Chapter 16

“And then I saw her face.”

“Now I’m a believer.”

‘SHUT IT!’

‘WHAT?!’

‘I’m tryin to watch the news here you dick!’

‘Sorry…’

Val and J2 decided not to open Jack and Barry’s today after the chaos that happened the night before. Val had been watching the news ever since the raids broke out around her as both her and J2 live near Block six-one-six, the epicenter of the raids. It was already past 7am when she called in the decision to keep the doors closed as the police presence around the Metro was increased ten fold and she couldn’t risk getting found out, especially since Jack and Barry’s had been on the law enforcement’s blacklist for years now.

Val stands and looks outside the window to check the situation outside of her home, so far the commotion that was there mere hours before had died down and the panic outside the street had grind to a halt as the neighbors gossip amongst each other about what had happened. She turns around to find the time, it was already past lunch and it was only then that she realized that she hadn’t eaten yet. She was about to get angry at J2 for forgetting to cook their lunch but quickly remembered that she hustled him to check on the workers for her little project a couple of blocks away. Luckily J2 didn’t run into any trouble with the raids but he came back covered in oil and ash from the atmosphere outside as he reported burning cars and establishments on the main roads leading to Block six-one-six.

‘What’d the news say?’ J2 said as he popped out of the shower.

‘Nothing new, they’re still figuring shit out.’

‘Oh? Okay… where ya going?’

‘To make lunch.’ Val said as she walked right past him and straight into the kitchen.

J2, alarmed, quickly followed suit. ‘Are you sure?’ He said.

‘Please if you’re gonna talk to me, put on some clothes first.’

‘Oh.. yea sorry… I forgot…’ J2 replies as he hurriedly scampers out of the kitchen.

Val meanwhile was staring at the stove in front of her wearing a puzzled look.

‘How do you turn this on again?’

---

Denzo had just taken his seat at the cafeteria after someone kindly asked him to have a bite with her. For some reason he kept wrangling his mind that he had seen her once before but his memory was having trouble finding a match. Still the gut feeling he has was bothering him.

‘I’m just hungry…’ He thought as the girl returned with a tray of their food.

‘You sure it’s okay for you to take the bill?’ Denzo asked.

‘Yes it’s okay I don’t mind it’ The girl replied with a heartwarming smile etched on her face as she places their trays on the table.

‘Hey sorry if my mouth was shut the whole time, it was just… it was a hard day.’

‘It’s okay I understand, I’m here for the same reasons as well…’ She answered.

‘You’re a raid victim too?’

‘Yea, me and my parents were attacked and my Dad…’ The girl’s voice cracks for a moment as she tries to muffle her tears.

‘He’s in a bad shape.’ Denzo butted in. The girl just nods and clears her throat. She slaps both her cheeks while shaking her head to try and wake herself back up as her smile reappears once more for Denzo to see. ‘Anyways let’s not talk about that!’ She cheerfully said. ‘I’ve got a question?’

‘Yes?’

‘Haven’t we met before?’ The girl asked as Denzo’s eyes went wide as he was thinking the same thought.

‘Funny… I was thinking the same thing… for some reason you look familiar to me.’

‘Huh..’ The girl leaned back with suspicious eyes. ‘So you don’t remember?’

‘Umm… was I supposed to remember something?’ He answered with caution, unsure of what he might’ve done in the past as he tries to recall every single awkward encounter he has done before.

‘Umm… yea… I guess.’ She was smiling once more when she replied but this time it looked to Denzo like she was making fun of him as the girl reached down her purse to retrieve her phone.

‘Remember this?’ The girl said as she showed Denzo a picture of himself while smoking on what looked like the school rooftop.

‘Oh shit now I remember!’ He said as he chuckles at the picture that she was showing him. ‘So we meet again huh? Small world.’

‘It is! Although it’s kinda tragic that we had to meet again under these circumstances.’

‘Yeah... ‘

‘But hey they say at times like these it’s always good to make some friends.’ The girl said, and once more her cheerfulness seemed to infect the air around her.

‘Really? Said who?’

‘My guts.’

‘Ew…’

She chuckles just as she was about to sip her drink.

…

…

…

‘Hi I’m Nica by the way.’ She said as gleefully extended her hand towards him.

‘Denzo.’ He answered as he reached out to meet her handshake.

Both of them paused before bursting out in laughter after realizing how ridiculous that moment was; as they shared a meal after their world had burned around them.

---

‘Val?!’

J2 slams his feet on the steps as he hurriedly runs downstairs towards the kitchen.

‘Did you burn something again?!’ J2 said as he saw Val looking distressed while on the phone, her pan fried eggs already smoking on top of the stove. He runs over to turn the heat off as he coughs while tossing the burnt eggs into the trash bin. ‘Is it him??’ He said.

J2 turned around to get a glance at her expression, her back was turned but she gave him a clear thumbs up to confirm his suspicion.

‘I see…’ She said and after a few nods, puts down the phone as she leans over the counter and exhales a huge sigh. ‘Get the car ready, we’re going someplace.’

