Chapter 14

“Red Luckies”

It was written across the chest of all the voluptuous models who wore the sponsor attendant tights on them for this event. The girls were scattered all over the area, ushering “mini games” to the patrons with free packs of “Red luckies” to all those who participated.

Bert was feeling nervous after seeing the first lap results. He knew there was still two more laps to go before the checkered flag drops but the gap between the electrics were astonishing. He had high hopes that Monster would be able to compensate but it looked like the car was struggling to keep up. Both Mr. Manu and Jun had left the table to greet some of the sponsor attendants near the finish line which to Bert looked like a move to show how confident they are with their bets, as they expect to greet an electric car crossing the finish line first.

‘You there Lando?’

‘Nearly… wait… you’re talking now? I’m guessing your friends have left.’

‘Yeah with some bad news I’m afraid.’ Lando crunches his eyebrows upon hearing this statement. ‘What bad news?’

‘I might’ve lost you fifty grand.’ Bert answered.

‘Goddammit Bert! Is this what I get for participating?!’ He angrily replies. Lando is already a few yards away from Building 44 thanks to a few dock workers he managed to fool into thinking he worked there, hitching a ride on the back of their truck, claiming he had to “dispatch things” in the area.

‘No, but listen. We haven’t lost yet and I have new intel.’

‘This better be good…’

Lando had already separated from the workers who had helped him and was already by the doors of the building. He took a peek inside, it was full and there are two already opened containers with two cars inside. Both look identical to the other. Upon closer inspection Lando confirms that these are the same cars that are racing at the moment. Strangely the car had no badges around it to identify the manufacturer, just like the ones that were racing but he assumes these were the cargo specified in the list he acquired as they were the only containers present inside the building that were big enough to contain full sized vehicles.

‘Remember what we initially thought the prize was?’ Bert said.

‘Smuggled cars?’

‘Yes, well after talking with the big boys that’s looking not so clear now. I’m starting to think that we’re dealing with “products” here, something small you can sell in a store of sorts and not a dealership.

‘You mean to say my little trip was a waste?’

‘No not that, in fact If you’re there already it would be too convenient for uncovering this new intel.’

‘Well if it means anything now I found two identical cars here at the warehouse, same ones that are racing now.’

‘D’you get intel on what they are?’

‘None on the cars, just like what we saw, but they’re the only ones that match the description on the dispatch list.’

‘Any registration? Serial numbers on the containers?’

‘None… it’s unmarked.’

‘Really? Interesting…’

‘So the targets have changed? You want me to look for products now? What kind?’

‘I dunno… Let’s start with Carbine. Since it’s our only lead.’

‘Copy that…’

Lando goes back to look at his clipboard to check on any data containing anything related to Carbine Automotive. To his delight he counted 27 different entries scattered on five different warehouses, eight of which were in the building he is currently in. Though tempted to rummage around for the package, Lando thought the better of it and found another “safer” target to get. He finds one inside Building 43, the warehouse adjacent to where he is as Lando thought that they might immediately lockdown the whole Pier if they find out that a prioritized package had been tampered with. He sets his clipboard down and checks his surroundings before making a move. His heart rate suddenly shoots through the roof when he spots something at one of the corners inside the warehouse, a single CCTV camera scanning the area.

Lando takes a deep breath and clutches the clipboard close to his chest as he calmly walks out the building. ‘Shit…’ He uttered under his breath as he walked towards the next warehouse. By this time he was already in damage control mode and was acting as if someone was on his tail directing the different CCTV cameras around the area to trace his whereabouts. ‘Alright Lando, let’s play the footprint game shall we?’ He told himself.

It was dark and his only lightsource were coming from the tall cranes that hung above the huge stacks of containers around him. Since the area was so vast it was also difficult for him to spot where the cameras should be. He was now trying to lead the cameras while blind but nonetheless he tried. He walked past the door of Building 43, it was stacked to the roof with cargo which led to him thinking that the in-building cameras were going to be blocked. He walks a couple more meters ahead before turning a corner to disappear behind a stack of containers, hoping to misdirect anyone who was curiously watching.

