LORELEI

WE ALL turned to the direction where the noise was coming from. I could hear footsteps coming closer and the rustling of leaves from the woods.

Halos mapatalon ako sa gulat nang biglang sumulpot si Rye Rubio mula sa bush. Dala-dala niya ang flag na may mukha ng robot. Wasn't that a logo from the Transformers franchise? He belonged to the team of the Robotics Club, didn't he? Why was he here? He was running toward our direction, glancing behind him now and then.

Tumayo kaming lima. Mabilis na hinawakan ni Alistair ang flag namin. Mabilis na kinuha ni Jamie ang kanyang binoculars at tumingin sa mga damuhan at sa malalapit na puno. If an attack from his team was imminent, we had to be prepared for a counter-offensive.

"Wala siyang kasama," Jamie said, lowering the binoculars. "Kung hindi 'yan trap, pwede na nating nakawin sa kanya ang hawak niyang flag. Parang regalo niya sa atin. Sayang, 'di nakabalot ng gift wrapper."

How bold of Rye to come alone. Nang kaunti na lang ang layo niya sa amin, itinaas niya ang kanyang mga kamay at binagalan ang paglalakad. He's clearly outnumbered, five to one, unless he hid a trick up his sleeves. He would be a total fool if he's gonna try to steal our flag alone.

I saw his fighting skills first-hand, noong nagkaroon ng hostage crisis sa school gymnasium. Magaling siya sa hand-to-hand combat. Kung kaming apat lang nina Loki, Jamie at Luthor ang nasa grupong 'to, he could take us down with minimal effort. Luckily we had Alistair on our team. Hindi niya kami basta-basta malalamangan.

"You're trespassing on our territory!" Loki shouted at him. "What do you want?"

Huminto si Rye sa paglalakad, nakataas pa rin ang parehong kamay. "Nandito ako para ibigay sa inyo ang flag ng Robotics Club. I'm the traitor in their group."

Nagkapalitan kami ng tingin ng mga kasama ko. We all had that surprised look on our faces. That's an unexpected development, if it were true.

"Really?" Loki arched an eyebrow. "So you wanna jump ship to the winning team?"

"Sa apat na teams, kayo lang ang may mataas na chance na manalo," pasigaw na sagot ni Rye. Natatakpan pa rin ng bangs ang isa niyang mata. "Nagkamali ba akong pumusta sa inyo?"

My teammates and I exchanged glances again. I clearly understood kung bakit sa tingin niya'y mas malaki ang chances na kami ang magwagi sa game na 'to. Pero may bumubulong sa akin na hindi dapat kami basta-basta magpaniwala sa kanya.

"Take this," Rye said as he threw his team's flag to our side. Mabilis itong pinulot ni Jamie at inilapit sa amin. "Pwede na ba akong maging part ng team n'yo?"

Sa sitwasyon namin ngayon, parang palay na ang lumapit sa manok. Walang ka-effort-effort, nakakuha na kami ng flag ng kabilang team.

"Can you give us a minute?" sabi ko. So many thoughts were running in my head.

Our team huddled in a circle. Alistair was holding the two flags firmly while I shot glances at Rye every other second. Hindi naman siya nilubayan ng tingin ni Loki.

"Ayaw kong mag-decide mag-isa sa bagay na 'to," I admitted, my eyes casting a glance at each of them. "I need the consensus of our team. Should we welcome him with open arms or should we push him away?"

"Mukhang sincere itong si Rye," tugon ni Jamie, tila pabulong ang hina ng boses. "May point naman kasi ang reasoning niya. Tayo na QED Club ang mas may malaking chance na manalo sa game na 'to. He knows how to read the mood. I'd say it's a wise decision! Kahit ako, hindi ako tataya sa kabayo na alam kong hindi mananalo."

Fair point. Ayaw kong magyabang lalo na't hindi ko kilala kung sino-sino ang nasa ibang team. But judging by the people we have, we're kinda the powerhouse here.

"He no longer has any bargaining chip that he can trade with us," Luthor said, looking at our effortlessly and newly acquired banner. "He handed us their flag even if we haven't decided to let him be part of our team. Either he's a fool or he's confident with his decision."

Sakaling hindi namin siya tanggapin sa grupo, hindi na namin kailangang ibalik sa kanya ang flag na boluntaryo niyang ibinigay sa amin. Pwede na namin siyang ipagtabuyan ngayon. It's his fault for not making good use of what Luthor called "a bargaining chip."

