A/N: Here's the third and final part of Chapter 40! Read the first two parts before proceeding. And remember: NO SPOILERS!

LORELEI

LUTHOR AND I returned to the spot we have marked earlier. May dala-dala kaming mahahabang stick at malalaking dahon para sa gagawin naming makeshift shelter mamaya. We had no choice but to spend the night on this deserted island.

I was surprised to see Loki and Jamie who seemed to be playing in the river. Knee deep in the clear waters, they were holding sticks and stabbing at it it with all their might. I remembered the tale about the Roman Emperor Caligula who declared war against Neptune and ordered his soldier to stab at the sea.

Hindi pa naman siguro nasisiraan ng bait ang dalawang 'to, lalo na si Loki. But who knows? They might have been bitten by a strange animal or insect that made them act like idiots.

"Got another one!" Jamie announced proudly as she raised her stick. Nakatusok sa dulo nito ang isang isda na pilit kumakawala. So they were catching fishes. I thought they were fighting the spirit of the river.

Hinampas muna niya ang ulo ng isda sa malaking bato bago ito inihagis sa malaking dahon ng saging sa lupa. There were three carps on it. Katabi naman nito ang mga prutas na pinitas nila kanina.

"Paano ba 'yan, Loki dear? Three-zero na ang score!" nakapamewang na sabi ni Jamie.

Thanks to the moon who went out of hiding from the clouds, malinaw pa rin nilang nakikita ang nasa ilalim ng tubig.

Napayuko si Loki sabay hawak sa kanyang tuhod, pagod na pagod. Base sa sinabi ni Jamie kanina, wala pa siyang nahuhuli kahit isang isda. "I'd rather solve a murder case than murder a fish so we can have something to eat. Give me problems, give me codes."

Inilapag namin ni Luthor ang mga napulot namin sa lupa. His emotionless eyes stared at the moist ground. Iniisip niya pa siguro kung saan itatayo ang mga tent at kung paano ang magiging design nito.

I swore to shut my mouth after learning about who and what he was. I thought that he was the evil mastermind we have seeking out, but it turned out that he was just an underling strategically positioned in Moriarty's organizational hierarchy.

He may be manipulative, but I did not sense any attempt of deceiving me when he explained himself earlier. I'd like to believe that despite his association with evil, there was still goodness in him. At 'yon ang ipinaliwanag niya kanina.

He said that he did everything for Loki. That was a touching story that could move the hearts of anyone who heard him. And I must confess that I was convinced by it.

Why? When I held him down with a stick at his throat, he could have denied my accusation and lied with a straight face that he was not in the abandoned building and he knew nothing about Moriarty. But he admitted that there's a scarlet thread linking him to the criminal mastermind and went on with how he came to be associated with that person.

My greatest flaw is to believe that there's always something good in everyone. That's why I believed Jamie when she denied that she was in any way connected with Moriarty. That's also why I believed Luthor when he said that he did what he did for the sake of his younger brother.

I could have pressed on the fact that he was part of an organization steeped in blood. Whatever his reason for joining them wouldn't erase the stain and justify his affiliation with them.

But I chose to look the other way. I chose to see things in an angle that despite him being tainted with their gang's bloody reputation, he had the same goal as mine. To protect Loki and to take down Moriarty for good.

Gaya ng sinabi niya kanina, he is one of them, but he isn't on their side. Just a matter of perspective.

Medyo awkward nga lang ang sitwasyon naming dalawa. Aminado akong hostile ang pakikitungo ko sa kanya bago ang aming one-on-one talk. Kapag napapalingon ako sa kanya, I couldn't help but think how caring he was for his brother. Loki could go on describing his brother as a manipulative bastard, but that person had at least one redeeming quality.

Nagpatuloy sa panghuhuli ng isda sina Loki at Jamie habang sinimulan namin ni Luthor ang pagtatayo ng masisilungan. Nilagay namin ang mga dahon ng saging sa lupa at itinusok patayo ang mga stick.

