Three Days West Read online

  The journey west took three days. When outside of Soteria’s waters, they transferred to a bigger ship, a whaling ship that Diego owned. He didn’t dare bring it inside Soteria’s waters. He kept it anchored halfway across the Indian Ocean. Three days west would get Diego’s small boat where it needed to be for the transfer. Then it was the home stretch.

  “Okay,” Malik said to Perry through his facemask. “I’ll wait at the entrance to Pier B and keep an eye out for arrivals. You get the boat ready. We’re getting out of here at 6:06. Not a minute later.”

  Perry nodded.

  Chapter 3

  The roads were deserted.

  More than six blocks now separated Adrian from his home when he finally drove past another car. An electric four-wheel drive headed the other way, its roof rack loaded to the brim with suitcases and travel bags, all soaking wet in the afternoon downpour. Six passengers sat crammed inside the car. Adrian wondered where they were heading. Maybe, like him, they were attempting to escape the brutal, malevolent grasp of the Humanist Union.

  He wished them luck and kept his eyes on the road, scanning corner to corner, keeping an eye out for any Union vehicles or infantry. They would be easily noticeable by their bulletproof trucks and their symbol of propaganda, an ominous, red, soaring eagle. The ever-present Union logo stretched the full length of Union vehicles, a constant reminder of their unavoidable presence.

  Adrian kept a lookout for that menacing bird.

  Twelve blocks from home and his heart rate subsided. There wasn’t a soul around, Union soldiers or otherwise. It was like he drove through a literal ghost town. Confidence increased. The sweet smell of success lingered, ever so faintly. He was halfway to Hilary Harbour.

  As he drove through the business district, people appeared. Cars idled at intersections, their drivers waiting for lights to turn green, even though no traffic came the other way. Pedestrians ran frantically from shelter to shelter, refusing to let the rain impact their errands any longer.

  Then he saw it.

  Large, black, riot-proof wheels, grey outer chassis and jet-black tinted windows… And that inescapable, big red bird.

  “Shit.”

  Adrian turned the corner as fast as he could without drawing attention. His tyres squealed on the wet road. He winced through the turn, clenching his teeth at the sound, envisioning whoever occupied the large grey truck watching him flee in his getaway vehicle.

  Then, in his rear-view mirror, Adrian watched yellow sirens light up the dull afternoon sky, bouncing hypnotically off the glass building beside the intersection.

  Shit… They were watching.

  Conflicting emotions struck Adrian in violent waves. Fear. Defeat. Nausea. Acceptance. Hope. He contemplated bringing the car to a stop and giving himself up, knowing if he did so, they would send him to some pit in the bowels of the overcrowded correctional system. His foot hovered between the accelerator and the brake, stuck in a psychological limbo. Then from somewhere deep within, the undying will to survive surfaced and outwitted the waves of hopelessness and despair.

  He put his foot down and sped up through the next corner, zigzagging through the empty city streets to outrun the slow, armoured vehicle. The rain hammered down and the blur of multi-storey buildings whizzed past him in fragmented images. Debris lined the streets. The shells of burnt-out cars littered the sidewalks. The Union’s unforgiving presence was clear on every street. Corner after corner, Adrian handled the old Mazda like his life depended on it. In the rear-view mirror, the threatening glow of yellow lights bounced off the bordering buildings. Adrian took each corner faster than the last, yet, somehow the Union truck kept pace.

  Adrian persisted through the panic. He glued his hands to the steering wheel and his eyes on the rubbish-ridden roads. Up ahead, before a fork in the empty street, Adrian caught sight of an abandoned parking lot. Anti-Union graffiti covered its red brick exterior and gaping holes were all that remained of the shattered windows. The boom gate that usually blocked the entry lay in a bent heap beside its damaged hinge. Adrian cast one final glance into his rear-view mirror. The truck had not yet turned the last corner. He floored the accelerator and aimed at the small entrance between the red brick walls, almost becoming airborne as he sped up the concrete ramp and into the gloomy parking lot.

