Saving Lucas

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Karl kneeled with his arms on the railing on top of a building. He adjusted the binoculars, keeping sight of the target. He inhaled deeply from the cigarette dangling from his lips, blowing gray smoke into the air. He let out a small cough and thought about his wife’s nagging voice in his head. Quit smoking while you can. Are you smoking again? You’re so stubborn. And the list goes on. He smiled as he thought of his wife, and realized how much he missed her endless nagging. After all, his wife couldn’t possibly nag him with what her illness did to her, could she? Maria was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer a month ago, and was bed ridden since. Funny when you think of it. He was the chain smoker, and it was his wife who had caught lung cancer. Maybe the world isn’t fair after all, he thought. Now, as Karl zoomed the lens on the target, he thought about the millions of pesos that his boss had promised him after the task is done, and the help it can do to Maria’s ongoing medication. Hang in there, Maria, he thought as he inhaled another round of smoke from his cigarette. And as he saw the target rise from his seat, he lifted the phone from his belt, hit speed dial and said, “The target is in motion. Let’s rock.”

****

“Sir, he’s here,” the woman in business suit informed the man looking out the window. In regular days, he would have admired the view like how he did four years ago. He marveled at the progress of the city, from sky bridges to the rise of various buildings and condominiums. This city has improved a lot since the last time I was here, he thought, and wondered with how time flew by so fast. He wondered how time could just fly by like that, from the rise of a bigger and better city, the rise of the economy, and the death of his father. He wondered where he had been during his father’s struggle, about not being able to be there by his side when his lungs shut down for good. Now, as he was about to inherit his father’s properties, including this building—the PhilTrust building—he marveled at how everything seemed alien to him, when to think of it, he was standing at this very office, admiring the same scene four years ago.  He sighed, fiddled with his necktie and spun the revolving seat toward his assistant, Jenny. 

“Let him in,” he whispered, his agitation evident. Jenny turned around and opened the door as the man in a black shirt entered. The man was in his mid-thirties, clean-shaven, with features so rough he could double for a goon. He sported a crew-cut, and was wearing—like he always had four years ago—a black shirt and camo pants. The man entered and smiled at him, his eyes wet from the scorching heat outside.

“Ringo,” the man in the business suit greeted. The man in the black shirt nodded, walked toward him and sat on one of the chairs. 

“I believe you have been briefed about everything,” Ringo asked with a stern expression. 

“Yes.”

“Are you ready, sir?”

“To be honest, I’m not really sure, Ringo.”

“We don’t have much choice. We couldn’t play it any other way. My guess is, they already figured everything out even before you came back.”

There was a brief pause. Then: “Are you sure this will work?” 

“Nothing is certain, sir.”

The man paused. He looked at the desk and saw a picture of his father, healthy, vibrant, and alive. Then: “You always loved my father, didn’t you, Ringo?”

“Yes.”

The man turned and looked out the window again. “Let’s just cross our fingers and hope this’ll turn out well, then.”

“That we do, sir.”

The man started to rise from his seat. He stared at the faint image reflected on the window glass, examining his carefully parted business Mohawk, to his medium built frame, his piercing brown eyes and the slight point of his nose. He turned to Ringo, sitting on the desk chair and nodded.

“Under different circumstances, I would say that it’s good to see you again, Ringo.”

Ringo stood up and gave him a curt nod. “This is your father’s wish. Put that in mind. I’m doing this for both of you,” he said softly. “It’s good to see you too, Lucas.”