A/N: Generally, folks, I don't do A/N anymore since FFN got so pis...upset about them.
But for this chapter it is necessary, and for clearity of this chapter, I suggest at least browsing through them.
So first off, yes, it has been awhile. But I made up for it with what I believe is the longest chapter of this story arch to date.
Now, on to the important stuff.
First: Oddly enough, the title of this chapter is a mistake, in that the name of the fourth person Melanue and her group meet up with on Big Alice is never said once in teh chapter, nor should it be. And yet it is clearly stated int eh chapter title.
So first off, yes, it's been awhile. But I made up for it with what I believe is the longest chapter of this story arch to date.
Now, on to the important stuff.
First: Oddly enough, the title of this chapter is a mistake, in that the name of the fourth person Melanie and her group meet up with on Big Alice is never said once in the chapter, nor should it be. And yet it is clearly stated in the chapter title.
And there is a reason for that.
Continuity error.
The continuity error occurred because one of my firm rules, folks, is I never change a chapter title once I write it down. Call it what you will. All in all, it's just one of my many lovable quirks. Like long chapter notes.
Two: Eliah (E), is as cockney as Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. The only difference is, Eliah speaks in what is known as 'Cockney Rhyming Slang'. It's a bugger. I admit. And it's the reason I tried to keep it to a minimum. I also used Hes as an occasional translator.
Third: Is this story arch EVER going to end?
Yes. And the end is in sight, folks. I am estimating two, maybe three more chapters here.
Frozen In Time - Rescue
Part XII - Meeting Eliah
The girl regarded them past a curious stare. "Hey up! What're you lot doing wandering freezy and breezy 'bout the highways and byways of this train?"
Melanie quickly stepped forward. "Please, we're not here to cause any trouble."
The woman paused for a moment. "Know who you are." She stated in an almost condescending manner. "Not many wandering about the train right now looking like a bunch of lost mice. Look at you. Nice little Baked Bean." She commented, indicating Melanie. "Dustbin lid hangin' tight to momma's skirt." She added to Alex before turning her attention to Hes, who she regarded like something suddenly got up her nose she didn't much care for, "Oye! And a big Sweaty Sock in tow."
Hes regarded the woman with the same look. "Aye. Well, better to be a proud Scot than a ruffled little piece of dirty..."
"Hes." Melanie brought the name calling to a quick and decisive end. They needed the woman's help. And insulting her wasn't likely to be the best way to go about getting it. "So you know us." Melanie addressed her. "But we don't know you."
The woman gave her a smug look from under her mop of brown curls. "5847490. I'd be E, missy. That ought make us nice and proper then."
Melanie regarded her. "Your the last contact." She stated with a healthy dose of suspicion.
"What of it?"
"It's just that every contact's been in a sequence so far. Why aren't you 'D'?"
The woman regarded her as though she were particularly dimwitted. "Well, they might be havin' other things to do, now wouldn't they? You might meet them. Might not." The woman made a derisive sound to show her displeasure in the situation. "Shouldn't have had to reveal ourselves to you at all. So I guess who else you meet depends on how badly you keep going. Would appreciate you trying to get right though." She added in the same condescending tone. "You'll be puttin' ma' china plates in danger with your stumbling about. So you be needin' to duck and dive 'fore ole man Wilford find ya'. Or you'll be coppin' a flower pot for sure."
Melanie was still trying to figure out what the girl had just said when she abruptly turned and started off down the corridor. "Well, 'C' got this cleared for ya' still. No need lettin' it go to waste. Let's get your lot moving on."
Alex turned a questioning stare to her mother, who gave a slight shrug in response.
"She knew the code, so she's part of the group who has helped us this far."
The girl turned suddenly back to her. "Not be tellin' no pork pies to ya'." She stated. "Here to help ya', ta' be sure. But ya' gots to be doin' your part. Now lets go." She added, then turned and started off down the corridor again.
Melanie gave Alex and Hes another slight shrug and hurried after the girl.
"How ya' got this far a bit of a mystery, I must say." She stated as they caught up to her. Then added with a small laugh. "All the box of toys you be makin' along the way. Thought for sure you'd be bird lime right now. But I am chuffed of ya', I am. Admit that for sure. Know your onions, ya' do."
Melanie turned a questioning stare to the other two, but Hes answered her questioning stare.
"Says we been makin' too much noise along the way. She was sure Wilford would have caught us by now and put us in the brig. But she admits she's proud of us for makin' it this far because we've been smart."
