A Perilous Travel

Death-defying. Its exactly synonymous to what George and Magee have thought before crossing the border between Tikaban and Kabang. Astonishingly, they noticed a post with 5-6 soldiers on guard and were heavily armed. Roughly its ten meters away from the waterfalls as they descended downhill on the right bound to their destination. They were really extra careful on tramping by the cliff where tree roots hanged over the rock bars and brims barely lighted by the moonlight. Chances are, if one cannot firmly grasp the tree roots or branches, there's a possibility of dwindling down tragically or any worst accidents may occur considering its 50 feet elevation above the ground. Its in no point of no return too since they do not have any available food inside the waterfalls.

" George!" She whispered while following him.

He turned his head and stopped for a while.

"Yeah!"

" I'm tired..." She awkwardly smiled at him.

" Ha...but we're exactly in a place below their guardpost, they might notice us around." He whispered.

" I thirst too, I did not bring water I thought we'll not be delayed." She breathlessly spoke.

" Wait, here, drink this." He extended to her his small water container.

" Have you used it today?" With her sweats popping on her face.

" Not yet. I'm healthy, I don't have any contagious diseases, its safe for you to drink it." He smirked by closing his mouth.

He paused to think a little and looked at her, analyzed it badly and looked back on her while enjoyably consuming it all - till its last drop.

" Hah! thank God!" She bent her back on a bigger branch and breathe.

"Mag, I forgot...I've sipped some water from that bottle a little before we climbed here." He jokily told her.

She lifelessly pinched his arm, heavily wiped her mouth with her jacket and left him.

In spite of the struggles they're experiencing but George can't help being tickled and silently laughed over the cliffy place that looks like the great wall.

" Should I say this is the worst dating place ever in the entire world. In the future, I'll really tell my children about what their mother had been doing to me now - joyful penitence." He smiled and quickly followed her.

They were already in the middle of their trekking when she stopped and moved one step downward; picked some riped wild guavas and gave him some.

" It tastes so sweet." How did you see them when its dark.

"Its weight, the branch already bowed down and its an indication of a thickly fruit bearing branch.

"Ah, I see."

They're beneath the 'mansanitas' tree, resting while enjoying the unlimited ripe guavas for their dinner when George told her some reveries.

" When can I bring you to a good food shop, buy you things that you want and tour you to best places."

She was just smiling at him and slowly spoke.

" When the right time comes and everything will be in place. Let's just wait, moments like this is also memorable, your heart knows, right?" She bowed down and arranged her hair.

While proceeding to their trek they finally went a little higher and the wind intensely chilled them

He tried to look at his wristwatch and its already 2100 hrs. Grippingly, they almost reach the safe zone and Magee tried to calm down her self and sat weightlessly on the log while he was sitting on his feet and had a great view of the overlooking sea.

" Thank God, we're almost there." She smiled while wiping her sweats with bandana. She also took one hanky and put it on his back.

"How dare you put that on my back without even asking me whether I'm giving my permission or not." He sneered on his feet squatting while facing the ocean.

" Aha, okay, I already put it on your back Sir." She smiled.

He was so silent again and just allowed the moment to pass like that simple and meaningful.

Then she sat beside him, facing the same blue horizon.

" We do not have any contact to Daba after we retracted station two. The traders' port is inaccessible. I missed the Captain. He must have endure so much these days." He blankly said while bracing knees with his arms."

" Hmm...I understand your feelings and my brothers as well. I missed him more. We haven't even spare time for a father-daughter bonding, I just saw him, heard his voice - then gone."

" He brought me to you and even convinced me to leave the community hospital and joined the army. My father also consented, they both like this idea."

" You have more memories with my father than me. If you really pursue of marriage, one day you may share those memorable stories with me. Oh, its drizzling! let's go now."

Almost on the secret door when he had heard running footsteps so he immediately grabbed her in front of him at the back of the big rubber tree and firmly covered her mouth. Obviously, her resistance was deadly but he forcibly stopped her and whispered to her ear about the running footsteps coming. She then gave up moving and stayed still. A little while, there were around 10 Japanese soldiers approaching, bringing dead bodies of their comrades and were seriously running, heading to the barracks. He could feel her heartbearts and the trembling sound of her pulses as she tried to calmly breathe but speechless. Several minutes passed he lifelessly removed his hand from covering her mouth and loosened his arms from tightly wrapping around her waist and safely freed her. Then he fell on the ground, leaned on the rocky wall and allowed her to go inside first. She was running towards the door and speedily opened it and almost an hour before he followed inside - guilty.

When he unlocked the second door he saw the two soldiers and asked them.

"Did you see my wife getting out?"

" Yes, Sir, she was running towards the house."

When he reached the house, Albrecht and Baldur were waiting for him.

" Brother, our mission is successful. We've brought here 20 civilians from Gabok. Peace be with the souls of children with scars of bayonets on the grounds! Oh God! its terrible!" Albrecht recounted.

" Indeed, its unbelievable! everything I saw back there could not bring me to bed, you don't need to know, its a long story. Baldur bowed down his head.

"Would you like to know what Magee has done in the barracks." George proudly reveals.

" Again? what's it?" The siblings both asked.

" She burned the barracks and destroyed their facilities and vehicles. She did it alone."

" Wow! I want you Baldur to add up this into our command's journal that you retrieved 20 people from Gabok, Magee burned the entire barracks and the dead Japanese soldiers tonight."

" But no one's outside already." Baldur insisted.

" I guess the sharpened bagakays inside the foxholes independently did it without us. Now, since we have hit 3 strategic missions within three days and in separate places. They will think we're too many and powerful so expectedly, they'll look for us all over the vastness of this land. So I ordered everyone to stay inside for a month and focus on agriculture and educational programs. Likewise, the soldiers and guerillas must prioritize physical wellness.