SHADOW headquarters
5:07 p.m.

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Hindi pa rin mapakali si Nova. She started arranging and rearranging her papers again, lining them up in perfect rows and columns on her desk. Dumako ang kanyang mga maya sa orasan, kahit pa alam niyang katitingin niya lang dito kani-kanina lang.

'Ano naman kaya ang ginagawa ng isang 'yon?'

She shook her head and tried to focus her attention to something else. Anything but that awful pink clock. Bakit ba siya nag-aalala? Hindi naman obligado si Nico na magpaalam sa kanya.

No, she doesn't care.

Mas concerned pa siya ngayon sa mga kasong kahaharapin ni Mr. Ye Hua dahil sa illegal shipment na ginagawa nila. Naaawa man siya sa Intsik, wala nang magagawa si Nova sa kasong ito. She could only hand this over to HELP and hope that his restaurant won't be shut down as a consequence.

Nova's phone beeped.

Agad siyang umayos ng pagkakaupo at binasa ang text message.

To her disappointment, it was just from her ex.

"O, bakit parang pinagsakluban ka ng langit at lupa diyan, Brian? Is something wrong?"

Nag-angat ng tingin si Nova nang huminto sa tapat ng kanyang mesa si Olympia. Nakasuot pa ito ng facemask at balot na balot, para bang giniginaw pa rin kahit na naka-on ang heater ng silid. But then again, Nova couldn't blame her. Having a flu really is a pain in the ass.

'And I'd rather endure seeing them with a flu than with Marburg virus.'

The thought, one again, scared her. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, mas pinili niyang tanungin, "Nothing. Stressed lang sa kaso. How are you feeling?"

Kahit na mukhang hindi ito kumbinsido sa pag-iiba niya ng topic, huminga nang malalim ang nakatatanda at naupo sa kalapit na upuan. "Mas maayos naman kaysa kahapon. Susmaryosep, nang mabalitaan ko 'yong tungkol sa virus, halos 'di ako nakatulog."

"Sana nagpahinga ka muna ngayon. I'm sure Mr. Y wouldn't mind."

"Si Yuan? Naku, knowing him, he won't hesitate getting me out of his sight." Mahinang natawa si Olympia at umubo. Maya-maya pa, sumeryoso muli ang ekspresyon nito. "Ang balita ko nagmamatigas pa rin ang mayor. Wala pa raw rason para limitahan ang mga social gatherings."

"Gosh. That's just ridiculous!" Nova rolled her eyes and started tapping her manicured nails on the desk. "Naghahanap na lang sila ng excuse para lang hindi mapaghalataang hindi sila handa, eh."

"Anxiety is just as contagious as any virus. Wala pa rin ba kayong lead kay Unknown Disease?"

As much as she doesn't want to admit this, but Nova knew they were far from discovering the killer's identity. Ni hindi pa nila alam kung paano nito nai-expose ang kanyang mga biktima. Paano mo ite-trace ang taong nagpakawala ng isang virus kung hindi mo naman alam kung paano niya ito ginawa?

"We're still working on it."

There's a missing link in this case, and that alone makes it even more complicated than the Heartless Killer and Robinhood Arsonist cases.

Sandaling natigilan si Olympia. For a moment, she looked like she was recalling something---maybe a distant memory?

Hindi niya alam.

"Sa kabila ng takot sa virus, it's amazing how some people adapt. Nag-request ng change off ang ilang empleyado natin kanina, samantalang 'yong iba naman maagang tinapos ang mga trabaho nila para makauwi rin nang maaga. Most of them want to spend time with their family after discovering how critical this whole UD situation is," Olympia explained.

"Well, I guess it's human nature. Kapag alam ng mga taong posibleng mawala sa kanila, doon lang nila nakikita ang kanilang halaga."

"Which reminds me... Shouldn't you be home an hour ago? Overtime ka na naman, Brian."

Napangiti na lang si Nova. "I know, but I still have a lot to do. Maiintindihan naman 'yon ng family ko." But at the back of her mind, Nova still couldn't forget the disappointed look on her little sister's face when she didn't pick her up on time. Alam niyang nitong nakaraang mga linggo ay nababawasan na ang oras niya sa pamilya, pero hangga't hindi pa tapos ang trabaho nila, wala siyang magagawa.

That's when she heard Olympia sigh. "You're such a work-a-holic."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that, too... Sometimes, you remind me so much of my younger self, Brian."

Bago pa man ito usisain ni Nova, mabilis nang nagpaalam sa kanya ang senior agent. Sa huli, wala na siyang nagawa kundi panoorin itong lumabas ng kanyang opisina. The pink-haired detective was left confused.

'What does she mean by that?'

Lumipas ang kalahating oras.

Kalahating oras na iginugol na lang ni Detective Briannova Carlos sa pagre-research tungkol sa virus. Nang mapansin na niya ang unti-unting paglubog ng araw, hindi na niya napigilan ang kanyang sarili.

'Damn him! Wala ba talaga siyang balak balitaan ako? Is he gonna take the credit, again?'

Though, she knew that Nico wasn't that kind of person.

In the end, she picked up her pink cellphone and scrolled through the contacts. Nova bit her lower lip and dialed his phone number. Lalo lang siyang naguluhan nang hindi nakakarating ang mga tawag niya.

'Bakit hindi ko siya ma-contact?'

Agad na napatayo si Nova, not bothering to mask her concern.

"Nasaan ka ba, Yukishito?"

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