" What is that, c'mon...you looked so bothered. Here, you sit beside me."

Then George one by one shared what he has heard from Amado and in the middle he a.s.sessed.

" He's neither into just asking forgiveness. He's comparing you to his Señorita. But as a man, I know it doesn't look like this way. I had in mind of Amado's inner agendum here. If he mentioned that woman twice, maybe he has a problem with her, sort of. It seems he's interested of her but he wanted to annoy Sr. Sibal and I. I felt he knew already that I was so close to him while he was talking against you but he persisted, hmm...he seems conditioning us to trust him more but internally he wants you. For what reason, I don't know. Though, that's something I need to discover.

" Wow, that's my husband. I'm impressed on how you kept your composure and calmness. His gesture of doing it is provocative, good that you weren't electrified with anger. He must be shaky with his plans now." She smiled and tagged her arms around him as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

" Hmm, what is this all about." Then he laughed and caressed her hair.

She's very quiet then spoke.

" Thank you, for sharing me issues like this, even to the littlest, this can help us prosper in our relations.h.i.+p. Who knows, if worst comes to worst at least, we have synchronization of ideas at times when it's difficult for us to talk due to emergencies, better that we are sharing things like this now - it's helping to reset and reverse things."

" Haha! what a serious talk. Hmm...supposed a worst scenario comes where I hope nothing would come like that, let me hear your tactics, haha! say it, let me hear."

" Hmm, I will go with him supposed he will abduct me. I'm sure he'd be stronger and more prepared than I am. Then instead of shouting, I'd rather keep silent and will tempt him.." She stopped when he immediately stood up, but she pulled him back .

" Mag.,..It might be dangerous, supposed it's....huh! okay, okay...and then..."

" And then...I'll tell him that George and I were just married but our beds are separated. Don't you know that he was once listening and just disguised to give me a mug of an extracted juice after I was stabbed by Guida's brother. But the thing is, he was spying on our separate beds. Its believable, and if he thought I'm harmful, haha! perhaps he would think that until now we still have our separate beds. Then if he do believe then it would be his verdict. My country need no traitors and if he will abduct me, he's a traitor." She sounded so serious.

" C'mon...we're just joking for possibilities, don't get mad at him yet. What's important is, he cannot be trusted. Hmm, calm down. Look at me harmless woman." Then he smiled as he pinched a little of his ear while they're both laughing.

In an hour, the Captain's team went up to the mountain top and Albrecht had to use his binoculars.

" Wow, they're too many, where are they going?" Albrecht asked the Captain.

" That's something I'd like to ask you too." The Captain smiled to Baldur.

It was already on the 2nd week of August of 1942 when the gnas.h.i.+ng sound of mortars and canons awakened the sleeping river between Gabok and Kabang. Some of the j.a.ps crossed the river through the log, holding on the hanging rope. Sadly, they used bayonets to the civilians they caught, those were the survivors from their previous attack aside from those who were retrieved and joined the lost commando but we're also victims and died of 'amok' by one of the depressed Gabok survivors.

Up at the granite house, the couple went up to see the place where the j.a.ps had attacked. The fireb.a.l.l.s and smokes were released like h.e.l.l and George just let her lie flat on the granite surface as he did; holding her hand while stargazing . The blasts became more louder

" The stars are outnumbered now." He said.

" Yes. They're beautiful."

" I want you to feel my heart in them, the way how they s.h.i.+ne. Feel it, if you hear what you see, follow it's rhythm through it's brightest lifht - it's me, loving you so gently and softly and at its purest.

She was looking at him, smiling.

" You always know how to calm down my tensions - so sweet of you my husband." As she softly pressed his hand.

Then they've heard the exchange of gunfires.

" They tried to fight back, they never knew the opponents have everything to fire at them tonight."

She cried and sobbed.

They couldn't survive, I know. I guess they're the last batch...and the remaining few." She sobbed while her husband drew closer to give her a sweet embrace.

" Don't worry, G.o.d will welcome their spirits as they surrender their pains out of this painful and unfair war. Just look at the stars, Mag...look up, when you do it, the world is amazingly wondrous. Nothing can be seen but the mighty creation that G.o.d has given us. Baldur have shared me that the night before he marry Amanda. We were stargazing and Albrecht was so drunk, Baldur told me that sometimes we need not to consider our defeat nor our victory, but the time for being alive. Those who will win on this war will still die when their time comes. Those who will be defeated, likewise will suffer death. In both ways, we landed to death. So now, let's give the best moment for love and for each other. The Gabok Guerrillas' have fought so hard face to face with their enemies, it's their way of defending this land. For me, they're great heroes. No one has a ledger of their names, they don't have any records...but still when they closed their eyes, no one knew that my wife shed tears and recited a silent prayer in memory of their souls. They are lucky. Someone from afar has recognized their heroism and they'll be in the logbook of Baldur tomorrow - as unknown Filipino heroes. The bravest Guerrillas' of the orient. We saw them and were witnesses on how they fought, so scary...they approached the enemies without s.h.i.+elds nor powerful guns.