CL Hart -From A Distance (39 page)

"Perfect timing," Heather said as they made their way down the cement platform.

"I'll be happy once we're on the train and away from here." Cori held Kenzie tightly, "and she's resting on the bed in our compartment."

"Do you think they've found it yet?"

"The microchip?" Cori asked, and Heather nodded. "I don't know, maybe."

The train pulled into the Anaheim station, thankfully on time. The large, cumbersome engine slowly brought the train alongside the waiting women, and then ground to a stop. There was no one there to take tickets, or check IDs or baggage. To Cori's surprise and comfort, there was no security whatsoever. The doors just opened and people got on or got off. The woman who had sold them their tickets had told Cori which car held their sleeping compartment, and where they should wait on the platform. Cori looked up at the car number and smiled. The ticket seller had been dead on. It didn't take them long to board the train, but it was a maneuvering challenge to move down the narrow corridor.

"This is it," Cori said as she read the number next to the door.

Heather opened the door and was mildly surprised at the size of the accommodations. It measured all of six feet by eight feet, but not much more. There were two chairs against the window, a set of small beds - one above the other, and an open door leading to a very small bathroom. "Apparently you have to go out into the passageway to change your mind," Heather said in jest.

"It has a bed and its private, that's all I want. No prying eyes and no questions," Cori said as they shuffled into the room. Kenzie had not said a word since they'd left the washroom, but she let out a low moan as they lowered her to the bed. "Besides, with your name on the tickets, which were paid for in cash, we should have a smooth trip. And hopefully enough time for Kenzie to heal."

"You've got her meds and the extra bandages I gave you?"

"Yes, and thank you again."

"Just keep a close eye on her stitches and if you don't see improvement, go to a real hospital, go to a real hospital - for people."

"I can't thank you enough, Heather." Cori opened her arms and hugged the large woman.

"Just get her healthy and don't get caught. I'll be looking for a postcard or something down the road to let me know you made it out of this mess." Heather smiled and closed the door behind her.

Manuck and Calvin stood dumbfounded in the women's washroom of the San Diego bus station.

"Viper! Get me a location," Manuck snapped into his mic. "There's nobody here!" Just then, a woman attempted to enter the washroom. "We're closed," Manuck yelled as he pushed her back out the door.

"She's in the northeast corner of the building... Hang on, let me pull up the city's site and get the building plans." Viper's fingers danced over the keys.

Manuck paced the floor, waiting for the information. Calvin was new to the team, but he had enough sense to stay close to the tile wall and out of his way.

"I got it," Viper announced exuberantly. "Okay, according to what I have, she should be right against the east wall, ten feet from the back north wall."

Manuck did the calculation and his eyes stopped on the metal waste receptacle attached to the wall. Without saying a word, he strode over and smashed it loose with his foot. It clanged loudly to the floor, spilling out wads of used paper towel and other assorted garbage.

"What the hell are you doing?"

A young woman was holding open the washroom door. Dressed in a pair of blue slacks and a white blouse with a gray vest over it, she obviously worked for the bus lines, and she was mad.

"You guys can't be in here! This is the ladies restroom, and that is Greyhound property you just smashed!"

Ignoring her, Manuck leaned over and plucked something from amongst the trash.

"You're gonna have to pay for that." She pointed at the damage to the wall and to the garbage can. "Excuse me!"

"Let's go," Manuck said to Calvin, and the two men turned to leave, but the young woman refused to move.

"I'm gonna call the cops. Someone has to pay for that!"

Manuck pushed her aside. "You do that, sweetheart, and when they show up tomorrow, I can guarantee they'll care just about as much as I do." With that, the two men were out the door and gone.

"Sir?" Calvin asked as they crossed the parking lot.

Manuck opened his hand and exhibited the electronic tracer.

"Now what?" Calvin asked.

Manuck stopped outside of the SUV with his hand on the door handle. "I don't know." He sighed loudly. "But we better figure out where she is and where she's going...and we better do it fast."

Chapter 17

Only after the train pulled out of the station did Cori finally take her first deep breath in a long while. They had made it. She checked on Kenzie, lying on the bed, and then flopped down in one of the high-backed seats next to the window and watched as the stadium of the Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels slowly moved out of sight. She tried to relax, but knew it would take putting a few miles behind them for that to happen.

Restlessly rising from the chair, she opened the door into the tiny cubicle of a bathroom and turned on the light. The woman looking back at her in the mirror was a stranger. Her face was dirty and still bore the yellowish green tinge of the bruising she had received over the past week. Her honey-blonde hair was tangled and tossed, and it looked as if it had been a month since she'd washed it. Suddenly she felt grimy, and looked longingly at the showerhead hanging from the wall. There was not really a shower stall, but it looked so very inviting that she couldn't resist it.

