Chapter 6: The Abduction of Gray Ivan

Gray continued pulling me hanggang sa makarating kami sa labas nga mansion. He didn't say a word at maging ako ay hindi makapagsalita. He seemed so angry. Ano ba ang problema nito? And why did he punch Ryu? I somehow felt pity for that devil. Nabaril na nga, nasuntok pa!

He stopped in front of his car at pinagbuksan ako ng pinto. "Get inside", wika niya sa akin.

Well, I'm Amber the hardheaded, so I remain standing there at nawalan ito ng pasensya. I knew it when he's losing his temper dahil kinakagat niya ang kanyang pang-ibabang labi at nakakuyom ang kanyang kamao. And have a told you that he's scary if he loses his temper? He don't yell but he's stiff. If I would to choose between an airconditioner or a Gray who lose his temper, I would choose both. Parehas lang silang COLD. Yep, he's cold and stiff, the kind of treatment that I hate the most. Manlalamig lang siya sayo. I would prefer if he would yell everything in my face kaysa ganoong trato.

"Get inside Amber", he said in a voice full of authority. His face was very serious as he looked at me.

I don't get him. Bakit ba ito umaasta ng ganoon?! "You sounded like a father. Ayoko nga, don't just come here and give me orders", wika ko and it was too late to realized my words.

Para itong nabuhusan ng malamig na tubig. His angry face became emotionless. Shit Amber! What have you done? Now I really pissed him. By his look, he had reached his limit and loses his temper.

He sighed. "I see. Sino nga ba ako para utusan ka?"

"G-gray. I- I mean—"

Umalis siya sa harapan ko at nagpunta sa kabilang pinto. He's still wearing his pokerface. "I'm going somewhere. I just went here to follow my classmate na mukhang uuwi. I was planning to take her home but may naunang isang kotse so I just followed them to keep my classmate safe. I saw their car chased by some goons and they exchanged bullets. I was so worried for my classmate but I saw an old woman became a victim of hit and run so I helped her since I saw a red car helped the other car with my classmate inside. Dinala ko ang matanda sa ospital, I went here to see if my classmate is safe and I guess she is. That's it", he said at nakonsensya naman ako. Mabuti lang naman pala ang intensyon niya but look what I have done?! I've been so mean gayong nais lang naman palang tumulong ni Gray sa akin. I should have controlled my mouth.

"Gray, I'm so—"

He cuts me off again. "I'm leaving from this place. You can come with me lalo na at walang mga taxi ngayon." Pumasok siya sa loob ng kotse. He doesn't want to hear my apology. This is all my fault.

Sumakay na rin ako sa kotse niya and when I closed the door, agad na niyang binuhay ang makina. The next hours were very awkward dahil walang ni isa man ang nagsalita sa amin sa loob ng kotse hanggang sa makarating ako sa bahay namin na sinabi ko sa kanya kaninang tinanong niya ako. I said thank you nang bumaba ako but I didn't hear him say anything hanggang sa umalis ang kotse nito.

***

Monday morning and I haven't got any reply from Gray mula sa sangkatutak kong SORRY na itinext sa kanya! Kulang na lang talaga at mag-ala Justin Bieber ako upang patawarin niya! Or better yet tawagin ko ang Super Junior upang sayawan siya ng Sorry Sorry?   But seriously, tinitikis niya talaga ako! Lahat na lang ng emoji na umiiyak o mukhang nagmamakaawa ay itinext ko na sa kanya ngunit wala talagang ni ha o ho na reply akong natanggap mula sa kanya.

Fine! I admit it's my fault. I know I've been mean by saying those words but hindi na ba niya ako mapapatawad dahil doon? A smoothie with a sticky note won't work this time, I knew it kaya kailangan ko na namang mag-isip ng paraan kong paano magsosorry sa kanya. I can't stand it kapag naiisip kong galit siya sa akin.

I arrived late kaya hindi ko man lang ito nasuyo. I was planning to handcuff myself with him hanggang sa mapatawad niya ako! Nakipagkaibigan pa talaga ako sa mga CAT Officers na may access sa mga handcuff na ginamit nila noong Valentines day!

And I hate it! I really hate it! I have a big red pimple on my nose dahil dalawang gabi akong napuyat dahil sa kaiisip kung paano ako mapapatawad ni Gray! Not to mention the Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton bags right below my eyes! Arrrgh! I've never been bothered like this before upang mapatawad lang ng isang tao! I'm suffering too much from this ngunit mukhang hindi pa iyon sapat upang mapatawad ako ni Gray!

Nagsisimula na ang klase namin ng bigla na lamang akong kinalabit ni Jeremy. Ang hilig nitong mangalabit no? Suntukin ko kaya?!

"What?", I glared at him. I'm not in my best mode lalo pa at hindi pa kami nagkakabati ni Gray.

