Chapter 57: Mind Maze (Part 2)

They say gain new friends but always cherish the old ones. As I watched Zywon squeezes himself in the small hole of the backdoor, I told myself that this guy is indeed a new friend of mine. He wouldn't bother checking me here personally if he doesn't see me as a friend. He wouldn't sacrifice himself falling from the high wall just to get here if he doesn't see me as a friend, right? I stared at the deformed and melted chocolate in my hand. This isn't a measure of friendship but the thought still counts.

"Zywon", tawag ko sa kanya bago pa man siya tuluyang makalabas sa munting lagusan palabas ng mataas na pader ng Bridle.

Saglit siyang tumigil at nilingon ako. He must be bothered by my sweet tone. "Hmmm?"

"Thanks a lot. For real. I-", I felt shy about this because looking back, we started bad. Him, the lazy lad who loves to sleep at Athena and the one who never sees me as a girl at our PE match. I'm glad that we have this bond now, he may not declare himself that I'm his friend but I know that I am. "I know you are a friend."

Sumeryoso ang mukha nito. Ilang segundo itong ganoon at ilang sandali lamang ay sumibol ang munti ngunit totoong ngiti mula sa labi nito.

"Ah, no problem about that. If you want to have real friends, the first step you have to do is to be one", wika niya.

So he really wants me to be one of his friends huh? And he wanna be friends with me too.

"Thanks again. It feels good to be one of your friends", sagot ko sa kanya. I wish he would also make up with his old buddies, Khael and Gray.

"I don't really have a lot of friends. I don't need lots of them anyway. Just a few loyal ones", he said at tuluyan nang lumabas. "Got to go Just Amber."

I guess he still doesn't want to talk to me regarding the status of his friendship with Gray and Khael. And speaking of them, I left them with a difficult code to cipher. I felt the chills in my spine when I remembered that Andi's life is at stake! I found myself jolted towards the convenient shade where I left the two.

Gaya nang kaninang naiwan ko sila, they're both drown with the thoughts of how to decipher the code. Ang kaibahan lamang ay malinis ang mesa kanina but now there are crumpled pieces of paper everywhere.

I flinched a little when I heard a paper being torn. "Arrrgh! It's not working! Kahit anong gawin ko, I don't know how to decode it!", frustrated na wika ni Khael. He tossed the crumpled paper on the table where it joined the other papers who experienced the same fate. "I desperately tried all the ciphers that I know pero wala pa rin."

"Me too", sagot ni Gray. "I was even silly when I really multiplied the letters but still got nothing", wika ni Gray at napamasahe sa sintido. Poor Gray, although I am not sure if he got some jetlags, it's still not right to burden him with such code.

"Sorry but you can't stop", wika ko sa kanila. I know I sounded so bossy but I don't care. I'm so worried about Andi and when we are worried that much, we don't really care about others. Mas manaig ang gusto kong makita si Andi and I don't care if it will take too much of Khael and Gray's time. As of this moment of my desperation, sila lamang ang pwede kong asahan.

Pareho silang napatingin sa akin. Yes, I sounded so desperate. "Please...", I begged. If I could kneel just to ask for their help, I would. "Please... I already lost Phobie. I cannot afford to lose another roommate."

Inilapag ni Gray ang isang panyo sa harapan ko. "Tsk, you don't have to cry. Tutulong naman kami."

I'm crying?

Dahan-dahan akong napahawak sa pisngi ko and I am really crying. Yeah, I'm Amber, the crybaby. And I always cry without knowing it.

"Sorry. I-I'm just dead worried....."

"Come here Special A. I'll give you a hug", Khael said and he opened his arms at agad napasimangot nang binato ito ni Gray ng nilamukos na papel.

"Magpatuloy na tayo Alonzo", nakasimangot na wika nito. Gray picked up his pen at muling nagsulat. Ganoon na din ang ginawa ni Khael. As of now, there's no time for drama. The clock is ticking and I really have to see Andi.

Khael picked up the black card. "What if this isn't an ordinary cipher?"

"You mean this is a special cipher?"

"Yup."

Napakunot ang noo ni Gray. "What's special about this?"

"What if it's a code na hindi pa alam ng iba? You know like a cipher na bagong discover?", Khael said.

"Stupid. Why should the sender send a newly invented cipher? It's pointless."

Nagsimula na silang magtalo and then there was something that caught my attention in the card. Pinagtuonan ko iyon ng pansin at paulit-ulit na binasa.

Because we are evil
Odds are with us
Afraid of nothing
Risen and hailed
Darkness within.

Welcome to the GAME.

Because we are evil
Odds are with us
Afraid of nothing
Risen and hailed
Darkness within.

