HARRIET

IT WAS such a shame that we did not get to extract any information from the late assassin. We could not complete the puzzle as one or two pieces were missing. We were clueless as to why our university chancellor was targeted.

But one thing's for sure: Whoever silenced the suspect was within the walls of the academy at that time. And the scary part? He might be someone whom we have seen at the corridors or in the hall.

"Hey, ang lalim yata ng iniisip mo?"

My wandering thoughts snapped back to reality when Sherry touched my shoulder. Sabay-sabay kaming naglalakad patungo sa Baker Building kasama ang ibang Holmesian.

Days have passed since the foiled assassination. Right after the almost tragic night, everyone was afraid of going out especially during the night. Kumalat kasi ang balitang may killer na pagala-gala sa campus. At kagaya nga ng sabi ng matatanda, kapag pinagpasa-pasahan ang balita, kundi nababawasan, minsa'y nadaragdagan.

Humupa rin ang takot ng mga estudyante kinabukasan. Wala rin kasing nabalitaang sunod na nabiktima ang tinaguriang killer. Dahil may kaunting background kami sa mga kagrupo ng pinaslang na assassin, I doubted that the accomplice would target innocent students.

Everything's back to status quo, but the mystery of that fateful night lingered in me.

"Iniisip mo pa rin ba ang nangyari sa soiree?" Sherry asked, looking slightly worried. Kahit siya ang pinaka-close na Holmesian sa akin, ni minsan hindi ko naikwento sa kanya ang close encounter ko sa mga vigilante. Kapag nagtatanong siya at ang mga Housemate namin, I always told them what the authorities have already told them. Let me bear the burden alone.

I nodded. "Alam n'yo namang kapag may unsolved mystery, hindi basta-basta mawala sa isipan ko."

Hindi nga ako kaagad nakatulog ng ilang araw. Pilit ko kasing inaalam kung sino ang posibleng nagpatahimik sa assassin. Could it be one of the catering service personnel? Possible. But if we followed that theory, paano siya nakapag-prepare ng disguise bilang nurse?

Could it be one of the people inside the university? Possible. But if they were already inside, why would there be a need for an assassin from the outside? They could have carried out the assassination lalo na't nasa loob na mismo sila.

Between the two possibilities, the second one made me more worried. I heard stories about sleeper agents who infiltrate a group and wait until they are activated. Baka napasobra lang ako sa nababasa kong spy stories, but that possibility was something that we couldn't just shrug off.

The more I think about it, lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko! Curiosity is not bad, as long as you can contain it. At heto ang napapala ng mga taong curious na kagaya ko.

"Better if you leave it to the authorities," Locke suggested, his tone was bored. "You and your friends from the other Houses stick your noses to where you shouldn't. You are lucky that you haven't been killed yet by getting yourselves involved."

Parang kuya ko si Locke kapag pinapangaralan niya. Kadalasa'y naa-appreciate ko ang concern niya sa akin. Kaso nga lang, matigas talaga ang ulo. Kahit sabihin niya akong huwag lumusong sa baha, lulusong pa rin ako. Mabuti nga't nato-tolerate pa niya ako, pati na si Sherry.

"Hey, kailangan nating mag-focus sa mga lesson natin dahil kung hindi, malalamangan na naman tayo ng Moriartian," Sherry's last word triggered the competitive side of me.

Tama. The case was no longer my concern. Wala rin akong jurisdiction para panghimasukin ang kaso. Wish ko lang na sana'y kaagad itong ma-solve ng mga pulis. Or else, the threat would still linger.

"By the way, do you mind me asking something?" Sherry's tone changed from serious to somewhat intrigued. She wanted to change the topic, so be it.

"Fire away."

"What did you feel when you danced with Morrie?" she asked.

My reminiscing eyes looked up, trying to remember what I felt during that night filled with tension. "Medyo awkward. First, hindi ako marunong sumayaw. Second, ang partner ko ay kalaban nati—TEKA! Bakit bigla mong naitanong?!"

"Gotcha!" natatawang sabi ni Sherry habang wala namang pakialam si Locke sa usapan namin.

I could feel my cheeks turning red as my friend giggled. Heto na nga ba ang sinasabi ko. Kapag nga naman preoccupied ang mga utak natin, other people could catch us off guard and make us reveal things that we wouldn't want to be known.

