Frozen In Time Rescue

Part VI - Covert Operations (or Clandestine, depending on how you look at it)

Three hours later the group again met in the engine room. The sole addition was brought by Jackson, who carefully wheeled a laundry cart into the main engine room ahead of himself.

Layton carefully watched as the man wheeled the cart up to the table.

"Back to the laundry story, are we?" He asked with a slight smile.

Jackson gave him a decidedly unfriendly look in return. "Most certainly not. But my days working in the laundry does give me some unique insight as to how the laundry service works. This cart is a critical part of my strategy to get someone onto Big Alice undetected."

Bennett was already looking the cart over. "Laundry carts are always suspect for counter-ban." He warned. "They're checked pretty closely and none to gently."

"I am aware of this." Jackson answered plainly. "That is why this particular cart was modified."

Layton was now looking the cart over with the others. "Modified how?"

Jackson leaned in an lifted a flap that had been sewn into the bottom of the cart. "There's a cover on the bottom to hide someone. But this part is just for their legs. The guards suspect a whole person to try and hide on the bottom, so they use poles to poke about. The person will have to keep their legs pressed to the sides so they are as much out of the way as possible. Once they are done with checking the contents of the cart, the person inside will need to shift their legs to the middle as the guards will also hit their poles against the outside of the cart. One good blow with one of those poles could injure the person inside."

"What about the upper body?"

Jackson quickly went to the back of the a cart where another piece of material had been sewn into the original panel. He unfastened several catches to reveal a small compartment. "Their upper body will be concealed here. The person pushing the cart will need to make sure the guards don't get access to this part of the cart when they're doing their 'pole checks', since, as mentioned, they tend to hit the outside of the carts also. And rather hard. But all in all, the head will be protected as it is situated up under the handle of the cart."

Layton was still looking over the cart. "And how is this not 'covert'?" He asked, referring back to his earlier discussion with Melanie's assistant..

Jackson seemed to regard the question for a moment before answering. "This is more of a clandestine operation, Mr. Layton. Not a covert one."

Layton simply shook his head. He simply wasn't up for the man's usual game of semantics right now. Especially when he had noticed something about Jackson's plan that set his teeth on edge.

"These carts are somewhat small." He pointed out. "I'm guessing that would leave me out as a candidate for going over to Big Alice."

"That is certainly one reason that would disqualify you, Mr. Layton." Jackson replied. "Aside from that, you don't know Big Alice as well as others might. Knowing the lay out of the other train is crucial to this plan working."

Bennett gave him a good natured pat on the back. "I guess sometimes it isn't 'who' you know, but 'what' you know." He commented with a smile.

But Jackson quickly brought Bennett's assumption to a halt.

"You are also not the person who I am recommending for this mission, Mr. Knox."

Layton gave Jackson a deep frown. He didn't like the way the odds were stacking up.

"Who exactly are you recommending?" He asked the man.

Jackson paused for a moment, knowing the firestorm his recommendation would get from the train's leader. If there was just one thing he genuinely did not like about Layton, it was that he naturally assumed his second-in-command was some fragile female incapable of doing any menial task past working on the train's engine.

"For this particular part of the operation, I would recommend Ms. Cavill."

Before Jackson could even lay out his reasons, Layton vehemently rejected the suggestion.

"Absolutely not!" He stated. "The train can't risk losing Melanie. If something goes wrong, or breaks, she's the only person who knows how to fix it."

"You have Mr. Knox."

"Who, while an excellent engineer, still only knows about 2/3rds of the systems on this train or how to fix them."

Jackson crossed his arms in front of him. "Then who would you suggest?"

"Till is about the same height and weight as Melanie. She also knows a thing or two about covert operations and defending herself. Plus, Till isn't as well known on Big Alice as Melanie would be. She could move about a bit more easily."

"Ms. Bess also does not know the layout of that train in nearly the detail Ms. Cavill does. She did, after all, Mr. Layton, build it."

"Floor plans can be learned..."

"We don't have that time."

"And we just established that Wilford currently isn't doing anything."

Melanie stepped up to the table. "That we know of, Layton." She put in. "We know why Wilford took Hes. Now, knowing Hes, what do you think happened there? Hes just walked up to that forge and started working?"

Layton paused for a moment. "No. He would bulk at being forced to do something he didn't want to do."

"And we both know how Wilford handles people who rebel. I would say the faster we move on this, the better."

Till voiced her agreement on the situation. "Then lets get going." She stated with enthusiasm. "Let me slide into Jackson little modified cloths hamper and we're off."

Melanie turned her eyes to the other woman. "Where's the first tunnel on Big Alice?" She asked plainly.

Till stopped for a moment. "The first what?"

"Exactly." Melanie replied. "Listen, Bess. I appreciate you want to take my place in this. But Frank is right. I am the best suited person for the job." She quickly turned back to Layton. "When I built Big Alice, I put in a number of secret tunnels and Priest Holes. Wilford likely knows nothing about them."

Layton gave her a questioning look. "Why would you build secret tunnels?"

Melanie gave him a small smile as she answered in a soft voice. "Because I could." She quickly turned back to the group. "I know where every tunnel and Priest Hole is on that train. Once I get to Alex and Hes, I could keep us hidden on that train for as long as I need to. Wilford will never find us."

Layton quickly tapped the table. "Then start laying them out, lady. Because you're still not going. Till is."

Melanie turned back to him, her own agitation rising at his refusal to listen, once again, to logic.

But Layton stopped her before she even got started. "No!" He stated, pointing a finger directly at her. "And that is the final word here, Melanie. You're simply too valuable to the train to risk. You're not going."

Melanie set a hard stare on the man as he turned and left the room. But when she turned back to the group at the table, her sights fell on her assistant, who had an equally hard gaze set on her. But as she watched him, the man slowly shifted his gaze to the door of the engine itself, then back to her.

Reading the message all too clearly, Melanie gave a quiet sigh, then pushed herself away from the table.

"I'll be in the engine if anyone needs me." She stated, then turned and headed off to her private sanctuary.

Bennett started to follow her, but a firm hand on his arm stopped him.

"Give her a little time, Mr. Bennett." Jackson offered.

Bennett gave a small sigh, then nodded and headed off to the helm.

Soon the only two people at the table still were Till and Jackson.

"We can't wait for her to cool off, Frank." Till told him. "I need the layout of the train and I need to know where those tunnels are."

Jackson gave her a slight nod, then turned and headed after Melanie into the engine.