"What happened to this?", he asked at pinisil ang tagiyawat ko sa ilong.

"AWWWWWW!"

Bigla na lamang napalingon ang lahat ng kaklase ko sa akin nang mapasigaw ako sa sakit. Damn Jeremy! Hindi ba siya naorient na masakit magka-pimple sa ilong?! Lalo na kapag nasa loob iyon ng ilong! O kaya ay yung mga tagiyawat na nasa labi at sa tenga pero pinakamasakit ang sa ilong!

"Yes Miss Sison?", our subject teacher asked and I immediately shook my head. Another trouble! Mabuti na lamang at hindi ang terror na si Maam Laid ang guro namin ngayon dahil malamang, isang katakot-takot na GET OUT OF MY CLASS na naman ang aabutin ko.

"Nothing Maam. I was just— bitten by an ant." Oh, I suck at lying, eh?

Ibinalik ng guro ang tingin sa isinusulat sa pisara at gayundin ang mga kaklase ko. That was quite an attention! Damn this weird! I immediately stepped into Jeremy's foot.

"Aww!", he whispered. Siya naman ang napangiwi sa sakit. I know it cannot compensate the pain he did to my nose ngunit sadyang nilakasan ko talaga ang pag-apak sa kanya. "Why did you shout? Does a pimple in the nose hurts?"

I rolled my eyes at him. Mukhang wala nga itong ideya kung gaano iyon kasakit. Magka-pimples sana ito sa ilong tapos sipunin pa at nang maramdaman niya ang pakiramdam ng napunasan mo ng panyo ang tagiyawat mo. That hurts too!

"Like hell. It hurts like hell, you idiot!" Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin and I'm expecting na titigil na ito sa pangungulit but he didn't. Sa halip ay lumawak pa ang ngiti nito.

"In love ka ano?", tudyo niya but he keep his voice low.

"In love, my ass. Shut up Jeremy!", wika ko sa kanya at hindi na siya pinansin. I'm completely aware of Gray's presence behind me. Isa pa, alam kong naririnig niya kami.

"In love ka eh. I bet hindi ka rin makakain", he said and I gave him a questioning look.

"Why?"

"Ganyan daw yan eh. Hindi ka makakain at di ka makatulog tapos tagiyawat sa ilong. Signs of being in love", he said and I raised my brow at him.

Nang sumapit ang break ay lumabas na kami ng classroom at nagpunta ng cafeteria. I bought some snacks and I wasn't planning to join Gray and Jeremy ngunit nauna na itong tawagin ako.

"Amber! Hali ka!", Jeremy said as they sat on a table in the cafeteria. Gray was looking at me intently kaya na-concious ako. If I don't join them in the table, masyado akong halata. Kapag naman naki-join ako sa kanila, I doubt kung kakausapin pa rin ako ni Gray. Uh, whatever! Lalapit na lang ako sa kanila. I took a deep breath at lumapit sa kanila. I sat beside Jeremy at nasa harap ko si Gray.

Inilapag ko ang tray kong may lamang fries at pizza kasama ng isang coke in can.

"Ano sa tingin ninyo ang kulang to make our break complete?", Jeremy asked.

"Wala. Nasa harap na natin ang mga pagkain", Gray said habang sumusubo sa fries na isinawsaw niya sa ketchup. He wasn't looking at me kaya marahil ay hindi pa rin niya ako napapatawad.

"Mali. Ikaw Amber?"

Tiningnan ko ang mga pagkaing nasa mesa namin. Jeremy and Gray's fries were beside a saucer of ketchup at ang fries ko lang ang wala. I don't like ketchup so  that's why I didn't get one.

"Ketchup?", I asked habang nakatingin pa rin sa mesa.

"Mali pa rin. Ketchup? Ano ba yang naiisip mo Amber, so lame", Jeremy said and I raised my brow at him. Lame? That's him. "Haaay! Di niyo alam? Ang kulang upang maging kompleto ang break natin ay ang —

Tentenenen! My riddles!", he said proudly.

Gray and I sighed. Jeremy is a hopeless case. Kailan pa kumompleto sa break namin ang mga riddles nitong ewan ko kung saang lupalop ng daigdig niya napulot?

"Today is special so it's not a riddle but a quiz. Give me 10 names of animals na makikita sa Pilipinas na nagsisimula sa letrang M. Either english o tagalog", he said.

"Monkey", wika ni Gray. "Manok. Maya."

"Okay, 3. And?"

Ano pa nga ba? Parehas kaming natahimik ni Gray. What other animals starts with a letter M? Wala akong maisip! Ito na yata ang side effect ng pagpupuyat ko!

"C'mon guys! Ano pa?", Jeremy asked.

"Mouse?", I asked.

"4. ano pa?", he asked.

"I give up. Shoot please", Gray said at ngumuya ulit ng pagkain.

