Bab 195: Bird
Bird
TIMO went straight to AIA since it's still early to go bar hopping. He went there to kill time, and to review some of the cases they're going to handle, too. Ibibigay nila ang mga iyon sa mga agents nilang nasa ibang bansa dahil nandoon ang kanilang ibang mga target.
"I thought you went to Rexton dela Costa?" tanong sa kanya ng hacker nilang si Hugh nang makasalubong niya ito sa hallway. Mukhang galing ito sa briefing ng misyong hahawakan nito at ng ibang mga kasamahan pa.
"I thought you're with Leigh?" balik-tanong naman niya rito. Leigh was Hugh's partner in most of their missions.
"Nah, she wanted to try that motorbike you gifted her. Said we'll just meet tonight at The Eve Club. May paandar daw ang club ngayon, masquerade ang theme."
Ngumiwi siya nang maalala na naman ang Harley-Davidson niya na kaniyang niregalo sa agent nilang iyon. But the truth was he lost in their bet. Pinipilit kasi siya nitong may pinopormahan siya sa mga miyembro kaya palagi siyang nasa Montreal Agency kahit wala naman talagang trabaho roon. That was why he told her he'd never watch Sunshine's Debut Tour—but he did. As a Media Staff. Dapat nga'y siya ang mag-i-interview sa mga miyembro matapos ng tour pero nagdahilan siyang may importanteng lalakarin.
He clearly remembered how his jaw dropped while watching them perform—they're beyond good! Lalo na si Jinny. Parang nag-iba ang aura nito nang nasa entablado na. The way she strummed her electric guitar sent shivers down to his spine. Wala sa sariling napalingon siya sa paligid noon at kitang-kita niya kung paanong nagsisigawan o hiyawan ang mga tagahanga, lalo na ang mga kalalakihan na naghe-head bang pa kasabay sa salin ng pagtugtog ni Jinny sa gitara.
After that few minutes solo, the drummer joined the melody, but he became focused with the guitarist instead. It's as if he was enchanted because he could oddly hear the electric guitar only as he stared to the lead guitarist cool face. Her hair was in high ponytail making her hair danced as she was headbanging while strumming the guitar energetically.
And... damn, she's sweaty but still looked so majestic. Parang gusto niyang punasan ang pawis nito habang nakatitig sa mukha nito pagkatapos na pagkatapos niyon.
Napalunok siya nang matitigan nang husto ang katawan nito. "Why was this woman wearing a cropped top sando?" he murmured. Kaunting galaw ay nakikita niya ang tube tank top na suot nito. She's wearing a leather short shorts that's hugging her nicely rounded butt, she's also wearing a black net stockings partnered with a heeled knee-high leather black boots. Nagkakasala siya na ini-imagine niyang tapos na ang performance at nasa bahay niya ito... Maghuhubad na para magpalit ng damit, o magsa-shower ito para matanggal ang heavy makeup na nakakabit sa mukha nito. Tapos ay sasaluhan niya ito sa banyo para—
Shit! This never happened before when he watched different concerts and tours. It's his first time ogling with one of the performers, and to think that she wasn't even doing anything seductive at all. Just by watching her doing her passion enjoyably was turning him real on.
He remembered he tried to focus to the other members as well to see if he's just really horny and wanted to just fuck someone that night... but his reaction wasn't the same as when he focused with Jinny Canciller. His body only reacted that way to her.
Hindi na niya tinapos ang panonood at doon na nga'y nagdahilan na may emergency kaya ang iba ang nag-interview. But the truth was he only wanted to avoid meeting the band's guitarist that night.
"Makaalis na nga. Parang wala naman akong kausap," kunwari'y reklamo ni Hugh.
"Sandali," pigil niya. "Iyong pinapatrabaho ko sa iyo?"
He paused for a while before he responded. "Ah, that." Umiling ito. "It's hard to infiltrate the dela Costa's system. Nasira ang laptop ko nang subukan kong i-hack nang tuluyan ang Montreal Agency. Even the programs installed in there were bugged."
He nodded once. "But you did get some information, didn't you?"
Ngumisi ito ng parang aso. "I wasn't able to. But I'm telling you, that friend of yours is hiding something."
He scowled. Ano namang itatago sa kanya ng mokong na iyon?
"And that's for you to find out, putangina ka."
"Gago!" mura niya rito pero tinalikuran lang siya nito't umalis na.
Iiling-iling na tumungo siya sa sariling opisina habang minumura si Hugh sa kaniyang isipan. That hacker always called him "putangina" because of the acronym "P. I." which should mean "private investigator". Pero mas trip ni Hugh na tawagin siya sa paraang tila minumura siya. Ewan ba niya sa lalaking iyon. Parang walang anak kung umasta. That's immature as fuck but he didn't really give a damn.
Pagkaupo niya sa swivel chair ay binuksan niya ang computer. But he noticed some strange folder in there. Baka report pala iyon na nakaligtaan niyang tingnan noong mga nakaraang araw. When he clicked it, there was like an emblem filled his monitor's screen. He tried to close it but he couldn't.
"Fuck!" mura niya't mabilis na tinawagan ang cellphone ni Hugh. Kaagad naman itong sumagot.
"Miss mo na agad ako? Nasa lab lang naman ako, putangina ka." He actually meant the computer laboratory.
"No fucking jokes. Go here. In my office. Something's wrong with my PC."
"What do you mean?" sumeryoso ang nasa kabilang linya.
"I turned it on and opened a folder. And now, a bird-like symbol—"
"What kind of bird?" he cut him off.
"I fucking don't know what kind of bird is this. I can't access my PC anymore."
"That's a bug," siguradong sagot nito.
"Then, why is it a bird? Is it a new bug? Akala ko ba, magaling kayo? Bakit na-virus ang computer ko?"
"Not only yours, L.A., all of our computers are being hacked right now." Hugh called him using his codename in the agency.
He muttered a curse when he was informed that even the computers in the other departments shut down by themselves. And the trigger to that bug was the moment he clicked the folder on his computer.
Ilang sandali pa ay pinuntahan siya ni Hugh. Nagpatawag na rin siya ng meeting at magsisimula iyon maya-maya.
"Do you know what kind of bird was that?" tanong kaagad ni Hugh nang makapasok ito sa kanyang opisina at umupo sa sofa.
He didn't know at first, but when he saw how the bird on the screen got surrounded by fire, as if the screen was kindled, then, he realized it's that mythical creature. "Phoenix," he responded to Hugh's question.
"Yes. And you know that there's a rising agency as well, right? They're our rival now. Naungusan nila tayo noong huling mga misyon." Tinutukoy nito ang bagong usbong na private intelligence agency pero hindi niya pinagtuunan ng pansin noon.
He wasn't at the agency back then, he was behind the bars because his case was ongoing at that time.
Hugh looked at him with his serious expression, then he smirked evilly. As if he was being thrilled with what happened to their system. Kumunot ang noo niya nang magsalita ito, hindi pa rin nabubura ang malapad na pagkakangisi.
"That agency's name is Phoenix."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone