"Care to explain what we're doing here, again?" I couldn't suppress the frown on my face as we stood behind the one-way mirror watching the recruits do their drills.

"We're scouting for your team," Rika gave her exhausted reply. Bilib din ako sa tiyaga niya. Sa lahat ng naging partner ko, siya ang may pinakamahabang pisi at parating nasa likod ko even if she thinks that what I do is foolish or dangerous... or most of the time, both.

"Why do I even need a team?" I caught her rolling her eyes at the corner of my eye. "Okay, let me rephrase that: What makes you think I want a team?"

"Because you are going to open a new branch in Southeast Asia and you are gonna be the head of it."

"Then, why not just you and me?" I nonchalantly asked and I saw her throw me a quick glance before she swallowed hard. I swear I could see her blushing.

Damn. Don't fall for me Sanada. Of all the people here, I consider you a friend.

"You need people who'd work in the lab, communication systems, field... I know you can do all those things but not by yourself. Don't argue, Ali. The board gave their orders already."

"Well, I'll be damned." I turned my eyes back to the recruits doing their round-robin exams. Five levels ang test: physical, combat, psychological, mental, at personality. Maraming bumabagsak at nawawalan ng pangarap sa unang level pa lang. Hindi lang basta brains at brawn ang kailangan, dapat may adapatability at mataas na learning curve; yung kayang mag-isip habang may naka-strap na C4 bomb at nakikipaglaban with one hand.

At higit sa lahat, may loyalty.

That's one of the things na fundamental sa pagiging agent. You can teach a dog many tricks, but loyalty must be an innate thing. Napaka-peligroso ng buhay ng isang agent at isang pagkakamali nila sa pagpili kung sino ang pagkakatiwalaan ay maaring makapagpabagsak ng buong network ng Intelligence. The most important thing that makes this system work is secrecy. A lot of the things I've learned are those I'm sworn to keep to my grave.

My eyes caught an unlikely pair across the room. They have a pair of HK416 assault rifles in front of them at sa utos ng instructor ay nagsimula silang baklasin ang bawat parte nito. Both girls held no expressions as they methodically separated each piece in complete synchronicity in 14 seconds. Isa-isa rin nilang ni-recite ang mga parte nito habang binubuo. The red-head on the left faltered on the last part and closed her eyes before she got the correct answer. Hmmm... interesting.

The next part of their test was a clincher. They got all the moving targets in less than a minute na halos bored pa sila nang matapos.

"I think I want those two," I whispered to Rika. Napatingin siya kung sino ang itinuro ko bago chi-neck ang files na hawak niya.

"Riyelle and Rejean Stein." She nodded. "Aced the ballistics exam, not bad on the mental and physical test, however..." I raised a brow at her. "History of alcoholism, anti-social behaviour, and depression."

"Both of them?"

"The blonde one, Riyelle. Rejean is a little more withdrawn, plus she doesn't drink."

"Rough childhood?"

"Orphaned. Their brother Blue was taking care of them until he was murdered in a gang war. Got sent to foster homes for the majority of their life. At 13, Riyelle was a gun runner and a drug dealer. There are reports of domestic abuse from two of their former foster parents." I took all this information in. Broken and battered, eh?

"How did they get here?"

"Pulled them out of the system. They have... special talents." Sanada's lips curved into a sardonic smile. "It was either they join or they spend the rest of their lives in jail. I think they took the better choice."

"Did they?"

"Are you going to take both if they pass the battery?" Sanada made a note on her file.

"I'm thinking... the red one."

***

I watched as the two 'recommended' agents squirmed in front of me. The one on the right, Icen, adjusted her glasses for the nth time. Trixie on the other hand looked at her shoes like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Aga-aga pinag-iinit ang ulo ko.

"Exactly, what was it that you two were supposed to do?" I didn't let my anger show in my voice as I steepled my fingers in front of me.