She returned to check on Kenzie again. She seemed to be resting comfortably, though her skin was still overly warm to the touch. Leaving her patient to sleep, Cori hoisted Kenzie's bag and dumped the contents onto the floor. She was looking for some of the clothing and bare necessities that they had purchased at an all-night Walmart on the drive up from San Diego. Her gaze fell on the bundles of cash and the assortment of weapons. She had known there were guns in the bag, but not what kind or how many. She let her fingers trail lightly over the black metal as she eyed the two stacks of money.
That's a lot of cash,
she thought. "Which is good, 'cause we're gonna need more than what I have left," she said. The train ticket, especially for a sleeping compartment, had been expensive, and the bus fare for two to Branson had been ninety-nine dollars each - two hundred dollars they no longer had.

There was a loud knock on the door and Cori jumped.

"Tickets, please," the male voice outside the door requested.

Cori hopped to her feet, grabbed the tickets from her back pocket, and then stepped toward the door. She reached for the handle, but stopped and looked back at the Colt .45 lying at the foot of Kenzie's bed. She grabbed the gun and held it in her left hand, concealing it behind the door as she opened it. A young man in a burgundy uniform stood smiling, his hand out.

"Good morning, ma'am. Tickets, please."

"Of course." Cori laid them in his hand.

"First time riding the rails?" he asked pleasantly as he flipped open the packet and pulled out the two tickets.

"Ah...yes, as a matter of fact." Cori watched him punch holes into both tickets.

"My name is Steven and I'm your train car steward. I'm here for whatever you need. The dining car is two cars up. Breakfast is at eight, lunch is at noon. They take seating for an hour before and after. Dinner service is from five until eight, and seeing as you have a sleeping compartment, your meals are included with your ticket. You just need to make reservations in the parlor car. Three cars to the back is the observation car that has a top bubble deck to enjoy some of the fabulous scenery, especially through Northern California and Oregon. The observation car also has a full bar that's open from three 'til midnight." He handed her the tickets and smiled brightly. "I'd be happy to come in and show you where everything is in your compartment and how it all works."

He took a step forward but Cori blocked his way, keeping the door only partially open and her hand firmly gripping the gun. "No, thank you. My friend isn't well. She's sleeping right now and I don't want to disturb her."

"Not a problem, I can show you at any time. Next to the light switch, on the wall by the bathroom door, there's a blue button. Just press that and one of us will be here in a jiffy to help you out. There's also a red button in case of an emergency. If you're hungry and you want a midnight snack, you can always run down to the cafe car. Anything else?"

"No, I don't think so." Cori hesitated for a moment as she slid the tickets back into her pocket. "The food on the train...our meals...can they be delivered?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't have a...um, room service, as such." He smiled apologetically.

"It's just...my friend is going to need to eat, but I don't think she'll be up to eating in the dining car." Cori glanced back at Kenzie sleeping soundly on the bed, and then down at the money and guns on the floor. "She's just gone through minor surgery and I –"

"There are sandwiches available in the cafe car," Steven said.

"Can you just hang on one sec?" Cori held up her finger. Steven smiled and nodded as she carefully closed the door. Pushing all of the contents of Kenzie's bag out of sight with her foot, Cori reached down and pulled out several crisp bills from one of the stacks. Opening the door once more, she held them up for Steven to see. "About that room service?"

Steven's smile never wavered as his eyes calculated the money in her hand.

"And I'll give you two more at the end of our trip, if you forget you ever saw us."

His eyes finally left the money as he turned his attention to the woman holding the bills, "I only travel as far as Sacramento, and then there's a crew change." When the bills started to move away from him, he quickly added, "But I have a friend I can swap with. He can double back my shift...he owes me."

Cori considered this for a moment. "Do we have a deal then?"

He nodded as he pulled the bills from her hand. "At your service," he said with a smile.

"Thank you. We're good for right now, but I'll let you know if we need something. You've been very helpful, Steven."

"It's my pleasure. Anything you need to make this a pleasant trip, just push that blue button and I'll be here." He bobbed his head and turned away to carry on down the passageway.

Cori closed the door and leaned back against it, sighing loudly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Dining car, observation car.
She snorted. "I have no intentions of leaving this compartment."

Gathering up what she needed, Cori went into the bathroom for a thorough washing and brushing. Half an hour later, a refreshed woman emerged. Feeling a hundred percent better, she gathered up the contents from the duffel bag that were still on the floor and separated what could stay in the bag and what they would need, and then she slid the bag under the bed.

The next order of business was to check Kenzie's wound and get her to take her pills. The wound part turned out to be quick and easy, but waking her up enough to swallow the pills was a challenge.

"Kenzie...come on, wake up." Cori knelt on the bed and gently shook her shoulder. Kenzie mumbled and groaned a bit, but did not waken. Repositioning herself at Kenzie's head, she pulled and lifted until she was kneeling behind her, with Kenzie's head on her thighs.

"Drink this," Cori commanded as she brought a glass of water to Kenzie's lips. It took several attempts, but finally Kenzie swallowed some water without coughing. A few moments later, she swallowed the pills Cori provided. By the time the ordeal was over, Cori was mentally and physically exhausted. Finally feeling safe and secure, she curled up next to Kenzie and fell asleep.