The girl turned to the blacksmith with a frown. "That's what I said, for sure, Socky. No need for repeatin' it."
Hes leaned around Melanie as he set a hard gaze on the girl. "We've been doin' just fine up to now, for 'your onions'."
A quick smile worked its way over the girl's lips. "Oh, have ya' now, Socky? That's why ma' china plates been having' to step in and help ya'? 'Cause you be doin' so well? All right then, I'll tell ya' what. Since everything is goin' so well, why don't we all just catch a shebert and head down to the old rub-a-dub for a nice Rosey Lee?"
Melanie quickly turned the same questioning stare to Hes again.
"She says since everything is going so well we should all just catch a cab down to the pub for some tea."
Melanie turned back to the girl, who looked for all the world like she was waiting for an answer to her invitation. "I think," Melanie replied carefully, "what we need to be concentrating on is getting back to our train."
The girl answered her in a deep, slow tone. "THAT'S what I been tryin' ta' do here! And only cause I told Manny I'd do it."
Melanie reacted to the name immediately. "Manny?"
The girl snapped back around to Melanie with narrowed eyes. "What of it?"
"It just...that's the second time I've heard that name."
The girl stepped right up to her, causing Hes to step up as well in defense. But the girl only cast the blacksmith a passing glance.
"Now who might be mentioning that name to the likes of you?"
Melanie quickly got the idea identifying the person directly would not go well for them. "I...one of the contacts...might have..."
The girl made another derisive sound in her throat. "'A'! Knew he weren't good for keepin' those lips together." She stated in disgust. "Be havin' a nice little Frank and Pat with him later, I will."
"I...I don't know that it was 'A'." Melanie tried to pull the suspicion off the man. While she still wasn't quite up with the girl's cockney vernacular, she could pull meaning well enough from the overall context. And the last statement did not sound like it boded well for 'A',
"Well, I do." The girl snapped back as she turned and headed with determined strides up the corridor.
Melanie hurried to catch up with her, followed by Alex and Hes.
"Are you going to stay with us to the cold lock?"
The girl continued to walk. "As poorly as you lot been goin', guess I might as well."
"Well, we appreciate the help."
The girl kept walking, her eyes fixed ahead of her. "Well, I don't." Came the stern reply.
As they made their way along the corridor, Melanie suddenly stopped abruptly, putting her hand out to stop Alex and Hes also.
Standing in a side hallway further down was a man dressed in a guard uniform. Melanie hissed the girl's code letter, trying to warn her. The girl did little more than turn and give her an irritated look as she kept walking, giving them a wave to keep following.
Melanie was utterly surprised as they past the guard, whose only reaction was that they weren't even there.
As they walked past, Melanie took her cue for her own reaction from the girl in front of them, who walked past the man without a word.
The other two followed suit, simply walking past without even sparing him a glance.
After passing three more such guards, all with the same reaction to their presence, Alex caught up to her mother, tapping her on the shoulder.
Melanie turned back to see what she wanted.
"Mom, this isn't the way to the cold lock near the border. We're moving back to the end of the train again."
"I'm sure she knows what she's doing, Alex." Melanie tried to reason out the information.
Hes leaned forward slightly. "Think daughter has good point." He replied. "Don't know this girl. Appears out of nowhere. Says she's here to help. But have missed we walk past guards and they don't stop us? Even asked a question? Maybe girl is working for Wilford and is leading us into a trap."
The girl kept walking. "Is that what ya' think, Socky?" She suddenly stopped and turned sharply back to the group. "Think 'E' be false?"
Hes stepped up to the girl.
"Tell you what I think." He stated, staring down at her from his much higher stature. "I think you could just as easily be leadin' us to a trap as leadin' us to the border."
'E' crossed her arms over her chest. "And why ya' think I'm feedin' ya' pork pies, Socky?" She asked in an arrogant tone.
"Because she's right." He replied, pointing to Alex. "We're not headin' to the border. We're going in the opposite direction."
The girl leaned forward a bit, not dropping one ounce of her arrogant demeanor. "That be 'cause the straight way ain't always the best way, Socky."
Hes mimicked her stance. "Meaning?"
"What? Ya' think old man Wilford's some lump of school? That he's just goin' to let ya' waltz down to the nearest border cold lock, havin' ya' cold suits waitin' for ya' and guards there to help ya' get dressed?" The girl turned to Melanie. "Every way off this train he's got a blocker on. Bet it. What he ain't up for is that we take the long loop to get there. If ya' not been takin' notice, we be stayin' in the same area. Them guards we pass? Ya' think maybe they be blind? The least they'd see is this moving mountain." She added. slapping Hes in the stomach as she turned to Melanie. "What they be doin' is keepin' this area clear so we have a place to be for a while. Till the interest slacks off."
