by Jim Reeves
He saw two things up the street that caught his interest. A bank sign about fifty yards away and a McDonald’s red and yellow logo a few yards further on. He could do with some more cash to cover all options and McDonalds might provide the coffee that he craved so badly. He walked quickly through the snow and saw an ATM machine near the door of the bank. He looked around nervously. A snow plough approached in the distance but nothing else.
He slid his plastic card into the machine and was pleased when he was offered the chance to use English for his transaction. He withdrew three hundred Euros then turned towards McDonald’s. It was open even at that early hour.
He pushed the door open and warm air enveloped him. There were two young women behind the counter. They eyed him warily and he realised he must look pretty messed up after his escapades of the last few hours.
He gave a friendly smile, in an attempt to put them at ease, then foregoing his sketchy German, he spoke to them in English. He was sure they would understand.
‘Large coffee and a Big Mac,’ he said.
One of the girls snapped out of her trance and went to the coffee machine. Her friend collected a Big Mac and put it on a small tray. Joe paid for his order and took the tray to a small table at the far end of the room. The two girls still watched him curiously. He was hungry and demolished the Big Mac in record time. He took longer over the coffee and warmed his hands on the cardboard cup as he drank. He didn’t think he could reach Salzburg in time to catch his flight. It occurred to him that Bruno or one of his chums might be at the airport keeping a lookout for him but if he got that close to the plane, he would kick up one hell of a commotion if somebody tried to waylay him. Of course, Otto Braun had taken his passport. He could do no more than explain to the people at the airport that he had lost it. It would delay things but, no doubt, it would get sorted.
He finished his coffee and visited the men’s room. He stared at himself in the mirror and could see why the girls outside had given him such odd looks. His face and clothes were filthy after his frantic flight from Bruno. Joe ran the hot water tap and washed his face. He dried himself on several handfuls of paper towel then looked in the mirror again. His clothes were still in a state but at least he looked almost human.
Joe gave the girls a cheery wave as he left. They waved back uncertainly. He gave the street his now customary scan as he stepped outside. He could see nothing that caused him concern. Bruno must have decided on a change of tactics. Joe was sure he would have the bus and railway stations under scrutiny. What else?
Joe stopped and stared. A taxi was parked a few yards further up the street. The driver was inside looking bored. Probably not expecting any business that early in the morning.
Joe hurried towards the taxi and bent down to speak to the driver as he wound down his window. ‘How much to Salzburg Airport?’ asked Joe.
The driver eyed Joe doubtfully.
‘I have a flight to catch, Joe told him. The man might be encouraged if he thought he could help to get this no-hoper out of the country.
‘One hundred Euros,’ the driver said.
‘Let’s go,’ Joe grabbed the handle of the rear door and scrambled onto the back seat.’
The driver looked over his shoulder at Joe for a moment then started the car and moved away. Joe took a quick look at the town as the car moved through the streets. On another day, it might have been a nice place to be. But right then Joe just wanted to be somewhere else as far away as possible.
The car skirted the town and picked up the road that took them away from the centre. Joe’s spirits lifted when he saw a road sign pointing to Salzburg. Just as suddenly, the car slowed to a crawl then stopped altogether.
‘What’s up?’ asked Joe.
The driver pointed ahead towards a queue of cars that was building up by the narrow slip road that led up to the main road. A blue Opel car was parked halfway across the entrance to the slip road with its bonnet raised.
‘Breakdown,’ the driver mumbled as the taxi crawled forward a few feet.
Joe looked ahead and his heart hit his boots. Bruno was standing by the Opel while his companion had his head under the bonnet. Bruno offered no help in repairing the stricken vehicle, his only interest was the other cars as they crawled slowly past. Joe saw him crouching and scanning the passengers inside. ‘Shit,’ Joe breathed softly. Even somebody like Braun wouldn’t get away with putting a roadblock on the exit from the town but who could blame an unfortunate driver if his car let him down at that point?
