" Hmm, Albrecht, she must not join with us during the meeting. You know what I mean.

"Magee, sit down." George offered her a seat.

" Thank you."

" Albrecht, how did you cook the snakes when it reached here?"

" Ah, did you not..." Albrecht looked mysteriously to George.

George cut his statement and spoke.

" They usually mix it with coconut milk with a lot of lemon gra.s.s. Haven't you tasted it?"

" Not yet but I'm curious. Albrecht, there are still a lot there left, and I feel that it has to be taken out tonight or else it might be damaged. Anyway, George put salt around those sacks to avoid it become putrid.

When Baldur arrives I'll pick it up, the rest of it will be given to station two.

"You might forget...some of it will be our baits."

"Yeah, noted."

" Albrecht, let's gather the men this afternoon and prepare the map.

Magee returned to her place as suggested by George and eventually until afternoon, the place was filled with so many soldiers and guerillas.

The roll call began and there are around forty men attending from station one, two and three. Some are still coming. Baldur also arrived after lunch and right away shared the national crisis happening. He announced that the Captain, despite resistance to surrender his few armed men had experienced semi house arrest in Bataan.

" However, he already had spoken to all of us that whatever happens, we have to remain fighting and preserve our lives against thousands of enemies. We are not fully armed and most were untrained as of today but if we remain faithful to our country, we will together raise our flags after the war. The Captain also left a message to me that 1Lt George will take his position once he could not go back for us - and consider ourselves as 'lost commando', and cannot be traced anymore by our higher ups who are now arrested. We have to remain faithful and this is not for us, the American-Filipino German soldiers, but for this land. This afternoon, our present head to spearhead for our attack tomorrow and head on with our meta plan will take over." Baldur announced and was teary eyed. He then proceeded to his sister's place.

" Can I come in, how are you?" He was still teary eyed.

" Baldur, is it true?" Magee looked at him so emotional.

" Yes, do not expect anymore for him to return, I will not give you false hope." Then he gave a hug to her younger sister.

" But why? why is it the General will give up these thousands of men for the j.a.panese? Why retract this early?" Magee sobbed.

" From now on, you have to be very careful. Look at me. Even if we are telling everyone here to be faithful but this war might make them different to the extent of betrayal. You are our weakness, as heads of this lost command troupe so they can be a target. So always be attentive and suspicious, avoid telling secrets, keep our hideout and trust no one but George. Treat all of them sincerely but you must be very careful. From now on, we'll transfer you from time to time to avoid traceability. Report circulated that Hakanori was very mad at you that made every woman he sees were out to prison. Therefore, some of the family members of those women who were here with us might betray añd might barter you in lieu of their family members. Don't be silly, always listen to us, when we tell you to hide - hide and do not make a move that will give us a difficulty. And, consider Dad, Albrecht and my decision as final. Since we are at war, we decided to send you off to George, as her partner. No matter how you interpret it, or you may call us crazy, but it's how we decided things, even before Dad was captured, this has been our decision. We cannot look for you all the time, we need additional family member to watch-over and will make you someone special, we knew a lot of that man, he is very much trusted. Now, if you don't feel anything yet for him, supposed you hate him, or you are not yet ready for any relations.h.i.+p, just - just stay close and make him as your bestfriend, okay?" We gave more caves to unlock for you, and no matter what happens, don't tell anyone. Only four of us knew all of these. We're busy tracing about the family members of those captured women, so to track whose guerillas we gave to be careful about. Tonight, you will return to Kabang, in Malapague, we will attack Tikaban tomorrow afternoon so we will again send you along with George back to that place. Do you get me?" His tears flowed on his cheeks while hugging his sister.

" Baldur, why you"re giving me away." She sobbed.

" He's someone dependable, a good friend, a nurse, a soldier, Madeleine's brother (Albrecht's fiancee). You need one another despite this war, go and respect that man, don't be a ha.s.sle to him. We have been following and observing him since September when you arrived here from Manila, when Dad gave him a mission to guard you, he sometimes don't eat his meals and skip meetings here just to watch over you. He had been very interested on you so it made is easy to decide."

" Baldur, I'm afraid. There are still things I can't understand. He kept looking at me, every move, I feel anxious and felt I am a prisoner of war. Why he kept on looking at me and don't tell me what he thinks he need to say."

" But do you like him?"

" Yes, I treat him as someone dependable, but if he moves closer I'm always afraid, does it change? I mean would I change if I grow older from now? Can you tell him to not carry nor hold my hands without my consent and he should not move whenever we're near. Tell him to wait when I'm ready and older than now." She smiled.

" And why you're afraid of him when you're together."

" I don't know too."

" Maybe you liked him unconsciously, things like that." He arranged her hair and held her face with his rough hands.

" Are you not afraid that we're alone in Kabang, he might harm me there, he can do what he want. That's why I kept tagging along with me my dagger. I'm afraid. I always palpitate whenever he's around.

" Haha, that's why Albrecht kept pinching your ear, at twenty, you still think like thirteen years old. But hey, you prepared a dagger for the person who gave it to you, hmm, sounds ironic.

" You're thoughts are trying to tell me that you liked him, it's just that you're under denial stage, haha. But still, you're correct. You're not ready yet for that serious relations.h.i.+p, I can feel it.

" Baldur, there was one time I slapped him and his face turned out reddish. Was he mad at me?

" What? why you slapped him? That seems to be a sad courts.h.i.+p.

" Well it's a corny story, though. Hmm, ask him then." He smiled.

" Baldur, have you been in love?"

" Hmm, yes, I'm a married man already at a very young age of 22, last year we got married, she's an American but we never had a baby yet." He smiled.

" Wow, that's why you spoke things cleverly, even if it sounds like bearing any serious adult content." She smirked.

" Serious adult content. I see. But you're twenty already. In US, twenty is already a real adult.

" But I'm a Filipino."

" Yes, me too, we are. But continue to be who you are, it's how that man likes you - a lot."

" Hmm, did he love me already?"

" That is something I don't know, maybe later you can talk something about that, when he could feel of telling you but I think you have to wait and never ask him, hmm, I guess, maybe."

" But I can ask him if how he feels of me."

" That is something you don't need to say first, I guess. Just remember, do not understimate every man's way of liking someone he's spending his adorable time with." He smiled.

" Hmm, so did I like him?"

" Why you ask that. Maybe."

" But you said you are not ready yet, so just wait for the right time. Take it slowly and gently. Things will come out the best in it's natural way, it's true love, so just enjoy your togetherness, okay?"

" So what can you advice on me based from your perspective."

" I thought I have given my advice already, haha."

" Not yet, you're telling me a universal advice, I need a straightforward and specific advice from a brother."

" Just be easy to deal with. Just be with him. But I guess I need to talk to both of you tonight when we reach Kabang, I guess Albrecht and I shall go there too. After that , maybe I can give you both a specific advice."

" Thank you Baldur, you seemed so good to explain things to me, thank you brother." She hugged him again.

" I'm a family, I stand as your brother, sister, father and mother. You are the only female around and George grew up taking good care of his sister. That's why he's dependable. Okay, tonight, we'll talk seriously about our lives in Kabang. George is already a family, let's not make our lives difficult."

" Yes, I got it. I'll try."