Bert on the other hand had gone through another glass of brandy, his sixth for the night, and was starting to feel the effects. He suddenly realizes that he still had to drive home to the city afterwards and was starting to regret his decision. Although he couldn’t have helped it as he felt the need to cure his anxiety and even though he was prepared to lose tonight, he is still a gambling man and would very much love to score a win against those high brow blokes that he conversed with earlier. He takes another puff from his cigar to take the edge of the brandy as he watches the lap timing screens to check on Monster’s progress. Currently he was fifth, which is a big jump in position considering that he is not the favorite tonight but the gap between fifth and first place was around thirteen seconds which in a racing situation is a lightyear wide gap.

Suddenly he decides that there was nothing good happening if he stayed where he was as he gets up from his seat to do some super sleuthing of his own. One of the attendants had caught his eye and approached her with a drink in hand.

‘Here, you look like you haven’t slept in a week.’ He said while handing her a drink.

‘Thanks but no thanks.’ She said, coldly.

‘No drinking on the job?’ Bert replied, the lady on the other hand stayed silent.

‘Aww, what’s the matter? You were acting all cozy a couple of minutes ago. Why be silent now?’

‘Umm, Sir I’m sorry but really… No Thank You.’

‘Come on… Just a tiny sip? A little itty bitty sip?’

‘Mr. Hunter?’ Someone behind him tapped his shoulder as Bert turned around to look. It was Jun, Mr Manu’s friend, who had asked for his attention.

‘Oh it’s you, Mr. Manu’s loyal friend. How are you good sir?’ Said Bert, who was now getting drunker by the second. ‘Mr. Hunter I believe you are a bit intoxicated. Do you like to rest for a while in one of our backstage rooms?’ Jun asked, half concerned and half irate, possibly because he was also acting security for the attendants at the venue. ‘Is it air conditioned?’ Bert drunkenly asked. ‘Yes, it is… T.V and wifi, all the stuff you’d probably ask for is there Mr. Hunter. Jun replied.

‘Then let’s go then… lead me here Mr. Jun.’ Bert said as he slurred his words and staggered his footsteps while following Jun.

‘Looks like our new gambilng friend drank too much.’ Jun said. Bert spots him pressing something by his ears, speculating radio communication with the mayor’s son himself.

‘Yeah I know, He’s grieving… Yeah… That Lambo’s never gonna win anyways…’ Jun said, his voice became a bit faint, possibly trying to keep Bert from hearing him but Bert’s ears are sharper than what he thought.

They went behind the V.I.P tent and passed by the turbo generators that powered the whole outdoor setup of the race area. Behind those there were mini closed tents, about the size of a beach side hut, all arranged around a cul-de-sac pathway. Jun gestures to one of them as he opens the door for the old man. ‘Please, have a rest Mr. Hunter, you've had too much to drink. Perhaps a hot cup of coffee would suffice?’ Jun said.

‘No thanks. I just need some peace.’ Bert replies.

Immediately after the door closes, he quickly takes out his phone and connects to the police servers.

Metro Jurisdiction<<

221 new reported cases ----> Trespassing / Breaking and entering / Burglary / Attempted murder / Assault / Destruction of private property / Destruction of public property / Grand theft auto

Bulacan Peninsula<<

5 new reported cases ----> Hit and run / Destruction of public property / Disturbing the peace

Laguna Peninsula<<

8 new reported cases ----> Vandalism / Destruction of private property / Disturbing the peace

‘Two hundred plus cases in just one night… Wow…’ Bert slouches back on the sofa as he takes in the info from his phone. It took him a few moments to clear his head before he could get back into the police data. He checks the saturation mappings for each case in the metro to see if the same pattern had appeared once again but to his surprise the pattern had one big noticeable change in it. For in the months that he was monitoring the disturbances a singular area in the Metro has not been touched but for some reason, now it had a fifteen percent share out of all the reports in the Metro.

‘Block six-one-six?’ He muttered, confused at what he was seeing.

