✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 26

Eastwood Container Port
2:17 p.m.

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"Arf! Arf!"

Goldilocks wagged her tail and started sniffing the ground. Napangiti na lang si Nico nang makitang punong-puno ng energy ang kanyang alaga sa kabila ng malamig na panahon. In fact, he can't even remember the last time he took her out for a walk.

"Remember the smell of that wine," the detective reminded his pet before pulling his bonnet lower. Mas madaling makalusot sa security at 'wag maging agaw-atensyon sa ganitong paraan.

The last thing he wanted is to have those pesky news reporters following him here like lost puppies.

Muling sumulyap sa kanyang relo si Nico. Matapos ang nangyaring kumprontasyon kanina sa restaurant, minalas pa siya nang mapansing nasira ang strap ng kanyang Elmo timepiece. In the end, he decided to wear the stupid watch his uncle sent him. Hindi niya talaga alam kung anong trip ng isang 'yon.

"Arf! Arf!"

Nico's ears perked up when Goldilocks started barking. Maya-maya pa, halos kaladkarin na siya ng aso patungo sa pinakalikurang hanay ng shipping containers. Mula sa gilid ng kanyang mga mata, naaaninag niya ang malawak na daungan. It's still a mystery why the mayor agreed to this port extension, even though it's their neighboring city's business.

'Must have something to do with money and economic benefits, of course,' Nico thought.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Goldilocks, sandali!"

"Arf! Arf!"

Huminto ang golden retriever sa tapat ng isang maliit na shipping container. Nang tumahol ulit ang aso, doon lumakas ang kutob ni Nico. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that it was already unlocked.

'Kinuha na kaya nila ang mga crate ng wine?'

"Arf! Arf!"

Nico raised a finger to his lips. "Shh. Baka mahuli tayo. Believe me, you wouldn't like it in jail. Walang dog food doon," he said and patted her head. Matapos niyang siguraduhing walang ibang tao sa paligid, Detective Nico Yukishito entered the container and shone his phone's flashlight around.

What he saw only made him even more confused.

'Nandito ang wine...pero wala ang mga lalagyan?'

Indeed, bottles of wine where neatly stacked inside. Pero maliban sa ilang pirasong kahoy, wala nang ibang naging indikasyon na kasama sa shipment ang kanilang crate. 'Something's wrong here,' Nico thought.

Akmang lalabas na sana siya ng container nang mapansin niya ang nakasulat sa kahoy.

"'Hold your breath'... What in the name of Sherlock is that suppose to---!"

A loud noise interrupted him. Agad na binalingan ni Nico ang direksyon ng pinto kung saan naririnig niyang tumatahol si Goldilocks. Soon, to his horror, the large metal door slammed shut. May narinig pa siyang kandado sa kabilang bahagi nito.

Locking him inside the shipping container.

"What the fuck?!"

Agad na kinalampag ng detective ang pinto. Wala na siyang pakialam kung halos mabingi na siya sa lakas ng tunog. He gritted his teeth and yelled, knowing whoever is on the other side must be the enemy. Paano nalaman ni UD na pupunta siya rito? Wala silang ibang pinagsabihan... Unless some else was working for him?

Hindi na niya alam kung ano.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Pero ilang sandali pa, maging ang mga tahol ni Goldilocks ay naglaho sa katahimikan. Nang sinubukan niyang tawagan si Nova, he cursed under his breath when he realized there was no signal. Wala nang nagawa si Nico kung hindi ibaling ang kanyang inis sa wine bottles. One of them crashed against the metal door as the detective realized how dangerous his situation is.

And what that note actually meant.

"Hold your breath," napapailing na lang si Nico at naupo sa isang tabi.

The darkness of the container and the strong smell of the Chinese wine only made him even more frustrated. Pagak siyang natawa habang inaalala ang mga impormasyong kusang ibinibigay ng mental storage cabinet niya.

"A typical, small shipping container like this one has a dimension of 3.05 × 2.44 × 2.59 meters... That's around 19,200 cubic decimeters or liters. Ang average na capacity ng hangin na kino-consume ng adult lungs ay 6 liters per minute. That means I have about 3,200 mins before the oxygen runs out---assuming it has a lot in the first place." Huminga nang malalim si Nico at ipinikit ang mga mata. "Converting that to hours, I'd have, more or less, 50 hours...roughly 2 days."

Ibawas pa rito ang espasyong inookupa ng wine bottles.

Then, theoretically speaking, Nico has less two days left before the lack of oxygen kills him---that is if the excessive amount of carbon dioxide doesn't finish the job first.

'Sino bang nagsabing madaling maging detective?'

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