"Adding one more member to our team is an advantage." Alistair nodded, folding his arms. "The question is whether we can trust him until the game ends or will he switch sides once the situation is no longer convenient for him. Remember that he's a traitor. Once a traitor—"

"—always a traitor!" Jamie finished. "May punto ang sinabi ni Al. Pero sa tingin mo ba, pagpapalit pa niya tayo sa ibang team? Kanino niya ibibigay ang dalawang flags na hawak niya sakali mang mautakan niya tayo? Sa Sewing Club? Sa Paranormal Club? He'd be a fool if he switches side at the end."

Let me confirm Alistair's assumption about traitors. Humarap ako kay Loki na nakamasid pa rin kay Rye. "What does the rulebook say about traitors? Can they switch sides again after they've switched sides?"

"The traitors have no permanent allegiance," Loki answered, briefly turning to me. "They can jump ship as many times as they want. They aren't beholden to any team."

Pwede kaming traydurin ni Rye kung gugustuhin niya. Sakaling gano'n ang mangyari, dalawa na kaming team ang biktima niya. I'd be amazed kung tatangkain niya at magiging successful ang pagtatraydor niya sa amin.

"I don't fully trust him," Loki continued, returning his gaze to our wannabe member. "But we might as well give him the chance. Isn't it more thrilling if we know that he can betray us at any moment? Makes the game more exciting. We'd be on our guard the whole time."

Ang akala ko ba'y gusto niyang matalo ang ibang teams? If we badly want to win this game, we have to minimize the risk of loss. By letting a potential traitor in our team, we're basically letting that person stab us in the back.

But Loki being Loki, he'd rather win the game under exciting circumstances than boring and predictable ones.

"Since we're a big fan of democracy here, why don't we get the consensus by a show of hands?" he asked.

I had my own reservations about letting Rye join us, pero kailangang dumaan sa tamang proseso ang desisyon. Ayaw kong maging diktador at balewalain ang opinyon ng mga kasama ko. "All those in favor?"

Lahat ay agad na nagtaas ng kamay maliban sa akin. Dala na rin ng pressure mula sa kanila, itinaas ko na rin ang sa akin. The vote was unanimous, thanks to me.

Napabuga ako ng hangin. Was it worth risking? Well, as long as we're prepared for any tricks that he might have up in his sleeves, he would not easily escape our grasps.

"We will let him join us, but we have to keep a close eye on him," Alistair said. "Kung maisip man niyang traydurin tayo, hindi natin siya bibigyan ng pagkakataon."

"Or we can bait him to reveal his true colors," Luthor added. "We can leave our two flags unguarded for a moment. Of course, each of us has to be strategically positioned so we can run after him. If he makes a move on them, we would know that he is a traitor through and through."

"What a great idea!" Loki clapped slowly. "You wanna offer our two flags to him as some sort of gift. Don't you wanna add a bow ribbon?"

"Pwede nating gawin ang sinuggest ni Luthor para ma-test ang loyalty ni Rye," sabi ni Alistair habang nakatingin sa dalawa niyang hawak na flag. "I don't know how fast he can run, but I can chase after him if he steals our flags."

"I have no question about your strength or speed, Alistair," Loki said. "But my brother's suggestion is a strategic mistake. If he's the traitor in our team, he can conspire with Rye and choose another club to support just to spite me."

But that's not the case. I'm the traitor in our team so there's no way Luthor would betray us. Ilang beses ko na bang gustong sabihin 'to sa kanya?

"Guys, kailangan nating magtiwala sa isa't isa kung gusto nating manalo," hirit ni Jamie habang nakataas ang parehong kamay. "My gut feeling tells me na hindi si Luthor ang traydor sa atin. Kaya kung pwede—"

"Yeah," Loki interrupted her, "let's trust your gut feeling that is one hundred percent reliable—"

"Enough." Namagitan na ako bago pa humantong kung saan ang usapan namin. "If we cannot trust each other, then let's keep an eye on each other. Maliwanag?"

"Copy that, team leader."

Tumalikod ako sa aking mga kasama at humarap kay Rye na kanina pa naghihintay. Gusto kong humingi ng paumanhin sa kanya dahil napahaba ang discussion namin.

Iniabot ko ang aking kamay sa kanya at pilit na ngumiti. "Welcome to the team, Rye. Just to be safe, we won't let you five meters near our flags."

"Naintindihan ko," tugon niya nang makipagkamay sa akin.

"If you betray us alone or conspire with my brother, we won't let you set foot in the clubroom again," Loki warned him. I don't think that's legal? Kahit siya ang club president, wala siyang kapangyarihan para i-declare na persona non grata ang isang estudyante.

Right now, we have two flags and six teammates. Kung hindi pa nananakawan ng bandera ang ibang teams, lamang kami sa kanila. I had to keep an eye for any plot twist that might turn the tables against us.

