A/N: This is the last part of the Augustus arc and my ninth update in a row! Enjoy reading!
LORELEI
EVERYTHING WENT according to our plan. Or to borrow Augustus' own words, according to our "layout."
I wanna savor this moment. The look on Augustus' face was too priceless. A moment ago, he was on the verge of his triumph. A second later, he fell into the pit of loss. I bet Loki would want to see the editor-in-chief's reaction.
I can't read his mind, but the stare that he gave me was already telling. Paulit-ulit siguro niyang tinatanong ang kanyang sarili: "How the hell did this happen?"
Well, it all began during my conversation with Alistair outside our classroom. Around that time, I was still thinking kung dapat ko bang sabihin kay Loki ang totoo o hayaan si Augustus na ang magsabi. Either way kasi, malalaman pa rin ni Loki ang katotohanan. That was a tough choice for me.
Thankfully, my childhood friend was there to offer an alternative. I don't want to take the whole credit for myself. After all, our plan was initially Alistair's idea.
"Lorelei, I don't know if you'll agree with me, but we need to play according to Augustus' layout."
"So you think that I should tell Loki what I saw in the notebook?" tanong ko.
"Not exactly." Alistair shook his head. "Remember what Augustus wants? Gusto niyang magkagulo sina Loki at Luthor. Gusto niyang ma-distract tayo sa imbestigasyon. That's the reason why he's willing to talk to Loki about his brother's alleged connection to Moriarty."
"Am I gonna tell him anything or not?" tanong ko. That's the million peso question.
"You don't need to tell Loki the truth," Alistair told me. He stared at me for a few seconds. "You just need to make it look like you told him the truth. Gets?"
It took me a few seconds to process what he had just said. I had too much on my mind already. Hindi ko na alam kung ano'ng unang iisipin ko. "To make that happen, we need to play a charade."
Alistair nodded. "Augustus' layout reveals na may ine-expect siyang specific na reaction mula sa atin. He anticipates na kapag nalaman ni Loki ang tungkol sa laman ng notebook, magkakaroon ng gulo. Kailangan nating ipakita sa kanya ang ine-expect niyang reaction. We need to give him what he wants."
"Won't he suspect na baka nag-a-act lang tayo?" tanong ko. Augustus was smart after all. He managed to counter our moves. "Given the way he outsmarted us at every turn, hindi ba siya nag-e-expect na may gagawin tayong ganito?"
"Because of his winning streak, Augustus has become overconfident." Alistair looked away and slipped his hands inside his pockets. "He knew that by tomorrow morning, we would all be in a state of panic and chaos. As long as everything is going exactly as he predicted, he won't suspect anything. Kaya nga kailangan nating gawing realistic ang reaction natin. We need to be genuine."
"Realistic how?" kunot-noo kong tanong. "Dapat bang sigawan ni Loki sa harap ng maraming estudyante si Luthor?"
"That's not compelling enough," pag-iling niya. "Tell me, sakaling malaman ni Loki ang katotohanan, do you think na sisigaw-sigawan lang niya si Luthor?"
Napalunok ako ng laway. That question has been on my mind since I found out Luthor's secret. The truth is, I don't know exactly how Loki would react. It's a mystery to me.
"He won't settle for a shouting match with his brother," may pag-iling kong sagot. When was the last time na nagpuyos siya sa galit? Ah, noong makaharap namin si Stein matapos niyang magpakilala bilang Moriarty! "There's a chance that he might get physical. Violence is not out of the question."
"Then he needs to get physical," tugon ni Alistair. "He needs to show an appropriate amount of rage para maging kapani-paniwala ang galit niya."
"S-Seryoso ka ba?" my eyebrows knitted. "You want Loki to punch Luthor? As in, real punch?"
"Augustus wants to see drama," tugon ni Alistair. "We will give him a drama for him to enjoy. With popcorn pa kung gusto niya."
Yumuko ako sabay tingin sa ibang direksyon. The more I think about it, the more na posible ngang mauwi sa sakitan ang galit ni Loki. Siguradong hindi lang niya isang beses na susuntukin si Luthor. When he kicked Stein during our confrontation, he kicked the poor boy many times.
