I liked trains. They were boring. There have horrible train accidents before, but I had never been on one. The only thing that really bothered me about this one was the heat. It was July in Texas.
I walked onto the train to find my old friend fast asleep.
"I've got a mug of scolding hot coffee and I know how to use it."
"Really?" He said as he opened his eyes.
"No, but wouldn't it be funny if I did."
"Rose!" He jumped up.
"Danny!" I hugged him, "it's great to see you again! How are you?"
"I'm good. Glad to have my little sister back. At least she never married that Clancy guy. I like George a whole lot better. How are you?"
"Pretty good. Glad to be back in the States. How's Isaac?"
"He's good too. Got over you pretty quickly. He got married and they're having a baby in a few months!"
"That's wonderful! Send my congratulations to him."
"That he got over you or that he's having a baby."
I gave him a little jab in the arm.
Luckily the train wasn't too crowded. Strange, I thought, since it was going from one bigger city to the next. But the train was relatively empty. And thank goodness it wasn't crowded. It was too damn hot. I thought the heat might damn near kill us.
I was wearing light clothing but it wasn't light enough. I had on a white cotton blouse and tan linen skirt and no corset. Actually, I hadn't worn a corset in three years. (Alice made me wear one to church.) But I haven't worn one since. They're ridiculous, useless things. Brassieres are much more practical.
My hair was tied back in tight bun; it was too hot to even let my hair touch the back of my neck. My glasses even made me sweat. It was the kind of hot where no matter what you do you're never going to be comfortable.
What made it worse was that it was only seven o'clock in the morning.
Worse still, my conscience was bugging me, not just about Emily.
"I can't believe myself," I said to Sammy, "I let myself be deluded into thinking what I was doing was right or just. That war has nothing to do with me. Or the rest of you for that fact. I let myself be brainwashed."
"No you didn't. You weren't brainwashed for Chrissake."
"Yes I was. It was so stupid."
"Oh my God! You're twenty-one years old and you did something stupid, something foolish, something a young person would do! Honestly I'm shocked."
"Seriously, that's not me."
"Act you're age. Go forth and do stupid things. Get into trouble for a moronic idea that you had."
"I do act my age and I do enjoy myself, if that's what you mean."
"It is, but with you you're either wild or you've got one nasty bug up your ass."
"Oh thank you."
"You're welcome."
I was trying to sleep, but it was too hot and someone was singing.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh! OH-ow!"
"Christ Em." George moaned.
"Don't flick my ears Calvert!"
"Don't sing while people are trying to sleep."
Mary laughed.
"McBride you Irish nuptial. What so funny?" she teased, "I'm trying to keep myself cold. It's like God damn sauna in here."
"How is your singing out of tune going to keep you cool."
"Christmas songs make me think of Christmas. Christmas makes me think of snow. Snow means cold. And cold actually kinda reminds of this one time in Wisconsin-"
"Christ." said Sonny, Danny, and George in unison. Emily told even stranger stories than Mary, and more frequently too. Mary, under normal circumstances, would have groaned with the others too, but she'd gone a year and a half of no Emily, so she gladly listened.
"Johnny Shrivel Nuts?" Mary inquired. Sonny, Danny, and George sighed again. Everyone else cocked an eyebrow. What the hell kind of story was this?
"That's the one!"
"Go ahead. They haven't heard it yet." She gestured to the rest of us. Everyone gathered around Emily.
"Well," She said as she leaned her elbows on the table, "like I said it happened back in Wisconsin, where I'm originally from. Well my family, that was me, my mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, and my cousin, all used to go ice fishing every winter. This time just my Uncle Pete and my cousin Jack went. Father/son bonding trip, you get the idea. Anyway Jack was eleven and as I've learned eleven year-olds aren't the brightest of creatures. So Jack decided to test for thin ice by literally jumping across the lake and seeing where it cracked. Well, the ice cracked and Jack just goes right under. I mean he just shoots right down. He's gone. Pete reaches his hand down and he can't find him. So he jumps in after him and it takes him almost a minute to find him and when they pulled him out they thought he was dead. But he wasn't of course. It just took him a couple seconds to come to. Then my uncle got some rich guy with a car to drive them back in to Chippewa Falls."
"Where does the Johnny something or other part come in?" Bookie asked.
"Glad you asked. When Jack got home everybody wanted to know about his little brush with death. So when his friends found out, one of them, this kid Tobey Jackson, made up this really funny nickname 'cause he fell in very cold water and we all know what happens guys when they get cold. And Jack's birth name is John, but nobody's ever called him that except school marms and when our folks were mad. And he hated being called John. So hence the name Johnny Shrivel Nuts."
"Juvenile and mean," smiled Bookie, "I like it."
"Yeah, it's a Wisconsin thing." Emily nodded proudly. What a 'Wisconsin thing' actually was, we really didn't know, but we all nodded as if we did.
"Hello Rosa?" Maria poked my side.
"…W-what?"
"You left us."
"Qué?" *Water, Jack, cold, helpless. Don't lose it now Rose.*
"We back to earth now?"
"I'm still confused." *Yes, he left out a few of the more interesting parts of the story. Do we sugar coat stories for "indoor girls"? What did I look like now, huh?* As hard as it was for me to hear, I had to admit I was genuinely amused.
"You looked a little out of it." Sammy added.
"Oh." was all I said.
"Em," said Mary, "did I tell you? Rose is a Dawson too."
"Really? Glad to know you're in the club." Emily asked not extremely shocked, Dawson is not exactly a rare name. She was about to say something else when her boyfriend interrupted.
"Some other wandering relative or something? Another mystery cousin?" Sonny teased.
"Huh?" said Emily.
"What did I say?" asked Sonny, sensing he was trouble. Danny and Mary cringed; they'd known her for much longer.
"Jack is not a mystery cousin. I lived with the kid for nine years and he's in England right now, alright?"
"Alright." Sonny whispered, barely audible.
Now that everyone in the compartment was nice and uncomfortable I decided to get some fresh air.
