To Protect E-Book

Andrew Grey

• Herausgeber: Dreamspinner Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Carlisle K-9
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 325

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2026

Beschreibung

Atlas De Vaus loves his job as a Carlisle K-9 officer. When his canine partner Evie senses a problem during a semitrailer traffic stop, a search of the truck reveals illegal immigrants being transported to New York. Local shelters can house the women while the case is processed, but they can't accommodate the lone man. Unwilling to leave a vulnerable person alone at the mercy of the system, Atlas takes him in until a place can be found for him.   When Bazel Dadiani's family and village discovered his secret, his only option was to leave his home country of Georgia. He's used every cent he had to reach America, but he's determined to get where he's going, no matter how scared he is. He appreciates Atlas offering him a place to stay, but he's forgotten how to trust anyone, much less a figure of authority like Atlas. Slowly, Atlas and Evie—mostly Evie—begin to win him over, leaving Bazel even more confused by his developing feelings for Atlas. They circle each other, each reluctant to make the first move. Just when they might be on the same track and close to catching the traffickers, government red tape threatens to separate them forever.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Blurb

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

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About the Author

By Andrew Grey

Visit Dreamspinner Press!

Copyright

To Protect

By Andrew Grey

Atlas De Vaus loves his job as a Carlisle K9 officer. When his canine partner Evie senses a problem during a semitrailer traffic stop, a search of the truck reveals illegal immigrants being transported to New York. Local shelters can house the women while the case is processed, but they can’t accommodate the lone man. Unwilling to leave a vulnerable person alone at the mercy of the system, Atlas takes him in until a place can be found for him.

When Bazel Dadiani’s family and village discovered his secret, his only option was to leave Georgia. He’s used every cent he had to reach America, but he’s determined to get where he’s going, no matter how scared he is. He appreciates Atlas offering him a place to stay, but he’s forgotten how to trust anyone, much less a figure of authority like Atlas.

Slowly, Atlas and Evie—mostly Evie—begin to win him over, leaving Bazel even more confused by his developing feelings for Atlas. They circle each other, each reluctant to make the first move. Just when they might be on the same track and close to catching the traffickers, government red tape threatens to separate them forever.

Chapter 1

“COME ON, Evie,” Atlas De Vaus said as he stood by the back door of his small row house on East Pomfret Street. Evie pranced up with her Kong between her teeth. Once she saw he was holding her harness, she set the toy in her box and sat down right next to him. The harness meant that playtime was over and that the two of them were going to work. “That’s my good girl,” he said warmly as he ran his fingers through her thick tan and black Belgian Malinois coat before putting on her harness.

Atlas adored Evie. They had been through K-9 school together, and at first no one thought Evie would make it through the training. It had been tough; early on she hadn’t caught on to what they had been teaching. But there was no way Atlas was willing to give up. He worked with her outside of class because she had more heart than any person he had ever met. In fact, Atlas often wished he could meet a guy with as much heart as his dog. He swore the day he did was the day he’d marry. But that wasn’t bloody likely.

Evie sat next to him, waiting as Atlas put on his coat, and then they were off. He led her through the yard and opened the door of his Bronco. Evie took her place in the back, and he closed the hatch before getting into the driver’s seat, heading to the station.

“Morning,” Larry Melvoin said as Atlas and Evie walked into the station together. Evie watched him and didn’t react to anyone else. She was working and focused, the way she always was. Atlas had known as soon as he saw her at the training facility that she was perfect for the program. The leaders had already written her off, but Atlas saw something the others didn’t, and in the end they had graduated near the top of the class. “Too bad about the other day.” Melvoin snickered quietly. The guy really needed to develop some people skills… and fast. “I guess not everyone is perfect.”

“Leave them alone,” Carter Schunk said as he strode out of the station.

“The only reason you didn’t find anything was because you didn’t look deep enough,” Atlas said. “Evie scented drugs, and you kicked a little bit of dirt and said there was nothing there before moving on.” He rolled his eyes. Larry could be a real ass sometimes.

Carter cleared his throat. “Stop it,” he snapped and then turned to Atlas. “The captain asked to speak with you as soon as you got in.” He tilted his head toward the office, so Atlas headed down the hall with Evie right next to him. He knocked and entered.

The captain was on the phone, but motioned him to sit down.

He ended his call and sat back. “I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“I already got razzed by Larry on the way in.” Atlas placed his hand on Evie’s back. No one got to call her skills into question. “He was practically gloating.”