"You and Jamie can share this tent. My brother and I can share the other," Luthor said, tying one end of a stick to another. Ginawan niya ng frame ang "kisame" para doon idikit ang malalaking dahon ng saging.

I chuckled at the thought. Nai-imagine ko na ang magiging reaksyon ni Loki kapag nalaman niyang magkasama silang dalawa sa iisang silungan. Baka nga mag-walkout pa siya nang 'di oras mamaya.

We finished putting up two shelters at the same time that Loki and Jamie were done fishing. It turned out that the most brilliant mind in Clark High was beaten by a girl. Wala siyang nahuli ni isa sa apat na isdang nakalagay sa malaking dahon.

Hindi namin makakain ang mga isda nang hilaw kaya kinailangan naming gumawa ng apoy para maluto sila. We also needed fire so we could feel warmth in this damp place.

"I sucked at stabbing those carps in the water," he admitted, showing two stones in his hands. "Let me make up to that loss by creating fire."

He rubbed the two stones together above a small stack of dry grass. Pinawisan na siya sa paulit-ulit na pagkuskos ng mga bato, ngunit wala pa rin siyang nalilikhang apoy. Ang akala nga nami'y hindi uubra ang trick niya... hanggang sa may makita kaming usok galing sa mga tuyong damo.

The spark grew into a fire. Inilagay namin ang mga hindi gagamiting sanga para magpatuloy na magliyab ang apoy. Tinusok namin ang mga isda gamit ang malililit na stick at inihaw ang mga 'to.

"Oh, boy! This trip is fun!" tuwang-tuwang sabi ni Jamie habang pinapanood ang pag-iihaw sa mga isda. "Kahit na na-badtrip ako sa dalawang bodyguard ni Daddy Odinaire, mas naging enjoyable itong out of town trip natin!"

She must be saying that because she spent some time alone with Loki. Tumango lang ako sa sinabi niya at napanguya ng berries. I heard na hindi basta-basta kumain ng ganito lalo na kung nasa gubat. But Loki, being an expert on what may be poisonous and not, assured us that these berries were safe to eat.

We had the carps and berries for dinner. The night was getting darker and colder. Only the bonfire was keeping us warm. Maaliwalas naman ang kalangitan at kitang-kita ang mga bituin kaya malabong umulan ngayong gabi.

"Makakauwi na ba tayo bukas?" tanong ko kay Loki na siyang may hawak sa cryptex. "Kung hindi mo pa maka-crack ang password niyan, baka mag-stay pa tayo rito hanggang bukas."

"Okay lang na mag-stay pa tayo rito!" Jamie locked her right arm with Loki's. "Basta magkakasama tayong lahat, walang magiging problema, 'di ba? If we can survive one night on this island, we can survive another day or two!"

Kani-kanina lang, nagrereklamo siya na gusto na niyang magkabalik sa hotel. Ngayon, nae-enjoy na niya dahil magkasama sila ni Loki. 'Yon naman talaga ang habol niya sa trip na 'to eh.

"Do you have any breakthroughs?" Luthor asked, stabbing the stick into the ground. "Our father wouldn't give you a code that you can't crack."

Muling pinaglaruan ni Loki ang cryptex, iniikot-ikot ang bawat disk nito. "I have arrived at the conclusion that the password isn't just a four-letter word. He could have put the same set of alphabet letters per disk. But no, he chose to put varying letters. My hunch is that these letters will form some phrase or sentence that would unlock the cylinder."

"You said that the clue is Odin," I recalled. "Baka mga salitang associated sa kanya ang sagot."

Itinabi ni Loki ang cryptex sa kanyang paanan. "I have an idea on what the answer might be, but let's call it a day for cracking codes. Nandyan pa naman ang cryptex pagkagising natin bukas. Kahit kasi makita natin ang itinatagong clue ngayon, we can't make any move in the night. We shall wait until sunrise."

