“Then I figure it out.” He sounded so confident.
Chris returned and went back to the phones. She made call after call before returning.
“No luck?” Atlas guessed.
“Not right now. I might have space in a few weeks, but at the moment there are no openings unless I put him in Harrisburg, but then he’d be out of my jurisdiction.”
“No. I stay here,” the man said firmly.
Chris seemed at the end of her resources, so Atlas spoke up. “Why don’t you put him with me for a few days? I have the next two days off, and maybe something will open up by then.” He couldn’t let the guy stay in the park somewhere. There were too many homeless people in town already. “He’s been through enough, and I have a guest room.”
Chris seemed skeptical. “Are you really equipped for this? I know you’re a cop and all, but taking in someone like this is a big responsibility. It’s likely he has issues that we know nothing about.” Atlas held her gaze, waiting for her to come up with a better plan. “I guess I can place him with you, but I’m going to stop by to check on both of you.”
He rolled his eyes. “I appreciate your faith in my abilities.”
“Atlas, you’re a cop. You give orders and expect people to do what you tell them. You’re trained to take charge of a situation, for your own safety and that of others. This isn’t like that. He’s going to need a gentler hand and a lot more understanding. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself in for.”
“I guess I’ll find out,” Atlas told her.
Chris threw her hands up. “Fine. I’ll keep him here for today, and you can pick him up after your shift. I’ll stop by tomorrow and the day after to make sure everything is good while I find him a more permanent placement.” She hurried away, and Atlas sat down.
“You’re going to come stay with me for a few days. Okay? I’m Atlas De Vaus, and this is Evie. She’s the one who helped us find you.” Evie sat with her tongue out, staying where she was the way she’d been taught.
“I Bazel Dadiani,” he said, putting his hand on his chest.
Atlas nodded. “I have to go back to work, but I will come back here once my shift is over, and then we will go back to my place.” He stood, and Bazel did the same. Atlas left with Evie and got into his car, hoping like hell that he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t just let the man survive on his own, he had no money or papers. Maybe Chris was right and he was the least prepared person on earth to take someone in like this. But it was too late to go back now.
Chapter 2
BAZEL UNDERSTOODmore of the stranger’s English than he was able to speak, so he knew what the man said, which was good. He looked around the building, trying to figure out where he was and what kind of place he was in. The women were gone, except for the lady who seemed to be in charge here, even over the policeman, which kind of tickled him. But he had learned that America was different. He kept reminding himself that this place was not at all like back home.
“You can sit down if you want,” the lady in charge said gently. She turned on a television, and Bazel took one of the metal seats, watching the screen. Maybe if he really paid attention he could learn better English and he’d be able to talk better. But after an hour, he started to wonder what they were even saying. He picked out English words, but they didn’t make any sense to him. So he gave up and sat with his hands on his lap, smiling at the few people who passed him.
Somone brought him a sandwich, and he ate it because he was so very hungry, and every time he emptied a bottle of the water, someone gave him another. But mostly they left him alone as they talked on the phone or typed at their computers. He hoped the women were okay and that they weren’t being mistreated. But with everything they had been through, wherever they were had to be better than the back of a truck with no place to sit properly, just a few blankets, and no food or water because it was gone. Every time they stopped, Bazel would watchthrough the sliver where, if the driver opened the side door, they could see out and where someone might put water or food inside. But that didn’t happen very often on the long trip.
“Are you okay? Do you need anything?” the lady in charge asked. “Officer Atlas will return in a few hours. The bathroom is right down there if you need it.”
“I am fine,” he answered, but was starting to feel the need. He wasn’t comfortable just wandering around, but it was becoming clear that his need was growing quickly. Bazel looked around once she had left and got up and followed where she had pointed. He wandered down a hall and found an open door. Inside was a sink and toilet. He closed the door and used the facilities, hoping it was okay. Then he washed his hands and returned to where he’d been sitting, watching the clock as the hands seemed to go around very slowly.
The hours passed, and he sometimes watched the television for something to do, but mostly he wondered what was going to happen to him. Weeks before he had been in a small village in Georgia, and he had been told that he could come to America. There was nothing in his village for him. His parents had turned their backs on him when they found out what he was. They had to, in order to not be shunned by the rest of the community. Bazel knew that, but it still hurt.
He met the man in the main market in Tbilisi and thought he was reliable and trustworthy. In the end, out of desperation, he gave the man what little he had for passage, and after riding on a boat for a long time, he was in America. At least that was what he thought. Once they reached land, he had no idea where he was supposed to go or what he would do, but he was here and that was all that mattered. Except they were hurried off the boat late at night and put into the back of the truck. All six of them. The others didn’t speak English, and while Bazel didbecause he took it in school because he hoped to visit someday, he pretended not to understand.
They were all being sent to New York or New Jersey, that much he had heard, but for what he didn’t know for sure. In his heart, though, he knew… and it scared him. They would be ruined, and…. He shivered and then remembered that they were safe now and the lady in charge was helping them. He just hoped that was enough.
“Are you ready to go?” The policeman stood in front of him, and Bazel slowly got up. He wondered what this man wanted from him. Back home, the police were to be feared. They had power and they could use it the way they wanted, depending on which warlord they followed. “Remember me? I’m Atlas, and I found you.”
Did that mean that this man owned him now? Bazel wasn’t sure, and it made him hesitate. But what choice did he have? Even so, he stood stock still, not able to make his legs work.
“It’s okay,” the policeman said, more gently. “I’m going to take you home where you can have dinner and rest.” He smiled, and finally Bazel was able to take a few steps forward. The man was still in his blue uniform, but when they went outside, he took them to a regular car, not one with a cage in the back seat like they had come here in. The dog was in the back seat, but the man opened the front door, and Bazel got inside. Then the man hurried around to the other side and got in, then started the engine.
“Do you remember Evie?” he asked. “She was the one who helped us find you.”
Bazel nodded. “I remember.”
“She is a good dog, aren’t you, girl?” He reached back and petted her. She sat down, and Bazel relaxed. He wasn’t sure what to make of the big dog, but she seemed—he wasn’t sure if friendly was the right word—maybe contented, and definitelywell fed. She panted as the man drove to a nice neighborhood with neat brick houses and new cars out front. He parked on the street and got out of the car.
Bazel followed, and the man unlocked the front door. The dog stayed right by his side as they entered. The first thing the man did was take off the dog’s harness, and she bounded away. “Come inside,” the man said, and Bazel entered.