Once outside I leaned my head against the cold metal. The cars were close enough together that it made a shadow over the little area and kept it cool.
Jack's Dawsons were real to me now. They had finally become tangible. But now the question was, how was I going to tell that girl what happened to her big cousin? Each time when I saw one young Dawson talk about the next their eyes just lit up. Jack was so proud of that wild little girl and Emily looked up to him. I just met her. Would she believe me? Poor girl, she would talk about her family constantly, but refused discuss anything about Jack's four year non-correspondence. Mary often talked about it. She knew he must be dead or at best in jail somewhere. And I knew the whole time.
I didn't know what to do. I needed help. I wanted Jack. But if Jack was there I wouldn't have been in this pickle now would I?
*I should tell her. No matter how hard. She needs to know.*
I turned to go back inside. I closed the door behind me and everything in the car was silent. In fact it was almost empty, save for a few scruffy looking travelers who were fast asleep. Wrong car.
*Whoops.*
As I turned to leave I noticed something glimmering in the sunlight. It was something gold sticking out of one man's rucksack. As I began to make my towards the object I stopped.
*What am I a child? Do I have to go peek at every shiny or pretty thing I see? Leave it alone, Rose.*
I was about to turn when I noticed something on the object. A figure, or a symbol or character of some sort. I recognized it. It was the very same one I found on Reggie Carnahan!
*I'll be God damned.*
These were the men who murdered Mr. Carnahan and his team! They stole the…whatever is was. What the hell was it?
I moved in closer to get a peak at it. Slowly, very slowly reached my hand into the rucksack and wrapped my hand around the gold mystery as I inched my body over the table.
I grasped it and pulled it out. It looked to be a religious idol. A small statuette of a man or god, maybe about 6 inches high and four inches wide, but a bit heavy considering it was gold. I took my time in examining it and perusing its every detail. And on its chest was Mr. Carnahan's symbol.
Then I looked down at the sleeping, rather foul-smelling man. *Murderer.* Or was he? There was no way to prove it (to myself or to anyone else.) And if these men did indeed kill Carnahan and his team, how could we bring them to justice? At least I could take back the idol and have it put in a museum where it belonged. Theoretically, it belonged wherever it was originally found, but this was 1916, and we didn't think about those things. Well, maybe I did, but by now there seemed to be know way to know where it was found, but at least in museum it would be preserved and shown the proper respect. And it should not be in the hands of murdering thieves!
*What do I do now?* I decided that I was take it back. I was going to rob it from the robbers, essentially.
I slipped out of the compartment and into mine. I heard a shuffle behind me as I left but ignored it.
"…and then my auto just dies and these Villistas and we're surrounded by them." Bookie was telling our new friends the story of the raid.
"What's that?" asked Manny.
I placed it down on the table and pulled the piece of paper I found by Carnahan and placed it next to the idol.
"Mr. Carnahan?" Mary pulled it to her face.
"One would assume." I said.
"That's the guy you guys found right?" Sonny asked.
"It is." I nodded, "and those guys in there must have killed them and taken the idol. And they're in the car next to us."
"You're serious?" said Sammy.
"No I'm kidding. They probably bought it from Macy's. What do you think?"
"Well, what should we should do then?" asked Maria.
"Keep it and give to a museum when we get home. We may not be able to prove what happened to Carnahan's team, but at least we can put it in someplace where it would be safe. We agreed?"
"They'll come looking for it." Bookie scolded.
"Yes, they won't find it. We'll hide it in someone's suitcase."
"You're going to get us into trouble." he continued.
"I will not-" The man with the rucksack was opening the door from his cabin.
"Shit!" said Manny and Maria.
"Mierda!" said Bookie, Mary, Sammy, and I.
"Cover for me." I started to walk to the other end of the car, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Danny said, looking towards the man.
"For a walk. Get rid of him. I'll be right back."
I walked into the next car; it was empty. It would've been easy to hide in there, but I went into the next to be safe. I found a couple in there early fifties sipping on coffee. The man mentioned something to woman about the circus transporting animals on our train. I just smiled at them and continued towards the back of the train.
George pulled out his gun, but kept under the table.
"You're brought your gun?" Mary frowned.
"Yeah."
"You're off-duty, you're 2,000 miles away from duty!"
"You never know when you're gonna need it."
Next the man from the next car walked in. Everyone stared in anticipation.
"Uh…hello." said Emily. "What's brings you to this side of train?"
"You see a woman come by here? Tall red head, curly hair, with glasses." The man said with a heavy accent.
"No." Everyone spoke in unison.
He eyed them suspiciously. Another man from his gang entered, a local Texan.
"Now look here," said the Texan, "we know ya'll saw her walk by this here part of train. Nacho here saw her leave our part and then something of ours went missin'! Now you just tell where she went and what she was doin'!"
"How the hell should we bloody know!" Emily snapped. Mary tugged at her shirt trying to pull her back down.
"You shut up now girlie!" barked the Texan.
"Make me!"
The Texan and the Mexican moved forward and everyone else immediately rose. George pulled out his gun.
"You might wanna put that away, mister." The Texan glared at George pointing his gun as well.
I was about to move one more car back. No, time to go back. I was getting worried. If they had waved the men off there was no sense staying where I was. And if there was a problem I shouldn't be hiding over here.
I left and started back towards my friends. Once I could see them through the door I paused to get a good look at the situation.
Everyone was standing in a stalemate and there were three guns.
*Stupid Rose! You shouldn't have left!*
I stuck the idol under a seat and entered the next compartment.
Everyone immediately looked in my direction. The two strangers glared at me.
"Hello gentlemen. How may I help you?" I still kept close to the door.
"Where's our damn statue?"
"What statue?" *This could be bad.*
"We know you were in our part of the train and when you left our statue was gone!"
"It's not a statue. You don't even know what it is, do you? It's an Aztec religious idol! And it's not *yours,* you murdered Reggie Carnahan and his team and you stole it! We know everything! Do you even know what 'Aztec' is? You uneducated, unwashed filth!"
