"Convict Me, Attorney." (Law Series #2)

PART FIFTEEN: AWAKENING THE SLEEPING DRAGON

"I'll answer," said by a voice.

Tyler.

Everyone gathered around him, asking the exact same question.

"Kung mapapansin po ninyo, sunud-sunod ang pagpatay sa lugar na ito. Kung iisipin, sa lahat naman ng lugar may namamatay, ngunit sa lugar na ito, kakaiba ang uri ng pagpatay. Binibiktima nila ang mga kababaihan edad 19 - 25. Kumukuha rin sila ng lamang loob at ginagawang karumal-dumal ang krimen, animo'y ipinagkakalandakan na sila ang may gawa ng mga pagpatay."

Tyler gulped and made sure he was perfectly balance in all cameras.

"Ang mga ganitong klaseng krimen ay labag sa batas ng Diyos at ng tao. Bilang alagad ng batas na pumo protekta sa karapang pantao, sisiguraduhin kong ang imbestigasyong ito ay magpapakita ng hindi lang ngipin, kun' 'di ang pangil ng batas."

He looked around, meeting everyone's eyes.

"At ang hinihingi ko lamang ho sa inyo ay ang inyong kooperasyon. Kung lalabas ng bahay, siguraduhing 'wag aalis mag-isa. Kung matutulog sa gabi, siguraduhing na i-lock ang mga pinto at bintana. 'Wag basta-basta makikipagkita o magpapapasok sa bahay, kilala man ninyo o hindi. Malinaw ho ito. Tayo ay may kalabang hindi natin alam kung sino at ano."

He then looked at one of the cameras.

"Kung nasa'n ka man at kung sino man, sisiguraduhin kong manginginig ka sa takot. Afterall, you're not only fighting against the rule of law."

He then smiled and he turned serious.

"You are fighting against Tyler Scott."

Just then, we walked away from the scene. Hours later, we got the autopsy report. The victim died 48 hours before we discovered. She was long been dead.

"Ilang biktima pa ang late na nating ma-di-discover?' galing na tanong ni Newt.

"True," I said, worried. "Baka marami pang katulad n'ya na hindi pa natin nadidiskubre."

"And the hints!" Newt said.

"First, a human eye. Second, a watch pointing at 11:59. Then a Z1K1W. Now, a message saying 'I am always in between. I watch over you.'"

Tyler looked at us.

"We need Heinz," he said. "There's no other way."

"Man," said by Newt. "You know what happened to the guy the last time he helped us. He was traumatized and hospitalized."

"We have no other option," said by Tyler. "Nakikita lang natin ang biktima 'pag patay na sila. Wala tayong magawa dahil nangyari na. All we can do is to look for any hints and that's the most stupid idea we can come up with. It's like we're chasing someone through their footnote. It will take us forever to know them. But what if we can meet them along the way? That's why we need Heinz. He can see the death real time, all before they happened. We can either stop it or catch the killers on the spot."

I gulped.

It made sense.

"We have to win him back," Tyler said and he looked in our eyes. "NOW."

Just few minutes later, I was with Heinz and looking at his eyes persuasively.

"No," he said. "I won't come back."

I sighed.

"But we need you," I said, persuading him.

He looked back.

"I don't want the team to need me," he said and he looked in my eyes. "I want you to need me."

My face went blank but my heart just took a leap.