Out Of The Past
Part XIV - A Voice In The Darkness II
Josie struggled against the two sets of hands holding her, but without being able to see her attackers and with her arms secured, she was at an extreme disadvantage.
"I'll scream!" Came the instant threat.
"Scream and we'll clock ya' one good." Came a voice close to her ear.
Josie quickly went still. Maybe it was pure coincidence that the people attacking her spoke with the same deep, cockney accent as her voice.
"All right." She revised quickly. "But why are you attacking me?"
"Not attackin' you, ya' silly cow." The same cockney voice answered. "Just taken you to have a little Frank and Pat."
"With who?"
"Well, if your so interested, you'll have to come with us then, won't you?"
Josie considered the offer for a moment, then finally gave a quick nod. "But this will go faster if I can see." She added.
Those around her gave a soft laugh. "Like to see where we're goin', would ya', darlin'?" One voice asked.
"Yes, I would."
"Don't need to see nothin'." The new voice answered a bit harsher. "Got the best tour guides on all of Big Alice to take you where you're goin'."
"Watch out for the hand, 'G'!" A sudden warning came from a decidedly older female voice. "She gets hold of your leg with that thing and she'll make a hole for sure."
Josie quickly turned to the voice. "I'm not going to hurt anyone." She stated. "Not unless you give me cause."
"Then don't you worry none, darlin'." Came the first male voice. "Because old 'E' will have our skins if you arrive damaged."
"'E'?"
"Shut your yaps, you lot!" Came the older female voice again. "We're not here to have a Frank and Pat with 'er. We have our orders. Now get to 'em."
A small amount of grumbling followed the command, but the others holding her suddenly spun her about several times, then all but dragged her off in a direction Josie was no longer sure of. Along the way, she could clearly hear doors opening and closing, but nothing gave her any indication as to where she was on the train. The only clue she was given to anything around her only served to confuse her more as several times she felt like she was in a narrow tunnel as she occasionally bumped into walls on either side of her. In addition, the walk was a long one, taking close to thirty minutes by Josie's estimates.
But finally the procession came to a stop and she heard a door open. Josie could soon clearly pick up on the sounds of other voices murmuring around her as her escorts all but shoved her forward suddenly. Some of them sounded angry while others merely curious.
"All right, quiet, you lot!" Came the older female voice Josie had heard earlier. "Not here to hear you're useless prattle."
Josie found the bag abruptly yanked off her head. Directly before her a bright light shone in her face.
"Well now, there's our little ducky."
For some reason, Josie took comfort in hearing a voice she recognized.
"Where am I?" Came the first question to her mind.
A male voice answered her. "You're not here to ask questions." It stated firmly. "You're here to answer them."
"Now, now," came the softer voice in front of her, "We're all friends here, right?"
A murmur of agreement came from the group.
"Good now." The female voice continued. "And no one wants our little ducky hurt, do we?"
Another round of murmurs began, but was cut short by a stronger male voice.
"Was a mistake to bring 'er 'ere, 'E'. She'll lead old man Wilford right to us, she will."
Josie quickly turned to the new voice hidden behind the light. "How can I bring anyone to you? I don't even know where I am."
"All live on this train." Came the male voice again. "See us in a corridor, go yellin' to old man Wilford, you will."
"I'll do not such thing!" Came Josie's firm denial. "And I don't even know any of you. Or recognize your voices." She quickly glanced at the two men holding her arms to keep her from trying to bolt. "Even these two are wearing masks. What would I tell Wilford? A bunch of voices kidnapped me?"
A soft laugher rippled through those behind the blinding light.
The female voice Josie supposed was their leader spoke up again. "Got a good point on you, mate, she did."
But the male voice wasn't done yet. "I still say put her down here. She's a liability and a point for Wilford. He uses her and she's too daft to know it."
The group went silent for a few moments and Josie worried they were seriously considering the last suggestion.
But the lead female voice suddenly spoke up again, and Josie felt she could hear a sound like someone getting to their feet. "I'm more interested now in hearing what the little ducky has to say." Josie listened as she heard the woman stepping across the barren floor closer to her. "So what say you, pretty little ducky?" She asked in her thick, cockney accent. "Should I let my china plates pluck you right here?"
Josie quickly pulled back a little against the two men still holding her arms. "Look, I don't want any trouble."
Suddenly a face popped into view from around the lamp pointed in her face. Though Josie still could not see any clear features very well, she did not mistake the sound of the switchblade opening, which was just as quickly positioned against her neck. "Too bad, little ducky." The voice told her. "Because troubles found you."
Josie fought to keep her fear under control, holding as still as she could against the knife that was pressed a little closer to her throat.
"Now tell me, little ducky, say you won't go tellin' tales to Wilford?"
"I won't." Josie quickly stated. "I swear."
