June 5, in the province of Samar, in the Philippines at a house surrounded by dry leaves dancing as the cold night air blew. A young man was walking away from it while carrying a black bag which seemed to be filled with something. He soon take a turn as he reached the road.
At the gap in the window, a brown eye is peeking at the young man.
"Is he gone?" a voice of a man came from the inside.
The eye disappeared at the window made of thin wood and turn into the group of people inside.
"He's already gone."
The young man whose peeking said then walked towards the group. He sat down next to the man whose scrolling in his Facebook news feed.
"Damn that money-grubber. That fucker almost took all of our earnings this week."
The man sitting at the front who stands to be their leader said. He's Carlo Herdeo Dasig which is known as Pabuto.
There are three spherical shape metals in the table. The guy in the window earlier grabbed one of them.
"I know that these things are impressive, but is it worth the price? I mean we always screw up while using this thing so won't it be pretty useless."
the man beside him snatched the bomb.
"If you know how dangerous this thing is then stop playing with it."
The young guy narrowed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Pabuto stood up, he made the guys sitting at the couch next to the wall stand up and lifted the couch. He folded the floor mat that covered a pit with a black backpack in it.
"He said that he made an adjustment in it."
He lifted the bag and open the zipper. Inside the bag were money and pieces of jewelry filling half of it.
He sighed.
"I'm just glad that he didn't make us pay with all of our debt."
The young guy stood and headed to Pabuto.
"That is all the remaining money we have?"
"We still have more deposited in my bank account."
Pabuto breathed in. He zips back the zipper and puts it back.
He stands and faces his lackeys.
"Listen to all of you. Our next job is going to be a big one…" he fell into silence. "...and going to be our last one."
That got the attention of the others.
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Wait, isn't that a bit of a rash decision?"
He shook his head side to side.
"We're late to come to this line of work. Every big-time shop in the region is either protected by gang groups or has a connection with the higher official in the police. There are also too much competition. The money we've earned isn't worth the risk."
The house silenced, they avert their eyes on the ground.
The one who break it was the young guy beside him.
"But what about our debts, I'm sure that guy won't settle unless we paid him."
"I knew that. But what we have in the bank might be enough to pay half of it. I'm going to pay the rest little by little."
Though this decision, is quite hard for them, they can't think of anything to retort.
Money is Ours robbery group is popular in Region 8 and other islands surrounding it. They even got the media's eyes on them. They are the most active criminal group this past year. But it doesn't mean that they always got lots of money. They recently rob a bank but screwed up and almost get caught. The last time they rob a jewelry store but clashed with another group of thieves. They barely succeed in every job they did.
As they finally made their decision, Pabuto discussed to the rest of the group the plan he had developed.
"So that's all there is to know. Anything you didn't understand?"
The young guy raised his hand.
"What is it?" Pabuto asked.
"This job sounds difficult, we night made a mistake and reveal our identities. If that happens then we'll be having a hard time finding jobs or even just living. Are you sure that we should disband the group?"
Pabuto closed his eyes then he lowered his head.
"We'll think about it if it happens."
He looked at the young guy who asked but it gazed away. He seemed to be dissatisfied with his answer.
He looked away into his other members.
"No questions?" No one opened their mouth to ask. "Then I'll take my leave. I still have things to do."
That said Pabuto stood up and started walking away.
He stared at his comrades who he spent times through thick and thin, and through the house which became an important place to him. He reached the knob and rolled it. The door opened.
SWISH! BAM!"
When the door opened, something smashed passed through him and made a bullet mark on the wall. He looked to the wall then shakily lifted his hand to touch his forehead. Blood marked on that finger. He slammed the door as fast as he can and leaned his back in the wall beside it. His heart pumped so hard that he could hear it. He breathed in and out like he was trying to catch his breath.
The others noticed it.
"Pabuto what's wrong with you?"
One of the members of his group stood up planning to run towards him. But before he could step away from his chair, guns began firing at the front door which is at the opposite side where Pabuto is.
They get down on their feet while getting their own guns. While Pabuto squeaked in the corner.
"May mga barak!" one of them yelled.
They find positions and started firing back. The only idea they have is about where the positions of the opposite sides are because of the flashes coming from their guns. They kept firing blindly at the enemies.
While the one that stands to be their leader, trembles at the corner while staring at the ground.
"I- Impossible. H- How come they found out about our hideout?"
The location of this house is at an old Barangay. Right now only a few houses were still built in it due to the order made by the government. This house is far from those houses and the way here is quite hard. It's normal for him to be surprised by it.
"I think I already lost five liters of my blood."
"Oh come on, that's just a graze. Come on fight with us."
Pabuto shook his head. He stood and get to the container of the bombs which he brought from the young man earlier. He took the box's cover. A paper was the first he saw it. The young man said that he included precautions and directions in it.
Pabuto didn't read it and just placed it on the table.
He took five bombs and run towards his allies.
He stood next to the front door he demanded one of his comrades to open the door while the others covered for him.
He threw the bombs at a giant rock that's on the dry grasses. The fire made when it exploded instantly set the dry grasses on cinders. The smoke coming from it made it hard for both parties to fire their guns accurately. It also made it hard for the police to make their advances.
"There's a sniper at the back! Beware of that!" He said.
Pabuto run off to the couch and took the money under it. After getting it, when he stood back he once again came across with the paper on the table. As he looked closely at it, he noticed that what was written wasn't letters but numbers. He took it and looked it closely.
"Hey! Pabuto! There are also police at the back!"
He goes to the person who called him. The man was placed at the window at the back, keeping the police busy.
"Can't we escape in the front?"
"If you can dance through bullets, sure."
The high-powered rifles quaked the entire house as the bullets impacted the walls. They kept returning those bullets but it seems like they're just wasting theirs.
Pabuto managed to make the advances from the front slow but he can't seem to come up with resolve if the enemies are coming from both sides.
He flings the gun upwards of the man beside him.
"STOP FIRING!" He yelled. "Stop firing!"
His comrades looked at him with irritation. They stopped firing back
"Why?!" the young guy yelled.
"If we run out of bullets it'll be going to put us at a great disadvantage."
They all check the mag of their guns and the bullets in their pockets.
"So what are we going to do? Wait?"
Pabuto scratched his forehead then run his fingers to the top of his head.
He took out his phone and call a number from his contact. The phone connected to the other line.
"Bro. Can you do something for me… deposit all my money to this Anzai Escarra's bank account. I'll mail his account number to you… ok"
All of them drew their eyebrow closer as they looked at Pabuto.
"What do you mean deposit? Why are you giving our money to him?"
Pabuto showed them the paper he found earlier. Written on the paper are an account number and a smiling emoji at the bottom of it.