Bab 196: Join
Chapter 14. Join
"YOU seem to know a lot about that agency," nagdududang komento ni Timo kay Hugh nang banggitin nito ang pangalan ng agency sa kaniya.
"I don't. I just forgot to tell you that the bug that destroyed my laptop's programs is exactly the same with this one."
Doon nakuha ang buong atensyon niya. "Why would Montreal Agency—" He wasn't able to finish what he was saying because he suddenly came up with something. He got up and he was asked where'd he go.
"May meeting pa," paalala pa nito sa kanya. Parating na ang head nilang si Arellano.
"Sabihin mong nag-iimbestiga ako tungkol sa bug na ito."
"Copy!"
He was about to leave when he remembered something. "Don't mention anything about Phoenix to him."
Hindi man lang nagulat ang huli pero nagtanong ito kung bakit.
"We aren't sure of anything yet. Maybe it's just a coincidence." He's pertaining to the Phoenix International Agency and that phoenix computer virus.
"A'right!"
He drove his pickup and went back to Montreal Agency as fast as he could. But he was told that Rexton wasn't there anymore. He clenched his fist as he held on to the steering wheel. Malakas ang kutob niyang may kinalaman si dela Costa sa Phoenix Agency na iyon. At hindi man lang siya nakatunog. Masyado nga yata siyang nagtiwala sa lalaking iyon! He should had had just followed his instinct to do a deep background check on Rexton before.
While he's driving, his phone rang, he answered it and set it to loudspeaker.
"Where are you?" bungad niya sa tumawag. Ang lalaking hinahanap niya mismo ang nasa kabilang linya.
"Why are you so slow, Estacio? Akala ko ba magaling ka?"
He muttered a curse under his breath. "Who are you?"
"I'm your friend, dude, Rexton dela Costa."
"Fuck you!" He wanted to get mad at him because he felt betrayed by the person he treated as his only friend now. He lowered his guard while working with him because he thought he could finally have a real friend. But what the fuck was happening right now?
"I believe you already opened my gift to you. Come and meet me at this address." At sinabi nito ang eksaktong lokasyon ng pupuntahan niya.
He stepped on the gas and in almost an hour, he's already at the location. It's an old building that's abandoned already. Its business had stopped years ago, even the block where it's located wasn't a residential area anymore. Remote area na.
Pagka-park pa lamang niya sa bakanteng lote ay pinalibutan na siya ng mga nakaitim na lalaki. He wouldn't be surprised if they were armed, or if he'd be killed in an instant.
Was his secret already revealed?
"Dude," nakangising bati ni Rexton na napagitnaan ng mga lalaki. "Drop your weapons," baling nito sa mga lalaking sa tingin niya'y higit sa sampu ang bilang. Then he looked at him and he was told to drop his weapons, too.
Nilabas niya ang dalang baril. Oo nga't magaling siya sa martial arts pero kung ganoon karami ang kalaban at nasisiguro niyang nahasa rin ang mga ito sa pakikipaglaban ay hindi siya nakasisigurong kakayanin niyang talunin ang mga ito.
"Tara sa loob. I'll let you meet our best hacker."
Tahimik man siya ay alerto pa rin nang sumunod siya kay Rexton. The other men left their sight but he's guessing that they were just around. Nakabantay kung sakaling mag-amok siya. Pagkapasok nila sa gusali ay bumulaga sa kaniya ang malinis na kapaligiran. May mga modernong kagamitan at kung ano-ano pa na hindi aakalaing iyon ang abandonadong gusali na nabungaran niya sa labas kanina.
Before they got in, there was a sanitizing area and a modern machine that inspected if he brought some weapons. May metal detector at nakita roon sa monitor screen ang balisong na nakatago sa inner pocket ng suot niyang leather jacket.
"I told you to drop your weapons, dude," nakangising bulalas ni Rexton.
He cussed.