"So ano nang gagawin natin?" tanong ni Jamie, inilibot ang kanyang tingin sa bawat isa sa amin. "Are we going to sleep na?"

"If we have nothing better to do—" Patayo na sana si Loki nang bigla siyang hilahin pababa ni Jamie at pinaupo ulit.

"Minsan lang tayo nasa ganitong sitwasyon," apela ni Jamie. "Bakit hindi pa natin lubusin? Hindi rin naman tayo basta-basta makatutulog niyan."

"What are you proposing that we do to kill time?" Loki asked in a bored tone. "Should we do some dancing to ease our boredom on this island?"

"Game ka ba?"

"No," Loki said, looking away.

"Look at the four of us! We are seated around a bonfire. Parang summer outdoor camping!" Jamie sounded excited about it. "Why don't we share some stories? Oo, magkakasama nga tayo sa club, except Luthor. But we don't spend so much personal time together! 'Yong wala tayong case na isino-solve."

May point naman siya. Lagi na lang kaming nasasangkot sa mga kaso. Kahit sinubukan naming mag-chill sa isang coffee shop sa mall, hinabol pa rin kami ng "sumpa." Perhaps this seemingly deserted island was the only place where we wouldn't be interrupted by someone falling to his death or choking on his tea.

"Okay, so let me share the most preposterous ghost story I have ever encountered," Loki started, but his words were immediately cut off by Jamie.

"Huwag namang ghost stories! Baka may ma-attract ka pang masasamang ispiritu sa kwento mo."

"How about the most difficult case that I have solved?"

"Inilalayo nga natin diyan ang topic, 'di ba?" Ako naman ang humirit. "Enough with the cases. Why don't we talk about something personal?"

"Like what was your childhood dream?" Loki quipped. "Or what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

I rolled my eyes. He wasn't taking it seriously. Napahawak ako sa aking labi habang nag-iisip kung ano ang pwedeng pag-usapan. It could be a random question na may sense.

"If this was your last day on earth and you could talk to anyone, whether living or dead, who would that person be?"

Napatingin kaming tatlo kay Jamie na siyang nag-open sa gano'ng topic. Parang tumamlay ang boses niya at nawala ang ningning sa kanyang mata. Her mood shifted in an instant.

The chirping of crickets rang in our ears as we fell silent for a while. Nakatitig lang kami sa apoy habang tila pinag-iisipan ang isasagot namin.

"Ladies first," Loki muttered, his eyes staring at the blazing flame.

I raised my hand. Kung walang gustong mauna sa kanila, ako na lang. Hindi naman ako gano'n ka-prepared sa tanong, but someone who came to mind.

"My biological father," I said, averting my gaze to the bonfire. "Alam n'yo na siguro maliban kay Luthor na hindi si Walter Rios ang dad ko."

I felt Luthor's eyes glancing at me as I mentioned his name.

I chuckled. "Looking back, weird kung paano na-reveal sa akin na hindi talaga siya ang ama ko. Kung hindi siya nabaril at hindi siya nangailangan ng blood transfusion, hindi ko pa malalaman ang katotohanan. He knew all along that I am an illegitimate child, but he never told me. He implied the truth by being cold to me, by treating me as if I wasn't his child. Natanong ko sa kanya kung kilala niya ang tunay kong dad, but he had no idea."

"What would you tell him kung makakausap mo siya?" Jamie looked at me intently.

My eyes blinked a few times. Oh, crap. I wasn't expecting them to well up in tears. I tried to hold them back.

"I wanna ask him if he knew that I existed. That his love affair with my mother bore a child named Lorelei." Iniangat ko ang aking tingin kay Jamie na naluluha na rin. "I wanna know if he's going to be proud of who and what I am. I wanna know why he lured my mom into infidelity."

Darn it. Napapunas ako ng luha at napakagat ng labi. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I tried to clear any depressing thoughts in my head. When Luthor asked me earlier kung may nakababata ba akong kapatid, doon ko napagtanto ang isang bagay: Would my real dad and his family, if he had one, welcome me with open arms?

