Chapter 28: 24 Hours with Victoria (Part 3)

~RYU~

Never in my entire life that I experience babysitting a drunk woman. This is the first! Damn!

Maingat na binuhat ko si V at pinasok sa isang hotel. Damn! This even made the situation worst! Mabuti na rin at binawi ni V ang pera at may naipambayad ako. I couldn't use my card dahil kapag nalaman ni Cooler o ng sinong reaper na nagcheck-in ako, malamang ay kukulitin nila ako nang kukulitin!

Pagpasok namin sa silid ay saglit akong lumabas upang kunin ang laptop ko. Pagbalik ko ay tulog pa rin si V. She mumbled some words sometimes na marahil ay dala na rin ng kalasingan.

Binuksan ko ang laptop at inilabas ang papel na kinuha ko sa mga gamit ni Jason Cena. It contains the information about Black Diamond that Mimo told us. The story of Ace and Jack. Clover's betrayal. Jack's death but his daughter's survival. It's just that one part doesn't match.

Mimo said that the kid is named Victoria yet these files says it's N. Napakalayo naman yata ng mga pangalang iyon. Could it be that N is her nickname? Jason's files are really useful but I also got the same info. Hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin akong ni katiting na ideya kung sino nga ba si Victoria.

Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagbabasa. It says that Ace could still be alive at maging si Clover. Jason's files contains names and e-mail addresses kaya sinubukan kong halungkatin iyon. My laptop is my bestfriend, yes. I expertly traced messages from the e-mails.

Bahagya akong napasandal habang tinititigan ang nag-popped up na window which says that the request is processing. Ilang saglit lamang ay nakarinig na ako ng mahinang alert tone, tanda na naging matagumpay ako sa ginawa ko.

I sighed a little when I found the e-mails restricted. It would be no sweat if I'll try to dig more but knowing that it is supported by anonymous servers, baka sakaling mahuli pa nila ako. Hackers can hack other hackers but you shouldn't let them catch you.

After few minutes ay padabog na isinara ko ang laptop ko. Napamasahe ako sa ulo ko at sinulyapan si V na mahimbing na nakahiga sa kama. A phone vibrated on the table and it wasn't mine. Nasa bulsa ko lamang ang phone ko kaya malamang ay sa kanya iyon.

Tumayo ako at inabot ang cellphone. It contains a message from a restricted number- one who contacts us when we have a mission. The message says that V should open her e-mail and it's urgent. Nang sulyapan ko si V ay muli siyang may sinabi habang tulog ngunit ilang sandali lamang ay mahinang humihilik na naman siya.

I tossed the phone near her foot at muling naupo. I tried closing my eyes but my mind seem to think about a lot of things. Sa huli ay muli kong inabot ang cellphone ni V at binuksan ang kanyang e-mail. I know she will freak out if she'll know I touched her things but that's least of my concerns now- or even later. I am Ryu Vander-Morisson and I do not fear her.

Gaya ng inaasahan ko ay galing sa nakatataas ang mensahe. It says to copy files in a congressman's laptop and post it publicly. Layon ng nakatataas na ilabas ang baho ng opisyal and V is the perfect man for the job. Personal data files are beyond my capabilities as a hacker or if I can, I need direct access to his personal laptop.

A thought then emerged in my mind. For the past year, I hid beyond the keyboard while others do the job. I suddenly become curious of how does it feels to be in action? How does it feels to do the job?

An idea creeped into my mind. Few moments later, I found myself forwarding the message into my e-mail at pagkatapos ay binura iyon. I guess a little action in my life wouldn't be bad.

********

Nagising ako nang bigla akong nakaramdam ng sakit sa panga. It was so painful that it felt like someone kicked me there. Nang buksan ko ang mga mata ko ay nakamulat si V sa harap ko. She doesn't look particularly happy- oh, I think I know why.

Inabot ko ang T-shirt ko na nasa gilid ng kama at sinuot iyon. Wala siyang sinasabi but I can see that she demands an explanation.