Welcome to the GAME.

Because we are evil
Odds are with us
Afraid of nothing
Risen and hailed
Darkness within.

Welcome to the GAME.

"Hey, look at this", tawag ko sa kanila. Agad naman silang tumayo at naupo sa magkabilang gilid ko. I pointed out the word that I observed.

"Look at this, - Because we are evil, Odds are with us, Afraid of nothing, Risen and hailed, Darkness within. Welcome to the GAME. Take out the first letters of each line, it can be read as BOARD. At tingnan niyo ito, why is the word GAME in upper case?", wika ko.

"Board Game", bulong ni Khael. "Board game?"

"Board game. Maybe the clue is in a board game!", Gray said and he started stating board games that he know.

"Try monopoly, I can beat Silvan with that", pagyayabang ni Khael.

"Pinagbigyan lang kita", Gray said. "I don't think this involves monopoly." Sinipat nitong mabuti ang bawat letra na nasa card and again, he was lost in his thoughts.

"Look at this line, This is a game of death. Decode what is scribbled below", tinuro ni Khael ang bahaging iyon. "Don't you think it's scrabble? Oh, no. I think it's not."

Agad na sumilay ang ngiti ni Gray. "Tama ka Alonzo! It's scrabble!" Lumiwanag ang mukha nito as if he's discovered a cure for the humanity.

"Scrabble? How?", naguguluhan kong tanong. I'm not really good with codes and ciphers, thanks to Gray for teaching me some.

"I guess this is a Super Scrabbles's letter distribution", Gray said. Inabot niya ang isang malinis na papel at nagsimulang gumawa ng square at naglagay ng mga numero sa gilid at mga letra naman sa loob.

"This is the letter distribution of a super scrabble. Sa ipinadalang code, I think we should decode it like this, 1x16, the 1 represents the point or score, x16 is the number of tiles with such distribution. Look at this square, the letter with 1 point and 16 distribution is A. Sa 1x13(2), still, 1 represents the point, x13 is the number of tiles and the (2) is the second letter since tatlong letter ang may ganyang distribution", paliwanag ni Gray at saka pa namin lubusang naintindihan ang ibig sabihin niyon.

We started decrypting the codes using Gray's analysis on how to decode it and I almost fainted after readimg the message behind.

1x16-1x13(2)-2x8-1x13(1)
A N D I

2x8-1x24-1x16-2x8
D E A D

1x13(1)-1x13(2)
I N

1x15(2)-4x5-1x24
T H E

1x7(1)-1x16-3x4(1)-1x15(1)-
L A B O

1x13(3)-1x16-1x15(2)-
R A T

1x15(1)-1x13(3)-4x4(3)
O R Y.

Andi Dead in the Laboratory!

I didn't waste anytime and I just found myself rushing towards the laboratory. Kung ang Genesis man ang may gawa nito, they may be as crazy as Marion or even worse. Why do they find the laboratory as their perfect place to commit murder? Science laboratories become less lovable to me after the trauma of Mrs. Sera's death.

"Andi!!", I shouted again. Kahit na sinabi sa mensahe na patay na si Andi, I still have a little hope na makita pa siyang buhay. Gray and Khael started searching the whole place at ganon din ang ginawa ko. It still bothers me why the Genesis would attack the people around me instead of attacking me directly.

I looked under the tables at sa pwesto ng mga laboratory equipment and I almost shouted in glee when I saw her lying on the floor. I called for Khael and Gray and they immediately rushed towards my direction.

They pulled her and touched her pulse.

"She's still alive. I think she just passed out", wika ni Khael. Lumapit naman ako at tinangkang gisingin ito. Ilang saglit lamang ay dahan-dahan itong nagmulat ng mata.

"Amber...."

"Andi, you're safe now! Thank God! What happened?" Hindi ko maipaliwanag ang kaligayahang nadarama ko. I'm so happy that she's safe. Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko kapag napahamak ito.

"What happened? Did they hurt you? Anong ginawa nila sayo? Nakita mo ba ang mga mukha nila?", I asked hystrically. Yes, I'm being hysterical.

"Woah. I think kailangan muna natin siyang ilabas dito Special A, I can hear some footsteps", wika ni Khael at ilang saglit lamang ay lumitaw na sa harapan namin ang guard.

"Anong ginagawa ninyo dito? Off-limits dito kasi walang pasok", wika ng guard sa amin.

"May kinuha lang po kami dito. Naiwan kasi namin nung naglaboratory kami nung biyernes. Pasensya na po", wika ni Gray. Oh yeah, he's a good fat liar when it comes to moments like this. Naalala ko ang unang beses na nagkita kami ni Gray. Geez, he said we're lovers celebrating our anniversary.