"Did you try to find out kung sino at nasaan na siya?"

I shook my head. "As much as I want to meet him, I'd rather wait for the day that our paths will cross. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung buhay pa siya o patay na. I believe that there's always a right time for everything."

Muli na naman kaming natahimik. Tanging ang pagsinghot ko at ang tunog ng mga kuliglig ang maririnig. Bakit ba kami napunta sa ganitong topic?

"If I could talk to anyone right now, I would talk to my brother." It was Jamie's turn to speak. "I wanna thank him for everything that he did for me. He was always there to protect me from anyone who dare lay a finger on me. He was my protector, my personal savior."

"The late president Jaime Santiago?" Luthor asked.

Jamie nodded. Naglalawa na rin ang kanyang mga mata. This wasn't the first time she became emotional when talking about her brother. "Kaya nga masakit sa akin na bigla siyang kinuha sa amin. He was the only remaining family member that I had. My mother died six years ago. My father died four years ago. Then, him... two years ago."

Naalala ko ang katiwala nilang na-meet namin sa kanilang bahay noong bumisita kami sa mga Santiago. She said that the family had a curse.

"Your brother was the best student council president we ever had," Luthor said, reminiscing. "Unfortunately, his reign was only short lived."

Parang ngayon ko pa lang yata narinig na nagbigay siya ng compliment.

"Call him idealistic, but he wanted to change the world," Jamie wiped the tears from one of her eyes. "Kaya nga tumakbo siya sa council para baguhin ang sistema. He was doing well in his promise until he met his untimely demise."

"They said he died in an accident," Luthor added.

Paulit-ulit na umiling si Jamie. "My brother is a meticulous person. He would have noticed that something was wrong in his car the moment he started the engine. No, I think someone tried to disguise his death as an accident. And that's why... That's why I swear on his grave that I would bring that man to justice!"

Hindi na niya napigilan pa na mapahagulgol. She tried to wipe her tears with her bare hands. Dahan-dahan siyang sumandal kay Loki at itinago ang kanyang mga luha sa damit nito.

Hinintay ko munang tumahan si Jamie.

"What about you, Loki?" tanong ko. "Sino ang gusto mong kausapin?"

But he wasn't responding. Nakatitig lamang siya sa apoy. Nakatulala. Parang lumulutang ang isip.

"Loki?" I called him again.

"Loki dear?" Si Jamie na ang kumalabit sa kanya.

We thought he already turned into a human statue. But he spoke before I could call his name again.

"I want to apologize to her," he said. His voice was barely audible. "I want to say sorry... for everything."

"To whom?" Jamie asked.

Kahit hindi na niya sabihin ang pangalan, alam ko na kung sino ang tinutukoy niya.

"When I was hallucinating, thanks to drinking belladonna, I managed to talk to her." Pakurap-kurap ang mga mata niya, kitang-kita ang pagsayaw ng apoy sa mga 'to. "Her face. Her voice. Her presence. I thought she was the real thing."

He must be referring to that case where he was challenged by one of Moriarty's minions. He said back then that drinking the tea would give hallucinations. At mukhang si Rhea ang nakita niya noong sandaling nasa ilalim siya ng epekto nito.

"You know what's the sad part about that moment?" Loki's voice was cracking, but he retained a calm facade. "That the person I spoke with was just a figment of my imagination. No matter how many cases I solve, no matter how many criminals I bring to justice, she won't be coming back anymore."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. All these months, he's been chasing the cunning Moriarty. Whenever he got closer to the truth, it always slipped away from his grasps.

"Now you understand my obsession with this overarching case," he went on. "I cannot let my father ruin everything that I have worked so hard to achieve. I will never find inner peace until I close this case. That's all."

Jamie caressed his back and whispered some words to him. Lumingon ako sa aking kanan kung saan tahimik na nakinig si Luthor. I wonder what's going on through his head after hearing his brother's pain.

"How about you?"

