Republic Reborn: Against the Stars and Stripes-Chapter 99: Theory

"What do you mean missing?" I almost shouted—had I not remembered that I was in the front sala and not in a more private room.

Capitan Sadiwa flinched, surprised by my reaction. He shifted in his seat and fully turned to face me. His lips moved, but no words came out.

Gone was the good mood. What I had just heard was not something one wanted to hear—especially in a culture of discipline I was trying to cultivate among the recruits.

I wiped my face and said in a much calmer, lower voice, "When did this happen? And why are you only telling me now?"

Capitan Sadiwa swallowed hard. I could hardly believe this was the same man who had impressed me just the other week with his energy and organization.

"Last Sunday, Heneral... when we returned from the final day of construction in Landi," he said. "Cadet Suarez informed me as soon as I got back to the barracks. I hadn’t told you sooner... because... I thought we had just misplaced them..."

"Sixty rifles?" My voice rose again. "You think you misplaced sixty rifles, Capitan Sadiwa? There is no worse act of negligence than losing your firearms!"

The Santa Cruz recruits who had helped with the construction work in Landi had left their rifles stored in wooden crates at the barracks. I had drilled into my trainees that they should treat their firearms like their wives—something to be watched over, guarded, and never abandoned. But these weren’t my trainees. They were trained by Pedro, and that was the risk. Instructors fresh from their own training often failed to pass down the full weight of discipline.

Even so, I hadn’t spoken up when I saw them in Landi without their weapons. Part of me thought their rifles were indeed safer back in the barracks than unattended at a bustling construction site where laborers and townsfolk came and went.

Capitan Sadiwa shrank further in his seat. His eyes dropped to the wooden floor. He didn’t even try to defend himself—perhaps because he knew there was no defense to be made.

"Who was in charge of guarding those crates?" I asked.

"It was... it was Adan Suarez, Heneral. I had left him responsible for the barracks while we were gone," Capitan Sadiwa answered.

My heart beat faster. It was too early to leap to conclusions, but a theory had begun to form in my mind.

---

We had to travel in the darkness of early evening. My escorts carried torches—but even with their flickering light, the road was difficult to navigate. Roots jutted from the path, and loose stones shifted under the horses’ hooves.

Still, this was a matter that could not wait until morning.

The town proper was silent when we arrived. Only a few people lingered in the streets. With the roads mostly empty, we rode directly and swiftly to the barracks.

Coincidentally, the faces at the barricade were the same ones I had seen during my last visit. They smiled at the sight of me—until they noticed the displeasure etched across my face. The smiles faded, replaced by nervous expressions.

"Good evening, Heneral," Adan blurted out, uncertain of his words.

I halted my horse just short of the barricade. The torchlight revealed his young, anxious face. He glanced at the others—one of them was Severino—before turning back to me.

"Is something wrong, Heneral?" he asked, his voice tighter now.

I dismounted and stepped closer. "You tell me... Adan."

"Capitan Sadiwa," I called out. He had just dismounted and rushed over.

"Sí, Heneral?"

"Wake the rest of the recruits."

Capitan Sadiwa moved quickly. He strode to the nearest wooden buildings and knocked firmly on each door. He shouted orders—short, sharp commands—and within moments, recruits began pouring out of the buildings in full uniform, rifles in hand, belts tightened. They assembled with practiced efficiency, forming clean lines on the open dirt field used for drills.

Within a few minutes, the shuffle of boots and the clatter of canteens quieted. The night fell silent once again—except now, more than a hundred men stood in formation before me.

"Sixty rifles are lost," I shouted, loud enough for my voice to carry across the fifty meters separating me from the drill field. "That’s more than a third of the firearms entrusted to you. This is no small oversight. It’s a grave failure."

"The price of each rifle is twenty pesos," I continued as I stepped off the road and moved closer to the recruits, now standing stiffly at attention. "That means you’ve just cost the Republic 1,200 pesos."

I stopped in front of the first row.

"And if those rifles have fallen into enemy hands... then every civilian or soldier killed by them will be on your conscience."

"Who was in charge of security around the barracks when the rifles were stolen?" I asked again, though I already knew the answer.

"Cadet Suarez and his platoon, Heneral," Capitan Sadiwa confirmed.

I nodded, then turned to face the pale, petrified soldiers manning the barricades. Adan Suarez stood frozen. He shook his head slightly but said nothing. His face was ghost-white.

"Capitan," I said slowly, enunciating every word, "you will disarm Adan Suarez and his men. They will be detained until we get to the bottom of this."

Capitan Sadiwa moved quickly. He ordered a platoon forward to carry out the task. The stunned recruits didn’t resist as their weapons were taken.

"Heneral! I swear by the Virgin Mary, we didn’t see anyone come near the barracks! No one was even around!" Adan cried. "We would’ve noticed—there are only three buildings here. The rifles..." He paused as one of the recruits took his rifle from him. "They were probably missing even before that day!"

I gritted my teeth and turned to Capitan Sadiwa. He looked deeply troubled, perhaps empathizing with the cadet.

"Ready fifty men to come with me," I said.

"Where are we headed, Heneral?" he asked.

"To the gobernadorcillo’s residence. Just as a precaution."