Casablanca Port, Morocco
"Go at the left side of the warehouse, then you'll see upstairs. There's no one's guarding the area. Be careful; there's a CCTV."
Sinunod ko ang sinabi ni Wayne. Nagpunta ako sa kaliwa at sa hindi kalayuan ay naroroon ang hagdan. Ngunit agad akong napatago dahil biglang may tatlong tao ang nasa hagdan at nakaupo.
"D*mn! I thought there's no one here?" I shouted through the earpiece. I overheard him giggling.
"Oopps, sorry. My bad," he teased, "Alam kong kaya mo na 'yan." Dagdag pa niya.
I huffed and rolled my eyes. Anong tingin niya sa akin hindi nasasaktan? Robot? "Why did I agree to you in the first place? Wayne Martin, if someone saw my face, I'm going to smash you up."
Sumilip ako sa may pader kung saan ako nagtatago. I couldn't understand what they were saying since I couldn't hear them. But I assume they were discussing the drugs. We're on the lookout for a shady deal between two dealers. It was our duty to figure out who was behind the newly developed GEMS drugs. Plus, there is no information regarding those meds that we can find. I remember it being in a liquid form and being green in hue. We also need to know everything there is to know about it.
Then I noticed another person who had just gone down, holding a bottle of beer. What am I supposed to do about these thugs? Hindi naman pupuwedeng umaksyon agad ako dahil malalaman agad ng mga tao sa loob na may nakapasok dito sa lugar nila at ang mas malala pa baka makatakas sila dala-dala ang mga droga.
Kung hindi lang nagkaroon ng injury itong lalaking 'to, hindi ko naman ito gagawin. I was supposed to be in front of the computer and the one who guided them. Para yatang sinasadya na ako ang papuntahin sa operation na ito. Asar!
"As if namang kaya mong gawin. Sige nga, Exis!" singit naman ni Britney sa usapan.
Once again, I rolled my eyes. Isa pa itong babaeng 'to! Ang galing-galing magpakonsensya. Siya kaya ang hampasin k at ihampas ko sa kanya itong maskara ko. Kung hindi ko lang ito kaibigan matagal na siyang patay. Psh!
"Oh, shut up, Itzel. Don't need your f*cking opinion," I said, annoyed. Narinig ko ang mapang-asar niyang tawa.
"Wayne, oh, jowain mo na nga itong babaeng 'to. Palaging may dalaw."
"Sure, why not! Pagbalik natin sa New York, liligawan ko agad siya. Hahaha!"
Sumasakit ang ulo ko sa dalawang to. Gusto ko nang matapos ito nang sa gayon ay makauwi na ako't makapagpahinga. Halos sunod-sunod ang mga mission na binigay sa amin at halos wala na kaming pahinga. Ang palaging nakikipagtransaksyon ay ang mga alipores nito. Pero 'di bale, last naman na ito at pagkatapos ay bibigyan kami ng long vacation.
We are in Morocco after we went in Paris. Up until now, we still don't have led of the person behind this. Sa sobrang galing magtago ang palagi naming nasasagupaan ay ang mga alipores nito mula sa iba't-ibang bansa. Nakakapagod makipaglaro lalo na kung hindi nagpapakita ang kalaban. We're attempting to learn more about their leader, but they won't even say anything at all because their lips are sealed shut.
"Status?" tanong ni Summer, our Captain, through earpiece.
"They are exchanging already—Ouch, let go of me!"
Biglang kumabog ang puso ko nang narinig ko ang sigaw ni Britney. I think nahuli siya.
"Itzel, what happened?" Kahit si Captain ay nag-aalala na rin sa kanya. Hinawakan ko ng maigi ang earpiece. Minutes had passed since we heard her voice. Mas lalo lang tumitindi ang kabang nararamdaman ko.
Paano kapag may nangyari sa kanya? Paano kapag nahuli siya? I immediately shook my head to erase those thoughts. That won't happen.
"Sh*t, sumagot ka, Britney!" I almost yelled. Papasukin ko na sana ang lugar para lang makasiguradong ayos lang siya nang bigla itong nagsalita.
"Sheez! I'm okay, okay? Stop calling me that name. Nasa misyon tayo, remember?" rinig na rinig ko ang mga mabibigat niyang hininga na mukhang galing lang sa pakikipaglaban. Nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag nang nagsalita ito. I thought something terrible had happened to her.