  With his heart about to rupture through his chest, Adrian pulled up the handbrake as the Mazda slid around the steel bollards at the parking lot's entrance. He came to a stop on the inside of the red brick wall and turned off the ignition. In the frightening silence, the sound of his heavy breathing became deafening.

  He kept his head low, peeking over the dashboard. The yellow sirens appeared in the gloom, followed by the outline of the menacing truck. A turret mounted on the top of the truck rotated from side to side, scanning the surrounds. Attached to the turret was the barrel of a six-foot gun. Adrian slouched lower in his seat.

  The truck slowed down, almost coming to a complete stop.

  Adrian held his breath.

  Then it turned the corner and continued on the narrow motorway between abandoned buildings. Just like that, Adrian was safe, at least for the time being. He remained inside the car, hidden in the parking lot’s eerie darkness until he was sure they had left. Five minutes passed. His heart rate returned to normal. Ten minutes passed, and for the first time in days, the rain eased.

  Hilary’s Boat Harbour, 6pm, the stranger had said. Adrian’s watch read 5:41. He had nineteen minutes to get through the last nine blocks, or he would miss his boat off the mainland. Nineteen minutes separated him from the rest of his life.

  Adrian turned the car back on and forced himself to head out into the streets. He didn’t have a choice. He drove in the opposite direction from where the Union truck had gone, parallel to the coast, for as long as he could. Roadblocks blocked several intersections. Thankfully for him, they were unmanned. The rain must have kept the soldiers inside. In a strange way, despite the danger that accompanied the toxic rain, its presence had made his journey easier. The city was far quieter than it would have been in more welcoming weather.

  Two blocks to go.

  The rain eased. The traffic increased. Adrian pulled the Mazda to a stop outside of the open parking space next to the large harbour, avoiding a bunch of vehicles congested at the far end of the road. Leaving the car running, he pulled the waterproof hood of his jacket back up over his sweaty, long hair, grabbed his pack and opened the door.

  He sprinted across the empty parking lot. A faded sign hung crookedly at the far end of the lot. Surface rust spread across the sheet metal like aggressive cancer. Still, Adrian could make out the words: Hilary Harbour.

  Adrian’s hands stung, damp with toxic rain. He ignored it and kept running. Fifty metres separated him from the canopy entrance guarding the rows of boats inside the harbour.

  He was going to make it.

  Twenty metres to go.

  Adrian stopped. A large four-wheel drive came to a screeching stop between Adrian and the entrance to the harbour, blocking his path. His heart sank. He saw his own frightened reflection in the tinted window of the passenger side.

  His thoughts raced. Undercover Union soldiers had found him. They must have been staking out the harbour.

  Crippled by defeat, Adrian stood frozen in the fading rain as the passenger door opened beside him.

  Chapter 4

  Adrian clenched his fists.

  He wouldn’t let them take him without a fight. The car door opened and a woman stepped out. Adrian took a much-needed breath and released his clenched fists. The woman was middle-aged with long, thin, coffee-coloured hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a puffy, grey jacket and a pair of civilian jeans. Adrian looked into her jade green eyes and sensed the same desperation he felt. She looked at him. She looked at his hiking pack, hanging over one shoulder.

  “Are you here for the boat?” She asked with caution.

  Adrian nodded, not knowing if this was whom he needed to give the password to, he said it anyway. “Hilary Harbour. 6pm. Salvation…”

  The woman gave Adrian a quick smile, and then said something to the passengers waiting inside the tinted vehicle. The other three doors opened. Two kids jumped out the back seat. They wouldn’t have been any older than fifteen, maybe younger.

  Adrian couldn’t see the driver step out on the other side until he walked around the bonnet. He was tall and overweight. White stubble covered his weary face. He looked at Adrian with caution.

  “Jen says you’re here for the boat, too?”

  “Yep. Are you guys passengers?”

  “We sure are.”

  “Well, let’s hurry. Come on.”

  Adrian stepped around the front of the old four-wheel drive and ran the remaining twenty metres to seek shelter from the easing rain. The family of four stayed right behind him. The four-wheel drive still idled. The lights were still on. The older guy saw Adrian looking at the car.

