Chapter 57: Snake
The Bible inside the safe deposit box is still a mystery to us. We tried looking on every pages to check kung may mga nakasulat ba doon na maaring makatulong but the Bible is new at mukhang hindi pa iyon nabubuklat ng may-ari. No single highlighted text inside.
Jeremy suggested a while ago to read the whole book of Genesis since the organization's name is after it. Abala kaming tatlo nina Gray at Math sa pagbabasa sa Bible app sa cellphone namin while Jeremy read the book.
Ilang beses ko nang nabasa ang Genesis. Mula pa sa Spiritual Class namin sa elementary hanggang sa mga Bible study na sinalihan ko, but I never found anything to fill the puzzle. Ilang oras na rin kaming nagbabasa nang seryosong itiniklop ni Jeremy ang Bibliya at hinarap kami.
"Tapos mo nang basahin, Jeremy?" tanong ni Math at tumango siya. "Did you find anything? Anong masasabi mo?"
"Isa lang ang masasabi ko," he said in a blank expression at isa-isang tiningnan kami.
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
Isang malaking buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan niya. "AMEN!"
Binato namin siya nang masamang tingin at binalewala niya lang iyon. Gray tossed his phone on the couch at minasahe ang ulo niya habang nag-iisip. "I think the best thing we can do is infiltrate the organization and see what that Bible can do."
"What if there is a recognition device there? At kailangang itong Bible na ito mismo ang iharap natin doon? Gaya ng nasa mga palabas! May face recognition program sila tapos ang Genesis naman ay may book recognition software!"
"Puns, masyado ka nang kinakain ng mga pinapanuod mo." Napaupo na lamang si Je matapos ngumiwi kay Gray. Napasulyap ako sa investigation board nila.
"How's this thing going?" I asked pointing at the board.
"No progress. Sa tingin mo, sino sa mga malalapit sa 'yo ang may alam sa lahat ng ginagawa mo? Maybe this girl pretending to be you is someone who is close to you."
Napaisip ako sa tanong ni Gray. "I spent most of my time with you so I guess..." Sinadya kong huwag ituloy ang sasabihin. Saglit na namayani ang katahimikan and it took seconds for Math to react.
"What? It's not me! Bakit ko naman gagawin 'yan?" She asked and looked away.
"No, it's not her," walang pag-aalinlangang wika ni Gray.
"Oo nga Bestie, hindi 'yan si Math."
Hindi ko maiwasang bahagyang malungkot. When it was me, they came to the point of doubting me. Ngayong si Math ay hindi man lamang sila nagduda ng kahit ilang porsiyento man lamang. But I didn't entertain such thought. Ayaw kong magkalamat ulit ang pagkakaibigan namin gayong kakabati lamang namin.
Tumunog ang cellphone ko at rumehistro roon ang numero ni Cooler. He's missing in action these past weeks but whenever life is tough, he is always there willing to lend me a shoulder to cry on. Naalala ko ang mga panahong galit ako kay Daddy. Cooler has been one of those who opened my eyes to see Dad's good side. And now that I am in dilemma, he's now calling.
I excused myself at lumabas ng SC office upang sagutin ang tawag niya. "Cooler."
"Nasa labas ako ng school niyo. Can you be a 'gentlelady' and meet me here?" he said playfully.
Napangiti ako at nilakad ang daan patungo sa gate. Mabuti na lamang at ngayon niya ako naisipang dalawin. I was not in Bridle these past days. Nang matanaw ko na siya ay pinatay ko ang tawag. He was standing beside his car. By simply standing there, he makes people turn their heads to him.
Nang matanaw niya ako ay ngumiti siya ngunit agad din iyong napalis.
"What?" I asked nang makarating ako sa harapan niya.
"Anong what?"
"Why did you frown?"
"Aren't you supposed to hug me? Iyon ang madalas mong ginagawa sa tuwing pinupuntahan kita rito."
"Ah, ganun ba?" I opened my arms and tried to hug him at agad na lumawak ang ngiti niya. He was about to meet my hug but my palm formed into a fist at tinapat ko iyon sa mukha niya. "Neknek mo."
Muli siyang sumimangot sa akin but I was surprised when he suddenly pulled me and gave me a tight hug. "Walang makakapigil sa akin."
He hugged me tightly and I hugged him back. Yup, I miss him. Nang binitawan niya ako ay muli siyang ngumiti sa akin.
"Where have you been?" tanong ko sa kanya.
"Business. Uy, na-miss niya ako!" Sinundot niya ako sa tagiliran nang paulit-ulit habang tinutukso ako.
"Stop it! Anong ginagawa mo rito?"
"I wanted to see you," sagot niya.
