Encoded

Chapter 6 : Acros

Acros is pronounced as Ak-ros. Not like across. A play with the Acrostic Cipher, Like Scarlet is for Scarlet thread used for Spider webs.

ACROS

As expected, They did it. They solved the crime. I watch as the detectives leave the scene with another successful case. They wouldnt have done it without my codes and tiny clues of course. Everything was planned from their ages to their names and birth months. I chuckled.

"Acros."

"Scarlet? Took you long enough."

"So, Nalutas na naman ng mga bayani?"

"What did you expect? Of course they did."

"Anong plano mo?"

"What do you mean? You know the whole plan."

"Acros, Ang ibig king sabihin kelan nating 'to sisimulan? Kailan mo sasabihin sa kanila? Paano mo to sisimulan?"

"Calm down, Scarlet. We just started. I have a plan for that. For now, Just have fun with it." I smiled.

"Sino ang sunod?" She asked.

"It's your turn to pick."

"Kung makapagsalita kanay parang laro lang talaga 'to." Scarlet shook her head.

"Malaki ang kasalanan ng pamilya Enrile sa akin. Sila." I raised my left brow.

"So what do you want? Lahat sila?" She nodded.

"You're fucking vicious, Woman. I like it." I winked.

"Manahinik ka, Acros." She fiddled with a small knife. Her perfect figure, her pretty face, her angelic voice, Her long dark brown hair. Her. She would get anyone to do anything for a kiss on her cheek.

"Back to serious business. How are you gonna do this?"

"May mga kilala akong gagawin ang lahat, Masaktan lang ang mga Enrile. Tatawagan ko sila." I nodded.

"Call the right people, Scar."

"You know I will." Her phone rang. She pulled it out of her dress pocket and answered it. She put her pointer finger up, Her long nail has dark red nail polish.

MHOREIN

On the drive home, Chain's phone kept ringing. He didnt bother answering it once.

"Chain, I swear to God if you dint answer that or put it on silent I will throw your phone out the window." I said while driving. He rolled his eyes.

"Pabayaan mo lang."

"Yung isa mo bang girlfriend yan, Kaya hindi mo masagot?" He looked at me and tried to hand me his phone.

"Im driving and joking, Babe."

"It's Callahan."

"You mean your dad?"

"Parang ganoon na nga..."

"Chain."

"What?"

"Para kang teenager na umaakto na parang nagtatampo sa magulang dahil hindi napayagan."

"Shut up..." He whispered. I shook my head.

"Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Sige lang..." We stopped infront of a burger place.

"What do you want?" I asked him as the waitress approached us.

"A large cheese burger and a medium milkshake... Please."

"I'll get the same pero with large fries." I smiled at the waitress.

"Pahintay nalang po, Maam and sir." She smiled and left.

"Hon." Chain just looked at me.

"Are you still upset about your dad?"

"Can you stop? Stop talking to me like Im just a child who didnt get the toy he asked from his dad. Cause it's far from that, Mhorein. Its so much more than that." He looked me dead in the eyes. I glared at him and raised an eyebrow.

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

"Im sorry..." He flopped his head on the table.

"Its fine. Kelan ba yung party?" Tanong ko.

"Three weeks from now."

"Oh. You have alot of time to think. You wouldnt want... What's her name?"

"Kalyan."

"Yeah, You wouldnt want her to think you hate her for being born, right?"

"Hindi mo naiintindihan. You... You had an almost perfect life."

"Remember in Elementary and High school? Other studesnt would fuck me up when you were absent cause you werent there to protect me." Chain just looked at me.

"You'll come too, right?"

"Only if you do."

"Alright. Pagiisipan ko." I smiled at him. The waitress brought a tray on our table

"You know... Ang dapat pinaguusapan natin si Acros."

"Yeah, Its pretty weird."

"You think they'll do something else?" He asked. That made me think. He or She left clues for us to find, The two kidnappers were talking about someone who payed them.

"I dont know... Ano ba siya? Papansin na kriminal?"

"Probably someone who read a little too much mystery novels."

"We'll find out."

We finished our snack and went home.

"Are you gonna stay here?" I asked him as I closed my apartment door.

"Yeah." He sat down on the couch and opened the television. I went to the kitchen and pulled out a couple of chips from the drawer. I also got some cold beer cans from the fridge.

Chain looked at me as I put them down the table.

"Unexpected movie marathon?" I nodded.

"Yep." I sat down next to him and opened a can of beer. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Couple of hours past and Im getting a little dizzy from the beer. I checked the clock and it's 1:00 A.M. I looked at Chain who's looking alot better than I am.

"Im mentaly and physically exhausted." I sipped on my drink.

"Masyado ka nang maraming nainom. That's enough." He pinched my nose.

"Yeah, yeah grandpa." Tumawa ako.

"All this detective work is getting up to me. We got two intense cases in a week." Sabi niya. My phone rang and the caller I.D. says Arcilla. Alas onse na ng gabi, Hindi naman siguro ito para sa kaso.

"Detective."

"Yes, Inspector?" Chain looked at me.

"Alam kong pagod kayo at iba sana ang tatawagan ko pero... Ibang klase ito eh."

"Anong ibig mo sabihin, Inspector? Hindi ba to makakapaghintay? Im a little whoozy."

"Hindi, Mhorein... Ano eh... Mga Enrile." I hung up the phone and looked at Chain.

"Looks like we have three."