Chapter 77: Secret Project Crabnomers

The car stopped at a complete halt near the parking lot and Marco Senior open the door and examine the surroundings. Oliver Luna and Janet Liang hastily open the car door and walk towards the building and enter. The elevator moved its way to the 7th floor where Benjamin Gustilo resides. They used their skills and knowledge to penetrate the apartment and gather information as much as possible. They used modern listening devices to know what transpired between Marco Junior and his grandfather.

Janet Liang is the one in charge of recording the conversation and Oliver Luna is for searching documents that they needed to fasten the secret of Project Crabnomers.

While the conversation between Marco Junior and Ben Gustilo was still in progress, Oliver Luna got hold of the leather bag full of papers inside. He hurriedly got hold and approach Janet Liang to wrap up the recording. They hurriedly left the apartment and go straight to the car where Marco Senior is waiting for them.

"How's the operation Oliver, Janet?"

"Sir Marco, I've got a bag of documents to be checked later. And for the meeting of Ben and Marco Junior, we've got the recording to be checked also in our hidden room, later, also."

"Nice and great Oliver, Janet, very good."

"Our operation ran smoothly today, without interference from the other side. Okay let's go!"

Clove Apartment No.6 Podium Bldg. Chang Ning Qu, Shanghai, where Benjamin Gustilo resides for a long time and dedicated his life to the cause of his brother, Franklin Gustilo. He molded his well-being after the death of his lone daughter, Danielle Gustilo, and stayed in Shanghai for good.

After so many trials and sacrifices on his part, living in Shanghai, he developed his acumen to mingle with his brother Franklin, and push his way to the top – in the business world. Luckily, he survived the rigors of the Shanghai top men in the government administration.

Unfortunately, Marco Fernando Senior's mission was to penetrate the cyber world and the business world in Shanghai. Ben knew beforehand that Marco Fernando Senior was a spy when he entered the business world, some years ago, but he kept it only to himself as a secret because of his grandson, Marco Fernando Junior.

XXX

Marco Fernando Senior, Oliver, and Janet arrived at their apartment building and directly enter the hidden room adjacent to the room of Marco Fernando Senior. A large section in the building where housed the secret job of the three, since they settled in Shanghai for almost three years. It has modern equipment and gadgets that made their job easy to communicate at CIA headquarters.

As the new communicated assignment to them, their mission – Project Crabnomers wherein to investigate the project itself and the outcome.

As they open the leather bag, each piece of the document is thoroughly photographed and checked for any new information. They secretly stayed for five days to learn and study the secret Project Crabnomers.

Marco Fernando Senior called his son to wait for him for their face-to-face meeting, and he agreed truthfully.

XXX

Secret Project Crabnomers (Backstory)

Three years ago, Benjamin Gustilo had a project on a secluded island in the north of Sta. Ana, Cagayan, Palaui Island, Philippines is lined with sandy beaches that are surrounded by glorious hills. Coves and waterfalls are also abundant. The project was developed to experiment on how to produce Crabnomers.

Jiyo Kael Del Valle, PA of Benjamin Gustilo, billionaire and sole owner of Bio-Tech Corporation, was tense. He was running out of time and daylight on his walk. It was too dark to fly, and if he didn't land the helicopter as soon as possible, there was a good chance he would lose fuel for it. Giving a small smile of pleasure, he breathed a sigh of relief. He arrived on the coast of Palaui Island, exactly where it was supposed to be. Palaui Island, part of Cagayan. Spot-on and no problem.

The island is aptly named, it looks like it as if a giant with an outsize scimitar had sliced ​​the top clean. Jiyo Kael left the beach and headed for the torn formation from the thin end, looking in the dark light for the helipad. It's been a long time since he's last here, and he's not quite sure how the setup has changed. He needs to guard against any barriers and security.

The project is located in a natural indentation at the larger end of the island, or rather, the large slab of its concrete roof. The secret laboratory itself is buried deep underground.

As Jiyo Kael approached the helipad, the halogen lights on the side of the slab came alive, and within a few precious seconds he was blinded.

"Damn! Fools, ignorant! What do they think they're doing? "

Jiyo Kael just closed his eyes in anger, landed in the middle of the big white circle painted on one end of the slab, and turned off the machine. Flicking the switches, he sat while waiting for the rotors to slow down. Giving his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark, he jumped out of the chopper and closed the door, turning to the entrance. He left quickly, going through the rude word he would give to the fools of the worker that he was almost blinded.

As he walked on the cement, he suddenly thought, and he shook his own stupidity, giving a bitter smile.

The outside lights turn on automatically at dusk; he was not fortunate enough to arrive at that particular time. He could barely see the island through the thin cloud of lights blazing all around him, only the lone, sad-looking structure that was the entrance to the project.

Walking towards the glass box tucked into the far side of the slab, he rubbed one hand over his forehead, looking right and left as he walked.

Jiyo Kael is handsome in physique, tall and muscular. He always wore a black leather jacket over a white shirt and red tie, matched with gray slacks and very shiny shoes. His co-workers joked that he probably bought a lot of American suits, and jewelry, at his job 3 years ago and he hadn't done it all yet.

Jiyo became the PA of Benjamin Gustilo, a Filipino-Chinese Businessman with a large office building in Shanghai, China, and a large house in Prime Subdivision in Cagayan near the island. For the past three years, the Strict Man- as he is referred to privately - has sought him out after he left the American Special Forces, making an offer so despicable that he could not refuse it. Over the years, he got that money but saved the Strict Man Man's life on more than one occasion.

Jiyo Kael was nervous, and with good reason, because he was now close to seeing the glass-walled entrance building. The large curved desk facing the doors is empty, as is the glass-sided lift shaft. The vehicle was obviously lowered to the basement level. There was no trace of anyone anywhere, and that worried him. The Lab is empty.

Reaching the doors, he pressed the entrance button, the violent buzzer echoing through the reinforced glass. He knew the second buzzer would sound in the lab below, in case the security guard was not at the desk for some reason.

Without a response, Jiyo Kael pointed the override code at the entry pad, clicking with impatient fingers as he waited for the glass doors to slide aside. A shiver touched the nape of his neck as he entered. Glancing back over his shoulder, he shuddered in his anxiety.

He walks around the big table, Jiyo sits on the chair, staring at the CCTV screens placed in a semicircle in front of him. There are five, all showing different views of the rooms below. Nothing moves in any of them.

He sat in his chair for a moment, forehead furrowed, then he sat down in confusion, he saw something in Camera 5, covering The Hole.

Because that particular room is kept in eternal darkness, the camera is equipped with an infrared filter, giving everyone on the screen an ethereal glow.

There was a white object lying on the floor, just to the side of the picture - it seemed familiar to him.

Holding the control stick, Jiyo moved the camera to get a better view, zooming in on the photo. A long hissing sound hissing escaped his lips and his eyes widened. Zooming in further, he felt his heart rate increase and sweat dripping between his shoulders. Yes, he is right. There can be no mistake about what awaits him in the lab.

He picked up the desk phone, he thumped at a number available to only a select few. Holding the phone to his ear, he continued staring at the CCTV screen. When answering his call he uttered four words, his tone being a dull, flat monotone.

"Kael. Isla. Now. Alone."

Taking a deep breath, Jiyo returned the handset to its holder and stood up, surprised at how weak his legs were at the sight. He was about to go to the elevator, he pressed the call button, tapping his fingers on his thigh as the elevator car moved slowly from under the shaft.

The elevator seemed to last forever, but when the doors finally opened, Jiyo hesitated, it had to be prevented from re-closing with an outstretched hand. He stroked the back of his neck, and he went inside.

XXX