Chapter 10
Author's Note: Lots of new content in this chapter!
The station reopened on December 26th. Billy and Stacy returned to work, and Schemee joined them in the station that day. He had accompanied Stacy to her family's Christmas morning and had dutifully reported back to Allcott so as to prevent him from worrying.
Billy was currently puttering around the rail yard; the train schedule decreased immediately after the holidays and now was a good time to take care of the smaller jobs that were always neglected during the rush.
He was moving towards a signal to perform scheduled maintenance when Paul stepped into his path from behind a parked train, startling Billy so much that he dropped the tool in his hand.
"Oh, sir. You'll want to watch yourself in this yard, you have to keep your head on a swivel, anything could change with these trains in a matter of seconds if anything went wrong," Billy explained as he reached down to pick up his fallen tool.
Paul gave a tight lipped smile in return. "Thank you Billy, I'm quite comfortable around here and with the trains."
"Is that so? Do you come from a railway background? If you don't mind me asking."
Another smile, "No, but something about the business model called to me," Paul said as he gazed around the yard. "Could you tell me about that line over there?" He pointed towards a decrepit rail line, the tracks had seen much better days and there was an engine rotting atop them.
"That line? It's been abandoned for years, same with the engine sitting on it. I've tinkered away at her and she could be fixed one day, but the budget just isn't there and we don't have the manpower behind me to help. Mr. King also didn't want to maintain the line, budget reasons again I suppose, but it's just an old service line running up all the way out of the Indian Valley to the next county."
Paul nodded slowly. "I'm interested in restoring the old lines, there's a number of them across the Indian Valley Railway, and sitting and rotting is highly inefficient, both in land use and for scheduling. It's my goal to make Mr. King see that."
"I'm sure you'd be supported in that, but Mr. King is a tough nut to crack."
"Mr. King will do what his stakeholders tell him," Paul said in a clipped voice. Billy practically did a double take. He hadn't seen this side of Paul before. He was suddenly all business, and while it was for things that were seemingly positive, Billy noted the lack of warmth that Paul had as he spoke about the Indian Valley Railway.
"Of course sir, I'm sure he would." Billy felt it best just to agree. This side of Paul seemed suddenly more dangerous in his eyes, especially with Schemee and Stacy's suspicions at the forefront of his mind.
"But never mind that, how are things inside Shining Time Station? Is our young friend doing alright after poor Schemer's death?" Paul switched back to a kindly manner, though Billy noticed the lack of friendliness in his eyes.
"Ah, I imagine he's taking it poorly," Billy suggested.
"You don't talk to him much?"
"I do, of course. We're practically all family here, but it's a difficult time and he's been trying to cope as best he can."
"It's a shame he's here alone, staying with Ms. Jones. He should be with family, who is his guardian?"
Billy felt suspicious, this line of questioning felt wrong. "His great uncle, unfortunately I don't know him well but I do know he's aware that Schemee is here."
Paul glanced back towards the station, before turning to Billy once more.
"I do hope he's alright, after everything he's been through it would be a shame if anything happened to him."
Billy was acutely aware of Paul watching him, gauging his reaction. He was uncomfortable, and nervous, if he was being honest with himself, but fought against it and kept his face neutral and tone steady.
"Nothing will happen to him. He has his family, biological and chosen, and we're watching out for him."
Paul smiled and nodded. "Glad to hear it Billy," he said before turning on his heel and walking back to the building, leaving Billy feeling highly unnerved.
Schemee decided to actually stay at Dan's house, just in case Allcott followed up with him. Dan's parents had offered their home as a place to stay during the week so that he could continue to attend school, and insisted that he was always welcome there anytime he wanted. Dan was a welcome distraction and avoided talking about his uncle unless Schemee brought him up first. Schemee was grateful for this, as he was reluctant to tell him anything about the latest developments, but he was also bursting to tell anyone who would listen. It was hard enough to keep from speaking about it unprompted, and even the slightest hint of his uncle would likely make him spill the news.
At the moment he was reading near a bay window, facing the front yard and road. For some reason, he felt the need to look up. His eyes trained on a car passing by. This wasn't unusual in itself, as Dan's parent's house was on a fairly busy road, but for the fact that the car slowed to a crawl. Something about it sent a shiver up his spine. He leaned closer to the window, abandoning his book. Squinting, he could see a blond haired man in the passenger side.
He jerked back from the window and pressed himself flat against the wall. Grabbing a pocket mirror, one of his uncle's oft used possessions that Schemee had picked up from his old house, he held it out so that he could watch the scene outside the window undetected. The car stopped for a brief moment, he couldn't see what Paul was doing but he could not see any movement to suggest anyone got out of the car. Suddenly and without warning the car sped away with a roar.
Heart pounding, Schemee felt his breathing quicken. He was being followed; Paul was scoping out Dan's house. This made him feel suddenly guilty. Dan's parents were offering their home to him, and a murderer was following Schemee. He knew where they lived, and for whatever reason he was interested in Schemee. He had already murdered Schemer and Schemee had no doubt that Paul wasn't done. There was something more to this, and Schemer wasn't a random target.
