8th Door

Your greatest awakening comes, when you are aware about your infinite nature.

-Amit Ray

***

Simond was an easy kill. He's an excess. A failure to this test. He never excelled nor showed any promising talent --just his violence.

Hindi rin niya nadiskubreng ang mga sikreto sa bawat pangyayari. Which means he was not observant enough, a thing a spy should have.

People like us spend eighty percent of our time observing people and instances. We silently investigate without being noticed. We keep vital information and protect them with our life.

Those who were showing Sherlock Holmes genes from the 30th down here and were able to keep them before the discovery of the suspect were on the final list. Vlad almost failed the test, luckily, Satana saved him from getting killed by revealing her identity. Our identity.

Tahimik akong nagmasid sa kisame. I crawled carefully on the plenum where ventilation, air filters and water sprinkler tubes were installed. I smelt the dust circulating around even with a mask. I had linited breathing habang nakatanaw sa maliliit na espasyo mula sa air filter.

Tahimik namang kumakain sa pinagdugtu-dugtong na lamesa sina Vlad, Andreas, Natas, Mina, Zyril, Bella, Rielle at Ryanne.

Ang 8th floor ay ang food and beverage area ng MOS Tower. Iba't ibang concesionares ang nakahilera paikot sa buong 8th floor habang maayos namang nakapwesto ang mga lamesa at upuan sa gitna kung saan madalas kumakain ang mga empleyado ng MOS Tower.

Dito kami madalas magkita-kita nina Satana, Maddie at Mildred. Kumakain kami sa magkakaiba ngunit magkakatabing lamesa habang kunwari'y naglilinis si Mildred. Dito namin plinano ang lahat.

Ngayon, ako na lang ang natira. Ako na lang ang mag-isang nagsasagawa ng lahat ng mga pinagplanuhan ng Infinite.

"Vlad, i-if I don't make it to the ground, please make sure Rissel and Monique are fine. F-for me please?" Dinig kong sumamo ng tila walang gana sa pagkain na si Ryanne. Malungkot ang kulay abo nitong mata na halos tabingan na ng magulo niyang buhok.

Ngumiti ng tipid si Vlad. Ngiting hindi rin umabot hanggang sa mga mata nito. "You will live Ryanne."

"Yes you will." Bella seconded habang hinahalo-halo nito ang lemonade sa baso. She looked like she's ready to be one of us.

"But if something happens, you have my promise to keep you at ease." Vlad uttered. Lumagok ito ng isang baso ng juice saka ikinalat ang tingin sa paligid. Marahil ay tahimik na naman nitong inaalisa ang bawat kilos ng mga empleyadong naroon.

"If Vlad can't keep his promise, Ryanne, you have me to look over your daughters." Seryosong tugon ni Minalyn. Tumitig ito sa pizza at sandwich na nasa plato.

"I-if Mina survives this, she will look after our families." May laman naman ang mungkahi ni Rielle. There was a tone of sadness as well as uncertainty. Nagkunwari itong takam na takam sa kinakaing sandwich.

"What about you Andreas? Wala kang balak mabuhay or wala kang balak sa mga maiiwan mo just in case?" Biglang singit naman ni Natas na tapos na sa pagkain. Walang bakas ng takot o pangamba sa mukha nito.

I wonder why the Infinite wanted him spared and alive. Bukod sa alam nito ang mga sikretong lagusan, wala na itong ipinakitang kakayahan para maging kasapi ng mafia. He wasn't even one of those who contributed to Karen's death.

Bakit siya kasali sa listahan ng Infinite? He should be an excess --in my honest and intelligent opinion.

Naputol ang pag-iisip ko nang sumagot si Andreas. Pagak ang tawa nito bago nagsalita. "I got nothing or no one to live for." Sumilay ang malungkot na ngiti sa labi nito saka napatingin ay Minalyn. He meant something with such gaze. "I should be dead before any of you."

Humigpit ang hawak ko sa tubo ng water sprinkler. Kahit na hindi ko mamasdan ng buo ang itsura nito'y alam kong ang takbo ng isip nito ay ang Scorpion, ang Infinite at si Karen.

"I'm a sinner." Andreas confessed.

No one reacted immediately. Andreas brought the most awkward moment of silence.

"You have gotten us all killed? O baka may kasalanan ka at nadamay kaming lahat because of your crime." Vlad chuckled to imply he was not serious at the thought. Pero base sa reaksyon nito, ang pag-igting ng mga bagang niya at pagkuyom ng mga palad sa ilalim ng lamesa, alam na nito ang sagot sa riddle.

The answer should have saved many lives. Kung mas maaga lang niyang nasagot ang riddle, nailigtas sana ang mga inosente.

Yes, we have sent fake memos para sa mga empleyado ng MOS informing them na under renovation ang buong building kaya lahat sila ay granted ng isang lingong vacation leaves. May mga casualties, kagaya nina Ryanne, Claina, Emerald at iba pang empleyadong napadalhan ng pekeng memo pero hindi natanggap o nabasa ang sinasaad no'n kaya pumasok pa rin sa opisina. Pumasok para magdusa at mamatay.

