Decrypting Ciphers Volume I (COMPLETED)

Chapter 5: The Friendship

Chapter 5: The Friendship

Lynch's POV

I started analyzing the first riddle.
This is something you plant
But doesn't grow
It's basically given that it's not a plant but it is planted.
It is a work of science
But never for people
So, it's a scientific experiment. Obviously, it's fatal to people.
Try to find me
In the center before the Earth
Or all of you
Will fade off the world
Mapupunas sa mundo, death. This one's the location.

I don't think that the riddle itself is hard. Anong bagay ang iplinaplanta na hindi lumalaki at nakakapatay ng maraming tao. Easy. It's a bomb. What is not the right question, Where is the real question that should be asked. Nasaan ang bomba?

Center before the Earth...Hindi kaya? Tumakbo na ako agad-agad palabas sa kuarto at napatalon nang nakita ko na bakante ang elevator. Pumasok naman ako at ipinindot ang ground floor. Maraming palapag ang biglang nagopen at sasakay sana ang mga tao pero ipinindot ko ang close button bago nila maipasok ang mga paa nila.

Sa tingin ko ay literal ang clue niya. Kaya pumunta ako sa pinakamababang lugar sa hospital, kung saan matatagpuan ang morgue at iba pa. Hindi na ako nagsayang nang oras at binilisan ko ang aking takbo.

May nakita akong pliers sa gilid nang isang poste na nakapagtataka kung bakit nandoon.

Beep. Beep. Nabigla ako nang marinig ko ang sound na iyon kasunod naman nang pagvibrate ng cellphone ko dahil sa isang text message.

Timer starts now. 0:59 remaining.

What the heck?! Isang minuto lamang?! Tumakbo ako na hindi pinagisipan ang direksyon ng aking mga paa. Nalagpasan ko ang pliers at pinulot ito bago ipinagpatuloy ang pagderetso ko sa gitna.

Mukhang tama ang pinuntahan ko. Literally center before the earth. There was a hole right in the middle. Pagdating ko, nakalagay ang bomba sa loob pero mababaw lang. But I was running out of time. The bomb read 16 seconds.

I was starting to panic. I was never good at defusing bombs but my parents made me learn. They made me learn things essential for a detective but never suitable for my age so I had to grow early and leave my innocence behind fast.

Tinitigan ko ito nang maiigi. There were eight wires with the same color of blue. Usually, mayroong tatlong waya ang bomba na kailangan mong putulin in the correct sequence to defuse it; the primer, the reactor, and the ignition timer.

Dahil sa kulang ako nang oras. I was forced to take the risk. One wrong move and it explodes. But if I don't defuse it, puputok din. I had no other choice than to defuse it.

I studied the wiring immediately. Minsan kasi, may mga trip wires ang bomba na nagiging dahilan kung bakit pumuputok ito. I couldn't touch the bomb dahil sensored din ito.

Oh, I see. Naalala ko na ang model na ito, I already practiced one like this with the bomb squad last year. I cut the first wire. Nothing happened. That's good. Next, pinutol ko naman ang huling waya. And last, the most tricky part. The ignition timer. It wasn't in any of the eight wires in front. Sa gilid ng bomba, may nakatagong waya na halos hindi na makita ng mata dahil sa kadiliman ng butas. Agad-agad kong pinutol ito.

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep. The bomb just started beeping. What? I thought I got the right wire. But napansin ko na nagstop ang timer sa 0:03. Napabuntong hininga ako. Akala ko ay sasabog na ako.

I pulled the bomb away from the hole and put in on the ground. When I looked inside the hole again, there was something shiny. I pulled it and saw a key. A key?