I.T.

Chapter 27. I.T.

HINDI alam ni Dice kung magpapasalamat siya na tumunog ang cellphone niya o hindi. Natatandaan niyang in-off niya iyon kagabi dahil inaasahan naman na niyang male-late siya. Marahil ay awtomatikong bumukas nang mag-alarm sa i-s-in-et niyang oras. Hindi na niya pinasok sa kwarto ang mga gamit at hinayaan na lang sa sofa pagkarating niya bandang alas dose kagabi.

He answered the phone and he was told they needed him there. Reklamo nang reklamo na kanina pa naghihintay ang mga ito.

"Damn it, Usui! You're active now, so don't slack off! This mission may not be that big but it is important!"

He sighed and told him he'd be there so they could start the meeting without him. "I sent you the details via email because I told you I'll be late. But I'll be joining the team later." Then, he ended the call.

Nang mag-angat siya ng tingin ay nakabusangot na si Kanon. Damn, now he wanted to stay more and woo his sulking girlfriend.

"I have to go, sweetie," malambing na paalam niya. He called her using that endearment especially whenever she's not in the mood.

"I packed your sandwich," she said coldly.

Kanon was understanding so he knew she wasn't being like that just because he's already going.

"Sa susunod kasi dalian mo ang pagsa-shower para makakain ka pa rito. Kung ano-ano pa kasing inasikaso mo, mas na-late ka na nga, hindi ka pa nakapag-almusal."

He wanted to hide his smile but he couldn't help but show it so he looked as if he's smirking widely like a Cheshire cat now.

"Ngingisi-ngisi ka pa riyan. Sige na, umalis ka na. Mukhang kanina pa naghihintay ang mga kasama mo." Kahit naggagalit-galitan ay hindi pa rin nawala ang bahagyang lamyos sa tinig nito. Ayaw na talaga niyang umalis pero kailangan dahil may aasikasuhin pa.

She put the two small plastic containers in a white small bag and she tiptoed to kiss him goodbye.

"I will eat this deliciously. Thank you..."

"Oo na. You should be professional. Hindi naman biro ang ginagawa ninyo kaya sa susunod huwag ka nang magpapa-late at kahit alam mong late ka na, magmadali ka pa rin. You should be considerate towards other people, Dice. You're not a schoolboy anymore."

Napanguso siya dahil seryoso talaga ito't para siyang batang paslit na sinesermon. And he amired her even more. Hindi ito kunsintidor kaya nasisiguro niyang nasa tamang tao at relasyon siya.

He suddenly pictured a maternal Kanon while their naughty child was being castigated by her. Ah, he loved those kinds of imaginations and he couldn't wait to build their future together. Sa ngayon ay tama ito, bubuuin muna nila ang pundasyon para mas tumatag ang relasyon nila. At 'di nila maggawa iyon kung hindi nila bubuuin ang sari-sarili kaya iyon na muna ang priority nila.

"Go on. Mag-iingat ka sa pagmamaneho, okay? I love you."

He immediately responded to his love words as he gave her another peck on her full and soft lips before finally leaving.

Pagkarating niya sa agency ay tapos na ang briefing sa misyong naatasan sa mga kasamahan niya, nandoon pa rin ang iba pero wala na ang head ng agency. Gayunpama'y nagpatuloy siya sa paghayag ng sasabihin.

Ipinaliwanag niya muli ang planong gagawin mamaya kahit alam naman niyang nasabihan na ang mga ito. "We'll stay in the mobile and you," bumaling siya kay Romano na siyang may nangunguna sa paghawak ng misyon. "...wait for our go signal. Dela Costa's team is currently wiretapping the CEO's office of TBS." He was pertaining to the Torres Broadcasting System. May anomalya sa kumpanya at kumakalap pa sila ng ebidensya para patibayin ang kaso ng mga taong nasa likod niyon. "And—"

"We already know that. But still, why did you go here?" sabad ni Kieffer Sandoval, isa sa mga agent ng Phoenix.

"Wasn't I supposed to go with you?" takang-tanong niya.

"You were pulled out of this mission. Nairita si Herrera sa iyo dahil late ka."

"Shit!"

Sanang hindi na pala siya umalis.