We spent the whole afternoon in the camp, waiting for the other teams to attack. May mga narinig kaming pagkaluskos sa bush, pero hindi natuloy kung may nagbabalak mang umatake. There were six of us in the camp and they were five at most. We still outnumbered them, unless they formed an alliance with another team.

Patuloy kaming nakabantay kay Rye na siniguro naming hindi basta-basta makalalapit sa aming flag at sa flag na ibinigay niya. I ordered him to do this and that para masulit namin ang kanyang serbisyo. Inutusan din namin siyang mamitas ng mga mangga. If he managed to run away with his team's flag, he would have no problem picking mangoes from the trees.

Following Luthor's suggestion, we also tried to bait him into betraying us by leaving the flags without any guard. Pumwesto kami sa mga spot kung saan madali namin siyang mahahabol sakaling may gawin siya. But to our dismay, he did not do anything. Maybe he did not have any plans of betraying us. Or maybe he already sensed that we're trying to lure him into a trap.

The sky was starting to turn orange. Dahil wala kaming dalang phones, we could not tell what time it was. Mabuti't may alam na paraan si Loki upang malaman ang oras gamit ang posisyon ng mga anino. According to his estimate, it's already five in the afternoon.

"Isn't it time for some offensive?" Loki asked irritably. Kanina pa siya atat na atat na sumugod. "Have we changed our strategy? Are we planning to chill here with our two flags until the clock strikes twelve tomorrow? We've got to make a move.

I understand his frustrations. Waiting for the other teams to launch an attack on us was already getting kinda boring. Gaya ng sinabi niya, pwedeng wala kaming gawin at maghintay hanggang sa ipatawag na ulit kami sa assembly. But he would not want that kind of victory.

"We can safely assume that the other teams have started gathering food and other materials before the sun falls," Luthor said. "We can also take advantage of the darkness as the night falls."

"Gather round!" I stood, clapping my hands thrice to call everyone's attention.

Nagsitayo ang mga kasama ko at nagpulong kami sa isang bilog. This time, kasama na sa pagpaplano namin si Rye. The danger of him being a potential traitor was that he would know our strategy. Alistair was firmly clutching the two flags just as a precaution. Loki was watching him closely.

Inilahad ko sa kanila ang aming mapa. "Alam nating in-occupy ng ibang teams ang dalawa pang portalet sa camping site. Ang hindi natin alam ay kung aling team ang nandito at nandoon."

"Nandito ang camp ng Robotics Club." Itinuro ni Rye ang isang blue square sa mapa. "Kami ang unang nag-occupy sa portalet na malapit sa neutral zone."

"We don't need them anymore since you stole their flag for us," Loki said in a dismissive tone. "Let's consider them out of the game already."

"We cannot simply dismiss them," Luthor argued as he turned to his younger brother. "We still need to know their status. They may have lost their flag, but they can steal it back from us. Knowing what they are up to might be an advantage."

Loki shrugged. "Whatever."

"Dahil alam nating walang na-occupy na portalet ang Sewing Club, we can say that this spot belongs to the Paranormal Club." Itinuro ko ang natitirang blue square na malapit sa ilog. "There's only one team we haven't accounted for."

Naalala ko na naman ang palpak na attempt ng kasama ni Rosetta na nakawin ang flag mula sa akin kanina. If they would not play smart, we could outwit them.

"So who's gonna be part of the expedition?" tanong ni Alistair, sabay angat ng tingin mula sa mapa at iginala ang mga mata niya sa amin. "This is gonna be the most challenging part."

Napahawak ako sa aking chin habang seryosong tinitingnan isa-isa ang mga kasama ko. I was hoping that Luthor would share his input, but he only looked at it. Mukhang ayaw niya akong sapawan sa pagdedesisyon bilang leader.

Sino-sino ba ang kailangan namin para sa mission na 'to? Obviously we could not bring everyone because someone needed to watch over our camp for thieves.

Matapos kong pagbali-baligtarin ang mga senaryo sa aking isipan, bumuntong-hininga ako at saglit na ipinikit ang aking mga mata. Pagkamulat ng mga ito, hinarap ko na sila.

"Alistair, Jamie, Luthor, and Rye, sumama kayong apat sa akin. Loki, ikaw ang maiiwan dito sa kampo kasama ang mga flag. I need you to hide them from plain sight para kahit may mang-raid sa camp natin, hindi nila maagaw ang mga bandera. Understood?"

"Excellent choice," Loki commented. Mukhang masaya siya sa naging desisyon ko, ah? As expected, he did not like the idea of walking around the woods, hiding behind the bush, and wrestling with other participants to steal their flag.

