"How is the condition of the Senator?" Senator Richard Martinez asked the doctor, who is an ally of Liza Reyes and also a fellow Senator and friend.
"She continues to recover from the trauma, and progress can be seen as she is now able to engage in conversation," the doctor replied.
"That's good to hear. Can I speak with her now, doc?" Senator Richard Martinez asked.
"Yes, sir, you can definitely speak with her now," the doctor replied.
"Alright, thank you, doc," Senator Richard Martinez said, patting the doctor on the shoulder.
The Senator entered the room of the Senator, "How's the most beautiful, bravest, and most gentle senator in the world?" Senator Richard Martinez jokingly remarked with a smile.
Senator Liza Reyes looked at Senator Richard's entrance, "Oh my god, Richard, you're giving me goosebumps with what you're saying. Did you come here just to tease me?" The senator replied playfully, and the two laughed.
Senator Richard let out a deep sigh.
After a while, the room suddenly became quiet and serious, with only the sound of hospital equipment audible.
Sensing the seriousness, the senator noticed that there was an important discussion to be had with the Senator.
"Could you please leave us for a moment, nurse?" She asked the nurse who was checking on her condition.
"Yes, ma'am," the nurse replied, and quickly left the room.
After the nurse left, Senator Richard sat down on the sofa. The two senators exchanged glances.
"What's the news? Have you figured out who's behind my abduction?" Senator Liza asked.
Richard sighed, unsure how to answer. "The interrogation of the kidnapper they caught wasn't successful," he said to Senator Liza.
"Why wasn't it successful? What happened?" Liza asked, her voice filled with dismay.
"The suspect is dead, he committed suicide," Richard replied.
"They allowed him to die, is what you mean," Liza said, dismayed.
Richard just shook his head. "Before the kidnapper died, he just laughed at us, refused to answer all our questions," he said.
Liza looked out the window of her room.
"That's also why I'm here, Liza. You're the only one who can help with this investigation. Before he took his own life, he left behind some chilling words," Richard said.
"Chilling words?" Liza asked in surprise.
"Yes," Richard replied. "The suspect said, 'Darkness will reign!' Because of what he said, we can't tell if your abduction was just about politics or something else," he said, analyzing the situation.
Richard stood up and approached Senator Liza slightly, saying,
"Do you have any idea or suspects who might be connected to the darkness the suspect mentioned? Do you remember or notice anything when you were abducted?"
Senator Liza looked at Richard, then said in a slightly raised voice, "I don't know Richard, with all the enemies I have in Congress, maybe one of them wants to silence me, or maybe it's one of my allies."
Richard furrowed his brow. "Are you suspecting me too, Liza? ... That's why I'm here in front of you, helping with the investigation. I want to help you," Richard asked, somewhat dismayed by what Liza said.
"We can't fully understand why they want to silence you. If they want to keep you quiet, why ask for a 10 million ransom for your safety? Where would they use such a large amount of money? And why were you alone in the warehouse? Where were the people there, where were those who abducted you?" Richard asked.
"We're trying to connect the events, but we're not getting anywhere. It's all speculation and theories in the investigation, Liza. You're the only one who can help with this investigation," Richard pleaded.
Because Senator Liza was also confused, she fell silent and didn't answer Richard's questions. She just lay down and turned away from Richard. "I want to rest now, Richard. You can leave. Thank you for visiting," Liza said.
Richard sighed as he looked at Liza and shook his head, feeling disappointed.
After a moment of silence, Richard hesitated before speaking again, his voice softer this time. "Liza, I understand your distrust given the circumstances, but I assure you, I am here as your ally, not your enemy."
Liza remained silent, her back still turned to Richard.
Richard took a step back, a mix of frustration and concern evident on his face. "I'll leave you to rest then, Liza," he said quietly, before turning and heading towards the door.
As Richard reached for the doorknob, Liza's voice
As Richard reached for the doorknob, Liza suddenly spoke, 'TRIAD.' Liza said to Richard.
Senator Richard stopped and looked back. 'TRIAD?'
"When they abducted me, I saw two of them with tattoos on their left hand that read 'TRIAD,' on their wrists," Liza explained while still facing away from Richard, and Liza didn't speak again.
"Thank you, Liza," Senator Richard said as he quickly left the room.
He grabbed his cellphone and immediately called one of his investigator friends.
Ring!... ring!... ring!
"Hello, Senator Richard," came the answer from the other end.
"Hello! Robert. Is the suspect's body still there?" Richard quickly asked Robert.
"No, it's not here anymore. It was taken to the morgue yesterday," Robert replied. "The investigation and autopsy will continue there," he added.
Richard quickly got into his car.
"Did you notice a tattoo on the suspect's hand, TRIAD?" Richard asked.
"A triad tattoo on the hand? I didn't notice, why?" Robert replied, somewhat puzzled.
"Call the morgue and tell them not to touch the body yet," Richard said, "Let's meet at your office, and then we'll head to the morgue. I'll explain there," he added.
"Okay, copy sir," Robert replied.
He hung up his phone and quickly drove his car to Robert's office.
... [On Mount Apo] ...
It's their second day at Lake Venado since they arrived, and the Firefighter Drills and training continue under the command of Chief Superintendent Sir Rodriguez, with Jake, Ryan, Romar, and their fellow firefighters. The determination, strength, and cooperation of each individual are evident.
As Datu Bulon observes from the top of a tree, overseeing the training, he is filled with wonder at what he sees. Yet, his attention is more focused on Jake, recognizing his exceptional leadership.
In Bulon's mind, he is convinced that Jake is destined to succeed him, to bring peace to the world and stand as a defender of goodness against looming darkness.