"Rose! Shut up! Just the bloody hell up!" Maria screeched.
"Alright then where is it!?" yelled the Texan.
"You killed people! I'm not giving you your 'statue' back!" I glared back at them daring them to come closer. Well, they came closer.
George straightened his gun.
"Statue now." said the Mexican.
"George, you brought your gun?" I asked.
"That's what I said!" Mary declared.
"SHUT UP!" yelled the Mexican. "Where's the fucking statue already?!"
*Rose, this is your fault again. And your going to fix it.*
"Do you really want the idol?"
"Of course, you stupid thievin' bitch." snarled the Texan.
"Really, really badly?"
"What up your sleeve woman?" he leered.
"With this weather? Just sweat really, and my arm of course."
"Stop trying to be clever bitch!"
"You're right. You're absolutely right. Instead I think I'll…run. BYE!"
I dashed out of the car and into the next slamming the door on the Mexican and knocking him over and taking the Texan with him.
I grabbed the idol and ran through the empty car into the next one with the nice middle-aged couple.
"Hello! Nice seeing you again! Bye!"
After I left that car, instead of going into the next I climbed up on top of it trying to grip the idol and climb at the same time, damn was it heavy.
Once on top of the train, I thought maybe I'd make my way back into my own cabin, or first got to the very front of the train and get them to stop the train and ran the other passengers.
Meanwhile back in our cabin, Manny, Maria, Sammy, Bookie, Danny, and George followed the bandits through the train leaving Mary, Emily and Sonny in the original cabin to guard in case anybody else came in.
Banging and yelling came from the once empty cabin.
"Shit!" yelled Mary. "The door's stuck. They must've accidentally locked it! Shit! I can't pry it open!" She waved the pair of scissors she stole from Maria's suitcase. She was using them to break the handle.
"Lemme help." Sonny came over seeing if the extra muscle would help.
Emily was a step a head of them. She tried pulling the table installed into the floor of the train, but she wasn't strong enough to get by herself.
"Mary! Sonny! Help me!"
The two slightly larger people ran over to help her. The three of them yanked at the table with all their might finally ripping it from the floor.
They aimed it at the door. "Ready guys?" Emily looked to both of them. "One, two, THREE!!!"
The door budged only slightly.
"One more time!"
The door fell open slamming against the adjoining one. They dropped the table, on Mary's foot.
"OW!"
"Sorry." shrugged her friends.
She quickly recovered and helped Sonny move the door, pushing it off and letting it fly off the locomotive on to the ground behind them.
The three of them ran into the next car, which by now was empty.
"Where did they go?" asked Mary. The other two shrugged.
I was unable to head towards the front of the train after I was on top. The Texan and the Mexican had subsequently followed me up there. After dancing and hopping around like a complete fool for several minutes trying to get around them and not fall off the train at the same time I found myself by the ladder I had originally climbed from.
*Shit! What do I do now?!*
*Think Rose think! Umm…*
I stepped back a few feet, tucking my right arm and holding the idol close to my chest, and jumped to the next car.
I landed on it hard. I felt as if the idol was digging into my ribs, if I didn't break them they were surely bruised. My glasses almost fell off as well.
I went a few more cars back, getting minimally better at jumping each time. They caught up with me awfully fast. Somehow I suspected they had more experience with this than I did.
Once on the caboose I started to climb back down on the ladder. I had one had gripping the bar and the other hand holding the idol down on the roof.
I screeched in pain.
Someone was stepping on my hand.
The Texan pulled the idol out from under my hand, but he didn't move his foot at first. He stomped down harder on my hand. I screamed again. Then he finally left me.
I held my hand to my stomach and winced in pain.
Just then the locomotive accelerated and I my legs flew out from under me. I gripped the ladder as tight as I could. It took me a minute for me to regain my balance again. I spread my hands on the roof and pushed my glasses back up on my face. The bastards were hopping from car to car with the idol.
Once I was semi-recovered I climbed around the train and guided myself along the bar outside the car. I refused to believe I had been defeated, but I also dared not take the same route I did before. I didn't want to be seen coming back.
My hand still hurt badly, but it wasn't broken. I could still grip the bar with it.
Unfortunately, my hand wasn't the problem the bar was. The steel bar snapped in half with my weight pulling on it. It wasn't supposed do that! It was steel for God's sake!
Then I looked at the side of bar and read the print. 'Hockley Steel Co.'
"Figures!"
I got myself so mad I nearly lost my balance again. I continued my way down the car hugging the side as close as I could.
Next I decided it would be much smarter to walk through the inside. I didn't care if people saw me. I was in a very bad mood.
After running through the compartments I finally found my friends again. They were all huddled over Danny.
"What happened?"
"I think he broke his ankle." said Maria.
"Jesus Dan, you scared the hell out of me."
"Sorry," he smiled and shrugged, "Where's the little idol thing?"
"They got it. I'll be right back."
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Sammy.
"To get it back. It shouldn't be in their hands."
"You're not the law, Rose." he scolded.
"I know, but I intend to finish what I started."
"I'm going with you."
"What you don't trust me?"
"You don't know what you're doing."
"You don't have to *know* what you're doing," Emily interjected, "you just have to look like you know what you're doing…what I mean is it gives you time to figure everything out while keeping everyone else calm."
"You've got a point there. I'm leaving now." I said. "I can handle it."
I dashed off before Sammy could catch up with me. I peered up to see them right in front of me. I climbed back on top of the roof. I was directly behind them. I climbed up as silently as I could.
Once the Mexican climbed down the next ladder I kicked the Texan in the back.
"YOU BITCH!"
"Miss me already?" I wrestled him to the ground trying to grab the idol away from him.
"Get off me you crazy bitch!"
"That belongs in a museum!"
He tried to punch me, but I had my heel digging into his side. The heels on women's shoes are generally longer and pointier. Although usually harder to walk in they do come in handy every so often.
I punched him hard in face and took the idol and ran back the way I came so as not to run into his friend.
