It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder - Albert Einstein

Ghost's POV

When I work, I work hard.

Walang puwedeng umistorbo sa akin. Lalo na ngayon na nakapasok na ako sa organization ni Ulysses. At tama ang hinala ko. Hindi basta-basta ang organization na ito.

The elite members of the group were known to everyone. Three high-ranking generals. Five rich businessmen. Four politicians. All of them were visible almost every day in media. Those businessmen were known to be philanthropists who helped less fortunate people. The politicians were known to be pro-poor. Maraming mga taong umiidolo at hindi ako makapaniwala nang makuha ko ang mga files nila. The children that they killed from the past hunting games. The horrible things that they did to those innocent angels.

Marahan kong hinihilot ang ulo ko habang nasa harapan ko ang mga files nila. Una kong tiningnan ang mga files ng tatlong general. I heard these three loved to hunt with each other. Gustong-gusto nilang nag-uunahan sa paghuli sa mga bata. Gustong-gusto nila na nakikita ang mga ito na parang mga daga na natatarantang nagtatakbo. Tinitingnan ko ang mga litrato ng mga batang napatay nila noon. Naitakip ko ang kamay sa bibig ko. Napakarami ko nang nakitang matitinding pagkamatay, I killed people without mercy, but these pictures would be always buried in my mind until the day I die.

Kids being shot by crossbow arrow. Skinned alive. Necks being broken using their bare hands. Kids' tiny bodies being handled like a ragged doll. I heard they even fucking documented the kill that they did to the children. At iyon ang gusto kong makuha.

Itinabi ko iyon at ang kinuha ko naman ay ang files ng mga businessmen. I knew them too. Billionaires. Madalas ko ring makita sa mga pagtitipon ng mga rich and famous. Madalas ding nakabalandra ang mga mukha sa mga sikat na magazines. Nakikita ko ang mga pamilya. They were the epitome of the perfect family. Iniidolo ng mga tao. But behind their sweet smile, their people pleasing personality lies the devils that tortures and kills kids.

Same with the politicians. Mabuti na nga lang at napatahimik ko ang isa. Si Congressman Toti. Well, he didn't last long. Kinabukasan lang matapos ko siyang asikasuhin, bumigay din siya. Didn't wake up from his coma. At least nabawasan ang isang demonyo sa mundo. Dinampot ko ang isang folder. Mayor Hanauer. Never met this one in person yet but I heard so much about him. At naalala ko, nabanggit ni Leon na ito ang asawa ng dati niyang kinakasama. Mukhang nagkakagulo ngayon dahil sa custody ng mga anak niya.

Tinitigan ko ang litrato ng Mayor tapos ay tiningnan ko ang files niya. Naikuyom ko ang kamay ko. I remembered the headless infant that found on the pile of garbage. The one that was skinned. I remember the little fingers of that infant being cut. He did that. Fucking Mayor Hanauer was the one who killed that baby.

Nasuntok ko ang mesa na nasa harap ko. I was gasping for air. I wanted to vomit. I was angry. Right now, I wanted to see that fucking mayor and I am going to kill him. I am going to skin him alive, cut his fingers one by one and I am going to rip his head from his body.

But I had to calm down. I needed to get my act together. I was inside the organization and I needed to act and think like them. The fight would be in two days and if Johnny wins, which I knew Leon won't allow, they would resume the hunting game.

Napatingin ako sa telepono kong nag-vibrate sa mesa. Tiningnan ko at nakita kong si Riel ang tumatawag sa akin.

"Update?" Bungad ko sa kanya.

"Everything is good. I did what you asked me to do." Sagot niya.

"Good. And the kids?"

"As of the moment they are being transferred to the location that you told me. No one will find them. Ang lahat ng nagpapatakbo ng orphanage ay nakuha din namin. Ano ang gusto 'nyong gawin sa mga ito?"

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang marinig kong nakuha na doon ang mga bata.

"I want the kids to be put to safety first. Na-check ba na lahat ng mga nagpapatakbo sa orphanage ay konektado sa organization?"

"Yes. At dalawa lang ang nakita ko. Si Mario Dumlao at si Gibo Cerna. Sila ang nag-aayos ng mga adoption ng mga bata na ibinibigay sa organization para sa hunting game. Umamin na sila. Malaki ang ibinabayad sa kanila. Fifty thousand per kid."

Napahinga ako ng malalim. "Put them inside the orphanage, tie them, then burn it. The rest, cut them loose." Walang emosyong sabi ko.

"Copy."

Pahagis kong binitiwan ang telepono ko sa mesa at muling tiningnan ang mga files na nasa harap ko. Maya-maya ay tumunog ang telepono ko at naka-receive ako ng text galing kay Ulysses.

Meeting in 30 minutes. HQ.

Napapangiti ako habang nakatingin sa message sa akin. I am sure they were already shaken of what happened. Tumayo ako at tumungo sa silid ako. Binuksan ko ang cabinet at naghanap ng maisusuot. I took the ash gray Armani suit. I wanted to look perfect for that meeting.

I wanted to see the fear in their faces once they learned what happen to their precious orphanage.

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Nasa tapat pa lang ako ng pinto ng silid kung saan magaganap ang meeting namin ay naririnig ko na ang malalakas na sigawan mula doon. Lihim akong napangiti. Alam kong nagtatalo-talo na sila. Binuksan ko ang pinto at tumingin lang ang iba sa akin pero nagpatuloy pa rin sa pagtatalo ang mga ito. Ang pinakamainit ay si Rene. Ang Major General na kasama namin. Alam ko rin na siya ang walang tiwala sa akin.