Either way, it meant that Schemee was not safe, and he couldn't allow himself to put unsuspecting innocent people in danger as collateral damage.
Dan and his parents were out for the time being so that was good. Schemee quickly made his way to the phone. He dialled Allcott's number and when it went to voicemail he left a quick message saying that he wouldn't be back, and that he was leaving for good. He suggested that Allcott shouldn't try and look for him. Hanging up, he grabbed a few belongings and shoved them into his backpack. He didn't leave a note to Dan's parents, they'd notice his absence quickly enough and he needed a head start. Stealthily making his way for the backdoor, he hurried into the nearby woods. He had to move quickly, and undetected.
Billy decided to swing by Stacy's house after work. He didn't trust speaking freely in a building that Paul also frequented.
"Billy?" She seemed happy but concerned to see him.
"May I come in?"
They moved just inside the door, and he shut it firmly behind him.
"Where's Schemee?" Billy asked first, noticing that there were no signs of the teen.
"He's at my brother's house tonight, probably for the next little while. What's wrong?"
"I think Paul is watching him, maybe us too. I don't know why, but given everything we know, it can't be good," he said breathlessly, "I believe you, and Schemee. All of it. Paul said something to me today and it seemed like a warning. He knew Schemee was staying with you, which maybe isn't uncommon knowledge, but he seemed adamant about knowing how he was doing and who his guardian is currently."
Stacy's eyes went wide with fear. "Billy… I never told Paul that Schemee was staying with me, I told him I was bringing him to Dan's parents on the night I picked him up from the station. Oh God…. He's been watching us outside of work." She paled and backed up to lean against the wall heavily.
Billy put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"We should leave, come with me to my house. Schemee should be fine for tonight at your brother's house. Grab your things, and we'll stick together for the time being."
Quickly and wordlessly Stacy packed up, this was escalating and much faster than she worried it would. They leapt into Billy's car and tore away from her house and towards his. As they passed through town, a car parked on the opposite side of the road roared to life. They didn't take much notice of it until it did a 180 turn and followed behind them. It moved slowly at first, and then sped up to remain exactly two car lengths behind them.
Both watched silently, already on edge. It could be anyone, though the car wasn't one they recognized. In the darkness they couldn't make out the driver or passenger, and the glare of the headlights seemed to be brighter than it needed to be. It wasn't until Billy started taking various side roads, with the car following dutifully behind them, that they grew deeply concerned.
"Do you think…?" Billy asked, the question hanging heavily in the air.
"I have no doubt," Stacy confirmed grimly.
"I don't think he knows where I live. Let's drive past it on the way to your dad's place. He's the police, and at the very least would be interested in a vehicle stalking us through the dark," Billy suggested in a hushed voice, as if worried they would be overheard even in his truck.
Glancing out the side view mirror, Stacy gave a slow nod. Billy stomped on the pedal, briefly leaving the car behind before it sped up to keep up.
"Well, at least we know now," Billy said, anger rising in his voice.
Stacy fully turned around, trying to make out the occupants of the car. She couldn't discern features but there were at least two people there.
Schemer's house was just up the road, and then Billy's was just after it past the wooded lot. Billy sped up a bit more, hoping the other car would be too focused on his truck to pay much attention to the homes. Just around the bend, and they would pass Schemer's old house. Billy sped past the edge of the property line and suddenly noticed that the air seemed to shimmer gold. It was only a brief moment, and seemed to quickly dissipate, but then something unexpected happened.
As if hitting a brick wall, the car behind them came to a screeching halt, swerving all over the road before stopping just before the edge of the property. Billy slowed down and stopped.
"Do you think it's a trap?" Stacy asked as Billy exited the vehicle.
"No, look," he motioned. A lone figure stood in the middle of the road ahead of the stalled vehicle. For a minute, Stacy felt her heart leap. The lanky figure clad in a plaid suit and a curl stood in the middle of the road with his back to them and facing the car. But it wasn't Schemer, it was Schemee!
Paul exited the passenger side of the now stalled vehicle and Stacy and Billy ran to join Schemee. He turned when he heard their footfall and placed a finger to his lips. Silently, they walked to him and stood at the edge of the shimmering golden curtain that seemed to hang right from the sky and hugged the property line. Paul seemed to see it too, but he couldn't seem to see them. He reached out tentatively and as his fingers brushed the shimmering air he pulled them back suddenly, as if burned.
Cursing, he snarled and stalked back to the vehicle. There was indeed a driver, but neither of them could make out who it was in the glare of the headlights. They stood in silence as Paul and his driver pulled away, in the opposite direction back into the night.
They collectively seemed to release the breath they didn't realize they had been holding.
"What the hell was that?" Billy asked.
Schemee reached out to touch the golden air and found his fingers passed effortlessly past it.
"I don't know, but whatever caused this seems to be magic, and it seems to be helping us."
"What are you doing here?" Stacy asked nervously.
"Oh, I ran away. I didn't want Dan or his parents to be in any danger," Schemee said simply. "I'm going to stay at my uncle's old house, until we figure this all out anyways. I'm sure your dad has probably been called by now Stacy, so I'm hoping whatever is helping hide us from Paul is also going to help me stay hidden from the authorities," he explained.
