Covert Aim

Chapter 3

Efren anxiously whispered, "Ben, aren't they bad guys?"

"No, we're not." A lady looked at Efren. "We're of your father."

"Y'all are?" Calixto entered. "How?"

"'Twas such a long, long story." Another lady stared at Ana. "We're family here."

"What do you mean fami—"

"Oh, y'all don't know?" A man, beside the driving main in a black suit, laughed. "We were adopted by Leon, too."

The five looked at each other. Leon never told them he adopted children before them.

Efren got jealous, he did an irritated face. "Why Dad didn't tell us this?"

"Marco," the lady on the left tapped the man in the front seat, "you were like him."

Marco tsked. He did not bother himself to look at the amazed Efren.

"I'm Rosana," the lady introduced herself. "This jealous guy is Marco, this beautiful lady beside me is Rita, while that guy driving is David."

The adopted children of Leon before Ana and her siblings were four. David was the oldest. Rita and Rosana both were a year younger than David. Marco was the youngest and eight years older than Ben.

The five on the back agreed. Minutes passed, all were shocked when David stopped the car. They all looked at each other many times. Ana stayed looking outside while Efren tapped then tapped his phone. Calixto, Ben, and Diether looked outside, too, then found a checkpoint, three cars before theirs.

David looked at Rita. "Policemen ahead, guys."

"What are we gon' do?" Marco added.

Ana massaged her temples. "I miss Dad, how's he doing?"

"We don't know neither," Rosana replied. "We were just notified, too, by the news."

"That's it," Calixto said. "Why are they putting such attention on him? He doesn't do illegal things."

After nine seconds, David signaled the whole ensemble in the car, "stop, guys. They're going here."

The people stopped so. A policeman with a serious face walked forth to them.

David slowly opened the vent glass then smiled at the policeman. "What's the matter, sir?"

"Um . . ." the policeman put out his phone then looked back at him, "have you heard the name, Leon de Vera?"

"I don't think so."

"Where are you all heading to?"

The question of the policeman made the people in the car more dead silent. Diether looked away from Calixto's sight. Rita played her fingers. Marco remained staring at the inquisitive policeman.

David grasped his right leg tightly. "Um . . . we're . . . we're heading to our grandmother's house, sir."

"Is that so?" The policeman put his phone back into his pocket, looking at him meticulously. "Then . . . you can move now."

David smiled and closed the vent glass. He sighed, having numb hands. He drove the car off the checkpoint. The nine people in the car kept quiet for almost half an hour, keeping their attention on the road. They passed two more checkpoints before they got at the borderline of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

They entered woods not far away from an urban place. They passed gentle, small streams and serene, tall trees. The car stopped. They all got off of it.

While the eight people waited in the shade of an acacia, David brought his car in a cave, entrance covered with thick vines, making itself undetectable.

After some seconds, David went back to the eight people. "We have to walk now."

Rosana broke a dry twig. "Do you know where we're heading to?"

David just nodded. He led the horde all through the woods. After almost ten minutes, they stopped walking, they had to rest awhile. They ate their foods from their bags and drank to get rid of great thirstiness. After the rest, they then continued to walk.

David kept the group condensed for safety. They walked a grassland silently. David could already see a road, so he grinned in gratitude. The whole ensemble put a smile on their faces when hit the road. They stood all minutes long but found no vehicles nor people passing by.

Diether got disappointed, "we're already in Occidental Mindoro, aren't we?"

"We are." David looked at his phone, pulling his satchel upon his shoulder. "We just have to wait for a . . . limousine."

"A limousine?!" Calixto exclaimed. "Oh, Dad, you're the one."

A large, long luxurious vehicle caught their attention. It was shining black, highlighting every silver detail, and the run was nice and smooth like a feather. It stopped. A mustached chauffeur in formality got out of the limousine then checked his watch.

He looked straightforward at Ben. "Are you Sir David?"

"No!" Ben surprised his siblings. "No, I'm not him."

David made a step forward. "I'm Ben. Are you the one who'll take us to Dad?"

"Yes, Sir David." The chauffeur opened the passenger compartment of the limousine. "Get it the car, please. Signor de Vera wants to make sure you all are safe."

David nodded in agreement. They all got in, so did the chauffeur. The nine people in the passenger compartment were truly amazed at how arty the interior of the vehicle was. David and Ben made it no big deal. The ride went on.

After some minutes, the vehicle stopped. The napping Efren accidentally was awakened by the stop. The whole ensemble got their spirits astir when the chauffeur opened the door of the compartment.

He smiled then greeted, "sirs, ma'ams, welcome to casa de Vera."

When got out, the nine young people were astonished when they saw a pale pastel-colored, two-story brick house surrounded by palms with towering treetops. Brick pavements on the moist earth led them to the door.

The chauffeur said his farewell so, "good luck, everyone! Keep Signor de Vera well secured! He's now a father of mine, too!"

The chauffeur's words and leave made the nine people joy. They all faced the closed door, having flowery details.

Rita asked, "who'll knock then?"

Without any hesitation, and coincidentally, Marco and Efren synchronously knocked on the door. They both smiled in idiocy. All stopped their moves when the door creaked. While still unopened, everyone thought of what words they would make to Leon, what to react, what to ask. Every second seemed gold for them, so the door was widely opened.

A face of happiness and sorrow approached the nine people. Expectations were not true nor fake. Things happened so quickly. Every time was precious yet mysterious. Leon's forty-nine-year-old wrinkly face was in delight seeing his children. His children made that far just to make sure he was in a good condition.

A smile was left on Leon's face, opening his arms widely. "I did miss you all."