"As of now the orphanage is burning. The kids? They are all missing. Paanong nangyari iyon? Paanong makakatakas ang halos dalawampung bata at hindi malaman kung saan napunta?" Talagang naggagalaiti si Rene. Kitang-kita ko ang galit sa mukha.

Tahimik lang akong naupo sa bakanteng upuan na naroon habang pinagmamasdan silang lahat. Talagang nagtatalo-talo sila. Maraming mga tanong. Kung paano nasunog ang orphanage tapos ay paanong wala na doon ang mga bata.

"There are two fatalities inside the orphanage. Mario and Gibo. Ring a bell?" sabi pa ni Rene at tumingin kay Ulysses.

Kitang-kita ko ang pag-aalala sa mukha ng lalaki. Hindi ito kumikibo habang nag-iisip tapos ay tumingin sa gawi ko.

"What is going on?" Kaswal kong tanong.

"You don't know what is going on? Are you sure member ka ba talaga dito? The orphanage is burning. Someone took the kids. Paano ang hunting game?" Galit na sabi ni Rene.

Muli ay tumingin ako kay Ulysses. "That's your concern? The kids? The hunting game? Hindi 'nyo concern kung paano nasunog ang orphanage? And I heard that the kids are all missing?"

Napatahimik ang lahat at tumingin sa akin. "I think something is going on." Sabi ko pa.

"Yes. I can feel that too. Nagkaroon lang naman ng ganitong problema nang pumasok ka. Maybe you're a fucking snitch." May dinukot sa likuran niya si Rene at nakita kong baril iyon. Ikinasa at itinutok sa mukha ko. "Are you a fucking police officer? Saan ka affiliated?" Bumaling ang tingin nito kay Ulysses. "I told you he is bad news!"

"Jesus, Rene. Put your gun down." Marahang hinilot ni Ulysses ang ulo niya. "Put down your gun!"

Ang sama ng tingin sa akin ni Rene pero ibinaba nito ang baril. Napataas lang ang kilay ko at napailing. Akala ba niya matatakot ako sa pagtutok niya ng baril sa akin? I killed my own wife. Wala na akong kinatatakutan ngayon kahit kamatayan.

"How do you trust each other? I know I am the newest member here and I'll be the number one suspect. But how about the others? Do you think everyone here is still loyal to the organization? Look, I killed Ed. The one that was double crossing you all. But are you sure there is no other Ed among us?" Mahinahong sabi ko.

Nakita kong nagtinginan sa isa't-isa ang mga naroon. Pati si Ulysses ay halatang nag-aalala.

"We are all loyal in this organization. Walang snitch kahit isa sa amin." Sagot ni Rene.

"Then I am loyal too. I did whatever you asked me to do just to join this agency. All of us here are hungry for money. Power. That's why you do this hunting game, right? You want to feel the power over them. And I know it's addicting. To kill is addicting."

When I said those words, I was telling that to myself. Yes. Killing is addicting. Seeing those faces begging for mercy. Asking to give them a chance to live. Taking away their precious life little by little. I knew people won't understand what I was doing. For some, killing is still killing. But inside my mind, bad as it may sound, I am giving the society the chance to breathe and heal by taking away and killing those devils that were lurking around and prey for the innocent ones.

"We don't have kids anymore. They are all missing," kita ko ang frustration sa mukha ng isang businessman. "Paano tayo gagalaw nito? Mahihirapan tayong makakuha ng magiging ka-affiliate na orphanage. Mahihirapan na naman tayong makipag-coordinate sa mga tao. Mahirap kumuha ng mga katulad nila Gibo na nababayaran agad. At saan tayo kukuha ng mga bata? The fight is in two days."

"There are many street children out there. We can take some of them." Suhestiyon ng isang senador.

"Fuck you, Rex. We don't take street children. Hindi tayo ganoon kababa. Hindi tayo katulad ni Ed. We want clean and nourished children. Saka sanay sa takbuhan ang mga bata sa lansangan. Mas may thrill kapag 'yong mga walang alam talaga." Sabat ni Rene.

"I have a suggestion."

Pare-pareho kaming napatingin sa gawi ni Mayor Hanauer na kalmadong nakaupo lang at naninigarilyo.

"What is it?" Tanong ni Rene.

"How about precious tamed kids? Kids that don't belong in the orphanage. Kids that have a loving family." Ngumisi ito ng nakakaloko. "I think what happened is a blessing in disguise. We need to up our game. Don't you think mas magandang laro iyon?"

Hindi kumibo ang mga taong naroon. Ako naman ay nakatingin lang sa kanya at pinag-aaralan ang mga sinasabi niya. Pero kampanteng-kampante ang mayor. Tingin ko ay mayabang dahil sa sigurado siyang magagawa niya ang sinasabi niya.

"Like what? Kidnapping kids from their families?" Tanong ni Rene.

"If you want. Napakadaling gawin noon. Then all of us will hunt the kids. Two would be okay. Masayang laro ito kapag nagkataon. Unahan tayong lahat sa kung sino ang makakahuli sa mga bata."

"And where are we going to get those kids?" Sabat ni Ulysses.

Ngumiti lang si Mayor Hanauer. "Don't worry. I'll cover for that. We will have a hunting game after the fight night."

Hindi ako kumibo. Dapat kong mabantayan ang galaw ng mayor na ito. Sigurado akong may gagawin itong katarantaduhan.

At hinding-hindi ako papayag na may mga inosenteng buhay ang magbuwis para sa kaligayahan nila. Slowly, I would snatch their precious life one by one.

And I am going to start with those businessmen.