ANITIKOS SIMONS
“So, in summation, he’s an orphan. Dalawang taon siya sa isang orphanage. Kinuha siya ng mga Chen at the age of 6. They sent him to China to study. Bumalik sa Pinas at the age of 18. Nag-aral. Graduate sa UP. At the age of 34, he already owned several bars, along with a few lounges, liquor stores, and a strip club. And he was back up by a group of people?” Heijie asked. Magkakasama kaming apat ngayon.
Sette, Heijie, Moe and me.
“Yeah,” Sette answered. Tumayo ito pagkatapos ng tatlong oras niyang paghalungkat sa kaniyang computer. “Do you want drinks or something to eat?”
We’re inside her apartment. We’re here in an empty music room, flanked with various instruments against one wall and several desks arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. We chose her place because it's secured and had a lots of CCTV cameras. Punung-puno ng monitor ang bahay niya.
“Coke for me,” Moe said.
“Ice cream, any flavor, if you have,” I answered.
Sumulyap si Sette sa katabi ko.
“Lemon?” she asked.
Ngumiti nang nakakaloko si Heijie. “You finally deduced my message. Akala ko ay habang buhay nang mababaon ‘yun.”
Sette immediate reaction confused me. She was slightly surprised at Heijie’s statement. He rolled his eyes like what he said was nothing. I’m not getting it. Nagtinginan silang dalawa.
“Akala ko para kay Zeena.”
He folds his lips together and, after about five seconds of thought, he slowly shakes his head. “The message is not for her. It's for you. Ang layo naman siguro ng Z sa S ‘di ba?”
“Ahm, excuse me,” Moe interrupted them. “Kailangan pa ba ninyo kaming dalawa ni Atty. Simons dito?”
I smiled slightly.
Nagbaba ng tingin si Sette. “Malay ko ba kung Sanders ‘yun. Baliw.”
Hindi nila pinansin ang sinabi ni Moe. Napasimangot tuloy siya. “Hello, may tao pa po rito. Wala ba kaming karapatan malaman ang pinag-uusapan ninyo?”
Napasulyap ang dalawa sa gawi ni Moe.
Si Heijie ang sumagot. “Sa amin na lang ‘yun. Couple problems.”
Lumapit si Sette sa katabi ko saka niya ito hinampas sa balikat.
“You’re unbelievable!” she hissed in annoyance.
Mabilis itong nagmartsa paalis sa aming kinaroroonan. But I saw how her face turned red. Sabay kami na napasulyap ni Moe kay Heijie na ngayon at natatawa habang nagkakamot ng ulo.
“What just happened?” I asked in curiosity.
Umiling siya. “Ligtas naman na ako kaya huwag na ninyong alamin. Pero para matigil kayo, bigyan ko kayo ng idea. Naalala ninyo 'yung nawala ako noon? 'Yung dinukot ako ni Professor Audra?”
Moe and I nodded.
I remember that. Bago siya noon nawala, may iniwan siyang papel. We thought it's from the head of Prisoner’s Base. But we can't decode what was written because it's a blank paper.
“May message ako. Hindi lang siguro ninyo alam ang nakapaloob d’un kasi blangko. Hindi ko alam na nasagot pala ni Somerset.”
“Eh anong konek ng lemon?” tanong ni Moe.
He smiled evily. “Sa amin na lang ni Sette ‘yun. It's a harmless message. At isa pa, para naman talaga sa kaniya ‘yun. Hindi para sa inyo.”
BINABASA MO ANG
PRISONER'S BASE: RAVEN CONSPIRACY
Mystery / ThrillerBook II Six years has passed after Zeena and her friends ended the killings and villainy in St. Vitus University. Six years has passed after they break-off the pernicious game called Prisoner's Base. They turned into different people. But the scars...
