She Bleeds for Us: The Galactic Consortium 3

Chapter 42

Jake kept glancing at the map on the dash as he drove. They were driving through a lush forest now, not desert. They were in Guinea, nearing the border with Sierre Leone, nearing their final stop at the refugee camp at Pamalap.

"What's the coordinates again?" he asked Chatura, who was in the copilot's seat.

But it Abioya that answered, reading the numbers on the tag.

"We're close. But we're also close..." Jake broke off as the map's image was replaced by a blond head, Åse.

"Hallo," she called, waving at them through the projection. "You guys almost here?"

Jake gave a tight smile, hoping she couldn't see his nervousness. "Yeah, almost. But it might be awhile. We've one more break for the day."

"A break? But you're so close, just come in and finish early. We can get supper."

"Our ETA puts in late for supper," Abioya said. "Go on without us. You and Jake can flirt over bedtime tea."

"Hey," Jake protested, blushing.

Åse blushed, too. She stammered out denial and then said. "We'll see you when you get here."

When she signed off, Jake rounded on Abioya, furious.

"What?" Chatura said to his look before he even got to Abioya. "You two should just use a room."

The humor of Chatura attempting an earth idiom took the anger out of Jake. "I am not...is she flirting? Do you think she likes me?"

"Yes. And it got her off the phone," Abioya said. "Now get your mind back to business. Pull over here, we are there."

Jake pulled to the side of the road. He looked at the map again. "It's about thirty meters in," he said, looking at the map. "Ready?"

Abioya nodded and put the bag on his back. Jake followed him out of the cab and down the ladder. It was hot, not as hot as the Sahara, but it was in the low eighties easily and far more humid. He was sweating by the time he was on the ground.

The forest around them buzzed with insect life. It was dense but not so dense as to be difficult to get through.

"Looks like the place," Abioya said as they stepped into a small clearing near the coordinate.

"Yeah," Jake agreed. "Any idea where our contact is?"

Abioya just shrugged. "I guess they are late." He dropped the bag and looked around.

Jake bent and inspected the time coordinates. "It's the right time. What now?"

Abioya shrugged again.

"We give them ten minutes?" Jake offered.

Abioya agreed.

The two sat and waited. Flies and mosquitos buzzed around Jake's face and he swatted at them. The seconds ticked by.

"Have we given them long enough?" Abioya asked after some time.

Jake checked his watch. It was eight minutes. "I guess," he said.

There was a noise at one of the edges of the clearing. The leaves parted to reveal a young boy. Jake stared at him in shock for a long time and then laughed. "It's the boy!" It was, too, the boy he'd seen at the border at the outset of the unrest. The one he'd thought about ever since.

"My name is Gabriel," the boy said with a scowl.

"Gabriel," Jake said. "I'm Jake."

"Are those my supplies?"

"Wait," Jake said. "You are our contact?"

"Those are the supplies Devaki sent, right?"

"Yeah," Jake said. "But you're the one who is going to sneak them past the border?"

"I've done it three times now," Gabriel replied, an indignant tone in his voice.

Jake laughed again. He looked over at Abioya. "Can't argue with logic like that, can we?"

"Guess not," Abioya agreed. "It's a big pack for a little guy. Can you manage?"

Gabriel hoisted the pack onto his back. He staggered but got his balance. The bag was bigger than he was, sticking up above his head. But he seemed to be managing. "I can carry it," Gabriel said, pride in his voice. "Get it back to Freetown."

"Freetown?" Abioya said, shocked. "That's over a hundred kilometers."

"Ain't nothing," Gabriel said, though he seemed shocked by the number as well. He shrugged his shock off. "I made it here, didn't I? Piece of cake. Well, I got to go. Next drop?"

"Yeah," Jake laughed. "Next drop."

The boy disappeared back into the jungle. Jake and Abioya made for the truck. The sun was setting and the land turning dark around them. "Did we just agree to another time?" Jake asked as they broke out of the forest.

"You said it, not me," Abioya replied. And then, "did we?"

Jake shrugged. "God, if a kid can risk his life for this? Maybe we can, too."

Abioya smiled. "Yeah, you're right. He's got... What is it you American say, gimption?"

"Gumption," Jake corrected him. "The kids got gumption." They climbed back into the truck and headed on their way.