Nation part 3

Okay everyone, sorry it's late, but here's part 3. Also, remember that the purpose of this blog is so that I can get feedback on my writing! It's still a rough draft, so if you all could give me storyline feedback, character feedback, and voice feedback, that would be great. Enjoy the story!

Mindy had no idea what the man was saying. He, of course, was oblivious to the fact that both Mindy and Andrew were just nodding and smiling as he rambled. The words kind of sounded like giant flying insects of nonsense rambling out of this mouth. Mindy imagined trying to bottle the words, catch them in a jar because they sounded like butterflies.

So, she was officially losing it.

“Mom?” Andy leaned close to her, his dark eyes studying the man, “What's he saying?”

“I don't know.”

More mindless jumble came out of his mouth. Things that should have been English words but were too garbled to really be anything. But, he looked upset. The truck began to slow down. Mindy kind of felt like she was in a covered wagon from back in the pioneer days. The truck had that same fabricy type feel to it, and it was definitely rocky enough to be one. Pulling back some of the fabric by the rear, she looked outside. They were pulling over to the side of the road. A large hill extended above them, rippling like the ocean on ground. “What's that?” Andy whispered, peeking out himself.

“Probably rice fields,” Mindy said. She'd only ever seen pictures of them before, but that's what she thought they were. The truck continued to slow until it stopped right by the edge of one of the ripples. A straw cone popped up from behind one of the ripples, bobbing as it got closer. A little man in tight woven black clothing whistled as he approached the truck, a long stick slung over his shoulders with two baskets hanging off either side, like a scale. He smiled when he approached the truck, calling out in Chinese.

The bearded man Chuckled and answered, throwing back the curtain that protected the back of the truck. He hopped out and embraced the other, laughing and making sure the baskets didn't tip over. The two men exchanged rapid words in Chinese, giving all the more impression of having flapping flurries flying out of their mouths. The new man was obviously younger than their rescuer, and his eyes were black and glittered mischievously. “Ho!” he called, leaning around his companion, one arm slung casually over the stick as though it weighed nothing at all, “What're you doing hiding in there?”

“You speak English?” Mindy crawled out cautiously, holding a hand out to keep Andrew in the truck.

“So does Bai,” he replied, his accent barely affecting his speech at all, “He's very proud of it.” The bearded one, Bai, tried to say something in English, but Mindy felt a headache begin and stopped listening.

“Who are you?” She asked instead.

“I'm one of the few people on Earth that actually don't want the different Nations to kill each other. How about you?”

“I'm Miranda.”

“Nice to meet you.” The man tipped his straw hat, grinning. He swung the scale around, resting it on the ground and rubbing his shoulders. He'd been standing so straight, it'd looked like there'd barely been any weight on them at all, but the baskets were full of rice; thick soggy rice. His shoulders red and rubbed raw. Mindy hesitated, then stuck out her hand. He shook it graciously, smiling. “My name's Jian. This is my uncle Bai. He fancies himself an English speaker. What brings you to China?”

“I'm looking for my husband,” Mindy took a deep breath, she knew it wasn't always wise to just tell people what she was looking for, but it also took too much time sometimes to be elusive. “I have to find him.”

“And you know for sure that he's here?” Jian's face was friendly, but his tone made her straighten her back a little bit.

“He has to be,” she whispered.

The real search had begun in San Francisco. It hadn't taken too long to sell everything they had, people were grabbing at everything they could possibly hold, the family that bought their house looked like they hadn't been living under a roof in weeks. The money they paid for it was scrap, of course, but Mindy accepted it graciously. She could only hope that it would be enough.

Andrew hefted his backpack, looking up at his mother with tear stained cheeks, “Mommy, where are we going?” he hiccuped, trying to get a hold of himself. Mindy dropped to her knees next to him, grabbing the little body and pulling him close.

“I'm so sorry,” she whispered, he cried into her shoulder, his entire body shaking. He was still just a baby. Just a little baby. . .how could she do this? Her mother's words drifted into her mind again, accusing and angry. She shoved them away.

“We're going to find daddy, okay? We're going to find him and bring him home.”

“Where did they take him?”

“I don't. . . I don't know. I plan on finding out.”

