✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 11

"I've already noted the possible people Mrs. Taves had contact with for the last month," Detective Briannova Carlos said while keeping her eyes on her notepad she kept on the car's dashboard.

Sa kabila nito, hindi pa rin nakaligtas sa pandinig ni Nico ang hesitasyon sa boses niya. He can't really blame her, though. Ilang oras na silang naghahanap ng mga koneksyong makapagtuturo sa kanila sa tamang direksyon. After failing to get anything from the elementary, Detective Nico decided they should browse through Mrs. Taves' phone to get clues on who she possibly interacted with. Mabuti na lang at madali nila itong nakuha kanina sa HELP.

'The chief definitely anticipated we'd need it,' the detective concluded. Minsan talaga may nagagawa silang kapaki-pakinabang sa mundo. Dumako ang mga mata ng binata sa kanyang relo.

"It's already 4:00 p.m. May oras pa tayong bumisita kay Mr. Taves sa ECDCP. We need to 'humbly ask' for his  cooperation," Nico stated.

"You mean 'ruthlessly interrogate' him while he's still at an emotionally unstable state after his wife's death?" Umirap si Nova, "I don't think so. Baka makasama pa kung hindi muna natin sila bigyan ng oras huminga. Naii-stress pati 'yong mga anak nila."

"Exactly. People break under stress and that's how most detectives succeed in getting vital information, Miss Carlos."

"Pwede bang maging mabuting tao ka muna? Uso talaga 'yon. Isa pa, sa pagkakaalala ko, wala ka sa posisyon para utusan akong mag-drive." She even tapped her pink ballpen on the steering wheel to emphasize her point.

Nico was about to counter her argument but quickly shut his mouth.

'Damn Sherlock.'

Sa kasamaang-palad, habang abala sa pagte-trace ng contacts si Nico, hindi na siya nakaangal sa paggamit nila sa sasakyang pinahiram ng SHADOW sa dalaga. He was almost going to make a comment at her agency's unnecessary "kindness", pero alam niyang hindi ito ang panahon para pag-awayan pa nila ang mga ganitong bagay. Certainly not when a deadly virus and an equally deadly killer is on the loose.

Noong mga sandaling 'yon, biglang tumunog ang cellphone ni Nico. He quickly fetched it from his jacket's pocket and didn't even need to read the caller ID this time, "Anong balita, chief? Kamusta ang meeting ninyo?"

To his surprise, Inspector Ortega's distressed voice reached his ear.

["Detective, nasaan kayo?"]

"56th Avenue, sa tabi ng bangko. Why?"

["May mga biktima na naman, at mukhang si Unknown Disease rin ang may kagagawan nito... I'll text you the address."]

When Inspector Ortega hung up, Nico cursed under his breath. Wala pang 24 oras mula noong nahanap nila ang bangkay ni Mrs. Taves! Is this some kind of a sick joke? Kung sinuman ang nasa likod ng pagkalat ng sakit na 'to, mukhang matagal na nga niyang in-expose ang kanyang mga biktima sa virus.

And with this unknown virus' incubation period coming to an end inside their hosts, the waiting game begins.

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