Hindi ko mapigilang titigan si Cooler. If we will be asked which person in our life mean the most, madalas nating sagot ay ang mga taong palaging nariyan sa tabi natin. Those person who's with us through thick and thin, who never leave our side no matter what but for me it's Cooler. He may not be always at my side sharing all my pain and triumph, but he is there whenever I feel like I have no one to turn to. I smiled upon the thought of how lucky I am to know him. Kung dati ay hinihiling ko na sana ay hindi ko na lang nakilala si Zeus, now I am always thankful of having him.
Bigla niyang pinisil ang ilong. "Hoy, Amber what's that look huh? Don't tell me nai-in love ka na sa akin? Ikaw ha!" He started pinching my side again at agad naman akong umiwas.
"Ano ba, isa ka na lang masasapak talaga kita!"
He stopped and raised both his arms. "Okay, I surrender. But let me do my magic trick." He snapped his fingers in front of me at pagkatapos ay may hinigit na isang rosas mula sa buhok ko. "My magic has improved. Kung dati ay nanunood lang ako, ngayon ay nagma-magic na ako", he said as he handed me the flower.
Tinanggap ko iyon mula sa kanya. "Not magic but a trick. I saw a bulge in your sleeves kaya marahil doon mo tinago itong bulaklak."
"Magic trick!" Nakangiwing wika niya. "Let me try this one." Kumuha siya ng baraha mula sa bulsa niya and shuffle it. Sumandal ako sa pinto ng kotse niya habang pinapanuod siya sa ginagawa. He stood in front of me and showed me the cards. "Pick one."
Pinaikot ko ang mga mata ko but he prompt me to do it so I picked the Ace of Spades. He told me to clearly look at my card before returning it to the deck and then he reshuffled it. He picked five cards from the deck and asked me if my card was there kaya tumango ako. He shuffled it again and then he showed the Ace of Spades.
"Is this your card?" He asked with a very wide smile.
"Try harder, Cooler. Alam kong nakikita mo ang card na napili ko mula sa salamin ng bintana ng kotse."
"Nakakainis ka naman eh. Could you at least not be a keen observer just for a while?" he whined like a kid and I chuckled.
"Ang dami mo pa kasing satsat eh. Tell me, anong sadya mo? For sure hindi ka nagpunta rito para lang mag-magic."
His expression shifted from being playful to serious. Kapagkuwa'y mahigpit na hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. "Zywon told me everything."
"Everything?"
"You, the Genesis... Everything."
I free my hands from him. "And then what? Pinagdududahan mo rin ako?"
He pulled me towards him at inakbayan ako. "Kailan ba kita pinagdudahan?"
Pinili kong huwag sumagot at nanatiling tahimik nang muli siyang magsalita. "Actually, that's the reason why I'm here."
Nagtatakang napatingin ako sa kanya. "You want to confirm the story?"
"No. I have a plan that might help but you have to be careful. I have a feeling that there is a snake in one of your friends." Cooler and his gut feel. There are numerous times that prove how reliable his gut feeling.
"What plan?"
***
Jeremy tapped the marker on the whiteboard to get our attention. Sinabi ko sa kanya ang plano ni Cooler na sinabi niya sa akin kanina bago umalis. "So, this is the summary of the plan that Cooler said."
Napatingin kaming lahat sa whiteboard kung saan sinulat niya ang malaking 5B's.
"5 B's? Ano naman 'yan, Professor Je?" Math said as she rolled her eyes.
"Sa pagpuksa sa Genesis na napakasama, halang ang kaluluwa, walang awa, mga kriminal-"
"Puns, drop the adjectives," wika ni Gray sa kanya. I agree. They're worse than those.
"Don't interrupt me. So, this is the summary of Cooler, the brother of Gray-"
"Je, go straight to the point," I mouthed. Muli siyang napalabi at tiningnan ako ng masama bago nagpatuloy.
"So-"
"Go straight to those B's," Math said.
Naningkit ang mga mata ni Jeremy bago padabog na isinulat ang unang B sa whiteboard. "First B-Bait. Kailangan natin ng pa-in upang lumabas si Brain."
"And that is?" tanong ni Math.
"Cooler said he will attend a gathering of influential people. Isa iyong pagtitipon na dadaluhan ng mga taong may kinalaman sa underground business," sagot ko. "For sure he will attend the gathering lalo na at naroon ang Vander Mafia."
"Yup, tama si Bestie. Kapag dumalo siya, Cooler will secretly bug him with Math's device. Make sure there is a transmitter. Can you do it, Maya?"
Math flipped her hair. "Of course, that's a piece of cake."
"Pakain ko sa 'yo 'yang cake mo eh," Je said in a low voice. "Make sure that it's not too obvious. Once the gathering ends, we will listen to his conversation and track him. Malamang ay pupunta siya sa kuta ng Genesis at kapag nalaman na natin kung saan ang lungga nila, dito papasok ang pangalawang B. The second B is - Bond."