‘Hey Bert, you there?’ Lando said, his sudden interference shocking his ear drums.

‘Yea found a way to get some clear air but only for a few minutes tho.’ Bert replies.

‘Whatcha find?’

‘Nothin here but mechanical stuff that I don’t understand.’ Lando responds while holding a piece of machinery on his hands. ‘But I’m pretty sure this does not fit inside a car.’

‘Send me a photo.’ Bert asked, and after a short pause a photo of what looked like a mechanized arm appeared on his screen. ‘You got it?’ Said Lando. ‘Yea… looks like an arm of some sort. Dunno what it is though. Are you sure it's from Carbine?’ Bert asked again, confused.

‘Yeah… it's a full warehouse of these boxes. Plus I got another five containers here with the same labels. It’s closed but judging by the signposting I think we can safely assume it’s another shipment of cars in there.’

‘Huh… weird…’ Bert said. He felt stumped, he couldn’t find any clue to connect any of the information they had gathered. If there’s one thing he could be sure of is that, the race is rigged.

‘Hey Lando, what’s so special about Block Six-One-six?’ Bert inquired.

‘Weird question, lemme guess, you found something.’

‘Yea, sorta… Remember the trespassing reports that kept ringing?’

‘Go on…’

‘Well I checked the saturation in the database, and it turns out after months of zero activity, tonight of all nights for some reason the whole area lit up like a christmas tree.’ Bert said with intrigue as he scrolled through the reports from the Six-One-Six area. Most of the complaints that were registered were minor ones like vandalism and disturbing the peace which made it more puzzling.

‘Well if one spot shines, usually it takes the shine away from another. Have you noticed anything, disappearing?’ Lando responds, which immediately sent Bert into a fact finding frenzy.

He checks the saturation chart once more and screenshots the previous and current maps from his phone and overlays them on top of one another. On first glance the photo seemed identical sans the Six-One-Six area of the map. But upon closer inspection it was not only that area of the Metro that had been suddenly saturated but the adjacent cities of the south got a larger boost in numbers than the previous reports while the northern part of the Metro had slightly reduced numbers, most notably the port area in the district of Tondo and its immediate surrounding districts. ‘Hey partner, you can come back now. I think I’m good with the info.’ Bert said, falling back into the couch with his arms spread wide as he exhaled in disbelief. ‘Whaddya got?’ Lando asked.’

‘Manila Port…’ Bert answered. ‘Fishy right?’

‘Hah… got it...’ Said Lando, sarcastically ‘But seriously though, explain it later I have to hitch a ride.’

‘Copy that.’

Bert puts his phone down and turns on the T.V. He was immediately greeted to a display with all of the race timings organized in order of position. Listed in first place was the Electric powered car that dominated the whole event. He wasn’t surprised when he saw it, he already accepted defeat since it was clear that the race has been rigged to be in favor of the electrics. But it was still a pleasant surprise for him to see the Lamborghini running back in second place as he never would have thought of it reaching that far up the standings after what he heard from Jun earlier. Another pleasant thought that he had was the fact that we won;t have to pay the full fifty grand back to Lando as the betting rules state that the bets have diminishing returns from first place. So with Monster being in second place means that he’d only lose the minimum amount from what they wagered.

‘Hey, are you alright?’ Cameron knocks and opens the door. ‘Yeah I’m feeling okay now.’ Bert replied.

‘Wanna come out to see the finish?’ Cameron asked as he came in to assist Bert. ‘Sure, I wouldn’t wanna miss that.’ Bert politely declined his hand as he stood up from the sofa. He was still wobbly, or at least he made it look that way, as he and Cameron went back to the V.I.P tent to witness the car’s cross the finish line.

‘Wait a minute… just gimme a sec I think I’m gonna vomit…’

Bert suddenly runs back behind the tents as Cameron looks on, feeling repulsed and amused at the same time. Around them, in the tents and in the parking lot, the people were now starting to liven up as the DJ started to play faster beats to compliment the crowd’s mood. The air electrifies as the energy from hundreds of different bodies release from their stasis, the cold air in the pitch black of dawn turns humid and hot as the party awakes and awaits the arrival of the finishers.