“Okay.” He didn't ask the question that any adult would have. He didn't ask how she was going to find him, how she was going to figure out where he could have gone. He had total faith that she just would. Mindy took a deep breath, ruffling his hair.

“Let's go sweetie.”

“Are we ever going to come back?” he looked over his shoulder at the little house, grasping her hand with all his strength. Mindy couldn't help but feel how weak and little it was.

“I don't know.” Would they ever be able to come back? Wouldn't they just come and take Jason away again if they did? It didn't matter, they had to get him back first. She'd worry about the other bits later.

They'd made their way to San Francisco. Mindy was hoping that they'd be able to find transportation to where ever they needed to go from there. She knew that there was a government office holding there, a special place for someone sent specifically from D.C. to watch over larger cities. What she planned on doing with that government office building was still a mystery to her, which was beginning to be a problem. Everything was too sporadic, too unorganized. She needed to figure out exactly what she was doing or she would get herself and her son killed.

They walked through the streets, the skyscrapers soaring above them, people everywhere milling about as car horns honked and people clamored amongst themselves. Andrew stayed close, holding her hand. Mindy picked up a city map on a street vendor as they wandered, hoping to find a cheap hotel where they could stay for a few days while they figured this all out. She'd sold everything when they'd left home, the government tracked phone signals to their owners anyway, so her phone's gps and other apps would've been useless if she wanted to remain hidden. Besides, all the useful websites had been blocked anyway.

Mindy followed the map until they found a run down little motel. It was dirty, the “Vacancy” sign missing half it's letters. Business hadn't been booming for places that depended on travel for a while. Most of the smaller hotels had gone out of business years ago. Mindy couldn't help but wonder if this place had been full of people at one point. Squeezing Andy's hand for reassurance, they approached the building.

The lady at the front counter smiled when they walked in. She looked exhausted, large black circles around her eyes and wrinkles sagging down her cheeks. But her eyes were radiant and clear, moon shaped classes perched on her nose, “May I help you ma'am?” she asked cheerfully.

“We'd like a room, please,” Mindy said, trying to smile back.

“Of course, how many nights will you be staying with us?”

“I'm. . .” Mindy hesitated, sighing, “A week.” A week should give them
enough time.

“Alright, let's get that calculated up for you.” Mindy paid for the room and allowed herself to be escorted to the tiny one-bed room. It had a bathroom, but Mindy couldn't help but wonder if she should clean it herself before letting Andrew anywhere near it. The sink was dirty and the carpet was covered in sand, dirt and grass. The sheets were the only pristine looking ornament in the entire room, which was something of a comfort, and there was a little TV across from the bed. The women kindly asked if there was anything they needed, and Mindy told her no. She left, shutting the door with a sound click.

Andrew immediately fell on the bed, exhausted. He'd been sleeping in a car for the past few days, his poor little body couldn't take anymore. Mindy stroked his soft hair, listening to him breathe. He looked so much like Jason, blond hair, shining blue eyes if they'd been open. The perfect picture of what the standard “white” beauty would be. But that hadn't stopped them from taking Jason. Mindy couldn't help but wonder if they'd come for Andy next, claiming he was half alien. Would they take him and leave her all alone?

No, that's why she'd brought him with her. They'd never take anything from her again.

“Mommy?” Mindy jumped.

“Yes?”

“I love you. Don't leave, kay? Don't go away.”

“I won't sweetheart.”

“Promise forever,” he held out his hand, pinky up, Mindy linked her little finger through his. Her throat choked up, Jason used to play this game all the time. They'd started when the two of them had been dating, then Jason used it as a bargaining tool to make Andy do his schoolwork.

“I promise forever.” Mindy kissed his forehead, within seconds Andy had fallen back asleep.

Standing, Mindy pushed the baby under the blankets, tucking him in. A flick of the switch brought the room to darkness, making her fumble for her keys. Silently praying that Andy would sleep through the night, she slipped out the door.

San Francisco was still bright, even at night. Cars still wizzed down the streets, though they looked more brilliant, not as dusty and dull. The buildings were lit up too, brightening the black sky. Mindy pulled out her map, following the streets until she found a large white building, the American flag hanging limply from a tall pole. Most of the windows were dark by this time of night, but there was an emergency contact office open at all hours. Mindy approached cautiously, crossing and uncrossing her fingers.

