Covert Aim

Chapter 8

"I'm really hungry," Efren interrupted the silence. "I'd like to go back to take breakfast."

"Tsk, Efren?" Calixto said. "You know we can't go back there. Someone might see us."

"Dad," Marco caught his breath, "can we rest?"

"Yeah, here's an inhaler." Leon handed the thing to Marco.

"Oh my, I forgot your inhalers in the lodge, Marco," Rosana said.

"Doesn't matter." Leon crossed his arms. "I've still got two in my pocket. I knew Marco could lack these in these times."

Marco smiled, thinking about their father's thoughtfulness. They all sat for a while, on the grassy hill. Ben and Calixto looked at Ana, still could not realize their younger sister was able to hold such a thing.

Ben got curious, not wanting to hear lies and excuses from her, "where did you get that, Ana?"

The whole attention went to Ana, even Leon's.

"Um . . . um . . ." Ana decided to tell the truth then, knowing that Ben's look was longing for the truth "okay, I just picked this up in the recent public house's backyards I was residing in before goin' here."

The silence broke up.

David stood in his position. "Looks like it was just luck, Ben. Ana helped us, you know."

"I see that." Ben crouched. "I was just kinda mad inside she didn't tell me this."

Ana bowed.

She stood up and went in front of Nilo, handing him the revolver. "I guess this suits you more."

Nilo was shocked, not expecting his other adoptive siblings were that kind, too. He looked at the revolver mysteriously as if he once touched such a pistol like Ana's before when he, Mara, and Joseph were still in the training. ,

He bowed in front of Ana. "Thanks . . . Ana."

Ana smiled in reply.

Efren panted a lot. "Ugh . . . woah, there's . . . there are . . . foods . . . there, really."

Leon stood up then went to Efren to wipe his droplets of sweat. "Hey, what've you done? You know you can't go away from us but you did. Tsk, you little man."

"Sorry . . . Dad. I just wanted to . . . I really wanna eat, so I roamed around no farther from here to look for . . . foods. Then I saw trees over there."

"Where? Are you alright? You heave so much. Have you really look for food or have you been chased by someone?"

"Dad?" Efren walked the path he sprinted on. "I just found guavas there, but I guess it could get rid of our hunger."

The others did not have any choice but to follow Efren.

While walking, Diether ran to Ana. "You truly weren't lying, huh?"

"I meant it so." Ana rolled her eyes. "Don't mind about it again."

"As you wish but . . . whose gun is that again?"

"I don't know, either."

"Really?"

"Diether?"

Diether smiled. They continued to walk straight until they reached a small area of trees. Efren began to run when an old man appeared in front of him, holding a heavy shot, having a mad look.

The old man said, "who the heck are you?!"

The aim of the old man on Efren's head made Leon and his children frozen. Leon could not think of anything but focus on the old man's index finger on the shotgun's trigger. He stepped once then twice. As he made move, the pounding of his heart got twice faster. He thought of running fast but suddenly, Nilo stopped him.

Nilo tsk-tsked. "Dad, Efren might be in great danger if that old man sees you."

Leon then stopped himself. He looked side by side.

Efren sweat so hard that the only thing he could see was the shotgun of the old man. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to enter your territory."

"Oh, you are no deer." The old man put his gun on his back again. "Where's that deer, anyways? I know I saw that live venison."

Efren sighed. "You . . . sir, you . . . won't kill . . . me?"

"Why would I?"

"You were aiming for my head, weren't you?"

"Of course, I also didn't mean to put my gun on you. I'm sorry, boy."

"Sure . . . thing, eh?"

"Don't be nervous." The old man looked at the people behind Efren. "Are they with you?"

Efren looked behind him sweating less, then turned back to the man. "Yes, they're with me."

"You guys look like strangers here."

The words of the man calmed the whole people. They were in great gratitude that the man looked like he did not know them.

"Are y'all new here in Abra de Ilog? I've never seen your faces," the man added.

"You don't know me?" Although not sure, Leon asked, wanting to know if the man saw his face on the television or in the newspapers.

"Sorry. Who are you, then?"

"Oh, sorry, sir. We really are new here in—"

"Sorry, mister," Calixto cut Ana. "We're tourists here."

The man emptily nodded, letting his eyes look at every face in front of him. "Are you guys lost or something?"

"Yes, we are right now," Efren could not take his hunger anymore after hours of walking. "Can you let us in your house for a while?"

The man smiled. "Of course, son."

Even both parties were unsure if they would go with the man or if the man would let them in, they started walking as a pack. They passed meters and meters of hills, grasslands, and tree farms.

They were in deep silence when the man spoke up, "we're here, guys."

They found an average nipa hut dried by ages. The old man entered his house and opened the bamboo split door for his visitors. The others then followed the man inside. The man hooked his shotgun on the bamboo split wall and went to the kitchen. Leon and his children sat on wooden stools in every corner of the house.

They could see how old the man's house was. White ants holed some posts, some windows were not able to be closed, and the nipa roofing was webbed already and vulnerable to leaks when raining. They were curious about the man's life but no one bothered him, neither Leon. They stared at every part of the house serenely. They waited for the man patiently. The man appeared holding a hemp tray, with plastic cups having black coffee, on it.

The man smiled and served the tray on the shaky, old table. "Sorry. These are the only ones left in my supply."

"Don't . . . no worries, sir." Leon stood up. "Count or kind doesn't matter, but hospitality does. Thank you for these, sir."

The man smiled in gratitude. Leon and his children started handing themselves cups of hot coffee. The man turned his look to his shotgun. He went there and grappled with it. He smiled mysteriously.

He c****d the gun and aim it at Leon's head. "Leon de Vera . . . the founder of Patriregula syndicate. Now, the reward is mine."