Nasa failed assassination ang focus ng lahat noong gabing 'yon kaya hindi masyadong pinansin ng mga Housemate ko ang dance with the devil ko kay Morrie. Pakiramdam ko kasi, itatakwil nila ako kapag naalala nilang nakipagsayaw ako sa mortal na kalaban namin. Pagkauwi ko nga sa Holmes Hall, halos maubos ko na ang disinfectant. Baka kasi mahawa ako ng kasamaan ng lalaking 'yon.

"I hope you wouldn't fall into the mold of typical female protagonists," Locke said, shooting sideward glance at me. "'Yong tipong sa isang sayaw lang, nagbago na ang tingin mo kay Morrie at nasimula nang mahulog ang loob mo sa kanya. Remember who the enemies are, Harriet."

"Cliche man, magandang kuwento 'yon!" Sherry exclaimed. "I'm not friend of Morrie and I bear the same distaste on Moriartians. But if you fall for him, I would support your ship! From mortal enemies... to passionate lovers! Tiyak na gugustuhin kayong i-feature ng Sherrinford Sentinel."

"If that ever happens, a genuine peace between the two rival Houses would soon follow," Locke quipped. Knowing his disgust on the Moriartians, he wouldn't make such a hopeful statement. Bago pa man nga na-establish ang mga House dito sa university, mortal nang magkalaban ang Holmes at Moriarty sa Sherlock Holmes stories.

Hindi namin namalayan na nakarating na kami sa harapan ng Baker Building. As we climbed the steps leading to the entrance, we noticed a man, probably around twenties, cutting through the line of students. May suot din siyang inverness cape na katulad kay Sherlock Holmes minus the deerstalker hat. Trailing behind him was a black cat.

"Who is that man?" tanong ni Sherry, sinundan ng tingin ang misteryosong lalaki. "Halos kapareho natin siya ng uniform pero kulay brown ang suot niya. Is there any cosplaying event here that we are not aware of?"

"He might be the new guy that our House leader spoke of," Locke halted on the steps.

"New what?"

"A day after the failed assassination, ipinatawag ang lahat ng mga House leader sa Mycroft Hall," Locke explained, turning to us. "That man is a special agent, sort of. Pagbalik ni Miss Lenine mula sa meeting, parang nagkaroon siya ng migraine. She said that she can't stand how arrogant and demanding that man is."

If that mysterious agent managed to summon the House leaders, ibig sabihin, mataas ang ibinigay na authority sa kanya ng school admin. As far as I know, only the student regent could call for our leaders.

"Anong klaseng special agent siya? NBI?" tanong ko.

Locke shook his head. "Lenine told me that he's a member of Project L.O.K.I. Rumor says that they are a bunch of chosen QED alumni personally trained by the Founder."

"Loki? Are you referring to the Norse god of mischief?" May mga narinig na rin akong tsismis tungkol sa Founder ng university. Back in the day, he was a great detective and an ally of justice. Due to some unknown reasons, he hasn't been showing himself to the public. Ang tanging nakakakita at nakakakausap sa kanya ay ang mga close confidant niya.

Teka, narinig ko na yata ang pangalang 'yan kamakailan lang! Was it back in Bartholomew Building where SPO1 Cosmiano told us that the chancellor would be sending his best agent to investigate the attempt on his life?

"Yes, but that's just the acronym of their organization," Locke nodded. "League of Kingly Inquisitors, I think? Only its four or five members know the meaning of each letter."

"Teka, teka. Saan mo nalaman ang mga 'yan?" kunot-noong tanong ni Sherry.

"I have been reading old copies of Sherrinford Sentinel," Locke answered. Unlike my female friend who was a happy-go-lucky fellow, our male colleague prefered to spend his time wisely. "The old issues will tell you a couple of things about our school, things that you won't hear from our seniors or professors. To be frank, I also want to join them once I graduate from this university. To be among the ranks of elite detectives, isn't that a noble goal?"

With the police and the so-called best agent working on one case, I believe that they would be able to answer the questions that left us hanging as soon as possible. Ipapaubaya ko na sa kanila ang kasong 'yon.

But should they request for my assistance, I wouldn't think twice about it.

Professor Dred was late again for our Special Arts class. We thought naka-camouflage na naman siya para sorpresahin kami kahit 'di na bebenta ang kanyang trick sa amin. Based on the beads of sweat on his forehead and the paper he was clutching, galing siya sa faculty room at nagmadaling tumakbo papunta rito sa klase.

