Bab 129: Where
Chapter 35. Where
"UUWI pala ako mamaya, pagka-out ko ng alas sinco. Susunduin ako ni Mommy at hihintayin na rin, I think she'll use the private plane."
"Why? Should I go, too?" tanong ni Kieffer kay Lexin nang kumakain na sila ng agahan. Sa totoo lang ay nagtatampo pa rin siya rito. But he's respecting her decision. Kung ayaw pa nitong magkaanak sila ay ayos lang. But that didn't mean he wouldn't tell her that he wanted to have kids already.
Umiling ito. "Hindi na. Sa susunod na lang, alam kong busy ka. We will set another date."
"For what?"
Malapad itong ngumisi. "My cousin will propose to Maru. At mamamanhikan na rin agad-agad."
Napamaang siya at napangisi rin. "You should open a matchmaking company," biro niya.
Masyadong bitin para sa kanya ang pagsasama nila nito pero may trabaho pa siyang kailangang kaharapin. Since he turned off his phone overnight, he couldn't be reached. Kaya nang maihatid niya si Lexin sa VPC ay ang sama ng tingin ng dalawang gwardya sa kanya. He got it already. They had been calling him but weren't able to.
He drove the car back to the rental place and immediately hailed a cab to go to Tacloban Airport. May private plane doon si Stone at iyon ang gagamitin niya. Sometimes, it really helped him that his boss was a pilot and owned an airline.
The reason why he's in a hurry was because he must go back to Bohol because a part of their hotel exploded.
"Putanginang Dominguez!" mura niya. Pagkasindi ng cellphone niya ay tinawagan siya ni Ice, umiiyak ito nang ipaalam sa kanya na nasunog ang ikalawang building ng hotel. Mabuti na lamang at under renovation iyon at walang gaanong casualties. May tatlong sugatan pero hindi malala. At iyon ang ipinagtataka niya, kung paanong nadamay ang mga ito sa pagsabog. He made it clear to vacate the site during the night.
He immediately called in the Phoenix to have them investigate about that case. Shortly after his arrival at the airport, Stone called him back, saying that they already got who's the mastermind in the bombing.
Of course the media released it's because of the wiring but the truth was it was bombed.
"Kinanti mo ba si Mikael Dominguez? Mukhang ang laki ng galit sa iyo."
Nagtagis ang bagang niya. "How about those devices inside Lexin's apartment?" he asked.
He sighed heavily. "The moment we hacked into those devices, there was a bug that caused our system to shut down. Mabuti at hindi gamit ni Dice ang main system kaya safe pa rin ang files ng Phoenix."
Napatango siya. He's pertaining to one of the hackers of Phoenix Agency.
"Ano ba'ng ginawa mo kay Dominguez—" Natigilan ito nang may mapagtanto. "Ah..."
"Yes. Because I married Lexin Osmeña."
"Bata nga pala niya—"
"Will you stop saying that?" Naiiritang bulalas niya.
Tumawa lang ang nasa kabilang linya. "Ipasa mo na muna sa iba ang trabaho mo sa Bohol. The two already got evidences. We're planning to raid tomorrow night."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"Who the fuck turned off his fucking phone last night and we couldn't fucking reach him?"
Napabuga siya ng hangin.
"What evidences did they get?"
"A human robot."
Napakurap-kurap siya. "A what?"
"You heard me. We found our missing sleeper, Candace."
"Who? Oh, fuck! That Candace?" That daughter of a corrupt politician was one of Phoenix' sleeper agents—but she's unaware that she's a sleeper. She's brainwashed, hypnotized, or otherwise conditioned to be unaware of her secret mission until activated. Nawala ito noong nakaraang misyon, ilang buwan na ang nakalipas, at ngayon lang nahanap. Ayaw muna niyang malaman ang mga nangyari rito pero may kutob na siya.
"Exactly. But she was a mess when they rescued her. Hindi rin naman nagduda ang pamilya niya sa pagkawala dahil ang alam ng lahat ay nasa abroad siya."
