Somewhere in the Shallow Sea

by Dennis Macaraeg

  “General, I almost forgot to mention but Professor Rodriguez spoke so highly of your proud service to our country. Perhaps, by now, you’ve realized we didn’t really come here just for the roast pig?”

  “How may I be of assistance?”

  “My best friend, who happens to be her cousin, was kidnapped by Kulog ng Timog while conducting research in the Sulu Sea. I believe you had several encounters with their ruthless leader in the past while you were in Mindanao. We were hoping that you might help us get in touch with Commander Berto. We know it is a lot to ask, but the situation has become desperate.”

  “Oh, I like to help when I can but I’m retired now. It’s been five years since I’ve worn battle fatigues. I’m afraid that I’ve been out of the loop on Kulog ng Timog’s latest tactics and techniques. All I can say for sure is that Commander Berto has been in the kidnapping business for as long as I can remember. Although he’s a greedy bastard, he doesn’t just do it for the money. He’s working to expand his influence in the region. I am sorry but I can’t help you. If I were you, I’d let the Philippine government handle it. I’m sure that they’re already aware of the situation and negotiating for his release. In fact, there is a small American detachment in Mindanao. They can help too.”

  “They are aware of the situation but we’re afraid that my friend might get killed if the demands are not met.”

  “If it’s money he’s asking for, let the negotiators do their job. They deal with this kind of crisis all the time.”

  “Commander Berto is not only asking for money, but also a compound that I had developed as an oceanographer.”

  General Rosales put his fingers under his chin. His eyebrows joined in the middle.

  “Now that you mention it, I do know a military officer who was involved in the release of a Korean hostage a year ago. He might be able to help you. If not, he’ll at least steer you to the right people. He’s currently in Baguio City teaching at the Philippine Military Academy. If you would like to meet with him, I’d gladly give him a call and tell him I sent you.”

  “Thank you, that would be extremely helpful, General,” Helen said, glad to hear the news.

  “His name is Captain Santos. He’s my compadre. I’m one of his daughter’s godparents. When are you planning to go to Baguio?”

  “Tomorrow would be great. We’re running out of time and need to resolve this crisis fast,” Danny replied.

  “Great. Then sleep here tonight. The traffic driving back to Manila will be a nightmare. You’ll waste more than three hours in traffic. This is a ten-bedroom mansion and we are accustomed to having guests stay with us. Earlier we had a cancelation, and since you have already been so generous with your donation, it would be our pleasure to have you stay here. Enough talk…now it’s time to eat the lechon! Be sure to try the skin. It’s crispy like chicharon but tastes a hundred times better.”

  They walked downstairs.

  * * *

  Dr. Klein arrived with his two assistants in tow in the Chinatown section known as Binondo, trying with hurried footsteps to dodge the oncoming masses of people meandering in every direction. The narrow streets were lined with restaurants displaying steam buns in bamboo steamers and roast ducks hanging on hooks. Herb shops sold cure-alls for various ailments and a small furniture shop displayed a large vase and a wooden table set.

  When Dr. Klein and his men walked in the front door of the restaurant, he spotted the driver they had been searching for eating a plate of pansit noodles. With no time for formalities, Dr. Klein sat down in front of the driver and stared him straight in the face.

  “Do I know you?” the driver asked, putting his fork down.

  “Maybe we can do business together.”

  “Regarding?”

  “Information,” Dr. Klein said, lighting up a cigarette.

  “I’m just a driver for hire.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m here. Can you tell me where to find that couple you picked up from the airport?”

  “The American woman and the tall Filipino guy?”

  “Exactly. Where did you drop them off?”

  The driver shifted his head and looked around his surroundings, feeling a sudden uneasiness in Dr. Klein’s presence.

  “I’m paid to drive people to their destinations and leave.”

  “Maybe this will help you remember where you took them,” Dr. Klein said as he pushed a stack of thousand-peso bills across the table. “You only have to tell us where you took them and you will never see me again.”

  “You come here to insult me?”

