Chapter Two

Silent Thief is not just like an ordinary thief.

Bago sya magnakaw ay nagbibigay muna sya ng update sa pulis kung saan at kailan sya magnanakaw sa pamamagitan ng paghack ng computer data nito.

His next target would be displayed on their computers' screen with a sketch of blue roses beside the name he's popularly known as—— Silent Thief.

Nang marinig na pupunta ito sa Salazar Museum ngayong gabi para nakawin ang painting na isasali sa isang auction ay agad na nag-isip ng plano si Agent Angel para simulan na ang kaniyang misyon.

Upang hindi mahalata na iba ang kaniyang pakay doon ay nagsuot sya ng makintab at magarang bistida na hapit na hapit sa kaniyang bewang.

Hindi nagtagal ay nagsimula na ang auction para sa mga paintings. Maraming businessman at business woman ang nandoon upang magwaldas ng napakaraming pera para makuha ang painting na gusto nila o kaya naman ay gusto lang magmayabang sa mga kakilala nilang nandoon din.

Agent Angel doesn't have any plan of joining the auction at first, but when she thought of a sudden plan that would make her mission more easier, naisipan nyang sumali sa auction dahil kailangang mapasakanya ang painting na iyon.

If she won the bidding for the painting, magiging target sya ni Silent Thief. Nasa kaniya ang pakay nitong painting kaya hindi na sya mahihirapang hulihin ito dahil ito na mismo ang kusang lalapit sakaniya.

Once the thief lower his guards, she would use her 'one-arm shoulder throw' to slam him on the floor at saka nya ito lalagyan ng posas sa kamay para hindi ito makatakas.

"10 million dollars."

That is the starting price for the painting that Silent Thief plans to steal.

"50 million dollars,"

"75 million dollars!"

"80 million dollars!"

Agent Angel's eyebrow arched as she started to get confused why the price of the painting suddenly reached like that. She got annoyed because it's REALLY expensive.

Pero dahil meron syang misyon at gustong-gusto nyang ginagawa ang misyon nya ng mag-isa ay sarili nyang pera ang itinataya nya para makuha ang painting na iyon.

"100 million dollars."

Hanggang doon lang ang kaniyang limit. Hindi sya gagastos ng higit pa doon para lamang sa isang painting.

Lumipas ang limang segundo, walang ibang nagsalita. Unti-unti syang napangiti dahil akala nya ay sakanya na mapupunta ang painting, pero agad na nabura ang ngiti sa labi nya nang magsalita ang matandang babae sa kaniyang likuran.

"140 million dollars!"

"I80 million dollars!"

"195 million dollars!"

"200 million dollars!"

Her jaw dropped.

Like what's so special about that painting? She rarely even bought something for herself. Her teeth gritted in annoyance.

Should she just let others have it?

Pero kung hindi nya mapapanalunan ang painting, kailangan nyang mag stick sa kaniyang original plan na nakawin ang painting bago ito nakawin ng magnanakaw.

Her plan A is more risky and she doesn't like the idea of stealing the painting either...

"300 million dollars." that's her own voice.

Natahimik ang lahat at nagsitinginan sakaniya. Doon nya lang napansin na nakataas na pala ang isang kamay nya sa ere at mabilis pa sa kidlat na agad nyang pinagsisihan ang kaniyang naging desisyon.

Naghintay sya na may magsalita pang iba na mag o-offer ng mas higit pa doon, pero wala na.

She won the bidding for the painting, pero pakiramdam nya ay talong-talo sya.

'Damn, I used my own freakin' money just to make that painting mine. What a waste...'

After a couple of minutes, tinawag sya papuntang back stage para sa transaction na gagawin at para narin makita nya ang painting na kaniyang iuuwi bukas o kaya pwede rin namang mamaya.

Nilabas nya ang kaniyang tseke sa dala-dalang bag at nanginginig ang kamay na isinulat ang halaga ng presyo na kaniyang babayaran.

Nagdadalawang isip sya kung pepermahan ba ito o hindi.

"This is the first and last time that I'm going to spent such amount of money for a mission." she reminded herself.

'Darn you, Silent Thief.'

After signing the cheque, the painting is officially hers.

Pilit ang ngiting ibinigay nya habang nakikipagkamay sa staff kung saan nya iniabot ang pinirmahang tseke.

