Chapter 112: Lunatic
The rest of the recruits streamed inside, clearing every nook and cranny of the church. I half-expected a few more pulajanes to spring out from the dark corners—shouting, blades raised—but no more fighters revealed themselves.
Mario’s men began dragging the corpses from the altar to the side aisles, clearing the way. The recruits carrying the ammunition crates finally arrived, grateful for the shelter offered by the church’s thick stone walls. They dropped the crates behind the pews, some of them sitting down to catch their breath, their faces streaked with sweat and soot.
The battle inside the church was over.
Outside, it was just beginning. The noise was getting worse—shouting and scattered gunfire. Chaos echoed from every direction, like the town itself was crying out.
It seemed Vicente and Dimalanta had also engaged the enemy. The gunfire was now everywhere.
But some of the noise was closer than the rest.
Then I remembered—I had tasked Roque with clearing the convent.
I quickly scanned the wall behind the altar. The sacristy door was right where it usually was—tucked off to the side. If we moved quickly, we could coordinate a pincer maneuver: Roque from the front, and us through the corridor that connected the church to the convent via the sacristy.
"Mario," I said sharply. "Set up a perimeter outside. I want men watching the approaches from the residential areas—especially to the southwest, and to the east, toward the presidencia."
The cadet gave a sharp salute and immediately set about the task, barking orders as he moved.
The scouts had reported about a hundred pulajanes fighters scattered across the town. We’d only accounted for about twenty so far. Reinforcements would arrive soon—maybe already had.