The Open Coffin: Prelude to Murder

CHAPTER 20

During the time that Homer was meeting with the members of the barangay council, Victor and Vincent were studying the layout of the barangay plaza where the campaign rally will be held. The layout was prepared by Anthony himself. He perfectly knew every corner of the plaza so that he did not have any difficulty in sketching its layout.

There were two gates of the plaza: the western gate that served as the only entrance, and the southern gate, which served as the exit gate. Adjacent to the exit gate was a parking space that accommodate about ten to fifteen cars. The plaza was rectangular in shape: the eastern end was the stage; the western end was actually the western gate, serving as the main entrance gate. The plaza was about thirty meters wide and fifty meters long. It was spacious enough to hold a big rally.

Victor pointed to a part fronting the stage, "This is the best part where you can position yourself. Once you make the hit—and I'm sure you can do it with accuracy—you must casually walk to the south gate. Once outside, walk straight to the Mercedes, then off we go to Alaminos!"

"How about Merly and Leonard?" Vincent asked.

"They go with us, but once we reach Dagupan, we drop them off," Victor explained.

"Don't you think Almendares will go after them?"

"They won't, because he will go after us. but by that time, we're in our safe haven."

Vincent was aware that Almendares might still be hot on Leonard Regidor's tail, so he suggested, "We take Leonard with us. It's too dangerous for us to leave him in Dagupan. Remember that he was Casimero and Manansala's hitman. If Almendares gets him, and subjects him to intense interrogation,Regidor might sing like a canary, and we're finish. Remember that he knows our 'safe haven,'"

"Okay, I think you are right. So we take..." Victor wasn't able to finish what he was saying because Anthony suddenly came in, catching his breath.

"Boss, you've gotta know this!" Anthony was panting. It was quite obvious that he ran all the way to the rest house from wherever he might have been.

"What is it, Anthony? Looks like you're on fire, boy!" Vincent rose to his feet to meet the excited caretaker.

"Attorney Buencamino canceled his scheduled campaign rally. Rosing told me!" he panted.

"What! But why!" Victor and Vincent cried.

"I don't know, Boss. Rosing did not tell me."

"You didn't ask?" Vincent couldn't hide his irritation thinking that Anthony bungled.

"I did, Boss, but she told me she didn't know. Said a certain Karen Espiritu told her that the campaign was off."

"Karen Espiritu, that's Rodrigo's cousin, the campaign coordinator of Buencamino," Vincent said.

"The campaign is off! Fuck!" Victor cried. He was angry and frustrated because their plan was again thwarted.

"What are we going to do now, Boss?" Anthony asked his two bosses.

Victor and Vincent looked at each other. Their faces showing signs of frustration. They were about to complete their plan of action only to be rendered obsolete by the bad news broke to them by Anthony.

"Fucking shit!" Victor kicked the foot of the coffee table near him.

"I think some son of a bitch warned Buencamino that we are here," Vincent clinched fist in anger and frustration."