"Ah... um..." Icen licked her lips and adjusted her glasses once more... a nervous habit more than a real necessity. Her cheeks reddened and she gulped a huge amount of air. I raised my brow at her and she lost whatever color she had.

"Only idiots stutter. Are you an idiot?" Nakita kong tumalim 'yong tingin ni Trixie sa boots niya. Wala akong panahong i-baby ang mga recruits. Kung ngayon pa lang palpak na sila, wala silang pag-asang makapasok sa team ko.

Ganyan nga, magalit ka. Prove to me you're worth it.

"No sir," she replied breathlessly. "Agent Komova left the communicator open and one of the guards found it." Simpleng simulation lang naman ang pinagawa ko and these two made a mess of their 'mission'.

"The first thing you need to learn Clauson, is that you must always have a back-up plan." I slammed my hands down on the table at pareho silang napatalon. Maski si Panther ay nagising at tumalon pababa ng table para magtago sa ilalim nito. "You are a communications expert according to your files, both of your parents are proud members of this organization and you came highly recommended. You speak 47 different languages and managed to ace the written exam... don't tell me that is all a fluke."

"No, sir." Mukhang maiiyak na siya. I think I touched a nerve. Iyaking agent? Hindi ko alam kung posibleng ginamit lang niya ang connections ng pamilya niya para makapasa dito sa agency.

"And you Luna," I turned to the other agent who never can seem to meet my eyes kapag kinakausap. Ito namang isang ito, malimit mawala sa concentration sa presence ko. How the hell is she gonna work for me if she can't stand being in the same room? "Tell me again how you got recruited? From witness protection to being an asset? Your scores in your written exams are not bad, but your physical exams suck ass. Hindi ko kailangan ng agent na magiging liability sa battlefield." Mas tumungo si Trixie.

"Hey!" Napatalon ulit silang dalawa sa gulat. "Go! Get out of my sight!" Bulyaw ko sa kanilang dalawa. I can't believe Sanada picked them out. Fuck, I don't need pencil pushers. Agents ang kailangan ko, agents! Nagmamadaling sumaludo bago lumabas si Icen at Trixie.

Napaupo ako sa swivel chair at pilit kinalma ang sarili. I have less than a month before I go into my next mission and I still don't have a team. I spied the shortlist Sanada left for me. The list is getting shorter by the second tho'. Fuck.

So far I have Stein, Oribe, Pascual, and Lawrence... surprisingly puro babae. I don't know why the department seems to throw the 'girls' at me. Nahihiwagaan yata kung anong gender orientation ko since hindi ako nakikipag-date in the last three years that I'd been part of the agency. Well fuck, wala akong panahon.

The door opened and Rika barged in with a scowl on her face.

"Jaguar!" Mukhang nanggagalaiti na naman ang second-in-command ko. I raised a brow at her.

"What the hell? I gave you the best communications expert and mechanic from the pool, what the hell?" Halatang asar si Rika. Well fuck, ako din naaasar. I didn't ask for a team pero sila itong mapilit.

"I don't need liabilities in the field, you should know at least that Rika."

"Give them another chance."

"The battlefield rarely allows second chances."

"Everybody deserves second chances Ali."

"You can't have a second chance when someone decides to use your body for target practice."

I saw Rika throw her hands up in the air. Huminga siya ng malalim habang mataman na nag-iisip. I pulled my cat from beneath the table and started to stroke his head to calm down.

"Six is enough. I have four field agents and two on the lab," I told her.

"You need someone to handle the communications and maintain the system."

"I'll outsource one when I really need it."

Nag-ring ang phone ni Rika at sinagot niya ito. I got ready to go to the gym. Mabuti pang ilabas ko yung frustrations ko with something productive. Panther followed me to the door.

"No, shit... hontou ni?" I stopped and listened. I saw a grim smile form on Sanada's lips. "Hm, mochiron." I narrowed my eyes at her. She looked directly at me. "I'll tell him."