The knife traced a line across her throat this time. "Now tell me why that is, Little Ducky. Old man Wilford treats you well. Cured you. Made you better than you were before. Gave you a nice new hand and all. Gave you food. Nice place to live. Why wouldn't you go tell him about your adventures today?"
Josie used a quick snap of her head to indicate the area in front of her. "That one, behind the light, said Wilford used me and I was too daft to know it."
A sharp, quick "Aye." Answered her.
"I'm not stupid." Josie answered back, then turned to one of the men holding her. "And I'm no COW!" She snapped at him. She wasn't sure if he was the one who made the comment, but she still wanted to get her's back for the implication. "Yes, Wilford has done a lot for me. He did save my life, cured me, fed me, gave me a home. But I know Wilford."
The voice pulled back with the blade. "Do you now, ducky?"
"Everything has a price." Josie replied. "I'm waiting to see what mine is."
A low, soft laugh came from behind the light. "Smart little ducky. Knows a thing or two."
Just then a noise came from the other side of the door behind Josie. Three sharp, quick raps and one short one.
As soon as the signal was given, Josie swore all movement right down to breathing in the room stopped and almost as a single unit she could hear every person in the room turn in one direction, including the two men holding her.
All were now focused directly on the figure in front of her, standing once more behind the light.
"Jackboots!" The sharp, quick warning came from the leader. "Back to your posts, the lot of ya'!"
The light in front of her suddenly snapped off and Josie was jostled about as several people ran past her out the door, emptying the room in record time.
Turning back around, Josie found herself now facing a window to the outside, a lone figure standing in front of it.
"Your lucky day, little ducky." Came her voice. "My advice is stay lucky."
Josie backed a few tentative steps toward the door. She glanced outside, but didn't see the Jackboots yet. "And how do I do that?" She asked as she turned back to the room. But the area behind her now was empty. Looking around quickly, she noted she was the only one in the room now.
"Go out." Came her voice in the now semidarkness of the room. "Tell the Jackies you're lost. They'll take the little ducky safely home."
Not wanting to have to explain why she was in a room by herself, Josie quickly opened the door and hurried out into the corridor. She quickly began walking down it when she suddenly heard the distinctive marching steps of Wilford's Jackboots. Stopping where she was, she waited for them to come to her.
Within a few seconds four Jackboots marched around the corner into the hallway where she was standing. All four came to an immediate stop, but one finally stepped forward.
"This is a restricted area." He informed her in a no-nonsense tone. "What is your business here?"
Josie gave him her most innocent smile as she took a step forward. But the second she did, all four immediately brought their weapons to bear.
Josie quickly put her hands out in front of her. "No. No." She stated in a shaky voice. "I...Wilford gave me a new cabin recently. I was going to get something to eat, but I got turned around and now I'm not sure where I am." She quickly made up a story, trying to sound as nonthreatening as she could. "I feel like I've been wandering around for hours. I...I'm not even sure where I am anymore."
"State your name." Came the quick, concise instructions.
Josie had had interactions with Jackboots before. She knew it was best to jut do what they said to avoid any problems. Most of them were far too 'trigger happy' for her liking.
"Josie Wellstead. I'm a guest of Mr. Wilford." She added for good measure.
The front man seemed to look her over as he considered her story. "You're in a restricted area, Ms. Wellstead." The man repeated in the same short manner. He then turned to the three men behind him. "Wilson. Markaby."
Two of the other Jackboots quickly stepped forward.
"You will go with these men, Ms. Wellstead." He ordered her. "They will escort you back to your cabin. If you still need something to eat, they will get it for you and bring it back to your cabin."
Josie didn't say anything in reply, but simply gave a short, quick nod. All she wanted was to be out of the company of these men.
Back at her cabin, Josie quickly told the two men she wasn't hungry anymore and after her small adventure, would just as soon stay in her cabin.
To her relief, the men seemed as eager to be rid of her as she was to be rid of them, and they quickly left to rejoin their unit.
Once she was sure they were out of any hearing range, Josie quickly walked about her cabin, quietly calling for her voice, thinking it may have followed them back to the cabin.
But no one answered.
Finally tired of whatever game she felt the voice was playing, Josie got ready for bed. It had, all in all, been a bit much of a day for her. But before turning out the light in the outer cabin area, Josie suddenly thought to check for the microphone the voice had helped her find earlier. She remembered leaving it on the table, a stupid move she later reflected. Especially if Wilford had come to the cabin looking for her and had seen she had found it. But when she checked the small side table where she had left it laying, the microphone was gone. Quickly running her hand under the table, she easily found it, attached once again to it's hiding place.
Straightening up, Josie left it where it was,. But she wondered who had put it back under the table. Had Wilford come to the cabin and found it? If so, he surely knew now she had found it. What was the purpose then of putting it back exactly where it had been?
No. That scenario didn't make any sense.