She hadn't lost all hope in government. She knew that there were some really good things they were able to accomplish, and the reason everything was going down hill was because the world was going to hell. China had become the biggest rival for world power, it already dealt with most of the world's trade, almost having a monopoly on over sea businesses. They were leaving the US alone for now, most people assumed they had some sort of alliance going on that wasn't openly discussed. Europe was in an ever going explosion, some countries randomly coming together and attacking, while others had completely gone into isolation, refusing to have any contact with anyone. Everywhere seemed to be preparing for world wide war, but nobody openly talked about it. The “Alien removal” had just been another step in that direction, trying to prepare for a stupid war.

Mindy took a deep breath, then pushed her way into the office. A women sat there, typing rapidly on a computer. She approached cautiously, and for a moment the secretary didn't notice she was even there. When she did, she jumped slightly, then smiled broadly and gestured to a seat.

“Can I help you ma'am?”

“I. . .I have a question. About some of the new policies being implemented.”

“Well, we have all access to the policies right here, I'm sure I can answer any questions you have.”

“The. . .the American Boarders law, the one that removed all aliens from our boarders. . . “

“Yes?” she was still smiling. Mindy forced herself to sit straight. It was ridiculous that she was feeling so nervous, she was just asking questions, they were still allowed to ask questions.

“Where do they take them?”

“The official statement is that they are sent back to their home countries.”

“But. . .” back to their home countries? “I have. . . a few friends that were sent home. They would have contacted me if they'd just been sent home.”

“I cannot tell you why your friends haven't contacted you.” She shrugged, Mindy noticed she didn't suggest that Mindy try to contact them.

“Are you sure they are sent home? I saw some of them taken, and it wasn't in a kindly manner.”

“Don't be silly, ma'am. The United States government only has its people's best interests at heart.” But, according to them, Jason was no longer one of the United State's “people”. Mindy sat back in her chair, trying to think quickly. “Is there anything else I can help you with, ma'am?”

“Yes, the man they took was my husband. I have rights. I have a right to know where they took him, where he is now, and how to contact him.”

“I don't think that's possible, miss.” The warmth was beginning to leave the woman's tone. She looked away from Mindy, rummaging with the papers on her desk. Her hands trembled slightly, but she compensated by tapping her nails on the desk, “The location of immigrants. . .”

“He's not just an immigrant! He's my husband!You can't just break families like this!”

“People do it all the time.” the women stood up. “I think it's time for you to leave now, Miss.”

“It's Mrs.” Mindy stood up, “have they really sent the immigrants home?”

“Yes.” the women looked away.

“Ah, Ms. Renalds, you're here late this evening.” A man with slick, black hair stepped through the door. It was the first thing Mindy noticed, just how smoothly he'd brushed the hair back, giving it a glossy “new car” type of gleam. He wore a crisp business suit, carrying a briefcase in one hand. He smiled at Mindy, nodding politely. “Welcome to the government office, Ma'am, is there any way we can be of assistance?” Miranda wanted to scream at him. Had he heard what she'd said before?

“I. . .”

“Her husband was one of the immigrants that got relocated after the law was passed,” the woman said.

“Ah, truly unfortunate. Of course, you realize, Ma'am, that because of the relocation you are no longer legally married? All marriages to non-Citizens were annulled after the law was passed.”

“No,” Mindy shook her head.

“I'm afraid it's true. The law was quite specific. The threat to the nation and to our citizens could not be ignored. There are too many nations that require their citizens loyalty, and there are too many wars going on to make that a comfortable thought. Do you understand?” His tone was calming. As though he were talking reasonably.

“You're. . . You're not making any sense!”

“Am I not? Miss, I don't know you, but I do know the laws, this country, and its proud history. We need to unite as Americans, we need to make sure that our boarders are secure. This nation began under an isolationist theory, that of staying out of world affairs, and we've radically changed the position our founding fathers would have wanted. We're trying to protect the people of this country by putting a little more of that back into play.

