The Science of Spying (Erityian Tribes, #4)

Chapter 25 : Red and Green

"Are you sure about this?" I asked while looking at the data she presented.

"Yeah. When I tracked the signals using different software, they all ended up in a single transmitter. Here," sabay pakita niya ng isang signal map. "They are concentrated in this tower. And to make sure that this is not a work of a third party, I consulted someone I know in the Frontal department."

Frontal, huh? That's the communication department. Then it must be really from that telecommunication tower.

"Then, shall we conduct a stake-out?" Jett suggested while cleaning his gun. "I've rested well enough."

Mukhang okay na nga siya. According to Aarif, Rubeus' specialist, it would take a week for his burn marks to finally dry using his medication but this guy must be anxious since he wasn't able to do missions with us. His exposed skin must still sting but it seemed like he already took anti-pain pills.

"Maybe after a few hours," sagot naman ni Naia at napatingin siya sa couch kung saan natutulog si Cliff.

That guy must be really exhausted since right after we arrived, he immediately plopped on the couch and after a few seconds, he was already asleep. That was expected since he had been taking care of people and missions for consecutive days.

'Are you sure? Trusting him, I mean.'

I suddenly remembered what he said on our way back here. He must be worried but Nigel, that man, I chose to trust him even though he was acting odd the past weeks. Bigla naman akong kinilabutan dahil naalala ko ang lalaking 'yon. Kung nandito siya, panigurado ay pagagalitan niya ako.

"Personal attachment and feelings can affect one's judgement. How many times have I told you that?"

Memories from our academy days resurfaced and thinking about him made me nostalgic and terrified at the same time. He would always say that line during classes and he would end up discussing feelings associated to our brain activity, or about those neurotransmitters. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan na siya ngayon pero baka may mission na binigay sa kanya si Dad. Ang huli kong naaalala ay ang pagkikita namin isang taon na ang nakakalipas.

"Thinking about him?" Naia suddenly said. Napatingin naman ako kay Jett at mukhang hindi niya naririnig ang usapan namin dahil busy siya sa paglalagay ng mga baril niya sa suitcase.

"Yeah. Well, I was thinking about Nigel but I ended up remembering his principle."

"Ah. Since you're conflicted about trusting Nigel. Is that it?" As expected. She knew.

"Right. I suddenly remember the line he would always say when we were training with him."

"That line, huh? He was really influenced by those detectives."

"You could say that."

That was right. According to Dad, before he became an instructor in the academy, he spied the Senshins and he alerted the tribe about the inevitable war between Senshins and Shinigamis. Because of that information, Mom's team managed to sneak in the Shinigami's base to retrieve the other Erityians' eyes. Adding Kiyoko's story, they found and saved her but after that, Zeno and Mom told Ansel and Nigel that there was something strange about the whole thing. They started investigating even though Ansel and Nigel were against it but they couldn't prevent them from that because they were in the Philippines that time. After they went somewhere, they had not heard from them anymore, forcing the other two to track them but because of that, they were separated and Nigel realized his team members were all missing. During that time, he must have thought that Zeno and Mom were investigating the involvement of a certain underground organization and he spent his years tracking them.