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"What happened?" Andres asked.
Ponce and Murillo looked at each other. It was Murillo who answered.
"The beast... it has escaped, Capitán. We don't know how he managed it, but the iron bars of the window are all mangled and torn off, it must have climbed out there."
Andres and Rodrigo ran to the cell, and, true enough, it was empty. The door was still bolted but the thick iron bars of the small window were twisted and pulled completely away from the solid concrete wall, the twisted remains lying on the floor, blood stains everywhere.
---------
Miguel urged the donkey he was riding to move faster as he rode to the sisters' kubo; as soon as he learned that Magdalena had left, he had gone to his room and changed from his cassock to the loose camisa de chino and shortened trousers many of the framers wore. He went out to the corridor and came face to face with Padre Jose.
"I must go after her, Padre."
The parish priest shook his head.
"No, my son, you do not know the nature of Magdalena's enemies, but I do, they are terrible creatures who leave only despair and destruction in their wake."
"She saved my life -- our lives -- she's wounded and alone. I have to help her."
Jose knew that the young priest was feeling more than just the desire to help, but whether Miguel was aware of this, the parish priest could not say.
Miguel de Acosta had been very young when he entered the seminary and had not truly experienced life outside its walls.
"Go to the stables, then," the older priest finally said, "and take the donkey, Porfirio, with you; you will make better time. Besides, donkeys are not skittish creatures, they may be small but many times braver. God be with you, hijo."
---------
Magdalena hid behind one of the old stone-walls outside of San Isidro. Illuminado's calesa was making its way to where she was and she breathed easier when she saw Lisa in the passenger compartment. She had torn the voluminous robe the priests in the abbey had put on her so she could move more freely, now she gathered what was left of it and hitched it around her waist. She stepped out from behind the wall and called out to the approaching carriage.
Illuminado had not fully stopped his pony yet, when Lisa jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards Magdalena; the two sisters embraced tightly, tears streaming down the younger girl's face.
"It came after Mang Julio and me last night, Ate, it wounded him on the arm and Dr. Lazaro had to amputate. I was so afraid, Ate," she sobbed.
Magdalena, too, wanted to cry, but this was not the time for tears, she had to be strong for the two of them.
"What happened to it, Lisa?"
"The capitán and Jason... I mean... Mr. Williams, shot it."
Magdalena chose to ignore Lisa's use of her employer's first name, there were far more pressing matters on hand.
"So they killed it?"
"It... it was near dying, Ate, the capitán and Mr. Williams shot it several times."
Magdalena shook her head, impatience rising.
"Is it dead, Lisa, yes or no?"
"I... I don't know, Ate, it was barely alive when Kuya Ricardo and the other men took it to the precinto, I'm sorry... I can't tell you anything more."
"Listen to me, Lisa, I need to know, did they shoot it in the head?"
The younger sister thought for a moment.
"No, most of the bullets struck its body."
Magdalena's shoulders sagged.
"It's still alive," she whispered.
V
"It must have gnawed and pulled the bars apart with its teeth," the sargento said, as he examined what was left of the window.
Andres Gonzales' eyes darted across the room, scanning the floor and the walls of the small jail. He shook his head.
"I think he used his hands, Sargento."
"What?" Murillo exclaimed.
The capitán pointed to the wall where the window used to be.
"What does that bloody print on the wall resemble?"
Dela Paz moved closer to the wall. He looked closely at the red mark.
"It looks like a hand," he whispered.
"And look at the bloodstains on the floor."
The three men looked down. Ponce and Murillo both made the sign of the cross, dela Paz felt the hair on his nape rise, refusing to contemplate the unthinkable.
The tracks on the cell floor were not those of an animal -- they were human.
---------
A surge of relief went through the young priest when he saw Illuminado's caritela outside the small hut where Magdalena and Lisa lived, tethered beside it was the pony. He quickly dismounted and tied the donkey beside it.
"Magdalena, Magdalena," he cried out, as he ran up the kubo's steps. The tiny door opened, inside was the cuchero.
"Manong," Miguel said, "are Magdalena and Lisa here? Are they safe?"
Illuminado nodded.
