The Renegade Chronicles

Renegade: Chapter Fourteen

Panic started to fill my whole body. It was hard to believe that after all this time, we were actually in grave danger. They were right under our noses and we were totally clueless. Just like puzzles put together, everything made sense. The encounter with the Rosarios inside the bus twice was not just a coincidence. It was planned. They were following us. They were following us all along! The question was how much of our ideas had they taken a note of? Was it many? Was it enough to spoil the whole plan and put into danger all the people we loved? Will it put Commander Hilda and Commander Lorry's lives into jeopardy?

As I continued to contemplate this terrifying realization, I felt every hair in my arms rise on their own free will and my heart pump in such a way that it could compete to the loudness of an actual strike of a bass drum. Every second that passed, my breathing had gone heavier and heavier. My mind had said nothing but the word, Shit! Shit! Shit! Slowly its tone in my mind turned louder and louder until it turned unbearable. It was so unbearable that it made the subconscious transform into something conscious when I finally shouted, "Oh shit! Shit!"

My voice was so loud that my companions instantly got up, extremely startled with my unexpected commotion.

"Mother of all bitches! Did something just happened?" Alexander asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Al, we are being followed the whole time!" I answered worriedly. "They were right under our noses all along!"

"What made you say that?" Kate asked with a puzzled look.

"Look!" I handed her the phone.

Instantly, she grabbed it and read the message on the phone. After a few seconds, Kate's face paled as she widened her eyes and gasped, "Oh my!"

"Let me see that," Alexander spoke as he kneeled beside Kate. At the moment he read the message, he breathed heavily as said, "Holy fuck!"

"Guys, relax," Christopher comforted. "You are all safe here."

"How about our base in Tacloban City?" I asked worriedly. "They... They might be in danger!"

"Don't worry," Christopher assured. "Everything is going to be fine. I am going to tell this to Commander Hilda in the morning."

"I can't sleep in this situation," I shook my head. "This is terrifying. I-I should have known."

"Bro, you need to relax," Christopher rubbed my back. "Everything has a solution. Just calm down, especially that you need to be in tiptop shape when the ceremony happens by the morning."

"He is right," Kate nodded. "We can solve this... I hope."

"You guys get back to sleep," I looked at them. "Let me have some time to ponder this."

Kate sighed as he spoke "Ger—"

"Let's just hope that pondering this for a while will help me sleep sooner or later," I interrupted her with a sad smile. "Come on... Don't worry about me."

"Okay. Just wake me up when you need someone to talk to. Because by the looks of it, you really need one," Kate said sadly as she lay back on the carpeted floor and closed her eyes.

"Alright," I spoke softly.

Seconds later, Christopher lay himself back next to me as Alexander walked back towards the sofa. There, they closed their eyes and also went back to sleep.

For minutes, I sat on the carpeted floor as this realization repeated itself again and again inside my head. If only I just knew how to stop it, because honestly, I was so exhausted from everything that just happened. My whole body felt so heavy and my eyes were sore.