DECODE

CHAPTER 6; Zay's Resolve

ASHER

It was a sunny and vibrant Friday and I am walking towards our clubroom, reminiscing the last case we handled, the case of Gilbert Santos, a varsity player who was killed in the middle of the quadrangle, under the heavy rain. His neck was cut open, the cause of his death. No one saw he was attacked, but our club deciphered the case and see through what really happened with the help of our classmate with a very retentive memory, Julee Reyes. She gave us a testimony of what she had seen at the crime scene.

Through connecting the facts we have gathered and the testimony of Julee, we accomplished in reconstructing the scene, everything that happened the time of the murder. And through this, we found the killer. He's Jordan Michaels, a friend and teammate of the victim. He was the potential opponent of the victim in the captain ball position for the varsity team. He see his comrade as a threat in his dream of being a captain ball and decided to eliminate him on the way.

He was now in the city jail and this event made a very impression on the campus. These series of murders made impact to every students and faculty members, resulting for speculations to rise about the safety of the campus. But since the owner is somewhat a powerful personality, the rumors and news were being immediately controlled and not affecting the school's reputation that much.

I arrived at our clubroom and found Silver sitting on the table in front of my desk, his eyes were weary and his body seemed exhausted. It's only lunchtime but it seems he already have a full day of work done.

"Where's Zay?" I asked. His gaze drop to me as I walk towards my spot.

"I don't know. I never attended the class since earlier." he replied.

"How's the interview with the head of the school? How about the interview with the faculty and Inspector Mar?" I asked him. I heard something dropped and saw that it's only the lunch bag of Silver. I found him staring at me with wide eyes. He seemed amazed of what I have said.

"How on Earth did you know those things?!" he asked excitedly. I continue readying my food which I ordered from the cafeteria.

"Who on Earth made your lunch?" I asked back. His gaze drop to the lunch bag in his hands.

"Oh, this? Well, my sister gave it to me. She told me that a homemade food will give you more energy in doing loads of works. But hey! How did you know I conducted interviews?!"

"Oh, that? Simple. Because you seemed exhausted." I replied that gained a confused look from him. I opened the boxed food I ordered from the cafeteria and savor the smell of my favorite food, sinigang.

"How is it connected to me conducted interviews?" he asked. I finished my prayer for the food given to me before I answered his question.

"A writer, an editor, who writes articles more than he normally does will look exhausted, too. But in different way. His eyes will seem droopy and his expression will be blank as his mind was squeezed because of the articles he made. Since you're not around from the first period until lunch, I concluded that you're doing something, probably doing your job writing articles for the school's paper knowing the fact that a certain issue was addressed to the school.

"I can't conclude things unless I can see some points that can lead me to the correct conclusion. At first, I don't know if you're just busy writing and editing articles or proofreading loads of articles or such until I saw you just the time I entered the clubroom. As I have said earlier, you look exhausted. But different indications helped me deciphering the thing that exhausted you.

"First is your eyes. They're not droopy, your expression isn't blank but irritated. What can be the cause of the irritated expression? Of course the weather! Today is sunny, and the temperature is high from the usual one. This causes students to feel hotter surroundings than the usual day. Knowing the fact that the journalism room was funded by the campus associations and have air conditioners in it, you will be exposed to cooler temperature and will not cause you an expression of irritation since you are not that exposed to the heat.

"But upon seeing your expression, the expression of irritation, I concluded that the weather has a great impact to it. It may be because you're exposed to the heat or walked under the heat of the sun. But knowing the ways from the journalism room to the clubroom, you don't need to go and walk under the heat of the sun. That made the judgment easier. It only mean one thing, you were exposed to the hot temperature and been walking under the sun. The slight tan line on your skin under your sleeves support my conclusion.

"Then, another question risen. Why? What? Why are you walking under the heat of the sun? And what made you walk under the sun? As I have said earlier, the possible conclusion of you being exhausted because of editing and writing articles was already eliminated from the list. Now, we must deal the activities you do outside the journalism room connected in journalism. Well, of course, we will arrive to only one thing, gathering data for your articles. And how will you gather data? Of course by interviewing people connected to your issue.

"Now, that conclusion led me to think of the people who are connected to the most possible issue that needed you doing the interview yourself. We all know that the issue about the credibility of the school's safety and security is the top issue in our campus as of today. That made me narrow down the possible people you interviewed. Those were the head of the school, faculty and the head police of this district. That is how I knew what you have done for the past hours of the day." I said with a complete blank face. I saw the amazement upon his face.

"Stop doing that. You're getting me off." I told him. He chuckled then burst out his amazement upon me.