"We also need to build up the tension," Alistair added. Napatingin siya sa mga dumaan na estudyante. "Augustus needs to know that something's going on, that everything is going according to his plan."
May naalala ako. Kung pagpaparinig lang kay Augustus ang kailangan, I know exactly how. "The Clarion has a circulations station sa may entrance lobby. Maybe we can meet there tomorrow and talk about Loki in front of his staffers. They'd surely report it to him."
"Perfect!" napapalakpak siya. "Kailangan din natin ng audience para sa matinding eksena. Loki needs to show his rage in front of many students. Doon lang tayo makakasiguro na aabot kay Augustus ang gulo."
"We'll figure that one out, after kong makausap ang mga dapat kausapin," sagot ko.
"By playing this drama, we're gonna distract Augustus too," sabi ni Alistair. "He'd be eating popcorn while waiting for the updates in the Loki-Luthor drama. Ang hindi niya alam, kumikilos na tayo behind the scenes para ma-corner siya."
"So basically, we're gonna use his own layout against him," I nodded, smiling.
"We're gonna make some adjustments to fit our agenda." Alistair smiled back. "Now we need to arrange the pieces on the board."
"But," I heaved a long sigh, "what should I tell Loki, if not the truth?"
"Can you make Loki do something without him asking too many questions about it?" tanong ni Alistair. "If no, kailangan mong umisip ng palusot na sa tingin mo, kakagatin niya."
I remembered what Loki told me last Saturday. "He said he trusts me. Kung may itinatago ako sa kanya, maiintindihan daw niya dahil alam niyang para sa ikabubuti namin 'yon. If he's true to his word, maybe I can ask him to cooperate with no questions asked."
"Then we have to rely on his words," sagot ni Alistair na may pagtango. "Loki won't tell you something along those lines if his trust on you isn't genuine. You will take advantage of his trust and make him follow our plan without ruining it."
I hope na gano'n lang kadali. "Aside from Loki, who else should we tell about our plan?"
"We also need to inform Luthor as well. Kakausapin mo siya mamaya, 'di ba?"
Tumango ako. "How about Jamie or Maggie?"
"Jamie is a good actress, and I'm sure it's a piece of cake for her to play along," Alistair commented. "But maybe, not this time. We need her reactions to be genuine. As for Maggie and the others, we can't tell them. Mas kaunti ang nakakaalam sa plano natin, mas mabuti."
Bigla akong kinabahan. The decision to exclude Jamie or Maggie from our plan might have some consequences later.
"Tomorrow, we will act according to the script but we need to make it genuine," Alistair said. "We need to think and act as if the situation was real. We will not talk about it until the drama is over. Only in this way can we prevent Augustus from telling Loki about the truth."
"A-Are you sure about that? Do you think that's the best solution to this problem?"
"You have to talk to Loki this afternoon, after your meeting with Luthor. Then tomorrow, all hell will break loose in Clark High."
Alistair laid out the foundation of the plan. Mukhang magiging maayos naman ang takbo ng drama namin, pero kailangan kong masiguro ang cooperation ng magkapatid.
That's why when I met with Luthor yesterday afternoon...
"Luthor, you have to fall."
Tinitigan muna ako ni Luthor at hinayaang mamayani ang katahimikan sa rooftop. He must be surprised to hear me say those words.
"I assume that you're not literally asking me to fall from here?" Luthor quipped.
"Alistair and I came up with a plan on how we can prevent Augustus from telling your brother the truth," I explained. "I want you to be part of it, but promise me na hindi mo i-e-entertain na gawan ng masama si Augustus. Trust me, we can make this work."
"I am listening," he nodded.
"Kailangan nating gumawa ng drama bukas." Bahagya kong hininaan ang aking boses. Instinctively, napatingin ako sa likuran, baka kasi may nakikinig. Gaya ng sinabi ni Alistair, walang ibang tao ang dapat na makatunog sa balak namin. "After ng meeting natin ngayon, sasabihan ko si Loki tungkol sa plano. I will ask him to act if he's furious at you."
"And?"
I paused. Pinag-isipan ko muna kung paano sasabihin ang susunod. "We need to make the drama authentic. He might get violent. Kaya kailangan mong maghanda."