"Let's go inside, we need to talk about all of this," Billy insisted, and the three moved towards Schemer's house. They went upstairs to Schemer's office, and Schemee launched himself down onto the couch.
"So he definitely has people working for him," Stacy said nonchalantly.
"Definitely. And we seem to be safe here. The golden curtain didn't seem to appear until you both showed up, so it was triggered by your arrival is my guess."
"So you've run away? And we're the only people who know you're here?" Stacy asked nervously.
"Yup, I told Allcott I was taking off. Is that a problem for either of you?"
"Yes, it definitely is, my father is the chief of police and will definitely question when we last saw you, and I am deeply uncomfortable about lying about a runaway teenagers' whereabouts. But I don't know what choice we have. You're not safe out there, you're not safe with other people, but you seem to be safe here," Stacy said heavily.
"You can stay here, and I feel that whatever friendly force that's keeping you safe will stay put, but we need to think about how we're going to go to work in the morning. We also need alibis for when the police, or Paul, or whomever asks about this whole mess, so that we don't raise more suspicion than we already have," Billy added.
"Go to work like normal," Schemee said casually.
The two adults went silent. "Just go to work? Working under the man who is an actual murderer and is stalking us?" Stacy asked with frustration rising in her voice.
"Yup. I'm missing now, like you said, you don't want to raise any more suspicion. And what's Paul going to do? He knows you know now. There's no false pretences, and what's he going to do? Ask you where I am and that you hand me over? You already told your dad that you thought Paul killed my uncle, me running away and going missing is the best thing that could've happened. Furthermore, more people, friends and family of my Uncle, can't all suddenly go missing and not raise even more suspicion. He's smart, he knows that. You have way more power over him, and he's afraid of you, His only defence is using your fear of him against you," Schemee said.
The room went silent for a minute. "You want us to blindly trust that we won't suddenly go missing if we show up to work and pretend that nothing is wrong?" Billy asked seriously.
Schemee paused. "No... I can't promise that. I'm just telling it like I see it. All I know is that alone, we're completely vulnerable. We're divided, we're all scared, and we're still hurting. But together, we stand a chance. We seem to have some sort of good magic behind us now that we're together and working to fight Paul. We actually have a chance to figure something out. Regardless of what you do, I'm going all the way. I'll do whatever it takes to see my uncle's killer behind bars."
Once again nobody spoke. Finally Billy piped up again. "I'll admit it. I'm scared, terrified even. Paul has us pretty much cornered," he gave a pause while Schemee and Stacy looked on, "But, I could not call myself Schemer's friend if I didn't do everything in my power to help him rest in peace. I'm in," he concluded and folded his arms.
Stacy nodded with a sad smile. "I'm in, I have to be. If Paul wins, we lose everything. We don't fully know what he wants, but the station, and everyone in it, is my responsibility. But I will say this. Apart from here seemingly, Paul has us being monitored. We just got lucky today."
Schemee nodded in agreement. "So you'll go to work tomorrow. Once people start looking for me I'll stay here to lie low. But this is our headquarters for now, and the curtain seems to function by keeping us hidden. It's probably best if you both stay at Billy's house, and keep Stacy's car at her house. Don't park here, we want to keep it looking as unlived in as possible, just walk over from Billy's house."
"You want to use your uncle's old house? Are you sure Schemee?" Billy asked gently.
"It seems to feel right, and I'm not sure what choice we have," Schemee replied simply.
Jasper knew he shouldn't have been surprised to hear from his twin brother in the days after the police visit, but he wasn't expecting it to be a panicked call first thing in the morning.
"Jasper! It's your grandson, he's run away!" he shouted into the receiver, causing Jasper to hold it away from his face in irritation.
"I have to get the police involved! I've been in contact with people who've seen him around Shining Time, but no one knows where he currently is. He told me he was staying at Dan's house but Dan's parents said he didn't stay the night!"
Jasper rolled his eyes, glad that his brother had reached out to him before the police at the very least. Furthermore, he already knew about Schemee taking off because Mr. Conductor had kept close tabs on him.
"It's okay Allcott, he's here with me," Jasper lied, his annoyance seeping into his voice. He wasn't a good liar by any means, but he could emote anger and disdain exceptionally well.
There was a pause on the other end. "With you? How on earth could he possibly be with you?" Allcott asked incredulously.
"He got my contact information through the police, and I went to pick him up when he called. He knows very little about me. He did know that my son and I weren't on speaking terms, but I guess he just wanted to do some digging and figure out more about his uncle, for better or for worse."
Another pause. "Can I speak to him?" Allcott asked, and Jasper could hear the suspicion increasing in his voice.
"Not at the moment, he's out with my wife picking up a few things. The distraction was probably what he needed. But I think you should come over as soon as possible, there's undoubtedly much to discuss."
"Alright, yes, I suppose that's a good idea." Allcott had regained his composure.