"Teka, paanong...?"
"Last night, when we tried hacking VPC's system, there was a power outage for about fifteen to twenty minutes. In that duration, even the CCTVs weren't working. Doon na kumilos sina Hue at Harold, habang nakabantay ang iba. Pinasok nila ang laboratoryo, nagpanggap na mga staffs at doon na nakahanap ng mga ebidensyang magdidiin sa Villarama. And it also surprised them when they saw her, being, uh..."
"You don't have to say it aloud. Have you told Sinned already?"
"Hindi pa."
"Magwawala iyon."
"Don't mind him yet. Focus on your job. Bumalik ka mamayang gabi sa Leyte nang makapaghanda na kayo riyan. I'll keep you updated."
"Copy. We'll keep sending reports, too."
Iyon lamang at tinapos na nila ang tawag. Dumiretso siya sa site at nandoon pa rin si Ice, magang-maga na ang mga mata nito sa kakulangan ng tulog at marahil sa pag-iyak.
"Saan ka ba galing?"
"I'm sorry. You should take a rest first."
Tumawag siya ng medics at hinabilin na bigyan ng pampatulog si Ice nang makapagpahinga. Hinabilin niya rin sa isa sa mga bodyguards na ihatid na ito ng Maynila pagkagising.
He had a busy day. Nagpa-presscon siya at may ilang mga meeting din para pag-usapan ang biglaang pangyayari. Iilan lang ang nakakaalam na bomba ang dahilan ng pagsabog, ang mga engineers at ilang workers.
He also visited the three construction workers who got injured. Inilipat niya ang mga ito sa isang VIP suite. He must interrogate them because they're really suspicious.
"Now, tell me, why were you at the site last night?" tanong niya sa mga ito, lahat ay nag-iwas ng tingin. Wala nang medical personnel ang nasa VIP ward. Ang isang kasamahan na lang niya sa Phoenix, si Rexton, ang nandoon. Tinawagan niya kanina para sabihing pumunta ng Bohol. Ito muna ang hahalili sa posisyon niya ng isa hanggang tatlong araw dahil magiging abala na sila sa pag-raid sa VPC.
Hindi sumagot ang mga ito.
"Gusto ninyong mamatay ang mga pamilya ninyo?" si Rexton. Damn, here he was. He's going to start murmuring things to them until they got emotionally and mentally affected and would spill everything. It was sort of psychological torture. O mas tamang sabihing mental torture.
He went out first because he didn't want to hear Rexton's words. He's certain that afterwards, those three would be having severe mental pain or suffering.
Nang tinawag siya ni Rexton para papasukin ay malapad ang pagkakangisi nito. Alam na niya agad na nagtagumpay ito.
"Kumanta na sila. Ang gaganda ng boses."
He raised his middle finger. Sumeryoso naman ito.
"We were right. Mikael Dominguez ordered them to bomb your hotel."
"Dahil ba kay Lexin?"
Tumango ito. "Damn, it seems like he can't let go of his favorite toy—" Tumahimik din ito nang mapagtanto ang sinabi. "Ibig kong sabihin, tapos na ang trabaho mo rito. Pumunta ka na sa Leyte at mukhang magigisa ka na nang dalawang iyon dahil kanina ka pa dapat umalis."
Sinamaan niya pa rin ito ng tingin. Mag-a-alas sais na ng gabi, gagamitin na lang ulit niya ang private plane ni Stone Herrera.
Subalit bago pa man makaalis ay nakatanggap siya ng tawag at nagimbal sa balita.
"Fuck! Sumabog ang Villarama! That laboratory! Hue was roaming just outside the laboratory and I think—Fuck!" mura ni Harold sa kabilang linya. He sounded panicked.
"Where's Lexin? Where's my wife?" agad niyang tinanong. Matinding kaba ang namayani sa kanya nang dumagundong ng todo-todo ang kanyang dibdib sa nalaman.
"I don't know. I don't know what to do as well. Ang daming sugatan sa mga tao natin at—"
"Nasaan ang asawa ko?!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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