Luthor sighed. "So should I prepare to get punched in the face?"
"Not only once," I added. "Maybe twice? Basta kailangan mong masugatan. Kailangan makita o marinig ni Augustus na sinugod ka ni Loki. That's the only way we can make him believe that I told your brother about the notebook."
"I don't mind getting my face bruised," Luthor said. "It is unfortunate, but for the sake of your plan, I'm willing to let my brother unleash his rage on him. But are you certain that this is gonna work?"
"As long as we manage to convince Augustus," sabi ko. "If we do, your secret is still safe by tomorrow. By the way, anong oras ka usually pumapasok?"
"6:45 in the morning."
That meant kailangan naming pumasok nang mas maaga para may enough time na mag-prepare.
"Saan ka naman unang pumupunta pagkapasok mo sa school?" sunod kong tanong.
"I check my locker first thing in the morning," Luthor answered. "I assume these details are relevant to the plan?"
"Of course," I nodded. Wala nang iba pang dahilan kung bakit ko itatanong ang mga 'yon. "Uhm... there's something else."
He nodded at me.
"What I meant by 'fall' isn't a literal fall kung saan mahuhulog ka o babagsak ka sa sahig," I told him. "You also need to fall from grace."
Sinubukan kong ilagay ang sarili ko sa sitwasyon ni Loki. If I were to know the truth, what would I do? Una, sugurin si Luthor at bugbugin para ilabas ang galit ko. Pangalawa, iko-consider ko ang pag-report kay Luthor sa mga nakatataas para maaksyunan agad.
"If you, a student council officer, are involved in an illegal activity, and someone reported it to the council, what would happen to you?" tanong ko.
"They can expel me from the council," Luthor answered. "Do you want to have me fired as well?"
Mabuti't na-gets niya agad. "Is that okay with you?"
"I can have it arranged," Luthor replied. "However, I might need to talk to Emeraude about it."
"Can she be trusted?" Sorry, but I can't risk na ma-expose ang plano namin sa mga hindi involved. "At siya lang ba ang pagsasabihan mo?"
"I have a hundred percent trust and confidence in Em," kumpiyansang sagot ni Luthor. "She's the only one I need to tell to make this plan work."
"After you're fired, what will happen to you?" tanong ko. "Hanggang doon lang ba?"
"There's going to be an investigation on whether or not an allegation is true," Luthor explained. "Perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Once Augustus learns that my brother assaulted me and that I was fired from the student council, he would lower his guard."
"And then?"
"We can invite him as a resource person to the investigation," he went on. "After all, it was his so-called in-depth investigation that put me in check. He'd be willing to cooperate because he thought he'd already won. That's the time we're gonna corner him."
I nodded. That's an additional layer in our plan, but I believe we could pull it off. "I think the timing is perfect. May mga document na kaming magpapatunay na may discrepancy sa pricing ng Clark Clarion."
"If that's the case, tomorrow might be a checkmate for him," Luthor said, looking into the vastness of the skies.
I hope so. Augustus' reckoning was overdue already.
Since Luthor was already on board with the plan, there's only one person left that I needed to talk to.
"Loki, you need to know something. It's about your brother Luthor."
"What did he do this time?" he asked, looking uninterested. "Did he accidentally summon a demon in his office and he wants us to slay it?"
"Luthor and I..." I ignored his senseless rant, "... have come up with a plan on how we can corner Augustus tomorrow."
"I didn't know that my brother is part of the team," Loki scoffed. "But since this is about that wicked Augustus, let me hear what you two had in mind."
"You said that you trust me, right?" I asked. "And you added that you meant every word?"
Loki nodded. "I did. I still do."
"Tomorrow, I need you to act as if you're angry—no, scratch that—as if you're furious at Luthor," I spoke slowly. "Remember 'yong charade n'yo noong solidarity night last week? Gano'n din ang plano naming gawin bukas."
"I'm always angry at him," Loki replied, his eyes blinking. "But why should I get extremely angry at him?"
"We need to create a drama para ma-distract si Augustus," sagot ko. "Itse-checkmate na natin siya bukas. Para hindi niya mahalata, kailangan nating ipakita sa kanya na nagkakagulo tayo."
