Project LOKI ③

Chapter 43: The Last of Augustus V (The Surveillance)

LORELEI

"How's the installation of the hidden cameras?"

ALISTAIR AND I went down to the execom office pagkatapos ng afternoon period namin. Excited na akong i-share ang discovery namin. I thought we already hit a dead-end! Hindi pala. We only had to look at the situation from another perspective.

At lunchtime, we have figured out an important piece of the Augustus puzzle: the editor-in-chief and the general manager of the printing press are accomplices in the embezzlement scheme. Ito lang ang anggulong pwedeng makapagpaliwanag kung bakit walang discrepancy sa report ng Clarion at record ng printing press.

I don't know how Augustus did it, but he's clever enough to team up with the general manager to cover his tracks.

Loki and Jamie were already in the execom office. Nandoon din si Rye Rubio na nakasandal sa pader. They were in charge of clogging the ventilation of the Clarion's office and installing hidden cameras. Base sa kanilang mga mukha, everything went well.

Nakalupong silang tatlo sa harap ng isang laptop. I thought they were watching a movie or a Netflix series to pass the time. May pinapanood nga sila, pero hindi isang pelikula.

"Mukhang naging successful ang mission n'yo, ah?" Alistair commented as he stood behind Loki and Jamie. Sumunod din ako sa kanya. Nasa screen ng laptop ang apat na anggulo ng security camera footages.

The scenes looked familiar. Hey, that's the inside of the Clark Clarion's editorial office! I've been there twice already kaya natatandaan ko pa. Sa isang frame nakita namin si Augustus na nasa kanyang cubicle at nakatalikod sa camera. He was busy typing on the desktop computer.

"I thought it would be challenging to find materials that could clog the ventilation of their office," Loki answered, his eyes still glued to the laptop screen. "I never imagined that it would be so easy, thanks to Jamie."

"Mabuti na lang, naalala ko 'yong props na ginagamit ng repertory theater!" proud na sagot ni Jamie. She looked so happy, abot-tenga pa nga ang ngiti niya. I think I know why. First, she spent time with Loki during their mission. Second, Loki thanked her a few seconds ago for making their job easy. "Meron kasing mga unan doon na ang laman ay mga balahibo ng ibon. And birds' feathers are perfect for my Loki dear's plan!"

"So you borrowed those pillows from the props room?" tanong ko.

"No! Ano ka ba naman, Lori?" nakapamewang na sagot ni Jamie. "Wala na kaming time para magpaalam! At mas mabuting walang nakakaalam na may ninenok kaming mga unan doon. Kapag natunugan ni Augustus na may mga nawawalang unan sa props room, baka ma-realize niya ang trick namin."

I hate to admit it, but she has a point. Assuming that Augustus has eyes and ears everywhere in the campus, mas mabuti nang walang nakakaalam ng ginawa namin.

"If someone from the repertory theater is going to complain, I can buy them as many pillows as they want and slap them in the face using every pillow available," Loki said. "What's more important is that we managed to do our trick. The ventilation was clogged. Clarion called for housekeeping personnel. Our plan commenced."