Bab 131: Perfect
Chapter 37. Perfect
AGAD na nagpatawag ng meeting para sa briefing ng mga kasong hinahawakan ng Phoenix. Thanks to the key amd secret code Kieffer found in his and Lexin's wedding photo, they now had more evidences to stress out the wrongdoings of those people in Casa Manarang.
Ang susi na iyon ang siyang susi rin na kanyang d-in-eliver kay Lexin noong magsimula sila sa misyon, higit dalawang taon na ang nakalipas. That was just a key but they didn't know where to use that because it was only addressed to Lexin Osmeña.
That key was long-forgotten since that incident in Leyte. Nagpatuloy pa rin sa imbestigasyon pero hindi na ganoon katutok dahil nawala ang lahat ng ebidensyang magdidiin kay Mikael Dominguez noon.
At idagdag pa na namatay ang huli noong sumabog ang VPC Leyte, kaya tuluyang sinara ng lokal na awtoridad ang kaso tungkol doon. They just told the public that it was an accident.
Tumikhim si Stone. "All along, you are right, Sandoval. Lexin Osmeña was our key in these missions." Iyon ang sinabi niya noon nang igiit niya na magpanggap silang deliveryman sa FastEx para personal niyang mai-deliver ang susi. At baka sakaling makakuha sila ng impormasyon patungkol doon.
Napahilot siya sa sentindo. As mych as he wanted her name not to be mentioned in these jobs, that couldn't be. Lalo pa't ang nahanap niyang susi ay ang nagbigay kasagutan sa kanila kung bakit kailangang isama ang Liberi Orphanarium sa kailangan nilang trabahuin.
"Ramos, you should focus on Liberi. You're just going to pretend to donate a huge amount of money, and investigate," baling ni Stone sa co-founder ng Phoenix na si Vince Ramos. Though he had the same surname with Lexin's mom's maiden name, they weren't related at all.
"Copy."
"And you, dela Costa."
"Sino sa amin?" biro ni Jave.
"No time for jokes, I'm in a hurry," malamig na sambit naman ni Stone.
Bumuga lang ng hangin si Jave.
"Sa The Eve Club ka pa rin. You will meet your partner, too."
"Partner? I don't need a damn partner."
"You need one. Your cousin told me you'll be needing that damn partner."
Nagtatakang bumaling si Jave kay Rexton. Nagkibit-balikat ang huli.
"You are so formal, Gaston," sansala ni Rexton. Ngumiwi si Stone, halatang hindi nagustuhan ang pagtawag ni Rexton dito.
"Just focus on your damn company! At ikaw," bumaling ito sa kanya. "Sa Casa Manarang ka pa rin. Prietto will be there with you."
Nangunot ang kanyang noo. Arc Prietto was Hue's name. Sa tinagal-tagal nilang magkasama, nakasanayan na nilang tawagin ang isa't isa sa mga pangalan. Their code names were dropped off.
"I thought he's in Italy? Or is it in the US?" sabad ni Jave.
Tumango ito. "He's with Timo. Siguradong magkukumahog sa pag-uwi iyon. Pero kailangan muna nating makasigurong hindi na ang asset natin ang babaeng kukunin ng Casa. But I have a hunch they'll get that hottest model of Ivory Secrets now." He's pertaining to that international lingerie brand.
At nag-usap-usap pa sila tungkol sa kani-kaniyang mga misyon.
"Damn it, I just can't believe these missions are all fucking connected," komento ni Jave matapos ng briefing. Nakaalis na rin si Stone sa conference room ng Phoenix dahil nagmamadali talaga ito. Nagpa-order naman ng pizzas at burgers si Rexton dahil nagutom daw ito sa haba ng usapan.
Gusto man niyang umalis niya ay mas pinili niyang maglagi para kahit paano ay maaliw siya ng mga luko-lukong ito.
"After these jobs, we deserve a long vacation."
"Kung makakapagbakasyon ka," Jave responded to his cousin. Kung hindi siya nagkakamali ay may bago itong trabahong kahaharapin pagkatapos niyon.
"Kumusta pala ang Montreal?" Vince was pertaining to the entertainment company that Rexton's family owned.
Prenteng sumandal ito sa inuupuan. "Still the number one in the industry."
Nagkantyawan ang iba. "Ang yabang naman talaga!"
Nakisali na rin siya sa kantiyawan. He became as jolly as he was but he knew that that's just his facade to hide his loneliness and longing for his wife.
Bumalik siya sa rating gawain. Palabiro at palikero. Maging ang mga babae sa mga misyong hinawakan niya ay tinrabaho niya. Lalo na ngayon sa Casa Manarang.