"Yes, they are here and both safe, they are outside, burying talismans to protect...," the old man stopped, to speak of monsters and supernatural beings might not sit well with the padre. "I mean, there is a... dangerous criminal... loose in the town, he attacked Lisa and Julio last night and..."
"He knows, Manong," Magdalena said as she and Lisa entered the hut, "a second halimaw came to the Basilica last night and attacked Padre Miguel."
"And you survived?" the cuchero said seeing Miguel in a new light -- admiration and incredulity on his face.
"But I..."
"Padre Miguel scared it off with a shovel, you were lucky you were carrying one, Padre," Magdalena quickly interjected, a silent plea in her eyes.
Miguel said nothing, he merely bowed his head, determined to confess his lies in his next confession.
Illuminado clapped him on the shoulder.
"Señorita Magdalena is right, you must be the most fortunate man on earth, Padre. In all the stories of men encountering those monsters, no one was ever said to have --"
The kubo's door swung open -- they all turned -- in the doorway stood the creature that had escaped from the cell in San Isidro's precinto that very morning; he looked like a man, except for his eyes that had the feral look of a predator and the sharp teeth revealed in a horrible grin.
His stare settled on Lisa, he lunged for her, determined to present her to his master, but he was knocked back through the still open door and tumbled to the ground. He rose quickly and faced his adversary; Magdalena Enriquez stood at the bottom step of the kubo, barring the path to her younger sister, her midnight-dark eyes flaming, fangs bared in a snarl.
"I am not like the others you have vanquished, La Loba Blanca," he said, his voice cold as death, "you will find me much more difficult to kill."
Magdalena licked her lips and smiled.
"More difficult... but not impossible."
They leapt into the air at the same time, each determined to finish the other off.
"Ate!" Lisa screamed.
---------
Andres and Jason rode their mounts past the town limits and on to the vast rice paddies where the many tenant-farmers of San Isidro resided, making their living eking out what they could from the land they tilled. It should not have been a difficult existence, the soil was rich and water was never a problem -- the river and its seasonal overflowing was mild, providing adequate irrigation -- but the masters and overlords, the land-owners, charged huge rentals and demanded the lion's share in the harvest as well, so that by the time every penny and grain of rice was accounted for, the farmers found themselves short... of cash, of food and of hope.
"Do you know where it is, Capitán?" La Dulcinea's manager asked as they left the town.
Andres nodded.
He knew exactly where the sisters' tiny holding was, he had been there before. It used to be farmed by Igmidio Macaraig, but he had given it up after the tragedy that befell his wife there.
Patrocinio Macaraig's gruesome murder, along with four others equally horrific, comprised the first case he had handled in San Isidro and though it had happened some three years past, it was still fresh in the minds of the town residents. Many had labeled the killings supernatural -- refusing to believe that a mortal could be capable of such cruelty -- even after the criminal had been killed.
And now, it was starting all over again... the strange death of Antonio Trillanes and the attack of the "beast from hell" last night and then its subsequent escape from a locked jail cell... had fanned both rumor and fear. But there was a difference, for this time even Señor Capitán Andres Gonzales could not find a scientific explanation for what he had witnessed.
A sudden scream pierced the quiet of the noon-day sun.
"That's Lisa!" Jason shouted.
"It came from their farm," Andres answered.
Their horses broke into full gallop.
---------
Sisto, the town albularyo and San Isidro's resident shaman, made his way to the precinto. It had become a habit for him to pass by the station every week and linger round its premises, listening in on the bits of conversation between the unknowing guardias. The opium incident three years before had left everyone in the secret society on edge and one way of gathering news if the authorities knew of their existence was to spy on them -- in their own territory. But so far, after months of dropping in at the precinto, he had gained no further news.
As he neared the station, he saw the large group of people surrounding its front yard; he could also hear the nervous questions being parried by Sargento dela Paz.
"Totoo bang may halimaw sa San Isidro?"
"Gentlemen," the sargento answered, "the beast is a large feral dog."
"How did it escape?"
"Why didn't the capitán make sure it was dead?"
"Nasaan si Capitan Gonzales? He should be here, not riding around the rice paddies."
Dela Paz raised his arms, as he tried to calm the nervous town residents.