"Then why not just stay in one place?"
"Like being a sittin' little ducky?" The girl answered her. "Stay in one place, could get hemmed in real quick. Best to keep changin' location."
"Think better to go back to the tunnels." Hes suggested to Melanie.
'E' turned back to him. "Ya' think old man Wilford ain't wise to your tunnels?"
Melanie turned back to the girl. "Wilford knows about the tunnels?"
The girl shrugged. "Suspects most likely." She pointed to Alex. "This one's been using them for years, sneakin' about like a little mouse, hidin' in them. One of my people saw her go into one once. That's how we learned about them. At this stage they ain't safe. Could get hemmed in even worse. Best to stay out in the open in case we find ourselves in a right Barney Rubble."
Hes leaned further over the girl. "What I think is you be leading us around by our noses."
'E' held her ground. "Do ya' now?"
"What I think is that you be just an irritating little cockey that thinks she knows something."
"Know more than you, Sweaty Sock!"
"Mind your tongue, girl! Or I'll grill it up and feed it to you."
"Pork pies, Socky!"
Melanie gave a deep sigh as she stood between the two. "Chilllldrrrrrren." She put in quickly to bring to name calling to an end once again. "This is not helping anyone."
The girl assumed a superior stance as she stared back at Hes.
"Best be listenin' to the trouble and strife." She stated. "She seems the one what's got the brains between ya'."
Hes suddenly pulled himself up straighter, giving the girl an indignant look. "She's not my wife!"
The girl gave Melanie a quick look over again. "Well, ain't no bricks and mortar, that's for sure."
Hes' look remained as he quickly pointed to Alex. "Bricks and mortar be there."
The girl looked at Alex, then back at Hes. "Nay! She be to cute to be your's, Socky!"
Hes gave a deep sigh, then pointed to Alex again. "Nay! She be the daughter of this one." He corrected, pointing to Melanie. "And this one is Snowpiercer's chief engineer, not my wife."
'E' turned back to Melanie before turning to start off down the corridor again. "Your luck there, missus."
Melanie couldn't help but turn a bemused, closed lipped smile to her flustered looking blacksmith before following after the girl.
Melanie quickly caught up to 'E' again.
"Your contact told me he's been talking to you since the trains left." Melanie said to the girl as she kept a steady pace through the corridor, checking, it seemed, everything around them as she went. "For seven years."
"What of it?"
"If you've been operating on this train for seven years, why haven't you ever tried recruiting my daughter into your group?"
'E' stopped abruptly, nearly causing Melanie to run straight into her as the girl turned to her. "Wilford's brat? Are you looney? That's all I be needin', I do. Might as well just invite the old man in himself."
"But Alex..."
The girl stopped her short by suddenly putting a hand up as she stared intently down the corridor. The whole group fell instantly silent as not one of them moved, waiting to see what had alerted the girl to something.
Standing still as stone, the girl gave a short whistle.
The corridor remained silent.
The girl turned only slightly to Melanie.
"You know where a tunnel is?" She asked in a whisper, pulling a piece of cloth out of her pocket.
Melanie nodded.
"Take your lot and go there." She stated, unfolding the cloth to reveal a mask she quickly pulled on. "Head for the border cold lock fast as ya' can."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Guard should be there." She nodded to the next opening off the corridor. "Could be somethin'. Could be nothing."
Just then eight jackboots stepped out into the corridor, facing them down.
"Be somethin'." The girl commented solemnly.
In front of the Jackboots they held a fifth man, whom Melanie suspected was the guard who was supposed to be stationed there. They unceremoniously released their hold on him and he instantly collapsed to the floor. Melanie wasn't sure if the man was even conscious still as she tried to turn the others, moving them back down the corridor away from the guards.
"Hey, then, little jackies. What might I be able to do for you lads?" 'E' addressed the jackboots.
Almost as a single unit the group began to advance quickly towards them, but Melanie quickly noted as they came at them, the jackboots seemed to focus the majority of their attention on the girl now equally headed towards them. The group split up, and Melanie assumed it was so some of them could bypass the girl and get to them. But to her surprise, the jackboots seemed less interested in them and more on 'E' as those moving around her quickly positioned themselves behind her, effectively forming a circle around the girl.