He got up quicker than I would have thought and was right behind me. Eventually I climbed down figuring he be an easier match inside. The next car I entered was a little bit different than the others. It was the one of the circus's the man had mentioned to his wife earlier.
This particular one was holding a lion.
"Hello." I moved around it slowly finally gripping the door on the other side. "Nice kitty."
The sleepy lion seemed slightly disturbed, but not very threatened. Still I left quickly and quietly.
But after opening the next door I couldn't get through there was a partition blocking the way. In the car over I saw the Texan step in.
"Shit!"
I looked up and saw a small cat walk-like structure above the floor of the cabin.
I quickly pulled myself up to it, first placing the idol on it.
Once on the cat walk I realized why it was there in the first place. Snakes. Lots of them.
Snakes never bothered me before so I simply crawled across making my way to the end.
When I was near the end the Texan joined me, shaking the metal rails.
It snapped loose on my end and crashed into a section filled with water. I slid down into it soaking my shoes and the bottom of my skirt.
This particular part of the snake car was occupied by a rather sizable and unhappy creature. It immediately popped out and hissed at me showing its fangs, proving it was indeed poisonous.
I screamed at it and kicked my way back up and flung myself over into the next box.
More snakes. Many, many, many more snakes. They were crawling and slithering everywhere. Under me, over me, next to me, on me. I could hear the Texan laughing. I pulled them off and tried, idol in hand, to pull myself back on to the broken cat walk.
"Give me the idol and I'll help you back up!"
Another bolt dropped from the side.
The others had chased the Mexican into the cabin with nice couple and their coffee. The Mexican pushed Mary into the wall after she landed him one in the cheek. She landed on Bookie and Danny after knocking her head on the table.
Emily had finally cornered him by the open door.
"Come on! Kick my ass! Kick my ass! You can do it! Kick my ass!" She jumped around, egging him on, encouraging him to beat the living shit of her, gesturing with her hands for him to come closer.
The Mexican, puzzled, just stared at her blankly.
She took that opportunity to give him a clean right hook.
Mary, Danny, Bookie jumped up. The little thing could really pack a punch.
George took over from there and grabbed him up by the shirt collar and tossed him off.
He turned the shocked couple and looked around.
"No ticket."
"Give me the idol! I promise I'll help you up."
I inched myself closer to him.
*I can't believe I'm doing this.*
But I had to take my chances. I came a little closer.
"I don't believe you!"
"You ain't gotta a choice!"
I came a little closer again, hoisted by body forward on the broken platform. And I stretched out my hand. Despite the loud noises of train I could the Mexican cursing off in the distance, but his voice soon faded away.
"Idol first-"
His head slammed forward into the broken metal platform and he fell over.
"Manny!"
"Hola." He gave me a big grin.
"You saved me."
He helped me out and over the unconscious Texan.
"Think of me as your gorgeous knight in shining armor coworker former boyfriend friend."
I smiled at him and kissed on the cheek. "I love you Manuel you crazy bastard." I hugged him.
"I knew you couldn't get enough of me." I jabbed him in the arm.
"Let's go over this car," I gestured to the roof, "there's a lion in that one."
"For serious?"
"Do you want to go check?"
We went up the ladder and over the car. Manny was a little wary at first and very stepping carefully. It was not everyday one walks on top of trains.
"You're pretty good at this." he commented.
"Well, I had a lot of practice today."
When got to the next car which appeared not to contain wild animals we stepped in.
"Ladies first."
"Oh I'm no lady," I said, "you know that."
"I know, but you still look like one."
"Mierda!" I shouted, "Manny look out!"
That damn Texan was back!
"Gimme the statue and I won't shoot."
I was about to say something, I can't remember exactly what now, but I stopped all movement when I felt something moving around in my shirt. Because of all the excitement before I didn't notice.
"Uh Manuel?" We took a step back.
"Yes Rose?" We took another step back.
"What now?" groaned the Texan.
"In my blouse…" We continued to back up slowly.
"Mmmm?" Manny asked nervously wondering what could be so important now that we were being held at gunpoint.
"Serpiente." I whispered .
"What dammit?!" growled the Texan.
"Snake! SNAKE! You God damn idiot! There is a snake in my shirt!"
I reached down my shirt and pulled it out throwing it at the Texan.
I grabbed Manny's hand to run when I felt something come down on my head. Then blackness.
I woke up lying on a double seat with a terrible headache. My head was propped up by a pillow.
"There is an acute pain is the back of my head."
"Let it never be said that anything could knock the syntax out of Rose Dawson." said Sammy's voice.
I opened my eyes to see everyone's concerned face crowded around me. I fingered the wet bandage on my head.
"What am I dead?"
"Well, that's the popular theory." said a familiar voice.
"Hello Mrs. Brown." I greeted the new face.
"Hello Rose."
"It's nice surprise."
"Likewise, and it's surprise alright."
"W-what happened? Where am I?"
"The uh guy hit you in the head with the butt of his gun," said George, "he ran out of bullets so he hit you and tried to take the idol but Manuel here just knocked the hell out of him."
"Just like my hero." Manny smiled.
"You'll be fine. You just have a pretty nasty concussion. And a bruised hand. Oh and probably a couple broken ribs." Danny said.
"Oh, alright then. How long was I out?" I was asking Danny but I kept my eyes on Molly Brown.
"Just a few hours, but Mrs. Brown here…" Dan looked at each of us, "well, I guess you two have met, but anyway she had some smelling salts and some clean towels.
"Thank you Molly. Thank you."
"You're more than welcome. You'll be fine just doing what you're doing."
"I have been."
Nobody else really understood our conversation, but I suppose they knew they weren't meant to.
"Let's her rest now," she said everyone else, "she's had enough excitement for one day." When everyone cleared out she turned to me. "Can I talk to you later?"
"Yeah."
"Here you go, darlin'." She lifted the back of my head and moved the pillows to a more comfortable position.
"Thank you again."
"Here, thank me by getting some rest and not touching that nasty wound of yours."