  “Here’s more for your troubles,” Dr. Klein said, adding several more bills to the table. “I strongly suggest you take the money, or my friends might just take you for a trip to Pasig River. Who knows where your body might be found in the morning.”

  The driver glanced up at the two men standing over the table eyeing him with violent intent. Though his eyes trembled with fear, after a few seconds of silence, the driver pocketed the cash.

  “They are staying at the Bay Palms Hotel. I dropped them off around two.”

  “And how do I make sure you’re telling the truth? Just so I’d go away?”

  “Professor Rodriguez called me a few hours ago but I missed it…listen,” the driver said, pressing play on his phone’s voicemail.

  “Can you pick up Danny and Helen at the Bay Palms Hotel? They are on the fifth floor in a room facing the ocean.”

  “But they’re not there right now.”

  “Do you know where they’re at?” Dr. Klein asked, his face contorting into a look of impatience.

  “When I called back, Professor Rodriguez told me that I was too late and they had already driven themselves to a mansion in Malolos for some sort of festival. Maybe they’ll be back tonight…I don’t know?”

  * * *

  Dr. Klein and his two assistants walked straight to the pool area at the Bay Palms Hotel, pretending to be one of the many guests cooling off in the balmy night. When two women in their bathing suits walked out of the hotel’s rear entrance, Dr. Klein rushed to the door, acting as if he had forgotten his keycard and casually walked in. A few minutes later, when no one was looking, he let his assistants in.

  Dr. Klein checked the room number and pressed his ear to the door, listening for any activity but heard no noise from inside. Anticipating that Danny and Helen might be in bed sleeping, he signaled his men to draw their guns just in case the two decided to push their way out of the room. He inserted a fake key card attached to a handheld electronic device. Pressing several buttons on the keypad, a few seconds later the door clicked open.

  Disappointed to discover that the room was empty, they fanned out in the room and searched for the rollaway containing the Cube. Dr. Klein pulled the dresser drawers open while his two assistants searched through the bathroom. There was no sign of the Cube. Disappointed that he didn’t find what he came for, Dr. Klein sat on the high, winged-back chair next to the window, rested his gun on his lap, and watched the ships and freighters with their bright lights squeeze through Manila Bay. Then, he waited for Danny and Helen to walk through the front door.

  ELEVEN

  The following day, they left the city of Malolos. Danny was behind the wheel of the SUV feeling jittery as he drove, trying not to get hit by the tricycles coming at them from every direction. Though the sun was still rising, the streets were already teeming with activities. The small, family sari-sari stores were ready and open for business. As the SUV bounced up and down the pothole-laden streets, Helen anxiously programmed their destination onto her portable GPS screen.

  They soon made it to the North Luzon Expressway that would take them straight to Baguio City where the Philippine Military Academy was located. The Metro Manila four-lane highway was already clogged with container trucks, trucks carrying sugarcane, buses overflowing with passengers, and private vehicles leaving for work downtown.

  Danny stole a glance at Helen. She was quiet but constantly shifting her wei
ght in her seat and staring out the window at the row upon row of three-story billboard signs. They saw mile after mile of larger-than-life signs with clear-skinned models advertising the latest skin care products, sexy-fitting jeans and whitening toothpastes. Then there were pictures of happy families encouraging people to call an agent for one of the hippest, newest and tallest condominium complexes. Finally, came the posters showing a handsome, black-haired, copper-skinned leading man who was Filipino cinema’s latest discovery, just about to seductively kiss his leading lady in an effort to promote their latest romantic comedy.

  As they got farther away from the major towns, the sky began to open up, revealing blazing white clouds scattered across the light topaz sky. There were now rice fields flooded in water for irrigation that reflected the sun in between columns of freshly planted rice stalks. In the far distance, a carabao, or water buffalo, pulled a plow while a barefoot farmer trailed behind, mindless of the cars speeding by.

  * * *

  Carved into the side of a mountain, the road up to Baguio City was steep as it constantly wound back and forth. The SUV was approaching a switchback when the traffic began to slow down. Cars and vans began stopping on the side of the road. Tourists were taking pictures in front of a large statue of a lion’s head.