“Melvoin is jealous because he flunked out of K-9 two years ago. But….” He cleared his throat; it was what he did to change the subject. “Anyway. I sent a squad car back to that scene after I heard what Larry did, and they found a stash of pills and other drugs a foot below the surface in a plastic container wrapped in cellophane. She did good, and I wanted you to know.”

“But Larry…?”

“Melvoin is my next appointment,” the captain said just as his phone rang again. He answered it and motioned toward the door. Atlas left with Evie alongside him, going right to his desk.

Atlas opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a bowl. He added water and set it down for Evie. They were partners, and she relied on him and only him—that was the deal. So in his mind, she came first too. He took her pad from the corner, placed it next to his desk, and Evie curled up like the amazing girl she was. Now that she was all set, he logged in and got to work himself.

It took an hour for him to answer all his emails and submit the last reports from the day before. With all that done, he led Evie out to their K-9 patrol vehicle and headed out. There were limited teams like them, so they had to be ready to go when needed, and their first call of the day came almost immediately. Atlas drove to an address on Louther where he and Evie assisted in a call at the home of a known dealer. They had been trying to nail this guy for months, and as soon as they entered the house, Evie went to a section of living room wall and sat down, looking up at him.

“Right there,” Atlas said, pointing.

“Are you sure?” the officer in charge asked. It would mean tearing out the wall, so they had to be right. His belly did a single flip, the way it always did at moments like this, but he trusted Evie with his life.

Atlas nodded and stepped back, drawing Evie along with him as another officer took a sledge to the wall, knocking through a combination of drywall and plaster. A brick of cocaine fell to the floor almost immediately, and the dealer was taken into custody amid a flurry of protests that he didn’t know any of that was there. He and Evie checked the rest of the house, finding drugs behind outlets and cabinets in almost every room of the building. Once they were done, Atlas took Evie back to their vehicle, where he fed her and gave her some water.

“You did good, like you always do,” he told her before closing up the back of the vehicle and pulling away.

They had gone maybe a block when a call for backup come over the radio from the state police. They had made a stop of a semi on the freeway and needed an additional unit. Atlas waited for a response but didn’t hear one, so he signaled that he was on his way, ETA two minutes. He flipped on his lights and took off, thankfully not needing his siren. He used it as little as possible out of concern for Evie’s sensitive ears.

He pulled up behind the trooper’s vehicle and got out, recognizing Nelson, a fellow officer. “Hey, Wyatt, what’s up?” It was unusual for troopers to ask for general backup like this.

“The truck was all over the road.”

Atlas nodded. “Better safe than sorry,” he said. “You take care of business, and I’ll follow your lead.”

“Thanks. Is Evie with you?” Wyatt asked. “You could have her sniff around. I just have a feeling about this one.”

“No problem.” She probably needed to pee anyway, and this would be a good opportunity. Wyatt went to speak to the driver while Atlas got Evie out of the back. He walked her to the side of the road, where she squatted and did her business. Then he brought her up toward the back of the truck, and Evie almost immediately barked twice, which was an unusual reaction for her. “Good girl,” he told her calmly, waiting for Wyatt to take the driver’s license and other information before coming back to join him. He knew something was wrong, he just wasn’t sure what it was. Atlas did know that Evie had amazing instincts.

“You need to check the back of the truck.”

“Evie found something?” Wyatt asked as Evie panted and managed to look pleased with herself. “All right.” He returned to the driver, who came to the back. “Open it,” Wyatt said, all business. The driver looked around and grew more and more nervous by the second.

“There’s just a load of detergent,” he said, his hands fumbling as he opened the lock. Atlas swung the door open to two pallets of boxes side by side, creating a wall. Wyatt called for additional backup, taking charge of the driver. Atlas returned Evie to the back of his patrol vehicle before climbing into the truck. Using his flashlight, he peered over the boxes to a second set of pallets. He climbed over them to what appeared to be empty space. Once he reached the far edge, he angled his light down.

Eyes stared back at him, as big as saucers: a group of women huddled together with a slight young man standing in front of them. “You no hurt them,” he said firmly, as though he were ready to fight.

“It’s okay. I’m here to help. I won’t hurt any of you.” Holy fucking hell. “I’m going to help you.” He slid back, still surprised.

“Was Evie right?” Wyatt asked.

“Oh yeah. Take him into custody,” Atlas said flatly. Few things shook him, but seeing those people huddled together, barricaded in there, was enough to make his knees weak. Shit, how in the hell could someone do that to someone else?