"Is that all?" Loki squinted his eyes.
"Trust me," I said with conviction. Please don't ask more questions. "Think as if your brother is not the person that you thought he was... or maybe think as if your brother is a bad person that you already knew he was. Well, whatever can make you feel triggered."
He boasted that his brother was some sort of evil wizard. At the same time, he doesn't think that Luthor was evil enough to be Moriarty. I don't know kung saan niya ilulugar ang kuya niya sa evil spectrum. So I'd leave it to him.
"Don't worry, I do trust you." Loki sighed. "But I wanna make something clear. You want me to be furious, so does that mean I can do anything that I want to show my fury?"
I nodded. Sinabihan ko naman si Luthor tungkol dito kaya hindi na siguro siya magugulat sa gagawin ni Loki.
"So I can punch my brother in the face?" he asked.
"Yes," I nodded.
"More than once?"
"Twice is enough."
"We need to make the drama realistic, don't we?" Loki reasoned. "How about four times?"
"Nope. Twice only," I insisted.
"Three times?" Loki bargained.
"Deal," I said. "You can try to land a fourth punch at Luthor, but we're gonna stop you."
"Oh, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment." Loki began cracking his knuckles. "I take your word that I can punch him, because I will."
"Alistair is also in, by the way," I told him. "If you get carried away, alam mo na ang mangyayari sa 'yo."
"Then you have nothing to worry about," he assured me. "Alistair's always there to stop me when I'm about to cross the line."
"At dahil bubugbugin mo ang isang estudyante ng Clark High, I expect that you'll be detained," I added. "You need to stay kung saan ka man ide-detain, okay? And if Augustus visits you, don't talk to him or accept anything from him."
This is my back-up plan just in case na hindi sumunod si Augustus sa laro namin. He played dirty when he recorded my voice. He might play dirty tomorrow and still tell Loki kahit ipinamukha na naming sinabi ko na sa kanya ang totoo.
"6:45 ng umaga papasok si Luthor kaya kailangan mong pumasok nang maaga," paalala ko sa kanya. "He'd check his locker first kaya pwede mo siyang abangan doon."
"Copy that."
And that's how we planned the drama today. Alistair, Luthor, Loki and I worked together to hijack Augustus' own layout. I wish I could tell him how we outsmarted him, but it's probably best to leave him wondering where he went wrong.
Back to board room. Nakatulala pa rin sa akin si Augustus. He's on a checkmate now and he has nowhere to go.
"Lori, aware ba kayo sa surprise na 'to?" bulong sa akin ni Jamie. "Kayong dalawa ni Al?"
I looked at her sideways. "Sorry for not telling you. Wala na kasi kaming time na i-explain sa 'yo. We thought it would be better kung hindi n'yo alam para mas genuine ang reaction n'yo."
Jamie looked down, frowning. I wanted to comfort her, but we had an urgent business at hand.
Muli kong ibinaling ang aking tingin kay Augustus. The editor-in-chief bowed his head and chuckled. "You invited me here under false pretenses. Well played. But sorry to disappoint you, I know nothing about the embezzlement."
Luthor slid the folder straight to the other end of the table where Augustus was seated. "The printing press that the Clarion is partner with has been giving us overpriced quotations."
Augustus shrugged. Tiningnan niya lang ang folder. "If you have questions about the quotations, you should ask the printing press. They're the ones who determine the cost. One of their representatives should be seated here, not me. May finorge ba akong document sa isinubmit kong reports? Kung wala, I don't get why I'm being questioned here."
"In that folder you will see two quotations. Open it," Luthor went on, gesturing at the folder. "The first is the quotation for the Clarion while the second is for another student publication. Same details, but different amounts. There's a P30,000 additional cost to the Clarion's magazine production. Would you like to explain that?"
"Meron din kaming nakuhang quotation mula sa iba pang publishing houses," I spoke after Luthor gave me permission. "You will see kung gaano ka-overpriced ang cost of production ng Clarion sa partner n'yong printing press."
"Gaya nga ng sinabi ko, you should ask someone from the printing press," Augustus commented as he was looking at the documents. "Sila ang nagde-determine ng price, hindi ako. Ibinibigay ko lang sa accounting office ang quotation. So may I go now?"