More likely, she reasoned, the men who had taken her had replaced it, so as not to arouse suspicion of her missing if someone came looking for her in the cabin.
Giving a soft sigh, she finally shut off the lights in the room and went to bed.
An hour later, laying in her bed, Josie still found herself staring at the ceiling. Sleep seemed little more than an elusive dream after the events of the day. She had been on Big Alice for months, and these...rebels...had never tried to make the slightest contact with her. Why now? What had suddenly changed?
"Wakey, wakey little ducky." Came an all too familiar voice.
Josie stayed exactly as she was, not moving a muscle as she continued to stare at the ceiling, though now her eyes were quickly searching about the room, looking for any sign of movement. "I'm not asleep."
"Did well today." The voice praised her. "Came back to cabin and didn't tell tales. Good points for you."
Josie frowned at the comment. "Maybe next time I won't feel so generous."
"And why would that be, little ducky?"
Was the voice serious? "You and those others were going to kill me."
The voice came back indignant. "Oy! That's a lot of pork pies, that is!" It stated firmly. "We weren't goin' to hurt ya' at all."
"That knife at my throat was just to say 'hello'?"
The voice sounded like it was almost laughing at her. "In a manner of speaking, ducky, yes, it was. Was our way of seeing what you're made of." It suddenly sounded serious again. "Ya' did well. Didn't back down. Didn't tell tales later."
Josie frowned deeper at the comment. "So what? What do you want with me, anyway?"
"Us? Nothing." The voice replied. "Wilford? Plenty."
"Wilford?" Josie asked. "Why do you keep coming back to Wilford?"
The voice paused for a moment. "Little ducky needs to be careful. Thinks Wilford is a friend? Maybe not so smart after all."
"I told you I don't trust Wilford." Josie answered. "What I don't know is why you don't."
"What mean, little ducky?" The voice asked.
Josie pulled herself up to sit in the bed. "I put to you the sane reasons you gave me earlier. You live on Big Alice. So Wilford is your bread and butter. Why hate him?"
The voice didn't answer.
"Well?"
"Wilford is many things on this train." The voice came back. "Many things to many people. To some, he is a savior. Keeps them alive. Keeps them safe, warm, and fed. But in return, they do for him."
"That's only fair." Josie replied.
"But not all get to eat from his hand." The voice continued. "On Big Alice, never know who is friend and who is foe. Wilford keeps it that way. Keeps all suspicious. Keeps all willing to sell out a friend for a crumb of bread. Keeps al divided. Keeps him in power."
"I've never seen anyone on Big Alice going hungry."
"And what have you seen of this train? Didn't know where ya' were today, ducky. Far from your safe little cabin ya' were. Step too far outside that door, would have seen a very different side of this train."
"How so?"
"Different cars. Different people. Not far from those who aren't so favored."
Josie considered the information. "How do I know anything you're even saying is true? So far Wilford has done nothing but take care of me."
"Because the price hasn't come due yet, Ducky. But it will. It's very close now. Wilford has plans for the little ducky."
"What plans?"
"Will have to wait and see, little ducky. Will have to wait and see."
Josie still searched the darkness as best she could. "Why should I trust you anymore than you say I should trust Wilford?" She asked. "You're little more than a voice in the darkness."
"Have done you a bad turn, have I?" The voice asked, sounding almost hurt at her accusation.
"You haven't done me a right turn either." Josie replied.
"Now who's selling pork pies!?" The voice demanded. "Have helped you, I have, little ducky!"
"Well, I helped you in return." Josie quickly answered. "I didn't say anything to the Jackboots."
The voice went silent for a moment. "True." It finally said.
"And you've seen me." Josie stated. "I have no idea what you even look like past that I know you actually are a person."
"Safer." The voice answered after a moment.
"Safer for who?" Josie snapped back.
The voice didn't answer.
"Well?"
She waited several moments, but the voice still didn't answer her.
Just as she was about to give up and try once again to get some sleep, the buzzer on her front door sounded.
Giving a deep sigh, she pulled herself out of the bed and grabbed her robe as she headed out to the main room of the cabin. It wasn't unreasonably late for someone to come to her cabin, but past Wilford or his Jackboots coming to escort her somewhere, she rarely got any visitors.
The buzzer sounded again as she walked across the main area to the door, tying her robe about her as she went.
"Just a minute!" She called. "I'm coming."
Getting to the door, Josie activated the circuit to open it, unsure of who would be on the other side. But when the door opened, she stood in stunned silence at the person on the other side.
Several inches taller than her, and dressed in what appeared to be a single, one piece jumpsuit that hugged her body like a well made glove, a blond haired, statuesque woman stared down her nose at the Snowpiercer visitor, the look on her face barely masking her displeasure at the meeting.
"Ms. Wellstead?" The woman asked.
Josie barely found her voice in time. "Yes."
"My name is Ms. Elson. I'm Mr. Wilford's Second-in-command."