They said goodbye and hung up. Allcott would arrive tomorrow, but made Jasper insist that the boy was comfortable. The lie would surely irritate him, but Jasper was about to drop a bigger bombshell on him soon. Losing the boy was not part of the plan, and Jasper needed Allcott to bring his grandson to him. Now they would have to work together to get him to Jasper's house, so that both he and Horace could be shunted somewhere to safety.
That reminded him of his current dilemma with his still unconscious son. Mr. Conductor was keeping him in a sort of stasis, however his health seemed to be tenuous at best. He went upstairs to where his wife was monitoring his son.
"How is he doing?" he asked neutrally.
"He still has a fever, but I have a feeling that it should be breaking soon. Hopefully this state isn't stalling his recovery," she explained, frowning with concern.
"And if it is?"
"Well... We'll see," she seemed at a loss for words.
They lapsed into silence. Speaking softly, she said, "How much danger is he in?"
"It seems like he'd be in considerable danger if his attackers knew he was alive."
"What was his life like? Before this all happened?"
"I'm not fully sure. From what I know he seemed to be doing well where he was, and my grandson lived with him after my daughter passed. If you're asking why he was targeted I wouldn't know. Perhaps he pissed off the wrong people, or perhaps he didn't do anything at all except be in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said with a shrug.
She pursed her lips. "Are we in danger?"
"I don't think so, but if there was any sign of it I would make sure you were also brought to safety. I owe him this, and once he's out of here we can forget it ever happened."
"That's a very transactional way of looking at it," she muttered.
He blinked once, slowly. Looking at his son laying on the bed he was suddenly swept off his feet by the waves of conflicting emotions. To ground himself he looked away once more. This was complicated, the entire situation. They were complicated, the two of them. Their shared history was not a happy one, and the emotions ran deep despite years of trying to repress them. He did not want to give his son a reason to feel indebted to him, and he wanted to remain out of this transaction as much as possible. The less of an impact he made, the better.
"How will your brother react?" Alice asked, sensing his inner turmoil.
"Poorly, I'm sure. He will hardly believe the explanation, hopefully Mr. Conductor shows up. He seems to know when he's needed."
"This whole… magic thing, did you know about it before?" she asked carefully.
"No, not at all. But it somehow made sense, I had heard about the occasional oddity from Shining Time Station while growing up from my father, when he bothered to come around that is. I always chalked it up to his inability to grow up, or just one of his schemes, but it appears the old man was telling the truth for once in his life," he explained with a grimace.
"Do you think he knew about it?" she said, gesturing to his son's motionless figure on the bed.
"It doesn't appear he did, but I suspect magic may have played a part in why he's in this situation."
Paul was sitting in his office later that night, awaiting his "appointment". His boss was keeping him waiting, no doubt allowing him to sit and think about that night's failure. It was nearing midnight and he barely stifled a yawn as he ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't nervous, he never got nervous. Though he was anxious. Something was acting against them, and plans that went awry often got messy. And messy plans often lead to unwanted attention.
A flash of purple sparked and the swirling vortex appeared in the middle of the room. He blinked against the sudden change in vision. His boss appeared in the middle, and casually stepped through.
"My apologies for the delay, there was a change in guard rotation," he said smoothly.
"Yes, well. I assume you've heard about tonight's issue?" Paul asked neutrally.
"I have not, if it's escaped your notice let me remind you that you are my eyes and ears on the outside," he gestured to his orange prison jumpsuit.
Paul didn't know what to make of that. He assumed he was not his boss's only informant or man on the outside, and he didn't fully believe him as he told him otherwise.
"So please, why don't you fill me in," he sat down and gestured impatiently with his long fingers.
Paul huffed and set his palms down on the table. "There's been a complication. I tried to get the boy, but he's managed to be under the supervision of his friends or family the entire time. The others in the station were being watched, but now they're aware of this fact. And furthermore they've reached a point where I can't access them after hours," Paul explained carefully.
"How so?"
"While attempting to follow Mr. Twofeathers and Ms. Jones, my driver and I reached a blockade in the road. A magical barrier, it obscured everything behind it and did not allow me to pass. We followed the perimeter and identified that it covered an area that covered both Mr. Twofeather's and Schemer's houses. Their vehicle disappeared behind it, and I could not follow. I believe that they may be aware of my activities regarding them, and possibly Schemer."
His boss regarded him with his dark eyes. Unlike Paul who was good at hiding his true self the man across from him emoted frequently. At present, his eyes seemed to swirl with unrestrained anger and his mouth curled downwards into an ugly frown. Without warning he grabbed a paper weight off Paul's desk and whipped it against the wall. Paul flinched back as it shattered, fearful he had made the wrong mistake by showing submission, however he quickly realized that his boss was not focusing on him and was now pacing the room.
"You need new people at Shining Time Station. Find out what you can about the magic here, sometimes it's linked to specific people and eliminating them can give you an opening to take it over. It wasn't Schemer, obviously, so look to the other two. And for God's sake will you just capture that boy and bring him to me!" he bellowed before storming back into the dark vortex.
The light of the office returned to normal as his boss disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Leaving Paul breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
As planned, Stacy and Billy returned to work and fully pretended that nothing was wrong. Paul was clearly a good actor, but he wasn't the only one in the station who could play a role.