Patayo na sana si Augustus nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng board room. Sir Morayta came in, along with Sir Rich Rivera.
"Sorry for being late," Sir Morayta said. "Sir Rivera wants to join the meeting. He has something to say about the issue."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Augustus sa kanya. He was surprised to see the Clarion's new adviser speaking against him. So I guess that teacher was really an ally?
Sir Rich cleared his throat. "Regarding sa pricing ng mga Clarion issue, nakausap ko na ang general manager ng printing press. After convincing him to come clean, he confessed that the editor-in-chief and him had an agreement. Papatungan niya ang actual cost of production tapos bibigyan siya ng share ni Augustus. It's been going on since the start of the school year."
"Imagine how many thousands of pesos you got from the Clarion's budget," Luthor commented, shooting daggers at the cornered editor-in-chief.
"Once we get the affidavit of the general manager, the school can consider filing a case against you," Sir Morayta said. "This is a very serious offense, Augustus. You stole the money from the students."
Augustus slid back to his chair and looked away. He must be thinking of a way out. Malas nga lang niya dahil wala na siyang malulusutan.
"If I may speak?" I raised my hand after turning on my mic. Napatingin sa akin si Augustus. "Maybe we should ask the editor-in-chief kung saan napupunta ang perang nakukuha niya sa Clarion? Ginagamit niya ba 'to for personal use? O baka may pinopondohan siyang grupo? Like, I don't know, M's organization?"
Napatingin sa akin sina Jamie habang napatango naman sa akin si Alistair. I thought of questions na malamang ay itatanong ni Loki sakaling nandito siya. And I think that's one of them.
Huminga lang nang malalim si Augustus at sumandal sa kanyang upuan. Tinanggal niya ang kanyang salamin at pinunasan ng panyo ang kanyang mga mata.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Augustus threw his head back in laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA!"
Umalingawngaw sa board room ang halakhak niya. Para siyang sinasapian ng masamang espiritu.
"We've suspected you of being affiliated with Moriarty," pagpapatuloy ko nang hindi siya sumagot. "You may not have killed anyone, but this embezzlement charge is enough to put you behind bars. Maybe this is the time for you to speak about Moriarty or the organization."
"If you wanna know about the organization, why don't you ask that man over there?" Augustus asked, pointing at Luthor. "You should know by now that he's affiliated with M."
"What is he talking about?" tanong ni Maggie. "Is he accusing Luthor of being connected to M?"
No one in this room except me, Luthor, Alistair and Augustus knows about the contents of the notebook.
"Didn't you know?" muling nagawi sa akin ang tingin ni Augustus. Nanlisik ang mga mata niya sabay sabing, "So that's what you did..."
"Is this your attempt at getting away with what you've done?" Luthor asked. "By pointing fingers and making an absurd accusation?"
By proving the embezzlement, we have damaged Augustus' credibility. Mahirap talaga kapag reputasyon na ang naapektuhan. Kahit ano'ng sabihin niya ngayon, hindi siya basta-basta papaniwalaan. Magmumukha lang na gusto niyang lumusot dahil na-corner na siya.
That's how Luthor was leading the conversation. By making Augustus sound as if he was diverting the issue.
"I have concrete evidence to support my claim," Augustus said. He wouldn't back down easily. "Let me get my files and I will prove to everyone here that Luthor Mendez is one of Moriarty's minions."
"Given that you are suspected of being related to Moriarty, we will not give you a chance to leave this room and escape," Luthor said firmly. "You will stay here and answer our questions."
Augustus ground his teeth in annoyance. Yes, he may know a lot. But the "truth" that he knows is useless if everyone in the room is going to doubt every word that comes out of his mouth. Luthor wouldn't give him a chance to launch a countermove.
"Moriarty doesn't leave loose ends, does he?" I asked him. "We've already exposed you. Kapag nalaman niya na nabuking ka na, what will happen to you kapag lumabas ka sa board room?"
"We will appreciate kung makikipag-cooperate ka sa amin," Professor Morayta added. "Maybe we can convince the school to go soft on you regarding the embezzlement charge. All we need is your cooperation. This so-called M has been the school's problem for years. Mas matimbang 'yon kaysa sa ginawa mo."