"I'd like to keep the answer to myself," he answered. "The day will come that I would speak to that person and tell him everything."

So that person is his younger brother? Napasulyap ako kay Loki na mukhang iba pa rin ang nasa kanyang isipan.

"We have become emotional with this discussion," Luthor said, standing. "The night is getting darker as moments pass by. Can we call it a night so we can rise early tomorrow and get out of this island?"

Wala namang umangal kaya nagsitayo na kaming lahat. Luthor put out the fire by pouring some water on it. Mahirap na, baka lumikha pa ang apoy ng forest fire.

Magkasama kaming pumunta ni Jamie sa silungang nasa kanan. Matigas at malamig ang lupa, pero dahil sa pinagpatong-patong na dahon ng saging, hindi namin gaanong naramdaman.

I wonder how the brothers in the other tent were doing.

***

The sun was up by the time I opened my eyes. Nakapaghilamos na ang mga kasama ko sa ilog at nag-aayos na para sa aming adventure ngayong araw. Sana talaga, makauwi na kami mamaya. Feeling ko, nagkasipon ako dahil sa sobrang lamig kagabi.

"Good morning," bati ko sa kanila matapos kong makapagmumog at mahugasan ang aking mukha.

"Magandang umaga!" masiglang bati ni Jamie na kinakain ang tira naming berries kahapon. "Nakatulog ka ba nang maayos, Lorie?"

Tumango ako. Mukhang back to normal na lahat. Jamie's back to her jolly attitude and Loki's still preoccupied with the cryptex early this morning. Luthor stood behind his brother, watching the latter play with the cylindrical object.

"Good news," Loki announced. "I have figured out what the password is."

"Oh?" Lumapit ako sa kanya at nakipanood na rin sa kanyang ginagawa.

"You can form a three-word sentence using all the letters available," he explained. "The clue is Wednesday, which pertains to Odin. That Norse god is associated with wisdom, remember?"

We nodded.

"That is why..." he stopped rotating the disks and showed to us what he came up with. "The answer starts with that word."

Tiningnan ko ang mga nakahilerang letra. Reading them horizontally or vertically did not make any sense.

"Hundred percent," he replied. "Perhaps you are reading it the wrong way. Start from left to right, then continue with the next row. Oh, by the way, begin with the letter W.""Sigurado ka bang ito ang password?" tanong ko. Baka may epekto ang berries na kinain namin kagabi kaya nagkamali si Loki.

I followed his instruction. The first four letters formed the word "wisd," which I doubted was actually a word. But when I went on reading the next row that had "omre" and put it together with "wisd," it started to make sense.

WISD OMRE QUIR ESSA CRIF ICE•

"Wisdom requires sacrifice..." I muttered, looking at Loki for confirmation.

"Odin sacrificed one of his eyes in exchange for wisdom." He nodded as he took the cryptex back. He twisted one end of the cylinder and removed it. "Behold, the key to our salvation!"

Isang maliit na papel ang inilabas niya mula sa loob. Inilapag niya ito sa malaking bato para makita naming lahat.

It was a hand-drawn map of the island. May mga naka-drawing na mga puno sa palibot ng isla, isang well sa gitna, isang cave sa hilagang-kanluran at isang cliff sa silangan. Kasama rin sa mapa ang ilog kung nasaan kami ngayon.

"Where do we go from here?" tanong ni Jamie. "There's no X that marks the spot on the map. Wala ring ibang code na nakasulat dito."

"Are we supposed to use the same clue that Hugh gave?" Luthor asked.

Loki smiled. "Correct. You are not familiar with Odin so your lack of knowledge about the clue is understandable. There are only four notable spots in this island: river, well, cave and cliff. The cryptex's password points us where to go."

"Enough with the charade, just tell us already!" I insisted.

"Okay! Okay!" Loki's finger traced all the way from the river to the well. "Remember that wisdom requires sacrifice. Odin sacrificed his eye in exchange for a drink from Mimir's well that contains much wisdom."