About what he was going to do today, he lied to Kanon. He still couldn't tell Kanon about his other job—him, being an agent at a private intelligence agency, the Phoenix Agency. He worked with computers with the team. They're the ones who were making sure if the gadgets were working properly, and anything regarding computers.

Phoenix International Agency was a prestigious security agency. But people didn't know that it was also private intelligence agency, a quasi-non-government organization devoted to the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information, through the evaluation of public sources. Kadalasan ay pribado ang pagtatrabaho ng Phoenix. And the agents sometimes obtained information deceptively or through on-the-ground activities for clients.

Siya, bilang miyembro ng I.T. team, ay hindi hands-on sa mga misyon. May mga ibang tao ang pinaka-tumatrabaho sa mga iyon. He didn't go undercover or staking out just as what the other agents were doing.

He's a genius when it comes to technology that was why he's working with the I.T. team. Sila ang kumakalap ng mga kakailanganging impormasyon sa mga taong konektado sa mga kasong hinahawakan ng Phoenix. Kung minsan nga'y pati mga hindi na kailangang detalye ay nakakalap pa nila. Thanks, modern technology.

Romano Caballero, his co-dancer and a choreographer, too, was the one who told him about Phoenix Agency. Nalaman niyang secret agent ito roon at naghahanap daw ng magta-trabaho sa ICT Department. He was introduced to the owner and was immediately hired the moment he shown off his skills. He was still a graduating student back then. He accepted the job but in one condition, he would not work full-time with them.

"Alright. You'll be a sleeper. It's different from the other sleeper agents but it's almost the same concept. We'll just activate you when needed. In the meantime, your job was to work as a company nurse in Montreal Agency and to break into their system. Palagi kasing nali-leak ang impormasyon ng mga talents and trainees nila sa kalabang kumpanya at sinusulot ang mga iyon..."

That was over a year ago but they couldn't finish the job because the rival company was sly. Pero alam niyang sa mga susunod na misyon ay babalikan at babalikan iyon ng Phoenix.

Sumunod na naging trabaho niya ay ang Romualdez Medical Center. Ipinasok siya roon ng head ng Phoenix para ma-hack niya nang walang kahirap-hirap ang system at malaman nila kung sinu-sino ang mga nasa likod ng pagnanakaw sa ilang funds ng ospital. Madali namang natapos ang misyong iyon.

He then stayed there for a few months, working as a real nurse, just so people wouldn't be suspicious if he immediately resigned.

At ngayon, kailangan niyang makasama ang mga magiging miyembro ng Eclipse, ang idol group na ima-manage niya. Originally, the plan was to turn them into spies and their front job would be idols but the head was still considering if they'd continue that or just let them debut and live as a normal idol group. Plano kasing pabagsakin ang kalabang Entertainment Agency ng Montreal dahil sa mga imoral na gawain ng mga namamalakad doon. But that would be handled by different agents.

Ang focus niya sa ngayon ay ang maging manager ng Eclipse, at maging choreographer na rin ng mga ito.

He was actually trained with the boys under Phoenix. Bago pa niya makita ulit si Kanon ay puspusan ang pagte-training nila ng ilang mga miyembro ng Eclipse para ihanda ang sarili sa oras ng kagipitan. Pinag-iisipan na rin kasi niya noon na seryosohin na ang pagiging agent at gawing full time ang trabaho, iyong hindi lamang siya nagkakalikot ng computers.

Sa huli ay hindi na niya itinuloy dahil kay Kanon. Dahil nakita niyang muli ang taong dahilan kung bakit pilit na inabala niya ang sarili sa ibang mga bagay sa nakalipas na mga taon. And now that he got her in his arms, he'd certainly wouldn't risk his life and be a secret agent.

That was why he decided to continue working as one of Phoenix' I.T. staffs instead of becoming a full-time agent, and pursue being the Manager of Eclipse. Soon he'd tell Kanon about his job in Phoenix Agency, but for now, they'd take time on achieving what they wanted to be because aside from that's what his girlfriend wanted to happen, he liked to do those things, too.

At ang isipang pakakasalan niya ito makalipas lang ng ilang buwan o mga taon ay nagpapasabik sa kanya't nagpapagana na gampanan niya ng maayos ang pagiging Manager ng Eclipse.