Burhan Nervous

  Meanwhile, Burhan and Rudin returned to the front post with several officers, bringing along Mardian, Paimin, and Giman.

  They ran into Tono.

  Tono: "How's the situation inside the building, Burhan?"

  Burhan: "The building has been secured!"

  Rudin: "No suspects managed to escape."

  Tono suddenly stepped closer to Burhan and whispered something.

  Burhan's face looked shocked, slightly pale, but his eyes lit up.

  Burhan: "Oh yeah?"

  Tono nodded, pointing toward Tina.

  Burhan: "With Tina?"

  Tono nodded again.

  Burhan walked toward Tina, who was absorbed in her tablet.

  Burhan: "Hi, Tina."

  Tina looked up, her gsses slipping down slightly.

  Tina: "Hi, Mr. Burhan."

  Burhan: "Is Nagini with you?"

  Tina smiled and adjusted her gsses.

  Tina: "Yes, Mr. Burhan."

  Burhan looked nervous.

  Burhan: "But I don't see her with you?"

  Tina held back a ugh.

  Tina: "Rex, Mr. Burhan. Nagini's busy beating up Mariana—the bulletproof witch."

  Burhan's expression changed instantly. He looked deeply worried about Nagini.

  Tina: "Come here, take a look at the tablet, Mr. Burhan."

  Burhan leaned in to see the screen.

  Burhan: "I don't see Nagini, Tina. Just some red and bck blurs fshing past."

  Tina smiled.

  Tina: "The red blur is Nagini, the bck blur is Mariana."

  Burhan: "You mean…?"

  Tina: "Nagini is fighting Mariana."

  Burhan: "That fast? Just leaving afterimages? Impossible, Tina."

  Tina smiled again.

  Tina: "This is beyond our logic, Mr. Burhan."

  Burhan nodded, trying to digest Tina's expnation.

  ***

  Air Force Helicopter

  Tono approached Burhan and Tina.

  Tono: "The suspects are all secured and gathered, Burhan!"

  Burhan: "Good. The terrain's too difficult—forest and steep slopes, no way a vehicle can get in!"

  Tono: "So how do we take the suspects in for trial?"

  Tina adjusted her gsses again. In one hand was her tablet, and next to it, a stun-gun shaped like a slingshot.

  Tina: "We've coordinated with the Air Force."

  Burhan: "You mean, Tina?"

  Tina: "The Air Force will send a transport helicopter to pick up the suspects."

  Burhan and Tono exchanged gnces, shaking their heads in admiration at Tina's foresight.

  Burhan: "You're amazing, Tina."

  Tono: "What did your mom feed you as a kid to make you this good, Tina?"

  Tina chuckled.

  Tina: "I'm just doing the job I can."

  Burhan: "You're too modest."

  Tono: "You truly understand the height of mountains and the depth of oceans, Tina."

  Tina couldn't hold back her ughter.

  Tina: "Enough! Stop praising me."

  Burhan and Tono grinned sheepishly.

  ***

  Paimin and Giman

  Paimin and Giman, hands cuffed, sat with other handcuffed security guards. Parn, Saimo, Legi, and Triman were there too, looking pitiful.

  Paimin whispered to Giman.

  Paimin: "Did you hear what that dy officer said?"

  Giman: "The one with gsses and short hair?"

  Paimin: "Yeah, her."

  Giman: "What did you hear?"

  Paimin: "We're going to be picked up by helicopter."

  Giman's face instantly lit up.

  Giman: "You sure?"

  Paimin: "Yeah, I'm sure."

  Giman looked at Paimin with trembling voice.

  Giman: "Have you ever ridden in a helicopter?"

  Paimin shook his head.

  Giman: "So this will be our first time?"

  Paimin nodded.

  Giman: "We can tell our children and grandchildren about this!"

  Paimin gred at him.

  Paimin: "But we're being picked up to go to trial, Giman!"

  Giman: "I don't care, Min! If it weren't for getting caught, we might never ride in a helicopter our whole lives."

  Paimin turned away, trying not to ugh.

  Nearby, Legi whispered to Triman.

  Legi: "You see Parn and Saimo's faces?"

  Triman: "Yeah, pitiful."

  Legi: "They know what's coming."

  Triman: "You mean… they'll get beaten by the cops?"

  Legi nodded.

  Triman: "The cops still hold a grudge because their friends got beaten up at Kramat Jati market."

  Legi nodded again.

  Triman: "They're gonna get beaten to a pulp."

  Legi: "Yeah, they'll be turned into green bean porridge."

  The two chuckled quietly while gncing at Parn.

  To be continued