"Goodness! You're so great! You're very efficient in that thing. How I wish I could do that also." he exclaimed. I started to eat my lunch. He also started eating his lunch.

"The distinctions are clear. You just need to know how to see and interpret them correctly. As Holmes said, eliminate the impossible, whatever left, however improbable, must be the truth. I just used the same principle and I arrived at the correct conclusion." I answered him. He still can't believe I have done that kind of thing and he still compliment me until the end of the lunch. I just ignored his compliments for I know, nothing is special on what I've done. Even a man without prior education can do the same thing.

I arrived to our classroom and found that our professor for the next subject is not yet around. Silver went back to his work also. My gaze roamed the room until I found the person I'm looking for. Zay is with her friends, Zandra and Zyra, talking and laughing with Julee. They seemed already comfortable with each other. That's Zay's specialty. She can build a relationship in just a matter of seconds. She can already gain the trust of someone in just a short period of time. That's one of her strength.

"Asher?" I was snapped to my senses upon hearing a very soft voice from my side. My gaze dropped to the person beside me. I found one of my classmate there, standing, looking up at me. She's Trizia Ole Quino, one of the top students in our class.

"What is it?" I asked. Her beautiful eyes look back at me. Her eyes seemed twinkling because of the light that made it look more beautiful.

Trizia is a fine girl, with her dark color and straight short hair. Her eyes were one of her assets. I already saw her smile that can make someone fall for her. She's intelligent and industrious. She have a very feminine voice that adds up to her beautiful traits. I heard several men of our batch courted her but she all turned them down. I don't know the reason, but probably it's because of school. As far as I can say, she's very serious in school.

"Uhh, can you help me?" she asked, biting her lower lip as she look somewhere else but not to me. She is hesitant to whatever she's about to tell. What could it be?

"Help you to?" I asked. Her gaze met mine again and this time, I was stunned by its beauty.

"It's that a friend of mine sent me something through a personal message on the messenger. It is weird and I don't get what she wants to say. Here, have a look."

She showed me a conversation of her and her friend.

"Look at the latest message she sent me." she said. I immediately look to the latest part of the conversation. It ran like this.

Micah: Zia...

Zia: Hmm?

Micah: On off off on on

Off on on on on

On off off on on

Off on off off off

Off off on off on

Off off off off on

Off off off on off

Off off on off off

On off on off on

Off off off on on

On off on off off

Off off on off on

Off off on off off

Off on on off on

Off off on off on

Zia: What? Ano daw?

Zia: Hey, what is that?!

Zia: Micah?

Micah: Haha! I don't  know, too. It seems I am drunk already. Don't mind me. :))

Zia: Okie.

*End of conversation*

I was left wondering and confused upon reading their conversation especially the message sent to her by her friend. What is this? What does this mean?

"Who is your friend?" I asked her. She immediately replied.

"She's Micah Manambit, a former classmate. We're friends since freshmen. I heard she's absent today. She is from class B."

"What is she like?" I asked again as I hand her phone back.

"Uhm, she is a jolly girl. She is kind, loud, funny, and hyper. She's pretty on her own way. She's as tall as I am, have braces and thinner than I am. She has short hair just like mine."

"Her hobby? Her specialization?" I asked. She think for a while before she gave an answer.

"Oh, she's very good at programming. She's a member of the campus' robotics team. She is familiar and efficient in all programming languages and codes. She's a geek when it comes to computers. I remember she was featured in our newspaper when she successfully made a mobile application. She really excel in that thing." she answered. I fell silent upon hearing that piece of information from her.

"When did you last saw her?"

"Yesterday, with our friends. It's her birthday yesterday and we went to hang out in a bar with our friends. We celebrated her birthday there. We drank some alcohol but did not come to the point where we can't walk nor stand."

"Who are the people with you?"

"It was Micah and I and our five other friends."

"Who are they?"

"Aaron Laudez, an ABM student, Francine Peros, STEM student, Naneth Ricket, a STEM student, Giovanni Linaoan, a STEM student and Eduard Santos, a STEM student."

"And, since Micah is in section B, then, she's a STEM student, too, right? And base on this message of hers, it was sent last night. What happened after you celebrated her birthday?"

"We all went home. I went home with Naneth. I believe they all went home along with each other since it was just me and Naneth who goes the other way to our places."

"And base on her messages to you, it seems it was sent just after your celebration." I said.

"Yes. Actually, I received that message two hours after I got home. I don't know what does it mean but I have a bad feeling about it." she said. I saw worries upon her face. I smiled at her.

"Don't worry. Micah will be fine. I will update you later after the dismissal. Zay!" I said. Zay immediately looked at me upon my call.