"May experience na si Rye sa pagnanakaw ng flag kaya baka pwede nating magamit ang kanyang liksi," sabi ko sa kanya bago ako nagbato ng tingin kay Alistair. "I thought of asking you to stay behind to guard the flags, pero mas kailangan ka namin sa agawan. You and Rye will be an unstoppable duo."

Mas ligtas para sa aming team kung hindi abot-kamay ng bago naming member ang mga flag. Mas malayo, mas mabuti.

Ngumiti sa akin si Alistair habang tumango naman si Rye bilang acknowledgment.

"How about me?" Luthor asked. "Why do I need to join the raiding party?"

"You're our strategist," I replied as my gaze lingered on him. "Don't worry. Hindi mo kailangang makipaghabulan, kung 'yon ang concern mo. Alam kong ayaw mong napapagod. We will hide behind the bush and think of a plan while Rye and Alistair steal the flags."

He bowed. "Thank you for taking that into consideration."

"Naisip ko ring iwan ka rito sa camp kasama si Loki," dagdag ko bago tumingin sa kapatid niya. "Kaso baka magbatuhan kayo ng itlog at magtusukan ng stick. Ayaw kong masayang ang resources natin at ma-distract kayong dalawa sa pagbabantay."

"Good call," Loki said.

"Paano naman ako, Lori?" nakasimangot na tanong ni Jamie. "Bakit kailangan kong sumama sa expedition? Pwedeng mag-stay ako rito sa kampo para dalawa kaming magbabantay ni Loki dear sa flags at sa supplies. Kaya n'yo nang apat 'yan!"

Sabi ko na nga ba, gano'n ang isa-suggest niya. I could see right through her motives. "You're good with the binoculars so you'll help me navigate the camping site. We also need your very useful memory to guide us back to our camp. Baka maligaw kaming apat pabalik dito, lalo na kapag dumilim na."

"Pero—"

"Wala nang pero-pero. That's my decision as the team leader."

Walang nagawa si Jamie kundi manamihik sa kanyang kinatatayuan. Pasensya na, ginagawa ko lang ang trabaho ko bilang pinuno ng grupong ito. Hindi ko pwedeng pagbigyan ang bawat request ng isa sa amin lalo na kung alam kung may mas dapat kaming bigyan ng priority.

"Any objections? Hearing none, let's go."

Dinala namin ang mga flashlight sakaling abutan kami ng gabi sa aming paglilibot. With our so-called raiding party consisting of five members, we could match the number of another team. Ang maganda pa rito, wala kaming bitbit na flag na dagdag sa inaalala namin.

Nagpaalam na kami kay Loki bago umalis ng kampo at nagmartsa patungo sa kakahuyan. Ako na may hawak ng mapa ang nagsilbing navigator habang si Jamie ang sumisilip sa kanyang binoculars. Alistair's and Rye's eyes also roamed the woods. Luthor silently watched us do our jobs.

"That's the Paranormal Club's camp."

Huminto kami sa paglalakad nang may matanaw kaming tent malapit sa isang portalet. We hid behind the bush and peeped through the gaps in the leaves. Isang lalaki ang naiwang nagbabantay roon. That must be Ryle, the nerd-looking member who always wore eyeglasses. His teammates must be foraging in the forest or looking for a team to target.

"Wala yata ang kanilang flag sa kampo, ah?" pansin ni Jamie na nanliit ang mga mata. I also noticed the same. "Baka dinala ng mga kasama niya?"

"Pwede tayong magnakaw ng supplies sa kanila," bulong ni Rye pagkalingon niya sa akin. "Lima tayo. Mag-isa lang siya. Hindi tayo mahihirapang i-distract ang lalaking nakasalamin na 'yan."

Umiling ako. "Our priority is to steal their flag, not their food."

Kung seseryosohin talaga namin ang larong 'to, hindi magdadalawang-isip ang ilan sa mga kasama ko na i-raid ang supplies ng Paranormal Club. Ayaw ko namang magutom ang ibang teams kaya kahit may opportunity gaya nito, hahayaan ko na lang.

"Magiging safe kaya si Loki dear?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Jamie. "Baka kampo natin ang pinuntahan ng mga kasama nitong si apat na mata?"

"I don't think so," sagot ni Alistair. "We didn't notice anyone on the way here. Kung papunta sila sa kampo natin, nakasalubong na dapat natin sila."

Sa ingay ba naman ng mga kasama ni Rosetta, malabong hindi namin sila agad matunugan.

"If we have nothing to do here, we better get going," Luthor said. "Our movements will be limited once the sun sets. We have to make every minute count."

"Right." We tiptoed backward while still ducked to avoid being noticed by the lone guardsman in the camp. Nang makalayo na mula sa kanilang kampo, umayos na kami ng tayo at naglakad patungo sa direksyon ng ilog.