"Uh! So easy! Manok, Monkey, Maya, Mouse, Mamoy, Maka, Maso, Musa, Mahas, Mambing! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!", he said and he laughed hard.

He's really worst! Tumigil lang ito sa pagtawa nang mapansing hindi kami tumatawa ni Gray. "What? You don't find it funny?"

I shook my head. "No, we don't."

"Fine. Ito seryoso na . Give me 10 Philippine fruits na nagsisimula sa letrang L", he said again.

"What? Is this another Langka, Layabas, Langga and the likes?", I asked and he shook his head.

"Seryoso na ito", he said at hinarap kami. "Sige na. Think."

"Fine", wika ko. "Lansones, Langka, lemon, uhh. Ano pa nga ba?"

"Dunno", tipid na sagot ni Gray. "Shoot Jeremy. I want to hear another pun."

"Lansones, Langka, lantang lansones, lantang langka, Lantang saging, lantang pinya, lantang kahil, lantang mansanas, lantang ubas, lantang abokado! HAHAHAHAHA!", muli itong tumawa. Uh, can anyone tell him that it's not funny? Please?!

"Uh, you're really a hopeless case Jeremy!"

Tumigil ito sa pagtawa. "Seryoso iyon. Prutas naman talaga sila ah! Lanta nga lang."

This guy will never learn. I guess we have to make ourselves immune to his puns. Natapos na ang break kaya bumalik na kami sa classroom. Few minutes bago magsimula ang klase ay lumabas ng classroom si Gray ngunit nang nagsimula na ang klase ay hindi pa rin ito bumabalik.

The morning class ended ngunit ni anino ni Gray ay hindi pa bumabalik sa classroom namin. I've been waiting for him to come back ngunit hindi talaga ito bumalik.

Bigla akong kinabahan. What if — what if pinapatay siya ni Ryu dahil sa pagsuntok nito sa kanyang noong nakaraang araw?!

Uh, ano bang iniisip ko? Of course, that devil will not do it. Hindi lang halata pero alam kong protective siya sa pinsan niya. At isa pa, hindi naman siguro magagalit si Ryu dahil lang doon.

But who could have got him? The aliens? No way?! I want to punch myself for such stupidity. What if just some bad guys got him at binugbog siya and worst pinatay!

Arrrgh! Stupid me! Bakit ba ganoon ang iniisip ko? I should be optimistic on this. I'm sure hindi pababayaan ni Gray ang sarili niya. Isa pa, everyone in Bridle respects the famous Gray Ivan Silvan kahit pa bago pa lamang ito dito so I dropped the possibility that some bullies took him gaya ng mga nangyayari sa ibang estudyante.

I tried calling him on his mobile ngunit cannot be reached ito and it made me so worried. Kapag umaalis ito ay nagpapaalam ito sa amin. Hindi kaya may lakad lang ito at dahil magkagalit kami, hindi na niya ako pinaalam sa mga lakad niya? Maybe Detective Tross or Inspector Dean called him and asked for his help. It could be possible ngunit hindi pa rin ako mapakali hanggang sa hindi ako sigurado kung ayos lang ba ito. I got my phone and I dialled Khael's number. Matapos ang ilang ring ay agad niya itong sinagot.

"Yow, Special A!", bati niya mula sa kabilang linya.

"Khael can you call Detective Tross or Inspector Dean kung kasama ba nila sa Gray or what? Please?", I asked. Ni hindi ko man lamang ito binati.

"Oh, okay. I'll call you back."

"Thank you Khael", wika ko bago pinatay ang tawag. Ilang beses akong nagpalakad-lakad sa loob ng classroom. Umuwi na lahat ng mga kaklase ko maging si Jeremy. I really can't stop thinking kung nasaan na ito.

After a few minutes, my phone rang at agad ko iyong sinagot. It was Khael.

"I've called them Special A but hindi daw nila kasama si Silvan. Why? He's missing?", he asked. Being his best buddy, I know he would also be worried kapag sinabi kong nawawala talaga si Gray. Isa pa ay hindi ako sigurado kung nawawala nga ba talaga ito. Maybe he just went somewhere without me.

"Hindi naman. Nag-cut lang siya ng klase. Thanks Khael, you're a big help", wika ko bago pinatay ang tawag. Marahil nga ay nagpunta lang kung saan si Gray. Pumunta ako sa student's locker upang itago ang libro ko ngunit may napansin akong nakaipit sa pagitan ng pintuan ng locker ko. It was a piece of paper. Agad ko iyong kinuha at binasa.

Greetings of peace from Suetonius!

Looking for Silvan? Just see the BENJO CMEH.

hint: Gaius Octavius of Pax Romana.