Stacy was at her desk around the usual time Paul would arrive at work. When she heard someone enter the station she turned to smile brightly. It was Paul, but he wasn't alone. Mr. King also strode in beside him.
"Oh good morning Paul! Mr. King! How are both of you today?" she asked cheerily.
Paul may have been uncomfortable, or he may have been tired. Either way, Stacy couldn't tell but she did know that his usual fake cheery self seemed more subdued, and this made her happy.
"Good morning Ms. Jones, is all well here today?" Mr. King asked in his usual authoritative voice.
"Of course, it's business as usual. Seems like we're starting to get back into the swing of things again. Especially after, well, you know…" trailing off she gave a small shrug, but perked up again. "However, Paul has kindly agreed to putting up a tribute to Schemer here, with your consent of course Sir."
Paul gave a small thin lipped smile. "Yes of course, anything that helps my staff."
Mr. King nodded curtly. "Good, yes. I have no concerns, I think it's a splendid idea."
The phone rang and Stacy hurried to answer it, and the men left to whatever meeting they had planned for that morning. It was her sister-in-law, panicking.
"Stacy! He's gone, Schemee left last night we think and didn't come back!" She sounded near tears, Stacy bit her lip in guilt.
Thinking quickly, and hoping that it was the right decision, she lied through her teeth, "Oh no, I did see him though. This morning, he was fine. Said he was going back to his great uncle's house for part of the holidays."
The ragged breathing on the other line seemed to subside, slowly. "Are you sure? Positive?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, I'm certain. He seemed fine."
"Should I call his uncle? Oh Stacy… What if he's lying? He's been through so much, but you know how he can be. We love him, but he is, well, a Schemer after all."
Stacy furrowed her brow. "He's not lying, I trust him. But I can always reach out and make sure he's fine and makes it to his great uncle's house safely. Don't you worry, I'll remind him to be more conscious of letting people know where he's going."
They said their goodbyes, her sister in law significantly calmer, and Stacy let the receiver down gently. She hated lying, however it was a necessary evil at the moment. They had to become liars, and good ones at that. The monster currently occupying the other end of the station had seen to that.
She checked around to see if anyone, namely Paul or Mr. King, had overheard that conversation. They were in a closed door meeting. Good, she could work with that. She desperately hoped that the communication between Allcott and her brother and sister in law didn't start conflicting her story. If her father got involved it would look especially poorly on her.
Biding her time for the rest of the morning, she waited until the door opened and she took the opportunity to intercept Mr. King and Paul again.
"Sir! Oh no, it's just awful! I've heard that Schemee has gone missing!" she cried as she rushed out in front of them, "He left my brother's house last night and hasn't been seen since!"
Mr. King raised his eyebrows in concern. "My goodness! Schemee is missing now? Good lord, that poor family."
"Yes! No one knows where he is, would you be able to notify the other stations to keep an eye out for him?" she pleaded, looking up at him desperately as she clutched her station master's cap to her chest.
"Of course! This is just awful! Well no fear, I have no doubt he will be found safe and sound. Needless to say he's been through quite the ordeal!" Mr. King agreed, "Well, I do have to leave but I will make it a top priority to pass the message along!"
He bid them goodbye, leaving a silent Paul and Stacy behind.
"Well, that's kind of Mr. King," Stacy said kindly, taking a deep breath to steady herself, "I hope Schemee returns soon."
Paul was staring at her, expressionless. For once, he said nothing.
"I have to go fix the schedule now, have a good rest of your day Paul." She turned to leave him behind but his hand caught her arm as she retreated, gently.
She stiffened. "Mr. Miller, I will have to ask you to not touch me," she spoke sternly and turned to face him once more.
"Stacy, it's time to stop playing around," he spoke without emotion.
"What do you mean? Schemee is missing! No one is playing anything!" She sounded exasperated, and it wasn't entirely acting.
His gaze hardened. "I'm telling you this here and now, this has nothing to do with you."
A snarl danced on her upper lip. "It has everything to do with me. You saw to that."
"I had no hand in that ," he said coolly, though Stacy could see a very slight flicker of mirth flash across his features. A cold rage settled deep into her bones and she clenched her fists.
"We know the truth," she spat through gritted teeth.
"Whatever you think you know, I trust you will keep it to yourselves. You and Mr. Twofeathers should cease your activities, and you should tender your resignations effective immediately. If you're smart you'll take my advice, no harm will come to either of you."
Like no harm came to Schemer, she wanted to say. She wanted to scream in his face, scratch his eyes out, retrieve her baseball bat from her desk and chase him off the property.
But she did none of those things. "I would never abandon Shining Time Station."
He ignored her. "Furthermore, I need the boy, and believe me I will have him. No harm will come to him either, but I am working for someone who is very interested in his well being."
"You'll never have him," she promised.
"If you stand between me and my goals I promise that you will not like the result. A storm is coming Ms. Jones, whether you like it or not. I highly suggest you take shelter otherwise you'll be caught out in the gale," he said darkly, "It appears we've met an impasse, I take it you will carefully consider what I've said. I expect a decision to be made within three days time. And go to your father all you want, but it will only make things worse for your family."