Halos isang oras yata naming tinatahak ang kagubatan para mahanap ang sinasabing well sa mapa. As a safety precaution, nagdala kami ng mga malalaking stick bilang pamalo sakaling may ma-encounter kaming mapanganib na hayop sa kakahuyan.

Loki acted as our human compass, deciding which path we should take. Jamie with her photographic memory served as our "human marker." Natatandaan niya ang mga pasikot-sikot na dinaanan namin kaya hindi kami maliligaw o babalik sa pinanggalingan namin.

The well was easy to spot once it's just a few meters away. Maingat naming nilapitan ito sa pag-aakalang may mga booby trap na inilagay sina Hugh at Munroe. The moment we reached it, salvation was at hand. Makakaalis na rin kami sa islang 'to.

"Secret tunnel ba ito pabalik sa isla?" tanong ni Jamie na dumungaw sa kailalim ng balon. There was nothing but darkness below.

Meron isang lubid na nakatali sa sabitan. Sumampa si Loki sa balon at dahan-dahang tinanggal ito sa pagkakatali. He tried to pull it, but whatever's on the other end must be heavy. Tinulungan namin siyang humila hanggang sa umangat ang isang timba. We grabbed the pail and poured its content on the ground. Nagkalat ang mga malalaking bato, kaya pala may kabigatan.

Among the rocks, we found a transceiver wrapped in plastic. Mabilis itong inalis ni Loki mula sa pagkakabalot. Pagkapindot sa isang button nito, we heard a buzzing noise followed by a human voice.

"Yes!" Halos mapatalon sa tuwa si Jamie habang ako nama'y nakahinga nang maluwag. Sa wakas, makakaalis na kami sa isla.

We had to walk all the way back to the shore. Thanks to our "human marker," going back to our starting point wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

Our rescuers, aboard a yacht, were waiting at the dock. Halos maiyak na si Jamie pagtuntong sa yate habang wala namang reaksyon ang magkapatid na Mendez. The whole affair was business as usual for them, pero halatang napagod sila sa paglalakad.

Pagbalik namin sa hotel, sabik na sabik kaming humiga sa kama. Kahit sino sigurong naka-experience na matulog sa malamig at matigas na lupa, mami-miss ang comfort ng kanilang bed. Ilang oras din kaming nagpaikot-ikot sa isla. My feet were sore and my legs were hurting.

Pagkapikit ng mga mata ko, kaagad akong nakatulog.

***

It was eleven-thirty in the evening when I woke up. Dala na rin siguro ng sobrang pagod kaya mahigit walong oras ang tulog ko.

Bumalikwas ako mula sa pagkakahiga sa aking kama at napatingin sa kaliwa. The bed reserved for Jamie was vacant. Baka gising pa siya o naalimpungatan lang.

I slowly opened the door of our bedroom. Nakapatay ang mga ilaw at wala ni isang nasa living room. Natutulog na rin kaya sina Loki at Luthor? I thought of checking their rooms but that would be intrusive.

Patungo na sana ako sa kusina nang makaramdam ako ng malamig na bugso ng hangin. Napatingin ako sa veranda. Hindi tuluyang nakasara ang glass door. The curtains were dancing with the wind, blocking my view of the scenic beach.

There was someone outside. Based on the body frame, mukhang si Jamie ang nandoon. Kung gano'n nagpapahangin lang pala siya.

Lalapitan ko sana siya para kumustahin ang kanyang tulog. But I stopped when I was only a few steps away from her.

"It was just a prank by his father. You don't have to worry about him, Stein."

S-Stein? Tama ba ang narinig ko?

Quickly, I hid behind the curtain, out of her eyeshot in case she turned around. She was talking to someone on the phone. Thanks to the gap in the door, I could hear what she was saying.

But why? Why would she mention the name of that man?

Kailangan kong makasiguro. Baka nagkamali ako ng dinig. I took out my phone and started recording. This time, I could be certain that I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating.