I hadn't noticed, but I'd been poking at it.
She stayed with me until I fell asleep again.
I walked onto the train to find my old friend fast asleep.
"I've got a mug of scolding hot coffee and I know how to use it."
"Really?" He said as he opened his eyes.
"No, but wouldn't it be funny if I did."
"Rose!" He jumped up.
"Danny!" I hugged him, "it's great to see you again! How are you?"
"I'm good. Glad to have my little sister back. At least she never married that Clancy guy. I like George a whole lot better. How are you?"
"Pretty good. Glad to be back in the States. How's Isaac?"
"He's good too. Got over you pretty quickly. He got married and they're having a baby in a few months!"
"That's wonderful! Send my congratulations to him."
"That he got over you or that he's having a baby."
I gave him a little jab in the arm.
Luckily the train wasn't too crowded. Strange, I thought, since it was going from one bigger city to the next. But the train was relatively empty. And thank goodness it wasn't crowded. It was too damn hot. I thought the heat might damn near kill us.
I was wearing light clothing but it wasn't light enough. I had on a white cotton blouse and tan linen skirt and no corset. Actually, I hadn't worn a corset in three years. (Alice made me wear one to church.) But I haven't worn one since. They're ridiculous, useless things. Brassieres are much more practical.
My hair was tied back in tight bun; it was too hot to even let my hair touch the back of my neck. My glasses even made me sweat. It was the kind of hot where no matter what you do you're never going to be comfortable.
What made it worse was that it was only seven o'clock in the morning.
Worse still, my conscience was bugging me, not just about Emily.
"I can't believe myself," I said to Sammy, "I let myself be deluded into thinking what I was doing was right or just. That war has nothing to do with me. Or the rest of you for that fact. I let myself be brainwashed."
"No you didn't. You weren't brainwashed for Chrissake."
"Yes I was. It was so stupid."
"Oh my God! You're twenty-one years old and you did something stupid, something foolish, something a young person would do! Honestly I'm shocked."
"Seriously, that's not me."
"Act you're age. Go forth and do stupid things. Get into trouble for a moronic idea that you had."
"I do act my age and I do enjoy myself, if that's what you mean."
"It is, but with you you're either wild or you've got one nasty bug up your ass."
"Oh thank you."
"You're welcome."
I was trying to sleep, but it was too hot and someone was singing.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh! OH-ow!"
"Christ Em." George moaned.
"Don't flick my ears Calvert!"
"Don't sing while people are trying to sleep."
Mary laughed.
"McBride you Irish nuptial. What so funny?" she teased, "I'm trying to keep myself cold. It's like God damn sauna in here."
"How is your singing out of tune going to keep you cool."
"Christmas songs make me think of Christmas. Christmas makes me think of snow. Snow means cold. And cold actually kinda reminds of this one time in Wisconsin-"
"Christ." said Sonny, Danny, and George in unison. Emily told even stranger stories than Mary, and more frequently too. Mary, under normal circumstances, would have groaned with the others too, but she'd gone a year and a half of no Emily, so she gladly listened.
"Johnny Shrivel Nuts?" Mary inquired. Sonny, Danny, and George sighed again. Everyone else cocked an eyebrow. What the hell kind of story was this?
"That's the one!"
"Go ahead. They haven't heard it yet." She gestured to the rest of us. Everyone gathered around Emily.
"Well," She said as she leaned her elbows on the table, "like I said it happened back in Wisconsin, where I'm originally from. Well my family, that was me, my mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, and my cousin, all used to go ice fishing every winter. This time just my Uncle Pete and my cousin Jack went. Father/son bonding trip, you get the idea. Anyway Jack was eleven and as I've learned eleven year-olds aren't the brightest of creatures. So Jack decided to test for thin ice by literally jumping across the lake and seeing where it cracked. Well, the ice cracked and Jack just goes right under. I mean he just shoots right down. He's gone. Pete reaches his hand down and he can't find him. So he jumps in after him and it takes him almost a minute to find him and when they pulled him out they thought he was dead. But he wasn't of course. It just took him a couple seconds to come to. Then my uncle got some rich guy with a car to drive them back in to Chippewa Falls."
"Where does the Johnny something or other part come in?" Bookie asked.
"Glad you asked. When Jack got home everybody wanted to know about his little brush with death. So when his friends found out, one of them, this kid Tobey Jackson, made up this really funny nickname 'cause he fell in very cold water and we all know what happens guys when they get cold. And Jack's birth name is John, but nobody's ever called him that except school marms and when our folks were mad. And he hated being called John. So hence the name Johnny Shrivel Nuts."
"Juvenile and mean," smiled Bookie, "I like it."
"Yeah, it's a Wisconsin thing." Emily nodded proudly. What a 'Wisconsin thing' actually was, we really didn't know, but we all nodded as if we did.
"Hello Rosa?" Maria poked my side.
"…W-what?"
"You left us."
"Qué?" *Water, Jack, cold, helpless. Don't lose it now Rose.*
"We back to earth now?"
"I'm still confused." *Yes, he left out a few of the more interesting parts of the story. Do we sugar coat stories for "indoor girls"? What did I look like now, huh?* As hard as it was for me to hear, I had to admit I was genuinely amused.
"You looked a little out of it." Sammy added.
"Oh." was all I said.
"Em," said Mary, "did I tell you? Rose is a Dawson too."
"Really? Glad to know you're in the club." Emily asked not extremely shocked, Dawson is not exactly a rare name. She was about to say something else when her boyfriend interrupted.
"Some other wandering relative or something? Another mystery cousin?" Sonny teased.
"Huh?" said Emily.
"What did I say?" asked Sonny, sensing he was trouble. Danny and Mary cringed; they'd known her for much longer.
"Jack is not a mystery cousin. I lived with the kid for nine years and he's in England right now, alright?"
"Alright." Sonny whispered, barely audible.
Now that everyone in the compartment was nice and uncomfortable I decided to get some fresh air.
Once outside I leaned my head against the cold metal. The cars were close enough together that it made a shadow over the little area and kept it cool.
