The Nation's Outcry

Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Accusation
Zanashi

"What the fuck?" pagmumura ni Lucas, ang labi ay nakaawang at ang mata'y nanlalaki.

Si Jason, ang isa pang sundalong kasama namin, ay napatayo at halos sugurin na si Raygan para lang kumpirmahin kung talagang totoo ito.

"It's true.." mahina at nanggigigil na kumpirma ni Raygan.

Natutop ko ang bibig ko at biglang naalala ang huling beses naming pagkikita. Those smiles, those goodbyes. Nanikip ang dibdib ko at naramdaman ko ang bahagyang pagkabasa ng sulok ng mga mata ko. Who would've thought those smiles were the last smile we could see from them and those goodbyes were the last goodbyes we could hear from them?

"What happened?" tanong ni Lucas. "How is it possible that they were ambushed? The camp is heavily guarded! Ang daming mga sundalong naroon! Imposibleng.. imposibleng.."

"Oh my God.." hindi makapaniwalang bulong ko sa sarili. Naalala ko ang mga taong inakala nilang kakampi pero ang totoo'y tinutuklaw sila nang patalikod. No.. It isn't heavily guarded. It isn't.

"There's nothing more."

"What do you mean nothing, Raygan?"

Yumuko si Raygan habang ang nakakuyom niyang kamao ay nakapatong sa lamesa. Tumaas-baba ang balikat niya at ang sulok ng labi ay bahagyang umangat sa sobrang panggigigil.

"No more information. The details of the said ambushed were concealed even to their family. Bullshit, really."

"What the fuck is happening right now? Bakit lahat ng atake ay hindi binabalita? AFFO was literally killing dozens of innocent people and soldiers but everything and everyone is so fucking silent! Kung galing ako sa labas ng bansa'y aakalain kong walang gulong nangyayari sa bansa!" galit na wika ni Jason.

"They are concealing everything to us! Malaman na lang natin na wasak na pala ang ibang parte ng Pilipinas kapag talagang wasak na!" ani Lucas.

Lumapit ako kay Raygan at marahan siyang tinapik sa balikat para pakalmahin. Madalas kong nakakausap si Raygan magmula noong mapunta kami sa lugar na ito pero ngayon ko lang siya nakitang ganito kagalit at katensyonado.

"They planned this," napatingin ako sa nagmamay-ari ng malalim na boses na ito.

Ngayon lang ulit siya nagsalita. Nakaupo siya nang tuwid, ang mata'y nakatuon sa parte ng lamesang nasa harap niya, kunot ang noo, at ang labi ay nagmistulang isang linya. Kung titingnan ay tila hindi siya niyanig ng kanyang mga nalaman pero sa paraan ng pagkuyom ng kamao niya, alam kong apektado siya, apektadong-apektado.

"They did all of it at the same day and at the same time. Doing that will give them advantages against us," he clicked his tounge. "It does all make sense now. Ang talagang layunin nila ay makuha ang mga miyembro ng AFFO na nabihag natin. They are confusing and distracting those other soldiers. There's a probablity that soldiers' in the camp will rescue us from their attack so AFFO distracted them with their disgusting shits. Those soldiers in the military base were distracted, too, since AFFO was attacking certain cities that time."

"But sir, how.. just how did they know that we're moving that time?" Lucas asked weakly.

"Right," Raygan agreed. "Just how the fuck? You did check the area before moving, didn't you, Cap? You and Lieutenant Travis and it's all clear. No sign of their movement. And only few soldiers knew that we were moving that time. Hindi kaya.."

"You're right, Rodriguez. Someone told them. Someone inside our group has told them. They have ears tailing us all this time, listening with our every plan and mission."