139 Escape in the Tunnel

" Hello ladies, what's up? I'm a little hungry.

Mayumi stood up to start the furnace and when George and Magee left together and seated, the wife started to whisper.

" I'm...asking permission." She smiled at him.

" Hmm...and what is that. I feel so dignified with this very formal seeking of approval, just tell me straight." He touched her nose and she spoke softly.

" I'll show to Mayumi the station one tomorrow at twilight. She needs to to see it personally."

George felt as if the world turned up side down, stood up and had a bamboo mug of water. Speechless. He was silent for seconds, minutes till Mayumi laid down the sweet potatoes on the table. He remains labile and as he was watching the sweet potatoes it seems those were grenades blasting in front of him with its smoky presence. But Magee drew closer, wrapped her hands around his arm and put her head on his shoulder.

" You can say yes if you want. I'll wait." She whispered while he was sweating.

" The three of us will go to station one tomorrow at twilight." George bitterly uttered.

" Thanks!" She hugged him while Mayumi was smiling in front of them.

" My God! what good did I say inside the epicenter of the warzone that made my wife burst into happiness. Is station one a playground or a garden? But she had been inside the granite house for months. I know this is wrong but I just make her comfortable with this dangerous sight-seeing, for once. Ahh! Great heavens! please stay close with us, I'll bring two curious and excited women out there." He thought while Magee squeezed two lemons mixed with salt and they had their lunch.

When they were done, George noticed that Dr. Lucia was already sitting down at the receiving area, facing the room with a secret door to the buccaneer cave and granite house.

" Oh, Dr. Lucia, how long have you been here? you should have joined us during lunchtime, so why you're here, anything?"

" Hmm nothing. I just wanted to make friends with everyone around." Then she smiled.

" Ah, I see. My wife's here, Magee and my sister-in- law, Mayumi. I was likely stuck alone in the bahay-kubo and since Amado went out for that mission, I thought of spending time around or even wish to sleep in here, could it be possible?"

" Ah, yes, sure." George nodded.

"I like this room below, I mean, I usually use the bathroom at night, so even for a week, may I?" Lucia insisted.

Some footsteps were moving towards them and its Magee.

" No. We're sleeping there with my wife, I'm sorry. However, there are still rooms upstairs if you want." George reckoned.

" Hmm...yes, its still a great place. Glad I could stay within this house even just for a while. Thank you very much." Lucia said.

" Welcome home Dr. Lucia, we're glad you came and would be with us for the rest of the week." Magee added.

" Mag, come. We have to change the plan for tomorrow. Our guest is a bit suspicious, have you noticed it? Ah...you must be very careful. I've sensed that she has heard our conversations, isn't it? Oh dear, do not add up any plans before me, you really have to wait my signal, okay? Something sounds annoying around, you know that too." George was holding Magee's hand. Do you get me?" His eyes were staring at her like a hunting mantis.

" Ye...yeah. I got it." Magee then bowed her head and sighed.

Meanwhile, Mayumi was a bit nervous while listening to Dr. Lucia's frightening stories, relaying her encounters at the Japs' camp where none have attempted to rescue her for months. Not until Amado really pursued but she said Amado was a bit late.

" But its... a saving grace that you're alive before you were rescued." Mayumi sounded so low and became silent.

" But its too late." Lucia again reiterated the painful line.

Magee, despite some worries and of guilt just tried to keep herself busy, helping Mayumi in tidying the house. In a dusky afternoon, the sun was already hiding in the western skies and George was noticeably out of sight.

" Mayumi...did you see George around?" Magee asked.

" Not this time, but at around 5:00 I saw him moving out with his thicker uniform, the one that looks chiefly brown. He was in a hurry to leave." Mayumi uttered.

" Ah, thanks. Maybe we need to prepare for our dinner, we're a bit late then, haha."

" At least, the house looks great after all." Mayumi triumphantly raised her hand and smiled to Magee who was also in glee watching to all corners they've been in an afternoon.

Without their knowledge, Lucia left the house too. So when Mayumi were done preparing the dinner, they both went upstairs and knocked on the door, but its open so they got in but found no one and they found a letter on bed.

" What....my God! Mayumi, its a suicide note. She was terribly in pain and...." Magee stopped talking when they have heard a hissing sound of fire from the mountaintop. A few seconds later, George brought almost all of the survivors headed by Fr. Matias. When Mayumi and Magee saw them rushing inside the house, George opened the door and told Mayumi to lead everyone below as quickly as they can. Despite tension but Mayumi grabbed her things and led the people to get down the hole behind the cabinet. The people have respective belongings with them where George have instructed them early on that the final threat has come. So while the people were in a hurry to move down, Magee went up and attempted to get Baldur's journal but didn't find it. George already called her but she was already crying, she even disarranged all the things inside Baldur's room and tried to grab whatever she saw necessary and valuable for his brothers. She was teary eyed while doing so but George pulled her hand to vacate to the secret passage but she escaped from his hand and returned upstairs. Though she was quick but George seriously grasped her hands and carried her into the secret passage. Though, she was strong but she did nothing when his combatant husband finally put her into the hole and instructed.

" Mag! Get down and the remaining guards at the entrance gate will give us a sign that the Japs would possibly be nearing. If that will happen, I'll wait for them to get in and we'll follow everyone inside. I'll be the last to pass through into this hole and lock it with this square iron ceiling. Mag! keep calm. Leave everything here without turning your head, please. You have to listen this time!"

" But George....Baldur's logbook wasn't there already! I didn't find it! huhuhu!" Then she cried again.

He knelt while looking down and wiped her tears.

" Everything will be alright soon...trust me. Just calm down." He forced her to move down while hearing the last two guards coming inside the house.

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