"I usually sleep naked," wika ko at kinusot ang mga mata. Mabuti na lang at hindi siya nag-oover react like most girls would if they wake up beside a shirtless guy.

She cringed and burped. Napangiwi siya, she probably hated how her burp tasted like.

"Alam mo ba kung ano'ng ginawa mo?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Inilagtas ko tayong dalawa," she confidently said. I made a face. Iniligtas? By drinking much?

"Nah."

Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin bago siya napahawak sa ulo niya. She pressed her eyes and endure the pain as I imagined. Napahawak ako sa panga ko.

"Did you kick me on the jaw?"

"Kaya kong gawin kahit saan pa kita sipain," sagot niya, sounded so upset.

I swallowed hard and stared at my watch. It's past 10 in the morning pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa namin napupuntahan ang pakay namin. And we really have to.

"Fix yourself, aalis na tayo," wika ko sa kanya habang inaayos ang laptop sa bag ko.

"Aalis saan?"

"We're going to see your sister, right?"

She didn't answer. Naghintay ako ng ilang minuto bago ako lumingon sa kanya. Nakaupo pa rin siya at nakatutop sa bibig. She took a deep sigh bago siya tumayo at nagtungo sa banyo.

Ilang saglit lamang ay muli na kaming lulan ng sasakyan. We're heading to where V came from. Gusto ko sanang itanong sa kanya kung bakit siya umalis sa poder nila but I hesitated. I don't think V's the kind who answer personal questions at isa pa ay hindi kami close.

Siya ang nagbigay ng direksyon kung saan kami patungo. Halos isang oras din ang tinakbo ng byahe namin nang marating namin ang lugar. Itinigil ko ang kotse at bago pa man ako makababa ay may inihagis si V sa akin. Napatingin ako sa bagay na inihagis niya, it was a black mask na tumatabing sa kalahati ng mukha ko.

Napatingin ako sa kanya habang sinusuot niya rin ang isang prosthetic mask. It's broad daytime at tiyak makikilala kami.

"Wag kang mag-alala dahil malinis 'yan," she said when she noticed my hesitation. Tss! Hindi naman ako nag-iisip kung malinis ba o hindi. Sa huli ay sinuot ko pa rin iyon at bumaba ng sasakyan.

We walked towards an area beside a subdivision. Maliliit ang mga bahay roon at kadalasang gawa sa kahoy. Mayroon din namang malalaking bahay ngunit gawa pa rin sa kahoy at yero. Sinundan ko lang si V hanggang sa huminto siya sa tapat ng isang katamtaman ang laking bahay. She hid when the door opened at hinila niya ako upang magkubli rin.

Lumabas mula sa bahay ang isang babae. May inilabas itong mga basura at nang tumalikod ito ay napansin ko ang tila malaking tattoo sa kanyang likuran! Nakasuot siya ng lowback na damit kung kaya't napansin namin ang nasa likuran niya!

"Siya si Gia," wika ni V.

"Do you know anything about the tattoo on her back?"

She sighed. "Nasa likod na niya iyon mula pa noong mga bata pa kami. Hindi ko iyon pinagtutuonan ng pansin dati at nang lumaki kami ay hindi na kami nagkasundo ni Gia."

"Wala ka bang maalala kung tungkol saan ang tattoo na iyon?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Pero sa pagkakatanda ko, tila isang maze ang tattoo na iyon."

"It could be a map or what," bulong ko sa sarili ko bago muling napatingin kay V. "What's your plan?"

"Kakausapin siya."

Nagsimula siyang lumakad patungo sa bahay kaya sumunod ako sa kanya. She open the door at pumasok kami sa loob. Nakailang hakbang lang kami nang bigla na lamang siyang sinalakay ni Gia na may hawak na baseball bat. Mabuti na lamang at nakailag si V, she rolled on the floor samantalang napatakbo naman ako sa kabilang gilid.

Gia lunged near V, still holding the bat. Tinangka niyang hampasin ulit si V kung kaya't napasugod ako at pinigilan siya. That's when she started screaming.

"Magnanakaw! Magnanakaw!"