Idinadahilan niyang baka magsuspitya ang mga tao sa Casa kung sakaling hindi niya patulan ang mga babae. Pero alam niya sa sarili niyang outlet na lang niya ang gawaing iyon para kahit paano'y mawaglit sa isipan niya ang pangungulila sa asawa.
But he was never successful in diverting his attention.
Kahit ilang babae pa ang iharap sa kanya ay nauuwi at nauuwi pa rin sa kalungkutan at kalugmukan ang kanyang puso't isipan.
"Lexin..."
Napapitlag siya nang mapagtantong nasa conference room pa sila, at natigil sa ginagawa at pagkukwentuhan ang mga lalaki.
The awkward silence dominated the room. Good thing that someone barged in. It's the Caballero's heir, Romano.
"Sinasabi ko na nga ba't nakaka-speechless ang kagwapuhan ko!" bulalas nito.
Nakahuma naman na ang mga kasama niya at binato ng kung ano-ano ang bagong dating. Sinapakan naman ni Rexton ng pizza ang nagrereklamong si Romano. Napailing siya. Sometimes, these men were acting like some young guys.
Ilang linggo lamang matapos ng briefing nila sa mga misyon ay tagumpay nilang natugis ang lahat ng mga maysala. But something was really off but he couldn't point what that was.
He decided to make an extra analysis about it, about everything connected to Casa Manarang. Kung sanang nasa kanya pa ang susi ng vault ay maaari pa niyang review-hin ang mga dokumento at ebidensyang naroroon. Maging ang mga flash drives na naglalaman ng backup e-files ng mga dokumento at ilang videos ay wala na sa kanila. T-in-urn over na kasi nila sa mga awtoridad iyon kaya wala na sa pangangalaga ng Phoenix. Tapos na ang trabaho nila roon.
Pero hindi talaga siya mapakali. Napakadaling natapos ng lahat. It was more like a perfect crime. A crime so ingeniously contrived and carefully executed that it cannot be detected or solved.
Kaya agad na sinadya niya si Stone sa opisina nito sa Phoenix para isiwalat ang kutob niya at mag-request ng karagdagang imbestigasyon.
"Why do you want to reopen the investigations? Wala na sa atin ang kaso."
"I analyze the legs connected to Casa Manarang—The Eve Club, Liberi..." Na natugis na nila at ng local police kamakailan lang. "At nahuli nga natin si Jonathan Manarang pero duda akong siya ang utak sa lahat ng iyon. Jonathan was only focused on his beloved illegal drugs and gun smuggling. I just can't believe he could handle even the prostitutions..."
Tumahimik si Stone. There, he already got that his boss was also doubtful about their previous missions.
"Remember our failed mission two years ago?" Lagpas dalawang taon na nga pala ang nakalipas.
Why did they forget about that?
Napapikit ito ng mariin. "I'll call for a meeting regarding this. I get your point now. The mastermind thought they made a perfect crime. We didn't have any evidences that would point them out because all were pointed to different culprits."
"And they must be celebrating now because they're thinking that their crimes were undetectable."
"Too bad for them. They overlooked for an evidence."
Ang susing itinago ni Lexin. He didn't know that all along, the key was just there. Palagi niyang tinititigan iyon pero nang araw na iyon lang niya napansing may kakaiba.
"We must retrieve the key to the police."
Ngumisi lamang si Stone.
Napamaang siya nang makuha ang ibig sabihin ng ngising iyon. "You've got backups."
"Yes. And you'll be the head for this mission."
"Have you been expecting me to come here?"
"Ang bagal mo nga. Noong nakaraan pa kami naghihintay."
Naningkit ang mga mata niya.
"Jave will join you. Arc and Timo, too."
"Si Vince?"
"Let my cousin be with Jasel in Marseille. Kaya na natin ito."
Nakauunawang tumango siya.
They immediately reopened their investigations. And he was now back in the enemy's lair—Villarama Pharmaceutical Company. And the mastermind was the new head of its other name, Phantom Syndicate—Julio Devila, and he's certain that the mastermind was conniving with someone with power and authority.
Sa loob lamang ng halos ilang linggo ay handa na ang lahat. Vince even went back to the Philippines to join them seeking for real justice. The latter had his purpose why he wanted to be in the mission. 'Nga lang ay hindi alam ng head nila na kasama nila si Vince ngayon. Hindi bale, ito ang gagawin niyang pain para maniwala ang mga kalaban na hawak siya sa leeg ng mga ito.
Just a week ago, while he's staring at his and Lexin's wedding picture frame, he received a video call from an unknown recipient. Kaagad na napatuwid siya ng upo at dumagundong ang kaba sa dibdib niya nang makilala ang babaeng nakatali sa isang torture chair.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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