Jack's Dawsons were real to me now. They had finally become tangible. But now the question was, how was I going to tell that girl what happened to her big cousin? Each time when I saw one young Dawson talk about the next their eyes just lit up. Jack was so proud of that wild little girl and Emily looked up to him. I just met her. Would she believe me? Poor girl, she would talk about her family constantly, but refused discuss anything about Jack's four year non-correspondence. Mary often talked about it. She knew he must be dead or at best in jail somewhere. And I knew the whole time.
I didn't know what to do. I needed help. I wanted Jack. But if Jack was there I wouldn't have been in this pickle now would I?
*I should tell her. No matter how hard. She needs to know.*
I turned to go back inside. I closed the door behind me and everything in the car was silent. In fact it was almost empty, save for a few scruffy looking travelers who were fast asleep. Wrong car.
*Whoops.*
As I turned to leave I noticed something glimmering in the sunlight. It was something gold sticking out of one man's rucksack. As I began to make my towards the object I stopped.
*What am I a child? Do I have to go peek at every shiny or pretty thing I see? Leave it alone, Rose.*
I was about to turn when I noticed something on the object. A figure, or a symbol or character of some sort. I recognized it. It was the very same one I found on Reggie Carnahan!
*I'll be God damned.*
These were the men who murdered Mr. Carnahan and his team! They stole the…whatever is was. What the hell was it?
I moved in closer to get a peak at it. Slowly, very slowly reached my hand into the rucksack and wrapped my hand around the gold mystery as I inched my body over the table.
I grasped it and pulled it out. It looked to be a religious idol. A small statuette of a man or god, maybe about 6 inches high and four inches wide, but a bit heavy considering it was gold. I took my time in examining it and perusing its every detail. And on its chest was Mr. Carnahan's symbol.
Then I looked down at the sleeping, rather foul-smelling man. *Murderer.* Or was he? There was no way to prove it (to myself or to anyone else.) And if these men did indeed kill Carnahan and his team, how could we bring them to justice? At least I could take back the idol and have it put in a museum where it belonged. Theoretically, it belonged wherever it was originally found, but this was 1916, and we didn't think about those things. Well, maybe I did, but by now there seemed to be know way to know where it was found, but at least in museum it would be preserved and shown the proper respect. And it should not be in the hands of murdering thieves!
*What do I do now?* I decided that I was take it back. I was going to rob it from the robbers, essentially.
I slipped out of the compartment and into mine. I heard a shuffle behind me as I left but ignored it.
"…and then my auto just dies and these Villistas and we're surrounded by them." Bookie was telling our new friends the story of the raid.
"What's that?" asked Manny.
I placed it down on the table and pulled the piece of paper I found by Carnahan and placed it next to the idol.
"Mr. Carnahan?" Mary pulled it to her face.
"One would assume." I said.
"That's the guy you guys found right?" Sonny asked.
"It is." I nodded, "and those guys in there must have killed them and taken the idol. And they're in the car next to us."
"You're serious?" said Sammy.
"No I'm kidding. They probably bought it from Macy's. What do you think?"
"Well, what should we should do then?" asked Maria.
"Keep it and give to a museum when we get home. We may not be able to prove what happened to Carnahan's team, but at least we can put it in someplace where it would be safe. We agreed?"
"They'll come looking for it." Bookie scolded.
"Yes, they won't find it. We'll hide it in someone's suitcase."
"You're going to get us into trouble." he continued.
"I will not-" The man with the rucksack was opening the door from his cabin.
"Shit!" said Manny and Maria.
"Mierda!" said Bookie, Mary, Sammy, and I.
"Cover for me." I started to walk to the other end of the car, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Danny said, looking towards the man.
"For a walk. Get rid of him. I'll be right back."
I walked into the next car; it was empty. It would've been easy to hide in there, but I went into the next to be safe. I found a couple in there early fifties sipping on coffee. The man mentioned something to woman about the circus transporting animals on our train. I just smiled at them and continued towards the back of the train.
George pulled out his gun, but kept under the table.
"You're brought your gun?" Mary frowned.
"Yeah."
"You're off-duty, you're 2,000 miles away from duty!"
"You never know when you're gonna need it."
Next the man from the next car walked in. Everyone stared in anticipation.
"Uh…hello." said Emily. "What's brings you to this side of train?"
"You see a woman come by here? Tall red head, curly hair, with glasses." The man said with a heavy accent.
"No." Everyone spoke in unison.
He eyed them suspiciously. Another man from his gang entered, a local Texan.
"Now look here," said the Texan, "we know ya'll saw her walk by this here part of train. Nacho here saw her leave our part and then something of ours went missin'! Now you just tell where she went and what she was doin'!"
"How the hell should we bloody know!" Emily snapped. Mary tugged at her shirt trying to pull her back down.
"You shut up now girlie!" barked the Texan.
"Make me!"
The Texan and the Mexican moved forward and everyone else immediately rose. George pulled out his gun.
"You might wanna put that away, mister." The Texan glared at George pointing his gun as well.
I was about to move one more car back. No, time to go back. I was getting worried. If they had waved the men off there was no sense staying where I was. And if there was a problem I shouldn't be hiding over here.
I left and started back towards my friends. Once I could see them through the door I paused to get a good look at the situation.
Everyone was standing in a stalemate and there were three guns.
*Stupid Rose! You shouldn't have left!*
I stuck the idol under a seat and entered the next compartment.
Everyone immediately looked in my direction. The two strangers glared at me.
"Hello gentlemen. How may I help you?" I still kept close to the door.
"Where's our damn statue?"
"What statue?" *This could be bad.*
"We know you were in our part of the train and when you left our statue was gone!"
"It's not a statue. You don't even know what it is, do you? It's an Aztec religious idol! And it's not *yours,* you murdered Reggie Carnahan and his team and you stole it! We know everything! Do you even know what 'Aztec' is? You uneducated, unwashed filth!"
"Rose! Shut up! Just the bloody hell up!" Maria screeched.
