Chapter 50

I was in the middle organizing the evidence that we'll be using for the massacre case. It's slowly coming all together... pero parang may kulang pa rin. Lui told me that he's working on something. I badly wanted to ask him kung ano ang ginagawa niya, but I just told myself that he'll tell me himself kapag tapos na siya. I just couldn't bring myself to demand more from him gayong alam ko na kung gaano kadami ang ginagawa niya para sa kaso na 'to.

I wanted to tell myself that he's doing this because this is the right thing to do... but then I'd be lying to myself.

He's doing this for me—he didn't give a damn about those people nor justice.

And it's been weighing on me... na kapag may nangyari sa kanya, dahil 'to sa akin. I couldn't even tell myself that if he dies, he died doing something right...

Because for him, it's all about me.

I quickly told myself to stop bago pa kung saan mapunta iyong iniisip ko. Lui told me that he's being careful with gathering information. Wala pa namang nakaka-alam sa ginagawa namin—at most ay sina Vito lang, but I highly doubt that they'd tell anyone else about this. Kung may mas gusto mang maka-bawi sa mga Villamontes kaysa sa akin, si Vito 'yon.

"What?" I asked nung tumawag sa akin si Achilles. Hindi naman siya tumatawag lang randomly kaya alam ko na importante iyong sasabihin niya sa akin.

"I heard they're consulting with all top law firms," he mentioned.

"That's expected," I replied.

I already knew that they have almost all the top firms in their pocket. Heck, kahit iyong dalawang pinanggalingan ko dati, may kapit sila—to think na galing ako both from private and public employment. Their claws dig deep. Kahit ngayon, hindi ko pa rin alam kung sino ang pwede kong pagka-tiwalaan kaya kaunti lang ang pwede kong kausapin tungkol dito.

"May balita ka ba kung sino ang gagamitin nila kapag nagfile na tayo ng kaso?" tanong niya.

"No idea," I replied.

"Ask Lui."

"He'll tell me kapag alam niya."

"What's he up to?" Achille asked. I didn't like his tone. I really try to understand where he's coming from. Of course, after everything that's happened to Mauro, magiging protective siya sa kanya... but damn, sometimes, he acts like kahit kaming dalawa ni Lui ay kaaway niya. His walls were dangerously up there—like no one can climb them.

"Again, he'll tell us when he tells us," I replied as calmly as possible... but who the hell was I kidding? Patience was never my forte—kaya nga napapa-resign ako sa mga trabaho ko kapag hindi ko na mapagpasensyahan iyong mga ka-trabaho ko.

"Look," I began. "Lui's doing everything he can. You have to understand that he can't just waltz in their functions and demand those demons to turn over files that will incriminate them. We both worked for the prosecution—we know how this goes."

Hindi agad siya nagsalita.

"I understand," sagot niya.

"Good," I replied. "How's the case?"

We discussed for a while iyong kaso na hina-handa niya. We previously agreed na sa tax evasion cases siya magfo-focus. Mauro's working for the Congress and helping him gather information na magagamit namin. They're making huge progress na mukhang malapit na ring ma-file iyong kaso kaya lang ay napagkasunduan namin na mas maganda na sabay namin 'tong gawin.

I didn't think I'd hear from Lui for the next few days until I saw him outside my door. I didn't know what I expected, but it felt a bit weird to see him so... normal?

He got inside my unit. Agad siyang naupo sa may couch. He laid his back against it and closed his eyes. Para bang pagod na pagod siya, pero ngayon lang siya nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na magpahinga.

I stood there for a few seconds, wondering kung ano ang pwede kong sabihin o kung papanoorin ko lang ba siyang umidlip.

"Sabi ni Achilles, nagco-consult daw sila sa lahat ng firm," I said after a few minutes that he wasn't moving at all. It's either he's in deep thoughts o gusto niya lang talagang matulog.

"That's expected," he replied.

