Out Of The Past - Part 28

Secrets And Assets

Two days into her stay on Snowpiercer, Eliah sat at the table in her room, holding several cards in front of her. Across the table from her, her father sat holding an equal share of cards that he looked over with no particular interest.

"Your holding a good hand, Manny." She said, looking up at him.

Jackson gave as much a reaction to her statement as he did to his cards. "And what makes you think that?"

"Because I've been playing with you since I was a child."

"You're still a child." Came the quick reply.

Eliah ignored the comment. "When you have a good hand, you're casual about it. You show no emotion. When your cards are bad, you fidget."

Jackson looked up suddenly. "I've never fidgeted a day in my life, girl. Mind your manners." Came the stern warning.

A sharp "Ha!" answered him.

Jackson looked up again. "Explain yourself."

Eliah leaned over the table slightly. "When you're off your game, Manny, you fidget like a wino looking for his next bottle."

An indignant look answered her. "I am sure you are mistaken."

Eliah considered her cards again, then suddenly laid them face down on the table. "I yield." A bright grin lit up her face. "Show us your cards then, you old shark."

Jackson answered her smile with one of his own as he laid his cards out on the table. "Just remember, my girl, even the oldest shark still has some teeth."

Eliah leaned further over to study his hand.

"A pair?!" She observed. "Small wonder you could even sit in that chair."

Jackson gathered up the cards as Eliah got up and began roaming about the room with the aid of a crutch.

"And where might you be off to?"

"As long as you're here and you have Beckley and Hortse guarding the door, nowhere."

"As it should be."

Eliah landed with a disgruntled look back in her chair. "At least those two," she stated, indicating the two men standing outside her door, "I can beat once in a while."

"And perhaps I told them to let you win once in while just to keep you entertained." Came the answer with pleased smile.

Eliah considered him for a moment. "They'd jump off this train if you told them to, won't they?"

"Likely." Came the flat answer. "But I am unlikely to loose two valuable men on such a frivolous venture, now, am I?" He glanced up at her. "Or have you truly spent so much time with that abysmal man on the other train as to think I would actually do such a thing?"

Eliah took her cards as he dealt them out. "Oh, never you, Manny." She answered in a falsely sweet tone. "Never one to discard a valuable asset."

"Assets are limited luxuries." Came the stoic answer. "We should always guard them." He glanced back up at her. "Speaking of the illustrious Mr. Wilford, have you talked to him today?"

An unhappy sigh answered him. "Every day, just as he insists."

"And what do the two of you find to chat about?"

Eliah laughed at the question. "You should know, Manny. You write the scripts, after all."

The older man smiled at her. "And did you include the update on his seven lost lambs last time?"

A smile answered him. "I managed to work it in. He was none too pleased they are doing so well in their new assignments."

Jackson looked over his cards. "Revenge is a subtle art, my dear girl. Wilford is not so hard to figure out where to put the knife."

Eliah looked up. "How so?"

Her father smiled back at her. "He simply hates to see anyone else happy."

Eliah studied her cards for a few moments, then gave a slight sigh as she shuffled them about in her hand. "I have been here three days, Manny. Why can't I go work in the engine with Cavill?"

Jackson equally shuffled his cards around in his hand. "One, Ms. Cavill does not like others in her engine. Two, you are supposed to be resting your leg."

"My leg is fine. Dr. Pelton said you barely cracked the bone. And I've been in the engine plenty of times. Your argument has no merit."

Jackson gave her a pleasant enough smile. "Then because I'm your father, and I have said so."

Eliah suddenly gave a sharp wince of pain.

"And there is another good reason." Jackson spoke up quickly. "What's wrong?"

Eliah waved him off as she breathed through the pain. "It happens a few times a day. Dr. Pelton said it is the muscles tightening in response to a stray nerve pulse. It is to be expected until the wound heals a few more days."

But Jackson looked concerned. "What if this happens in front of Wilford?"

Eliah rolled her eyes. "He isn't with me every second of the day, Manny. And by the time I go back, it should be nothing more than a slight twinge."

Jackson settled back in his chair again. "Well, at least whoever worked on you originally knew what they were doing. Dr. Pelton said it was an extremely professional job. Someone who knew what they were doing."

Eliah gave the comment a sharp snort of laughter, causing her father to look up.

"Something funny?"

"Someone who knew what they were doing on a cow."

Jackson's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Eliah looked up, the smile still on her face. "It was the vet what stitched me up, Manny." She all but giggled. "Like I was some blessed heifer."

The look remained on Jackson's face. "What are you talking about?"

"The woman I've told you Wilford has from Snowpiercer on Big Alice." She answered.

"The Wellstead woman?"

Eliah nodded, falling slightly to her persona's accent. "That's the one. She's a right sort. Never betrayed us. Been a right good help, too. What with patching me up like she did."

Jackson gave a slight frown. "You haven't mentioned her recently. How is she doing?"

"Ducky does just fine. Seems happy enough." Eliah paused with a slight frown. "Why haven't you told Layton about Wellstead, Manny?"

Jackson had returned to considering his cards. "Because there is no benefit in it for anyone."

"It would certainly make him happy."

"And what do you think would happen the minute Layton knew Josie Wellstead was still alive?"

Eliah considered the question. "Demand Wilford return her to Snowpiercer would be my guess."

"Precisely. Which as I have already pointed out, would lead Wilford to question how she came by that information. You said he's kept her fairly segregated on the train. She's allowed out, but only so far. The Jackboots keep close tabs on where she goes. Wilford tries to keep her occupied in her cabin with anything she wants. Quite frankly, I'm surprised the lads were ever able to make or maintain any contact with her."

"Me and the lads watch after her. Keep her safe. Just like you said to."

Jackson gave a slight nod. "So if she's so carefully guarded, Wilford would know it had to be someone in his inner circle that leaked that information. That could easily lead him right back to you, my girl. So it benefits no one to say anything on the matter just yet." Jackson gave a slight sigh. "Ms. Wellstead has some part to play in Wilford's next move, I have no doubt. She's too great of an asset to be wasted. And he's put too much time into her recovery for it to all be just out of the goodness of his heart." He glanced back up at his daughter. "You said you listen to them when they talk in her cabin. What does he talk to her about lately?"

"Mostly about Snowpiercer. About how her train's forgotten her. Keeps telling her no one ever asks after her. Tells her no one cares anymore. It all sounds innocent enough, like he's just trying to get her to stay on Big Alice, but me and the lads think he's up to some old trick with her."

"Like what?"

"He's in her cabin several times a week, Manny. Always the same prattle. Same thing, over and over, In my opinion, it sounds like subtle manipulation. And we both know he's got a slight talent for it."

Jackson frowned deeper. "'Slight' at best." He agreed. "What else do they talk about?"

Eliah shrugged. "Ducky mostly talks about how much she wants to go home. Misses her train, her friends...," she looked up with a sly smile, "...her man. Every time she mentions him, Wilford really starts on the 'poor, forgotten little ducky talk'. He tells her about how Layton and Cavill run the train now together. Keeps dropping suggestions that relationship is more than it seems."

"And her response to that?"

"Ducky bulks at it. Says her man would never take up with Cavill." She added, looking up. But noting her father's expression, she paused. "What's on then, Manny?"

Jackson quickly schooled his expression into little more than a casual smile. "I'm interested in these talks." He replied. "Tell me about them."