"Ganoon ba? Nakita niyo na ba?", the guard asked.

"Wala nga po eh kaya paalis na kami. Baka po hindi namin dito naiwan", Khael said at hinila na kami palabas.

I was wondering how come the guard didn't see Andi and her captors nang dinala siya dito? Could it be that he's an accomplice? Tinanaw ko siya habang palayo kami. Ah, siya yung tipong tatanga-tanga kung minsan. Mahilig itong matulog kahit umaga ang shift nito. I just hope that he's not an accomplice.

"Andi, ano ba kasi ang nangyari?", tanong ko habang akay-akay ito. We're heading towards the girls' dormitory.

"Hindi ko alam kung ano ba talaga ang pakay nung lalaki sa akin", she said, still shaking. Thanks to these two guys with us who came in support. "Basta na lamang niya kaming sinalakay ni Res. A-and he said something f-for you."

It made me stop walking and focus on her. Now I'm really positive na ako nga talaga ang pakay ng may gawa niyon kay Andi. Damn, bakit dinadamay pa nila ang mga taong nakapaligid sa akin? "For me?"

Andi nodded. "Yes. He said 9 of 29. Sabihin ko raw sayo yan. 9 of 29."

I saw Gray and Khael looked at each other. Sigurado akong pati sila ay nais din malaman kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng 9 of 29. Should I subtract it? Add? Multiply? Divide? Whatever.

Hindi na ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataong sumagot nang lumitaw sa harapan namin ang isang taong ayaw kong makita. Why? Because his presence is just so annoying. Maginhawa ang nakaraang linggo ko since this guy was not around last week and God knows where he had been. Ganon din ang dalawang muchachang pulis nito ay hindi ko masyadong nakita noong nakaraang linggo.

"Hello Kids."

Gray and Khael stiffened as they saw the guy. They loathe him as much as I do. Sobrang hangin kasi nito.

"Hey Kids, it doesn't kill to say hello too", wika ulit nito nang walang sumagot sa bati niya kanina. Meh, Can't he see it? We greeted him with our glares.

"Too lazy to say hello", Gray said.

"Ah, too bad. Ganyan ba ang itinuro sa inyo ni Tross? You should show some respect to the citizens of the law you know."

Oh, there he goes again with his grudge for Detective Tross. Whatever hapened to them, it must have been a cannonball that hit him directly in the gut. Wala akong ideya kung ano ang nangyari sa kanila dati para magtanim siya ng ganoong galit. Could they be fighting for the highest spot before? Did they love the same girl?

"Not worth it if the one who demands respect is not showing respect too. With all due respect Detective Adler, ganito po kasi yan. Respect isn't something required to be shown to someone who holds a position. It's freely given to everyone who shows some respect too. Kahit pulubi pa, kailangan mo pa ring irespeto", naiinis na wika ni Khael.

The annoying detective waved his hands like he doesn't wanna hear more. "Yeah yeah. No time for your lecture Alonzo." Sinipat niya kami ng tingin. When her glance focused on Andi, a mischievous smile escaped from his lips na tila ba sinasabing 'almost killed huh?'

Andi doesn't look like she's on her well state and I'm pretty sure that detective Adler is thinking the same thing. Like duh, he wouldn't be a detective for nothing. (Yeah. I wanna puke as I copy his line)

"Another life at risk huh, Vander? Tsk, you really are a trouble", he said. Huli pala ito sa balita, he's not informed that I am not a Vander and I have no intention of telling him. Let him think what he wants to think.

"Let's go Amber, wag mo na lang siyang pansinin", Gray said and tried to pull me away ngunit muling nagsalita si Detective Adler.

"You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo", wika niya.

You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo.

You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo.

You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo.

You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo.

Paulit-ulit na nag-echo sa tenga ko ang sinabi niya. Am I?

"It's not her fault!", sabat ni Andi kahit nanghihina pa rin but the detective just let out an annoying smirk.

"Yeah, make her believe that it wasn't her fault", sagot nito.

Even if I keep on telling myself that it wasn't my fault, hindi ko pa rin mapigilan ang sarili ko na isiping kasalanan ko lahat. Mukhang tama nga si Detective Adler. I am really a badluck.

Bago pa man ako makasagot ay hinila na ako ni Gray palayo kay Detective Adler. Hindi na namin pinansin ang iba pang sinabi nito and we both walked our way towards the girls' dormitory.

Nang makarating kami sa harap ng gate ay pinauna ko na si Andi. Res came to meet us at inalalayan niya ito paakyat habang naiwan naman ako upang magpasalamat kina Gray at Khael.

