Republic Reborn: Against the Stars and Stripes-Chapter 110: Unlucky Encounter

"Kalaban!"

The shout was from a woman—sharp and sudden, it pricked the ears. It resounded in the silence, and at once all of us froze.

The three of us in that yard—me, Guzman, and the old man—stared at each other while we waited to see how the town would react. For a moment, I hoped it would be ignored. It was a cold morning, and everyone should hate leaving the warmth of their blankets and beds. And it was not followed—the said woman must have been dealt with.

But the silence would be no more. It started with creaks—footsteps on the floorboards, windows being opened. Slowly, the faint buzz of murmurs and whispers behind the walls of the huts and houses reached our ears.

Our cover had been blown.

Mario emerged from one of the alleyways, sweating, and rushed towards me, now abandoning any attempt to be quiet.

"Heneral... what do we do?"

I gritted my teeth and turned to the old man. "Señor... shut your doors and windows. Keep yourself and your loved ones inside a secure room—a cellar, if you have one."

The old man nodded eagerly, as sweat started to form on his brow. He jogged toward the backdoor.

Then I looked at the sargento and the kadete. "We run! We run straight to the church!"

I pushed through the low gate and into the town street, boots pounding against packed dirt. My heart thudded in my ears like a war drum. Sargento Guzman and the escolta followed close behind. Mario and his platoon emerged from behind the house and took the rear, weapons raised and ready.

I chambered a round into my Mauser as we moved, the action loud in the early morning stillness.

A few civilians stood frozen on their doorsteps, startled by the sudden rush of armed men. Some raised their hands as our rifles swept past them. I scanned the street—still no Pulajanes in sight, but that would not last.

I turned my eyes in the direction of the church. It was now less than a hundred meters away, but all I could see of it was the bell tower. Much of the building was hidden by the houses, being located a little further from the road.

The soldiers matched my pace when I started to run. Soon, the thumping of boots sounded in the streets.

Roque’s platoon saw us and quickly fell into formation, emerging from side alleys like ants pouring from a mound. Our small force was coalescing.

Before long, Teofilo was beside me, running hard.

"I’m sorry, Heneral!" he called out between breaths. "An unlucky encounter. We turned a corner and saw a woman drawing water."

I kept my eyes ahead, adrenaline rushing through my veins. "That no longer matters now, Kadete. We must get to the church before the whole town wakes up! We’d take a lot of casualties if the Pulajanes found us in the open!"

The kadete nodded grimly and broke off to relay my orders to his men..

We soon reached the bend. One of the soldiers was already there, leaning against the wall of a house, taking a peek in the direction of the church. I landed my back on the stone wall when I reached him.

"What do you see?" I asked, while I caught my breath.

He leaned away from the edge of the wall and turned to me. He seemed shocked to see me there. I recognized him as one of the two soldiers earlier who took care of the sentries.

"Five Pulajanes fighters, Heneral. In the church yard. All with firearms," he reported.

"Lemme see..." I said. The soldier gave way.

With my rifle at my chest and a sigh, I peered out. Every Catholic church building in the country has an open space in front of it. Cathedrals like the Barasoain Church and the one at Boac could have something as large as a plaza. Smaller parishes would have something smaller—just a front yard for hedges and flowers.

The Buenavista parish was less grand than most and only had a yard of low grass. The soldier’s account was accurate. Five Pulajanes fighters were roaming in front of the church and the convent, alert and looking around. But none of them had their hands on the trigger.

"Fuego a voluntad!" I raised my voice as I emerged from cover.

I raised my rifle. The nearest man turned toward me. Before he could raise his weapon, I pulled the trigger.

The shot cracked, echoing down the street. The man doubled over and collapsed, clutching his stomach.

A volley burst from behind me. Two more Pulajanes dropped in the grass. Another screamed as a shot tore through his hand, his weapon falling as he stumbled toward the convent doors.

The last of them managed to fire—but his bullet went wide, striking nothing. He was gunned down before he could reload.

"Salakay!" I shouted. "Take the church!"

The town rang out with loud cries as the young recruits heeded my orders and ran headlong for the building. Some of the soldiers stopped mid-run to aim at the Pulajanes fighters who emerged from the church’s doors.

In a display of the fanaticism I had warned everyone about, three Pulajanes fighters charged down the low steps at the horde of recruits, armed with nothing but machetes. Two of them were shot down before they could swing their blades. Another took a shot in the shoulder but kept attacking. He got skewered by three bayonets.

The rest tried to shut the door of the church. The same recruit I had just talked to earlier rushed forward and flew in with a kick to prevent the doors from closing. He hit it hard enough that they swung wide open, making visible the pews and the altars—and about ten Pulajanes fighters scrambling around the altar.

Then a single gunshot rang out.

It wasn’t ours.

The recruit who kicked the door was still airborne, mid-stride, when the bullet struck him clean in the forehead.

His body stiffened, and he dropped backwards onto the church steps—arms spread, rifle still in hand. freёweɓnovel.com

His face stared up at us, unchanged except for the new, dark hole between his eyes.

Blood pooled beneath his head, soaking into the churchyard grass.