How's the mood in our class? Business as usual. Mukha pa ring bored si Morrie, pasulyap-sulyap pa rin sa akin si Aiden at kinikindatan ako, at busy sa kanyang iPad si Mina. I wonder if they also shared the same burden of thinking over and over who might have killed the assassin a few nights ago.

"Sorry kung nahuli ako ng dating!" bati ni Sir Dred sabay punas sa pawis na namuo sa kanyang noo. Hinabol muna niya ang kanyang hininga bago nagpatuloy. "We were called for an emergency meeting. Can you imagine kung ilang floors ang itinakbo ko para makaabot doon? Sorry, back to the real deal. I'd like to inform you that the school admin wants us to implement some changes in our classroom instruction policies."

Nagkatinginan at nagbulungan ang mga classmate namin. Hindi pa nga sinasabi kung ano ang changes, may side comment na ang ilan.

Our professor showed us a piece of paper, the one that he's been holding since he got here. We couldn't read the text but we could see the logo of the highest office in the university. "This order came directly from the chancellor. It was inspired by four students who foiled the attempt on his life. As the memorandum was marked urgent, we have decided to implement it as soon as possible. Don't worry, para ito sa ikabubuti ng lahat ng mga estudyante."

Napalunok tuloy ako ng laway. When he said "students who foiled the attempt," he must be referring to me and my three other classmates. Kaya rin siguro napasulyap sa akin si sir habang nagsasalita kanina.

"Effective immediately, students in all classes shall be grouped into four-man teams, one from each House. Teka, Tatagalugin ko dahil mukhang hindi n'yo naintindihan: Magsasama-sama sa bawat team ang apat na estudyanteng mula sa magkakaibang House."

"WHAT?!"

"Is this one of your pranks, sir?!"

"Baka nagdyo-joke time na naman kayo?"

Speechless. Hinayaan ko ang mga classmate naming mag-express ng kanilang pagtutol sa bagong rule. After all, we shared the same sentiment.

What was the chancellor thinking? Kahit kailan, hindi dapat maghalo ang binalatan sa tinalupan. That order was no different from mixing two or three ingredients that would not go well together.

Parehong itinaas ni Sir Dred ang kanyang mga kamay upang patahimikan ang mga nag-aalburoto kong classmate. "Relax lang, guys! Ipapaliwanag ko kung bakit! Lend me your eyes for a moment! The chancellor was impressed by the teamwork of four students — who happen to be in our class — when they saved him from the assassin. And those four are Harriet, Morrie, Aiden and Wilhelmina."

Thanks for naming us, sir! My classmates started shooting daggers at us with their furious stares. Hey, hey, we had no intention of advertising any "unity in diversity" movement when we worked together as a team. Nataon na kaming apat ang may kakayahang pigilan ang assassin.

"The new policy shall promote cooperation beyond competition and bridge the gaps between the four Houses," Sir Dred went on reading the memorandum, ignoring the cries of protest. "Cheer up! Ayaw n'yo bang maging friends ang mga taga-ibang House?"

Parang tinanong na rin niya kung gusto kong maging BFF si Morrie. Walang problema sa akin na makipag-close sa Watsonians at Adlerians (though may doubt ako sa pagiging plastik nila). But those Moriartards? No way!

"Sir!" Aiden raised his right hand, which was immediately acknowledged by our professor. Halata sa kanyang ngiti na wala siyang reklamo sa bagong policy. "Kami ba ang mamimili kung sino ang mga ka-group namin?"

"I have already grouped you into three teams," sagot ni Sir Dred na ikinalungkot ng ilan. "Saktong twelve kayong nasa klase kaya walang problema sa groupings. Excited na ba kayong malaman kung sino-sino ang mga kasama n'yo?"

Some of our classmates groaned. Hindi yata nababasa ni Sir Dred ang mood. Kung talagang ito na ang bagong class policy, wala kaming magagawa kundi sumunod. Pwede kaming magprotesta sa labas ng school buildings at magtaas ng mga placard, but I highly doubt that the chancellor would change his mind.

Basta pagdating sa mga Moriartard, anyone but Morrrie, okay na sa akin.

"Now, for the first team! Locke from Holmes, Matthew from Adler, Joanna from Watson and..."

Morrie! Morrie! Morrie! my mind was chanting.

"...Andre from Moriarty!"

