Juan, My Commander

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

In the midst of our way to Lalitpur, a city devastated by a catastrophic earthquake, I found myself facing a harrowing situation.

Sobrang mapanganib ang kalsada sa aming harapan. Puno ito ng mga sirang gusali at mga debris.

It was a race against time to reach the residents in need of assistance.

As our vehicle made its way through the wreckage, a group of individuals suddenly emerged, blocking our path. Dahil sa biglaang paglabas ng mga tao sa aming harapan ay napahinto ang aming sinasakyan kasabay ng pagputok ng baril.

"Dumudugo ang tenga mo, Madam." Carter's face turned pale as he spoke.

"I'm fine," pagsisinungaling ko kahit hindi naman talaga ako okay. Nararamdaman ko na ang sakit sa aking kaliwang tenga. Daplis lang ito pero naririnig ko parin ang tunog ng putok ng bala.

"Are you okay?" Sharan asked, his voice filled with concern, as he slowly opened the compartment in front of him. I nodded, trying to reassure him. "You're bleeding," he pointed out, his eyes widening with worry, before grabbing a firearm from the compartment.

Tumango lang ako sa kaniya at mabilis na inilipat ang tingin sa aming harapan. Ayaw kong mag-alala silang lahat dahil sa kalagayan ko. Nararamdaman ko ang sakit ng sugat ngunit mas importante na malusutan namin ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon.

"What should we do about these people who possess firearms?" Pagtatanong ko habang nakatitig sa mga taong papunta na sa amin.

"Just prioritize your safety and avoid any actions that may put you at risk. While they may not be Nepalese, it's possible that they too are victims of the earthquake."

Tin whispered anxiously, "Are we being hijacked?" bahagya akong tumango. Kahit hindi ko siya tignan ay nararamdaman ko ang kaniyang takot dahil sa nangyayari. Bahagya din siyang napasinghap ng may baril na lumitaw sa bintana ng aming kinaroroonan.

"Gusto lang naman na'tin tumulong, bakit kailangan pa natin makasalubong ang ganitong klaseng mga tao sa lipunan?" Kalmadong saad ni Andy. Nararamdaman ko rin ang kaniyang kaba pero mas pinili niyang huwag pangunahan ng takot.

I looked around. The place we're in seems quite secluded, perhaps, it looks like an abandoned place due to the recent earthquake.

We screamed as the window to our left, where Sharan was seated, shattered. It turns out, one of the people who blocked our path broke the window using the gun's grip.

The shattered windowpane fell inward, while small fragments of glass scattered onto the road. Kahit hindi ko klarado, alam kong may mga sugat ang mukha ng sundalong aming kasama.

Nagulantang ako nang higpitan ni Tin ang paghawak sa aking kamay. Pigil ang aming mga hininga habang dumungaw mula sa basag na bintana ang isa sa mga taong humarang sa amin.

"These girls look fine," sabi nito. Based on the way this man speaks, it seems unlikely that he is from Nepal. He speak very fluent in English. "But these men," huminto siya at mabilis na itinutok ang baril kay Carter at Sharan. Inilipat-lipat niya ang pagkatutok sa dulo ng baril, "We can kill you both for entertainment," saad pa nito at ngumisi.

Sharan's voice quivered with a mix of rage and resolve as he confronted the man behind the window, "Don't touch them, you bastard!" His eyes locked onto the gun, but before he could take any action, a searing pain shot through his shoulder as the man fired, causing Sharan to stifle a silent scream of agony.

"Do you want to meet Satan first?" the man taunted, grabbing the gun from Sharan's shoulder and pressing it against his head. Fear gripped my heart as I recognized the scene unfolding before me; it was a chilling déjà vu.