SciFi Voyage Of Truth #Wattys2016

Chapter 11

Gasping for air, Grae returns to the classroom. He flips over the desk where he hid his backpack and yanks the chair away. To his surprise, it is gone. "Cretchit. I knew I shouldn't have left it here."

Grae punches the chalkboard and hears a female voice call out, "Looking for this, Mr. Card Dealer?"

He looks up and sees Fotaria dangling his backpack by the doorway. "Fotaria? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be gone already."

Fotaria sighs. "You still owe me that free bartering card, remember?"

Grae laughs. "You were supposed to show up at my place for that deal."

"I did, but by the time I got there your place was ransacked."

Grae mumbles, "Yeah, some Iota spy tried to set me up, but I got out of there just in time."

"Looks like you need this vacation more than I do. Can I still get that free card if I tag along with you?"

"You sure can." Grae hugs her tightly and exhales. "And thank you for not being so quick to judge me."

"No, thank you. Thank you for giving me a second chance to start over." Fotaria kisses Grae on the cheek and leads him out of the classroom.

While approaching the elevator, Grae explains, "In order to ensure our safety, we have to be off the Arvelee with the Tamin barter."

"Okay, when does it start?"

"It just did. And from experience, it'll be safer to exit through the lobby and blend in as an escort."

"Are you kidding me?" Fotaria asks. "At this hour, the lobby will be swarmed with Iota commanders. If we want to get across smoothly, the mezzanine is the way to go. Trust me, I've been working this system for years and know all the loopholes."

Grae smiles. "Well then, lead the way." He hands her the bartering card and steps onto the elevator. Once it reaches the mezzanine level, Fotaria presses the button. "The door isn't opening."

Grae walks over to inspect. He laughs. "Well, there's our problem, you were pressing the close button."

Embarrassed, Fotaria sighs. "I'm so stupid. I think my nerves are starting to kick in."

Grae lifts her chin. "There's no need to be nervous. Remember what I told you in the promenade. I'll protect you." The elevator doors shoot open and they immediately run into a cluster of foot traffic. Grae takes Fotaria by the hand and pulls her through the crowd. "We have to get past this rush and into the escorting line as soon as possible."

Grae steps into the mob, zigzags and shoves his way through. Fotaria releases Grae's hand, but continues to follow his path. She loses sight of Grae when a towering soldier dashes in between them. "Just keep going. I'm right behind you." As she shuffles through, a flood of cheering soldiers carries her petite body further away from Grae.

Through her hidden earpiece, Fotaria hears, "You're losing him. Find him before it is too late."

She responds, "I'm trying the best I can."

"Well, it's not good enough."

Fotaria pushes her way back, but struggles through more crossing pedestrians.

Grae checks the time on his TDA and shuffles between more soldiers. So focused on getting across, Grae fails to check on Fotaria. Assuming she's still behind him, he yells over his shoulder, "We're almost there."

Fotaria is thrown to the ground by the influx. She squirms on her back to avoid the stampede and yells, "I'm down, and I lost him." Two trailing maphletes arrive to help Fotaria back to her feet.