Upang pigilan siya sa pagkuha ng atensyon ng mga kapitbahay ay tinakpan ko ng kamay ko ang bibig niya. She continued screaming at pinakalma naman siya ni V sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggal sa suot na maskara.

"Huminahon ka Gia. Ako 'to!"

Bahagyang napatigil si Gia nang makita si V kung kaya't binitawan ko na siya. Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa akin at kay V.

"Tori? Anong ginagawa mo rito?" She hugged her tightly at bahagya akong nakakita ng pagkagulat sa mukha ni V nang niyakap siya ni Gia. What? Hindi ba siya sanay na niyayakap siya nito?

"Tori..." Gia sounded weeping. "Hinanap kita, hindi man lamang ako nakahingi ng tawad sa nangyari bago ka umalis." Oh, she IS weeping.

Saka lamang dahan-dahang iniangat ni V ang kanyang mga kamay at gumanti ng yakap. "Pasensya na."

Gia pulled herself. "Hindi mo alam kung gaano kita na-miss lalo na nang mag-isa na lamang ako. I'm really sorry, Tori."

V's forehead creased. "Mag-isa? Nasaan sina Mama at Papa?"

"They left to go somewhere. Alam mong lilipat-lipat tayo, hindi ba?" Gia's eyes shifted on me. "May kasama ka pala."

V held her hand. "Siya si-" She looked at me as if he's asking for permission if she could tell my name.

"Ryu, my name is Ryu," sabat ko. I received the deadliest glare from V but I just ignored it. Hindi na ako nag-abala pang tanggalin ang suot kong mask.

"Gia, may kailangan kami sa 'yo."

Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa amin. She was vigilant to whatever we're about to do. Muli siyang hinawakan ni V.

"Ang tattoo sa likod mo..."

Napakunot ang noo ni Gia at tila ba handa siya kung ano man ang masamang gagawin namin sa kanya, kung meron man.

"What?" nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa aming dalawa. Napatingin ako kay Victoria, siya na ang bahalang magpaliwanag kay Gia.

"Sumama ka na lang sa amin," V said.

Napatingin si V sa akin. Sa katunayan ay wala pa naman talagang kasiguraduhan pero malaki ang posibilidad. We cannot lose Gia. Kung sakaling siya man talaga ang hinahanap namin, mas mabuting nasa poder na lamang siya ng Lupin.

In the end ay napapayag namin siyang sumama. It was a hard convincing moment at halos maubusan na ako ng pasensya. Kulang na lamang ay sakalin ko ang babaeng ito at ikarga sa sasakyan.

I slipped into my black clothes and silently open my car's door. Inayos ko ang suot na ball cap bago huminga ng malalim at pinaandar ang sasakyan. The night is wonderful but my chest is heavy. Inaamin kong kinakabahan ako. Kanina habang hinahatid ko si V at Gia pabalik sa apartment ay nagtatalo ang kalooban ko kung itutuloy ko ba ang balak ko. I was just one word away from telling V the duty that was supposed to be for her.

Doubts swallowed me and later on, I was puked out whole. Nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob. I want to impress them by showing them that I am not just a computer genius. I can be more than that. I totally admit it. I am a show-off and this is just the start of my show. 

Nang matiyak kong magiging maayos si V sa apartment kasama si Gia ay umalis na ako. Surely, she'll spend time with her sister (or maybe not since they don't look alike) and she has no way of knowing that I took over her project.

Few kilometers drive, and I found myself outside my target building. Binilang ko ang palapag at saktong ang pakay kong ikapitong palapag ay nakapatay ang ilaw. Based on my research, the room on the seventh floor is the home office of my target. 

Few clicks on my laptop, I was able to tap on the building's security system. I disabled the cameras and alarms on the area. Nang masigurong maayos na ang lahat, isinukbit ko ang baril sa tagiliran ko. I checked both sides if there is anyone around and luckily the place seem abandoned. 