He swept away, leaving Stacy behind, furious but deeply shaken.
Allcott entered Jasper's house tentatively, as if he wasn't actually supposed to be there. Jasper had been to Allcott's current house, albeit a long time ago. He supposed his wartime home in a lower middle class neighbourhood didn't exactly put Allcott, who was used to a big house on a large rural property, at ease.
"Where is Jonathan?" he asked, after meeting Alice for the first time.
"Upstairs, I'll take you to him," Jasper offered, leading the way.
He brought him to the bedroom door and opened it slowly. Allcott squinted in the darkness, taking in the prone figure on the bed and the medical equipment hooked up to him.
"Jonathan?" he asked slowly and worriedly before realization set in.
Jasper immediately clamped his hand over his twin's mouth. Pushing him into the room, he kept both a firm grip over his mouth and a strong hold to prevent him from leaving. Allcott struggled but gave up quickly, staring forward in horror. Jasper was always stronger built, and more athletic. Age hadn't changed that.
"Don't say a word, and don't you dare run away," Jasper warned, before releasing his brother and allowing him to stumble in shock. He recovered, looked in horror between his nephew asleep on the bed and his brother standing across from him.
"What did you do to him?" he asked in a hushed horror.
"Saved his life, actually. Well, I suppose I didn't, my friend and my wife did rather," he watched Allcott carefully as he inspected Schemer.
"What's wrong with him? His breathing and heart rate are far too slow!" Allcott was looking around wildly, wide eyed. "And for the love of God, how is he here? He committed suicide by jumping off the docks!"
"He didn't, there was an attempted murder. My friend here can explain." Jasper gestured to the nightside table where Mr. Conductor now stood.
Allcott did a double take but slid to the floor as Mr. Conductor waved at him and disappeared and reappeared across the room.
"This is impossible!" he cried, backing away in terror.
"Yes, I've been told," Jasper said dryly, "But it's happened so believe it and move on."
After going downstairs to get Allcott caught up, the three full sized adults and Mr. Conductor sat around the kitchen table. Allcott was hugging a mug of tea firmly within his hands.
"So what happens now?"
"We need the boy, at which point we'll wake my son up and send them both to safety," Jasper explained.
"Was Schemee ever here?" Allcott asked, fearing the answer.
"No, but he is safe, for now. I've been helping out around Shining Time but there's a lot on the go currently. My time is divided amongst a lot of people and places at the moment. There's a darkness that's taken hold in the Indian Valley. Shining Time seems to be the heart of it. It's always been a deeply magical place, this has, at times, attracted those that prefer darker forces. However, whoever is behind this seems to be very well versed. They're doing everything remotely, but using people, like the man who tried to kill Schemer, to do the work on the ground for them. The magic source has so far been undetected, and we fear if they go too far, if they remove the few good people who are protecting Shining Time Station, they will become too strong to defeat. Places like Shining Time Station seem to be strong because of the people within them, those that care for the place and bring joy to the building. It brings life to places, that is a powerful form of magic," Mr. Conductor explained.
"So they tried to remove Horace because he was one of those people… But what about Schemee? Why is he in danger?" Allcott asked.
"We don't know, unfortunately. But there's a lot of resources going into this behind the scenes so we're hoping to have a breakthrough. In the meantime, removing them to safety seems like the wisest course of action," Mr. Conductor said as he checked his watch, "I've got to go, I need to keep an eye on Schemee but I will need either of you to help me bring him here. Once he can reunite with his uncle, I'm certain he'll be willing to move."
Schemee spent most of the day lounging in the house he used to share with his uncle. Try as he might, he struggled to ignore the house itself. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of his uncle. Every room, every picture, was like being visited by a ghost from the past. It was virtually impossible to avoid thinking about his Uncle Schemer, he was everywhere and his presence could not be ignored. Especially not by Schemee. Eventually he tried to embrace being back, maybe if he tried to focus on the good times he had here it would be easier.
He was standing in the middle of the living room, observing some old family pictures on the mantle, when Stacy walked in.
"Hey Schemee," she greeted him gently. He turned to face her and gave her a small smile in acknowledgement. She walked over to him and stood side by side.
"Do you need some alone time?" she asked quietly as she viewed some of the pictures.
He shook his head. "No, I'm fine I guess. It's just still hard to come to terms with," he said painfully.
She grimaced. "I have trouble believing it myself," she admitted.
He turned to her. "He was a parent to me. He wasn't just some family member who took me in because he had to. Yes, he did have responsibility to do so, but he actually cared. He was always there for me, always. Even before my mother died he was always looking out for me," he admitted sadly.
Stacy pulled him in for a motherly hug, and he relaxed slightly in her embrace. "I know, you've been so brave about all this. He loved you very much," she said softly.
