In the Labyrinth

Bonifacio's revelation had shocked all soldiers and guerrillas.

" So what if the person is deaf?" Albrecht curiously uttered.

" Hmm...its really a big problem. That's why, most elderly just stay around and dig more holes as extensions of their family's room."

" Is this granite?" Narciso crawled to closely hear the conversation.

" No, this cave is made of mostly clay mounted with rocks and supported by the tree roots from the jungle, if not, we eroded already. See how the roots helped us, the nature is our last hope and it protected almost everyone in the orient. Lieutenant, would you believe that there are more than 30 caves within the 5 neighboring barrios, including this one?" Bonifacio asked.

The lieutenant nodded and since they needed to continue the travel with the team to reinforce their comrades; so he asked permission for their way out.

" You may swim towards the river below or cli mb above using that hole, which one?" Bonifacio gave options.

" I guess we have to go up and start our walk from there." The lieutenant replied.

" Good! so now, what else should I say but may the force in heaven shield to all of you. But don't hesitate to tell me if what else our family can help and we'll try our best." Bonifacio smiled.

" Ah, one of our comrades was injured from a slippery tree trunk. Can we temporarily leave him here and pick him up after Makasido?" George explained.

" Yes, sure." The old man replied.

Quickly, the lieutenant's team moved up but when its Amado's turn, he accidentally slipped while holding the hand of Baldur and exceedingly tried to get back his balance but still he fell and landed on a tree branch estimated 3 feet high from the hole. Albrecht had shouted.

" Amado!"

Albrecht's voice has echoed all over the place and in a while everyone felt the dose of tension when they've heard some noise heading towards them with the gnashing sound of rifles meters away have summoned the silence. Since its almost dark so George signaled his comrades to go back into the cave. George was the last one to get in but decided to get out of the hole and moved down in order to save Amado. Fresh from his memory that there's another passage below the river, though it's a difficult way but still the safest. Without fear, he estimated the big tree's branch and jumped, right there he fell beside Amado and tapped his comrade's shaking shoulder.

" Sir, you didn't use any rope to get down...I'm shaking...there's no branch below us anymore but a river of water and rocks. My knees aren't moving anymore." Amado was whispeing in dismay while sweats all over on his face and neck.

" You're alright Amado...you're alright. Here's a rope we'll use to get down since it isn't possible to climb upward, its a wall-type cliff and the enemies are there. Don't look down when we start sliding down but before that, pack up your bag safely, we'll dip under and the old man said there's quite a heavy current of water beside the mountain's secret passage going inside the labytinth. Let's cross our fingers on this, but...we'll be fine. You're a good swimmer anyway." Then the lieutenant smiled and reassured him. But Amado was tempted to look below again.

"Sir..." Amado worrisomely said

" You'll be fine. There are still tree roots we can hold on while going down, anyway, we have two ropes that could handle our lives." George uttered while bove them was the danger spotting.

"Whoah!" A soldier shouting upon seeing them and as if called his comrades nearby. George didn't waste his time but pulled Amado's hand towards the branches beside the cliff; wrapped a shawl to Amado's hands before attaching the ropes.

" Quickly! let's go down before his team could see us. Let's hide below the tree so they couldn't shoot us too." Then George safely assisted Amado below. But they were chased by gunfires and the branches they've been were torn by the smoky bullets and even dropped some grenades. So they moved down as fast as they could and it made Amado's spirit to rise up and struggled religiously while being motivated by the lieutenant's bravery. Some of the roots that they've grabbed were not that firm so they experienced stony flakes falling as they successfully reached the waters. They both inhaled and dipped under. They could still hear the bombs dropping but Amado became determined to just follow the young lieutenant inside the hole they've found beside the mountain's approximately 1-meter wall above the waters. There, on that passage, they both entered and the lieutenant carefully led Amado inside by touching the walls. It was a bit tight and when they reached the middle part, they saw a lit meters away and so it gave them a sense of direction. Minutes after, the waters become shallower, till they could already slowly stand up and breathe on a higher rocky area, in the labyrinth. George felt a little suffocation and dropped himself on the rocky ground while Baldur helped him so do as Albrecht to Amado.

" Hah! wow! such...a...great experience" George uttered and smiled as he was carried by Baldur on his back going up on the staircase.

Despite being grooky, Amado whispered.

" I could have died .... if without the lieutenant, my chance to survive was... too thin. My salute... to the lieutenant." Amado whispered and suddenly collapsed while Albrecht was carrying him.

" Amado! Amado! stop whining! just hang on!" Albrecht shouted but still continued to follow Baldur who had George on his back.

The staircase was unsafe. The stairs were slippery so the brothers carefully took their steps one at a time. George was still looking back to Albrecht and Amado; as he was holding the candle that lighted up the way up. They reached the surface and George requested Albrecht to slowly lay down Amado on the ground again and applied some first aids. But there's no water anymore that he has to blow out; though, George felt its kinda a post-trauma experience. The heights and the cold water around a small hole within a five minute swim was terrible. George even concluded that its the reason why some of Isagani's family members, who attempted to use that passage and were not really trained swimmers have died. The suffocation, the claustrophobia feeling in a small and dark path that looks like a dungeon. Half an hour after, Amado shouted with sweats all over as he opened his eyes. Seeing his friends around even made him a bit calm as Narciso and Isagani held his hands tight, enough that he could feel their warmth. On the other hand, George was just beside Amado and offered him a lukewarm wild ginger tea to sip.