We make our names in this field so that no one knows who we are. In addition, we needed to protect ourselves from enemies who were attempting to assassinate us. Sa sobrang dami na namin naging misyon, marami na ang galit sa amin at pinaghahanap na kami. As for my codename, it was Exis. I get that from my first name, which is Alexis. It sounds corny, but I kind of like it though.
In this team, I play the role of a hacker. To be precise, a well-known hacker. When Wayne is in the field, I'm the shadow and vice versa.
"Make it fast. They already knew that we were here," pagkabanggit niyang 'yon ay napatingin ako sa may hagdan. Ngunit naramdaman ko na lang ang pagbagsak ko sa malamig na semento.
When I tasted blood from it, I touched my lips. I locked my gaze on the man. He has no right to punch me like that! I was about to attack him when I saw his expression change. And too late to realize that my mask was gone. And this guy already saw my face.
"Fvck, your mask!"
I heard Wayne's curse. I cursed at my mind too.Labis ang taranta ko dahil wala na ito sa mukha ko. Nang matauhan ang lalaki at magsasalita sana sa walkie talkie nito nang agad kong binaril. Nagngitngit ang mga ngipin ko dahil sa nangyari.
Another three persons came to me. Minadali kong pulutin ang maskara saka muling dinikit sa aking mukha kasabay no'n ang pagkalabit ko ng gatilyo. I targeted their hearts with my bullets. After killing them, I searched around to see whether anybody else had seen me. Good thing, wala naman na kaya agad akong nagtungo sa may hagdan.
How could I go so long without noticing that my mask was missing? I was careful with everything so that no one could see my face, but he saw everything. If I hadn't killed them, they're going to spread it. I'm concerned about my image not because I'm appealing, but because I have several opponents that want me dead.
Being dead is the result of seeing my face. No one should know who I am. My parents are constantly reminding me of it. My team, at the same time, my friends, and the boss are all aware of my real identity. They can easily track me down now that my face is exposed.
"Status?" Umakto ako na parang walang nangyari. Pumasok ako sa loob to check if there were still people, but unfortunately, they were gone.
I sighed. Isang pagkakamali, malaking damaged na ang nagawa. 'Yung hindi dapat mangyari ay nangyari.
"We're chasing them. They're cheetah!" Summer groaned as her breath became heavy.
Gustuhin ko mang ngumiti sa joke niya ay hindi ko magawa. Nag-aalala pa rin ako dahil may nakakita sa mukha ko. I was too careless. I wasn't being serious.
"Are you okay, Exis?" Wayne asked.
Tumango ako saka nagthumbs-up sa may CCTV dito sa pinagtransaksyunan ng mga dealer. "I'm going to check the place first, baka may makitang ebidensya na puwede nating makalap," I stated as I search around.
Wala gaanong makita rito. Puro kalat lang katulad ng mga bote at basag na bote, mga tuyong dahon na nagsisiliparan sa loob, mga huni ng ibon dahil ang lugar na ito ay inabandona na. Plus, that fact that it is away from crowded places. A perfect place where to have transaction.
Nang wala akong makita ay aalis na ako para sundan sina Captain at Itzel. But I came to a halt when I observed something gleaming through the moonlight's radiance. Kinuha ko 'yon saka tiningnan.
"I think they dropped this.” Pinakita ko ang maliit na bote sa CCTV. Pagkatapos ay agad kong tinago sa pocket ng jacket ko. “Do you think our laboratory can experiment with this kind of drug?” tanong ko pa.
“That’s newly formed drugs, so I think that out of their capabilities,” he answered, “But I think they can.”
"Afterwards, we'll submit this drug to them to see what it will do to the human body."
“Yeah. I already informing them about that GEMS. They’re ready to examine it when return back to the headquarters.”
Maigi ko pang tiningnan ang bawat sulok ng lugar at hindi pinaglagpas kahit ang mga dumi. Nagbabakasakali ako na may makita pa na ebidensya kahit papel o cell phone man lang nila. Pero nang makasigurado ako na wala na akong makita ay bumaba na agada ko. The lifeless bodies were sprawled all through the floor. I double-checked that all the evidence that could be used against me was destroyed.
“I’m leaving this place. Where are you, Cap?” Kaswal lang akong naglalakad palabas ng abandonadong building.