"This is one of our hideouts," Rexton informed him. Ano'ng pakialam niya roon? Pumasok sila sa isang sikretong lagusan at dumilim ang kapaligiran nang sumara ang pintong pinasukan nila. Sa gitna ng kadiliman ay bumulaga sa kanya ang liwanag na nanggagaling sa malaking projector screen. Few seconds after his sight adjusted to the dim light, he started seeing what's on that screen.
"Why are our agents' profiles in there?" he asked and he clenched his jaw.
"You know the answer to that."
"You're those fucking hackers."
"I'm not. That man is." Tumingin ito sa bandang kaliwang gilid kung nasaan ang projector screen at nginuso ang lalaking nakaupo sa tapat ng laptop na nandoon. "He created that bug. But it's not a bug, though, because it's a bird. Ang galing niya, 'di ba? May lahing Hapon iyan."
Ngingisi-ngising sumaludo ang itinuro nitong lalaki sa banda nila. "Yosh!" bati pa ng huli.
Sinuntok niya si Rexton pero madali itong nakailag kaya hindi niya nadale sa mukha.
"Easy. Mainitin naman masyado ang ulo mo, dude."
"'Tangina, wala akong oras na makipagbiruan sa iyo!"
"I'll get straight to the point. Didn't you want to find who murdered your family?"
"I thought he's the culprit, man?" sabad ng lalaking nasa harap.
"Loko! Nakalaya nga, o."
"Ah, akala ko mapera lang kaya nakalaya."
"Shut up!" nanggagalaiting singhal niya sa mga ito. Why were they bringing up that case? That whole thing was like his Achilles' heel—his now greatest weakness.
Nagpatuloy naman ang dalawa na tila hindi siya nagsalita. Si Rexton ang unang nagsalita.
"'Tsaka tropa ko 'to. Wala akong tropang mamamatay-tao."
Tumawa ng nakakaloko ang isa. "Didn't you kill that serial rapist last week?"
What the fuck were these two talking about? Bumaling sa kanya si Rexton.
"You know that case, I believe your people were catching that criminal, too."
Was he talking about that forty-year old ex-professor who harassed and violated some of his female and male tutees? Even his own mother...
"That bastard who killed his mom after violating her." Bumigat ang pagkakasabi nito roon. Kahit sino namang makarinig sa balitang iyon ay magagalit nang husto. Hindi makatao ang ginawa ng gagong iyon.
However, he kept still and waited for the next statement.
"I killed him," Rexton ruthlessly stated.
Nangunot ang kanyang noo. "No, you did not. Hugh shot him."
"Yes, your agent did. The same time I shot him to death. Dumaplis lang ang bala ng tauhan n'yo sa punyetang iyon kaya nasisiguro kong ako ang pumatay sa kanya."
"Hugh?" bulalas naman ng lalaking nasa harapan at mabilis na tumipa sa keyboard ng laptop nito. After a few, Hugh's profile flashed on the screen. These people really hacked into AIA's system. That's exactly the information of their agents that they were keeping for records. He knew those profiles were encrypted. Iilan lang silang may access sa mga iyon, at aaminin niyang napabilib siya ng kung sino mang nakapagbukas ng mga profiles na iyon. That person was a fucking genius. Or those people. He didn't know exactly who or how many worked behind to successfully acquire those confident informations.
"Ah, this person. He tried to hack into the dela Costa's Mall computer system last time. He also tried with Montreal," Rexton idly stated. "I hoped he already bought a new laptop though. Hindi na gagana iyong luma niya. Or maybe you should buy him a new one. Dice here can recommend an excellent unit."
So it's confirmed. Rexton was associated with Phoenix International Agency and that computer virus was created by one of their agents, too, and the creator was in that same room. Ngayong natitigan niya nang husto ang kasama nila sa silid na iyon ay napagtanto niyang pamilyar ito sa kanya. He gritted his teeth before looking back to Rexton.
"What do you want from me?"
"That's the question I've been waiting to hear..." Umakbay ito sa kanya na parang tropa pa rin niya ang gago. "Join us, Estacio. Phoenix needs your skills."
Status Power Mingguan
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