Encoded

Chapter 45: A Good Story

MHOREIN

I kicked the door open, Still praying he's okay even if I was sure Chain was safe.

Nanigas ako sa pwesto nang makita ang nasa harapan namin. Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang inaasahan ko o iniisip kong maaabutan namin. Alam ko nang mangyayari ito pero umasa parin akong iba ang nadadatnan ko.

None of us moved. It wasnt the best decision since we can be gunned down at any moment but the fact that Rosa's body was now lying on the ground, Half of her head barely together didnt help. She was lying there, Face down.

Chain started to walk towards her, Shaking.

"I-Is that... We got the wrong girl, Didnt we?..." I glanced at Aiden who's teary eyed. He had his hand over his mouth, Shivering in fear.

"Oh my god..." Minutes passed by and the crowd started to build up.

I heard several whispers and gasps behind me but the ringing in my ear was louder. Way louder.

I gulped before slowly approaching the body.

"That's an expert hitman..." Chain tried to hide the shakiness of his voice.

"Mhor, She got shot from the back of her head. Exactly at the right spot. Middle... Near the top of the ear." Chain breathed in.

Bumaling ako ng tingin sa likod ko nang mapansin na wala na si Aiden dito.

"Let him process that." Chain was looking at the same direction as me.

"The camera on my shirt was positioned to get a perfect view of what was at her back. Did you see anything?" Tanong ni Chain. Tumango ako.

"That's why we came as fast as we could. I saw a figure..." I pointed at the shattered glass. A building across the street. Both of us started putting gloves on.

"Right there. With what I assumed to be a gun." Chain pursed his lips and nodded.

"Camera wasnt HD enough though. Halos hindi ko rin naaninag ang pigura ng katawan nito." Chain sighed.

"How could I not have seen that?" Chain sat down and roughly combed his hands over his hair.

"I cant believe I let this happen." He and I stared at the paramedics carrying Rosa's body.

"I cant believe I made this happen." Chain reached for my hand. I looked down on him.

"It's not our fault. But it will be if we dont stop this." He said.

I stared at the broken window and shattered glass in front of it.

"Okay. So anong gagawin natin ngayon?"

"What the hell, Aiden?" He looked at me innocently.

"Why?"

"You scared me! Where were you?'' I asked. Aiden teared up.

''I waited until her body was gone. I didnt wanna see it...'' He stared directly at me.

''Kasalanan ba natin iyon?'' I shook my head.

''No.'' Tinignan ko si Chain.

''But it is ours if we don't do anything about it.'' Chain nodded and stood up and started roaming around the room.

My eyebrows met when I saw something slid under the rug. I pulled up the rug and examined what I saw.

''I have a feeling that she was actually trying to kill you.'' I said as I held up a syringe filled with a clear unknown liquid.

''Bakit? Ibig sabihin ba noon, Siya nga si Scarlet?" Tanong ni Aiden.

''No. That doesnt make sense.'' Chain was right.

''Yeah. If that was Scarlet, She would've known that it was Chain. They would be smarter than really trying to kill you.'' I explained.

''Exactly. So what was the purpose? You think she was just a pawn?'' Chain asked.

''Maybe. But there's a huge possibility that this is poison. Why the poison if not to kill?''

"Eh, Paano kung hindi? Aiden asked.

''Paano kung yun ang gusto nilang isipin ni Rosa? Paano kung hindi niya alam na papatayin siya?'' Pagpapatuloy ni Aiden.

''That makes sense. But why?'' Chain asked. I shook my head.

''I dont know...'' None of this really made sense.

Around five to six people entered the room. They were wearing leather jackets with the word FORENSICS printed on the back. I handed the syringe to one of them.

''Salamat, Detective.'' She whispered and continued to look around with her colleagues.

Since the inspector died no one has yet to replace him. That's why we dont get a headstart on cases like we used to. We dont get the luxury of examining the body for so long, We dont arrive at the scene with the paperwork ready and sometimes the suspects and details being spoon fed to us.

Maybe that's why they... Did that. To make this series of cases personal and ours. Only ours.

''Detectives! You have to see this!'' We rushed towards the comfort room when one of the forensics team called us.

I opened the door to see dark red lipstick written on the mirror.

Im am not Rosa Scarlet Were please to call this my masterpiece Love by noone. hell is a safe place

I squinted trying to make sense of what the broken english meant.

"What..?" Aiden tilted his head.

"May nakikita ba kayo na hindi ko nakikita o ako lang yung medyo tanga?" Aiden asked.

"That's weird. Rosa is Mexican. Pero narinig niyo naman, Diretso siyang mag-Tagalog at Ingles." Sabi ni Chain.

"And from what we've heard, She doesnt have an accent."

"There's something else here."

"Maybe she knew they were gonna kill her. And she left this note." Chain concluded.

"Or she was forced to confess to being someone she's not." I remarked.

"Teka, Ang gulo. Bakit ka naman niya susubukang patayin kung alam na ni Rosa ang balak nila sa kanya?" Aiden asked Chain.

"I know, It doesnt make sense either."

"They want us to solve this case. They're killing innocent people to send us messages. But what's the message?" I asked, Looking down at the floor.

"And why?" Chain tapped my shoulder. I looked up at him.

"Maybe for a good story." Chain was looking behind me. My eyebrows met.

"What does that even mea-" I stopped and stared at the man stumbling his way towards us.

Someone who would do anything for a great, front page worthy story. Someone who came out of no where.

Eryn Manhattan.