Chapter 5: Saved or doomed
The door was easily opened by five big men and at their front is a middle-aged man with his distinguished feature of the muscly body, the scar in the face, and golden-laid tooth. 'Raul!' Martin effortlessly identified the man his father was talking about. At the end of their entourage was a woman Martin has great familiarity with.
Every election, he could see her waving her hands to the people from atop the podium. Every Christmas party, he could see her making the toast in the annual Christmas party celebration at the city office. Every birthday of his father, this woman would smile amicably to him and his whole family.
But at this very moment, that smile was not amicable, it was devilish.
'She is not the woman she appears to be.' Martin thought that Councilor Bing was kind, for she gave Annie money and presents every Christmas and helped countless people.
'Her vileness and despicableness are so infuriating.' Martin thought. They are just any other family. Why is this happening to them? Was it just pure misfortune? Then, why them?
But then again, humans are very difficult being to understand. Sometimes they are vile and the other times they are an angel.
What we see might not be the truth and the illusion we sense might be the reality.
Her outer appearance was just a façade. A façade many people believed in for so many years.
He could vividly remember the respect the citizens of the city are giving her whenever she appears in public. He even knew a few of his classmates who are working under her and they said that she is very kind to them. That is why, for so many terms, she was able to retain her seat in the council.
But this time, it's different. The appearance of benevolence was plastered by maliciousness.
Martin cannot help but lament in rage, 'If she is monster, maybe that monster hid so well that only in certain moments can she unleash her ferociousness and bite like a rabid dog.'
As the gang of six entered the room, it was so quiet that a drop of a needle can be heard.
The whole Alma family was quiet. No one breathes, afraid to be caught and die.
The brothers stopped moving. They even unconsciously breathed less, afraid of being discovered.
As the gang observed the room, Raul gestured his fingers to look around and see if there are people.
On the other hand, Councilor Bing found a chair and sat on it as if everything that is happening has nothing to do with her. She crossed her legs and leaned on the chair comfortably and treated the furniture as her own.
She hummed in her own tune. If someone enters the house without knowing the original owner, after seeing the lax counselor, he/she will assume that Councilor Bing might be the owner of this abode.
Raul was about to start the search himself but was stopped by the hand of the councilor as a ringtone broke the silence of the room.
Bing picked up her phone and answered the call with a high-pitched voice, "Hello Congressman? Yes, he is already dead. The family?" Bing immediately looks into Raul and through the years of working together, they have this way of communicating just with the eyes and eyebrows and nods. Raul, then knew what she wanted and he nodded to his crew to continue their search.
"Yes Congressman, on it. If found, how would we deal with them? Got it. Yes, of course, my help in the upcoming election will surely put you to become the Vice President of this country" She was still smiling, but the smile was nerve-tingling.
Her dream of becoming this city's Vice Mayor is within sight. With this city's population and popularity, she can use it to leverage her way up. Of course, she will also help the congressman.
After the call disconnected, Councilor Bing turned to her henchmen and said, "You know what to do." She gestured her thumb running along her neck and continued her laidback position like a person of royal bloodline ready to use her authority to suppress other people.
Martin, on the other hand, blurrily saw through the very thick curtain and heard everything that has transpired within the room. Though he muted himself, as well as what every one of his family members did, their sense of hearing has never been this clear and concise.
Every word was like a sharp blade that tears their hearing organ, tingling their spines cold, and crawling towards their brains telling them that the situation can jeopardize their life.
Slowly, one of the bad men is walking near the place where Martin and Luther hid, searching everything, even a closed trash can was opened and thrown aside just to make sure that everything was properly rummaged.
Both Martin and Luther's hands are shaking but not enough to expose them.
Due to the few minutes of standing still and without muscle movement, Luther felt a sudden jolt of spasm. He could not prevent himself to make some moves when he thought that the man was not facing them and tried to alleviate slightly the discomfort he is feeling. Quickly, when Luther felt some relief, he continued his stationary position.
Then, as if having an eye at the back of his head, the man turned his head abruptly.
Only then the two brothers realized that the wrong move might take a huge toll on their survival. Profusely sweating, immobile, and patience running thin, they tried to think of ways on how to save their family.
Even if the curtain is very thick, the abrupt movement of Luther made the drape move a little. From the peripheral view of the man, he vaguely saw that the curtain showed some motion. So he went nearer to check upon what is behind the drapery.
Those very seconds were years for the two brothers. They wanted to shout for help, but they both know that the only adult in their family is their mother, who may be facing the same danger they are currently having right now.
They looked into the eyes of each other and a newfound determination swelled. He looked at his younger brother's crying eyes. He is so young for this. 'Sigh'
They could no longer wait for their Auntie Beth to come and rescue them. It is in their hands whether they die or live tonight.
The gods and wishes Martin believed in played no longer in his mind. The only thing that is important to him is their safety and safety alone.
No more praying. No more pleas and wishful thinking. No more trusting to entities that might never be real or perhaps real but chose to be indifferent to other people's suffering and taking delight in other's sorrow and grievances.
They have no choice but to ready their selves to pound the bad men and let their mother and younger sister find the moment to escape to call for help. The two brothers held their hands tighter, waiting for the exact time they would do their wordless plan.
"The window is open Madam, they might have escaped," one of the goons voiced out but before Bing and anyone else present could react, a distinct clacking sound was heard, quite different from the noise of the weather.
The opening of the door in the living room disturbed the two brothers' suicidal thoughts. All the people, aside from the family, turned their attention to the door of the bedroom readied their guns to shoot down this unknown person.
their hearts are up to their throats. That is how tense they are.
The lightning and thunder intensified as if heaven is prophesizing a certain future. A rather bleak one.
Lightning flashed and thunder grumbled, like an observer watching a drama while showing their expectations and great excitement. This sound and the clacking sound continued and it did not make Martin any less tense.
As the steady yet high-pitched clacking footsteps of heels got nearer to the door of the bedroom, the already cold atmosphere plunged into a more frozen state. No movement and only guns pointing.
When the last footstep was heard, a silhouette of a woman can be seen standing just before the door. This woman has a great resemblance to a person Martin was abundantly familiar with. 'It is Auntie Beth,' elation dawned into Martin. He was happy to see somebody he thought could help them.
A spark of hope can be traced in the eyes of the whole family. They immediately think that a helping hand is present, ready to give them a rope to grasp out of this nightmare.
Each one of them has their own thoughts of being saved and might survive this ordeal.
The person they are waiting for to salvage the situation and help them; the woman their father trusted to save them; the reporter who celebrated holidays with them and entered into their home as a family, has come.
Albeit hopeful, they remained in their places, waiting for a stable situation wherein they could be hundred percent sure they are safe.
Standing tall, aloof, and cold looking, Beth surveyed the room before she looked at Councilor Bing coldly and insipidly, "What is the situation?"
Like they were struck by a current, they froze. More still than they were before.
The smile and anticipation that was plastered on the faces of Martin and his family were wiped by a flabbergasted thought they have, 'Auntie Beth... is also a bad person?'
Desolate feelings raced into his mind. He could not believe what he is seeing. The hope that was once in his eyes thrown him into a more desperate hole. No more lights and no more thoughts. No more possible escape routes but eternal slumber.
#FalseHope