Its almost unbelievable but Sr. Sibal just unravel another secrets that he hadn't mentioned in his journal. In fact, everyone were astounded and becoming more curious of the tunnel going out.
Boom! Boom!
" Wait! what's that? Did you all hear that new explosion?" Fr. Matias asked.
" What the...why? maybe someone has opened the gate!" Sr. Sibal was in trouble, stood up while scratching his head.
" Amà...what do you mean?" George added.
" The Japs have invaded in our place now. George, tell around half of your men to vacate this area going to the northeast tunnel and find a living there while hiding. We need to divide this group into two, otherwise, we'll die of starvation here." Sr. Sibal concluded.
" That's the surest way. Right now we're all 24 herein. If time warrants, 12 of us may proceed to station one. Its also a way to access going out in the wilderness and on our way, I guess we could find wild fruits and crops." Bruno analytically explained while finely listened to the description made by Sr. Sibal about the bumpy terrain below.
"Indeed! If you turn left when you land on its surface below, you'll be at risk with the wild dogs. Leaning yourselves right on the wall will definitely make you safe till you reach the destination. While on your way, you grab anything you can use when you reach to station one. Just don't wonder when you get there, you'll open up a cover under Albrecht's bamboo bed." Sr. Sibal said.
" Meaning, when going there, everyone must always keep right." Fr. Matias summarized.
" Absolutely!" Sr. Sibal ended.
After their meeting they started to hear handguns that started to change the ambiance of the paradise.
" They invaded our place, hmm..." Sr. Sibal whispered to Magee.
" Amá..." Magee was teary eyed.
It was enough when George ordered everyone to take their walk going to station one while each has to grab a handgun with ammos. Bruno was the appointed guide and Sr. Sibal added more instruction before they left as he accompanied them until the opening of the tunnel going down.
So when the 12 of them departed on the terrain described, Sr. Sibal returned to the crossing tunnel.
"Amá, that passage was great! how did you design all of these."
Boom! boom!
" Simple. Chuck told me three years ago about the possibility of this war to reach Philippines so I was thinking to the two of you. I was reassured of the granite house the two of them built for ten years, so I kept myself busy to construct the undergrounds with tge help of the American men hired by Chuck and Edward plus some Filipino aged men as my trusted friends There were only a few who helped me dug to all sort of directions I considered pasdable so three years were a truckload of being busy as a bee. Its all worth it rather than getting jealous to Chuck and Lolita, haha! So see, I made my self still productive."
The people started to get inside to the small rooms to sleep on so Sibal called Mayumi to stay and pick up some blanket and pillow. Magee then turned his head but Sibal winked an eye to George.
" What did Amá mean?" Magee asked to her husband
" He maybe wants to retain our privacy and he just assigned Mayumi a separate room in the tunnel." George replied.
" Ah...but I want Mayumi to stay in our house. She's our family now." Magee insisted.
" Not yet. Let our folks decide on that. Trust me." He pulled her and in a hurry to secretly move upstairs.
Ratatat! ratatatat! ratatatat!
The sound of handguns in their former grounds above terribly disturbed them and the tensions they've got gave them chills in the absence of the foggy nights for months. Its their first day under, a new day to crave more for freedom.
When George and Magee reached above, she immediately sat down and sighed.
" Why?" He stayed beside her and put his arms on her shoulder.
" Baldur's logbook, I mean his journal. I failed to find it."
" Hmm...just think of that tomorrow. By now, let's wash up and go to take some rest while forgetting that there's invasion that had happened tonight."
" My brother's things."
" Soldiers keep bringing their important stuffs wherever they go, even on field. They maybe brought theirs." George smiled.
She was still sighing but he carried him in their secret bedroom and they took a bath in room number six. Then after that, they settled on bed and had a little chitchat.
" Don't think of the Japs nestling on our grounds. Its still ours." George caressed her face.
She was teary eyed again.
" I'm not afraid of them. I'm even more angry."
" Shh...it will not give you any better. You're too hot headed when it comes to them. Hmm...look at me..." He whispered.
" I'd rather not look at you..."
" Haha ...and why?" He teased her while combing her hair with his fingers.
" You kept hypnotizing me, it isn't fair." She closed her eyes but he had stolen kisses on her forehead, hugged her tight then slept with peaceful hearts despite the presence of the Japs on their grounds.
Meanwhile, at the surface, the Japs burnt the remaining bahay kubos around and collated evidences out of the residents' personal belongings then they celebrated through chanting.
From afar, Baldur whispered. " My God...please take care of my family. I received a signal that our house was burnt which means George did it that says, " they're underneath and safe."