'What?' I mouthed to her. She ended the call and gave me a triumphant grin.

"I'm on Hernandez' trail."

***

Hindi mapalis-palis ang ngiti ni Rika. According to her, finally ma-fi-field-test ko ang bagong team. I don't share her enthusiasm though... hindi bagay ang green horns para sa kalibre ni Hernandez. I'm just being realistic. That guy is a poison bomb waiting to explode.

"Sanada," I whispered to her sharply when I saw Clauson and Luna board the helicopter. She smirked at me and pinched my cheek.

"Second chances, okay?" She reminded me. Nagtiim-bagang ako at sinamaan ng tingin and dalawa. They swallowed harshly and busied strapping themselves in.

Tangina, hindi pa ako pumalpak sa buhay ko. Let this not be the first time.

Tahimik ang lahat na nakinig sa briefing ni Sanada. Iniligid ko ang aking mga mata sa agents na napili ko.

Jem Pascual looked cool and collected habang hawak yung 'babies' niya. Hindi mo aakalain na sniper kung magkakasalubong kayo on a normal day dahil siya na yata ang pinaka-girly na agent na nakilala ko. Pero her sweetness can be deceiving. Her only weakness seems to be her penchant for sweets and flirting. The men in her class can't help but drool.

Her complete opposite is Edge Lawrence who seems to blend well into the background. She can infiltrate any building and escape through any maze better than Houdini. And the best thing about her: she knows how to keep her mouth shut even in the face of torture. The word 'unfazed' best suits her.

Across her is Rejean Stein, aptly nicknamed 'Red'. I smiled softly when I remembered why I christened her with that name. She is perhaps the most dangerous member of my crew because she is a cold and heartless killer. A sociopath according to the psych reports, but I like her work attitude and the way she refuses to grow attached to anything or anyone. In this line of work, mahirap ang maraming baggage.

Svetlana Komova is not officially a member of the team but she insisted (and most likely paid sexual favors) to join us in tonight's mission. Lana's a pretty decent agent. She can wear a disguise like any prime character actress and still kick ass, but she can be a bit ditzy and careless when she's drunk, or horny, or both.

And the other two whom I didn't approve: Icenearth Clauson, (I wonder how her parents decided on her name) and Trixie Luna. The former looked subdued while the latter can't seem to stop fidgeting while taking down notes.

Seriously, sinong makakabasa ng notes kapag naka-deploy na? Napapa-facepalm ako.

"Team A will use the entrance at the north wing of the hotel." Each agent must learn how to memorize all the details of the mission para kung may mahuli man ay walang device or evidence na maaaring mag-compromise sa agency. I looked pointedly at Trixie at dahan-dahan niya ibinaba ang isinusulat na notes. "That's Komova, Lawrence and Luna. You will make sure the area is secure. XH32 has two teams guarding the perimeter. Smoke bombs are not allowed. I'm joining your team." Napangiwi si Lana.

"Team B will be Jaguar, Pascual, and Stein. Oribe will be on standby at HQ. Team B will come from above and cut off the West exit."

"How about me?" Nakataas ang kamay ni Clauson na parang nagre-recite sa klase.

"You will stay here. Relay what is happening to HQ and make sure that you keep it open in case we need a quick escape. Here." Iniabot ni Rika ang isang pirasong papel sa kaniya. "Destroy it after you memorize it. That's your protocol number. The whole system of the agency is at your disposal." Namutla lalo ang maputlang balat ni Clauson.

"This is your first mission," all eyes went to me as I continued to speak, "and for some, their last chance to prove their worth. I expect results team."

"Yes, sir!" Sabay-sabay silang sumaludo.

Now time to prove if our choices are right.

It's time for the Jaguar to hunt.

***

"Jaguar, four guards on the North entrance. Should we proceed?" Sanada gave a signal and their team broke into two.

