"In a world of shadows, trust is the first thing to die."
The engines of the seaplane roared above Manila Bay as it soared south, carrying Juan and Maria into the unknown. The sea below looked calm, almost mocking. But their minds were anything but. Inside Juan's coat pocket, the burner phone continued to buzz with anonymous messages:
"DON EDUARDO STILL ALIVE. TIGRES WANT WAR."
"CEBU IS NO LONGER SAFE."
The scent of saltwater mixed with Maria's perfume as she sat beside him, loading her revolver with care. The flickering cabin lights reflected off her eyes — calm, but sharp. Like a blade wrapped in silk.
---
Scene Cut: The Interrogation Room – Makati Safehouse
Back in Manila, Tommy Brown — the American tech expert and former traitor — sat cuffed, bruised, and bitter. He had been captured after the events of Zamboanga (yet to unfold). He smirked at the interrogators.
"You think Lim was the boss? He was a pawn. The real players were waiting for him to fall. They're watching everything. Especially you, Juan."
His voice echoed even as the screen cut to black.
---
Cebu: Land of Crossroads and Contraband
Juan and Maria landed in Mactan under fake names. The airport was flooded with tourists, but beneath the surface, Cebu was tense. Armed men loitered near ports. Vendors whispered in Visayan. "Naay grupo nga kusog kaayo karon… Tigres Negro ba." (There's a powerful group now… The Black Tigers.)
They moved swiftly through Carbon Market and then up into the hills of Guadalupe. There, a small chapel had become a safehouse. Inside waited an old contact — an ex-soldier and Visayan informant.
---
Enter Isko "Tigre" Rodriguez
Wearing a dusty army jacket, shades, and holding a rosary with one hand and a bolo with the other, Isko Rodriguez was a war veteran. Once a loyal bodyguard to Don Eduardo during the old trade days, he had since become a legend in Cebu's backstreets. They called him "Tigre" — not just for his growl-like voice, but for the claw-shaped scar on his chest.
"Juan Cariño… I was wondering when the shadows would come crawling back."
He welcomed them in. Gave them beer. Then laid out the map.
---
Mission Intel: Don Eduardo's Captivity
"They're holding Don Eduardo sa lumang Spanish convent sa bukid ng Busay. Guarded ng mga dating rebelde, bayarang sundalo. And... may Amerikano silang kasama. Parang CIA. Or worse."
Maria frowned. "Another American?"
Isko nodded grimly. "Name's Robert 'Red' Maddox. Mercenary. Trafficker. Former Black Ops. He's training Los Tigres. And he hates Spanish speakers."
---
Nightfall: The Busay Infiltration (Mission Trigger)
Mission Name: "El Rescate" (The Rescue)
Objectives:
Infiltrate the hilltop convent undetected
Rescue Don Eduardo alive
Retrieve documents from Tigres' temporary HQ
---
With silenced pistols, knives, and old maps, Juan, Maria, and Isko made their way up the foggy roads. Rondalla music could still be faintly heard from the city — a ghost of normal life. But the hills were deadly quiet.
Gunfire soon broke the silence.
They breached the convent walls. Muzzle flashes lit the hallways like lightning. Maria kicked down doors. Isko took a bullet to the arm but kept charging forward. Finally, they found Don Eduardo — bloodied, chained, but alive.
Juan: "We're late."
Don Eduardo (weakly): "You're just in time… They're heading to Mindanao."
---
Debrief at the Chapel
As Maria stitched Isko's wound and Juan lit another cigar, Don Eduardo opened a small tin box — filled with torn documents, photos, and a strange seal: the emblem of Los Tigres Negros, but marked with pearls and a crown.
"These men aren't just drug traffickers," he murmured. "They're treasure hunters. Arms dealers. Cultists even. And their leader… calls himself El Tigre."