  “We won’t be needing that any longer.”

  Adrian smiled and pointed to the far end of the parking lot. The blue Mazda parked across three parks, the windscreen wipers swaying in hypnotic rhythm.

  “I know what you mean.”

  “Hey dad, look,” said the smaller of the two kids. She was pale and thin. She looked frightened. “Pier B, Row 4.”

  She pointed to a small laminated sign hanging from a single nail on the gate’s frame.

  “Okay. Thanks, Belle. Let’s go.”

  Adrian pushed open the rusty gate. As he did so, the loose chain fell into a puddle on the cracked bitumen. He ran with the four strangers across the first pier, looking for Pier B. As they reached the corner, intersecting two large wooden docks, a man stepped out from inside a small shed.

  The little girl screamed.

  All five stood frozen.

  The man wore a full-body white suit with a facemask and hood. All they could see was his eyes. Adrian looked into them. He had seen them before. He was sure it was the guy who had come to his house. It was the guy who had given him the details.

  The masked man stepped in front of the cowering crowd and pulled an automatic handgun from the pocket of his suit.

  “What are you doing here?” His voice was raspy. His accent was foreign.

  “Hilary Harbour. 6pm,” Adrian said. “Salvation.”

  Silence.

  “Why are there five of you?” Malik finally responded.

  “What do you mean?” This time it was the woman, Jen, who spoke. “We paid for our family. We paid fair and square. We ran into this guy in the parking lot. I don’t even know his name. Now come on. Are we getting in the fucking boat or not?”

  The two kids dropped their jaws. They had never heard their mum swear.

  The masked-man looked through his fogged-up mask. Desperation oozed from the expressions of all five escapees. They had sacrificed everything. They had risked it all to get to that harbour.

  “Okay, follow me.”

  Malik led the group along the wet dock, past a range of moored boats. He came to a stop outside a blue fishing boat with a white gunwale, nestled between two larger sailboats. The group of five huddled close behind him. Nervousness filled the air.

  “In there. The stairs are at the back. Get inside quickly.”

  Adrian looked at the boat. It was smaller than he had been expecting. He went first, followed by the family. As he stood on the bow, the boat rocked under his weight. He held the side rail and stepped across the wet fibreglass, making his way to the back. A small rusty ladder provided access inside. He cast one final look at the harbour, at the land, at Australia, and then climbed inside.

  Life as he knew it had changed forever.

  Chapter 5

  The inside of the cabin was small and stale.

  The potent smell of cigarettes hit Adrian’s nostrils the moment he was inside. He hadn’t smelt cigarettes for years. Not since the Union had banned them. It brought back strange nostalgic images of his dead dad. He pushed those memories back inside his mind’s vault and scrunched up his nose. Despite the uncomfortable smell, being out of the rain was worth it.

  A small table leaned against the wall at the far end of the cabin. Two men sat down and watched them come flooding down the ladder. The first man stood. He was tall. He needed to bend his knees to stop his head from hitting the roof of the cabin. The second man stayed seated.

  “Hello,” the taller man said once all five made it down the ladder. “Welcome to the rest of your life. My name’s Diego and I’ll be transferring you to Europe. It will take three days to get outside of Soteria’s waters. From there, we will transfer to a larger ship. I’m sure you have many questions. We are waiting on one more passenger, though. Once she arrives, I’ll give you all the answers you need. For the time being, please make yourselves comfortable. I look forward to a safe journey.”

  It was a good sales pitch. He said the same thing each trip, almost like a script. He sounded authentic. He wasn’t. Diego didn’t care for these people at all. Hell, he didn’t really like people. What he liked was money. In the war-torn world that was their reality, people needed to make money however they could. He put on a false smile and watched his pockets fill.

  “It stinks in here,” the small boy said. “It smells like smoke.”

  Diego clenched his teeth. “Well, yes, young man. That’s because we smoke. If that’s a problem for you, you’re welcome to stay on land!”

