Lead

Chapter 39. Lead

"WHAT do you mean she's not here?" in Sinned's low but menacing tone. The police operation that lead to the arrest of some members of syndicated crime group was kind of successful, however, he could not find Rellie behind the bars and he was told that they never captured her in the first place.

In just a snap, Rellie became a Wanted Criminal in El Salvador since her paintings were included in the concrete evidences that the police found. Pinaghahanap din ito upang matukoy ang pagkakakilanlan sa nagpanggap na mag-asawang nagpapatakbo sa museum.

"She escaped along with the impostors," sagot ng isa na mas lalong nagpagalit sa kaniya.

He was about to make a scene to get it in their heads that Rellie was innocent when Rexton, the leader of their missions, butt in.

"Get a grip," bulong nito kasabay ng pag-akbay sa kaniya at inalalayan siya palabas sa istasyon ng pulis.

"I'm going to find her," bulalas niya.

"Yes, you will, as long as you concentrate."

Nasa sasakyan na sila nang magsalita ulit siya. "Hindi n'yo na ako maaasahan sa misyong ito. Hahanapin ko si Rellie."

"You won't leave us hanging, Sinned. We need you in this mission. You will be my bodyguard again so you'll be present in every meetings." They selected bodyguard instead of being a lawyer just as how he's supposed to be, so he'd do less work. He must concentrate, just as what Rexton said, for them to possibly gather even small informations that they could use.

"I don't have any fucking time for that," he cautioned, clenching his knuckles, fuming. "I must find her right now."

Minura siya ni Rexton. "You think you're the only one who wants to go out for blood?" Naningkit ito. Mayroon din itong hinahanap na babae; ang asawa nito na secret agent din. Ang alam lang ay kasama ng traydor na si Devon Cristobal pero hindi pa matukoy kung saan dinala ang nawawalang agent na si Bree.

"Bree can somehow live through danger. Rellie can not. She's not even a skilled fighter."

Tumahimik ito dahil may punto siya.

The first thing he did the following day was to go on a different police station to report about Rellie's disappearance, but based on the reactions he got, it was comprehensible that they're not going to take care of that. He was on an undercover right now and he's powerless. That was why he immediately called in the Philippines; he called Marc, and briefly explained him the whole situation. Then, he called Rellie's brother, Arc.

He was going to pull all of his connections to have a search and rescue operation for her.

Isang tawag ang natanggap niya kay Romano nang manggaling siya sa negosyong itinatag ng Phoenix doon sa pangunguna ni Rexton dela Costa, isa iyong winery business. And Romano Caballero bought a bar in that country to strengthen their connections to de L'Orage. Doon kadalasan nagaganap ang casual meetings nila sa mga ito.

"What now?" he asked. Nasa loob siya ng sasakyan nang sagutin ang tawag.

"Iyong mag-asawang target natin ngayon ay ang nagpanggap ding mag-asawang Escobar sa auction sa MARTE. We all know that they were just in disguises that time so we were unable to track them right away," esplika nito.

Napatuwid siya ng upo at nag-park muna siya sa tabi.

Nagpatuloy naman ito, "We found a lead, thanks to that hacker who communicated with Dice."

"What do you mean?"

"That hacker from AIA, Hugh, is also being held captive by Devon, but somehow, he found a way to use a computer and tried hacking Phoenix' server. It was Dice who stopped him and they chatted through incognito chatting."

His eyes narrowed. "How are they connected to the two members of the organization?" Ang mag-asawang Lestrange ang tinutukoy niya, o kung mag-asawa nga ba talaga.

"That's where Bree and Hugh are being kept. Bree became a maid while Devon locked Hugh underground."

"How about Rellie?" he asked right away.

Romano sighed heavily. "We can't find her. We found out that there are no other people in that house except for the Lestranges; that fucker, Devon; Hugh; and Bree."

"Have you checked thoroughly?"

"Delikado, baka mahalata na ang palaging paggamit sa computer doon. Ang importante ay alam na natin ang eksaktong lokasyon."