“This is an immigration country,” Mindy chocked down her panic. She was terrified, something about the man's crisp appearance and his soft voice made her feel like a young disobedient child. But his words, his words were nonsense. How could anyone believe what he was saying? Everything that came out of his mouth sounded so. . . reasonable. But everything he was saying was absolute rubbish. “All of our ancestors are immigrants!”

“Not anymore. Miss, we must ask that you leave the premisses.”

Mindy stood up slowly, her hands shaking, and she tried to bite her tongue to keep herself from shouting, taking a deep breath, clearing her head, “You can't keep doing this to people,” she said, trying to mimic the man's tone, smooth, self assured, quiet. “Eventually they're going to figure out what rubbish this is, and they're going to put a stop to you.”

“What is your name?” he asked, slightly cocking his head to the side, reminding Mindy horribly of a rooster.

“It's Miranda,” the secretary said, “Miranda Moore, or. . . Ibori. Miranda Ibori. I just looked it up in the files.”

“Your husband will be returned safely to his homeland, Miranda,” He reached out to put his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, but she jerked back, she bit her tongue harder to keep back the tears, “You don't have to be concerned. We are just strengthening the nations borders.”

“You're a bastard,” she whispered. “A bloody bastard.”

“It says here that she has a young son, Andrew, about 6 years old this last May.”

“Where is your son Miranda?” the man leaned over the desk, looking at the files, “It looks like you're a long ways from home.”

“She sold her house 3 days ago, gave away everything she doesn't have on her.”

“How do you know all this?” Mindy whispered, “How could you possibly have that recent of records? That sale was between me and the new owner of that house.”

“Everything is our business, Miss Ibori.”

“She's traveled long distance, with a minor, and didn't purchase a permit or tell anyone where she was going. She's in violation of Code 683 of the Citizen Protection Act.”

Mindy realized a second too late what they were doing, she backed up, reaching for the handle of the door. It was locked.

“Miranda, please sit down. Where is your half-breed son?” Once again, that voice did not match the words.

Mindy turned around, pulling frantically at the door.

Why had she left Andy alone?

Sorry!

Hey! I'm so sorry, but this week has been crazy so the next part of "Nation" wont' be coming out this week. I'll try to make sure that it's finished by this upcoming Saturday! In the meantime, I'm going to post up the first bit or so of the story that will be posted up after "Nation" is finished. Kind of like a sneak peak. Thanks for your patience!

It was always kind of frightening, flying at high speeds through the air and never really knowing if we were going to crash into a wall or not. I pulled sharply on the reigns, trying to get my animal to turn, but it just buzzed angrily, kicking its legs and running along the empty air.

“Come on, Tara!” Zack shouted at me, keeping perfect control over HIS beast as though he'd ridden every day of his short life. Which wasn't actually a showing of how much skill he had, more of how much of a teacher's pet he was. He got the best pick of the bunch, and it showed. Which was irritating.

“Pull right!” the teacher's voice sounded in my ear, and I tugged incessantly at the reigns, but instead of turning left the way the creature was supposed to, it shot upwards. I screamed, dropping the reigns and just starting to bang incessantly on the outer exoskeleton. It snapped, swinging its head around to try and bite me, but I leaned back to avoid the mandibles.

“Why won't you just do what I say??” I shouted.

“TARA! The hardair!”

I spun around in panic, just as the wall hit me. The barrier looked just like any other patch of open air, but it was hard and slippery. The entire left side of my body crashed against it, making my head ring. The buzz from my animals wings sounded like a thousand sirens shouting “HERE I AM! HERE I AM! KILL ME!!” My saddle was slipping to the side, and I tried desperately to reorient it, but my head was still spinning from the impact.

“Ugh. . .”

“Tara! Get away from that part of the sky! You need to fly to safety!” HOW? I wanted to shout back. My stupid animal won't listen to a single signal I give it!! And now it was trying to break through the hard air and escape out onto the outside. Which could only be worse then the inside. Right?

I pulled on the reigns, trying to reassert control. After a few seconds of fighting it, the beast finally seceded to my reign and began to fly downwards. Which was partially what I wanted, so it worked for me. I landed on the cliff, jumping down from my seat immediately to feel the firm ground beneath my feet. Whoever decided flying these things was a good idea was obviously a moron.