Pagkatapos ay nanghihinang ipinatong nya ang dalang bag sa mesa, nang biglang namatay ang ilaw at lahat ay nagsimulang magtilian.

"IT'S SILENT THIEF!"

"NANDITO NA SYA!"

Pagkarinig ng sigawan ay agad syang napangisi mula sa kinatatayuan.

"You finally came, huh?"

Lumapit sya sa kaniyang painting para protektahan ito at dahil narin alam nya na ito ang ipinunta doon ng magnanakaw. As if she would let the painting she bought for 16 billion pesos to end up on that thief's hands.

A few seconds later, the thief appeared infront of her. Para hindi mahalata ay agad siyang umarte habang kaharap ito.

"K-Kung itong painting ang ipinunta mo dito, i-ibibigay ko sa'yo... Just please don't hurt or kill me, I'm scared." she acted, eyes becoming watery as she raised both of her hands in the mid air so the thief would lower his guards.

"Tabi,"

Malamig ang boses nito ngunit hindi nya marinig ng maayos dahil sa suot nitong mask.

"Ilagay mo ang dalawang kamay mo sa likod ng ulo mo at huwag kang gagalaw. Maliban sa sinabi ko ay wala kang ibang gagawin."

"O-Okay," Kagaya ng sinabi nito ay tumabi sya at inilagay ang dalawang kamay sa likod ng kaniyang ulo.

Pretending that she's shaking in fear, Agent Angel waited for the thief to take his step closer to the painting bago sya gumawa ng kilos.

Hahawakan na sana nito ang painting ngunit hindi iyon nangyari nang agad nya itong pinatumba gamit ang kanyang kamay at balikat.

Agent Angel cornered the thief by the floor and grabbed both of his hand to handcuffed it, but freaked out when she realized that she's not carrying the handcuff with her. It's inside her bag!

Agad na sumimangot ang mukha nyang agad ring napalitan ng pagkagulat nang sa isang iglap lang ay sya na ang nasa sahig at ang magnanakaw na ang nakapatong sakanya habang hawak-hawak ang kanyang dalawang braso.

Sinubukan nyang makawala sa hawak nito pero masyadong mahigpit ang pagkakahawak ng lalaki sakanya.

Nagmamadaling tumayo ang magnanakaw at agad syang pinaikot— her back was harshly pressed against his chest. Ramdam na ramdam nya ang tela ng kasuotan nito dahil isang backless and suot nyang bestida. Maya-maya pa ay narinig nya itong bumulong sa kanyang tenga.

"I don't like hurting women so I would be glad if you'll just behave and let me get that painting."

Her ears twitched after hearing what the thief said. He's asking her to let him steal her painting?

"In your dreams,"

Nagsipasukan ang mga pulis na nandoon rin para hulihin ito. Inilabas nila ang kanilang mga baril at itinutok sa direksyon ng magnanakaw.

The thief know that he can't win over a gun.

"Pasensya na sa gagawin kong 'to, Miss. Kung sakaling magkita man tayo ulit, babawi nalang ako sa'yo." he said.

She shook her head, not honestly liking what she just heard.

"No, we won't see each other again! I promise that I would catch and expose you tonight and send you right into priso---"

The thief didn't let her to finish her words and covered her mouth using his hand at ginamit rin syang panangga para hindi makapagpaulan ng bala ang pulis sa direksyon nya.

Pagkalapit sa tapat ng bintana ay muli pa itong bumulong sa kaniyang tenga na babalik sya ulit para kunin ang painting kaya kailangan nyang maghanda.

He let her go by gently pushing her away before he jumped outside the window to escape.

Agent Angel immediately grabbed the gun from the police officer's hand and fired it at the thief's direction.

Nang hindi na nya ito matanaw mula sa bintana ay hindi nya napigilan ang sariling mapamura.

She raised her hand to fix her messy hair in disappointment, when she touch something soft on her ear.

It's a blue rose.

'When did that thief put this rose on my ear?' She asked. Ni hindi nya man lang napansin o kaya naramdaman ang paglagay nito ng bughaw na rosas sa kaniyang tenga.

Dahil sa inis ay agad nyang kinuyom ang kamao at itinapon ang rosas sa bintana.

'Darn you, Silent Thief. I promise that I would rip and destroy that mask you're wearing and expose your ugly face to the world...

Just wait and see. I will surely gonna do that.'