"That's it? You're not going to try again?" He's getting impatient already.

"What if she isn't here?"

"Where is she, if she's not here, then? She was last seen with those two, so she must have been captured by them."

"I know. I'm glad we already found Bree, and we can focus on finding Rellie Prietto now. Damn, bakit hindi pa dumating ang mga backup nang mas dumami tayo?"

Kinabukasan ay dumating nga ang backups, pero parang nawawala na sa sarili si Sinned. Wala pa ring lead kung nasaan ang posibleng lokasyon ni Rellie.

Nagtipon-tipon sila sa opisina ni Rexton sa kumpanya roon.

"I told you to get a grip, Hipolito," si Rexton iyon. Naghahanda sila para sa misyon, at para corner-in ang mag-asawang Lestrange kinabukasan.

He rebuked, "How would you expect me to calm down? It's been days! Something bad must have happened to her already!" And that's exactly why he's losing his mind. Sa dinami-rami ng kasong hinawakan niya—mga misyon—ay alam niyang kapag tumagal na ng isang araw ay may posibilidad na wala nang buhay ang isang taong nawawala. At iyon ang gumugulo sa kaniya ngayon dahil apat na araw nang nawawala si Rellie.

"That's why you must stay more focused! Sa palagay mo, hindi ako nababaliw rito? Nawawala rin ang asawa ko!"

"Pero nahanap na! Ililigtas na nga lang."

Tumahimik ito pero nakakunot-noo pa rin.

"Lucky you, huh?"

Rexton gritted his teeth and that where the other agents meddle in to stop them from fighting.

But Sinned still maintained his concentration throughout the briefing of what they would do.

Ilang sandali pa ay humupa na ang tensiyon sa pagitan nila ni Rexton at saka nagsimula na ito sa paglatag ng plano kahit alam naman na nila iyon. May naidagdag lang dahil nahanap na nila si Bree.

"Tomorrow, we will distract the Lestranges so we could take our time saving Bree and Hugh. Romano," he called out. "you'll stay with Nami until you bring her to the location at night.

Umiling ang huli. "She wants me to focus on my job instead. She can do well on her own." Wala roon anv naturang babae dahil ch-in-eck uli nito ang lokasyon kung saan ang pwesto nito.

Rexton smirked satisfyingly, then, he added, "Dice's team will keep us updated about the security of the locations."

Dice wasn't in the country, he's in the Philippines but was fully equipped. The other agents on that team were in El Salvador.

"Sinned—" Humarap si Rexton sa kaniya. Masama pa rin ang tingin niha rito pero hindi na iyon alintana ni Rexton. "—you will distract Devon."

Nagtagis ang bagang niya. "I never liked that guy."

"He doesn't like you neither."

Mas sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. Nakuha pa nitong magbiro sa sitwasyong iyon?

"Alright." Rexton said, his voice implied that he was changing some plan. "Just follow Nami to her location and drive her back to the hotel afterwards."

That's much better. He had other plans tomorrow—he would continue searching for Rellie—so he wouldn't be joining any of those operations. But he would do what he was tasked to. Tutal ay gabi naman iyon.

Inisa-isa pa ni Rexton ang gagawin ng ibang mga agents, lalo na ang mga backups na kadarating lamang galing sa Pinas.

Nasa kalagitnaan ng meeting nang mag-vibrate ang cellphone niyang nakapatong sa mahabang mesa ng opisina. Nakita niyang si Arc ang tumatawag.

"Answer that later, we are still going to talk about the drug negotiations with Primo Lestrange."

"I fucking know every single details already. I planned those out, did I not? Besides, I'm just a small thing in this mission. I am only your bodyguard, am I not?" he said, glaring.

"And our ace." Romano added.

Rexton sighed. "You weren't given tasks that would use your physical strength. It's for you to observe our targets' movements; their strategies. So we can plan out the—"

He cut the latter out by answering his phone as he stood up and went outside without a word.