"He and my mother didn't really get along. Well, that's not entirely true. I don't have all the details, I was young and he would never speak poorly of her. But I think they used to get along just fine, but clashed when she moved out to the city with me. He wanted her to stay in Shining Time and was willing to support her and me but I think she felt suffocated here. She loved me very much, but we struggled. I was often left alone while she worked one of her jobs, and she had a couple dead end jobs that she juggled. One night, a few weeks before she died, he found out that she had left me alone. He was furious, that's one of the few times I've actually seen him really mad. He did come back, and watched me those nights she worked late, but they never spoke to each other. She was killed when she was hit by a drunk driver that one night and you know the rest," he explained.
Stacy, nodded sadly. "I'm sorry that your life has been so full of loss. I feel like your uncle has impacted the lives of everyone around him in a way that no one will ever forget. We were all lucky to have known him. I don't think that I'll ever stop missing him," she said sadly, "That's why I needed to come talk to you."
He raised an eyebrow but allowed her to continue.
"You're not safe here. Paul and I spoke today, he… he told me that he needs you to be handed over to him. I can't let that happen, I owe it to your Uncle. I can't see anything bad happen to you," she was fighting back tears as she spoke, "You need to leave Shining Time, go back to your great uncle and we'll hold Paul off. We'll get you out of here safely but I can't let you put yourself in danger by staying here."
"Stacy, I can't do that. I owe him everything," he countered, disappointment carried across his voice.
"It would be a poor service to your uncle's memory if Paul gets to you."
He froze, his disappointment was replaced by a rising anger.
"Why do you think you know more about what he would've wanted?" His eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Why do you think you know what's best for me?"
At that moment, Billy entered the house. He froze at the scene, Stacy upset and Schemee furious.
"Because you were everything to him! I can't let Paul take you too!" she blurted out and burst into tears. She exited the house quickly, but Billy watched and saw her settle into the porch to continue crying.
Schemee deflated, his anger dissipating quickly. It's true, she was right.
Billy looked between the front door and Schemee. "Is everything okay?"
"No," he admitted dully, "I have to stop pretending it is though."
Billy sighed heavily. "I take it Stacy told you about Paul today? He confronted her and she stood up to him, but he wants you for some purpose, and we are expected to leave our jobs and let Paul takeover the station."
"Yes, but I don't understand why. I don't understand any of this," he said sullenly.
"Nor do we. But I do know something. On my way home, coming past the golden simmering curtain that seems to hang around us, I noticed it flickered. And I came straight here to find you and Stacy disagreeing. I don't think that's a coincidence," Billy explained gently.
"What do you think I should do Billy?" he asked, eyes silently pleading with Billy to give him an answer.
Billy bit his lower lip. "I…" This was a teenager, a highly emotionally compromised teenager at that. His answer could carry a lot of weight, but the truth was complicated. Morally, he agreed with Stacy, Schemee had to leave to be safe. But for how long? Would they just be prolonging the danger? If they sent him off, and failed to stop Paul, everyone would eventually be in danger anyways. On the opposite side, he was safe now, but again, for how long he could not say. They had minimal options, and Billy struggled with the fact that they all seemed like no-win scenarios.
Schemee looked at him expectantly, his eyes beginning to shimmer.
"What would my uncle do?" Schemee pressed further.
Billy stopped. "What would Schemer do?" he repeated quietly, but a ghost of a smile revealed itself as he mused, "What wouldn't Schemer do, is the real question I think. Schemer might flip flop a million different ways before settling on one outcome. And even then, only after his hand had been forced. He never took just one path, and seemed to always unintentionally take the path of most resistance. Schemer was, by far, the least decisive person I've ever known in my life. That being said, when he truly loved something he chose it, fully. You, Stacy, his friends, the arcade, his curl, his suits. He never wavered in anything that made up the fabric of his being. Not until Paul, that is. I may not fully understand the paths he took that lead him to Paul, but I do fully believe that had he known the outcome, he never would have gone the path he did. If he were here today, he'd be raging mad and terrified all at once. He'd probably move between running away and scheming, but I think ultimately he'd find himself a sequence that overcame Paul, because Paul is the only thing standing between everyone he loves and safety."
Schemee nodded, wiping a few stray tears away. "Yeah… he was a real coward wasn't he?" Suddenly he and Billy erupted into raucous laughter.
"Somehow in running away, he'd manage to save the day," Billy wiped a few tears of laughter away from his eyes.
They continued to chuckle until they fell into a companionable silence once again.
Billy reached out to lightly touch Schemee's shoulder. "You want me to tell you what to do? We've hardly got a plan and we're always a few steps behind Paul, we need to get miles ahead of him before anybody here is safe for good. I don't know how to get ahead of him, but I do think our awareness of his true self can help us be less predictable to him. If we try and move you, he'll probably take sudden notice. I have no intention of putting you in danger, but unfortunately I don't think anybody can guarantee your safety at the moment, no matter which path we take. I will talk to Stacy, but I think the best we can do is promise that we will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Both as your friends and as friends of Schemer. How does that sound?"
Stacy shivered in the cold, wiping her tears carefully from her face.
Everything was a mess. They had no plan, no allies, and a rapidly deteriorating sense of safety.