Guess what we saw in the river? Nakita namin ang dalawa pang lalaking member ng Paranormal Club na nakababad doon. Hinubad nila ang kanilang damit pang-itaas at nagwiwisikan ng tubig sa isa't isa. Mabuti't tapos na kaming kumuha ng maiinom na tubig doon.

Their ghost emoji flag was stuck at the rocky riverbank. Iginala namin ang aming tingin at nakitang namumulot ng mga maliliit na sanga at tuyong dahon sina Rosetta at Maggie sa 'di kalayuan. Wala yata silang maaasahan sa kanilang mga kasama kaya sila na mismo ang kumikilos.

Muling nagawi ang tingin ko sa kanilang bandera. It's like begging to be snatched away. Hindi agad ito maabot ng mga lalaking nasa ilog o ng mga babaeng namumulot sa tabi.

If we spring from this bush, makukuha kaya namin ang flag bago sila makapag-react? I was mentally calculating the distance from our position to our target. Kapag nakuha na namin 'yon, we're this close to winning the game.

"May pinagkakaabalahan silang apat. Ito na ang opportunity natin para nakawin ang kanilang flag." Nakatutok ang tingin ni Rye doon. "Just give me the go signal."

I bit my nails as my eyes squinted at the banner. Dapat maging mabilis ang kilos namin. Kapag nagkaroon sila ng chance para mag-respond, the chances of stealing it would become lower.

"Ano'ng desisyon mo?" Lumingon si Rye sa akin nang hindi ako kumibo. "Sige, ako nang bahala."

Akmang lalabas na siya mula sa bush nang hilahin ko ang kanyang braso. Pasensya na. Pinag-iisipan ko pa kasi kung ano ang tamang atake rito.

"I have an idea," Luthor spoke in a low voice. "Let's split into two teams. Lorelei and I will distract Margarette and Rosetta while Alistair and Rye will run toward the flag. Jamie, stay right here for back up."

Bringing him along was a "good call," to quote his younger brother. His idea of distracting the two girls was a good one. We tiptoed backward again from the bush and ducked as we walked a couple of meters under the cover of the trees. We positioned ourselves behind a bush closer to Rosetta and Maggie.

"Pick some twigs nearby," Luthor ordered.

At first, I was confused. Bakit niya ako pinapupulot ng mga maliliit na sanga gaya ng ginagawa nina Rosetta at Maggie? Then I realized the reason why.

"Ready?" he asked as he turned to me.

I nodded at him. Pareho kaming may bitbit na mga sanga.

Sabay kaming tumayo at lumabas mula sa talahib. Bahagyang nagulat ang dalawang babae nang maaninag kaming dalawa. They took a step backward, but let out a sigh of relief when they saw our faces.

"Lori! Kayo lang pala 'yan!" bati ni Rosetta sa akin. Napapunas pa siya sa kanyang malapad na noo.

"What brings you here?" Maggie asked, scanning us from head from toe.

"Nagpupulot din kami ng twigs na gagamiting pangsiga mamaya," sagot ko sabay pakita ng mga pinulot kong sanga. "Napansin naming may ingay mula rito kaya chineck namin."

"Really? Or maybe you're here to steal our flag?" Maggie arched a brow. Suspicious as ever.

"There are only two of us while there are four of you here," Luthor answered, shooting a glance at the two boys in the river. "You clearly outnumber us, two to one."

The reason why Luthor asked me to distract these two was to catch them off guard. Rosetta is a friend of mine, she was not startled to see me. Maggie respects Luthor, she was not alarmed to behold his figure. Wala sa itsura naming dalawa ang pagiging athletic kaya kung tatangkain naming nakawin ang kanilang flag, baka maabutan nila kami sa takbuhan.

"Did you know that the flag of the Robotics Club was stolen by the traitor in their group?" Luthor told them. Hinawakan niya ang kanyang collar, senyales na kumilos na ang dalawa naming kasama.

Pasimpleng akong sumilip sa kaliwa. Napansin ko sa aking peripheral vision na lumabas na ng bush sina Alistair at Rye. Tumakbo sila patungo sa kinatatayuan ng flag.

"Hey, 'di ba si Al 'yon?" pagulat na tanong ni Rosetta sabay turo sa kasama naming ilang hakbang ang layo sa kanilang bandera. "Hala! Nanakawin nila ang flag natin!"

"Hoy! 'Yong flag natin nanakawin na!" sigaw ng isa sa dalawang lalaki sa ilog.

"And that's Rye," bulong ni Maggie habang nakatingin sa kasama niya sa execom. "Pero sa Robotics Club siya, 'di ba? Bakit magkasama silang dalawa— Oh, I see! He switched sides."