"The jefe and Mr. Williams are tracking the beast this very minute, so please, everyone, calm down. The best thing you can all do is to go back home where you will be safe."
"How do we know there are not more of them?"
"Remember that every street in the town proper now has a neighborhood watch of two men, they can easily raise an alarm if they see anything suspicious."
"Is it true that the beast was responsible for the death of the stranger found behind the taverna?"
"At muntik nang patayin si Mang Julio Cuevas kagabi?"
A frightened gasp rippled through the crowd.
"These are all rumors," dela Paz said, "nothing can be gained from spreading them, except more fear. Yes, a wild animal did attack and almost killed Julio last night but it, unfortunately, escaped, whether it killed the stranger is pure conjecture. The only thing certain is that a dangerous beast is loose. Now, go home and make sure that everyone in your family is accounted for."
The crowd started to thin, albeit reluctantly. Sisto espied Rogelio, Don Lucas Regalado's foreman, hurrying towards him.
"Hey, hold up, compadre, what was that all about?" Sisto called out.
"Oh, Mang Sisto, it's been a few weeks since I last saw you," Rogelio answered as the two men continued to walk, "this all started with the dead man found the other night behind La Dulcinea, his throat was slashed so badly he was almost beheaded. Both Dr. Lazaro and the capitán believe that only a wild animal could have done such a thing. Then last night, Mang Julio and Lisa Enriquez were chased by a hideous beast, it tore Julio's arm to shreds! All who saw it say it was larger than a full-grown carabao; the capitán and Mr. Williams shot it several times before it went down. They dragged and locked it in one of the presinto's celdas, people were sure it would soon die. But guess what? The celda was empty when they checked it this morning."
"An escaped animal can easily be tracked and disposed of."
Rogelio stopped, took Sisto's arm and led him to a covered archway.
"It isn't just an animal, compadre," the foreman whispered, "I talked to one of the guards, he said the beast had turned into a man -- one of extraordinary strength -- who tore the bars right off the jail window!"
"Are you saying it was a maligno?" Sisto murmured.
The foreman nodded.
"It has been generations since those beings have been spoken about, Rogelio."
"I know and someone said another beast attacked the abbey last night, now," the foreman's voice became lower, "the jefe and Mr. Williams are off to the Enriquez sisters holding because... well, they believe Magdalena is involved."
"The water-diviner?"
Rogelio nodded again.
"One and the same. Look, I have to get back to the mansyon to tell Don Lucas about this. Adios, compadre."
Sisto watched as Rogelio crossed the street to where the carriage of the Regalados was waiting. The foreman got in and waved good-bye.
The alburalyo was not all too surprised that the name of Magdalena Enriquez had come up. Sisto was a shaman himself, he knew many of the spells and incantations, though he had not practiced them in years; these days his knowledge of herbal medicine had been more useful and profitable... for him, the town-folk and of course, the society, now christened the Katipunan. But he had not lost the instincts he was born with, he had always felt uneasy whenever he saw the maiden in town. And he knew she felt the same way... about him.
If Rogelio had to tell his master about this, then Sisto, too, had to inform the Supremo; any event in San Isidro could be turned into the society's favor.
---------
The maligno bared his talons mid-air, he knew Magdalena would not be expecting them, but he had not counted on the maiden's quickness; she saw the unsheathed claws and just before their bodies collided, she curled her body into a ball, her opponent sailed over her in a graceful but harmless arc. He landed a few feet behind her, she barely had time to face him when he launched himself toward her once more.
Magdalena cried out as the sharp claws raked across her back just when she was turning, she raised her right hand and caught his arm just above the elbow; she twisted the limb, he gave a barely human howl as his right arm broke. Still turning, she locked his other arm between them causing his head to land on her shoulder, she felt his hot breath on her neck, his sharp teeth were mere inches away from her throat. She quickly grabbed his hair with her other hand and pulled his face up. They struggled, locked in a deadly embrace, the monster tried to free his arm, but Magdalena held on. Suddenly she felt him yank her down, they were both falling, the beast had deliberately thrown his body to the ground. The shape-shifter raised his knees and wrapped them around Magdalena's waist, she struggled atop him, the tables had been turned, she was now held immobile.
