The next day, Arlan, Khalon, and Karl drove the Subaru Forester to the meeting spot of Diego and Senator Ramon. They went to the place 3 hours ahead of the scheduled time.
"Boss, we're here." Karl said as he stared at Arlan through the rearview mirror.
All three of them were wearing civilian clothes this time and they each wore a black earpiece. They could communicate in real time through them. As for their weapons and equipment, they were arranged on the rear seat of the vehicle.
Arlan nodded his head and grabbed the Prototype Energy Pistol. He wore a camouflaged military uniform over his bulletproof vest and a pair of moss-green trousers pants. He hid the Prototype Energy Pistol underneath his clothes and slung the strap of the M40A5 sniper rifle over his shoulder. "Let's make a move. We still have a lot of things to do. We only have a few hours before those guys will arive." He muttered to Karl before turning his head to Khalon. "You're sitting out this time. Just wait here and keep an eye on our equipment."
Karl and Khalon nodded their heads.
"Let's go." Arlan grabbed a backpack before stepping out of the car. The place was relatively remote and people rarely comes to this place. There were mountains and trees around them. Hundreds of meters away, there were some small buildings and a few dozen scattered houses. However, most of them were abandoned since the families who lived here before had already moved out to the city.
"Place the cameras in secluded spots, but you have to make sure that they can capture the images of the area." Arlan said to Karl before separating from him.
Their bags contained small rechargeable spy cameras. They were only the size of an adult's thumb so it would be very difficult to notice them in a place with dense shrubbery and tall trees.
Arlan has the experience of a super soldier, while Karl was a part of the Special Forces. The both of them were experts when it comes to reconnaissance missions. In just less than an hour, they managed to install the spy cameras in key locations.
"Khalon, do you copy?" Arlan asked as he pulled the balaclava mask off his face. He then wiped off the sweat on his face.
"Bzz... Yes, boss!" He heard Khalon's quick reply.
"Take a look at the footage of the cameras we installed. Check if there is no problem with them."
"Bzz... Alright. Give me a moment here." Khalon was silent for a long while as he grabbed the laptop inside a suitcase. After about three minutes, his voice could be heard again. "Boss, everything is in place."
"Good. Bring the laptop and our equipment." Arlan smiled faintly. Although he still didn't have the power to take down Leandro's drug cartel, he could make use of this opportunity to decrease his credibility and take down one of his clients. His plan was to snipe one of Diego's men. This would make the two parties feel suspicious of each other and there might even be an exchange of bullets between them if things would escalate.
***
Inside a black BMW sedan, Diego was not wearing a mask this time, showing the face of a forty-year-old man with thick eyebrows. He was wearing a gold chain over his neck and a pair of black sunglasses that covered his eyes. Although his eyes couldn't be seen, one could feel that he wasn't in a good mood. "Are there still no news about that Arlan guy?" He asked while looking at the person sitting beside him.
"There's still no news from our men, boss. Three of our people also didn't return. I believe that the three of them are already dead. From their last report, we learned that Arlan most likely has a high position in Pegasus Hotel." The man reported.
Creases appeared on Diego's forehead as he frowned. "Pegasus Hotel? That would be difficult." He muttered. Pegasus Hotel was protected by a group of trained security personnel and most of them were even once part of the army. Diego couldn't afford to mess with them given his circumstances. His forces were spread out in four major cities of Metropolitan Manila and he couldn't gather them quickly.
"Tsk! Let's forget about that kid for now. We should focus on expanding towards Tondo Manila. That place has all sorts of people who would be willing to work for us. They would be useful cannonfodders when the time comes." Diego wanted to rip Arlan into shreds, but the guy was like a rat who always managed to slip away from his grasp.
"Boss, what about the Reyes Family?"
Hearing this, Diego snorted as he answered. "Capture them at all cost! We must get that girl Sophia before Boss Leandro comes back from his trip overseas!"
The man nervously nodded his head. "Yes, boss! We will do our best!"
Soon, their car arrived at the designated meeting spot. Diego could already see Senator Ramon and his men waiting for them. "Our dearest Senator Ramon came early this time. Men, grab the package!" Diego smirked as he stepped out of the vehicle.
"Good day, Mr. Arcenal! You look great today!" Diego put on a smile as he shook hands with Senator Ramon.
Senator Ramon was already old. He has a head full of gray hair, but his eyes still looked sharp. He was wearing cream-colored suit and he was holding a black cane on his right hand.
"Hahaha! Stop flattering me, Diego!" Ramon laughed heartily as he briefly exchanged pleasantries with Diego.
"Where's the money?" Diego asked with a smile.
"You are still as impatient as always, my friend." Ramon chuckled as he gave a signal to a few of his men who were each holding a briefcase. "Give him the money."
The people holding the briefcases walked towards them and showed Diego's group the money inside.
Diego's smile deepened when he saw the money inside the briefcases. "Bring out the crystals!" He shouted to his subordinates.
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