Catch Me If You Can (Completed)

CHAPTER 13: CONFIRMED

Chapter 13: Confirmed

~SA-EL~ 

THE ERRAND that Dad asked me ended early kaya nagpasya akong dumiretso na sa apartment to check how the shroud that we stole was. Pagdating ko roon ay nakatihaya si Tandang Mimo sa harap ng TV at may tangan na popcorn. Suot pa rin niya ang damit na pang-security guard at hindi man lamang siya nag-abalang tingnan ako pagbukas ko ng pinto. I looked around the area to see if the shroud is already home although Mimo's current state tells me that it's not yet here. Kapag napapasaamin na kasi ang bagay na ninakaw namin, Mimo was the first one to sat in front of it for hours and talk to it like a fucking retard.

"Where's V?" tanong ko sa kanya. "And the shroud?"

Ikinibit ni Mimo ang kanyang balikat. "I don't know. As far as I can remember, I tossed her the car key and told her to go first. Nagulat na lang din ako nang makarating ako rito na walang tao. Israel, don't you think V run away with the shroud? Hindi kaya nagpasya siyang sarilinin na lamang iyon?"

His tone was really convincing at kung hindi lang talaga siya mas matanda ng halos sampung taon ay malamang nasapak ko na siya. "How could you suspect V for swindling?"

Umayos ng pagkakaupo si Tandang Mimo mula sa pagkakaharap sa TV. "Isipin mo na lamang 'to, Sa-el. Women are the best deceivers of all time—either they do it intentionally or not. Who made Adam ate the forbidden fruit? It's Eve! Who deceived Samson? It's Delilah! Nakuha mo ba ang ibig kong sabihin?"

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko kaya kinuha ko ang isang throw pillow at ibinato iyon sa kanya. "Nababaliw ka na, Tanda? How could you do that to V? We're working for a long time together but you still don't trust her up until now?"

"Not just her but as well as you and myself. Hayaan mong ipaalala ko sa 'yo, Israel, tricksters are cannot be trusted," mahinang wika niya at tumingin ng diretso sa mga mata ko. Agad naman akong nag-iwas ng tingin. I know what he's doing. He's trying to put me in a hypnotic state but I won't let him. I saw him work his trade at ganoon ang madalas niyang ginagawa.

"Stop it, old man," wika ko at naupo sa sofa. "Hindi ito ang pinakamalaking item na hinawakan ni V, kaya bakit naman niya iyon itatakbo?"

Tumawa ng nakakainis si Mimo. "I know. Sinusubukan lamang kita. I really like her. Habang tumatagal ay mas lalo siyang gumagaling. Kahit mas matanda ako sa kanya, I respect her a lot na para bang mas matanda siya sa akin."

"You should respect every member of this team," paalala ko sa kanya. Inabot ko ang bowl na naglalaman ng popcorn at pasalampak na isinubo iyon.

"Ah-ah-ahh," Mimo said in a singsong voice. "Sabihin mo 'yan sa sarili mo, Sa-el."

I twitched my nose and looked away. "You're the least likeable person in this team."

"I beg to disagree. I think it's the hacker," Mimo said at tumabi sa akin. "Pansin mo ba? He or she keeps himself in shadows. Yes, that's what we're supposed to do but he's just too much. No matter how we keep ourselves in shadows, we are still risking in every heist we do. Samantalang siya? Nasaan siya? He's just sitting in front of his computer. We break every bone in our body while he only breaks his fingers."

Napaisip din ako sa sinabi ni Mimo. "Tama ka nga riyan, but still the hacker has the biggest contribution. Hoy tanda, ano sa tingin mo ang dahilan kung bakit nagpapaka misteryoso ang hacker?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Hindi ko rin alam. Sa halip na maintriga ako, mas naaasar ako sa kanya. Sa tingin ko ay may diperensya siya sa katawan. Siguro may kapansanan siya—"

"Grabe ka naman, tanda! Wala naman siguro, kita mo na ngang hacker siya, 'di ba?" argumento ko.

"Oops, remember Ensei Tankado."