"What?" she asked raising a brow at me.

"I have a job for you." I told her and exit the classroom.

★★★

"What do you want?" Zay asked me when we arrived in our clubroom.

"I have a job for you. And I will give you a reward, a once in a lifetime reward, when you accomplished it." I told her with a smirk upon my face. She rolled her eyes at me.

"What is your thing?" she asked. My smirk turned into a grin when she asked that.

"Show me your resolve. Solve the case of Micah." I told her. Her irritation turned into a frown when she heard my remarks.

"Case of Micah? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Remember Trizia Ole Quino from our class? She talked to me earlier about her missing friend, Micah." I told her. She slowly nodded.

"Ohh, that's why you two were talking earlier. I see. Okay." she said in her mocking tone. My brows knitted upon her remarks.

"What?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Nothing. Go on with your story." she told me. I ignored her weirdness and continued my story.

"Well, her friend chatted her. And the chat bugs her." I told her.

"It's her problem then. Why do I need to be involved there?" she said. I glared at her.

"I have a copy of the screenshot of their conversation. Take a look." I told her and handed her my phone. She rolled her eyes at me and took my phone to see the photo. Her expression was blank until she finished reading the conversation and handed me back my phone.

"As you can see, Micah sent a strange message there. Decipher it and you can see the real message she sent." I said.

"Yeah. But she said that was nothing and shouldn't be minded of, so why bother to deal with it anymore?" she said. I glared at her.

"Listen, decipher the message first. You will see that she might be in danger. She's with Trizia and her other friends last night to celebrate her birthday. She has three male friends and three female friends. The–" she cut me in the middle of my sentence.

"Just give me the names of her male friends, their sections and addresses." she said. It made me smirk.

"Okay, her male friends are Aaron Laudez, an ABM student. I already searched their social media accounts while we're walking towards here and found out their addresses. He's living in an apartment, two blocks from the municipal hall. The next one is Giovanni Linaoan, a STEM student. He's living with his parents in the next district. And the last is Eduard Santos, a STEM student and living in his condominium." I told her. She fell silent. A smirk formed upon my lips.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked suddenly. I leaned on my chair and answered her.

"I want you to solve and save Micah. On your own. Show me your resolve." I said.

"You're saying something like I will have a reward if I accomplish this task. What kind of reward?"

"It's up to you what kind of reward." I told her. She grinned at me.

"Okay! I want you to do my research paper, finish it immediately since we must pass it before the deadline. Deal?" she said. I remembered my research paper. I already finished it a long time ago so I don't have to worry about it anymore. And besides, research is an easy thing. You can finish it quickly.

"Sure, it's a deal. I told Trizia that the case of Micah will be cleared before dismissal. So, go and solve it already." I told her. She smirked at me.

"I have solved it already. You're close with the district police inspector, right? Call them." she asked. A smirk formed upon my lips.

"If that's so, let's close this case." I told her.

"Sure! But, let's go to the class C first. I will tell my research partner that she don't have to exert any effort anymore because there's someone who will finish it for us. Come on!" she said and left the clubroom. I followed her and left the clubroom too.

★★★

Everything was set. Zay and I are now in front of the apartment where our culprit live. And we're both positive that Micah is in here.

"Let's go." she said. I nodded and we entered the apartment. We were greeted by the smiling face of a lady behind the desk on the ground floor. Probably, she's the landlady of this apartment.

"Children, who are you looking for?" the lady asked. Zay smiled at her and told her what we want.

"Where's the room of Aaron Laudez?" Zay asked. The landlady smiled to us.

"Oh, you're looking for Ron? I'm sorry to say but he's not in his room. He went to school." she said.

"Yes. He asked us to get something from his room that we must use for our research. We need that thing to be used for research and he cannot take it himself for he was asked to do oter things in our school. We're his research partners." Zay said. The landlady look at us, assessing us first for a moment, then she smiled to us.

"Did Ron gave you the key of his room?" the landlady asked. And I was surprised by the answer of Zay.

"Yes. It's here." she said and started to search her pocket. I'm not oriented about this. I'm just watching her frantically searching for the key in her pocket.

"Oh my goodness!" Zay suddenly exclaimed. The landlady was surprised by her sudden exclamation that she almost jump.

"The key isn't here! I-I think I lost the key." she said. I just watch her doing the thing.

"Did you see anything drop from my pocket?" she asked me. I awkwardly shook my head. She then faced the landlady again.

"Can we borrow the spare key you have? We don't have the key he gave us for I lost it. I might have dropped it somewhere" Zay told the landlady. The landlady thought for a second, but then, she smiled to us.