Zack landed next to me, hoping off his carefully trained pet with precision and grace. I glared at him. “Tara, are you okay?” his face looked all concerned. It was almost sweet. In the obnoxiously angering type of way.

“I'm always okay,” I snapped, go away. I wanted to add, but didn't. Because every once in a while, some of my family's teachings stayed within me. Things like, don't make enemies of people who pretend to be your friend. Not outright anyway.

Nation part 2

“Mom? You're crushing my head.” Andy squirmed a little, trying to loosen Mindy's hold on him. She let go, taking a deep breath and looking away. The others in their compartment were still just sitting there, seemingly not doing anything at all. It had been months since they'd taken Jason, but the memory still left her feeling cold. Cold and lonely.

Mindy ruffled Andrew's hair, forcing herself to smile. “We're going to be there soon,” she said softly, “Can you wait to see it?”

“What will it be like? Covered in bamboo? Will there be pandas everywhere?”

Mindy laughed, “Maybe, I've never been.”

“I'm so excited,” his little eight year old face split into a grin, eyes shining, “We'll get dad back and then visit The Great Wall!” Mindy tried to keep her smile fixed.

“Yeah, we'll do that.”

“Promise?” His hair was so dirty, the previously blond hair was streaked with grease and dirt, his face grubby. His fingernails were cracked, some of them looking like they were getting ready to start bleeding. His clothing was torn and ripped, his blue eyes shining despite the thick film of misery that lurked just behind the gaze. He would stand out like a sore thumb among all the Asians. He'd taken after his father, looking more white than Mindy's dark complexion and short brown hair. She still wasn't sure how that had happened, weren't her genes supposed to be dominant?

“Yes,” she said, “I promise.” The ship heaved to the side, making Mindy's stomach flop upwards. Andy jumped up in case she lost whatever lunch she'd managed to force down. He put his hand on her head the way she'd done whenever he was sick.

“I don't think you're head is too warm,” he said, she smiled.

“Well, that's good to know,” she gulped down the bile.

“You won't leave me, will you?”

“Never.” she hugged him tight again, “I just can't wait till we get off this blasted ship.” Andrew nodded. “We should be there by nightfall.” she reassured him. He nodded again, closing his eyes and resting on her shoulder. His breathing was smooth and even.

“I'm going after him,” Mindy told her mother, the morning after they'd taken Jason. She'd stayed up all night, tossing and turning. She couldn't imagine what they would do to him, would they just send him home? Was he being held somewhere? It didn't matter. He was her husband. She was his family. She was going after him.

“Miranda, sweetheart.” Her mother twisted her shirt, biting her lip, “You realize what will happen don't you? They're not just going to let him go. They don't want foreigners in the country, and they say it'll make us safe. . .” she was twisting the hem of her shirt faster and faster. Mindy closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply and calmly, “I know,” she said, her fists clenched, “But. . . Mom. . .” she took in a deep breath, “HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? How can you possibly think that Jason would do ANYTHING that would hurt this country? All he ever did was try to take care of his family, all he ever did was his own business. We're even cleared of all the debt! How can they just. . . How can they just. . .” her shoulders shook, the entire world was falling apart. Everything was just. . .wrong.

“Shh, shh Miranda.” Her mom pulled her into her arms, stroking her hair, “shh, don't cry, it's going to be okay, shh, shh.” It's not okay, it's not okay for as long as he's been gone.

“I'm. . .” Mindy gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat, “I'm going after him.”

“Miranda, you can't. What will Andy do? You can't just leave him.” Andrew. Her little boy. This was the hard part. But what right did they have to take away her family? What right did anyone have to say that they shouldn't be together? Everything inside of her told her that what she was about to do was risky. Her first instinct was to protect her son. She couldn't just take him with her when she might be thrown in jail, or shot or. . .who knew what else. She should leave him somewhere safe. He should be free of all of this, grow up in a fantasy where people didn't just take their parents away from them. But he wasn't going to.

“Mom, we're going to war,” Mindy said, “The entire country is preparing for it. It'll be almost everyone else against just us. They're going to be taking people from everywhere, there's going to be invasions, the US isn't safe anymore.”

