Catch Me If You Can (Completed)

CHAPTER 26: 24 HOURS WITH VICTORIA (PART 1)

Chapter 26: 24 Hours with Victoria (Part 1)

~RYU~

Ilang beses kong tinapik ang kamay ko sa mesa habang hinihintay ang taong iyon. I've been here for almost thirteen minutes and normally, ten minutes is a long wait for me. Muli akong humigop ng kape at tinanaw ang labas ng coffeeshop. It's past 8 pm and I started getting annoyed with the one I'm meeting.

Ilang saglit lamang ay pumasok na ang taong iyon sa pinto. She looked around as if searching for someone and walked towards me when she caught my eyes. Her hair dangles on her shoulders like a wonderful art. I never appreciated curls in my entire life until today. Fvck! What am I saying?

I never bothered to pull her a seat at hindi na rin siya naghintay na humila pa ako ng upuan. She sat in front of me.

"Anong gusto mong pag-usapan natin?" tanong niya. She looked weary for the day's work but it doesn't makes her less beautiful. Fvck again! Ano ba ang nangyayari sa akin? Fine. Let's just say I appreciate beauty without the thick layers of makeup and other stuff.

"Coffee?" I asked but she shook her head.

"Sabihin mo na hacker at nang makaalis na ako," wika niya. Victoria is the most impatient woman but with a lot of patience. Mahirap bang intindihin? Yes, that's her. At one point you will see her with burning eyes and then seconds later she has the colder stare. She always wear the mask that is very hard to decipher what she really thinks.

"Hackers are supposed to be unknown so stop calling me hacker. I have a name. By the way it's Ryu," wika ko. My eyes didn't leave her face.

She nodded her head slowly. "Anong kailangan mo R-ryu?"

Inilapag ko sa harap niya ang isang larawan. "Tell me more about her."

She picked up the photo and examined it closely. I cannot see any hint of recognition in her face. Yes, she's wearing the mask again.

"Hindi ko sasabihin sa iyo ang mga tungkol sa kanya," mahinahon niyang wika. Sa ibang pagkakataon ay baka nainis na ako, and probably I was already throwing her threats but I couldn't bring myself to do so.

"Why not? This is for the team."

"Hacker—"

Pinutol ko ang sasabihin niya. "I told you, it's Ryu. Do you know Trojan?"

"Ano?"

"Kilala mo ba si Trojan?" tanong ko.

Bahagyang napakunot ang noo niya, nagtataka sa tanong ko. "Hindi."

"Exactly. Hackers like me and him— two of the world's greatest hackers should remain unknown. So you need to stop calling me hacker and call me by my name instead."

I saw her face crumpled but only for a while. She refused to comment about my Trojan reference.  "Alam kong para iyon sa team."

"Yeah, so why don't you tell me—" Sa pagkakataong ito ay ang sinabi ko na naman ang pinutol niya.

"Bakit hindi na lamang ikaw mismo ang umalam ng mga bagay tungkol sa kanya at mula sa kanya mismo?" she asked.

"You mean..."

Isang tango ang isinagot niya sa akin.

~MIMO~

I never thought V could still accomplish the mission despite being busted. Napakaraming nangyari sa operasyon na iyon ngunit nagawa pa rin ni V ang talagang pakay namin.

It was very unexpected. Hindi lamang maliit na isipin si Margaret. She thinks like the four of us think. But that's the least of my concern now. Sa ngayon ay iniisip ko ang mga kagrupo ko.