I Know What You Did in the Dark ch 7
Bucky
The same day as Sam arriving in NYC.
I was awakened by the jerky stop of the train. My neck was sore from leaning my head awkwardly on my shoulder for the ride and I rubbed it gingerly. The train was inside Penn Station and I gazed around it in amazement because it had become such a huge, cavernous place. There wasn't much time to reminisce about it thought, because I could hear police barking commands and radio communiqués echoing off the tunnel walls. Scrambling to the roof of the train car, I stayed low as not to be seen from the ground. A vision of a train speeding down tracks in a wintry Alpine landscape threatened to burst forth as I oriented on the roof. I shoved it away trying to focus on the situation at hand. Looking madly for an escape, I noticed there were pipes and electrical lines suspended from the ceiling. I knew of some of those were electrified and I had to chose carefully. Sizing up a prospective lead, I made a quick and silent leap, swinging up into the pipe works, glad I had ditched that florescent yellow reflective vest I "borrowed" from the train worker in DC.
Police and SWAT swarmed the rear car and found nothing but befuddlement. I gave a self-satisfied smile for my feat of prowess and then turned my attention to keeping unseen. Picking my way from pipe to pipe, avoiding electrical lines, I worked my way to the platform and the roof of a snack shop. Lightly landing, my stomach protested so loud I thought it would blow my cover. My belly would be happy to know I don't leave much behind and so I bought a Snickers bar and another Coke with the remainder of my money, a group of cops walking right by me and not batting an eye.
I cautioned myself not to get cocky with my newfound freedom.
Joining the throngs of other commuters, I walked to the main hall of the station. Boy, some things had changed!
Gone were the soaring ironworks and glass panes that illuminated the tracks and gates to trains. In fact, I was still underground and that made me feel slightly claustrophobic. The terrazzo floor was no longer a beautiful mosaic and tall blue pillars encircled in lights shone down on me. Following the crowd, not trying to look star struck, the giant departure and arrival board hung from a massively built circular room. There were red lights to spell out names of cities instead of the mechanical flip-card system I remembered. Now there were train lines and places I didn't recognize from the last time I was here. When was the last time I was here?
I let myself be swept along, trying not to be crushed by the throngs of people passing by, hurrying to their destinations. In a blur of noise, people and luggage, I found myself in the one part I recognized. Finally, I was above ground. There was an old four-sided clock from the original depot at the 34th Street Long Island Rail Road entrance. The arches of marble soared up into the ceiling. There used to be rosettes carved there but now it was painted a dull blue green color. The creamy stone stairs still rose up with brass handrails and dark carved wood benches flanked the walls for weary travelers. The last rays of the sun pierced the windows and dust motes floated randomly through the air. I found myself breathless and struck with wonder at the same time because I was finally home.
Suddenly, a guy on a smartphone gave me a hard shove as I recollected my past. "What where you're going, buddy." He growled at me, passing quickly, eyes still glued to the screen.
Involuntarily, my hands clenched into fists as I fought the impulse to beat him to a bloody pulp, but I froze. Breathe. In OUT In OUT. Steve is my mission. Steve. I need to get to Steve. Calming somewhat, I had to get my head out of the past to find out how to get to Brooklyn. I never liked Manhattan much anyway.
A/N It has been many years since I've been in Penn Station and Union Station in DC (used to live in both cities) so I'm working off memory and Google. Sorry for any native residents if I altered things too much.