After saying their goodbyes, Guillermo noticed an armed guard walking in their direction. Jean-Luc had spoken to someone on his walkie-talkie, but Guillermo did not understand what had been said. However, it made perfect sense now. Once he had secured the payment, Jean-Luc gave the order for one of the guards to come down and escort the family on board the ship.
As the armed guard led the family on board, the officer shook Jean-Luc’s hand and then left the dock. Jean-Luc pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket, scribbled down a couple of lines, ripped out the page, and handed it to the guard.
“Guillermo, please follow the guard, he will take you on board and show you to your temporary living quarters,” Jean-Luc said.
“Thank you, Mr. Jean-Luc.”
The armed guard was wearing sunglasses, which made it difficult to read him. On the outside, Guillermo showed a calm demeanour. On the inside, he was nervous about the predicament that he now found himself in. He did not expect armed guards, although it made sense to have security on board to protect the cargo and crew. Guillermo could tell that Anna was worried, he could see it on her face. But Isabel was very excited; as far as she was concerned it was all one big adventure.
At the main entrance, Guillermo and his family were searched for weapons. The US port officers didn’t want any surprises. After the search, they walked across the main deck towards the hull. There they saw even more armed guards, most of them wearing dark sunglasses. Guillermo took note of everything he saw. Everyone appeared to be busy, people pushing trolleys and driving forklifts. The trolleys contained trays with sealed meats and fruit, while the forklifts hauled unmarked wooden crates. The crates usually contained coffee, nuts, bananas, sugarcane, cigars, cocoa, leather goods, and probably illegal narcotics. He took a mental note of the nearby exits in case a there was a sudden need to escape with his family on one of the lifeboats.
“This is your living quarters. You are not to leave this area without the permission of a guard, and your door is to remain shut until a guard unlocks it. There will be consequences if you fail to comply with these rules. We have to inspect your luggage, then it will be returned to you shortly,” the guard said in a stern voice.
“Okay, thanks.” Guillermo replied.
Guillermo was even more worried than he was before the armed guard arrived at the dock. The guard’s tone was very unfriendly.
Guillermo felt they were being treated like prisoners, not paying customers. The so-called living quarters were more like a tiny jail cell. As they stepped in, there was a man lying down on a single bed, reading a magazine. The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties. As the family inspected the living quarters, the guard disappeared, and the door locked behind them.
“Hi, my name is Carlos,” said the young man, who seemed happy that other people had joined him in the living quarters.
“Hello, Carlos,” Guillermo responded reluctantly. “I am Guillermo. I take it you are a travelling passenger, or do you work on the ship?”
“No, I am a passenger. I sold everything I had, and now here I am, ready to embark on this wonderful journey,” Carlos replied.
Carlos seemed like a nice person, but Guillermo had his suspicions. He didn’t know the man and was not willing to divulge too much information about himself or his family.
“This is my family, and I guess you can say that we are after the same thing you are,” Guillermo said.
“Great, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome aboard,” replied Carlos.
The living quarters were a very tight space that now housed three adults and a child. The room had three additional beds, so at least everyone had a bed to sleep on. The walls had massive screws that had formed circular rust stains around the edges. It wasn’t exactly clear what the screws were holding in place on the other side of the wall. Accompanying the rust stains was what appeared to have once been a white wall that had now almost completely turned light brown. The room was musty and in need of a complete revamp.
There were no connecting toilets or bathroom, and Guillermo started to wonder if he had made a mistake by putting his family in this situation. That thought only lasted a few minutes, as he decided to make the best of the situation. He could see that Anna still looked worried, so he reassured her that it would be over in a few days.
Chapter 7
The Strategy
Where: Pennsylvania airspace, the United Nations of Europe and Americas
When: 1542 hours, Tuesday, October 1, 2041
Currency: UNEA credits
After a much-needed shower, I went to the dining section of the jet and saw that food had been served. I couldn’t wait to unveil what was hidden underneath the stainless-steel plate covers. I hadn’t eaten anything in prison the entire time that I had been detained, and I was starving. As I sat down at the table with Joe, one of the flight attendants came over and began to remove the plate covers. The starter was garlic bread bruschetta, served with Sicilian olive oil. Spaghetti alla Puttanesca was the main dish, with strawberry vin santo atop mascarpone trifle for dessert. Among the assortment of drinks were a couple of bottles of club soda. I saw the
