Welcome to Yogyakarta
The white Avanza driven by Giono began entering Central Java.
Rani, sitting beside Rina in the middle row, suddenly pointed excitedly toward the border gate.
Rani: "Look, Rina!"
Rina turned to where Rani was pointing. A border gate stood there with the words:
Welcome to the City of Yogyakarta.
Rina: "Yay! We're in Jogja!"
From the back seat, Karsiyah—still dozing—was jolted awake by their shouts.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes! Rani, and you too, Rina, stop being so noisy!"
Rani and Rina looked at each other, then burst into bright laughter.
Rani: "Wake up, Mom! It's morning already!"
Rina: "Aren't you tired of sleeping all the time?"
Karsiyah squinted, shifted her position, pulled the blanket over herself, and started snoring again.
Rani and Rina laughed even harder.
Meanwhile, Giono and Ngatmo just smiled at the mother-and-daughter antics.
Ngatmo: "Once we get to Malioboro, find us a place to stay, No!"
Giono: "Of course! I need sleep. After driving all night, I'm done for, Mo!"
Ngatmo nodded in agreement.
***
Burhan Absent
Meanwhile…
Seventh-floor meeting room, Bareskrim headquarters – Jakarta.
Senior officers from the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sat facing each other across a long table.
Tono and Rudin were also there, seated side by side.
In front of them, Tina—wearing glasses—was focused on her laptop. Beside her sat Rustam, a detective with a pen tucked behind his left ear.
At the end of the table, a large monitor displayed an image of a beautiful woman holding a paper fan. The name "Mariana" was written on it.
On the table in front of each person sat a cup of hot coffee, its aroma filling the air.
AKBP Satrio, representing the KPK, chaired the joint meeting. His eyes were sharp, his voice firm, his presence commanding.
Satrio: "In the past few days, we've managed to expose a human trafficking ring thanks to Burhan's courage."
Police Commissioner General Haryono took a sip of his coffee.
Haryono: "Burhan was indeed brave. Without the assault team, he confronted the Kangkung Gang by himself."
Tono: "Permission to speak, Sir! Burhan had help from Nagini!"
Satrio: "The woman in the red jacket?"
Tono: "Yes, Sir."
Haryono: "You mean the woman who took down Kuntadi, the gang leader?"
Tono smiled awkwardly.
Tono: "That's right, Sir."
Satrio: "I've seen the CCTV footage from Tina."
Haryono: "I've seen it too. You sent it to the police, didn't you, Tina?"
Tina smiled and nodded, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose.
Satrio took a sip of coffee from the table.
Satrio: "Alright. Burhan isn't here. Does anyone know why?"
***
Tina Behind Nagini-Burhan's Actions
Tono and Rudin shrugged.
Satrio: "Tina, do you know? You're his close friend, aren't you?"
Tina looked up and adjusted her glasses. Her short hair hung straight.
Tina: "He's already asked for leave, Sir. Probably exhausted after raiding the Kembang Setaman nightclub."
Satrio nodded.
Haryono: "Burhan and Nagini were extremely brave, taking down Kuntadi's gang."
Tono: "Permission to speak, Sir!"
Satrio: "Go ahead."
Tono: "It wasn't just Burhan and Nagini, Sir."
Haryono: "What do you mean?"
Tono: "Tina was behind their bold move."
Rudin joined in.
Rudin: "In fact, Nagini, Burhan, and Tina were a team, Sir!"
Tina chuckled and adjusted her glasses again.
Tina: "I only gave them the information they needed, Sir."
Haryono and Satrio exchanged smiles.
Haryono: "That's remarkable, Tina."
Satrio: "And it gave us solid evidence pointing to Mariana."
A moment of silence. Some sipped their coffee.
Rustam: "True, Sir. But we can't overlook the fact that Nagini is a civilian."
Satrio spun a pen between his fingers.
Satrio: "Does anyone know where Nagini comes from?"
Tono and Rudin shrugged again.
***
Nagini's Origin
Tina: "There's no record of her origins—nothing in the population database."
Rustam: "You mean no ID or census data?"
Tina: "Exactly."
Aditya: "So she just appeared out of nowhere?"
Tina: "That's right."
Satrio: "This doesn't make sense."
