#elsewhere

fizzgig

"Fizzgig, friend?" She tries.

Which may explain the boy's relatively unmarked condition, plans to offload him as a 'special order' or no. He IS a pretty child, round cheeks, dark eyes, curls.

She kens the boy.

He starts to say something in Filipino, but repeats in slower, but clear English. "You see him? Grizzle, kaibigan. Friend. I think." A pause, "I'm Benigno."

The boy has a glimmer of glamour about him - perhaps kinain, somewhere back. Mostly, the touch of belief that many children hold before the world teaches them better.

She puts a finger to her lips and nods.

"Grizzle" keeps growling, even as the boy clutches it close to his thin chest.

Luckily, no one else hears it.

"I am going to take everyone somewhere safe. I am glad Grizzle is here to protect you."

A nod, and he sits in one of the seats, watching her carefully through the window.

She looks at translator. "Does anyone here know how to drive? I think the best bet is to go to my home, but it's a few hours south."

Agila , the translator, says "Si. We can drive. My name is Agila by the way. Is Benigno okay?"

"I have my motorcycle nearby, and can take one in the sidecar."

"He's okay. I'm gonna make sure everyone is okay." A firm tone, full of promise.

"Thank you" She says

"Kerri, we're gonna look for keys..."

One man cries out 'found them' in Spanish and holds them up

"Okay," Kerri says. "Whose phone are you using?" ((sorry, posted in wrong room!))

"One of the slaver's. It's a burner."

Chattering in English.

And the guy who drives is making sure he's got the truck figured out

A break. "We have a place to go, where you will be safe and get help. I can lead the way and you can follow - if you are driving, then you know I am not forcing you somewhere, yeah?"

"...see you soon." She clicks off the phone.

Agila is organizing the others or at least coordinating

"Okay! We are good, we have a place to go."

She grabs the two men, one under each arm, to carry up to the road.

Agila notes this "You're strong. Sure you don't need help though with those.. those scum?"

"Can you wipe down the guns with a rag?"

"Certainly" She moves to do so. "Thank you so much for this..for everything. Everyone here wants to give you a hug. I think you just became a member of a half dozen familia"

A laugh. "Listen, I was just in the right place at the right time. Musta been fate smiling."

"And I had a lucky hit."

"I think we're the lucky ones, to have a brave woman who would aid strangers. what is your name again?"

"Sam. Sam King."

"Alright, we're gonna get everyone washed up, fed, and I'll talk your driver through the route..."

"Nice to meet you, Sam " And to work they get on getting to safety

Dagmar plants the two bound scumballs where they can be found with what passes for evidence

And as for the ex-prisoners, they are happy to use the truck to follow her in her bike.

Dagmar leads the way - it's faster travel without detours down interesting roads or pausing for scenery. Once she's about twenty miles south, she calls the police.

The police answer with surprising promptness, the dispatch a bit nasally in tone, but not rude

"_____ County Police department, can I help you?"

"There's two guys tied up at the side of Seven about five miles north of Cornwall. They probably need an ambulance. They had guns."

Suddenly she is all ears "HAD? Miss, are you in danger? "

"Might wanna check if they have records for messing around with human cargo."

Furious keyboard tapping sounds "And who am I speaking to, please?"

"Had. Me, I'm fine. Concerned citizen, nobody important."

"We're sending out someone now, but I have to tell you, as a witness to this, we'd really like you to hang around. Any chance of that?"

As they make good time

"Sorry, I can't. But being on the berm is dangerous, so... thanks for responding."

"Well, this will be a story around the Water Fountain. Godspeed, caller"

"Likewise, ma'am."