Chapter 49

Kinailangan kong tanggalin lahat ng papel na naka-dikit sa pader ng condo ko dahil baka isipin nila Achilles at Lui na nasiraan na ako ng bait. We agreed to meet today to talk about what would happen. I suggested that we meet elsewhere, but Lui told us that we'll meet in my unit. He said it in such a way that there was nothing that I could do but to agree.

I was fidgeting while waiting for them. Nalinis ko na iyong condo. Then I was reminded na walang pagkain dito bukod sa kape dahil kape na lang ata ang dumadaloy sa mga ugat ko. I debated on ordering food, pero naisip ko na baka matagal pa iyong dumating. There was a pizza place nearby. Doon na lang ako bibili.

I wore a black bike shorts, white shirt, and black baseball cap. Napaawang iyong labi ko nang makita ko si Lui na nasa loob ng elevator nung bumukas 'yon. He was wearing a dark blue denim jeans, white polo shirt, at saka iyong kunot sa noo niya na parang permanente ng parte ng mukha niya.

"Bibili lang ako ng pagkain," I told him kahit wala naman siyang sinabi. The scowl on his face was enough for me to explain.

I got inside the elevator. Tumingin ako sa kanya dahil imbes na lumabas ay pinindot niya ground floor button. I guess he's coming with me.

Tahimik lang kaming naglalakad, pero napansin ko na patingin-tingin siya sa paligid. I guess he's as paranoid as me.

"Do you think they'll gun us down in the middle of broad daylight?" I asked.

"Did you think they'd gun down a van full of people in broad daylight?" he asked back.

Hindi ako naka-sagot sa sinabi niya. Hanggang ngayon, may parte pa rin sa utak ko na hindi maka-paniwala na may mga tao na kayang gumawa ng ganong bagay. I knew they'd do anything to protect Arthur's name... but to that extent?

Akala ko may limit lahat ng bagay—apparently, the limit doesn't apply to everyone.

Hindi na ako nagsalita hanggang sa makarating kami sa pizza place. I ordered two boxes at nung babayaran ko na, napa-tingin ako kay Lui nung biglang iabot niya iyong credit card niya. Bahagyang naka-kunot ang noo ko, pero naka-tingin lang siya sa akin na para bang wala lang iyong ginawa niya.

Naglakad si Lui papunta sa isang gilid at naupo doon sa two-seater na pwesto. Naglakad din ako papunta roon at naupo sa may harapan niya. I looked at him. I was reluctant if I'd say anything because he didn't look like he's in the mood to talk about anything—let alone argue with me dahil lagi namang doon nauuwi ang usapan namin.

"Do you think they know na kinolekta mo lahat ng files na 'yon?" I asked to fill in the silence.

"No," he replied. I still just looked at him. I didn't know how to ask when he already gave me more than I could ask for. "I've had those files in a while."

"For what?" I asked, unable to hold back.

"Blackmail," he replied like it was just normal for him to do.

"Again, for what?"

He leaned back and crossed his arms as he looked directly into my eyes. "To blackmail them," he replied. "I'm sure they have something similar against me, too."

"Like what?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Who knows? And who cares?"

"Really? You don't care about anything enough para ma-blackmail ka nila?"

"My family can handle themselves."

I gave him a short nod. "Right... Your family," sabi ko nang maalala ko na naman iyong mga nabasa ko sa file na binigay niya sa 'kin. "Is that the reason why you went to law school instead of med school?"

I did wonder about that before... na kung bakit nasa law school siya kung merong mga hospital iyong pamilya niya. I did wonder for a short time before I told myself that maybe he's just not medically inclined. Besides, he could still help in the administrative side—or the legal side. After all, lahat naman ng business ay kailangan ng abogado.

"You won't like my answer," he said.

"I know," I replied. I saw the quick disappointment cross his eyes, but I believe we're past that already. We both knew that I could be disappointed at him amongst other things. "But still, do tell."

"Law is far more interesting," he told me. "When I discovered what my family does on the sidelines, it... amazed me. About how much one can get away with everything as long as you know how to twist the law in your favor," he continued.

Nanatili lang akong naka-tingin sa kanya.

"You didn't care?" I asked. "About how they're using your family's business as a front?"

"No," he replied. "As far as I'm concerned, they all agreed."

"Because those people don't have a choice."

"They were given a choice."

"Between what? Death or lose a fucking kidney?"

"Yes," he quickly replied like it was a simple question. "Everything is a choice, Tali. Everything in this world is transactional. I thought we already established that," he said. "Like how I'm here in front of you—it's because I made the choice to betray everyone I know for you."

Biglang bumilis iyong tibok ng puso ko.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko.

But then Lui stood up at saka lumapit sa counter para kunin iyong pizza... kanina pa pala tinatawag iyong pangalan ko.

* * *

Pagdating namin sa harap ng unit ay nakita namin si Achilles na naka-simangot. I apologized dahil kanina pa ata siya naghihintay. He's quite moody, that one. Nagsama pa silang dalawa ni Lui na mukhang perpetually nasa bad mood lately.

We got inside the unit. Nilagay iyong pizza sa lamesa pero mukhang walang may nasa mood na kumain.

