The Charmed Thief

CHAPTER SIX

Present day...

TUMINGIN sa kisame si Sasha, while rocking the chair he was sitting on.  He was in some ritzy hotel in Manila.  Wasting his days doing nothing.  Literally and figuratively.  Ilang araw na siyang nakakulong sa hotel room na 'to.  And he was slowly dying of boredom.  Mabuti sana kung nandito siya ngayon dahil may pinaplano siyang heist o dahil may binabalak siyang nakawin sa building na 'to.  But no, he was here for a very boring reason.  Para magpagaling at magtago.

"Aleksandr Ivankov."  Muntikan nang magtaob si Sasha sa kinauupuan dahil sa pagtawag ng kausap sa buo niyang pangalan.  "Nakikinig ka ba sa 'kin?" iritadong tanong nito sa wikang Ingles.

Napabuntung-hiningang tiningnan na lang niya ang monitor ng laptop kung saan nando'n ang kausap.  Staring back at him with irritation in her hazel eyes was Cameo.  Her long black hair was cascading behind her back.  Wala niyang kaabog-abog na sasabihin na isa ito sa pinakamagandang babaeng nakilala niya.  And she was also the best grifter anyone could have the pleasure of meeting.  "Yes, yes, I'm listening."

"Then ulitin mo lahat ng sinabi ko."

Tumingin siya sa babaeng katabi ni Cameo.  Her red curly hair was in a wild disarray.  Natatakluban ng makapal na salamin ang kulay berde nitong mga mata, the bridge of her nose covered in freckles that almost looked like fairy dust.  A genius hacker in her own right.  Ito ang nag-set up ng secure connection kung saan sila nag-uusap ngayon.  A safety procedure just in case na nakasunod pa rin sa bawat hakbang nila ang FBI, or worse, Interpol.  "Intel, do I really have to?"

Nagkibit-balikat ito.  "You know she won't stop nagging you until you do."

"Hey, don't talk as if I'm not here," reklamo ni Cameo.  "And Intel's right, I won't stop until you do."

Muli siyang napabuntung-hininga.  Wala na siyang nagawa kundi i-recite ang shorter version ng lahat ng sinabi nito sa kanya kanina.  "Don't move around too much so my wound won't open.  If I go out, I should at least wear a disguise.  Don't just eat junk foods and chocolates.  And while I'm here, don't do anything that can stir up trouble and send me to prison."

"Good.  Sana lang sundin mo ang lahat ng 'yan.  Nasaan nga pala si Parker?"

"Went out to buy something."

Cameo clicked her tongue.  "Dapat talaga ako na lang ang nand'yan.  At least I'll be able to look after you better than Parker.  It's so unfair that she's there while I'm stuck here in freaking Myanmar."

"There's nothing unfair to it.  Parker won the rock, paper, scissor, fair and square," wika ni Intel.

'Yon kasi ang naging basehan kung sino sa tatlo ang sasama sa kanya dito sa Pilipinas.  Because apparently the there of them think that a grown man like him needs a babysitter.  

Inis naman na binalingan ng tingin ni Cameo si Intel.  "Oh shut up, Intel.  If you just did what I told you, ako sana ang nanalo sa rock, paper, scissor na 'yon."

"Then that would be unfair," matter-of-factly na sagot ni Intel. 

Mas lalo lang nainis si Intel.  Pero hindi na ito nakipagtalo pa dahil alam naman nito na hindi ito mananalo sa masyadong logical na pag-iisip ng dalaga.  Bumaling ito sa kanya.  "Why do I have to be stuck with this robot?"

"I am very much human, you know," sagot naman ni Intel.  "And besides, I think I got the short end of this bargain.  After all, I'm stuck with you.  That, in itself, already says a lot."

Napatawa na lamang siya.  "Both of you, play nice," wika niya sa mga ito.  "Hindi naman kami magtatagal ni Parker dito.  It's only until things calm down.  Hanggang hindi na mainit ang mga pangalan natin sa FBI at Interpol."