A Bounty Breakfast

Around ten soldiers turned their heads to George's direction when all of a sudden he'd slipped a little dried stem

and unknowingly unnecessary noise when he attempted of preventing Baldur to proceed. So these

soldiers angrily pointed their guns to his location while the pristine night thankfully hinder them . Then

on, he grabbed some roots by the cliff and hanged his life below the roots but did not jump nor get rid below. Meanwhile, he patiently hanged under the roots and swiveled his body underneath like a disguising

spider. Despite the depth and nocturnal sight, the soldiers from the surface kept firing their handguns

below and seemed guessing to hit anyone they thought someone had escaped from them. George

could feel their anger and furious mood but he was motionless; hanging and avoided to fight back.

When the soldiers decided to move down to follow their prey a few meters away, so he got the chance

of jumping to the nearest rock a little closer on his feet then grabbed another bonsai tree sprouting on

the cliff, transferred on the other tree roots till he reached below. On the other side of the cliff, the

gunfire continued and the bomb blasts were heard all over. Good that he reached the bottom first so he

hurriedly called Baldur.

"Baldur, Baldur!" George whispered.

" Shh, I'm here. Just beside the tree, c'mon!" Baldur has uttered with his husky voice.

George went closer following Baldur's voice and when he did, Baldur stayed watching over

all at once while holding his handgun.

" Aside from the soldiers hunting you, there are armed men watching at us, and are even surrounding

us, I guess. So don't move, I don't know if why they're just silent." Baldur whispered.

" Yeah! They're the same armed men you saw bringing flashlights early on. So that means they're not

just civilians, they could be officer Orlando's troop or the backup sent for them. I don't know if station

four occupants could also do the same trick." George smiled.

" What trick?" Baldur turned his head and peculiarly whispered.

" The flashlight trick. Only one had a flashlight but they used two or more mirrors, reflecting the solo

flashlight, threatening the people above that they've got those mighty stuffs, but actually just got one.

That was good enough...hmm, " The lieutenant attentively looked around, side by side with Baldur who

was amazed with his revelation, and who also made himself all set and await like a fighter bull.

" That must be very interesting. But who do you think they are?" Baldur insinuated.

" Yeah, c'mon! someone's moving toward us, that's a bit few meters away, you still have time to go up

to the tree now. Go!" George whispered.

Without any disbelief, Baldur hastily climbed through George's broad shoulders and made it such a

durable staircase in moving Baldur upward like a speed of light. George followed

above through Baldur's hands and pulled the lieutenant without any hassle. Reaching in the middle of the tree wasn't trouble-free. They need to anchor their feet on the nearby tree while their hands were

grasping some smaller branches, opposite to their feet. Flexing their extremities that way was truly risky

while they appeared like doing push-ups on air. However safe, they were covered by big leaves to just

put them into rest when suddenly a light was flashed all over and seemingly searched for them. They

just closed their eyes and have heard some sound they could not understand. One of the men angrily

threw the light and punched the banana trunk in front of him. It seems he was angry for the chance of

finding them but his men missed it. His anger had boiled up yet stopped when the barracks soldiers came across

their hunting ground and fired their guns on them. Eventually, these men hunting George and Baldur has

retreated while the barracks men followed them as they headed west, going back to the granite

mountain's direction and of Gabok. Cramps were everywhere in their muscles when George and Baldur

started moving down even after hearing that the gunfire of the barracks predator still pursued for the armed strange men

retracting. They were holding their knees on the grassy ground while sweats poured out like sprinklers.

They both twisted their neck briefly and checking their feet all at once. They smiled and patted each

others' shoulders.

" Hey brother, it's worth doing it that way, bravery doesn't mean we have to leave our heads here, it

means we have to preserve our strength for the greater good, that's to protect our fellowmen. They

need us alive. C'mon! let's go home." George whispered and they started to slowly walk and trudge the

old pathway. The path had changed. There's a lot of grassy vines clinging on trees around and the stony

place somewhere on the path was distinct of covered crops.

" No these are not simply grasses." Baldur sounded happily.

" What do you think is that?" George asked.

" These are 'ube' vine, it's a root crop. Wow! I never saw this before, maybe this was the place Dionesio

shared to his friends when they were in station one before. So it's all true!" Baldur was elated.

" Great, but how can we trace the main tube of this vine. Wait, I'm almost going there." Baldur added.

"How did you know it when you were just holding the vine?" George smiled.

" It's becoming bigger, yeah it here! Holy niter, give me the flashlight brother." Baldur said.

"No, not now, we're not sure yet if they'll come back for us. Just trust the moonlight, it's helping a little

even if it's not that bright. But look at your 'ube' vine anyway, why is that?" George smiled.

They were amazed because the vine was already disconnected to its fruit below and when Baldur tried

to touch the fruit, it need not to be uprooted anymore. It's already ready for pick up and its

approximately eight to ten kilos and its more than a winnow. George suspected that those strange armed men maybe went to that area only to pick it up. Without wasting any time, Baldur carried

it on his back disregarding the dirt it brought on him when they hurriedly moved heading towards

station one. The gunfire and bomb blasts were gone and the skies was so calm and the place was

serene when they reached station one at around past 0400 in the morning. Everyone was waiting and happy

seeing both of them alive.

" Oh God! Thank you Lord! Thanks both of you are safe." Magee extended a towel to George and

Mayumi was astounded by the big 'ube' his husband was carrying.

" What a breakfast! I volunteer to cook while the fogs above are still like mountain caps." Mayumi

smiled but Albrecht arrived like an inspector, picked up the 'ube' and transferred it on the stony

waterfall surface by the edge of the cliff and removed the dirt immediately. In order for Albrecht to

easily prepare everything, Mayumi and Magee just started the fire and after a while, Albrecht put on

the chunked 'ube' and the water in the big pan as the water turned out purple when it started to boil.

Almost half an hour had passed, they all shared it on their long table and had a bounty breakfast with

'ube' along with the sugar.