“I didn’t do anything. I’m just the driver,” the man said as Wyatt read him his rights. Then, as other cars arrived, they got the suspect into one of the vehicles to transport him to the station.

“What do we have?” Wyatt asked when he returned. “Drugs?”

Atlas shook his head. “People. The front half of the trailer is open, and there are half a dozen people barricaded in there. One man, five women. They seem to be of Eastern European descent, but I’m not sure. We need to get the truck unloaded enough to get them out. I don’t know how long they’ve been in there, but it’s been a while, judging by the scent of unwashed bodies.”

“Jesus,” Wyatt whispered.

“Let me call Social Services. There are local folks who can help them.” Atlas pulled out his phone. He knew just the person to call. Chris Joy was amazing and would know exactly how to help these people. “Hey, lady,” he said when she answered. “It’s Atlas, and I need some of your expertise.”

“How so?”

“We have five women and a man barricaded in a truck on the highway. I believe they were being trafficked north, most likely to New York or Philadelphia as domestics, but….” He left the rest unsaid. Chris had seen it all and knew more about the implications than he did. “We are working to get them out, but it would be best if there were women here to help them.”

“I got you. Where do you want us?”

“The truck is northbound on 81 just before the York Road exit. But be careful when you get out.” He scratched his head slightly as cars whizzed by.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. At least I can try to reassure them that going with you is safe.” She hung up, and Atlas knew she would be there in record time. That was how she was.

He joined the others in moving some of the load off to the side, and soon they had a path to the people behind the load. Atlas climbed into the truck and used his flashlight to make his way back.

“It’s okay,” he said gently as he reached where the group was. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”

He shone his light on the floor, but it was enough to illuminate the people huddled together. “Promise?” the man asked. “We are hungry. Need water.” Atlas relayed the message, and water bottles were passed to him. He handed them to everyone along with granola bars. They seemed to calm somewhat after that, and Atlas helped them get down. The man, in clothes that a thrift store might throw away, watched him warily, helping each of the women, dressed in dirty dresses and worn shoes, climb out before he followed.

Chris was already there, doing her best to reassure them and helping three of the women to her car and then helping the other two into Atlas’s back seat, along with the man, who thankfully was able to translate. Then Atlas followed her as she pulled out.

“How long were you in there?” Atlas asked as he drove. All three of the people kept turning toward Evie as though she was going to eat them. “Evie is the one who found you.”

“We were in truck for days. We start in Florida,” the man said, his eyes huge. “It very hot and no water and only a bucket they empty when we stop.” They had all drunk what Atlas had given them, and by the time he pulled in at Chris’s building and got them inside in the air conditioning, she had already gotten more water out as well as more food.

“I believe they’re speaking Russian, but they could be from anywhere in that region,” Chris said as she did her best to reassure them that they were safe. He didn’t understand a word of what they were saying, but thankfulness was almost universal. The women sat together talking softly.

“What happen to us?” the young man asked, eyeing Evie warily as she sat next to his feet.

“We will find you a place to stay,” Chris said. “I’m trying to see if I can find a halfway house that can take them. We have a few who speak some of the Cyrillic languages. It could be Russian or maybe Georgian. I know of at least one place that can help them, but I don’t know if they have room.” She lowered her voice. “But they will only take the women.”

Atlas nodded slowly. He knew a lot of these shelters were for the victims of domestic violence, and a man in those places could be disruptive for women who were trying to put the pieces of their lives back together.

“Do what you can,” Atlas told her and took a step back so he didn’t make everyone else more nervous. The women tended to eye him warily, while the young man stood between them and him like he was the guardian of their virtue. And maybe he was, in a way. They had all been packed in the back of a truck like cargo, and who knew what all of them had been through. Chris hurried away, and Atlas heard her talking on the phone. She made as number of calls and then returned.

“I found a place for the women. The home with a Russian speaker had four openings, but someone is leaving tomorrow, so the fifth room will be available, and I was able to give them dispensation for a night.” She seemed a little worn out and wired at the same time. “But I have no place for him.”

“They speak Russian and Georgian and I stay with them. Keep them safe,” he said, standing as tall and proud as a man a little over five feet could.

“They are going to a safe place for women only,” Chris said gently. “They will be fine and no one will hurt them. The woman who runs the shelter speaks Russian. She will try to help them.”

He sighed and relaxed slightly. “Okay. I sleep in park or wherever. I be okay. I be okay. You no worry.”

Atlas sat down and watched as Chris aided the women, and with the man’s help, she was able to get some basic information about each of them. Then she got them together and led them out to a van, where another woman drove them away.

