She Bleeds for Us: The Galactic Consortium 3

Chapter 11

Gabriel figured that finding his way to Guinea would be easy enough. It was straight north. The ocean was to the west, so he couldn't go too far off course that way.

But as the ferry crossed Tagrin Bay he began to realize that distances could be deceiving. It had been a short hop on the map. In life it was so wide he felt he was crossing the ocean itself.

He went up to one of the workers. "Excuse me, sir?"

The man gave him an irritated look, unhappy to be interrupted.

"It's just my grandmother," Gabriel said. He made a gesture towards the crowd, hoping the man would see some older lady and assume it was Gabriel's grandmother. "She is taking me to see some family up north." He thought hard. Where had they said the Consortium projects had been? "Kambia, I think. But she's not completely sure the route."

The man snorted. "Tell her to take the ferry to Pepel and take Port Loko road north. But good luck getting through. They are setting up roadblocks everywhere." He gave Gabriel a suspicious look. "Ain't going to see family, are you? Fleeing the country more like. To Guinea. Don't blame you, but you have even less chance getting across the border."

Gabriel shrugged the suspicion off and thanked the man for his help. He headed slowly back towards the crowd, checking to see if he was being watched but the man had turned back to his work.

So Gabriel waited until the ferry reached Pepel to climb off. It had been early afternoon when he left the ghetto. Now it was late evening and night was falling. He hadn't eaten since the morning and his stomach rolled but he ignored it.

Gabriel wasn't the only one heading north, though most were as the man had said, fleeing. Gabriel was going for help.

Still he saw a rich man hiring the last taxi to take his family north. But the rest, poor like Gabriel, were making the journey on foot.

The town of Pepel was small and mostly shut up for the night. Whether they were simply unfriendly or scared, he didn't know. He passed it by, taking the walking path that ran alongside the paved road.

A large family group was camped just north of town. The woman held out a round of flat bread to him. He eyed it hungrily but was scared to come forward to take it.

"We've little enough, but not so little we won't share," the woman prompted.

Gabriel snatched the bread and crouched at the edge of their fire, watching them closely.

"Heading to Guinea?" The woman asked. She had two grown sons with their wives and maybe a dozen grandkids ranging from older than Gabriel down to babies.

Gabriel ate the bread and didn't answer.

"Where is your family, boy?" The woman asked next. When Gabriel didn't answer she said. "Its not safe for a boy your age to be out on his own."

"I'm not afraid," Gabriel said around the last bite of bread. He felt afraid, but he wasn't going to admit that. "I'm going to find her."

"Her?" The woman asked.

"That princess from the sky. I am going to find her. My grandma is trapped in the ghetto by the police. She can help. I know it."

The woman looked at him in disbelief for a moment and then laughed loudly. "You've got spunk boy, I'll give you that."

Gabriel stared off into the night.

"You'll not make it tonight," she said. "Be a couple days walk at least. You can walk with us. Tomorrow."

Gabriel shrugged and sat back. He accept a tin can of water from the woman and listened as the others talked.

Gabriel had never slept out of doors before and it was a novel experience. He work early to find the fire burned down to ash and other people already on the road. He rose and looked at the sleeping family. He thought about waiting for them to rise, to go with them as the woman had suggested. But looking north he knew he had a mission. He started walking.