  Just as the SUV started moving again, Danny glanced at his side-view mirror, noticing a yellow sedan about six cars behind trying to pass a truck carrying sacks of sugar. If it hadn’t been for the reckless way that the yellow sedan was trying to pass the cars in front of it, Danny wouldn’t have suspected anything out of the ordinary. But the car’s urgent, erratic movements were alarming, considering most drivers on two-lane Kennon Road were aware of the mountain’s dangerous turns. His gut told him that something just wasn’t right.

  “I think we’ve got company.”

  Helen looked behind her. The expression on her face quickly changed from worry to panic. “I just saw Dr. Klein in a yellow car.”

  “How close are they?” Danny asked.

  “The car has just passed a large bus,” Helen said. “They’re five cars back.”

  Not wanting another encounter with Dr. Klein and his gunmen, Danny stepped on the gas. The SUV zoomed forward and started to gain distance from the cars behind. Seeing that the oncoming traffic was clear, he quickly passed the truck in front of him. For the next several miles, Danny maneuvered around cars but the yellow sedan seemed to mirror his actions. Each time he gained distance, the yellow sedan managed to close the gap. He knew that Dr. Klein wouldn’t stop until he caught up to them.

  After passing a flatbed truck, Danny steered the SUV up the ascending road. He could see a deep gorge to his right and knew that they could easily fall if he made a mistake and overcorrected the steering wheel.

  Soon the yellow sedan fell further back until Danny could no longer see it from his rearview mirror. As they climbed to almost 5,000 feet, the surroundings became noticeably greener with the trees that covered the mountainside—the temperature dropping to the high 60s.

  Danny glanced in his rearview mirror and, to his shock, saw Klein’s yellow sedan moving faster up the mountain. The distance between them was decreasing with each passing second.

  “See anything?” Danny asked. Sweat formed on his temples.

  “They’re right behind us!” Helen shouted.

  Through the side-view mirror, Danny saw an arm sticking out of the sedan’s front passenger seat and a pistol’s muzzle pointed directly at them. He floored it. The SUV belched smoke as it struggled to climb up the mountain. Gunshots echoed across the Cordillera mountain range. There was nowhere to go but forward and fast. The only way to evade Dr. Klein’s wrath was to outrace him.

  As they reached Baguio City, the road forked and Danny saw his one and only opportunity to lose Dr. Klein. To the right was the road leading directly to the Philippine Military Academy entrance gate. But it was a one-way road and offered no place to hide if Dr. Klein caught up to them. Even if Danny could outrun his pursuer, Dr. Klein would quickly figure out they were headed to the Military Academy—and with only one road leading in and out—Dr. Klein was sure to be waiting for the couple on their way back. Danny decided to risk it all and stay on Kennon Road. It was a straight shot to the city and he hoped that once they arrived that there would be plenty of places to hide and lose him for good.

  Their SUV was still in the lead but Klein’s yellow sedan was only two cars back and quickly gaining ground.

  The SUV’s passenger side-view mirror suddenly exploded.

  “Get down!” Danny shouted.

  Danny steered erratically as he weaved in and out of the lanes, trying to prevent their tires from being punctured by the barrage of bullets coming at them from behind. They came up behind a truck carrying a massive load of sand. Danny felt trapped and knew that whatever he did, Dr. Klein would follow and still catch up. Danny stepped on the gas and pulled in front of the sand truck to shield the SUV’s tires. Through his rearview mirror, Danny saw the yellow sedan’s front bumper trying to jump into the opposite lane to pass the truck but the oncoming traffic was nonstop. Dr. Klein couldn’t find a break in the parade of cars leaving the city.

  As they grew closer to Baguio City, Danny noticed the gaps between the cars were widening. It was only a matter of time before the yellow sedan would be in shooting range again. This long stretch of road was a deathtrap because they would soon be out in the open with no place to hide. Danny had to act quickly or they were sure to be captured. Not knowing where to go, he steered the SUV in the direction of Burnham Park. His only hope was the presence of kids riding their bikes and lovers rowing boats like swans on the lake would dissuade Dr. Klein from gunning them down. Danny tried to blend in with traffic but the merging vehicles getting in between them were both a blessing and a curse.