"Traitors are not bound to any teams," Luthor said. "They can choose whichever side they want."

I thought that their flag was already within our grasp—or in this case, within the grasp of Alistair and Rye. Literally it was. But something unexpected happened.

"Oh, sh—"

Bago pa makalapit doon sina Alistair at Rye, bigla silang nadulas. Napahawak ako sa aking dibdib nang makita silang napahiga sa mabatong riverbank.

Umalingawngaw ang halakhak ng isa sa mga lalaking umahon sa ilog. "Akala ng mga kumag na 'to, mauutakan n'yo kami, 'no?"

"Sabi na nga ba, may mahuhulog sa patibong natin!"

Nagmadali kong pinuntahan sina Alistair at Rye na pilit na bumabangon. Nagpaiwan naman sa tabi ni Maggie si Luthor. Napansin kong may bahid ng moss ang mga bato. So that's their trick!

"Salamat sa suggestion ni Maggie, binasa at kinaskasan namin ng moss ang area malapit sa flag. Sa tingin n'yo ba'y iiwan namin 'yan nang walang proteksyon laban sa mga magnanakaw?"

One of the Paranormal Club boys carefully walked on the rocks and reached for the stick of their flag. Ngunit mabilis na bumangon si Alistair at sinadyang magpa-slide sa batuhan para makalapit sa flag. He was a split second late as the other boy pulled the flag and made a run for it.

"After him!" sigaw ni Rye nang tuluyan na siyang nakabangon. Sumunod siya kay Alistair na paunti-unting papalapit sa lalaking may hawak sa ghost emoji flag.

"Teka lang!" tawag ko sa kanila pero hindi yata nila ako narinig.

This time, maingat na silang tumakbo sa may riverbank at pilit na humabol.

"Lori! Ano'ng nangyayari?" Lumabas na si Jamie sa kanyang pinagtataguan.

"Mission failed." Napapalatak ako habang pinagmamasdan ang paglayo ng mga lalaki. "Or maybe, not yet."

"Susundan ba natin sila? O maghihintay na lang tayo rito?" tanong ni Jamie.

"Let's give them a chase," sagot ko bago lumingon sa kasama naming nag-e-enjoy na yata sa pakikipag-chika-han kay Maggie. "Luthor? We'll go after them."

"Can I stay here—"

"No. Let's go!"

The three of us ran after the boys. Binagtas namin ang kahabaan ng riverbank bago muling tumahak sa kakahuyan. We ran past the trees and the bushes. The half-naked flag bearer was taunting us as Alistair or Rye still failed to catch him. I could not believe he was able to outrun them.

"Sa bilis ko ba namang tumakbo palayo sa mga multo, nasanay na ang mga binti ko!"

I don't think that's something he should be proud of. But to each his own, I guess?

Heto na yata ang thrill ng larong 'to.

"Wait!" Luthor panted, stopping beside a tree and his hand touching the bark. "I can no longer run another meter. I do not want to weigh you down so go ahead without me."

Kumunot ang noo ko. Pagod na agad siya? Ni hindi pa nga kami nakalalayo sa pinanggalingan namin! Kailangan talaga niyang mag-exercise.

"Tara, Jamie!" sabi ko sa natitira kong kasama. Mukhang gusto na rin niyang sumuko at magpahinga. Ngunit nagpatuloy pa rin siya sa pagsunod nang bigyan ko siya ng isang makahulugang tingin.

Hindi pa masyadong nakalayo ang mga lalaki kaya nahabol pa namin sila. Nakalabas kami sa gubat at muli naming natanaw ang wooden cabin. We were back to where we started.

The half-naked boy turned around to face us and waves their flag proudly. Susundan pa sana siya ni Alistair pero huminto siya't napatingin sa ilalim. The taunting flag bearer was within the yellow line that marked the boundary of the neutral zone. Base sa rules, bawal mag-agawan doon.

Walang nagawa sina Alistair at Rye kundi tingnan ang lalaking nanghahamon sa kanila. Kami naman ni Jamie, hinabol muna ang aming hininga. We had two options: wait for that boy to step outside the yellow line or retreat into the woods.

"Let's give him this win," sabi ko. Ilang minuto na ring pabalik-balik na naglalakad sa gilid ng yellow line ang lalaki sa harapan namin. Magsasayang lang kami ng oras kung hihintayin namin siyang lumabas doon.

"Sayang naman!" Jamie clicked her tongue. "Nasa harapan na natin ang isa pang flag!"

