Project LOKI ②

Chapter 24: The Reichenbach Resonance (Part 2)

CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter may contain content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

THE FIREFIGHTERS immediately responded to the explosion. They managed to put out the fire before it spread to nearby rooms. Unfortunately, one student was severely wounded while nine others were slightly injured. If this was the game that Moriarty had mentioned earlier, it literally started with a boom. Malakas ang kutob ko na ito pa lang ang umpisa ng party na inihanda niya para sa amin.

Ayaw naming basta-basta tumunganga rito kaya nagtungo kami malapit sa scene ng pagsabog. Kinordonan ng mga police officer ang paligid ng lab at hinarangan kami. Hindi pa raw cleared kung ligtas nang pumasok. Pinalipat din muna ang mga nagkaklase sa wing na ito sa mga vacant room sa kabilang wing.

"It must be a homemade bomb designed to cause an explosion enough to blow up an entire room," Loki said, staring at one of the bomb disposal experts inside the burnt lab.

"How did you know?" tanong ko. Wala pa siyang kinakausap ni isa sa mga awtoridad na nasa loob. Hinanap ko kung sino ang posibleng source niya, pero walang malapit sa paligid namin. "Sino'ng nakausap mo?"

"I read the lips of the bomb specialist. Lip reading is an essential skill in situations where you can't directly talk to authorities or eavesdrop on their conversation."

"Is that it?" Alistair asked. "He has already said 'hi' to us and 'I'm back' to the entire school."

"No, this is just the first act." Loki shook his head. "There's more to come."

"More what?"

"Boom!"

"If that's true, we don't know where to start." Inilibot ng kababata ko ang mga mata niya sa paligid. "We don't know where to find the next bomb . . . or bombs."

"If Moriarty wanna play this game with us, he'll definitely set up the board and invite us." Napaturo si Loki sa pinasabog na chemistry lab sa likod niya. "The explosion here is a warning that he is serious."

"Kung may iba pang bomba, shouldn't we evacuate the students in the building first?" may pangambang tanong ni Jamie. "Baka mas marami pang masaktan kapag nagpatuloy ang mga pagsabog."

"That won't be necessary if we can defuse the bomb." Our club president got an air of confidence about him, as if he was such an expert in bomb disposal.

"You know how to defuse one?" I asked. Hindi ako masyadong nagulat kung marunong siyang mag-lock pick at magbasa ng mga labi. Pero pagdating sa bomba? Parang imposible.