Schemee was hellbent on revenge, not that she could blame him. She hated Paul more than she thought she was capable of hating someone. It went beyond any feeling she had ever had towards anyone, and that scared her. To feel so strongly about someone, to let them have that power over her, it left her feeling more vulnerable than she already did.
She knew Billy would speak to Schemee, but she knew it wouldn't help matters. At best he might reign Schemee in from doing something rash. Paul wanted Billy and herself to immediately step down, and he wanted Schemee… for something. If she had a way of obtaining more information, it might help, but at present her term at Shining Time Station seemed to be reaching its end. To lose the station, that meant losing any possible advantage they had.
But , she thought to herself, what if there was some way to change the current tide?
There had to be, there must be options she hadn't considered. Paul was agreeable, for lack of a better word, to speak with her. He had given her options, limited though they were. In negotiations the person who made the first offer always had the advantage, but perhaps they didn't need to fold to the first powerplay. They just needed to change things up.
She heard a very faint train whistle and nearly jumped out of her skin from shock. "Mr. Conductor?" she whispered hopefully. Walking towards the direction of the sound she bit her lower lip, shivering, and not from cold. When she had searched the area and found nothing, she dismissed the sound as being part of her imagination, or the wind. She turned to walk back to the house, disappointed, when she saw it. A loose piece of paper was fluttering in the breeze, caught on a nearby tree branch at her eye level. She was going to brush it off as nothing but trash, ignore it; but something made her stop.
She hoped so badly it was something, anything, and was prepared for disappointment. She tenderly reached out a gloved hand, as if afraid it would bite, and gently grabbed it. Opening it, her eyes blurred with tears. The note read 'be ready for a phone call, 6 pm, line will be safe, tell no one, destroy after reading', and on her hand was a faint but unmistakable gold residue. She suddenly didn't feel so alone, and allowed the warmth of hope to fully engulf her as she clutched the scrap to her chest like a lifeline, before tearing it into pieces and mixing it with the wet snow until there was nothing remaining.
With a renewed sense of purpose, she turned to go back to the house.
After his talk with Schemee, Billy went outside to find Stacy. He didn't have to look far, he found her behind the house sitting on a fallen log in the forested area. She wasn't crying, and seemed to be staring ahead lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
"That outburst was inappropriate, I need to go and apologize," she said neutrally.
"It wasn't, you just want to do right by both Schemee and Schemer. And at times those actions may conflict with what Schemee wants and what Schemer would have wanted."
"Schemee isn't safe here," she spoke gently, "Not as long as Paul wants him and we're uncooperative."
Billy strained to hear her and sat down beside her on the log.
"I know, and yet, I'm struggling with how to end all this. Where will he be safe, permanently? Not here, who knows how long we'll have the protection over us. Moving him anywhere will be a huge risk, and then we lose the protection and Paul will surely come for us anyways. I think we need a plan first, if we don't our options will steadily decrease."
She nodded slowly, "Do you have a plan?"
He shook his head regretfully. "I do not. But we better think quickly. Shall we go inside? It's cold out here."
They walked back to the house under a heavy blanket of silence.
"I'm sorry Stacy," Schemee offered sincerely as they walked back through the door, "I know you're worried, and maybe I've been to cavalier about everything to do with my uncle." He let his hands rise and then fall limply at his side.
"I'm sorry for using your uncle's love against you. Just know that I would do whatever it takes to protect you, but you have your own reasons for being here. I understand that, and I'll support you to the end," Stacy responded carefully.
The phone rang once, then twice, before she snatched it off the receiver. She had to pick up before she lost her nerve, if it got to three rings she surely would've let it go. However, she struggled to find her voice. It was difficult to blindly trust anyone, or anything, after all she'd been through.
"Stacy?"
Stacy released the breath she was holding and felt her shoulders sink in relief. She willed herself not to break down into sobs at the sound of a friendly voice.
"Allcott… I'm sorry, it's just so nice to hear your voice," she managed to say.
"Of course, you as well. It doesn't seem right to ask how you're doing, however I will ask if you're keeping safe?"
"Yes, well, yes," she waffled on the answer, "But you know that things are currently…. Precarious. To say the least."
"Yes I have no doubt. Listen, I don't have much time. This line is safe, but we can't maintain it for more than five minutes, give or take. I also hate to tell you that I can't say much, just that there is help coming. We also need to talk about Schemee."
She had to remind herself to take in every word, it all felt too surreal. "Yes, of course, what about him?"
"It's very important that he is able to make it back to us safely. Paul will be watching for him carefully, and we don't fully know what he is planning, or what he wants with him, but Schemee must be removed from Shining Time without Paul knowing."
The odds of that weren't good, they both knew. But in a small way it was good to have her instincts proven correct. "How will you know when it's the right time to collect him? Or rather, how will I know when to get him to you?"
"We're running out of time on this call, but we will communicate again. However, plan for one week from now. I know I'm asking a lot, but are you able to help us?"
She could hear the desperate plea in his voice. "Of course, consider everything I do to be for his safety."
"I'm very relieved to hear that. I must go, but please try and keep yourself safe."
"You too," she responded, but the line had already gone dead.