Haryono: "Nagini is a mystery."
Satrio: "Did Burhan ever tell us anything about her? They seem close."
Rustam: "Burhan's never said a word."
Satrio and Haryono exchanged a headshake.
Haryono: "Any other intel on her?"
Tina adjusted her glasses again, eyes fixed on her laptop screen.
Tina: "According to reports, she possesses mystical abilities."
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief.
Tina: "Let's take a look at the monitor."
The monitor switched from Mariana's image to footage of Nagini in action.
***
Nagini's Mystical Powers on the Screen
Tina played the CCTV footage on the large monitor, showing Nagini in action.
First clip: Nagini defeating armed robbers at the Kemang Raya cafeteria.
Aditya: "Impossible!"
Second clip: Nagini batting away bullets from Bimo's sniper rifle.
Haryono: "Unbelievable! Are we dreaming?"
Satrio: "This is reality!"
Rustam: "Turns out our country still has mystical traditions."
Third clip: Nagini clashing head-to-head with Mariana's force.
Aditya: "So Mariana, the one we've been hunting, also has mystical skills."
Fourth clip: Nagini floating in midair, clinging to the ceiling as a hail of bullets whizzed by beneath her. The footage came from the Mariana raid at the Kembang Setaman nightclub.
Everyone let out awed whistles.
Haryono: "There can't be a Superman in this modern age."
Satrio: "It's impossible! A human, hovering in the air, dodging gunfire!"
Tina: "Nagini isn't the only one who can dodge bullets. Mariana can do it too."
Rustam: "What do you mean, Tina?"
***
Mariana's Mystical Powers on the Screen
Tina: "Look closely at the monitor."
They all fixed their eyes on the screen again.
Tina played CCTV footage of Mariana swatting away bullets from a masked sniper during the Kembang Setaman raid.
Their expressions tightened—shock mixed with panic.
Rustam: "This is impossible too!"
Haryono: "If Mariana can deflect bullets, how can we possibly arrest her?"
Everyone fell silent, realizing just how dangerous she was.
Haryono: "What if we ask Nagini to help chase Mariana?"
Satrio: "Makes sense. Only Nagini can match Mariana's mystical strength."
Tina: "But, Sir…"
Aditya: "What is it, Tina?"
Tina adjusted her glasses.
Tina: "Nagini is a civilian, Sir."
They all exchanged glances.
Tono: "Nagini is close to Burhan."
Rudin: "Maybe Burhan can persuade her."
Tina shook her head.
Tina: "It's not that simple, Pak Rudin. This is a covert operation. We can't involve civilians."
Rustam: "She's right. Besides risking the mission, it would also put Nagini in danger."
***
Nagini Is a Civilian
They continued debating about Nagini's role in the Mariana pursuit.
Haryono: "If we set Nagini aside, and considering Mariana's abilities, are we sure this mission can succeed?"
The room fell silent. Some shook their heads.
Satrio: "No matter what, we cannot involve civilians."
Haryono: "You're right. Whatever happens, the operation must go ahead."
Rustam: "Even without Nagini?"
Haryono: "Correct."
Tono and Rudin turned pale and uneasy—they were the ones going into the field.
Tono whispered to Rudin.
Tono: "How are we supposed to capture Mariana?"
Rudin: "You mean, capture someone who's bulletproof?"
Tono nodded.
Rudin: "Relax, Tono. We're still going after her."
Tono: "And…?"
Rudin: "Whether we succeed or not, that's a problem for later!"
Tono nodded again.
Rudin: "Let's stay pumped and be brave, Tono!"
Tono grinned, chest pounding with excitement, eyes gleaming.
Meanwhile, Satrio's voice boomed.
Satrio: "Alright. This operation is officially underway!"
***
Digital Map on the Screen
They took a short break.
Some sipped coffee, others grabbed fried snacks, and a few lit cigarettes.
Moments later, the meeting resumed.
Satrio: "Tina, as KPK's cyber team, you must know Mariana's last known location."
Tina adjusted her glasses yet again.
Tina: "Let's look at the monitor."
They all turned back to the big screen.
Tina: "According to satellite tracking—thanks to the device planted by Nagini—our target, Mariana, is now in Yogyakarta."
