Covert Aim

Chapter 2

"You just made yourself exhausted, Ana," Ben said in agitation.

Ana did not reply to the driving Ben. She looked at the moving pictures outside. The two boys beside her stayed silent, so was the other one in the front seat beside Ben.

"I worry so much about Dad," Calixto said, the man beside Ben, wiping his pistol on his pants. "Where is he again, Efren?"

Efren, the boy beside Ana, looked at his tablet computer. "Dad said he's in Occidental Mindoro right now."

Diether, the man beside Efren, leaned back on the seat. "Where are we going, Ben?"

"We'll go to Barangay Santa Clara, I was told Batangas pier is in there," Ben replied.

"Then?"

"Arrive at Puerto Galera—"

"Oriental Mindoro?" Efren interrupted the two. "There are ports directly in Occidental Mindoro."

"I know, that's why we take Oriental Mindoro's." Ben continued on steering.

"Why?" Ana asked, begging for short travel. "The drive will be long for sure if we go straight ahead."

"Because Dad said," Ben told them, making everyone in the car dead silent.

The five people in the car stayed silent for minutes. They did not bother themselves to do whatever came into their minds when Ben said he was told by the person of interest on the national news.

After more minutes, Efren asked Ben, "why were you the only one Dad texted?"

"This isn't the right time for jealousy, little man," Ben replied.

"It's . . . it's just—"

"We're going to Muelle Puerto Galera pier, that's final," Ben's leadership dominated.

No one disagreed. The four knew Ben was doing what was right and safe for them.

Ben Mariano was an eighteen-year-old young man, the eldest of the five. Calixto Lopez was a month younger than Ben. Ana Marcos was two months younger than Calixto. Diether Datu was two months younger than Ana while Efren Mercadejas was the youngest of the five, a year younger than Diether. Even though they were siblings adoptively, they could feel they were free to lean on each other. Their origins were unknown, neither their hometowns nor real parents. Their adoptive father never told them their parents. After an hour, the ride ended.

Ben got off the car, and so the others. He looked up in the real afternoon sky. He could see the orange-tinted thunderheads up above.

He hungered, so he said, "guys, I'll just park this there and text someone who'll bring this back to where it came from."

"Yes!" Efren cheered. "I am craving for a stew."

Diether laughed. "So am I, but not stew . . . but it'd do."

So, Ben parked the rented car meters away from the four. He waited for six minutes then the next driver drove the car.

He went to his siblings then wiped his sweat. "It's hot out here, let's go get some food."

"At last!" Efren ran quickly, holding Ben's arm and pointing his finger on a luncheonette, not from afar. "I want there!"

Diether laughed, patting Efren's head. "Little man, in almost fifteen years we didn't see each other, you didn't change . . . at all."

Efren just smiled. They all walked fastly and went into the luncheonette. The place was very crowded that the five walked all through the horde of people just to reserve a table. After a couple and a couple of minutes, they finally sat at their table.

A waitress went to them. "Good day. What're your orders please?"

"Five marrow bone stew please," Efren said with a smile. "Original flavor please."

The four did not oppose what Efren ordered. The waitress smiled then went into the luncheonette's kitchen.

Diether looked at Efren. "I said not a stew."

"And you said . . ." Efren whispered, "it . . . would . . . do, it'd do."

Ana laughed silently, so did Calixto. Ben looked at the thunderheads going away fastly over the window. After two minutes, the waitress served them their orders.

Efren took a spoon joyfully from the small rack on the center of the table. Diether smelled the stew first before having a sip, which made the four laugh in silence.

While eating, Ana asked Ben, "what did Dad just tell you?"

"Quiet." Ben closed his eyes, whispering that silent and grasping on his spoon tightly. "We're in public."

"Sorry."

"So here, Dad said we'll go to Oriental Mindoro first, he'll pick us up there. He said Philippine Navy is watching them over the seas." Ben said after a sip of hot soup.

"Oh, that's why . . . never mind." Calixto took a glass of cold water from the ewer then drank it. "I just miss Dad. I wonder where in Occidental Mindoro he's at."

"Guys, keep your mouths shut please," Ben suggested. "We don't know if people around us are spies or hitmen or what."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They ate their stew. After the light lunch, they rode on a door-to-door van to Barangay Santa Clara. Carrying bags and stuff, they walked the lavalike road looking at the barangay's map online. After minutes and minutes of walk, they finally reached their departure destination—Batangas pier.

The five fastly went on a waiting area. The sky was clear, so they did not bother to buy an umbrella on a stall near them.

Ben stood up, giving his things to Calixto. "Guys, I'll just pay for our tickets."

"But—"

"Ana, I got this," Ben cut Ana. "Stay here, guys, okay?"

Ben ran fast to the trip reservation area. The ticket provider explained there were additional fees to be paid before having tickets on his hands. Ben agreed in real quick then paid for five three-hundred-peso worth ferry tickets, environmental user fee, and so on the terminal fee.

He went back to his four siblings. He sat beside the sleepy Efren. "Did you sleep well, huh?"

"Kinda." Efren yawned. "I was just worried sick about Dad's reaction to that fake news."

Calixto whispered then smiled. "Don't worry, little man. We know Dad is innocent, we know him. He doesn't do such things like those."

Efren and Diether coincidentally nodded at the same time. Ana stayed silent, so did Ben and Calixto. They waited for the next trip they reserved. When the average ferryboat stopped, they went on it in haste. All passengers of the ferryboat were aboard, the vehicle started grumbling then moved ahead.

The travel went silent and smooth. People were busy touching their phones, planning on a vacation, and having a nap. Ben and Calixto stayed awake while his younger siblings were sleeping, leaning their heads on each other's shoulders. The ferryboat vibrated then stopped. An alarm rang, meaning that the trip ended already. Ben and Calixto woke their siblings up. They started to get off the vehicle. After some seconds, they were finally out.

They wandered their eyes around the Muelle Puerto Galera pier. The only things they could see were people getting on and off ferryboats, Ro-Ros' alarms, and anything. The touch of the tall, greenest trees made the atmosphere more noisily windy. The humidity made the people wear hats and buy umbrellas.

Ben looked everywhere, tapping his phone. "They should be here, they should be here."

"Where's the service, Ben?" Efren asked. "I'm readily ready to see Dad again."

Ben stopped Efren's excitement when a man in a black suit came to them. He made his siblings compressed behind him.

The man took off his classic sunglasses then uttered silently, "you're Ben, aren't you? He gave me an authority to pick y'all up."