[C.P. Garcia, Quezon City]
[2:15 AM – August 6, 2016]
The walk was quiet. Tired, battered, in need of medical care from the look of things. The hacker, Kasey, drips blood on the pavement, holding onto her wound. The hitman, Deathwatch, sheds ash in the air, patting his stomach to puff it out. The soldier, Linrov, is keeping eyes from behind, ensuring no one dares to follow them. And Aristocrat and Rogue? They're in a careless mood, chatting one another without the care of secrecy. The sight of them would have garnered attention from onlooking civilians but as the night already settled in with empty streets and ringing crickets behind a fence, the group's at a sense of peace to their minds...
... as the distant sirens and burning crisps of what was once the gang's drug factory crumbles from afar.
Dark smoke envelopes behind the trees and buildings, rising up to signal another downfall of the Russian Mafia's control. Their extortion rackets in Boy Scout Circle are under scrutiny. The Del Monte smuggling facility is burned both physically and financially. Even a small wipeout of their numbers took place in a district at Diliman. All of these combined, Quezon city is feeling the long lost ease once smothered by the mafia.
It may not be enough to dismantle their control but it's a start. The more wins the neutral government gets, the better they stand a chance to not fall under the Accord or the Loyalists. Such a victory would be worth celebrating.
Not the Halimaws.
Instead, they chose silence. None spoke a word to each other on the way back. Mind's clouded by their ordeals and revelations.
After reaching the old institute building and slipping past the fenced gate, the trio make their way upstairs. Aristocrat and Rogue have separated already, telling them they'll debrief Report about the operation... though they got a nagging feeling it's not the first thing they'll do. Prying them further won't yield better results.
As Deathwatch opens the door to his safehouse, he sets his rifle something nearby and takes a seat at the table. His attention turns to Kasey, who sets the laptop down and begins typing. Neither look each other in the eye. Their silence is obvious. Linrov, on the other hand, removes his gear, setting them on top of the chair, and makes his way to the interrogation room. Trail of Gorback's blood remains on the floor.
"Need to double check." The agent finally breaks the silence, removing his night vision goggles. "The psychos better have cleaned up their mess."
Afterwards, he goes through the door, shutting behind him to leave the two Halimaws on their own... away from earshot. Kasey looks up at Deathwatch and pushes the computer to the side. This is it. It has to be done right here, right now.
"So Captain... Why was she in the lab?"
The hitman looks back without a flinch, unbothered by her tone.
He puts his hands together and answers.
"Because we had a truce." He caresses his fingers, soothing the pain. He continues, "Like I said before, another hostile was on site."
She clenches her fists. Her eyes tense up in a narrow.
"That doesn't bloody mean you can... omit that fact!" she shouts in anger.
Kasey stands up and stares Deathwatch down, who remains still and rests his back against the chair. It doesn't bother him to see her hostility. He pays no mind.
She adds, "She's part of the goddamn Accord. Not to mention, she tried to kill you."
"Who I later spared back at Diliman." Deathwatch looked down, admitting further. The atmosphere grows bleak. "Some secrets play importance in espionage. If we're always honest, conflict follows."
YOU ARE READING
The Katipunan: The Monsters Inside Us
Action"Ravaged by a civil war that plagues our country apart, many wanted this war to end. Many wanted peace to prevail. But when someone powerful prevents it, we are at a stalement of war. We'll try anything to become capable as soldier... or we die tryi...