The monitor displayed red dots on a digital map, showing GPS signals.
Everyone shook their heads in amazement at Tina's skill.
Tono: "You're incredible, Tina!"
Rudin: "No wonder Burhan and Nagini nailed the Kangkung Gang so precisely."
Tina just smiled.
Satrio: "Where exactly, Tina?"
Tina: "Let's zoom in on this red dot."
All eyes were on the screen.
Tina: "This point is in the Mount Merapi area. Zooming in now."
The satellite view revealed a large building.
Tina: "From the satellite image, it's located on Merapi's slope."
The National Police Chief shook his head in admiration, then shouted firmly:
Police Chief: "We move out immediately!"
***
Tono Leads the Joint Police–KPK Team
Haryono pointed to Tono and Rudin.
Haryono: "Tono, and you, Rudin, lead the Densus 88 assault team and coordinate with the KPK unit."
Rudin gave a short nod.
Tono: "Yes, Sir! How many personnel will be deployed?"
Chief of Police: "Ten from Densus. Six from the KPK. This is a joint team."
Tono: "Permission to ask, Sir! What vehicle will transport the team to the field?"
Rudin: "Since it's mountainous, land vehicles are impossible."
Haryono: "You're right! You'll be taken by helicopter to the target location."
Rustam: "Where exactly will the personnel be dropped off?"
Satrio turned to Tina.
Tina stood and opened her laptop.
Tina: "Let's look at the monitor."
They turned their attention back to the big screen.
Tina: "This is the building suspected to be Mariana's base."
Haryono: "Go on, Tina…"
Tina adjusted her glasses and took a deep breath.
Tina: "To keep all possibilities in mind, we'll drop the team here."
She pointed to a location slightly away from the building on the monitor.
***
Permission to Shoot
Satrio: "You're right, Tina! The building is likely full of armed men."
Haryono: "The noise of the helicopter will alert them and they'll fire at it."
Rustam: "Once landed, we'll proceed on foot, climbing to approach the target."
Tina: "Exactly! We'll traverse the slopes of Merapi and cut through the forest to reach the building."
Everyone listened carefully to Tina's instructions.
Haryono: "Any questions?"
No one answered.
Haryono: "Alright! No reckless arrests. Mariana is extremely dangerous. We strike when she's off guard."
Tono: "We request full permission to shoot if the situation is critical."
Satrio: "Permission to fire is granted—if they threaten you!"
Haryono: "Shoot on sight if they resist!"
KPK Chief: "Priority: capture Mariana alive."
Tono: "Permission to ask, Chief. Something's missing!"
Haryono: "Go ahead, Tono."
Tono: "What if she escapes out of town?"
Tina: "We've already set up blockades. All exit routes from Jogja are under surveillance."
Tono: "Mariana could use a helicopter!"
Tina: "We've coordinated with the Air Force to close Jogja's airspace temporarily.
If an unknown helicopter departs from the Merapi slopes, it will be shot down!"
Everyone was impressed with Tina's strategy.
Finally…
Haryono closed the meeting with one firm statement:
Haryono: "Capture Mariana! This is a national priority!"
***
Call of Duty
Meanwhile, at Burhan's residence.
Burhan had just opened his eyes. The blanket still covered his body. The cool air from the AC made him even lazier to get out of bed.
When his phone rang, Burhan finally got up sluggishly. He answered.
Burhan: "Hello, Tono. Strange for you to call me this early."
Tono: "We've been ordered by the higher-ups to hunt Mariana in Jogja."
Burhan: "Oh yeah?"
Tono: "The operation order has been issued."
Burhan stood, walked to his desk, sat down, and fiddled with a pen.
Burhan: "Yeah, Tina already told me."
Tono: "Good, if you've been informed."
Burhan: "When do we leave for Jogja?"
Tono: "Probably this afternoon. You can check your email. Tina has sent you the assignment letter there."
Burhan: "I'll check later."
A brief silence.
Tono: "Finally, I get to take action with you, Burhan."
Burhan just gave a wry smile.
Burhan: "Alright, we'll continue later, okay? I'm going to shower first."
Tono: "Okay, Burhan. See you later…"
End of Chapter 33
To be continued Chapter 34