The first echoes of the last lap bursts through the loud music. And to the surprise of the crowd it was the loud engine of the Lamborghini that greeted them from the distance. Bert, having to arrive much later to join the commotion, was not surprised like the others in the crowd as the V.I.P tents have their perks, but based from the looks on the crowds faces. They were pleasantly surprised.

A flash of brightness shines from the distance as everyone gasps to witness four bright lights appearing behind the trees. Side by side the two cars raced head to head for the finish as the crowds stood still, anxious and excited to witness the victor after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting. The cars flew by in a blur as a gust of wind pulls through their wake, driving some of the people in the crowd off balance. The checkered flag awaits as they arrive in full song, two abreast in a slim stretch of concrete behind a small unsuspecting club in the middle of a sleeping town. And as the music plays the same beating noise, the flag drops, the tires squeal while the crowd looks on silently.

The timing screen was blank, they could tell it was taking too long as it was too close even for the eyes to call the winner. Then suddenly a blip.

[FINAL RESULTS]

>> Player One << [E-VA]

- 16:35:55

>> Monster << [Lamborghini Huracan EVO]

- 16:35:67

>> Automaton << [E-VA]

- 16:38:35

>> Rapier << [E-VA]

- 16:40:20

>> Daigo Ess << [E-VA]

- 16:41:44

>> Seventeen << [E-VA]

- 16:41:60

>> Sonnet nine << [E-VA]

- 16:42:40

>> Alligator << [E-VA]

- 16:43:10

[So what is the point of all this anyways?]

‘Hey! What did I miss?’

‘Lando? Where are you?’ Bert responds, startled, but he was aware enough not to react obviously to the sudden radio noise.

‘I snuck around into the parking lot crowd. Saw you with Emmanuel there, I can’t take my chances. ‘

‘Shit, how long have you been back?’

‘Long enough to see a couple of shady thugs starin at your car.’ Lando replied. He sounded a bit more winded than he should as he gasped for air after every sentence he spoke. ‘I think we’ve been busted, tons of security blocked my entry point, was lucky to sneak out of the front gate.’

‘Well shit, and here I am thinking I actually might get our money back.’

‘What? We won?’

‘Not exactly… but the situation is gonna make the money go bye bye for sure.’

‘Goddammit…’

Bert puts his hand in his jacket pocket and in an instant the whole area was sucked into a blackout. Everyone was confused as they wondered what was happening and what was the cause but everything was cut short as the ominous sound of police sirens echoed from a distance, but unlike before the echoes were steadily getting louder. It didn’t take the crowd too long to figure out what was happening.

‘Are the thugs gone?’ Bert asked.

‘Yep! I guessing you used “that” again didn’t you?’

‘Well it is a sanctioned case so… yeah… they issued it.’

‘Oh fuck you, you mean the chief knows I tagged along? No wonder you could shill a Fifty grand on a wager. The bureau was payin!’

‘First of all no. Second, they weren't payin, It’s my money here. It’s an unsanctioned op “and” I might have “borrowed” the fart buzzer at my disposal, ya know, for do or die situations, and yes it was a do or die!’

Lando was shaking his head, disappointed from what he learned. He remembered his last day at the force that he promised himself in front of the whole staff that he was going to live a more peaceful life from that point on but now, knowing that Bert could be under surveilance by the bureau, he felt like hypocrite for going back due to his own dumb curiosity.

‘Lets go!’ Bert tapped his shoulder as they both escaped the area along with the crowd, who were running away like cockroaches from the scene. The pair drive off from the area, careful to avoid the pier as the other cars from the parking area, including Monster’s Lamborghini, sped past them to escape the authorities.

‘So… what did we learn?’ Lando asked.

‘It’s just speculation for now but the theory is interesting’

‘Yes?’

‘It’s exactly what I told you back at your place, the happy horse thing.’

‘What? They gonna sell bootleg beer?’

‘Nope much bigger than a pint of beer.’

‘What?’

‘Bootleg cars...’