Bahagyang napa-kunot ang noo ko dahil parehong-pareho iyong sagot namin nang sinabi sa akin ni Achilles iyon kanina.

"Do you know kung sino ang gagamitin nila kapag nagfile?" I asked.

Lui opened his eyes. Naupo siya nang maayos at saka tumingin sa 'kin. "With the tax cases, they'll probably use Lance," sabi niya.

"Lance?"

He nodded. "He's an ass, but he's a good lawyer," he replied. He's right... Lance may be all things, but he's a very good and cunning lawyer. Pero may tiwala din ako kay Achilles. He won't go down without a fight—lalo na at damay din si Mauro sa lahat ng 'to.

"Sa criminal?"

"Iñigo," he replied.

Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ko. "Si Iñigo?" I asked.

I knew of Iñigo, but I didn't really know him. I mean, sino ba ang hindi makaka-kilala sa kanya after what he did sa kaso ng Ramirez? He got everything to win the case, but still decided to recommend for the dismissal—much to the detriment of his career.

"Why him?" I asked because I had to.

He's a good lawyer, no doubt, but I didn't think he'd accept the case given what I know about him. I mean, he basically nuked his own career to do the right thing. Why the hell would he represent the Villamontes? It just didn't make any fucking sense.

"Also, na-retain sila?"

Lui nodded. "Yes."

"What? Seriously?" I asked because if it were me, I'd rather stab myself kaysa pumayag na i-retain 'yung pamilya ng Villamontes.

Lui shrugged. "It's just good business," Lui replied like it was the most logical thing to do. "They know that Villamontes retains a lot of firm. They barely do anything for them."

"Bakit sa tingin mo sila ang gagamitin sa criminal case?" I asked.

Fine. It's good business. Money is still money, I guess. But if they really retained almost all of the good firms in the country, bakit si Iñigo ang gagamitin nila?

"Have you seen Iñigo in court?" he asked like that has to mean something. "He's smart and also having cases thrown out on a technicality is his forte. Once we submit the evidence, they'll know that we have a strong case—they'll focus on getting us on the technicality. It just makes sense."

"How do you know all this?" I asked because he's talking like he came from the future at alam niya na kung ano ang mga gagawin nila at kung ano ang mangyayari.

"Because," he replied. "The only way to beat them is to think like them."

I pursed my lips.

"I don't think you really grasp what's happening, Tali," he said. "These people are evil. Unlike you, they are no lines that they won't cross, no witness that they'd hesitate to silence. The only way we have a chance to win this is to act like them."

"What are you suggesting? Na gumawa din tayo ng illegal?"

Lui stood up. He took a step that made my heart skip a beat. I held on to my breath.

"No," he replied. "You win the battle in court—I'll win the war outside."

My lips parted because to my ears, that sounded like a dying declaration. "Lui—"

"May naka-usap na ako na willing tumestigo para sa massacre," he said, changing the topic.

I forced myself to focus on that. "Nasan siya?"

"Some undisclosed place," he replied.

"Seriously? Sa akin mo pa hindi sasabihin?"

"He's safe," he said.

"Paano mo siya napapayag?"

"I'd rather not tell you," he said.

"What do you mean?"

He walked past me. "Let's not lie to each other and pretend that everything I'm doing is legal," he said as he opened my fridge and got himself a glass of water. "I convinced him to testify after informing him that I, too, know where his daughter studies."

Napaawang iyong labi ko.

"See? That look on your face," sabi ni Lui pagkatapos niyang ibaba iyong baso sa may kitchen island. "Do you think I can convince anyone by asking nice?"

"But... will you really... do that?"

"No," he replied like he's pissed I even had to ask. He stared right into my eyes. Once again, he made me hold my breath. "But push comes to shove? I don't know what I'm capable of doing."

I answered him with silence from my end.

"Tali," he called.

"What?"

