2:50 A.M.
At the other side of the national road towards the exit of the Capital of Manila.
July 21st, the year 2018. Saturday.
Katrina Fajardo's 23rd birthday.
8 hours and 22 minutes since Katrina Fajardo went missing.
"Zoey, take care here, okay?" Marcus caressed her face as all closed their eyes tightly because of their tiredness. I had felt the numbness in their body after staying up too long. It was already three in the morning. The investigation on finding Katrina was still ongoing.
"Be careful, Marcus," Zoey whispered. Marcus kissed her forehead, and Carmela prayed silently behind them. Marcus hugged her tightly for a second as he got the gun inside his jacket. He saw it's loaded, and he retrieved a dagger inside of it.
He gave it to Carmela. She widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows as she saw how sharp it was.
"You should keep this for the meantime. I can sense that Michie is dangerous. She can stab you on the back quietly without making a sound," Marcus indicated. Carmela hesitated to grip the handle of the dagger. Marcus grabbed a hold of her wrist, opened her palms, and put the dagger in Carmela's hand.
Carmela breathed out as she said, "Marcus, I don't need this. I am not a police officer."
"You will need it, Carmela. I can't promise your security from now on. We are under investigation now, and it was our goal for today to search for Michie Alestre. And also our best friend, Katrina," Marcus explained. Carmela stared at how worrisome his eyes were.
Carmela read his thoughts immediately, and she gripped the handle on his right hand. She slipped the dagger with the case Marcus gave and put it in her pockets.
"Be careful, you two. Call us if you find Michie, okay?" Matthew queried towards the two of them, and they both nodded. Lieutenant Lirio called out for Marcus as they entered their patrol cars. Marcus draped his arm over Carmela as they both ran over his car.
"You should leave your car behind first. Ride in on mine for the meantime," Marcus uttered, opening the side of Carmela's passenger seat. She climbed in rapidly. Marcus received the walkie-talkie that Lieutenant Lirio threw upon him. He ran up over the driver's seat after.
He started his car first, opened the device, and placed it on the rack. He tested if it was working, and he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Marcus glanced at Carmela. She nodded and pursed her lips while crossing her arms over her chest. She said that everything will be fine as Marcus heard Lieutenant Lirio from the other end of the line.
"We will be in front, Lieutenant Lirio. Ms. Torres behind me will be our map, so follow us," Marcus cried out. Lieutenant Lirio responded with an agreement at the end of the line.
Marcus swiveled his car. He saw that Abbey, Zoey, Matthew, and Mina were observing their car disappear in the side mirror. Carmela leaned back in her seat as she glanced outside of the window.
"How can Michie's blood smear over there?" Carmela whispered. She heard the blaring sirens behind their car. Marcus glanced at her as he stepped on the gas pedal and sped up the long road towards the highway.
"That got me thinking for a few minutes. Michie, your co-worker, has to do with what was happening around us," Marcus retorted. Carmela glimpsed at him. She stared at his face and bit her lip.
Carmela looked down at her lap, furrowing her eyebrows. Michie's red-hair and a blissful smile crossed her mind again.
"She was like a flower blooming over a dead garden. Michie was the only one who could light up our moods over the Diner. She's always smiling, but I never thought that she could be behind all of this," Carmela conceded. She clenched her fingers tightly on her lap.
Marcus sighed as he turned the corner and they stopped as he realized turned into the red one. They have to wait for a full minute before resuming again. Marcus breathed out in exasperation as he turned to stare at Carmela.
"Carmela, don't trust anyone who has beautiful smiles. Behind those, she can be the one who will kill you silently because you are comfortable around them," he said. Carmela connected her gaze to him.
Marcus removed his eyes from hers as he observed the clock beside the spotlight. They were down in the last ten seconds as the sirens still wailed over the death of the night. The highway was most likely deserted because it was almost three in the morning.
"I don't think so, Marcus. I know how to read what was on her mind, but I can't help but pity her because of what happened to her family. She was the purest person I have ever met." Carmela held her forehead as Marcus turned the corner and out onto the deserted highway. She closed her eyes. Marcus cleared his throat.
"Carmela, she had done the things you had never expected. She sabotaged Xian's and Margo's relationship. How can you explain that? Xian cheated on you when we were in college. I know what you felt that time when you were so angry with Xian," Marcus stated.
Carmela opened her eyes, creasing her forehead. She didn't understand what he was trying to convey. Marcus still clenched his jaw while driving as they reached the avenues.
"Where should we go first? State the address so that we can find Michie right away." Marcus completely changed the topic. Carmela stared at the front window. She shook off the rage that she had read on Marcus's face. Carmela directed they should turn the corner of Clara Avenue.
"This is where Mina chased her, right?" Marcus glanced at her and Carmela creased her forehead.
"I am not with you. My car broke off," Carmela whispered as she pointed over the dead end. They turned the corner. Marcus quickly stated if the other patrol cars were still following over at the other end of the line. The static course through the walkie-talkie changes as Lieutenant Lirio talked. They were still behind them.
"Stop, stop right there," Carmela muttered as she glanced outside of the window. She saw the lights were out and the front door was completely closed. There were no suspicious people around, and all the houses had their lights off for the night. Carmela imagined the families inside, slumbering on their soft mattress.
They climbed out of their cars at night. Their weapons concealed underneath their clothes.
Carmela saw the officers who wore their bulletproof vests, including her. Marcus, too, on her side. They wear their secured helmets around their head. Marcus gave something to her and saw that it was the same as the one the officers were wearing.
"Do I have to wear this too?" Carmela asked the obvious as Marcus secured his.
"You should. We don't know what Michie can do," Marcus mumbled through his helmet and wore Carmela's over her head. He inched his face closer to her and secured the strap on the bottom of her chin as she swallowed. Being close to Marcus, his best friend, was the most awkward thing she was feeling right now.
Carmela doesn't have any romantic feelings for him. She can't explain why her breathing hunched in no time.
Marcus stood in his position as he beamed a little towards her. Marcus retrieved the loaded gun from his jacket as Carmela picked up the dagger from her pockets. Lieutenant Lirio was beside her immediately and waited for Marcus's orders.
Carmela observed the windows of the house. She squinted her eyes as someone was watching them from the window. She pointed right away there. The officers crouched down in their positions. Lieutenant Lirio fumbled at the gate's lock.
"There she was," Carmela hissed. She saw a glimpse of a red-haired girl over the curtains. Marcus quickly observed Lieutenant Lirio opening the gate. They heard loud jamming of the window and they saw a shadow escaping from the insides of the confines of the house.
Lieutenant Lirio kicked the gate open. Marcus ran over the side, seeing the broken window on the upper floor.
"Michie must have jumped from the upper floor," Carmela cried out as she stopped right behind him. Marcus aimed the gun at the wood railings of the backside of the house as he saw Michie jump outside. The officers broke off the front door of the house as Lieutenant Lirio observed inside.
He retrieved the personal background of the one they were searching for. He was puzzled why her family wasn't there.
"She's alone here. She must have been using this place for something," Lieutenant Lirio whispered. The officers continued to open the drawers and threw the contents onto the floor.
Marcus and Carmela walked over to the wood barricades. They looked at each other as Marcus crouched down and Carmela stepped foot on his back.