"Alright then where is it!?" yelled the Texan.
"You killed people! I'm not giving you your 'statue' back!" I glared back at them daring them to come closer. Well, they came closer.
George straightened his gun.
"Statue now." said the Mexican.
"George, you brought your gun?" I asked.
"That's what I said!" Mary declared.
"SHUT UP!" yelled the Mexican. "Where's the fucking statue already?!"
*Rose, this is your fault again. And your going to fix it.*
"Do you really want the idol?"
"Of course, you stupid thievin' bitch." snarled the Texan.
"Really, really badly?"
"What up your sleeve woman?" he leered.
"With this weather? Just sweat really, and my arm of course."
"Stop trying to be clever bitch!"
"You're right. You're absolutely right. Instead I think I'll…run. BYE!"
I dashed out of the car and into the next slamming the door on the Mexican and knocking him over and taking the Texan with him.
I grabbed the idol and ran through the empty car into the next one with the nice middle-aged couple.
"Hello! Nice seeing you again! Bye!"
After I left that car, instead of going into the next I climbed up on top of it trying to grip the idol and climb at the same time, damn was it heavy.
Once on top of the train, I thought maybe I'd make my way back into my own cabin, or first got to the very front of the train and get them to stop the train and ran the other passengers.
Meanwhile back in our cabin, Manny, Maria, Sammy, Bookie, Danny, and George followed the bandits through the train leaving Mary, Emily and Sonny in the original cabin to guard in case anybody else came in.
Banging and yelling came from the once empty cabin.
"Shit!" yelled Mary. "The door's stuck. They must've accidentally locked it! Shit! I can't pry it open!" She waved the pair of scissors she stole from Maria's suitcase. She was using them to break the handle.
"Lemme help." Sonny came over seeing if the extra muscle would help.
Emily was a step a head of them. She tried pulling the table installed into the floor of the train, but she wasn't strong enough to get by herself.
"Mary! Sonny! Help me!"
The two slightly larger people ran over to help her. The three of them yanked at the table with all their might finally ripping it from the floor.
They aimed it at the door. "Ready guys?" Emily looked to both of them. "One, two, THREE!!!"
The door budged only slightly.
"One more time!"
The door fell open slamming against the adjoining one. They dropped the table, on Mary's foot.
"OW!"
"Sorry." shrugged her friends.
She quickly recovered and helped Sonny move the door, pushing it off and letting it fly off the locomotive on to the ground behind them.
The three of them ran into the next car, which by now was empty.
"Where did they go?" asked Mary. The other two shrugged.
I was unable to head towards the front of the train after I was on top. The Texan and the Mexican had subsequently followed me up there. After dancing and hopping around like a complete fool for several minutes trying to get around them and not fall off the train at the same time I found myself by the ladder I had originally climbed from.
*Shit! What do I do now?!*
*Think Rose think! Umm…*
I stepped back a few feet, tucking my right arm and holding the idol close to my chest, and jumped to the next car.
I landed on it hard. I felt as if the idol was digging into my ribs, if I didn't break them they were surely bruised. My glasses almost fell off as well.
I went a few more cars back, getting minimally better at jumping each time. They caught up with me awfully fast. Somehow I suspected they had more experience with this than I did.
Once on the caboose I started to climb back down on the ladder. I had one had gripping the bar and the other hand holding the idol down on the roof.
I screeched in pain.
Someone was stepping on my hand.
The Texan pulled the idol out from under my hand, but he didn't move his foot at first. He stomped down harder on my hand. I screamed again. Then he finally left me.
I held my hand to my stomach and winced in pain.
Just then the locomotive accelerated and I my legs flew out from under me. I gripped the ladder as tight as I could. It took me a minute for me to regain my balance again. I spread my hands on the roof and pushed my glasses back up on my face. The bastards were hopping from car to car with the idol.
Once I was semi-recovered I climbed around the train and guided myself along the bar outside the car. I refused to believe I had been defeated, but I also dared not take the same route I did before. I didn't want to be seen coming back.
My hand still hurt badly, but it wasn't broken. I could still grip the bar with it.
Unfortunately, my hand wasn't the problem the bar was. The steel bar snapped in half with my weight pulling on it. It wasn't supposed do that! It was steel for God's sake!
Then I looked at the side of bar and read the print. 'Hockley Steel Co.'
"Figures!"
I got myself so mad I nearly lost my balance again. I continued my way down the car hugging the side as close as I could.
Next I decided it would be much smarter to walk through the inside. I didn't care if people saw me. I was in a very bad mood.
After running through the compartments I finally found my friends again. They were all huddled over Danny.
"What happened?"
"I think he broke his ankle." said Maria.
"Jesus Dan, you scared the hell out of me."
"Sorry," he smiled and shrugged, "Where's the little idol thing?"
"They got it. I'll be right back."
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Sammy.
"To get it back. It shouldn't be in their hands."
"You're not the law, Rose." he scolded.
"I know, but I intend to finish what I started."
"I'm going with you."
"What you don't trust me?"
"You don't know what you're doing."
"You don't have to *know* what you're doing," Emily interjected, "you just have to look like you know what you're doing…what I mean is it gives you time to figure everything out while keeping everyone else calm."
"You've got a point there. I'm leaving now." I said. "I can handle it."
I dashed off before Sammy could catch up with me. I peered up to see them right in front of me. I climbed back on top of the roof. I was directly behind them. I climbed up as silently as I could.
Once the Mexican climbed down the next ladder I kicked the Texan in the back.
"YOU BITCH!"
"Miss me already?" I wrestled him to the ground trying to grab the idol away from him.
"Get off me you crazy bitch!"
"That belongs in a museum!"
He tried to punch me, but I had my heel digging into his side. The heels on women's shoes are generally longer and pointier. Although usually harder to walk in they do come in handy every so often.
I punched him hard in face and took the idol and ran back the way I came so as not to run into his friend.