  Diego stared at the small boy.

  Like second hand smoke, awkward tension filled the cabin.

  Jen stepped forward. “No, we will be fine,” she said. “Toby’s just not used to it. That’s all.”

  “Well, no one said this trip would be comfortable. You didn’t pay for comfort. You paid for survival. I cannot give you a smoke-free environment. What I can give you is a chance to start a new life. Take that for what it is.”

  Jen reached out and touched Diego’s muscular forearm. She could sense the hostility growing in his words. “We appreciate everything you’re doing,” she said with a forced smile. “We won’t be a problem.”

  “I trust you won’t be… Now, if you excuse me, Perry and I will go get ready to depart.”

  Adrian watched the interaction take place. He saw the fierce glimmer in Diego’s eyes. He sensed hostility. He sensed violence. Adrian slouched in the corner next to his hiking pack and did his best to make himself invisible. It would be a long three days.

  After Diego and Perry left the cabin and entered the smaller helm at the front of the boat, Adrian pulled out a packet of beef jerky. He hadn’t eaten in hours. He’d been too nervous. Now that he had nothing else to do for three days other than sit inside a cramped, smoky cabin, his appetite had come back.

  Adrian tore the seal off the top of the packet and made eye contact with the boy, Toby. Even with the waterproof clothing, Toby’s hair was damp. The skin on his forehead looked red. Burnt from the rain, no doubt.

  Toby’s eyes lit up as he watched Adrian scoop out a handful of the jerked meat.

  “Do you want some?” Adrian asked.

  “Can I?”

  “Of course you can.”

  Adrian handed over the packet. Still seated, he half crawled, half slid closer to Adrian and grabbed a handful. Toby looked at his parents with a huge grin, biting into a chunk of the stringy meat.

  “What do you say, Toby?” Jen said.

  “Thanks, sir.”

  Adrian laughed. “You don’t need to call me sir. My name’s Adrian.”

  Jen looked at Adrian and smiled. “Thanks, Adrian. It’s kind of you to share.”

  “Hey, it’s the small things in life, isn’t it?”

  “My name’s Jen,” she said.

  “I got that much from outside.”

  “This is my husband, Mason, and our two children, Toby and Belle.”

  Mason leaned across the cabin and held his hand out. Adrian shook it.

  “Why are you leaving?” Adrian asked.

  “Isn’t there just one reason?” Mason said, his voice thick with bitterness. “This place has gone to shit. I don’t want to raise our children here. Everyone’s getting sick and no one seems to do anything to stop the dying. The Artificial Revolution, or whatever they’re calling it, will kill all of us. I also read last week that the Union is introducing a one-religion policy. That’s utter madness. We’re atheists. Always have been. I’ll be damned if the government suddenly tells me I have to raise my kids to believe in God. And the Catholic God at that! No way. We need to get out while we still can…”

  The fibreglass creaked above the cabin as hurried footsteps moved across the top of the boat, silencing Mason. Malik appeared at the rusty ladder in his white suit. He was alone.

  “It’s 6:06,” he said to no one in particular. “We need to go.”

  Diego heard Malik’s arrival from the front helm and poked his head around the doorframe.

  “So the last passenger is not here?”

  Malik shook his head.

  “We will wait another five minutes. She has family in Turkey. They have already paid…”

  “6:06 was your rule, Diego, not mine. We have lingered long enough. A Union truck could be here any minute.”

  “I said we wait!”

  Malik closed his mouth and climbed back up the ladder. Diego returned to the helm with Perry, leaving Adrian alone again with Mason and his family.

  Chapter 6

  Five minutes passed, maybe more.

  The rain had finally stopped. Malik reappeared from the deck above. He pulled off the mask, exposing his face for the first time. He was young. Maybe the same age as Adrian. His skin looked bronze in the afternoon light. Maybe Greek. Maybe Italian. Adrian had a hard time telling the difference. Malik had a thin, black moustache and a gold earring in both ears. Adrian sensed kindness and warmth. It was in his eyes.