I bit my fingernails. Sayang, nasa fifty-fifty na tuloy ang chance na maka-group ko si Morrie. Tapos hindi pa nabanggit ang pangalan ng co-conspirator niyang si Aiden sa unang group. If Lady Luck was smiling at me, she wouldn't let me be grouped with those two.

"Next! For the second team, we have Sherry from Holmes, Faye from Adler, Sean from Watson and..."

Morrie! Morrie! Morrie! I crossed my two fingers as I chanted his name like a prayer.

"...Jacquelyn from Moriarty! Go to your respective teammates, please!"

Oh, my—

Hindi na namin kailangang hintayin ang mga sunod na pangalang babanggitin ni Sir Dred. Obviously, the last team would be me, Aiden from Adler, Mina from Watson and — surprise! — Morrie from Moriarty. Kami-kami rin pala ang magiging magkagrupo!

What a great way to start the week!

Lumapit na ang tatlong teammate ko sa akin. Morrie looked bored as usual, Aiden was smiling like an idiot and Mina prepared her iPad for our group conversation.

"Tayo na naman palang apat? Pinagtatagpo talaga tayo ng tadhana!" nang-aasar na sambit ni Aiden. Marinig ko pang gamitin niya ang tadhana para ma-justify ang kamalasang 'to, ipapatikim ko sa kanya ang kamao ko. "Lalo na tayong dalawa, Harriet. Ayaw talaga tayong paghiwalayin."

Tumindig ang mga balahibo ko sa katawan. Ang blonde na 'to yata ang tuwang-tuwa sa resulta ng groupings. And hey, hindi ito kagagawan ng tadhana. Pakiramdam ko, sinadya talaga kaming pagsamahin ni Sir Dred. Bago pa man naganap ang groupings, magkasama na kaming apat sa dalawang kaso. He may not want to break our bond.

Here we have a manipulative Moriartard, a flirty Adlerian and a mute (but helpful!) Watsonian. Was it just me or this seemed like an almost recipe for disaster?

Sir Dred stood on the platform and cleared his throat to get our attention. "Ngayon, kailangan n'yong umisip ng pangalan para sa team n'yo! Every team must have a name, right? I will give you fifteen minutes! Make it catchy!"

The dimwitted Adlerian raised his right forefinger. Wala pang isang minuto mula nang ibigay ng professor namin ang instruction. Ambilis naman yata niyang nakaisip? "Why don't we call ourselves the Four Horsemen? Kagaya sa movie na Now You See Me?"

Morrie shot him a sideward glance. His unamused expression told me he was not impressed. Kahit ako, hindi nagustuhan ang sinuggest na pangalan ni Aiden. "That sounds... apocalyptic."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" I asked.

"How about the Elite Four?" he replied.

"That name reeks of arrogance and overconfidence," I commented, shaking my head. Kahit na may binatbat ang team namin, ayaw kong magkaroon ng impression ang ibang grupo na mayabang kami. Calling ourselves "elite" may not be the best way to brand ourselves. "At parang 'yan ang tawag sa last four trainers na lalaban sa Pokemon."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" he returned.

Ugh! Ginamit niya pa talaga sa akin ang pambara ko sa kanya! He would find a way to fire back at me, kaya kailangan kong mabilis na mag-isip ng pangontra sa kanya.

"How about Fantastic Four?" Aiden suggested. Seriously? 'Yan na ba ang best suggestion niya? How original.

"Who's going to be Mr. Fantastic? Invisible Woman? Human Torch? The Thing?" Morrie retorted, slapping on Aiden's face how ridiculous the suggestion was.

"Kailangan natin ng mas unique na name!" I exclaimed. Naglakad-lakad ako sa harapan, nakahawak sa baba at nakatingin sa sahig. "Kailangang kapag narinig ng mga teacher at student ang ating group name, tayo kaagad ang papasok sa isipan nila."

"F4?"

I rolled my eyes. Talagang pinaglalaban ni Aiden ang mga team name na may "four." Ilang percent kaya ng utak niya ang kanyang ginagamit? Couldn't he think of something far better?

Sa kasamaang palad, wala ring pumapasok na idea sa utak ko. Mahirap mag-isip ng pangalan lalo na't wala kang mahanap na common denominator sa mga kasama mo. What could represent the four of us na hindi magtutunog-mayabang?

