shouted Gabriel, and the two of them bolted for the nearest exit. The door clattered behind them, drawing the attention of the people inside.
“ Rincorrili !” shouted the driver. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d just told a mob of werewolves to pursue them.
“Now what?” Betsy wanted to know.
“Follow those seabirds,” Gabriel said, pointing out a big, whitish bird that was flying by.
“What if they’re going to the wrong beach?” Betsy asked.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Just go that way, then,” he told her, pointing in the direction he wanted her to run. The two of them took off and were soon by the shipyards. Knowing the werewolves would be watching for them to approach commercial passage ships, Gabriel got a better idea. They jumped onto one of the fishing boats moored along the way instead.
“ Aiuto !” said Gabriel as he shook the driver awake. “We need to get across the water.”
“ Americano, eh!” the fisherman growled. “I no help you. Get off my boat!”
Gabriel grabbed the man by the throat and sat in down on the chair next to his mattress. “I don’t have time to discuss this. You can either stay on board so you get the boat back or figure out how to get it back once we’re through with it. Your choice.”
The man glared at him, but decided he’d be better off to stop arguing, and nodded his head instead. Gabriel taxied the boat out into the water and eased his way southward, doing his best not to go too fast or seem suspicious in any way.
“Why you want to go to Africa, eh?” the fisherman asked.
“Personal enrichment,” said Gabriel.
Betsy gave a nervous laugh. There was another boat on the water. “We need to get out of sight, Gabriel.”
“If you don’t want to be the victim of collateral damage, I suggest you get rid of these guys,” said Gabriel as he pointed to the boat’s controls. “We’re going below. If you value your life, just tell them you’re headed out to fish. They shouldn’t find that suspicious if you just act natural.”
“Act natural, eh?” he scoffed. “I got an Americano breathing down one neck and who knows what breathing down the other.”
“Just a mob of bloodthirsty werewolves,” Gabriel told him. “No problem.”
The man began to curse as the two of them scrambled down the steps, closing the door quickly behind them. They crossed their fingers that the wolves wouldn’t even bother with their escort.
Using a loudspeaker, the larger boat called to the smaller one, telling the fisherman to prepare to be boarded. They could hear voices speaking for a while and Gabriel began to worry that the wolves might be able to smell them.
Three barrels of fish were sitting beside them on the floor, and he turned and dumped them all over himself and Betsy. It must have worked, for soon after they could hear the man saying good-bye to the fisherman, and then he was gone. Their boat began to move again. Betsy and Gabriel started putting the fish back into the barrels.
“You can come out now, Americanos,” called the fisherman. “We have left your pursuers well behind.”
Relieved, the two of them came to the cockpit again and Gabriel took over the wheel.
“Who were those guys, anyway?” asked the fisherman. “Why are they after you?”
“Let’s just say we want to have a new life, and those are the guys who say that we can’t,” said Gabriel. “By the way, thank you for the use of your boat.”
*
They crossed the Mediterranean without further incident and came ashore somewhere in what Gabriel guessed was Libya. Not wanting to encounter any more civilization, however, the two headed south just in case, since they knew the very most northern shoreline contained a few settlements. They were lucky enough to come across a small encampment where a couple men kept some camels.
The animals were slightly spooked by them since they were werewolves but they managed to find one that was willing to give them a ride.
“ Rincorrili !” shouted the driver. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d just told a mob of werewolves to pursue them.
“Now what?” Betsy wanted to know.
“Follow those seabirds,” Gabriel said, pointing out a big, whitish bird that was flying by.
“What if they’re going to the wrong beach?” Betsy asked.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Just go that way, then,” he told her, pointing in the direction he wanted her to run. The two of them took off and were soon by the shipyards. Knowing the werewolves would be watching for them to approach commercial passage ships, Gabriel got a better idea. They jumped onto one of the fishing boats moored along the way instead.
“ Aiuto !” said Gabriel as he shook the driver awake. “We need to get across the water.”
“ Americano, eh!” the fisherman growled. “I no help you. Get off my boat!”
Gabriel grabbed the man by the throat and sat in down on the chair next to his mattress. “I don’t have time to discuss this. You can either stay on board so you get the boat back or figure out how to get it back once we’re through with it. Your choice.”
The man glared at him, but decided he’d be better off to stop arguing, and nodded his head instead. Gabriel taxied the boat out into the water and eased his way southward, doing his best not to go too fast or seem suspicious in any way.
“Why you want to go to Africa, eh?” the fisherman asked.
“Personal enrichment,” said Gabriel.
Betsy gave a nervous laugh. There was another boat on the water. “We need to get out of sight, Gabriel.”
“If you don’t want to be the victim of collateral damage, I suggest you get rid of these guys,” said Gabriel as he pointed to the boat’s controls. “We’re going below. If you value your life, just tell them you’re headed out to fish. They shouldn’t find that suspicious if you just act natural.”
“Act natural, eh?” he scoffed. “I got an Americano breathing down one neck and who knows what breathing down the other.”
“Just a mob of bloodthirsty werewolves,” Gabriel told him. “No problem.”
The man began to curse as the two of them scrambled down the steps, closing the door quickly behind them. They crossed their fingers that the wolves wouldn’t even bother with their escort.
Using a loudspeaker, the larger boat called to the smaller one, telling the fisherman to prepare to be boarded. They could hear voices speaking for a while and Gabriel began to worry that the wolves might be able to smell them.
Three barrels of fish were sitting beside them on the floor, and he turned and dumped them all over himself and Betsy. It must have worked, for soon after they could hear the man saying good-bye to the fisherman, and then he was gone. Their boat began to move again. Betsy and Gabriel started putting the fish back into the barrels.
“You can come out now, Americanos,” called the fisherman. “We have left your pursuers well behind.”
Relieved, the two of them came to the cockpit again and Gabriel took over the wheel.
“Who were those guys, anyway?” asked the fisherman. “Why are they after you?”
“Let’s just say we want to have a new life, and those are the guys who say that we can’t,” said Gabriel. “By the way, thank you for the use of your boat.”
*
They crossed the Mediterranean without further incident and came ashore somewhere in what Gabriel guessed was Libya. Not wanting to encounter any more civilization, however, the two headed south just in case, since they knew the very most northern shoreline contained a few settlements. They were lucky enough to come across a small encampment where a couple men kept some camels.
The animals were slightly spooked by them since they were werewolves but they managed to find one that was willing to give them a ride.
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