"He doesn't plan to leave that zone while we're here." Tumalikod na ako't naglakad pabalik sa gubat. Sumunod sa akin sina Alistair at Rye, pagkatapos ay si Jamie. Binalikan ko kung saan namin iniwan si Luthor. Nandoon pa rin siya sa tapat ng puno, mukhang nakapagpahinga na nang ilang minuto. Umiling ako nang itanong niya kung kumusta ang paghabol namin.

Our mission to steal the Paranormal Club's flag may have failed, but there's still one team we could target next.

Sunod naming hinanap ang kampo ng Sewing Club. Palubog na ang araw pero may liwanag pa kaya hindi muna namin ginamit ang aming flashlights. Dahil wala silang portalet, nahirapan kaming hanapin kung nasaan sila.

But I remembered what Loki told us this morning. Nakigamit ng portalet ang mga member ng club na 'yon kapalit ang crackers. If they went to our camp instead of the others, they must be nearby. We put ourselves into their shoes and tried to think like them. Saan ba kami magtatayo ng camp sakaling kami ang walang na-occupy na portalet?

We found the answer just a few minutes before we reached our own camp. May nasilayan kaming tent sa may 'di kalayuan. Gaya ng nakagawian, nagtago kami sa likod ng mga bush at sumilip sa pagitan ng mga dahon. Nakalupong ang limang member sa isang bilog at nagtatawanan habang kumakain ng mga napitas nilang prutas.

They looked so chill as they sat on the foldable chairs they bought from the cabin. They seemed so relaxed as if they did not care about other teams sneaking upon them. Also I did not see their flag fluttering around. Baka may trap na nakahanda sa kung sinumang magtatangka? Nadala na kami sa riverbank incident kanina. We could not just jump in without assessing the situation.

"Ang sarap yata ng kuwentuhan nila, ah?" komento ni Jamie habang sumisilip sa kampo gamit ang binoculars. "What if ganyan na rin ang gawin natin mamaya? Mag-chika-han na lang din tayo!"

I got her point. Isa sa mga paraan upang tumibay ang bond namin ay sa pagkukuwentuhan. Maybe we can have a truth or dare game or a sharing session just like during the recollections?

As how I saw it, there are two ways to enjoy this team building: first, by taking the capture the flag game seriously and second, by enjoying your time with your fellow clubmates without care for the game.

"Nakatapon lang sa gilid 'yong flag nila!" balita ni Jamie na patuloy na tumitingin sa binoculars. Ibinaba niya ito bago humarap sa amin. "Hindi man nila naisipang itayo para i-display. Parang wala na silang pakialam sa laro."

"They seem to be having a fun moment." Sinundan ng tingin ni Alistair ang bawat isa sa kanila. "Parang 'yong mga lalaki sa Paranormal Club na in-enjoy ang pagligo sa ilog kanina."

"And their flag is just lying around their camp," Luthor said. His attention was somewhere else. "This might be an easier catch than the first one."

"Ano'ng balak mong gawin?" tanong ni Rye sa akin. "Pwede nating subukan nakawin ang flag nila. Sana nga lang, walang nakahandang trap para sa atin."

"Mas mabuti siguro kung—" Bago ko pa masabi ang sagot ko, may biglang umistorbo sa amin.

"Si Rye 'yon, 'di ba?"

"'Yong nagtraydor sa 'tin!"

"Oras na para singilin natin ang traydor na 'yan!"

Lumingon ako sa likuran at nakita ang apat na lalaking tumatakbo patungo sa direksyon namin. Wala kaming choice lima kundi lumabas sa pinagtataguan naming bush at i-expose ang aming sarili sa mga taga-Sewing Club. They were all startled nang dumaan kami sa kanilang teritoryo. They had nothing to worry. Makikiraan lang kami.

"You didn't say you have fans!" I jested at Rye. "Gusto yata nilang magpa-autograph sa 'yo."

"Some angry fans," he quipped.

"Dito tayo!" Napaturo si Jamie sa kanyang kanan. Walang reklamo kaming sumunod sa kanya. She knew the map very well by now, kailangan naming magtiwala sa judgment niya.

"Why are we running again?" Luthor asked. Ano ba? Nakaiilang hakbang pa lang kami, napagod na agad siya? "Can't we settle their issues on Rye in a diplomatic way?"

"May ilang bagay na hindi mo madaraan sa usapan!" tugon ko. Ang mabuti pa, huwag na siyang masyadong magsalita para hindi siya kapusin ng hininga. "Minsan kailangan mong takbuhan!"

"Mukhang ang laki ng galit nila kay Rye, ah?" Lumingon si Alistair para tingnan kung may sumusunod pa sa amin. Meron pa. Nakabuntot pa rin ang apat.

Ikaw ba naman ang traydurin? Kahit sino'y hindi basta-basta mapalalampas 'yon. Kung galit sila kay Rye, may justification naman sila.

