1.3.15
The sun was rising over the edge of the horizon, and Colton had been up all night. Bayard had greeted all of them with a warm, enthusiastic embrace and ushered them onto the cargo ship now carrying approximately three hundred escapees. Eight other vessels followed them, an aquatic caravan along the coast.
Colton was most surprised to see how everyone greeted him when he stepped onboard. In the matter of a couple hours, he had gone from the most hated man in the world to the most beloved. Men, women, and children hugged him, kissed him on the cheeks, and thanked him profusely for helping with the escape. At one point, several even started chanting his name, and he had to shake his head and urge them to stop. One little girl walked up to him and handed him a small flower, and Colton