“You can’t stay in the park or camp out somewhere,” Atlas said.

“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 UNDERSTOOD more 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 watch through 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 did because 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 definitely well 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.

He hadn’t known what to expect, but the house was clean, and it was comfortable-looking. There were no holes in the walls from bombs, and all the windows were perfect. The furniture looked new, and Bazel stood in the hall, not sure if he was supposed to sit down or not. Maybe he was supposed to clean or something. He heard that in America men and women did the same chores, that things were different than back home.

“Please sit down,” the policeman offered. Atlas, that was his name, he had to remember that. “I need to change, but I’ll be right back.” He went up the stairs, and Bazel watched him. Then he sat in a chair near the door, waiting and wondering what was going to happen next.

The dog came up to him with a red thing in her mouth. She dropped it near his feet and then looked up at him and back at the toy again. At least he hoped it was a toy. Bazel knocked it with his feet, and she hurried across the floor to get it, then returned to him. This time he picked it up and threw it gently toward the other room. Evie raced off to get it and brought it back.

“You playing?” he asked, and tossed it again. She ran after it, always bringing it back. The next time, he held the red thing and she sat, eyes glued to it. She barked a little, quietly, and he tossed it again. This time she caught it in the air and pranced back. “Good dog.” He tossed the toy one more time and then sat back as she brought it again.

“Evie,” the man called, and she hurried away. “It’s time to go outside.” She raced away, and Atlas came back alone, then sat across from him.

“I know that everything is strange for you and that you may not understand all that I’m saying, but you are welcome here and no one is going to hurt you. There is food in the kitchen and plenty to drink. You can help yourself to whatever you would like.”

Bazel nodded slowly. He heard what Atlas said but wasn’t sure he got what he meant. He nodded anyway.

“I will get you some things to clean up with, and tomorrow I’ll take you to the store so you can get some other clothes and things. For now, you have nothing to worry about. You’re safe.”

“Thank you,” Bazel said. “I….” Words failed him, and he decided to stay quiet.

“Do you know how you got here? Do you know the people who brought you here?” Atlas asked.

Bazel shook his head. “We came in back of truck and not see anyone but driver. He gave us water sometimes. There was another man, and he was mean. I think driver sneak water. Not sure.”

“Okay. We have the driver in custody, and there wasn’t anyone else in the truck when we pulled it over.” Bazel shrugged; he didn’t know anything more. “How long had it been since you last stopped?”

He thought for a few seconds. Time had little value when you were in the blackness in back of the truck. There had been almost no light. Only a crack in one corner. No food, no water, nowhere to go, and it was hot, very hot, a lot of the time. “What time when find us?”

“It was just before ten in the morning,” Atlas told him.

“Maybe two hour.” He wasn’t very sure, but it was his best guess. Atlas wrote it down and said thank you.

“That might help us.” He smiled, and it went almost all the way to his eyes. Atlas looked nice like that, and Bazel found himself smiling too. “I’m going to make some dinner.”

Bazel yawned. So tired. Now that he was not moving and not afraid all the time, all he wanted was sleep. Still, he nodded, and Atlas left the room. The dog came back in, and this time she rested her head on Bazel’s knee. He stroked her head, and she stayed still. “Good dog.” He still wasn’t sure about her, but she seemed kind. Dogs in his country had been turned into weapons, but this one was gentle with him, even if she was a police dog.

He closed his eyes and petted the dog. Maybe he fell asleep. Bazel wasn’t sure, but he woke to the smell of hot food, and his belly rumbled. “Come in and eat,” Atlas said, and Bazel sat at the table as a bowl of noodles with sauce on it was placed in front of him. It smelled good, and he picked up one of the utensils and began to eat. As soon as the food hit his belly, his hunger kicked in and he ate faster, not able to get enough.

“It’s okay,” Atlas said. “There is more if you want it.”

Bazel slowed down. He did not want Atlas to think he ate like an animal. “Is good.” He drank some water and ate with concentration, and once his bowl was empty, Atlas offered more. Not knowing when he would eat again, he took some and ate until he could not eat any more. Then he wondered if Atlas thought him selfish, but it was too late.

Atlas took the bowls to the sink and led Bazel upstairs to a room with a white bed and chest. The blankets were clean, and the room was cool and dry. He sat on the side of the bed, the softness calling to him. “Would you like to shower?” Atlas asked and motioned to the bathroom.