He got up quicker than I would have thought and was right behind me. Eventually I climbed down figuring he be an easier match inside. The next car I entered was a little bit different than the others. It was the one of the circus's the man had mentioned to his wife earlier.
This particular one was holding a lion.
"Hello." I moved around it slowly finally gripping the door on the other side. "Nice kitty."
The sleepy lion seemed slightly disturbed, but not very threatened. Still I left quickly and quietly.
But after opening the next door I couldn't get through there was a partition blocking the way. In the car over I saw the Texan step in.
"Shit!"
I looked up and saw a small cat walk-like structure above the floor of the cabin.
I quickly pulled myself up to it, first placing the idol on it.
Once on the cat walk I realized why it was there in the first place. Snakes. Lots of them.
Snakes never bothered me before so I simply crawled across making my way to the end.
When I was near the end the Texan joined me, shaking the metal rails.
It snapped loose on my end and crashed into a section filled with water. I slid down into it soaking my shoes and the bottom of my skirt.
This particular part of the snake car was occupied by a rather sizable and unhappy creature. It immediately popped out and hissed at me showing its fangs, proving it was indeed poisonous.
I screamed at it and kicked my way back up and flung myself over into the next box.
More snakes. Many, many, many more snakes. They were crawling and slithering everywhere. Under me, over me, next to me, on me. I could hear the Texan laughing. I pulled them off and tried, idol in hand, to pull myself back on to the broken cat walk.
"Give me the idol and I'll help you back up!"
Another bolt dropped from the side.
The others had chased the Mexican into the cabin with nice couple and their coffee. The Mexican pushed Mary into the wall after she landed him one in the cheek. She landed on Bookie and Danny after knocking her head on the table.
Emily had finally cornered him by the open door.
"Come on! Kick my ass! Kick my ass! You can do it! Kick my ass!" She jumped around, egging him on, encouraging him to beat the living shit of her, gesturing with her hands for him to come closer.
The Mexican, puzzled, just stared at her blankly.
She took that opportunity to give him a clean right hook.
Mary, Danny, Bookie jumped up. The little thing could really pack a punch.
George took over from there and grabbed him up by the shirt collar and tossed him off.
He turned the shocked couple and looked around.
"No ticket."
"Give me the idol! I promise I'll help you up."
I inched myself closer to him.
*I can't believe I'm doing this.*
But I had to take my chances. I came a little closer.
"I don't believe you!"
"You ain't gotta a choice!"
I came a little closer again, hoisted by body forward on the broken platform. And I stretched out my hand. Despite the loud noises of train I could the Mexican cursing off in the distance, but his voice soon faded away.
"Idol first-"
His head slammed forward into the broken metal platform and he fell over.
"Manny!"
"Hola." He gave me a big grin.
"You saved me."
He helped me out and over the unconscious Texan.
"Think of me as your gorgeous knight in shining armor coworker former boyfriend friend."
I smiled at him and kissed on the cheek. "I love you Manuel you crazy bastard." I hugged him.
"I knew you couldn't get enough of me." I jabbed him in the arm.
"Let's go over this car," I gestured to the roof, "there's a lion in that one."
"For serious?"
"Do you want to go check?"
We went up the ladder and over the car. Manny was a little wary at first and very stepping carefully. It was not everyday one walks on top of trains.
"You're pretty good at this." he commented.
"Well, I had a lot of practice today."
When got to the next car which appeared not to contain wild animals we stepped in.
"Ladies first."
"Oh I'm no lady," I said, "you know that."
"I know, but you still look like one."
"Mierda!" I shouted, "Manny look out!"
That damn Texan was back!
"Gimme the statue and I won't shoot."
I was about to say something, I can't remember exactly what now, but I stopped all movement when I felt something moving around in my shirt. Because of all the excitement before I didn't notice.
"Uh Manuel?" We took a step back.
"Yes Rose?" We took another step back.
"What now?" groaned the Texan.
"In my blouse…" We continued to back up slowly.
"Mmmm?" Manny asked nervously wondering what could be so important now that we were being held at gunpoint.
"Serpiente." I whispered .
"What dammit?!" growled the Texan.
"Snake! SNAKE! You God damn idiot! There is a snake in my shirt!"
I reached down my shirt and pulled it out throwing it at the Texan.
I grabbed Manny's hand to run when I felt something come down on my head. Then blackness.
I woke up lying on a double seat with a terrible headache. My head was propped up by a pillow.
"There is an acute pain is the back of my head."
"Let it never be said that anything could knock the syntax out of Rose Dawson." said Sammy's voice.
I opened my eyes to see everyone's concerned face crowded around me. I fingered the wet bandage on my head.
"What am I dead?"
"Well, that's the popular theory." said a familiar voice.
"Hello Mrs. Brown." I greeted the new face.
"Hello Rose."
"It's nice surprise."
"Likewise, and it's surprise alright."
"W-what happened? Where am I?"
"The uh guy hit you in the head with the butt of his gun," said George, "he ran out of bullets so he hit you and tried to take the idol but Manuel here just knocked the hell out of him."
"Just like my hero." Manny smiled.
"You'll be fine. You just have a pretty nasty concussion. And a bruised hand. Oh and probably a couple broken ribs." Danny said.
"Oh, alright then. How long was I out?" I was asking Danny but I kept my eyes on Molly Brown.
"Just a few hours, but Mrs. Brown here…" Dan looked at each of us, "well, I guess you two have met, but anyway she had some smelling salts and some clean towels.
"Thank you Molly. Thank you."
"You're more than welcome. You'll be fine just doing what you're doing."
"I have been."
Nobody else really understood our conversation, but I suppose they knew they weren't meant to.
"Let's her rest now," she said everyone else, "she's had enough excitement for one day." When everyone cleared out she turned to me. "Can I talk to you later?"
"Yeah."
"Here you go, darlin'." She lifted the back of my head and moved the pillows to a more comfortable position.
"Thank you again."
"Here, thank me by getting some rest and not touching that nasty wound of yours."
I hadn't noticed, but I'd been poking at it.
She stayed with me until I fell asleep again.