Chapter 10: Dainty Diamond (Part 2)

~SA-EL~

This isn't new to me. I noticed how the lady manager almost fall from her chair when I gave her my million dollar smile. Ayon sa iba ay ganito raw ang ngiti ng lalaki especially if he is flirting but on my case, such smile is just natural.

Natanaw ko na si V na papalabas na ng safe deposit vault. Okay, it's show time. For the second time ay nginitian ko ang manager at nagpaalam dito.

"I'll go ahead."

"Sir, do you want me to accompany you?"

"No thanks, I think I'll be fine with the guard," sagot ko at agad na dumiretso sa safe deposit vault kung saan lumabas si V kanina.

Pinagbuksan ako ng guard at tinulungan akong buksan ang nirentahan kong safe deposit box. When I got my box, the guard guided me towards the private room. Nang makapasok ako roon ay nanatili rin ang guard.

"You wanna take a peek on my belongings?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Napayuko ang guard at humingi ng paumanhin. "Pasensya na po. Hihintayin ko na lang ho kayo sa labas."

"Thanks," wika ko at tinanaw siya papalayo. Nang makalabas ito ay pasimple kong kinapa ang ilalim ng mesa. I searched for the gum that V stuck under with the diamond. I did it in a simple way without being so suspicious. When I touched the soft gum under the table, I immediately removed it. To make it less obvious on the camera, I acted like I got a gum on my pocket. Agad kong isinubo ang gum na nakuha ko kasama ang diamond.

I rearranged the things in my safe deposit box to make it look like I accessed it. Matapos iyon ay agad akong lumabas ng private room. Nang palabas na ako ng safe deposit vault ay nginitian ko ang guard na walang kahit maliit na ideya sa ginawa ako. I gently chew the gum to avoid the diamond to hit my tooth. Ah! This gum tasted better especially that V chewed it first. Without any hassle, I left the bank at agad na pumunta sa sasakyan kung saan naghihintay sina Mimo at V.

"Hey, man!" bati ni Mimo. He opened his palm in front of me. "Nasaan na ang dyamante?"

Victoria just sat there, removing the traces of her disguise on her face. Napangiwi ako kay Mimo at hinila ang kamay niya papalapit. I spit the gum on his palm and he was too shocked to move.

"N-nginuya mo? Ngunit nginuya na ito ni..." he paused and looked at V who looks like she doesn't care at all. "Argh, you're so gross!"

Old Mimo removed the diamond from the gum and looked at it with shining eyes. "Small but terrible!" he said and kissed it. Yuck. Mas nakakadiri yata siya.

Napansin ko ang pagkabigla sa mukha ni V habang nakatingin sa labas ng sasakyan. She stiffened for a while so I followed where her eyes are fixed. She was looking at a girl and a guy who looks like quarrelling over something. The girl looks familiar but I don't think she's one of those I played in bed with. Saan ko nga ba nakita ang babaeng iyon?

Nang tuluyan nang pumasok sa loob ng bangko ang babae at ang lalaki ay bigla na lamang lumabas ng kotse si V at sinundan ang dalawa. Nagkatinginan kami ni Mimo at parehong nagtaka kung bakit ganoon ang inasta ni V.

Does she knows her? Is she going to do something stupid? Should I follow her? I was torn between following her or not nang magsalita si Mimo.

"She obviously knows them. At kilala mo naman si V, hindi siya gagawa ng anumang ikakapahamak niya. And sundan mo-"

"Did you fucking read my mind?"

"You're so obvious, man," tukso niya. I glared at him when he keep mouthing his stupid words. Kung hindi lang talaga siya mas matanda sa akin ay malamang pinatulan ko na talaga siya.

"You're so annoying!" I said and turned the engine on bago ko pa mapagpasyahang sundan si V at muling maasar ng matandang kasama ko.

***

It's days since the Victorian diamond was in our possession. Nasa apartment kami at tahimik na naghihintay sa mensahe ng hacker. The hacker was assigned to identify the next item that we will steal. Ilang beses akong napahikab bago ko narinig ang notification mula sa iPad ko. Agad ko naman iyong tiningnan and I felt the excitement when I confirmed that it was from the hacker.

I always feel excited kapag may ginagawa kami. This is what I really want-the thrill in my life. Nakakabagot kasi ang buhay ko and this team is just the perfect solution for my boredom.

Binuksan ko ang file na ipinadala ng hacker at ipinakita iyon kina Mimo at V. "Our next item."

"Ano 'yan?" tanong ni Victoria habang nakatingin sa larawan.

"Hmm, let me see. Ah, a shroud." I moved closer towards her so that she can take a careful look on the photo but I stopped when Old Mimo cleared his throat. Inignora ko na lamang siya at ipinaliwanag kay V ang susunod na item. "Shroud of Shindaya. This shroud is believed to exist 500 years ago. Ayon sa impormasyong pinasa ng hacker, this shroud is used to cover the body of a beautiful woman and when they retrieved the clothes, tadaaa!" Z-in-oom ko ang larawan at f-in-ocus ang imaheng nabuo mula sa preserved na dugo.

"Wow, just like the Shroud of Turin," komento ni Mimo. "So when and how?"

Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagbabasa sa ipinadalang file ng hacker. "Three days from now, this shroud will be exhibited in a museum. May tatlong araw pa tayo upang maghanda. The hacker hacked the site and obtain a blueprint of the museum. Whoah! I'm so excited to meet this hacker. He's good."

Kumpleto ang ipinadala nitong files. All confidential files about the exhibit, the blueprint and obtained even the guest list. I wonder why he or she still remained anonymous. Ano kaya ang hitsura niya?

"Sa tingin ko ay napakapangit niya," sambit ni Mimo. Sabay kaming napatingin ni V sa kanya. What the hell? Did he just read my mind?

"Sino?"

"Ang hacker. Sa tingin niyo, bakit ba ayaw niyang magpakita sa atin? In fact ay napakalaki ng naiambag niya sa team, he or she can even pass as the team leader since he is so useful," paliwanag ni Mimo. "At ang nakikita kong dahilan ay dahil..." Nagpalipat-lipat ang paningin niya sa aming dalawa ni V. "Dahil pangit siya. Maybe he has a big scar on his face. He's fat- I mean super fat na kapag ipapatimbang mo siya ay sampung beses na iikot ang timbangan."

V rolled her eyes. "Hindi naman siguro ganoon-" She stopped when her phone rang at agad niyang sinagot iyon. She didn't speak but I saw how her face flashed a worried expression. Nang ibinaba niya ang cellphone ay nagmamadaling umalis siya ng walang paalam.

#