"Ayaw mo bang patulugin na lang ang apat na 'yan para 'di na nila tayo sundan?" tanong ni Jamie. "Kanina pa tayo lakad nang lakad at takbo nang takbo! Bibigay na ang mga binti ko!"

"Duck," Rye whispered the moment we reached the other side of the woods. Nagtago kami sa likod ng mga bush at dumapa. We tried to make no noise. Wala na akong pakialam kung madumihan ang damit ko. Para kaming nasa pelikula kung saan hinahabol kami ng goons.

"Hindi pa nakakalayo ang mga 'yan!" sigaw ng isa sa Robotics boys.

"Baka doon sila pumunta! May naaninag akong shadow roon!"

"Tara! Baka matakasan na naman niya tayo."

"Humanda siya kapag nahuli natin siya. Ipapakagat natin siya sa mga langgam!"

We kept our silence until they ran past our hiding spots. Nang tumahimik na ang kakahuyan, dahan-dahan kaming umusbong sa pinagtaguan namin at maingat na sumilip sa bawat anggulo. Baka nagpapanggap na umalis ang apat na 'yon para ma-lure kaming lumabas sa pinagtataguan namin. Thankfully, the coast was clear.

Ang hirap pala kapag may kasama kang wanted. Pati ikaw, damay sa gulo na ginawa niya. But in retrospect, we did not really have to hide from Rye's pursuers. Nadala kami ng natural reaction namin. Wala naman kaming dalang flag kaya ano ang mapapala nila sa amin?

Maingat naming tinahak ang kagubatan. Sa bawat limang metro yata, tumitigil kami para pakinggan kung may papalapit na yabag ng mga paa o bulungan ng mga lalaki. Mas natagalan kami, pero wala naman kaming nakasalubong na problema.

Thanks to Jamie, we safely found our way back to the camp. Nag-alala ako na baka dito dumaan ang mga taga-Robotics Club. Pero walang dapat ipangamba. Nakaabang sa harap ng tent si Loki na binabasa ang rulebook.

"What did you find?" Ibinaba niya ang hawak na libro at iniangat ang tingin sa amin. "Looks like you captured no new flags. A waste of time and effort, huh?"

Ikinwento ko sa kanya ang muntik na naming pagkuha sa flag ng Paranormal Club. Imagine how loud and hard he laughed when I told him that we failed.

"You serious? Those paranormal idiots beat you?" He threw his back, laughing. Siya lang ang natatawa habang seryoso kaming nakatingin sa kanya. "I've been giving them less credit than they deserve."

"Kumusta naman ang pagbabantay mo rito?" I decided to change the topic. Wala na ring magbabago kahit pag-usapan namin ang aming failed attempt. He would only laugh at us.

"No one dared to trespass on our territory or steal any of our items," he proudly answered.

"How about our flags?" Luthor asked, his eyes casting glances around the camp. "I do not see them anywhere."

"Lorelei asked me to hide them very well, and I did," Loki replied. "Why are you asking? Do you wanna steal the flags from us and give them to that lousy Paranormal Club?"

"I only want to confirm that you have not offered them to another team," Luthor answered. "You may claim that you hid them, that they are somewhere safe and secured. But we cannot strike off the possibility that you might be the traitor."

"Now you're accusing me of being the traitor?" Loki snickered. "Oh, how the tables have turned! Do you want me to show the flags to you and shove them in your—"

"Boys!" I interrupted their unique expression of brotherly love. Pagod na nga kami sa expedition tapos ganito pa maririnig namin sa camp? Could these two give us a break? "Loki, just show us the flags para wala nang duda ang kuya mo."

"But—"

"No buts." I gave him the look. Tumigil siya sa pagrereklamo, lumapit sa isa sa mga puno sa likuran at bumalik sa harapan ng tent na bibig ang dalawa naming bandera.

"Satisfied?" he asked. Ibinigay niya ang mga ito kay Alistair.

"That means na hindi si Loki dear and traydor!" masayang anunsyo ni Jamie. Tila nabunutan siya ng tinik. "From the start, hindi ko na siya pinaghinala—"

Narinig kong kumalam ang kanyang sikmura. Nagawi ang tingin naming lahat sa kanya. Napahinto tuloy siya sa sinasabi niya.

"Gutom na yata ako," natatawang sabi niya. "Hey, don't judge me! Nakagugutom kaya ang maglibot sa camping site! Ilang kilometro ba ang nilakad natin?"

Napahawak ako sa aking tiyan. Maging ako, nakaramdam na rin ng gutom.

"Shall we start preparing for our dinner?" tanong ni Alistair na siyang tinanguhan namin.

q.e.d.

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