Looking shy, Mina raised her right hand. At last! Our salvation finally came! Kumpara sa dalawang lalaking kasama namin, sigurado akong mas may sense ang isa-suggest niyang team name.

Himala. She did not scribble dots and dashes on her iPad. There's one word with four letters written on it. We looked closer para tingnan kung tama ba ang word na nabasa namin.

Napakamot tuloy ng ulo si Aiden. "As a word, may impact 'yan. But as a team name, mas pipiliin ko pa rin ang Four Horsemen."

"Aiden has a point," Morrie seconded. "We need a name that speaks of force and dominance once you hear it."

So it's two against one? Let me balance the scales.

"That name implies force itself!" I came to Mina's defense. Hindi ko hahayaang pagtulungan ng dalawang gutom na leyon ang isang inosenteng tupa. "The word may be simple but it certainly has an impact to anyone who hears it. Magtataka pa nga sila kung bakit ganyan ang team name natin."

"Care to explain where you got this idea?" Morrie asked, ignoring my remarks.

I thought Mina has changed with how she communicates, but she went back to using Morse code.

--- ••- •-• •• -• •• - •• •- •-•• •••

--- ••- •-• -• •- -- • ••• •- -• -•• •••• --- ••- ••• • •••

Oo nga, 'no? Why didn't I think of that? Our team name wasn't just a single word. It's an acronym! I don't know if they were amazed, but Morrie and Aiden did not raise any objection. Mina's reasoning shut their mouths completely. Way to go, girl!

"Time's up!" Sir Dred appeared on the platform again, still smiling while his students did not feel comfortable with the new policy. "May I have your team names, please? Harriet, Morrie, Aiden and Wilhelmina? Kayo na ang mauna!"

Nagtinginan muna kaming apat bago pumunta sa harapan. Nakakapanibago kasi na iba na ang mga kasama namin at awkward ang atmosphere, hindi lang sa amin, kundi pati sa ibang teams.

"Who's going to say it?" tanong ko sa mga teammate ko. Clearly it wouldn't be Mina since she had no intention of speaking in public.

"Go ahead, the spotlight is yours," Morrie said as if we had no other option. Mina and Aiden agreed kaya mukhang ako na ang magpapakilala sa grupo namin.

Hiniram ko muna ang iPad ng kasami naming Watsonian. "After thorough deliberation, we have decided to call our team..."

Ipinakita ko sa lahat ang salitang naka-flash sa screen:

WHAM

"Wh-Wham?" natatawang tanong ng isang Moriartard. "Sigurado ba kayo sa team name n'yo?"

"The word 'wham' is an exclamation of a forceful impact. And the four of us shall make an impact in this class and in the university." Parang sumasagot ako sa question-and-answer portion ng isang beauty pageant. "Kung iniisip n'yong simpleng salita 'yan, think again. WHAM represents the four of us and our respective Houses."

W-Wilhelmina Williams of Watson
H-Harriet Harrison of Holmes
A-Aiden Alterra of Adler
M-Morrie Moreno of Moriarty

"So the next time we will have a class activity, expect that you'll get WHAM-med!"

After explaining the etymology of our team name, Sir Dred was the first to clap, followed by our classmates. Some looked impressed by how we came up with our name. Some were not paying attention. Proud ako dahil hindi gano'n ka-lame ang pangalan ng grupo namin. All credits would go to Mina for thinking of a name that binds the four of us together.

But I sincerely hope that it would soon translate into an actual bond. Sige, susubukan kong maging "friendly" kina Morrie at Aiden for the sake of teamwork.

"Bravo! I thought your group name is lame. Frankly, you could have thought of something cooler than that!"

An unfamiliar voice disrupted our moment under the spotlight. We all turned to the man who appeared by the door, slowly clapping his hands. A black cat stood on his right shouder. Siya ang lalaking naka-inverness cape na nakita namin kanina!

"Sorry to interrupt your class, Professor Mordred," he said, showing an identification card. "My name's Roanoke Roswell. You can call me Roan, if you find it that hard to say my name."

He was met with curious stares as he walked into the classroom. Probably everyone was wondering what his business was with our class. Nandito ba siya para maki-sit in? O para i-evaluate ang teaching performance ng Special Arts instructor namin?

"And how can we help a L.O.K.I. agent?" Sir Dred no doubt recognized him.

Roan smirked. "The newly established team WHAM and I are overdue for a chat."

-30-