"Lui, Achilles. Achilles, si Lui," I introduced.

"I know him," halos sabay nilang sabi.

Napa-tango na lang ako. Hindi na rin ako nagtaka dahil halos kilala naman lahat ni Lui—kaya rin ang dami niyang alam dahil kilala niya lahat.

"Do you want to eat first?" I asked dahil walang nagsasalita.

"I'd rather we begin discussing," sabi ni Achilles.

Tumango ako at saka huminga nang malalim. "As I mentioned before, binigyan ako ni Lui ng files na pwede nating gamitin laban sa mga Villamontes."

"I know," Achilles replied. "But I'm more interested on what you have against the Cantavieja, Ferreira, Valladares, and de Marco."

Napa-tingin ako kay Lui. He gave me a short nod like he was telling me that it's alright to go on—that he knew what he was getting into nang ibigay niya sa akin iyong files na 'yon.

Muli akong huminga nang malalim.

"Hindi ba dapat nandito si Mauro?" tanong ko.

"I won't involve him here until I know you have a solid plan," sagot sa akin ni Achilles.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I sarcastically told him, but he just gave me an equally sarcastic nod. "We all know that they are all connected, but first, we have to establish their connection with the massacre."

"They used the private army," Achilles said.

"Yes, but as we both know, it's all hearsay hanggang makapag-produce tayo ng ebidensya," sagot ko sa kanya.

Naka-tingin si Achilles kay Lui na para bang hinihintay niya 'tong magsalita. "I'm working on it," Lui said, sounding a little pissed.

I briefly closed my eyes at saka huminga nang malalim. Akala ko sanay na akong makipagtrabaho sa mga lalaki na mataas ang ego, pero iba silang dalawa... It's like they're seconds away from wringing each other's necks.

"So, back to the plan," I said bago pa sila mag-away sa harapan ko. "We'll start with the murder charge since mas madali i-establish 'yon—at saka mas maraming nakakaalam sa kaso na 'yon kaya mas madali siyang iakyat sa korte. Once the case of murder is solid, we can begin with the other matters."

"What? Criminal?"

Umiling ako. "Ideally, yes, but we both know na mahirap ilaban iyong criminal," I told him. "But we'll hit them where it'll hurt."

I told Achilles that I'll be focusing on the criminal cases while he'll focus on the civil cases. Kasama sa binigay ni Lui na file sa amin iyong financial documents ng mga kumpanya. We can file tax evasion cases first dahil mas madaling ilaban 'yon and in that way, we can hope na ma-freeze iyong accounts nila—or at the very least, put all their movements under the microscope.

"Surely they have money stashed abroad," sabi ni Achilles.

"I know, but we'll worry about that later," I told him. Hindi namin kayang magmilagro. Apat lang kami kumpara sa lahat ng abogado at hitman na meron lahat ng balak naming kalabanin.

"How will we do this?" he asked. "Hindi na tayo prosecutor."

I gave him a short nod. "I'll work on that," I told him.

Mukhang nahimasmasan naman na si Julia dahil siya mismo ang nag-urong ng kaso laban kay Assia. I'd ask her to assign me as private prosecutor. Kung hindi siya pumayag ay saka ko na iisipin 'yon. First, we have to build a very strong case dahil kapag nagsimula na 'to ay wala ng atrasan.

"We have to move quietly," sabi ko sa kanya. "We have to preserve the element of surprise for as long as we could."

Tumango si Achilles. We discussed some more. Ang daming tanong ni Achilles. He's serious na hindi niya sasabihin kay Mauro hanggang hindi plantsado lahat. Kung hindi lang siya sobrang seryoso, magbibiro ako na hinihingan niya na ako ng class syllabus dahil sa dami ng tanong niya.

Tahimik lang si Lui hanggang maka-alis si Achilles. Ni hindi nagalaw kahit isang slice ng pizza. Kumuha ako ng isang slice non at saka inabot ko kay Lui. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo niya.

"Sayang naman," sabi ko sa kanya.

"I'm not hungry."

"Still, eat," I told him.

He got the slice from my hand, pero hindi niya ginalaw 'yon. Napa-tingin na naman ako sa kanya, but he looked like he's in deep in his mind.

"Are you having second thoughts?" I had to ask dahil siguro habang pinag-uusapan namin kanina, napagtanto niya na maraming tao ang madadamay—pamilya at mga kaibigan niya.

"No," he replied. "I was just thinking."

Naka-tingin lang ako sa kanya habang hinihintay ang susunod na mga sasabihin niya.

"On how I could get everyone," he continued.

"Everyone?"

He looked at me like he was already mourning me... funny because that's probably how I look at him, too.

"Yes, because they won't stop until everyone's gone," he said and as faint as it was, I heard the fear in his voice.

The way he was looking at me was making it hard to breathe. I had to look away at saka inabot iyong baso ng tubig. Ang dami kong gustong tanungin, pero hindi 'to iyong tamang oras. O baka walang tamang oras. Laging mali iyong timing naming dalawa.

"Everyone, huh? Even your friends?" I asked.

"I turned my back on my family for you... Do you honestly think I'll draw the line for my friends?" he asked back as his eyes drowned all the doubts in my mind. 

**

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