"I'll do my part, but please don't ask me kung paano ko ginagawa," he replied. Tahimik lang akong naka-tingin sa kanya. "Because I've always hated that disappointed look on your face."

And I hated that that was the last thing he said to me bago siya umalis sa condo ko. I hated that I wasn't given the chance to tell him that yes, I was disappointed, but even then, my thoughts of him were complex at best.

Still, I was trying to rationalize who he actually is and what I wanted him to be in my mind—it is a continuous battle.

* * *

I was counting the days when we could finally file the goddamned case. Umiinit ang ulo ko tuwing nakikita ko iyong mga mukha nila sa TV. I hated that for them, life goes on... I hated how everything in their life was just normal. It's unfair.

Pareho kami ni Mauro na gusto ng simulan iyong lahat. If not for Achilles and Lui, baka na-file na namin 'tong lecheng kaso na 'to.

"We're done building the case," sabi ko kay Lui nang muling magkita kami. "We need to formally file the complaint."

He nodded. "Yes, but first things first," he replied. Naka-tingin lang ako sa kanya at hinihintay kung ano ang sasabihin niya. "These are non-negotiable."

Napa-kunot ang noo ko nang abutan niya ako ng relo.

"Wear this at all time," he said.

"Ano 'to?"

"It has a tracking device," he replied. I was about to reply, when he quickly cut me off. "As I have said, non-negotiable," he continued. I pressed my lips together. "I'll get you a security team. You'll have security round the clock. You won't piss me off by evading security or doing anything stupid."

My jaw clenched.

"You're smart, but sometimes, god, do you piss me off by being so reckless," sabi niya sa akin. "You're not to trust anyone but me."

"Kahit sila Achilles?"

"Just me," he replied as he stared into my eyes. "Just focus on the case. Let me worry about what's happening outside. Don't do anything outside the lines of the law."

"What—"

"No questions," sabi niya. "I'll tell you what you need to know. Kapag hindi ko sinabi sa 'yo, trust me that it's for the best."

I vehemently shook my head. "No. If you go down, we go down together."

I saw his jaw clench. "Didn't I just tell you not to do anything stupid?"

I stared at him with equal intensity. "And you're insane if you actually think that I'll sit back and let you take the fall," I told him. "I hate that I even have to say this, but don't do anything stupid like dying."

He remained silent.

"I need to hear you say it," sabi ko sa kanya.

"What? That I won't die?"

"Yes."

"I'm not suicidal, Italia. If I die, trust that it's against my will," sabi niya sa akin. "But don't do anything stupid like seek justice on my behalf."

This conversation was making my head spin.

"We'll file the case next week," he said, changing the topic once again, but he wasn't successful. My mind was still dwelling on what has been said. "Alongside that, there will be a media smear campaign."

"About?"

"Villamontes," sagot niya. "Paid a couple of vloggers to make noise."

Lui told me that the court of public opinion matters, too—if not more. Nagbayad siya ng ilang mga sikat na personality online para i-discuss iyong nangyari sa massacre at iyong mga sexual harassment na kaso niya dati. He said that the more noise online, mas mahihirapan iyong mga kasama sa payroll ng mga Villamontes na hindi pansinin iyong kaso.

"Is this really necessary?" tanong ko dahil iniisip ko na baka madamay iyong mga vlogger na wala namang kinalaman dito at binayaran lang ni Lui.

"Yes," Lui replied. "I heard that they'll try to get Judge Hermosa. We'll release some information about him and then you'll file a motion to have him recuse himself from the case."

What the hell?

Ito ba lahat ng ginawa niya nung hindi ko siya nakikita?

"Paano kapag may ibang judge?"

"I got a pocket full of videos," sagot ni Lui. "Once they get the hint, kukuha din sila ng Judge na hindi affiliated. I doubt any judge will risk ruining his reputation."

My lips were parted.

"And once we're on equal footing, that's when the game will finally begin."

**

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