"Yes. At ikaw Gray ang makakagawa niyan," wika ko. "Kayo ni Khael. To easily infiltrate the room with the supercomputer, we need to lure out Tross. Zywon said he's always in that room-"
"Zywon?
Napatigil ako sa sinabi. Oo nga pala. They didn't know about Zywon being the Trojan. "I mean Zywon guessed. If he's Brain, malamang ay babantayan niya personally ang system nila."
"Tama," sang-ayon ni Math. "I wonder how their supercomputers look like."
"Anong gagawin namin?" tanong ni Gray.
"It's up to you do whatever. Just keep him out that room and keep him out for some time. May pinagsamahan kayo kaya siguradong haharapin niya kayo."
Je cleared his throat. "While you lure him out, then we can do our third B- Break-in. Bestie and I will do it. Papasok kami sa lungga ng Genesis while-"
Bigla na lamang napatayo si Gray sa kanyang upuan. "That's very dangerous! Hindi niyo ba naisip na hindi lamang si Tross ang nasa kuta nila? How about surveillance cameras? Guards? For sure they will know that you are there!"
"Err, kalma lang, Abo," wika ni Jeremy. "We know that so we will ask Ryu to do something. Maybe he can bug their computer program at nang maging abala sila. We'll ask him to tamper their cameras nang hindi nila kami mapansin."
"As of the guards, Cooler said Red can take care of them," wika ko.
"Bakit hindi na lamang natin ipaubaya sa Mafia 'to? Amber, we cannot risk our lives, we cannot risk you."
I felt warmth in Gray's voice as he said those. But this isn't a war between the Genesis and the Vander Mafia. This is a battle between the good and bad. This is my fight. Kapag hindi kami gumawa ng hakbang laban sa kanila ay mas dadami pa ang magiging biktima nila lalo na at naperpekto na nila ang STX2.
"I can do this," buo ang boses na wika ko. Minsan ay naiisip ko kung saan ako humuhugot ng tapang upang gawin ang mga bagay na kinakatakukan ko. I am afraid, yes I am. But when you are in fear, that is also the time that you will know that you're brave. Bravery is not about the strength of the body, I believe it is the courage of the spirit.
Ilang saglit akong tinitigan ni Gray bago siya napabuntong-hininga at muling ibinaling ang atensyon kay Jeremy.
"Once we're inside, dala namin ang pang-apat na B- Bible. Aalamin namin kung ano ang magagawa ng Bibliya kapag nasa loob na kami."
"And the last B?" tanong ni Math.
"And the last B is BOOM!"
"Boom?"
"Boom!" He made a sound of explosion through his mouth. "Ibig sabihin, Bye Genesis! Wait, alin mas maganda, Boom o Bye?"
"Ewan ko sa 'yo."
Tumayo si Gray at hinarap ako. "Kailan gaganapin ang party na dadaluhan ni Cooler?"
"Bukas ng gabi."
"Bukas ng gabi?!" Magkasabay nilang bulalas. "That fast?"
"Oo kaya kailangan nating magplano agad," wika ko sa kanila. We must do it as soon as possible bago pa mahuli ang lahat. I know this is dangerous but if the Genesis will not be stopped, who knows when they will take the lives of my friends? They took Dad's life at hindi sila mangingiming gawin iyon sa akin o sa mga kaibigan ko. There is nothing I would not do for my friends. Hindi naman sa magpapakamatay ako para sa kanila just to show my bravery. Nope, hindi ako magpapakabayani at mamatay para sa kanila. I will struggle to live with them.
This is our first and last shot. Kapag hindi namin ito nagawa ng maayos ay hindi kami titigilan ng Genesis. Alam kong hindi lamang kaligtasan ko ang nakataya rito kundi pati na rin kaligtasan ng mga kaibigan ko. But if there there is one thing I learned about friendship, it's about helping each other. Fight for them and let them fight for you if they want to.
"I think we need to eat first," wika ni Jeremy. "Gutom na ulit ako."
"Na naman?"
He flashed a shy smile at niyaya kaming lumabas. Wala naman kaming nagawa kundi pumayag. Nauna silang lumabas sa akin at nang palabas na ako ay napatigil ako nang tumununog ang cellphone ko na nasa bag ko na iniwan sa mesa. Sinabi ko sa kanila na susunod din ako at agad kong kinuha ang cellphone ko. It was Cooler again.
I answered the call at naupo sa upuan na malapit sa investigation board. "Hello, Cooler?"
"Amber, how's your -bzz- planning going on?"
"Katatapos lang namin. I think Gray will approve such idea."
"Mabuti naman. I -bzz- already talked to Poseidon-bzz- at handa siyang tumulong even if this is beyond - buzz-the scope of the mafia-bzz-"
Why there is a static sound?