"I spent some time alone with him yesterday. Based on how he interacted with me, I don't think he's suspicious of me."

Him? Was she referring to Loki? I could see from her shadow that she was twirling her braided hair.

"I can't say the same for Lorelei. She seemed convinced by my answer when she confronted me. You know how gullible she is. Pero laging nakabantay ang mga mata niya sa akin. She might be jealous of me making moves on Loki. But I can manage her, don't worry."

Napalunok ako ng laway. Nanghina ang mga tuhod ko't napaupo sa sahig. What's going on here?

"I will keep in touch. Good night, Stein. See you next week."

Natulala na lamang ako nang matapos ang kanyang phone call. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

Jamie... You... How could you...

The glass door slid open and she walked toward the living room. I stopped the recording already.

Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko. Magkahalong lungkot, pagkadismaya at galit.

I took a deep breath, rose to my feet and mustered all the courage that I could. Nanggigigil ako. Halos bumaon na ang mga kuko ko sa aking palad.

"Good evening, Jamie."

"Good evening, Lo—" Her mouth froze the moment she found out that I was standing near the curtains. "H-How long have you been there? Gusto mo rin bang magpahangin?"

Ipinakita ko sa kanya ang aking phone. Naka-flash sa screen nito ang recording app na ginamit ko kanina. I pressed the play button and watched her stare at me, horrified.

"I can't say the same for Lorelei. She seemed convinced by my answer when she confronted me. You know how gullible she is."

"You freaking drama queen..." I gritted my teeth as my eyes shot her with piercing glares. "You freaking lied to me."

She wanted to say something in her defense, but the words were stuck at her throat.

"Lorie, let me exp—"

I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the veranda. Isinara ko ang pinto para walang makarinig sa pag-uusapan namin.

"You freaking lied to me, you freaking liar," I fumed. Hinigpitan ko ang pagkakahawak sa kanyang pulso. Her face twitched in pain, but I did not care. "You had the gall to swear to God and tell me that you are loyal to Loki?"

"Lorie, I..."

She couldn't even finish a sentence! A proof of her guilt! Wala na siyang mailulusot ngayon.

"Naniwala ako sa 'yo, Jamie!" I hissed. Nakaramdam ako ng paninikip ng dibdib. Parang pinipiga ang puso ko. "Naniwala ako! How could you play me for a fool? Paano mo maipapaliwanag ang mga narinig at na-record ko kanina, ha?"

"Lorie, kasi..."

"ANO?" Bahagyang tumaas ang boses ko kahit anong pagtitimpi ko. A tear rolled down my right cheek. "SAGOT!"

Para saan pa ang mga drama niya kahapon? May paiyak-iyak pa siyang nalalaman habang ikinukwento ang kuya niya? Tapos ngayon pala, kasabwat din siya?

I should have trusted my gut feeling in the first place.

"I'm going to tell Loki about your lies," I spat, slamming the glass door as I opened it.

"Please, Lorelei!" She grabbed my arm and tried to stop me. "Don't tell Loki! I beg you!"

I shook my head slowly. "I can't. I had enough with your lies. He needs to know the truth."

"What truth?"

Jamie and I were startled as we heard that familiar voice coming from the living room. It may be dim inside our suite, but I could see the figure of a man seated on the sofa.

"Loki..." I muttered under my breath.

"What truth, Lorelei?" he asked.

Tumingin muna ako kay Jamie na nagmamakaawa pa rin bago kay Loki. "It's about Jamie. You deserve to know that—"

"She is working for Moriarty," Loki finished my sentence, surprising me and liar beside me. "Is that what you are about to tell me?"

H-How did he...

"I know," Loki said. "I already know."

q.e.d.

  From Wikipedia: A sleeper agent is a spy who is placed in a target country or organization not to undertake an immediate mission but to act as a potential asset if activated.  

P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! Thank you for supporting me and the adventures of the QED Club! We have been blessed this 2017 and words aren't enough to express how grateful I am for all the love and support.

2018, here we come!