✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 13

Eastwood Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(ECDCP)
4:32 p.m.

---

The assistant left the room half an hour ago. Since then, Detective Nico Yukishito and Detective Briannova Carlos stood in front of a large glass window where their witness kept pacing the sterile room.

'Damn Sherlock! We've wasted enough time here.'

Sa loob ng kahalating oras na 'yon, nakakapikon isipin na wala pa rin itong nabibigay na impormasyon para matukoy ang pagkakakilanlan ni UD. From the corner of his eye, Nico saw Nova shift uncomfortably, knowing the virus that killed the victims was potentially inside the man they've been interrogating. Sa kabila ng mala-military-style isolation ward ng ECDCP at mahigpit nitong health protocols, the thought of being this close to an unknown virus is reasonably alarming.

Napabalik na lang ang atensyon ni Nico kay Benet nang muli itong magpaliwanag. His voice crackled through the speakers, "I-Iyon lang talaga ang naaalala ko, detectives..."

"What about his complexion? Moreno? Maputi? Any identifying marks? Brand of clothes you're familiar with?"

"Hindi ko nakita ang mukha niya, but the man was tall---"

"How tall?" Nico sharply interrupted, pressing the button that allowed them to communicate without risking an infection.

"Hindi ko alam---"

"Mas matangkad sa'yo? You're a 5'7. So, perhaps, the suspect's height is around 5'8? 5'9?"

"P-Paano mo nalaman ang height ko?"

"Trabaho kong alamin ang lahat," Nico boredly stated. "Now, either give us an estimate on his height or give us something useful to work on."

Bahagyang napaatras mula sa salamin ang lalaki. Kung na-intimidate man ito sa detective o sadyang nainis sa tono nito, he didn't show it. For the nth time that afternoon, Nico frowned when Nova stepped in (again) and took over the interrogation. Tinapunan muna siya nito ng matalim na tingin.

"Tinatakot mo siya!"

"He wasn't being cooperative," he shrugged.

"Nico, you can't just intimidate the information out of people..."

"It's actually an interrogation and interview technique."

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ang dalaga. "Ugh. Remind me to never let you handle interrogations, again." Kaya wala nang nagawa si Nico nang siya na mismo ang pumindot sa button at kumausap sa lalaki. Sa kabila ng stress at pagod, pinilit pa rin niyang ngumiti.

"Benet, please... We need you to give us all the details you remember. Maraming buhay ang nakataya rito, at kung 'yong taong nakita mo sa shop nga ang killer na hinahanap namin, it will save us a lot of time and resources, as well. Kung hindi, baka marami pang matulad sa sinapit ng pamilyang Chua..."

Nang marinig nito ang pangalan ng mag-anak, agad nilang napansing nanlumo ito. Benet took in deep breaths and nodded, looking like he was about to breakdown any moment. Base sa narinig nila kanina, sinubukan pa nitong dalhin sa ospital at iligtas ang bata, pero huli na ang lahat nang makarating doon ang mga awtoridad at ang mga tauhan ng ECDCP. They saw him cradling the corpse of the dead girl, not knowing he'd be infected, too.