Bazel felt dirty, and he nodded because the bathroom looked so nice. He had not washed in days… many days. So he went in and closed the door before taking off the clothes he had been wearing for days. He wondered if he could wear them in the shower with him. But instead he folded them and got under the water. It was cold at first, but he did not care. Bazel used the soap and washed everything twice.

He felt the door open and close again but looked out and saw no one. Bazel stayed under the water for a long time. Then he turned it off and wondered what to dry himself with. At home, he would dry fast because everything was dry. After dripping for a few moments, he got out and found a towel and some fresh clothes on the counter, including socks, something he had been going without. They smelled like flowers, and after drying himself off, he put the clothes on. They were big, but he knew Atlas had left them for him.

The upstairs was quiet when he left the bathroom, and Bazel crossed the hall to the room he’d been given. There was a comb and a toothbrush along with other items on top of the dresser. He used the comb to tame his hair and then got onto the bed and lay down. He wasn’t sure if he could sleep, but now that he was clean and his belly was full, he was at least content. Bazel knew it was useless to worry about the future. He had very little control over it anyway. Since getting on that boat, he had learned to take each day… and sometimes each hour… as it came.

He heard Atlas moving around downstairs and hoped it was okay that he was lying down. Maybe there was work that he wanted Bazel to do. He heard a soft clinking noise, and then Evie stuck her head in the room. He watched the dog as she slowly came inside. Bazel still wasn’t sure about her, but she nosed his hand, and he gently rubbed her head as she sat by the side of the bed. Then he closed his eyes. Bazel fell asleep almost immediately.

HE WOKE with a start because something was wrong. He wasn’t moving and he was on something comfortable. It took him a second to remember that he was at Atlas’s house and that he had been rescued from that truck. He was also warm, and there was someone in bed with him. The dog lay curled by his legs, head on her front paws, eyes staring at him.

“Evie,” Atlas called from downstairs, and she rose and slipped off the bed and out of the room. Bazel sat up, rubbing his eyes. A little light still came in the windows, but it was muted, and he realized it was from a lamp outside.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood before leaving the bedroom to go downstairs. He was hungry again but tried to ignore it. Atlas had been so good to him already, and he was in no position to ask for something more to eat. After all, he had gone to bed hungry more than once, so he could do it again.

Still, he went downstairs but paused at the bottom. “Are you hungry?” Atlas asked and didn’t wait for an answer. “Come on. I have chips and salsa.” Bazel had no idea what that was but followed him into the sitting room where stuff had been set out. Atlas brought him some water and then took a triangle thing and dipped it into red sauce. He popped it into his mouth, so Bazel gave it a try as well.

The stuff was spicy but not too hot, and Bazel liked it, so he took some more, being careful not to spill all over. At home they had dipping foods all the time, so he was well aware of how to eat them.

“It’s good.”

“Salsa. These are tortilla chips. It’s Mexican-type food.” He took some more, and they shared the bowl until the tortilla things were gone and Bazel was full once more. “Do you want to watch television?”

Bazel shrugged. He had tried watching before Atlas picked him up, but he didn’t understand all that much. They talked fast and used weird words. Atlas changed the channels until he came to a show about fish. Big fish. He stopped, and Bazel watched something called Blue Planet. It was pictures from all over, and he was fascinated. They spoke more slowly, and he was able to understand more of the words, especially since they explained things as they went. For the first time in a while he found himself smiling and a little excited. The water was so blue and the fish were so big, it seemed like a fantasy. He had never seen anything like this.

“You like it?”

Bazel nodded. “Yes. Is really nice.” After a little while, the program ended, but Atlas found another one, and he watched that until he started to get tired again. He did not know if it was okay to fall asleep, so he stayed awake until Atlas put away the dishes and said he was going to bed. “I go too.”

He went upstairs and to the bedroom, closed the door almost all the way, and climbed under the covers. The bed was even nicer than before. It was warm and soft, and the room was cool, so he snuggled down. There was no movement and no sound other than Atlas as he moved outside. Then the light from the hall went off and everything was dark.

“I’m okay, Mama and Papa. I made it to America,” he said quietly into the darkness. “I don’t know what will happen or if you really care or not, but I am safe for now.” He smiled and sighed, letting himself give up on the worries that threatened to plague him. He listened to the sounds of the house, but it was very quiet. Atlas was in bed, and eventually his eyes grew heavy. He did not know what would happen tomorrow, but for now, he was safe. Atlas was a good person, and Bazel was starting to hope. But not too much; that could be bad.

Chapter 3

“YEAH,” ATLAS