THE ADVENTURE OF AUGUST BACK TO EARTH

2. Phantom Troupe

"But you should know them." Giit pa nito.

"Is it in the book of Law that requires we should know them?" Tanong ko pa rito.

"No." Umiling naman ito sa akin.

"Oh ano ang pinagpuputak mo diyan?" Tinaasan ko ito ng kilay kaya natahimik naman ito. Pakialam ba nito kung di namin kilala ang grupong yan? Sa wala akong nababalitaan tungkol sa kanila eh. Ni hindi nga siya myembro ng Delta Team!

"Quit it. This is not the reason why we have this emergency meeting." Singit naman ni Chief dahil alam nito na kung hindi siya sisingit eh magkakasagutan na kami ng mga kasamahan ko. "Next week, Phantom Troupe will arrive here in the Philippines. They will be conducting a training for the Delta Team."

"What?!" Lahat kami napatayo. Nope, kaming Delta Team lang. Ako, si Misha, Reed, Jasper at Ryujin. All undercover teams composed of five members the best agents in the country. Best in their fields. Me, Reed, Jasper and Ryujin are best in fields, detonating bombs, spying, undercover mission, combats, guns and we are like a ghost when we do our jobs. We don't leave marks. While Misha, she is our navigator. She handle tracking, computers, satellite location, GPS, bugging, hacking, and creating fake documents for our fake identity when we have mission.

"But Sir, why us?" Naitanong ni Reed. He seems like against with the idea of this Phantom Troupe, training us.

"We can't do anything about it......." sagot ni Chief at bumuntong hininga naman ito bago ulit sumagot. "They are the one who selected you."

Napalunok naman ako. Hala, bakit kami? Bakit hindi yung Beta o kaya ang Charlie Team? Bakit kami na Delta at dito pa sa Pilipinas? Is this for real? Hindi naman sa ayoko, it is actually an honor to be trained by these people dahil halatang magagaling talaga ang grupo na ito. Pero nakakagulat lang, dahil sa dami ng pwedeng pagpipilian, sa Pilipinas pa talaga. They can select, Brazil or Spain or Russia or Japan or Canada, or Finland or Australia or Brussels or Germany. Ang dami daming pagpipilian pero Pilipinas yung pinili nila.

"Then, that would be great... maybe if they will train us, we can be great as them." Saad naman ni Jasper na ngayon ay mukhang excited na sa mga mangyayari.

Hindi nagbigay ng reaksyon si Reed. He looks likes he is displeased or something. Pero biglang lumapit naman sa akin ito at bumulong.

"I have a bad feeling about this. It sounds suspicious." Bulong nito sa akin. He looks serious and there is no hint of making fun. He is totally concerned.

Napatango naman ako. He got a point dahil talagang suspicious ang nangyayari. Pero kahit papaano ay nakarmadam din ako ng excitement dahil sa training na magaganap. I missed it already. Those days. And a flash of memory was rushing through my mind. My trainings in Pandora. It's been a few years at sumuko na ako sa kakaasa na makakabalik pa ako doon. And see him.

"Suspicious or not, this is a good thing. We will learn from them." Mahinang saad ko na lang rito. I'll take this as a positive side. It will be good for all of us.

"Well, that's a point." Ngumiti naman sa akin si Reed at biglang tumikhim naman si Misha and she is giving us a dirty look. Abnormal talaga kahit kailan.

Inirapan ko na lang ito at hindi na nagsalita. Nakinig na lang kami sa ibang reports ni Chief and folders were distributed again for another mission.

•••

"I will take the lead. Tail him without being noticed." Saad ni Reed mula sa maliit na earpiece na nakakabit sa tenga ko. It looks like an earring para hindi masyadong halata.

I am wearing a sophisticated black gown wearing a silver mask. May hair is in messy bun. I was eyeing the target. Senator Velasquez who is allegedly said as a drug lord and smuggler. Matagal na itong minamanmanan ng FBI pero wala silang nakukuhang mga ibedensya kaya idinulog na ito sa amin. This is the mission we received from the meeting.