"I even got up so early just for this date. Look at what I'm wearing, I look so perfect. 'Tapos ipapatawag lang pala tayo." Irritation was evident on Kitty's eyes while saying those. She's already at the camp with Danica changing into their uniforms.
"You're not the only one who cancelled a date," Danica said while trying not to laughed at Kitty's rants.
"Oo nga. But you're not ready yet! Look at you, still on your pj's," Kitty said as she rolled her eyes on Danica. "We are fvcking suspended for fvck's sake!"
"Tell that to my father, Kitty."
"No way! Baka ipatapon pa ako no'n sa training camp," Kitty said while trying to fix her beret. "I'm done, let's go."
"Privates reporting for duty, ready to take a mission, Sir!" the five of them greeted as they saluted at the Commander.
"At ease," the Commander stated. "I know the five of you has been suspended but there's a group called Eagles-they invaded West Land and killed civilians. They are now inside our land, the headquarters and the armed forces of West Land asked for our assistance, they want all the special force soldiers to be the one to hunt the group." Shocked and confusion was written all over their faces.
The West Land has a strong and advance security system, the West Land is ironically the safest place you can live in. How did those invaders get into their territory?
"What about them? They asked for our assistance but we'll be the one to hunt those Eagles? I know it's our duty to fight those kind of people who wants to invade our country. But, Commander... they are the one responsible for this! They let those eagles enter our territory!" Kitty knows she's not allowed to speak yet but she can't contain her anger towards the armed forces. "They should at least take part of the hunting, we're not the only one who pledged to die for West Land. They also pledged to protect West Land at all cost!"
"Kitty..." Gavin called, trying to calm her down.
"Did I allow you to speak, Private Menken? Those Eagles are not easy to deal with, they entered West Land successfully without alerting all the security forces here in West Land." And kitty knows that! She knows everything about the eagles! But there's a question inside Kitty's mind.
'The eagles are very discreet, how come they let the West Land know about them?'
"Unless someone from the government or from the headquarters let them enter..." Gavin said while looking at the Commander.
"Yes, unless someone powerful let them enter. Their motive? We don't know," the man who just entered the office said. It's Sergeant Lowell.
"Eagles are group of criminals from East Land," Kitty said that made them all turned their heads to her. "They do dirty businesses like drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and other trading contrabands."
"Where did you get that informations, Private Menken? The headquarters didn't even know that, they can't get any informations about those eagles," the Commander said.
"I encountered them once when I traveled to East Land. They were very discreet with their transactions to the point that no one from the Government knows that they exist except those smugglers who had transactions with them." All of them are silently waiting for the next words that'll come out from Kitty's lips.
"I saw them having transactions and I got curious, so I spied on them. I followed all of their transactions back then, I even know where they hide their contrabands. The eagles are dangerous, they have connections in the Government of East Land. Kaya madali lang din para sa kanila ang magkaro'n ng koneksyon sa isang politician dito sa West Land. May connections din sila sa mga crime families, one of those crime families originated in West Land."
They all fell silent. They didn't know that the eagles are that powerful. At anong mafia ang tinutukoy ng dalaga?
"Then, what's our mission Commander?" Drey, who broke the silence, asked.
"Now that we know their motives, your mission is to know where their next transaction will happen. I will go to the headquarters to report what Private Menken said. You are all dismissed, get ready for your mission."
"Yes, Sir!" they all saluted and answered in unison.
The five of them silently walked to their rooms, no one dared to talk. Tila ba ay umatras ang kanilang dila.
Nang makarating sa kanilang kanya-kanyang kwarto ay agad rin silang nagbihis sa isa pa nilang uniporme. The black one with SF.
"I didn't know you travelled to East Land," biglaang sambit ni Danica habang naglalakad sa gilid ni Kitty.
"I was just fifteen back then. I travelled with my family," sagot ng huli.
"Paano mo nasusundan ang Eagles if you're with your family?" Kitty was taken a back with the question. Is Danica suspecting her?
"Uh-they only stayed for a few days."
"So they let you stay in East Land? Alone?"
"Yeah."
"That's-"
"Why do you keep on asking? Are you suspecting me that I am related to the Eagles, Danica?" Kitty asked.
"No-"
"Then stop asking!" Kitty shouted and left Danica standing in the corridor.
'What's her problem?'
Kitty is obviously frustrated of what's happening but it's true that she's not related to the Eagles. She just knew something about them because of her curiosity and that's it. Nothing more.
"Where's Danica?" Warner asked when she arrived at their car but she didn't respond to the question.
"Hey, What's wrong?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Gavin.
"Nothing," she answered.
"I know you, Kitty. What's wrong?" mahinahon nitong tanong sa dalaga.
"She questioned me, Gav! I treated her as a true friend, but she suspected me of being related to the Eagles."
"Who?" tanong ni Drey.
"Who else?" mataray na tanong nito pabalik sa dalaga.
"Danica?" tanong ni Warner. Muli ay hindi sumagot ang dalaga hanggang sa dumating na rin si Danica.
"What happened to you, Danica? Why are your eyes puffed?" bungad na tanong ni Warner dito.
"It's nothing," sagot nito at naupo sa tabi ng binata.
"What did you do, Kitty?" naiiritang tanong ni Warner.
"What? I didn't do anything to her, Warner!"
"Hey, hey... baby, relax," pag-aawat ni Gavin.
"Then, why is she crying?" sigaw pabalik ni Warner.
Kitty turned her gaze to Danica. "I should be the one crying, not you! I know you're suspecting me by just the tone of your voice. Don't you dare deny it, Danica."
"I'm not suspecting you, Kitty!"
"Then why did you fire a lot of questions to me if you're not?"
"Stop shouting at her, Kitty! Will you please stop that attitude of yours?" galit na sigaw ni Warner.
"What attitude, Warner? Huh? What attitude? You're really choosing her over our friendship?" Kitty said with sadness in her eyes.
While everyone is shouting at each other, pabalik-balik lang ang tingin Gavin sa dalawa. He'll looked at Kitty then to Warner.
"What? I didn't choose anything, Kitty. And the two of you are also friends!"
"Stop shouting at my woman, Godfrey," matigas ang boses na sabi ni Gavin.
Ang kaninang puno ng ingay ay napuno ng katahimikan. Lahat sila ay natahimik sa sinabi ni Gavin. 'He's angry.'
"Let's fix this problem after the mission."
And after that, no one dared to talk. Even Kitty-who's frustrated-didn't utter any word.