Number 47 | ON-GOING

CHAPTER 36

Ultimatum

DMITRI.

Iniwan ko ang kotse ko doon sa pasilidad dahil sa sasakyan kami ni Attorney Regala sumakay para sabay na kaming lahat. Also, he received a call from Major Gallente, saying that they'll be waiting for us at the site. They were already there since the army of mediamen will surely be early and there's a possibility of stampede.

That earth-shattering news was never a joke after all. I was always saying that Homer was really, really, really a big fish — unlike Nathan who's a shark, though they're different in some levels — and a mole inside the government, importing, exporting illegal drugs. And illegal possession of prohibited drugs was already a serious crime. Don't ever think why mediamen was having this kind of excitement on this case because the answer speaks already. With that, everywhere and anywhere you go, you can see headlines about this matter; Homer was arrested due to illegal possession of illegal drugs, and some sorts.

They didn't knew — almost all people didn't knew — that the news said that there was a wealthy and renowned family who was murdered by the accused — and that accused was Homer, the defendant. I don't know if people already figured that thing out, but also in the news, vague clues have been given. All they knew, was me and Homer had discord about him killing my father for imprisoning his henchmen. But that wasn't confirmed by the news outlets. And that I, multi-billionaire business tycoon as they called me, was shot by Homer after having a strife inside Stanovoy.

Since Attorney Regala was in the prosecution, Erina and I was also present at the initial appearance of Homer. Initial appearance, either the same day or the day after — or could be two to three days — a defendant is arrested and charge, they are brought before a judge or usually a magistrate, in order for the judge to determine if there is a probable cause for the arrest.

Probable cause means a reasonable ground for supposing that a charge is well-founded. To put simply, the judge will review the complaint against that old octopus and determine if the 'facts' alleged indicates that the defendant probably committed the charged offenses.

Papasok pa lang ako sa sasakyan ng abogado namin, tila ba umurong at iniwan ako ng katapangan ko. Gaya rin sa nangyari sa akin n'ong papasok ako sa unit ng pinsan kong si Rogue, nanginginig ang buong katawan ko, at hindi ako makagalaw kahit gustuhin ko man.

The fuck.

Papunta pa lang kami sa korte para masaksihan ang unang paglabas ni Homer sa korte pero, heto ako, nilayasan ng sariling katapangan at kabaliwan. Ni hindi man lang ako makapagsalita. Nanunuyo ang lalamunan ko. Kinakabahan ako, sobra.

Until Mr. Regala tapped my left shoulder along with his confident smile.

"What's the matter? You aren't the defendant here. Chill," said Mr. Regala with a reassuring smile before going straight to the passenger's door.

Right, I have to be cool. Lance's right. Bakit naman ako nagkakaganito kung hindi naman ako ng akusado dito?

Pero hindi ko talaga maiwasang mag-alala nang sobra sa mga nangyayari. Alam ko namang hindi ako ang kinasuhan, hindi ako ang pumatay, hindi ako ang may kasalanan. I have to be cool like what Mr. Regala told me.

I've seen situations like this before. Supposed that  the verdict was already out, and the accused was already convicted, life when you go out the court was risky. You'll face a do or die situation even if you have obtained the justice you want. You never know that there might be snipers waiting for you outside for convicting their comrade — or can be their boss. The art of avenging your time-honored superior. Might also supposed that before their superior was arrested, they already prepared something in return for the one who sued them.