  “The yellow sedan is still following us,” Helen said.

  He looked behind him. At least ten cars were sandwiched between them.

  Danny prayed that the quagmire of cars, trucks and Jeepneys in front of him would start moving so they could get away. They were in a dire situation with no real options left, and so Danny took a chance and turned down a narrow street hoping it would somehow lead them to safety.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Danny saw an alleyway between two commercial buildings and turned onto a one-way street. To his dismay, a man pushing a cart full of handicrafts crossed their path. Acutely aware that in their rapidly deteriorating situation stopping would be suicide, he honked his horn and pressed harder on the gas pedal instead of slamming on the brakes. The man pushing the cart was startled and desperately tried to stop his forward momentum, pulling back his cart to avoid being hit. Danny was able to squeeze the SUV through the narrow space between the edge of the curb and the cart’s front end. The cart’s front crashed into the SUV’s rear bumper. Handicrafts consisting of wicker baskets, bamboo chimes, mats made from hemp ropes, brooms made from soft reeds, chandeliers made of sea shells, and a man’s wood carving in a barrel were strewn all over the alleyway.

  “They’ll eventually catch up to us and soon,” Danny said.

  “We need to get off the street, ditch the car and flee from this place!” Helen screamed.

  Danny surveyed his surroundings and quickly formed an escape plan.

  “Hang on!” he shouted.

  Danny switched the gearstick to second. The SUV lurched forward, one half of the vehicle on the street with the other on the sidewalk. He honked his horn warning the pedestrians to move out of the way. The vendors selling trinkets quickly grabbed what they could in order to save their wares from being crushed by the SUV’s massive tires.

  “Use the goddamn street, you idiot!” a merchant shouted.

  Danny squeezed the SUV though a driveway in between two buildings and parked the SUV at the back of a hotel.

  “What are you trying to do?” Helen asked.

  “Get out now! We need to get as far away from Dr. Klein as possible,” Danny said, opening the door.
Helen grabbed her backpack from the rear passenger seat and bolted out.

  With their SUV concealed among the dozen or so parked guest vehicles, they ran straight into the hotel lobby and booked a night’s room so that they could keep their vehicle on the premises.

  * * *

  Danny and Helen needed to get to Captain Santos right away. It was already 10 a.m. and they couldn’t afford to dilly-dally. As they hurried toward the main street, they passed by the street vendors selling sweet fried bananas, dried squid, barbecued corn and hot dogs on a stick.

  “Dr. Klein is still driving around looking for us. We can’t be seen here,” Helen said.

  “We need to cut across this empty lot to get to the other street and get a taxi to take us to the Philippine Military Academy compound.”

  * * *

  “These two aren’t Harry Houdini. They couldn’t have pulled a disappearing act on us that quick. They’re just around here hiding. Keep looking!” Dr. Klein shouted at his men in frustration.

  Dr. Klein and his men scanned the roads. With Danny’s tall stature, he should have towered over most of the pedestrians on the sidewalk. And with Helen’s light skin, he expected to be able to spot both of them right away.

  “Go through there,” Dr. Klein ordered the driver to go through the skinny two-way alley.

  * * *

  While running across the empty lot, they encountered a dog frothing at the mouth, white with patches of brown all over its body. It started running in their direction at full speed. Danny scanned his immediate surroundings for a weapon. He saw an old rake lying on the dirt and picked it up.

  “Danny!” Helen shouted.

  “Get behind me!”

  As the dog was about to lunge at them, Danny pointed the head of the rake with upturned teeth and tried to push the dog back.

  * * *

  Though Dr. Klein’s attention was focused on the people meandering the streets, hoping that either Danny or Helen would suddenly appear, the nasty dog, howling and barking from the open field caught his attention. He shifted his gaze to where the noise was coming from. To his delight, he saw Helen standing behind Danny while he tried desperately to push the dog back.