugged her sister to lighten it.

"You can get over that, sister you’re a strong woman." she said.

"Thanks, Gracey... I love you, sis."

"I love you too, sister."

Her sister also hugged her and in a few moments her clothes got wet with her tears.

"All right, just cry. I'm here for you, sister."

"Why of all men in this whole world it is him who I fall in love with?!" its language cries.

"Sis... Every person in this world has a crazy-foolish heart... Even mine."

Candice smiled at what her sister said. She knew it was healing a broken heart now because of Ashton.

"Thank you, Gracey. It's really good that you're here."

"Forget that man. All we have to do here is enjoy! Let's take a bath on the beach tonight, is that okay?" Gracey smiled.

"That's fun, Gracey!"

They let go of the hug, looked at each other and then laughed like crazy. Even if nothing is funny. She will make sure that her sister Candice can forget that Leon Acosta and that Rock can't find her.

Gracey stretched as she picked up beautiful shells on the beach. She has been there with her grandparents for more than a week. She has exceeded Rock's deadline by one week. Eh what now? That is the reason why she came here. She looked at the small bucket she was carrying and hse smiled when she saw the beautiful shells she had found.

"This is enough."

She plans to make a wind chime for the door of her house and these seashells are perfect for that. She had already walked back to her Grandparents' house. According to their Aunt Rita and Lola Cita, they will cook a delicious fried shrimp, plus drunk crab(crabs cook in white wine), another and grilled lapu-lapu(a variety of fish, best for grilled and sinigang). She felt very hungry at the thought. She walked faster and when she got to the coconut trees, she saw that they were already preparing the food in the big hut near the mango farm. Her sister Candice helps their Aunt and Grandma.

"Gracey! You arrived just fine, we'll eat!" lively language of her sister Candice.

She was excited to go where they were but She suddenly stopped when he saw his Uncle, his Grandfather and... Rock! It laughs as it talks. The excitement she felt was replaced by nervousness and her heartbeat quickened especially when he looked at her direction. The stare at it, too emphatically. She was swallowed up in no time as it quickly walked towards her. She was stunned and her lips parted as he suddenly hugged her tightly. Her brain suddenly went blank. She almost let go of the bucket she was holding containing the shells she had picked up.