“In the car, waiting for you. We already called the police, and for sure, they won’t be able to get out of the jail anymore even someone helped them. What did you find?” she questioned.
“Drug,” maikling usal ko.
Habang naglalakad ay hindi ko maiwasang mapatingin sa likuran ko. Someone seemed to be observing me. As if somebody else saw my face. Pero wala namang ibang tao ang naroroon sa pinagyarihan. Perhaps it's just me, but my gut is telling me that's not the case.
Once again, I wandered my eyes around the area. There were several CCTVs there that were still operational. I glared at the CCTV as I went to the Van. They were playing cards and having a good time as if we hadn't just finished a mission. Tinatanong din nila ako ng iba pang mga bagay pero wala roon ang atensyon ko.
“Wayne, delete all the CCTV footages where it saw me,” I ordered. Agad naman niyang ginawa ang utos ko. I was watching him delete all the footage. He gave me a thumbs-up when he deleted everything. But still, hindi pa rin ako mapakali.
If anybody sees me, whomever they are, I'll make sure they never see the world again.
I'll be hunting them no matter what.
We got back safely in New York. Pagkarating namin ay agad kaming nagpunta sa La Corde kung saan kami nagtatrabaho bilang mga agents. Naibigay na rin namin ang GEMS sa mga scientist at pinag-aaralan na ito nang iniwan namin sa kanila. La Corde is a legal but secret organization that assists the National Bureau of Investigation, the CIA, and the FBI from several countries. We've been taught to capture anyone who makes a mistake, breaks the law, or does anything else. Because our agency employs the best agents, some individuals are curious about the organization. At gusto rin nilang magtrabaho ang mga agents sa kanila. "Where's Dad?" tanong ni Summer na kakarating lang sa office. His dad, Tito Sebastian, is the owner of the La Corde and Summer is his youngest daughter, and the heir of this organization. He's the one giving us the mission. "Kinausap pa siya ng mga scientist. Pabalik na rin siguro," sagot ni Wayne habang n
Sinubukan kong habulin ang babae pero nawala siya sa gitna ng maraming tao. Hinanap ko siya sa paligid ngunit hindi ko na siya nakita pa. I screwed up my hair out of irritation. Wala na akong pakialam kung pinagtitinginan na ako ng mga tao at kung anong iniisip nila. Damn it! Ang tanga-tanga mo, Alexis! Nasa harapan mo na ang taong nakakita sa ‘yo ‘tapos hindi mo pa napansin?! This is frustrating! What if that woman had spoken? My life will no longer be the same. Lahat ng mga nakapaligid sa ‘kin ay madadamay. Nang dahil sa isang pagkakamali, magbabago ang buhay ko. Goddamn it! Sa inis ay umuwi na lang ako. To calm my irritation, I took a half bath before turning on my computer and started to hack the CCTVs. Una kong hinanap ang lugar kung saan niya ako sinadyang banggain pagkatapos no’n sa mga lugar kung saan ko siya sinimulang habulin. Kahit saang anggulo ng mga camera ay hindi nakikita ang kanyang mukha na tila ba alam niya kung saan siya makikita ng mga CC
Chapter 4It's a total mess. Their justifications were ridiculous!"You're sending me to the Philippines? You've got to be kidding me!" I shrieked, practically seething with fury.Really, of all places? I mean, hindi naman sa ayaw kong magpunta roon. In fact, nagpunta pa nga ako noon dahil kay Summer, but it was my job to keep her safe. This issue, however, is peculiar! Pinag-uusapan dito ay tungkol sa akin at sa mga gustong nsagsisimulang habulin ako!Hindi ko na kinakailangang magpunta pa ng Pilipinas para magtago kung kaya ko namang protektahan ang sarili ko!Tito Sebastian let out a sigh. "I know you can defend yourself, Alexis Kate, although revealing your identity will lead to your enemy locating you and putting you at risk.""Why shouldn't you protect me instead of sending me to the Philippines?" giit ko habang tinitingnan silang dalawa.Nakukuha ko na
