✔ 03 | Point Of Exposure

CAPITULUM 33

SHADOW headquarters
11:10 p.m.

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"Gosh! What the heck do these numbers mean?"

Nova bit the tip of her pink glitter pen and stared at the numbers again. Hindi na siya nag-abala pang magsuklay mula pa kanina.

Screw it. Who cares if she looks a bit haggard?

Sa liwanag ng lamp sa gitna ng kanyang opisina, she started skimming through pictures of the crime scenes again, looking for any connection with the numbers. Sinulat niya ulit sa papel ang mga ito.

135

225

270

'Ascending order, but it still doesn't make any sense,' she thought. Napahilamos na lang siya ng kanyang mukha at pagod na sumandal sa upuan. Damn. Nova admits, it wasn't the first time this evening that she wishes Nico was here. Kung nandito lang siguro ang isang 'yon, baka magkaroon siya ng ideya kung ano ang mga ito.

She unconsciously smiled.

"Kung nandito siguro 'yon, the first thing he'll mention is the lack of coffee inside this office... Tapos sunod niyang lalaitin ang hitsura ko. Tsk! Once an asshole, always an asshole."

Bigla ring nawala ang ngiting 'yon nang maalalang wala nga pala si Nico rito.

In fact, they still haven't found him yet.

At kahit anong pangungumbinsi niya sa sarili na dapat na lang niyang ipaubaya sa mga pulis at kay Scorpio ang paghahanap sa partner niya, Nova still couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible happened to him.

But, on the other hand, Nico would surely scold her if she strays from their case. Ito rin siguro ang dahilan kung bakit nago-"overtime" siya rito sa opisina. Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Nova sabay balik ng mga mata sa mga numero.

135

225

270

A code, perhaps?

Well, if it is, then it's not something she's familiar with.

"Hay! Wala naman kasi nagsabing kailangan rin pala ng math skills sa pagiging detective."

Yup, she was pretty sure it wasn't written in the job description. Ilang oras na rin niyang sinusubukang i-research ang kahulugan ng mga 'to, but nothing looked suspicious. A part of her already made up her mind to work this out alone---that competitive side of her who wants to prove something. Isa pa, wala naman siyang mapaghingan ng tulong.

Speaking of which...

"Mukhang ayaw rin ni Scorpio ng tulong sa kung anumang inaasikaso niya," Nova absent-mindedly said when she recalled the way the old man declined her help.

Nabanggit nito kaninang may sarili daw siyang "pinagkakaabalahan" na maaari raw makatulong sa kanila, but aside from that, he didn't reveal anything else. In the end, Nova just brushed it off.

'Ganoon naman talaga kapag tumatanda, hindi ba? Kung anu-ano ang mga naiisip.'

Huminga nang malalim si Nova at kinuha ang kanyang mug. After deciding that she'll work well hydrated, agad niyang iniwan ang kanyang mesa at nagtungo sa kalapit na water dispenser.

The soft sound of footsteps on the carpet.

Nova's senses became alert.

'May nakapasok dito!'

Bago pa man makahakbang papalapit sa kanya ang kung sinumang nag-trespass sa kanyang opisina, the pink-haired detective quickly spun around and pulled out the gun out hidden under her shirt. Walang pag-aalinlangan niya itong tinutok sa lalaki. Her sharp brown eyes narrowed at the tall shadow.

"Mind telling me what you're doing inside my office?"

Pero imbes na matakot, nagtaka na lang si Nova nang mukhang hindi man lang natinag ang trespasser.

In a familiar voice, he replied, "Mind telling me what you're still doing inside my building?"

It took her a moment to finally recognize her own boss. "M-Mr. Y?" Dahil dito, agad niyang binaba ang baril at ninenerbyos na natawa. 'Gosh! Baka mamaya matanggal pa ulit ako sa trabaho.' After what happened with the RA case, she couldn't take any risks.

"H-Hehe... Akala ko po kung sino. Sorry, err... I was just working on the UD case. Ano pong ginagawa mo rito?"

Tulad ng kanyang inaasahan, napasimangot lang si Mr. Y sabay dako ng mga mata sa kanyang mesa. Silently, Nova thanked herself for being such a perfectionist in organizing her things.

"May progress na ba?"

Dahil wala rin namang saysay kung magsisinungaling siya rito, umiling si Nova. "Still working on the clues the killer left us."

Tumango ito, kahit na mukhang hindi nagustuhan ni Mr. Y ang kanyang sagot. Sunod nitong nilapitan ang bato at sinipat sa ilaw ng lamp. Nova has half a mind to tell him about Nico's disappearance, pero alam niyang ayaw nitong pinag-uusapan ang anumang may kinalaman sa DEATH at mga agents nito.

'Pero kung ganon, bakit sila magkakilala ni Xavier Alcantara? Even Olympia seems close to them.'

"Ang balita ko wala pa ring balak maghigpit o magpatupad ng additional guidelines ang mayor natin. The man seems like he doesn't even want to entertain the idea of a community quarantine," the CEO of SHADOW casually told her. "This means a lockdown is just as impossible, of course."

Dahil dito, si Nova naman ang sumama ang timpla. Hindi siya makapaniwalang sa kabila ng lahat ng nangyayari, nagmamatigas pa rin ang mayor ng Eastwood! Hindi ba niya alam kung gaano kalala ang sitwasyon? Wala ba siyang ideya sa maaaring epekto ng Marburg virus sa mga tao?

"Alam ba ng mayor ang nangyari kanina sa mall?"

"Alam naman ng lahat. The media made sure of that," Mr. Y answered.

"Kung ganoon, bakit parang hindi pa rin siya naalarma? Bakit wala siyang pakialam sa nasasakupan niya?"

"Again, he's the mayor. Sa panahon ngayon, wala nang bigat ang salitang 'demokrasya'."

"Fuck it. He's risking a lot of lives!" Hindi na niya napigilan ang kanyang sarili.

Mr. Y raised an eyebrow at her words but didn't comment. Instead, he simply replaced the stone on her table and nodded.

"Sometimes we need to take risks, Ms. Carlos. That's the only option that'll help us move forward. Good evening," pagtatapos nito at tahimik nang lumabas ng kanyang opisina.

Nova watched as the man took his leave and closed the door behind him. Maya-maya pa, inubos na lang niya ang kanyang tubig at determinadong bumalik sa kanyang desk para lutasin ang kasong ito.

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