"Of course. But I will go with you. I still need to do ny duty as the landlady and watch for the rooms of my customers." the landlady said. Zay nodded.

"Sure! Let's go! Time is gold!" she said. The landlady led us toward the second floor of her apartment. We walked along the corridor until we stopped in front of a room. It's room 222.

The landlady took out her keys and find the key for this room. She stick one into the keyhole and we heard the snapping noise of a knob being open. Zay and I looked to each other.

The landlady opened the door. Zay and I waited until the landlady let us go in. My eyes immediately scanned the inside of the room that is visible from our current position.

"Go. Take already everything you need in school." the landlady said. Zay and I immediately rushed inside the room.

"Where do you think he hid her?" Zay asked. My eyes roamed the whole room.

"In the place where she can't make noise that will caught so much attention." I answered.

"Or maybe, she was bounded to silence." Zay said. We smirked to each other and immediately rush towards a door inside the room. The door was locked from the inside, but then we knock on it immediately.

"Micah! Can you hear me?! Are you there? If you are, make some noise!" I shouted. Zay and I leaned our ears on the closed door. Our eyes popped wider when we heard some scuffles inside.

"Miss! Can we break this door?" I asked the landlady. The landlady stood frozen and shocked on this sudden turns of events.

"W-What?" the landlady asked.

"Can we open this door?!" Zay asked again.

"U-Uhmm –" I did not wait for the answer of the landlady. I stepped backwards trice and then launched myself against the door. It made a loud thud and the door opened for us. The landlady screamed upon my actions. I saw the broken lock on the floor in front of the door.

"Goodness! What are you do–goodness!" the landlady suddenly screamed. Our eyes fell upon the person, lying naked and bounded on the bed. She's gagged, and her arms and ankles were chained to the bed. Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at us helpless.

"Cover her." I told Zay and immediately reached out for her gag. Zay immediately cover Micah's body. Once her gag was removed, Micah broke into tears again. I reached for the chains that bounds her arms while Zay reach for the chains that bounds her ankles.

"Call the police." I told the landlady who was frozen shock on the doorway, disbelief upon her face. She nodded and immediately run towards the stair going down.

"You are safe now." Zay told Micah. The lady clung her arms around Zay and hug her tight.

"Go back!" my head immediately turned to the direction of the door of this room upon hearing a loud and deep voice. Zay and I looked at each other knowingly.

"Thief! Who do you think you are that you can just barge in someone's property! I can sue you for trespassing!" a familiar face appeared in front of us. The very person who abducted Micah, Aaron Laudez, arrived.

"We will file bigger case for you after we finished here." Zay blurted out. Aaron gave Zay a deadly glare. I clenched my fist upon seeing that glare.

"Who are you that you keep on poking your sticky noses into someone's business?!" he yelled. I saw Micah almost jump upon hearing that yell. Zay answered him once again.

"We meddle in the things that is injustice. And you just did once. You abducted Micah and we are here to save her from you."

"Hah! You think you can do that?" Aaron said as he showed us his hand which holds a knife. He smiled wickedly at us.

"You cannot intimidate me." Zay said and walked beside me. I saw her expression. Man, it's different, so different to the Zay we all know. Her eyes were focused to only one thing, her composure is firm and her aura is so serious. Her hands were clenched tight.

"Hah, can you put up with me?" Aaron said as he slowly walked towards Zay and I. I watched his every move and keeping ready for his sudden attack.

"Try me." Zay said. She looked at me and tilted her head to the side conveying me the message to move back. I hesitantly obliged, but still keeping my eyes to Aaron.

"Don't test me witch." Aaron said and immediately swing the knife that took my breath away. Panic rushed through me as the thought of Zay being hurt rushed in my head. I was snapped by a shout of agony. And it's not from Zay. It's from Aaron.

The whole scenario shocked me as I saw it myself. Zay, pinned Aaron down while twisting his right arms.

"Now you know my power." Zay said with a smirk. She then looked up at me with her stunning smirk. I just smile at her while shaking my head.

The landlady successfully called for the police and arrived few minutes later. They took Aaron, with his almost broken right arm, with them and they gave Micah first aid and turn her over to the nearest hospital.

"How did you solved the case?" Inspector Mar asked me upon him putting Aaron into their police mobile.

"Don't ask me. I'm not the one who solved it. Ask her." I jerked my thumb towards Zay who's standing beside me.

"Inspector, that can wait. I will tell you how once we're in the precinct. I don't want to repeat it again in the precinct. And you, don't forget our deal. The deadline of the research is next week. You only have two days to do our research. Let's go to the precinct now if you can't wait for the story inspector."