Disclaimer! I own nothing except the people I may write into the story of my own accord.

Authors' note- This is a story of what happened if the Baudelaires went with the strange man with the Taxi.

The stories in general from lemony Snicket seem to be set in the mid 1950's and that's where I'm going to keep the pace going. The city where the Baudelaires is never specified so I'm going to take creative license and say it's Boston MA. My writing style is nothing like Snickets so please do not complain about that. Also I may paraphrase in the beginning. First chapter will be long.

"You are who I think you are, aren't you?" The man asked.

"We don't know." Sunny answered.

"Don't worry, we'll figure that out in due time."

"Baudelaires!" Mr. Poe shouted from the top of the stairs followed by a fit of coughing.

"What has happened?" He asked, "Where is that man you shot?"

"Final call." The man said calmly as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and smashed it out with his shoe.

The children began to think about what they needed to do. On one hand they should tell Justice Strauss everything they knew and be done with the whole situation but on the other hand they may be thought of as liars and be put in prison or worse.

"We'll go with you." Violet said finally. They then got into the taxi and watched as the man said something to Mr. Poe who was now standing by the curb, Mr. Poe started to argue but the man cut him off and said something that made Mr. Poe gasp and step back. The man then calmly walked to the drivers door and got in. He then started the car and drove away and the last thing they saw of Mr. Poe was of him turning pale and staring back at them.

"Who are you?" Klaus asked,

"Eddie", the man answered

"Where are you taking us?" Violet asked,

"A safe place",

"Good or bad?" Sunny asked,

"Depends on what your perception of good or bad is. Now go to sleep and I'll finish answering your questions tomorrow."

And with that the man started to concentrate on his driving. No question they asked him he would answer so they finally fell asleep in the back seat. A while later, they were not sure how long it had been, they stopped in front of a mechanics garage and Eddie said, "Get out, we're changing vehicles."

He then went to the front of the garage and unlocked the door and lifted it up. Inside they saw what Klaus identified as a 1950 Desoto custom sportsman car which he had seen in a magazine he read while waiting for his father to finish some business with a mechanic one day. While he was checking everything they got a partial look at him. He was wearing a gray trench coat that wasn't closed, a gray country gentlemen's bogey hat and what appeared to be black wingtips. They still couldn't see his face though.

"Is this yours?" Violet asked,

"Why, you thinking I'm stealing some guys car? And yes it is mine I was simply driving the taxi as a job for today. Now I'm off duty and done with it so I left it where I told the owners it would be. This car in the garage is mine." He then walked up to it and unlocked it with another set of keys and got in. The Baudelaires then got into the back seat and after they got back onto the road, after closing and locking the garage they fell a sleep again.

After what they estimated was 30 minutes they stopped in front of a small 3 story brick hotel. Eddie got out and opened the door for them saying, "This is where you'll be staying tonight."

The Baudelaires then got out and went into the hotel. A short friendly looking man with a round jovial face and a white mustache and thinning white hair was behind the desk. He smiled when they came in. "Hello children, how may I help you?" The man had a Russian accent and was wearing a white shirt with a gray tie.

"Kolkov, we need a room with 3 beds tonight." Eddie said as he walked into the door.

"All my 3 bed rooms are taken. But I can give you a room with two beds and then bring in a cot."

"Alright fine but your wife must in return make those pancakes she is famous for in the morning."

"You drive a hard bargain but anything for a friend. Here are your keys, room 212 on the 3rd floor."

Eddie then got the keys from the man and handed them to the Baudelaires saying, "You go up and get settled in. I'll be up shortly."

They nodded their thanks and went into the elevator and went up to their room.

"How much do I owe you?" Eddie asked as he reached into his pocket

"Like I said anything for a friend, you can stay here as long as you want. No pay."

"Thanks Kolkov, I owe you one."

"No problem friend, now go to sleep, you look tired."

After saying his thanks to the friendly Russian Eddie went to the car and got a bag out of the trunk. He then took the elevator up to the 3rd floor and knocked on the door.

"Who it?" The voice he recognized as the toddlers answered.

"Eddie, now please let me in." He noticed someone look through the peak hole on the door and then he heard the door being unlocked.

"We weren't sure if you were the real Eddie. Count Olaf has harassed us a lot." Violet said as she let him in.

"Hey if you're that worried about Count Olaf then how about you each take a bed, go to sleep and I'll stand guard to make sure he doesn't come by."

He was humoring them in their worried state since more than likely Count Olaf wouldn't find them. But he knew what it was like to live in fear.

"Are you sure it wouldn't inconvenience you?" Violet asked timidly. She finally got a good look at his face and noticed his steel gray eyes and a nose that had been broken and improperly set. He also had a wide jaw and a 5 O'clock shadow.

"Don't worry. It won't be the first night I've gone without sleep and probably not the last."

Violet mumbled a thanks then fell into one of the beds and fell asleep immediately. Sunny took the cot which had been sent up shortly before Eddie finished getting the things out of the car, while Klaus took the other bed. Right before he fell asleep he saw Eddie sit in a chair then pull what looked like a M1911 colt automatic out from under his trench coat and cock it. Klaus was to tired to be worried as he drifted off to sleep.