“Don't be silly. . .”

“You KNOW it's true. It's not just the American government that's going to pot, it's EVERYWHERE. The entire world is going insane. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that I can't live like this. I won't let this happen. If my family is going to die, we're going to die together. I'm taking Andy with me.”
* * *

The door to the ship compartment burst open. The captain stood there, his beard bristling as he smelled the stink from all the passengers. There weren't too many reasons to be trying to get into China these days, but they each had their reasons, and none of them were very willing to share. In the three weeks they'd been on the ship had stretched their endurance, almost everyone was sick from the conditions and the stink from those that had originally gotten sea sick. But now it was time to leave, just like they'd originally planned.

Captain Adrian Tai was known for his fair play. He was also known, if anyone had ever bothered to check, for piracy, smuggling, and double dealing. But he was probably the only pirate that dabbled in those activities governed by a highly sensitive moral conscience. He knew that people had their reasons for wanting to get into the different nations. He also knew that most of the time they had no way of doing so, and were desperate enough to pay the highest sum possible. He was essentially a good man, or liked to think of himself that way. He just didn't like playing by someone else's rules. After all, if you gotta go to jail for something (and these days, you really did) then it might as well be something you feel good about.

There were plenty of people willing to help you if you had the cash, and the desperate usually found a way to get the cash. Adrian thought of the mother and her little son. They were probably the saddest of all the refugees, definitely the youngest member was that little boy. He sometimes wondered if he did the right thing in accepting their money, or if he should have just told them both to go home. It was dangerous in these waters. It was dangerous to be anywhere you weren't supposed to be. But he'd recognized that look, if he hadn't helped them, they would've found someone who would.

Might as well be him getting paid.

Each piece of cargo was carefully labeled. All of the refugees would be sent ashore and given to a certain supplier. They would all, of course, be going different places. There was no point in trying to smuggle people in if they were all just going to get caught. They were given very specific instructions. Not all of those picking up their goods knew their were people hiding amongst them, and it was probably better that it stayed that way.

Adrian stood calmly, holding his hands behind his back and staring at the coastline. He'd be back, and some of these people might come back with him, but he was willing to bet that the majority of them wouldn't be coming back. A barrel was rolled past him, down the plank and carried onto the dock. The buildings extended far into the distance, the skyscrapers reaching for the sky and flashing their shiny lights against the sun. the loading docks seemed tiny in comparison. Adrian tipped his hat, turning around and retreating into his cabin for his records, it was going to be a very long day.
* * *

Mindy pulled her legs up to her chest, feeling her heart pounding against the rib cage. Her palms were sweating, her back was already beginning to ache, and it was all she could do to keep herself from making a sound as they rolled her barrel over and over again. Her already upset stomach flipped around, trying to keep itself form disintegrating in its own bile. Andy was supposed to be in the barrel next to her, going to the same dock, but she had no idea if that was true or not. She didn't even know 100% that the captain was trustworthy. What if she got out and Andy. . . No. No, there wasn't any point in panicking. Right?

Mindy closed her eyes, wishing everything would just. . Stop. Actually, she wished that Jason was there with her, and that they were sitting in their yellow house and everything was shiny and perfect. Unfortunately, life didn't always run that way.

The barrel jolted to a stop, tipping in it's side and finally sitting upright. Mindy's cheek smashed into the bottom of the barrel, her body's weight smashing onto her face. She wiggled a little, trying to be careful and not move the barrel. All the blood rushed to her head and she had to swallow her stomach juices again. If she ever lived through this, she would never set foot on the sea again.

She heard the rolling of another barrel, it sounded like it was being set up somewhere close to her. She could only hope that Andy was in that one. They weren't supposed to get out of the barrels until they were at their destination, and then sneak out at night. Hopefully that would take them to some of the inner cities, Debjit had explained that if Jason was still in China, he'd be in Anshan. Mindy had no idea where that was, but she had a name. She just needed to find the person, and he'd help her save her husband. That's what the Indian had told her anyway. It was hard, just relying on someone to tell her the truth, hoping that they were right. But she really had no other choice.