For 'E's' part she certainly hadn't just stood waiting to see what the jackboots were going to do. As soon as the first one came into reach she attacked. But instead of going directly for the man in front of her, she launched herself at the man to her side, grabbing him about the neck and using him as a launching point as she swung her legs up and caught the man in front of her in the throat witht he front of her boot, taking him out of the battle easily.
From there Melanie watched a few more seconds in amazement as the girl seemed to fend off her attackers with ease. But remembering what 'E' had told them to do, she quickly turned and began trying to herd Alex and Hes down the corridor quickly so they could get to the Priest Hole she remembered them passing. 'E' had even pointed it out to her, as she had several other tunnels and Priest Holes they passed along the way.
As they moved, Melanie noted Hes was less than eager to leave the battle, pushing more against her direction than with it as he kept his attention focused on the fight. But suddenly the blacksmith broke away, giving a loud shout as he bolted past Melanie and back to where the girl was still fighting off the jackboots.
Turning as she tried to stop him, it didn't take Melanie long to see what had gotten Hes to hurry back to the fight.
Standing behind the girl, one of the jackboots already had his pole raised to make a strike.
But he never got the chance.
Before he could even make the downward swing, a hand grabbed him by the back of his shirt, lifting him clean off the ground as a loud cry came from behind him.
Suddenly the jackboot found himself slammed up against the wall of the corridor with enough force to momentarily stun him so that he dropped his pole as he slid to the ground.
Grabbing the pole, Hes quickly put his back to the girl's as he faced down the jackboots who had managed to get behind her.
"Eager to fight this little fish, are ye'?" He asked, his Scottish accent coming in hard and clear now, "Well, lets see how eager ye' are to reel in this one."
With that Hes swung the pole, connecting with one of the jackboots hard enough to take the man off his feet and slam him into the other jackboot standing next to him.
Although still outnumbered, the fight was quick and decisive. While Hes joined in the fight, it definitely seemed to Melanie that the girl took on the larger contingency of the jackboots, proving quickly she was no force to be reckoned with lightly. As soon as one opponent went down, she was on to the next, not even pausing to take stock of the situation.
Within a few minutes, Hes and the girl stood surveying those on the floor. One jackboot moved slightly, a slight moan coming from the man as he tried to pull himself up a little. But a swift blow to his back from 'E' put him back down with no further movement coming from him.
Looking things over and satisfied things were under control again, the girl bolted from the scene back to where her comrade still lay on the floor. Whipping off the mask, she quickly knelt next to the man, carefully helping him sit up as he moaned in pain.
"Hey now," the girl said softly, quickly checking him over for injury, "those ole jackies get the drop on you?"
The man gave a slight nod, rubbing the back of his neck.
The girl gave him a light, well tempered slap to the back of the head. "Well, that's what ya' get for wandering in the clouds when ya' suppose to be guardin', ain't it then?"
The man mumbled something as the girl tried to help him up.
Just then a rush of feet could be heard coming down the corridor.
Melanie wasn't sure what to make of the sound at first. They weren't the military like, unison steps of the jackboots. They spoke more of a rushed panic than anything.
Suddenly a group of several others came running around the corner of the corridor, only to pull to a quick stop when they saw the girl.
"All right then, you lot." She called to them. "Come and get him. Needs a bit of help."
The others rushed forward again and took the man from her.
"Get him looked at." She told the two now supporting the man between them. "If he's all right, get him some food and then rest."
The man lifted his head and started to say something back to the girl, but she quickly grabbed his face in one hand as she leaned in to him.
"Food and rest." She reiterated, then with snap of her hand released him.
As the two helped their comrade away, the girl turned to the others who had just arrived.
"Area's been compromised." She stated to the group. "Clear out this mess to the lower levels. Have a nice Frank and Pat with them and see who's smart and who'd rather take a dive out a cold lock for the ole man."
While several in the group began gathering up the fallen jackboots, the girl turned to several others that had arrived. "Go find the others. Tell them what's what, then clear out. I want this entire section done in five. Is that clear?"
Several voices quickly answered and within seconds the four found themselves standing in the corridor alone again.
The girl took a quick last look around, then turned back to them.
"We'll have to move quicker." She stated. "Ole man Wilford seems on to us here. So now he thinks he knows what we're up to. He'll be gettin his jackies to this area fast as he can."
"So what do we do now?" Melanie asked.
The girl gave her a sly smile. "Why, we be needin' to get you to that border cold lock quick like, won't we, little ducky?"
Melanie didn't even have time to answer as the girl turned and hurried off.
Turning to Alex and Hes, Melanie signaled them to follow.