"Cooler?"
"Amber, nasaan -bzz- ka?" His voice began to panic. "Cut this call, you're bugged."
Agad kong pinatay ang tawag. No, I don't think that it was me who was bugged. Maayos ang pag-uusap namin ni Cooler kanina kaya imposibleng nasa akin ang dahilan kung bakit may static noise sa tawag namin. I tried calling him again at agad niya iyong sinagot.
"Keep this call going, I need to find where it is placed," wika ko kay Cooler. Nagsimula siyang magsalita ng kung anu-ano while I started searching the device which caused the static sound and feedback.
Nang mas lumapit ako sa whiteboard ay mas lumakas ang feedback. My hands trembled when I saw something on the board.
"Cooler, tatawagan kita mamaya," wika ko at pinatay ang tawag nang hindi man lamang hinintay ang sagot niya. I kept my phone in my pocket at tinanggal ang maliit na bagay na naka-tape sa board. Sa unang tingin ay aakalain mong nakalakumos na masking tape lamang iyon but if you look at it closely, there was a small familiar device hidden there. Math's bug.
But why would Math bug her own office? At sa investigation board pa nila mismo kung saan sila nag-uusap tungkol sa mga plano nila at mga pag-iimbestiga?
Agad ko iyong tinago sa loob ng bag ko at tumakbo patungo sa cafeteria. Nang makarating ako roon ay nasa mesa sila habang blankong nakatingin kay Jeremy na panay ang tawa. Je stopped laughing when he saw me at agad akong pinaupo.
"Bestie, mabuti naman at nandito ka na. Hindi pa talaga kami umo-order kasi hinihintay ka namin."
Math made a face. "Ang sabihin mo, hindi ka pa umo-order kasi naghahasik ka pa ng lagim."
"Ang sabihin mo, naiinis ka kasi di ka naman talaga matalino. Hindi mo nga nasasagutan mga quizzes ko," sagot ni Je sa kanya. Gray looked away with a bored expression. He must be dealing with situations like this between the two.
"So, ito Bestie. Alam mo bang may kapatid si Ed Sheeran?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Ewan. I'm not a fan."
"Kahit hindi ka fan, dapat alam mong kapatid niya sina Ed Sheewalk at si Ed Sheejump! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bumunghalit siya ng tawa at gaya ng palaging nangyayari, people at the cafeteria looked at our direction.
I rolled my eyes at him at hinila siya patayo. "Halika na nga, Je! Um-order na tayo."
He was still laughing when he got up at agad naming tinungo ang counter. Nang nasa pila na kami ay nag-aalangan ako kung itatanong ko ba sa kanya ang bagay na bumabagabag sa isip ko. Maaaring nagkakamali lang ako ng iniisip. They trusted Math at kapag sinabi ko iyon ay malamang hindi sila maniniwala.
"Je?"
"Yes?"
"Nag-iimbestiga ba kayo sa mga nangyari?"
"Oo naman," he said in a low voice. "Do you remember the case of the guard?"
Tumango ako sa kanya. "Yep, three people confessed to the crime which is very impossible."
"Turns out, none of those three killed the guard. It was someone-the same person posing as you."
"What?" Bulalas ko.
"Shh. We're still trying to figure out who really that girl is. Alam niya ang lahat ng ginagawa namin. Wherever we are, she's always one step ahead," sabi ni Jeremy. Mas lalo lamang akong kinabahan. Whoever she is, she must be very smart and she knew about all their steps.
"Pinag-uusapan niyo rin ba ni Gray ang mga plano ninyo? Like kayo lang dalawa? Kasi.... kasi 'di ba busy si Math since siya ngayon ang namamahala sa student council?" I tried to make my voice unsuspecting. Ayaw kong isipin nila na punagdududahan ko si Math.
"Yup, most of the times ay wala si Math kasi busy siya lalo na at malapit na ang Completion program," sagot niya. Dumoble ang kaba ko. I silently prayed that it's not as what I think it is.
"At saan kayo nag-uusap?"
"We do every investigation at the SC office. Naroon ang investigation board namin eh. But every time we had a hint about the previous cases, we always find nothing. Gaya na lamang nung nangyari na pagpatay sa guard, we figured out that there is a CCTV footage na mula sa tapat na building at posibleng may nakuha roon na maaaring makatulong, pero nang pumunta kami sa surveillance room kinagabihan, all files of that CCTV were deleted."
My hands began to tremble and my knees became weak. Mabuti na lamang ay napahawak ako sa isang upuan na nasa gilid dahil kung hindi ay baka bumagsak na ako sa sahig. I slowly turn my head towards the direction of the table where Math and Gray sat.
No, it can't be...
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-ShinichiLaaaabs