‘Are you crazy? It’s literally fucked up out there--’

‘Just do it Jay…’

J2 stops for a moment to look at her eyes beaming him down from across the room. ‘Fine…’ He said as he started to walk out of the room.

‘Not the tesla…’ She quickly interrupts.

‘What the old one?’

‘Yeah… it’s… we need it…’

‘Okay…’

A few minutes went by as Val got herself ready to leave. J2 was already waiting for her outside the garage impatiently honking the horn on the car. She pops out of the door and races towards the old clunker of a car that Val requested to be acquired. It was her sunday driver, an old Nissan 180sx. A car that is every bit of vintage as its owner’s taste, as the fading white paint starts to detach over the rust buildup underneath it, smiling lovingly as she runs her hands over its surface. ‘I just don’t get it…’ J2 said, his face clearly expressing the cringe that he feels at that moment. ‘Why do you keep this thing around? It’s so… obsolete…’ He complained.

‘Now are you gonna let me drive my car or are you gonna complain about it for the next thirty seconds before I punch you?’ Val sternly advised as J2 slithers out of the driver’s seat to let her in. Needless to say the drive that followed wasn’t particularly relaxing as she immediately stepped on the gas the moment he closed the passenger door. Val didn’t really care much about the sights and sounds around her as weaves in and out of burning cars and fallen trees that littered the aftermath of the raids. She wasn’t particularly interested in any reaction J2 had about all the damages that the pass by. All the broken storefront windows, the frequent sight of people in distress and the thick suffocating fog seemed not to faze her as she continued to drive the car as if it was her last. ‘WhErE aRE wE GoiNG anYwAyS?!!’ J2 asked as he tried shoutin to compete with the engine screaming at full tilt but he couldn’t as his voice cracks while he violently shifts around his seat holding on for dear life.

‘We’re meeting someone.’ Val replied. ‘Who?’ Said J2

‘An associate of Mr. Asia.’

J2 fell silent after realizing he was about to meet someone who worked directly for the man. He’d only hear little story tidbits from Val about her past, but it was enough to instantly make him nervous to know he would be in his indirect presence.

The road started to normalize as they exit out of the city of Makati and into EDSA C4 where miraculously the traffic was scarce, giving her another chance to put her foot down and let the car stretch its legs.

There was also no police in sight, Val figured most of them had concentrated their forces around the raid affected areas as she gleefully kept her foot down for the next 12 kilometers without any worries. Another bout of violent swerving and ignoring stop signs followed before they arrived just outside an abandoned warehouse somewhere within the hills of Fairview. Upon arriving they were welcomed by the security guard at the gate who seemed to be expecting them as he opened the heavy steel gate leading into the confines of the warehouse. Inside is a lone man standing next to what seemed to be a car hidden under a waterproof cover. Val and J2 stepped out to greet the man to which he replied:

‘Valentina Fe?’

‘How did you--’

‘Are you?’

‘Yes…’

‘Good, that was a test requested by the boss, a security question if you may so call it.’ The man with the braided hair said in his deep voice. ‘Jun Tagama’ He said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

‘Hi Jun, You Cebuano?’ Val asked.

‘You’ve got a sharp ear.’ Jun replied.

‘So… why cover it? You know I already know what’s under there.’

‘You of all people should know, Mr. Asia loves the drama.’

‘Just rip the covers off.’

And with a swift pull, the covers on the car fly off in one fluid motion. The god rays started to capture the pristine gloss of the paint as it reflects back the bright salmon shade contrasting against the gloomy gray interior of the warehouse. The matte white six spoke rims compliment the vibrance of the paint and the jet black interior ties the look of the car altogether. It was a clean and perfectly preserved 1999 Nissan Skyline GTR, still looking like the day she had parted with it.

‘I believe you already have the keys we sent you?’ Jun said.

‘I do.’ She said as she showed him ‘But these are the duplicates tho, what happened with the original ones?’

‘I believe “you” lost them?’ Jun sternly replied.

‘How did-- oh… fine…’

‘The warehouse is yours to use as freely as you want. The guard in front is the caretaker and will be on Mr. Asia’s payroll for the next month.’ Jun added. ‘Afterwards should you wish to keep it for whatever reason you would want to, he would be open to be hired by you should you need to do so.’

‘What if I don’t take it?’ Val asked.

‘Then this place would be demolished. Is that all?’ Jun asked as he fixed the buttons on his suit jacket. Both Val and J2 shook their heads in reply. ‘Then we shall be taking this back from you.

The gate behind them opened as two men raced over to take the Old 180 out of the warehouse with Jun walking out of the place as soon as the car had been taken. ‘Take as much time as you want to check it, if you see anything missing you have my number, cheers.’ He said as a black SUV arrives on cue to fetch him from the location.

The pair of them stood around until the place was completely empty. Once it was, Val opened the trunk. ‘Still here…’ She said after lifting the luggage mat inside the trunk.

‘What is it?’ J2 asked.

‘This!’ Val said as she showed him a custom japanese issued licence plate.

The letters on the plate spell:

PIN-KU