MARKUS SANDATA

Chapter 13 - The Penthouse

"This is it." I whispered to myself while driving Jason Tuazon's 2002 BMW M3 in Balintawak, Quezon City.

"Markus!" Jason Tuazon spoke to me from the back. "When we get there, I will take the wheels; because I will drive all the way at the top of the parking lot of SM North Edsa and find a nice spot to snipe some of Ching-Chong III's men!" He continued.

"Good idea, Jason Tuazon." Velarde spoke just beside me. "Markus...I need you to throw this tear gas as soon as you enter the building." He gave me the gas mask and the tear gas. "Once the tear gas bomb explodes, we will go straight to the penthouse using the elevator. Now, when we reach the penthouse, we will use this flash bomb to surprise Ching-Chong III and his men, and with the help of Jason Tuazon, his men will be sniped before they could react."

"Okay." I said.

"I am so excited to use this thermal vision sniper rifle!" Jason Tuazon yelled.

"Hey--what the fuck is going on?" Velarde freaked out. Well, there was a checkpoint with soldiers. It seemed like the Philippine army was in Quezon City. I looked at the tent and there were posters on it. I took a closer look, and it was a wanted picture of me.

"Oh, God!" Jason Tuazon spoke. "I see a wanted picture of you over there by the tent!" He added.

"Yes, I saw it...we must be very careful." I simply said.

"Markus, I--I knew that this would happen." Velarde said to me.

I nodded, "I know...I've caused too much trouble."

"Back in the pawnshop, Tuazon and I were watching the news while you were asleep. It was about a burning building in Pasig City...and a survivor said that it was YOU who did it."

"Someone survived?!" I freaked out. Velarde looked pissed, so I just nodded and said, "Yep, that was me." I asked him, "What else did the survivor said?"

"Well...he said that they were just doing their jobs, until you show up and burned their company down to the ground, and killing their boss, Dan Nepomuceno." I laughed. "And the shocking part is...president Miriam Duterte demanded a lockdown in Quezon City until the Special Action Force group finds you, Markus." I widened my eyes, it was the first time for me to hear something like that. I was so afraid. Velarde held my right arm, "Don't worry, I'll call Larry. He will help us."

I quickly looked at him, "No, do not call Larry."

"Why? He will be our backup."

"We already have a backup, it's Mister Tuazon! What are you talking about, Velarde?!"

"Well...just the two of us there in the building? Markus, we need Larry, and he is also one of us."

I glared at him, "Velarde, boss, we will never die today. I promise."

"How can you be too sure about that fate?"

"We'd survived this long. Ijust know it. Okay?"

"Okay, whatever." He began using his cellphone.

"Velarde, please stop."

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just reading someone else's messages."

I chuckled, "'Someone else?'"

"Tuazon had a girl--her number's here when he gave me this cellphone..."

I got angry, "Come on, Velarde! Don't tell Larry about this! We can do this without him! He's so annoying, and most importantly...I don't trust him anymore!"

"I just want to tell him that our time has come, Markus! Our problems will be over soon."

"Enough! Don't tell Larry! We can celebrate later with a bucket of beers and shit, okay?!"