The Assassins

The Cebu Military Camp was a vast expanse of land dotted with several buildings which were the barracks. From a bird's eye view, far above the air looking down, their galvanized iron roofs seemed odd and rusty. They were peppered with holes, used bicycle tires, and many other useless articles. From that vantage point, it looked innocently like any of the other roofs around but they were the barracks of the military in the southern part of the country. On closer look the buildings were grungy, their paint peeled off and they were packed together like staples in a cartoon.

In one of the quarters, the air was steaming hot. Perspiring, two men were anxiously waiting for their last-minute instructions from the top. One of them was Rudy Rude who was pacing the floor restlessly. Fair-skinned, people called him 'Mestizo'. This was due to his Caucasian feature, and good looks. He was handsome but he was ruthless. In their missions, he loved to pull the trigger first and that made him known as the trigger-happy guy. He had two personalities that contradict each other. People say that the personality of a person cannot be judged by his looks. By just looking at him you may think he was a good man. That was his outer personality, handsome but inside, in his heart he was ruthless. He was a family man, though and the military was his career. He was trigger-happy and in most of their assignments pulled the trigger first. He never showed any remorse in doing this, the fact was that he felt the opposite. This fed his ego. He demonstrated this in the elimination of Prometheus during the Cebu Sinulog festival.

The other assassin was smoking intermittently while toying with his revolver in another barrack. He was younger than Rudy. Single and never had any serious relationships with the opposite sex, his face was what we say only mothers can love. He was a man with many scars. He had a scar across his face and scars on other parts of his body. He was ugly. This was the reason girls shunned him. He had wiry hair, with a wide nose, face, and body. Everything in him was wide. A browbeater among his peers while in school, he was called 'Roger Moreno'

Rudy Rude and Roger Moreno were experienced in special operations. They were the motorcycle riding duo who assassinated Arturo Marquez. Still, waiting for uncertain orders had put their sangfroid to the test, though they were expected to be calm and patient. They knew every assignment was different, situations vary and failure was another factor to reckon with. Roger Moreno had doubts about the correctness of their actions, and Rudy Rude was uncertain as to the outcome and success of the operation. They showed no remorse for they considered themselves as the experts in their field. They were known by their peers as the 'professionals' in the military circle.

Inside the barracks, the atmosphere was hot. It was more difficult to sleep in the afternoons than in the evenings. And, despite the searing heat, they were held up inside cleaning and checking their sidearms, and waiting for the last-minute order in apprehension. Their khaki uniforms were already wet at the armpits. Well-trained in long and short-range pistols they were the best in the ranks and rarely failed in their assignments before, but still, they sweated profusely.

After getting the call from Camp Crame in Manila, both of them separately hailed a taxi. They had been instructed to board the domestic flight to Manila immediately. Never been told what they would have to do, they speculated that it would be for another special mission. Both of them were counting on something big. Camp Crame would not be calling if it were of a lesser import.

Their flight arrived on time at the local domestic airport. They checked out, without even having to present their weapons, seeing that they were military men in uniform. Their pick-up car was waiting for them to board outside of the terminal. It was the same van used by the military to transport personnel. They got in and were whisked away immediately to the Camp for their final instructions. On the way both were silent. Being loyal to their superiors was foremost and now was their chance to prove it again.

Not very long after, they were told to wait in one of the air-conditioned rooms. This time, their waiting was more comfortable and they felt relaxed. Someone from the canteen came in to bring them some soft drinks and sandwiches to eat. A little of the perks and they felt at ease.

"At ease, men," said one officer who came in. He looked around and nodded at the two men. Without saying anything more, he left the room. It was obvious he was checking for their presence. Half an hour after, another officer came and both stood in attention as a sign of respect for his rank. "At ease," the officer said. He signaled them to take their seats.

They took their seats again. The officer looked at them. "Do you know why you are here?" he asked.

They shook their heads.

You are part of a special operation. We chose you because of your records and abilities," he said. "This is what you are going to do, guys," added the officer, who was pacing back and forth. He was a lieutenant and his rank was shown on his shoulder.

"Yes, sir," one of the two men answered.

The lieutenant explained everything about what had to be done and the reason for eliminating him: he was a menace and the higher-ups wanted him gone.

"His plane will be arriving at 8:30 am. I hope there won't be any delays. Both of you will board his plane together with some officers, as soon as it lands. You will have to be courteous once inside because there will be some important passengers with him. The officers will lead him toward the exit, at the side. One of you will follow behind."

"Understood, sir," said Rogue Moreno. People call him Rouge because he was cold-blooded.

"As soon as he is out of the plane and out of sight, one of you should execute the plan. I don't want any failures on this."

"Yes, that's clear sir."

"You are the best and that is why you are chosen. Remember, this is for your country. Any more questions men?"

"No more questions, sir."

"After it's done, you will have to go back to your base camp. Everything has already been arranged for your return. Is that clear?" he added, with final tonality.

"Yes sir," both answered snappily in unison.

"Now, good luck, men."

Somewhere, in another part of the city, 2nd Lt. Castro was looking for someone to do the job. He scoured the slum area. He needed a hitman to execute a separate assignment in the plan. Proud of what he was about to do, he was tinged with all the arrogance of a career military man. His name would go down in history, he told himself. He had been told to secure a hired assassin. He had found one, by bribing the neighbors a couple of bucks. The guy was ideal and his profile would fit into the plan. He picked him up from the slum area without any delays and brought him in a taxi toward the international airport.

"What do I have to do," asked the hired shooter innocently.

"I don't want any more questions. It's better to keep quiet and concentrate."

"OK." His eyes rolled with unanswered questions in his mind.

"You come with me to the airport. The security is too tight and you can't pass carrying the gun with you. After passing security I will hand it to you. As soon as I give the signal you do it. Understand?"

"Who is it, this time?"

"It's not important. You carry it out and you will have your reward."

The innocent man nodded in silence. It wasn't his business to know.

"Our target will be escorted by military men from the airplane. You could easily identify him because he will be in civilian clothes. What you will have to do is to shoot him as soon as he lands. When you see he's down, run as fast as you can. His escorts will of course arrest you. You will be taken into custody. But we will take care of you and your family while you are in prison. In a few years, you will be released. Who knows? Maybe you will be out in no time. Let me take care of that," he explained. "The exact amount is in this envelope. Here take it. You will be given more as soon as it's done."

The taxi finally reached the Arrival area. Avoiding the busy passenger section of the terminal, they entered through the rear entrance intended for airport personnel and then stationed themselves on the tarmac behind one of the empty jet bridges. His name was Rolando G.