Tinahak ko ang likurang bahagi ng building at siniguradong hindi napansin ng inaantok na gwardiya ang pagpasok ko. I took the lift and pressed 7th floor. My tummy started to crumble. I think I was about to puke due to nervousness. 

Mahinang sinuntok ko ang sikmura ko at kahit papaano ay naging maayos ang pakiramdam ko. The elevator made a sound and the door opened. The area was clear. Sinuot ko ang dala kong itim na face mask that covered half my face. My hand slipped on the zipper at the back of the mask to make sure it was secured. 

I curled my knuckles and deal with the eerie feeling. Isinuot ko rin sa mga kamay ko ang dala kong itim na mga gwantes. Nang masigurado kong ligtas ang paligid ay binuksan ko ang pinto kung saan nakasulat ang pangalan ng congressman. The room was dim so I adjusted my sight and reached for the handy flashlight on my pocket. Ibinaba ko muna ang mga blinds bago binuksan ang flashlight. Sa pagkakataong ito ay nakita ko na ang kabuoan ng opisina. 

My eyes flickered when my sight caught the laptop on the side. I leaped through the table and pressed a button on the laptop. The little thing asked me to type the password. 

"Piece of cake," I whispered to myself and smirked. I typed something and few moments later, icons on the laptop displayed. I jammed the flashdrive that I brought and transferred all the files from the laptop. 

Geez, this is really no sweat at all. I tapped my fingers on the table habang hinihintay na mag-notify na tapos na. The notification bar shows that only thirty seconds remaining before all the files are completely transferred. 

Nakaramdam ako ng kakaiba, at nang napalingon ako sa likod ay sinalubong ako ng isang babasaging jar. Good thing my reflexes moved fast, I was able to dodge at sa halip na tumama sa mukha ko ang jar, nabasag iyon sa balikat ko. I mumbled a cuss and stood up. 

The intruder attacked me with a swift movement of his hand. Mas napamura ako ng tumama iyon sa gitna ng dalawang mata ko. He was about to give me another blow but I was fast enough to prevent him to do so. 

I twisted his arm and caught his body, choking him from behind. It was indeed no sweat— when you didn't consider this. An intruder. 

He began to lose air at bago pa man siya tuluyang mangapos ng hininga ay sinipa niya ang binti ko. I felt his hard shoes on my shins kung kaya't nabitawan ko siya. Nang lingunin ko ang laptop ay kompleto na ang paglipat ko sa mga files.

From the dark, I saw the intruder stared at the laptop, too! As if on cue, sabay kaming napatalon at nag-unahan sa pagkuha sa flashdrive. My hand took grip on the thing first ngunit paulit-ulit niyang pinagsisiko ang kamay ko hanggang sa mabitawan ko iyon. The flashdrive flew on the floor, near the door, away from both of us. 

Sa inis ko ay hinila ko ang intruder, he was so light that I was able to lift him and threw him on the floor. He toppled on the floor, making a thud. Tumalon ako sa mesa at sumunod sa kanya. My left hand choked him to death while the other reached for my gun tucked on my side. 

He began coughing kaya mas hinigpitan ko pa ang pagsakal sa kanya. His head was at gunpoint as I was above him when I noticed something. 

Masyado siyang magaan bilang lalaki and he seems too small for a guy's built. Binitawan ko ang leeg niya at nagsimula siyang maghabol ng hangin. Mula sa ilaw na nanggagaling sa labas na bahagyang nagsilbing liwanag sa silid, I pulled the guy's head and it comes off. 

"V?!"

"S-sino ka?" she said in between her gasping for air. I lowered my mask and shock filled her face. 

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?" naiinis na tanong niya. She moved her leg and that's when I realized I was sitting on top of her. Agad akong tumayo at tinulungan siyang maupo. 

While we're still in awe for our sudden meeting, the door opened and a man in black stepped inside stealthily and picked the flashdrive on the floor. Nang makaalis ang lalaki ay tila saka lamang kami nahimasmasan ni V, and it was too late to realize the situation.

I neither expected V to be here nor a second intruder who successfully escaped with the flashdrive in his hand. Now that is what we called no sweat at all.

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