Who the hell is Benjo Cmeh? Mayroon bang ganoong estudyante sa Bridle? I went to the bulletin board kung saan nakapost ang masterlist ng mga estudyante per section ngunit walang nagngangalang Benjo Cmeh doon. Hindi kaya isa iyong cipher?

And Suetonius? Familiar ang pangalang iyon. Pinag-isipan ko iyon ng mabuti and something in Araling Panlipunan came into my mind. That's it! I should use Caesar's cipher! Suetonius is the author of The Twelve Caesars or the De vita Caesarum which literall means On the Life of the Caesars! I have studied Caesar's cipher recently so I tried the Caesar's cipher with a left shift of three gaya ng pagdecipher ko sa schemed disappearance ni Jeremy and I came up with the words XDJEK YIAD.

XDJEK YIAD.?

Ano naman abng ibig sabihin niyon? Did I use a wrong cipher? But I'm sure it must be Caesar's cipher based on the letter! Saka ko lamang naisip ang hint.

Gaius Octavius of Pax Romana.

I have something in mind with the name Gaius Octavius ngunit hindi ko lamang maalala kung sino ito. Is he some sort of cryptographer? As of Pax Romana, it simply means Roman Peace.
 

Roman Peace? Wait. Is this Gauis Octavius an emperor during Pax Romana?! Mas nag-isip pa ako and I relate The Twelve Caesars to the hint!

Gaius Octavius is the name of Augustus noong hindi pa siya hinirang na emperor! Naalala ko ang pag-uusap nami ni Gray noong hinanap namin si Jeremy.

"Nakakainis ka alam mo ba? Nastress ako sa kakaisip tapos alam mo pala ang cipher  na ginamit ni Jeremy!", I hissed at him nang nakaupo kami and Jeremy was answering on the board. It was right after he solved the case of the guy who fell from the rooftop.

"You should know about it since those are basic ciphers", he said but his gaze was fixed on board. Marami kasi ang nasa blackboard at sinasagutan ang mga chemical equations na kailangang ibalance.

"Basic? Basic kapag alam mo na. Iyon lang ba ang paraan ng Caesar's shift?", I asked.

"Nope, there are many variations. Tulad na lamang ng Rot13 algorithm, it's a Caesar's cipher with a shift of 13. Augustus Caesar uses a right shift of one. Even the Vigenère cipher is a Caesar's cipher. Terrorists had their own variation of  Caesar's cipher and a mafia boss from Sicily used it too", he said at tumahimik na ng makabalik na sa upuan niya si Jeremy.

That's it! Augustus Caesar's right shift of one! I tried deciphering it and I got the word ADMIN BLDG.! Gray is in the Admin Bldg! I immediately made my way towards there but to my surprise, he's nowhere to be found.

Nagtanong-tanong na rin ako sa mga staffs na naroon ngunit walang ni isa man sa kanila ang nakakita kay Gray na nagawi doon. Nanghihinang napaupo ako. Who could have put the letter on my locker at nasaan na nga ba si Gray? Galit pa kaya siya sa akin?

Uh! I should have been mindful of my words. Bakit ko pa kasi nasabi iyon? I always hate my bratty and bitchy side kapag lumalabas iyon at nakakasakit ng damdamin ng isang tao. He said he was just so worried about me. Masama bang mag-alala para sa kaklase mo? I felt my eyes became blurry at may nga nagbabantang tumulo na luha sa gilid. I immediately rubbed my eyes bago pa man pumatak ang mga iyon.

I glanced at the big bulletin board in the admin bldg. It was used to post the names and birthdays of the staff na naroon. There was a big READ ME sign kaya tumayo ako at lumapit doon. It was a small puzzle. A word search puzzle at may nakalagay na -X sa ibabang bahagi niyon!

Isa lang ang alam kong nagsusulat ng -X ! Could it be that — oh no!

Tinanggal ko ang wordsearch puzzle mula sa bulletin board at tiningnan iyong mabuti upang masagutan.

K C O Z M P C T S N V
Y X O D B R A I C L D
L S P N L Q X E Z K W
H Y N I F M R I L M G
A P L I H E M S W Q I
B H I N O T R U Q Z A
V I Q O D S U E X B C
N X M I F T D I— C M

— X

I don't see any word to search kaya nagtaka ako kung paano ko iyon sasagutan! I hope Gray is not in danger.

I took me few minutes to stare intently at it and I came up with the idea of using X.

K C O Z M P C T S N V
Y X O D B R A I C L D
L S P N L Q X E Z K W
H Y N I F M R I L M G
A P L I H E M S W Q I
B H I N O T R U Q Z A
V I Q O D S U E X B C
N I M I F T D I— C M

I read the word but I skipped the second E on the second word where it overlaps. It's CONFERENCE ROOM! Agad akong tumakbo doon at gaya nga ng inaasahan ay naroon nga si Gray.

#

-ShinichiLaaaabs.