Even neighboring establishements received fake news na may gas leak around the area ng MOS at kailangan nilang lumisan pansamantala sa lugar habang inaayos ang leak para maiwasan ang karagdagang casualties.

Infinite made it so convincing with the help of our tech team, 98% ay naniwala sa kinalat na balita. 2% were killed.

Presumably, most of those who were killed inside the building were members of Scorpion and contributed to Karen's death.

Innocent lives should have been spared if only Vlad knew what was the riddle about. Sana'y ang mga kasangkot lang sa kamatayan ni Karen ang napaslang. With Andreas tortured to death, nasa headquarters na sana namin si Vlad ngayon bilang kapalit ni Karen.

Ganoon ka-simple. But things got worse and complicated. To be honest, it got more exciting and interesting. Lalo na na't pinaghirapan din ng Infinite ang set-up sa bawat floor. The masterpiece was to intentionally show Scorpion how powerful Infinite could get when provoked.

In addition to what precedes, we have three prospected recruits bukod kay Vlad.

Mildred, Satana and Maddie's death meant three replacements. Siguro ay 'yan ang gustong gawin ng Infinite. There was a collateral afterall.

My only job was to kill the excess and bring the recruits including Andreas. The Infinite wanted him alive. They demand for a slow and painful death for the guy.

I too.

Kinapa ko ang nakasukbit na baril sa aking tagiliran. Nang mahawakan ko ito ay kinuha ko naman ang gun silencer para maikabit sa dulo ng baril.

I can easily exit the plenum after firing a bullet or two. My silencer can remove the "uncorking" sound, but not the sound of the bullet's flight. Kaya sa tantiya ko'y hanggang dalawang bala lang ang kaya kong pakawalan before someone finds out where I am.

I'll make it a quick death for the two. They don't deserve to die, but they will; atleast I'd like to give them a less painful death.

Ryanne, the poor old lady na wala sa listahan ng mga dapat mamatay, just reminded me of my mom. Maamo ang mukha nito at laging nakangiti sa tuwing dumadalaw ako sa opisina niya. The job I had, my real job, made me kill innocent people who deserved more life that I do.

The killings haunted me. Always. And the only way to make them stop was to kill new set of people of both the innocent and the guilt. A new set of karma which I had to dwell everyday.

Killing Ryanne on the other hand was like killing a Scorpion. That stupid Haliya na nakonsensya at nagawang iligtas ang babae dahil may pamilya ito, she's pathetic. Hindi niya alam na mas mahihirapan si Miss Ryanne kapag nanatili siyang buhay hanggang sa floor na ito.

I must end it.

Kahit na may bahagyang panginginig ay kailangan kong tapusin ang nasimulan kong plano.

Just one quick pull on the trigger and then I'd quickly target the girl opposite to her, Rielle. She did not pass the test. Isa din siya sa mga nasa harap ng MOS tower nang ipagtabuyan ng guard si Karen na parang isang hayop. She was there, and she did nothing to help her.

Just these two for now and then I'll deal with the last one later.

Bumuntong hininga ako. Mariin kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata bago itinutok ang bunganga ng pistol sa bumbunan ni Ryanne.

Just a gunshot to any area of the cortex can cause death through excessive intracranial pressure arising from either brain swelling or edema. A strong blow will damage her brainstem, which regulates heart and lung function. They will die instantaneously.

Muli akong bumuntong hininga bago nakapa ng kanang hintuturo ko ang trigger. Kausap ni Ryanne si Vlad. Kinukwento nito ang tungkol sa mga anak.

I let her finished her story. Hearing what she had to say made me feel the sudden lump on my throat. Napalunok ako. Nang matapos si Ryanne at bago pa man bumigat ang aking dibdib, pinihit ko ang gatilyo ng pistol.

The bullet travelled towards her skull. Lumusot iyon sa kanyang kanang pisngi.

Blood splatter infront of the table. Napatili si Rielle habang pabagsak na ang katawan ni Ryanne sa lamesa. Nang ilipat ko ang target sa kinaroroonan ni Rielle Sison ay mabilis siyang nahila ni Minalyn palayo.

Hindi ko na namataan kung saan nagtago ang dalawa dahil kaagad kong napansin ang mabilis na pagkilos ni Andreas paikot sa kinauupuan nito.

Pinalipad ng kanang palad ng lalaki ang isang bread knife patungo sa air filter kung saan ako nakatago.

He knew I was there. Hiding.

Mabilis akong nagpagulong-gulong palabas ng plenum. May mga sumunod pang kutsilyong ibinato si Andreas patungo sa kisame. Mabuti na lang at nailagan ko ito.

Right at that moment, I knew what I was up against.

Andreas was not an ordinary killer.

He's far better than what the Infinites expected.

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