"Thanks to the two of you. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo malamang hindi ko pa makikita si Andi", wika ko sa kanila.

"It's our pleasure to help Special A."

"Sorry Khael. I cannot entertain you right now", I told him. Naalala kong bumyahe pa pala siya ng halos dalawang oras papunta dito but I really have to attend Andi right now.

"Ayos lang din Special A. It's Silvan that I came here for, anyway", sagot nito at agad na inakbayan si Gray. The latter hit him with his elbow in his gut but Khael didn't let go. I gave them my shy smile bago nagpaalam na papasok na.

"Amber...."

Napalingon ako ng tinawag ni Gray ang pangalan ko. "The message in the code still bothers me. Why does it say that Andi's dead?"

"I have the same thought", Khael said.

Bahagya akong natigilan. Why? May iba pa bang ibig sabihin iyon? I calmed myself at inisip na pananakot lamang iyon ng kung sino mang dumukot kay Andi.

"Maybe it's just to scare us. Ayoko munang isipin iyon. Ang mahalaga ngayon ay ligtas na si Andi", wika ko sa kanila bago muling nagpaalam at tuluyang pumasok sa loob.

Pagdating ko sa silid namin ay nakahiga na si Andi sa kama while Res stood beside her. She looks so weak and fragile. Siguro nga ay tama si Detective Adler. Naramdaman ko na lamang ang panunubig ng mga mata ko. Damn! I'm becoming a crybaby lately.

"Andi, I'm really sorry. You see, kung hindi dahil sa akin hindi ka sana napahamak ngayon-"

"Amber it was never your fault. Please don't blame yourself", she said. Kahit ano pa ang sabihin niya ay paulit-ulit ko lamang naririnig sa isip ko ang sinabi ni Detective Adler.

You are a living badluck. Pinapahamak mo ang mga taong nasa paligid mo.

"No. It was because of me. If we shouldn't have been friends-"

Hindi ko na natuloy ang sasabihin nang dumapo ang palad ni Therese sa mukha ko. I was astonished for a while. Didn't I say a few times that I hate to be slapped? It was a loud, crunchy slap but it somehow made me feel good.

"Res...."

"What now? You're regretting being friends with us? Baka nakakalimutan mo Amber, friendship is a two-way relationship. You can't call it friendship when the other party doesn't treat you as one. And who are you to put the blame on yourself? Do you think it will do any good? Mababago ba ang nangyari dahil sa pagsisi mo sa sarili mo?", Res said and the words from her mouth are slowly killing me.

Hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang pagiging magkaibigan namin. I just regretted how I turned out to be someone who's risking their lives. We may not be the kind of friends who stick together but we're the ones who show it with what we do. We spent most of our times after school dahil nga nasa iisang kwarto kami and we're more than friends. Halos magkapatid na nga ang turingan namin sa isa't-isa.

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"Amber please don't feel bad for what happened. Nangyari na iyon and I'm glad that I'm safe. The man just knocked me down with some chemicals ngunit bago iyon ay narinig kong may kausap siya sa telepono", she said at nakuha nito ang buong atensyon ko.

"The man talked about marketing some blue packs to the underground black market."

I almost cursed to death when I confirmed that it was really the Genesis. Ito na ba ang sinasabi ni Cooler at ni Zywon? And what's more is that they're starting to market those drugs!

"Shit!", I whispered.

"I don't really know what's going on but I know you know something about this. At hindi ko alam kung makakatulong ba ito but I heard the guy said he already sent the records to Brain."

Bumugso ang kakaibang galit sa dibdib ko. Damn that Brain! Damn his people and damn their organization! Masyado ng malaki ang pinsalang dulot nila.

"And I overheard him saying a site where they do transactions", she said. I felt excitement in me. Site huh? I just hope that a famous hacker Apollo can help me with this. If not, I will make Zywon introduce me to Trojan.

"A site?"

She nodded. "Yes. GenesisAnonymous.org"

If they already began marketing the drugs, it's possible that they need more human carriers and I won't let that happen. Tama na ang maraming buhay na kinuha nila para lamang sa kasakiman nila.

I grabbed my wallet and phone at agad na tinakbo ang pinto. "Res, take care of Andi. I have to go somewhere important. I'll be right back."

Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot nila at agad na lumabas. I silently walked on the dormitory's lobby at iniisip ang maaaring mga mangyari. If the Genesis continued to market the drugs, posibleng marami na naman ang mawawala. Iniisip ko rin na isuplong sila sa mga pulis but what good can the police do? I'm not underestimating them but they are really not so reliable at times lalo na kung may kasabwat sila na taga-Genesis mismo at sa duda ko ay ganoon nga.

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-ShinichiLaaaabs