"Surrender, she-wolf," her opponent whispered, "hand over your sister and you can both join us, El Divino will reward you handsomely."
"Never," Magdalena replied.
"Then you die here and now, La Loba Blanca."
The shape-shifter opened his mouth, sharp teeth glistening, intent on ripping her throat apart while his knees tightened their grip around her, pushing what little air she had out of her lungs. She could not afford to black out -- she recalled what these creatures had done to her father, the pain they had caused her mother and what they intended to do to Lisa -- the anger in her rose like a great wave.
She pulled the halimaw's head down just as she raised hers, hitting him hard on the jaw, he cried in pain... he had bitten his own tongue in half. His knees loosened their hold, Magdalena braced her feet on the ground and pushed herself up, still holding her foe by the arm and in one movement, struck him across his now bleeding mouth with her free hand. He fell back; Magdalena straddled him, lifted his head and tore his throat open with her fangs, rivulets of blood spurted out. Breathing heavily, she delivered the coup de grace: she pulled the halimaw's head off his neck and dropped it onto the reddened soil, it rolled and stopped a few inches away, a stunned expression on its face. She took one step back and fell to her knees as Lisa and the priest rushed to her side while the cuchero ran up the kubo. Miguel reached her first and cradled her in his arms, Lisa clasped her sister's trembling hands.
"Drink, Señorita," Illuminado appeared, holding a dipper of cold water to her lips.
Magdalena drank the cool liquid gratefully, she turned her head to thank the cuchero.
"Please don't move, Señorita Enriquez."
They turned towards the bamboo fence that surrounded the tiny farm. Capitán Gonzales and Jason Williams were by the open bamboo fence that circled the sisters' farm, their guns pointed directly at Magdalena.
---------
Magdalena sat quietly as she and her companions waited in a room in Dr. Lazaro's clinic. She had surrendered to the jefe and had been brought to the clinic so that her wounds could be attended to; as a precaution, she was now held inside a locked room. Her eyes strayed to where the others were -- both Illuminado and Lisa were asleep, the cuchero on a nearby chair while Lisa was lying beside her on a narrow bench, her head on her older sister's lap.
Padre Miguel was kneeling in front of the crucifix that was hanging on a wall -- a permanent fixture in every room of the clinic -- his rosary in hand, lips moving in silent prayer. Though the jefe had assured the others that he only wanted to question Magdalena, they had refused to leave her.
Tears threatened once again -- Miguel, Illuminado, Padre Jose -- they had all treated her and Lisa with nothing but kindness and understanding, something she had thought impossible after everything that had transpired. Even the capitán and Mr. Williams were respectful and discreet -- perhaps, if she had not followed the dictates of fear, anger and mistrust, she and Lisa would have led very different lives? No, the cult would still have tracked them down, regardless.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts, she heard the turning of a key, the door opened and Dr. Lazaro came in, with Capitán Gonzales and dela Paz close behind. Illuminado and Lisa stirred, while Miguel rose and sat beside the sisters. It was Magdalena who spoke first.
"How is Mang Julio?" she asked.
A small smile formed on the doctor's lips.
"He is doing well, we operated just in time and I believe I was able to remove all of the infected flesh."
They all sighed in relief.
"May I see him?" Illuminado asked, "he'll be needing a lot of cheering up when he realizes what's happened to him."
"You and Kuya Ricardo should go with manong, Lisa," Magdalena said to her sister.
"I want to stay here with you, Ate."
The older sister looked pleadingly at her cousin as she gently squeezed her sister's hand.
"Your ate is right, Lisa," dela Paz said softly, "Julio will want to know that you are safe. Come."
"Follow me," the doctor said.
Magdalena watched them go then turned to Andres who drew up a chair in front of the narrow bench.
"You will want to know everything from the beginning, Jefe," she murmured as he sat down.
Andres nodded. The maiden clasped her hands together and began to speak.
VI
"My mother was both witch and babaylan, a powerful combination, while my father was a sulhanol, a spiritist, born with a deep connection to and exceptional faith in nature, possessing an innate knowledge of its healing and curative powers."