"Affirmative." So far things are going as planned. I watched the live feed from the Bird's cameras. "Clauson, what do you see?"

"Quiet as a grave."

I saw Pascual take her position behind the low wall of the exit. Komova and Sanada made their way in a wide arc from both sides.

My instincts are screaming at me.

"Sanada, wait." All the agents stopped moving. "Circle to the right. There is an employee's entrance." Komova peeled away on my instructions. She peeked on the glass panel on the door.

Twin shots fired and she had a split-second to duck and roll away before the door burst open from a grenade blast. Pieces of shrapnel sailed through the air from the ruined doorway. Eight armed men burst out and rained fire on my agents.

"Get out of there." Fuck. "Clauson alert the hotel for immediate evac."

Pascual immediately took down three of the four guards on the main exit. Lawrence and Sanada saw an opening and returned fire on the team that came out of the employee's entrance. Komova slipped inside the ruined doorway after bringing down two more of the guards.

"Luna, follow Komova! Move your ass!" I saw a red dot follow the path of Trixie's back as she tried to squeeze herself behind a palm tree. Damn it.

Suddenly, a series of shots came from the Bird as Clauson fired the anti-aircraft gun mounted on it on Hernandez' men.

"Fuck it Clauson, you just gave the Bird away!"

"Jaguar I have a plan!"

"Stein exchange with Pascual. Jem, take out that sniper."

"Copy Jaguar."

Suddenly twin SUVs burst out of the exits and Pascual had no choice but to fire to try and stop them. I took at a dead-run and fired at the front tires. Stein jumped in front of the hood of the other vehicle and fired point blank on its windshield. I could hear her cursing as she blasted round after round on the bulletproof glass.

"Red, get out of there!" I warned her. She didn't think twice before she jumped off to the side. After a few seconds the car exploded.

"Jaguar stay back!" Clauson gave the warning before she took the other SUV with the Bird's guns. Fuck, both were dummies. I heard propellers in the distance and saw the enemy helicopter emerge from the rooftop of the hotel.

"Jaguar, we've cleared the area. He's not here." Komova said.

"Lana, we haven't seen the right wing yet!" Narinig kong protesta ni Trixie bago naputol ang linya.

"Jaguar we have to evacuate everyone. Lawrence caught one of Hernandez' men. There's a bomb in the hotel!" Sanada's voice is frantic.
"All hotel guests and employees have evacuated. Luna, Komova get out of there." Isang pagsabog ang yumanig sa lupa. The windows of the whole third and fourth floor burst outwards, cutting off escape sa dalawang agents na nasa loob.

"Trix, get to the rooftop!" Sigaw ni Clauson.

"Clauson!" I saw the Bird careen dangerously close to the edge of the rooftop. Patuloy ang mas maliliit na pagsabog at makapal ang usok na bumabalot sa natutupok na hotel.

"It's gonna cave in Icen," bakas ang takot sa boses ni Trixie. "Agent Komova's been hit. We're coming out of the fire exit on the 8th floor."

I ran to see Trixie standing on the balcony of a fire exit. Makapal na usok ang lumalabas dito. Walang-malay si Lana na inaalalayan niya.

"Take the rope from the bird and tie Komova with it. Let Clauson pull her up." Mabilis niya akong sinunod. The flames are intensifying. Isang dosenang firetrucks na ang nakikita kong dumating.

"It's about to blow!" Sanada warned.

"Jump Luna!" Sigaw ni Icen. Hindi na nag-hesitate ang agent habang ibinaba ng piloto ang helicopter para maabot niya. The propeller blades hit a bit of wall pero mabilis ding nakaurong.

"Jaguar, we don't need Hernandez. I have access to his laptop." Trixie said triumphantly as she scrambled inside the aircraft.

"All agents fall back." I sighed in relief, "good job, Luna."

A/N:

Hontou ni? - Really

Mochiron - Of course

Na-miss niyo ba ang action? Ako, oo!