Ilang sandaling natahimik si Augustus sa kanyang upuan. Ipinaikot niya ang kanyang swivel chair, its back was turned to us.
"I will only speak to those who are trustworthy," he spoke after a few minutes of silence.
Nagkatinginan kaming nasa palibot ng mesa. Luthor nodded at Emeraude and the student council officers. Nagsitayo sila at in-excuse ang sarili. Sinensyasan din ni Maggie ang ilang nakabantay na execom members.
Ang tanging naiwan sa board room ay ako, Jamie, Alistair, Luthor, Maggie, Rye, at Sir Morayta. Humarap na sa amin si Augustus. I was expecting him to look defeated. But no, there's still fire in his eyes.
"Think of me, not as someone who works with M," he said, "...but as someone who infiltrated his organization to get more information about it."
"Just to be clear, you admit na isa ka sa kanila?" tanong ni Maggie.
"You can put it that way," Augustus smiled. "Pero gaya nga ng sinabi ko, isipin n'yong pinasok ko ang grupo ni M dahil gusto kong makakalap ng impormasyon. Who knows? One day I might use my knowledge about their group to make them collapse?"
So he's like Luthor who slithered his way into the organization to bring it down? I don't buy it. Nag-iisip na lang siguro siya ng palusot.
"I've been part of the organization for two years," Augustus went on. His eyes had a faraway look in them. "Imagine the pieces of information that I collected from within. Kung may gusto akong pabagsakin dito sa Clark High, I can do that in a snap of my fingers."
"Tell us exactly how," sabi ko.
"Remember that Pandora's Box folder in Loki's laptop?" Tumingin siya sa akin. "I also have my own version of that box. But mine is bigger and its contents would shock the school. It's being kept in a safe place. In the event of my death, that box shall be opened and the secrets within shall be revealed."
Wait a minute. Maybe there's something in his so-called Pandora's Box that can hurt Stein or his organization? Kaya hindi niya magawang aksyonan ang mismong general niya? That would explain why Luthor said that Stein's hands were tied when it comes to Augustus!
"I'm telling you right now that Luthor is one of us," Augustus said, pointing at the man opposite to him. "If you don't want to believe me, wait until something happens to me. His secret will be exposed. By that time, I won't be there to tell you 'I told you so.' Mark my words."
"This is not the time for you to make a bluff," Luthor told him. "Will you cooperate with us or not?"
"Ngayong exposed ka na, won't it be a matter of time until Moriarty signs your death warrant?" tanong ni Alistair. "That's what happens when one of you gets exposed."
I recalled that night we cornered Officer Bastien. While he was being interrogated by Loki, he gave us a hint about the editor-in-chief. Afterwards, he shot himself in the head.
I wonder if the same would happen to Augustus? Well, he's in a contained space. Ang mga nandito sa board room ay ang mga nakakaalam sa M case. The only thing he could do is either try to escape this room or commit suicide in front of us. Well, he's too proud of himself, I doubt he'd consider the second option.
"I guess the box will be opened sooner than later," I quipped.
Augustus chuckled. "He can't touch me the same way he doesn't want Loki to be harmed. I can walk out of this room and live to see another day."
Bilib din ako sa kanya kasi nakukuha niya pang ngumiti. Parang may masama akong pakiramdam dito. He should feel helpless, he should feel that we're the only ones who could help him. Pero hindi gano'n ang aura niya. He might have something up his sleeves.
"Why don't we have a deal?" Augustus leaned forward and laid his palms flat on the table. "The secrets of many students, teachers and school personnel will be kept as secret if we will forget about the embezzlement charge."
"WHAT?!"
"How dare you!" sigaw ni Maggie na napatayo sa kanyang upuan. I could feel her frustration. "You are using the secrets of other people to get away with your crime?"
"Margarette, calm down!" Napatayo rin si Professor Morayta at dahan-dahang pinaupo ang chairwoman namin.
"If I get arrested, my Pandora's Box might be accidentally opened," Augustus warned. "If I walk free, I can assure you that it will remain closed."
Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko. Ang akala ko, luluhod na siya sa amin at magmamakaawa. That's what I was expecting. But no! He has another card in play. That's probably his trump card.
"My arrest? Or the secrets of a number of people in Clark High? Your choice." Augustus showed us both of his palms. "Once the box is opened, you will finally know the secret of M's organization. However, other people's secrets would be exposed too."
Secret about M?
"Maybe you're bluffing," Luthor said. "Maybe you have nothing and this is only your desperate attempt to get away."
"Why don't you ask me a question?" may paghahamong tono ni Augustus. Sumandal siya sa kanyang upuan at ipinagkrus ang kanyang braso. "To prove to you that what I have in the box are valuable information."
I raised my hand. Luthor nodded at me, giving me a go. "Is Stein Alberts really the Moriarty?"
Napatingin sa 'kin ang ilang kasama ko sa board room. I know, it's been answered already, but I wanna make sure of something. Luthor confirmed to me that Stein is Moriarty. I wanna know if the man who presents himself as repository of secrets would say the same.
"Stein is Moriarty," Augustus answered confidently. "But that question isn't really a simple one. It's not as simple as two plus two equals four. It's more complicated than you think."
"Complicated, how?"
"Have you heard of the phrase 'Nature abhors a vacuum'?" he asked. "Stein is the king and the organization is his kingdom. He has a crown on his head. The truth is, Stein is actually a su—"
Biglang nagdilim sa board room. Black out?
"Wala namang scheduled power interruption ngayon, 'di ba?" tanong ni Jamie.
"May generator naman ang school natin," sagot ni Maggie. "The lights will be back shortly."
"Everyone, stay exactly where you are," sabi ko sa kanila. Sa sobrang dilim, I couldn't see if someone's figure was moving. Wala naman akong naririnig na mga yabag. "Augustus, huwag mong susubukang umalis!"
"Don't worry, I'm still here," narinig kong sagot ni Augustus. "We haven't made a deal yet so how can I leave?"
Matapos ang ilang segundo, bumalik na ang liwanag sa board room. I covered my eyes dahil biglang bumulaga sa akin ang ilaw. I quickly looked around. Nakaupo pa rin ang mga kasama ko sa kani-kanilang puwesto. Augustus was also still in his seat.
Dalawa ang kinakatakot kong mangyari sa kanya: either he escapes or he drops dead on the floor.
But what exactly happened?
"Baka nagkaroon ng glitch," sabi ni Maggie. "It happens sometimes."
"Let me check." Tumayo si Sir Jim at lumabas ng board room.
"So where are we?" tanong ni Luthor.
"He's talking about Stein," sagot ko sabay tingin sa editor-in-chief.
"Saan ba ako natigil kanina?" Augustus tried to recall. Nagliwanag ang mukha niya nang maalala na niya. "Ah, I believe I'm the only person who knows about this information. Stein is actually a s—"
Napahawak siyasa kanyang leeg at tila sinusubukang lumunok. He tried to stand, but a few steps later, he collapsed on the floor.
Mukhang nagkatotoo ang isa sa mga kinakatakot ko!
"AUGUSTUS!"
I rushed to his side habang ang iba nama'y lumabas para humingi ng tulong.
"Hang on!" Ipinatong ko ang ulo ni Augustus sa hita ko. "Hang on! Help is on the way!"
"Hah...hah... hah..." Augustus was gasping for air. Parang may inaabot siya sa hangin. I saw a red dot on his neck.
What happened to him? Bakit bigla siyang nagkaganito?
He stared at me in the eye. With the little strength that he has left, bigla niyang hinila ang buhok ko. Napalapit ang mukha ko sa mukha niya.
I wanted to punch him in the face earlier, but right now, I felt sorry for him. He can't die yet! He has to tell us something! "Hang on, please!"
"I... I..." A tear rolled down his cheek as his mouth gaped. "...I'm..."
"No, no, no!" I shook my head repeatedly.
"...I'm...me—"
Natulala na lamang ako sa walang buhay na mukha ni Augustus. His right arm fell to his side. Nakamulat ang kanyang mga mata at nakabukas ang kanyang bibig.
At that moment, Augustus took his last breath.
q.e.d.
So what the hell happened?
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