Distant yelling gave Mindy the opportunity to shift her position. Voices yelling in gibberish, calling out to each other while feet pounded against the dock. Somebody screamed, and Mindy could hear something heavy being dragged against the wooden floor.

“Please! No, Please! You don't understand!” It was an older woman's voice, “Let me go!” Mindy scrunched up her eyes, trying to cover her ears. She didn't want to hear this. She recognized that voice, it was one of the refugees. She'd just sat in a corner, minding her own business the whole time. Mindy didn't know why she had come to China, none of them had really wanted to talk about it. More shouting in Chinese, Mindy wished she could understand what they were saying. The sound of feet moving along the dock resumed, making Mindy hold her breath. She could guess that with the discovery of the older women, they'd start looking for any other stowaways.

They were told that under no circumstances were they to get out of the barrels. They were to stay inside and wait until they reached their destination or at the very least were loaded into the trucks. There was no way they'd survive if they did otherwise. But. . . Andy.

What if they found Andy?

The crack in the top of the barrel was designed so if she stuck her fingers in the little wedge, the top would pop off. She wasn't sure if it would pop off or if she could slowly life it up, but she needed to take the risk. She wiggled, bringing her body into an upright position. She tried to jostle that barrel as little as possible, but it definitely jiggled. Fitting her fingers into the indent, she lifted the top off easily. Peeking through the crack showed her people running back and forth, pushing over barrels and a few grabbing weapons and running toward the ship that was already setting sail. The captain was a smart man.

They were at the edge of the dock, right before the city. There were large buildings going out in all directions save the one leading back to the ocean. She could faintly see a road further back, with people walking back and forth. Would they be able to loose people in the crowd?

Yeah right, she was a black woman with a white child in a city of Asians. They'd stick out worse than a daisy amongst a bunch of roses. But she just needed to make sure that Andrew wasn't caught. Should they try to leave now, or just wait and see if they were caught? Was it worth the risk?

Peeking through the top, she could see the crate next to her, it was a good foot smaller than her barrel, but she couldn't tell if anyone was inside it. She whistled softly, the tune they used to whistle to call their dog before he died. An answering whistle, barely perceptible, came out of the crate. He was there, and following instructions exactly. Staying quiet, staying in the barrel. Mindy lowered the top, feeling better, but then peeked out again at the men going through the packages. What would they do if they got caught? They hadn't come all this way just to be sent back home, or thrown in prison. They hadn't come all this way for nothing.

The men were shouting in Chinese still, going through all of the different packages, pulling out the other passengers. Some of them started crying, trying to get away, others just silently accepted their fate. Mindy and Andy were at the edge of the dock, furthest away, should they run?

“Keep youl head down miy, 'le you wan' be caugh'.” The lid slammed down tight, forcing Mindy to tuck her head, “quie' quie', you be fine,” The barrel lifted, and before being thrown into a harder surface. A second later, a squeek from nearby told Mindy Andy had been thrown too.

“You okay?” She whispered.

“I think so. . . We're going to see the wall right?”

“Yes Andy,” Mindy gulped as the surface below her began to rumble. “We're gonna see the wall. Someone started shouting in Chinese. Mindy felt the engine rumble louder beneath her feet, and heard a man shout something that was probably profane.

“Any English?” someone yelled. The voice from before answered in Chinese. “Then let us check!” The voice didn't have an accent. Mindy rubbed dry lips with her tongue, fitting her fingers into the whole again, giving her a view. A barrel chested Chinese man was facing down another in a business suit. The man in the business suit had a clean shave and short black hair, whereas the other had long hair and a mustache. He was waving his hands around, gesturing to the ocean, the buildings, even his truck. When he was finished he put his hands stoutly on his hips. The business man was shaking his head and smiling, white teeth flashing against darker face. He held out his hand, rubbing the fingers together.

The other threw up his hands in the air, glaring at the other. Until, finally, he dug out of his pocket a few bills, throwing them at the man, who caught them and tipped an imaginary hat and walked away. The mustached man growled, turned on his heel and climbed back into the truck, pulling up the back and sitting next to Mindy's barrel.

“You keep dat 'id down, mi'y,” He said, pushing on the lid to cut off her view, “You get caut an' I ro'e 200 do'arr.”