As they always believed, being curious will put you in trouble. But, for me, being curious also means learning some information. "Don't get involved with anything, Alexis Kate." Bumagsak ang balikat ko nang pumasok sa isipan ko ang sinabi ni Tito Sebastian. Halos makalimutan ko na ang patungkol doon. Masyado akong nadala sa nakita ko kanina at ngayon ko lang naalala ang warning sa 'kin. Even though it was engaged on our last operation, I wasn't meant to relate to anything. Since the other agents have already been assigned to this task, it is no longer my responsibility. But... I am not a part of anything. I'm merely intrigued. There's nothing else to say. Who knows, maybe I can assist them in their search for information. Mas mapapadali pa ang mission nila kapag nangyari 'yon. Ang hirap naman mangialam.Bahala na nga. I went directly to the black market, where unlawful trades, bids, and other criminal op
"Bagong salta, huwag kang gagawa ng kahit anong gulo. Kung ano lang ang sinabi ko, 'yon lang ang gagawin mo, maliwanag?"Steran remarked as I noticed him glancing in the rearview mirror. Kanina pa siya dada nang dada at nababanggit niya ang pangalan nito kaya nalaman ko.Sinadya kong ipakita 'yon sa kanya ang pag-irap na ginawa ko. I noticed how his eyes glistened. Bagong salta?Alexis is my name, as far as I remembered, and yet he speaks to me as a 'Bagong salta?' Nahihirapan ba siyang banggitin ang pangalan ko?"Iniirapan mo ba 'ko?"Sumilip ako sa rear mirror ulit saka ngumiti ng tipid pagkatapos ay umira
My work has kept me occupied for the past several days. I already forgot about our little argument with Steran when the hostage-taking occurred. Hindi ko siya masyadong pinapansin, kung nagkikita kami ay iniiwasan ko na lang para iwas away. Kung minsan wala sila sa opisina at kung minsan hindi naman kami nagkikita. I felt more comfortable there than I would be if I had seen them, especially Rylie. Palaging masama ang tingin sa 'kin o 'di kaya'y palagi akong pinag-iinitan ng ulo. I'm not sure what her issue is. I'm not mistreating her in any manner. Maliban na lang kung tinatarayan niya ako o kung ngingisi siya, talagang binabara ko siya dahil nararapat lang ‘yon sa kanya. Masyadong nangingialam sa buhay ng iba. If I can't even keep my temper, she'll be dead meat if that happens. "Rhett will be your partner from now on, and I hope you enjoy working with him," anunsyo ni Captain Maxton. Nasa loob kami ng opisina niya ngayon, kasama si Rhett na
"What are you apologizing for? Sa mga masasakit na salitang nasabi mo?"Amusement was visible on my face. "I'm sorry, but accepting apologies isn't my thing," umiiling na saad ko habang tumitig sa mga mata niya.Aaminin ko na nagulat ako sa biglaang paghingi niya ng tawad. Kahit naman sino ay magugulat, eh. Noong nakaraang araw ay sinabihan niya ako ng mga masasakit na salita at ngayon ay humihingi siya ng kapatawaran. Anong nakain niya at ginawa niya ang bagay na 'to?"Ano'ng gusto mong gawin ko para tanggapin mo ang paghingi ko ng tawad? Kung kinakailangan kong hanapin ang taong gumawa nito sa 'yo, gagawin ko. Patawarin mo lang ako,"seryosong aniya, ramdam ko ang sinsero nito sa kanyang boses.Doon ako tuluyang natawa. Wtf? Did he take something like a drug? That's why he's saying words that he didn't know? Does he think accepting an apology is easy as putting the gun altogether? Or stating he'd fin
The next day, I went to the location of Steran and Rhett. Napa-isip ako sa nangyari kahapon. Kaya siguro gano'n ang naging reaksyon ni Rylie dahil ilang araw na rin siyang walang ka-partner. Siya lang mag-isa ang gumagawa ng mga binibigay na kaso sa kanya. Kaya naman ngayon, dahil gumagaling na nang tuluyan ang sugat ko, babalik na ako sa trabaho ko rito sa labas. Ang mag-imbestiga ng kaso kasama si Rhett.Days are enough for me to stay inside the office. I'm not sure I want to stay there any longer, knowing that someone will be angry with me if she thinks I'm stealing Steran from Rylie. Ayoko na nang gulo kung maaari."Oh, anong ginagawa mo rito?"gulat na tanong ni Rhett nang makita ako. Lumabas naman silang pareho at umikot pa si Rhett para lang malapitan ako."I told you—""Leave,"pagtataboy ko kay Steran nang bigla siyang magsalita.He cocked his head in confusion.Hindi