The taxi was about a dozen cars away from the impromptu road block when Joe threw a fifty Euro note towards the driver. ‘Forget Salzburg,’ he said. He slid across the back seat of the taxi, opened the door behind the driver and got out of the crawling vehicle. He slammed the door and scurried across the road in a crouching run. He ducked into a side street then straightened up and peered back around the corner. Bruno was still inspecting the passengers of each passing car. Joe’s sudden departure had gone unnoticed although one or two drivers of other cars in the convoy were giving him curious looks.
Joe turned and hurried along the street away from the main road. He found himself in a maze of small streets that he negotiated by guesswork as much as anything else. More by luck than judgement he reached the street that ran alongside the river. He was certain by then that Bruno would have somebody at the station if he tried to leave by train or bus. He was trapped in a small town and was running out of ideas.
He considered finding the local police station and asking for their help but he still had a nagging worry about how far Otto Braun’s influence might stretch. He returned to the McDonald’s place he had visited earlier and repeated his order for a coffee and a Big Mac. He ate more slowly as he considered his options. It didn’t take too long – he didn’t have many.
He would approach the station with care and reconnoitre the place from a distance, if possible. Somehow he was going to have to take a bus or a train out of town. He was definitely going to miss his flight but he would worry about that later. His first priority was to get to the airport. He asked the girls behind the counter where the station was. They were more relaxed by then and pointed up the street opposite.
Joe walked warily in the direction the girls had indicated and passed a small supermarket a short distance up the street. As an afterthought he turned back and went into the supermarket. Inside, he bought two large bread rolls packed with ham. He was planning to stake out the station for as long as it took. The bread rolls would be welcome but he was more interested in the plastic bag that he bought at the check-out. He didn’t think Bruno’s men would be looking for somebody carrying a bright yellow bag. Another fifty yards further on he saw a store that sold camping accessories. He called in and bought himself a woollen hat and a car rug-cum-blanket. He pulled the hat low over his head and continued on his way with a bag in each hand, and limping slightly to add to the flimsy disguise.
After about three hundred yards, he saw a bus turning into a large parking area. Another bus left the same car park, driving away from Joe. He was obviously getting close. He might be too conspicuous if he continued on his present course and somebody was on the lookout for him.
To his right, up a steep gradient, was a hotel that seemed to overlook the station. Joe moved slowly forward, looking for the entrance to the hotel. He was almost at the station car park when he saw a steep drive that climbed up towards the main entrance. Some kind of health cure place according to the sign. Just what I could do with, Joe thought. The drive rose steeply and was flanked on either side by heavy bushes and shrubs. The side nearest Joe overlooked the road. The other side looked down towards the station car park.
Joe hurried up the drive for about twenty yards before ducking into the shrubbery on his left. The ground sloped away steeply and he had to proceed with care, clutching the two bags in one hand and gripping shrubs as he went to avoid an undignified descent to the car park below. He found himself a near perfect vantage point where he coul
d survey the area below while still remaining well hidden. He was about fifteen feet above the car park and could see three bays where the buses presumably took on passengers. Beyond that, he could see the railway station platform and track. The station platform and track were largely obscured by a building that probably housed the ticket office and waiting rooms. He threw the rug onto the damp ground and settled down to watch and wait.
Chapter 22
Joe wasn’t sure who or what he was looking for. He would just watch for a while and get a feel for the place. Several buses came and went during the next half hour. None of them appeared to be destined for Salzburg. Passengers clambered aboard unhindered. A young man had been waiting for all of the time Joe had sat there. He made no attempt to board any of the buses that passed through but Joe noticed that he moved forward to watch as other people got onto each bus.
He was a big guy. Joe thought he bore a striking resemblance to erstwhile rock legend, Meat Loaf. They definitely breed them big here, he decided.
He could just be waiting for another bus but his behaviour made Joe suspicious. Another twenty-five minutes passed by before a bus displaying Salzburg as its destination rolled into the bus station. People crowded forward with bags and luggage. Meat Loaf moved forward with them and for a moment Joe thought he was going to board the bus.
He didn’t get on, but stood by the steps, watching, as everybody else clambered aboard. Meat Loaf stood back and watched as the bus moved away. Joe was sure now. He must be one of Bruno’s boys. So, they were watching the station. If he needed any confirmation, he got it a few minutes later when a blue Opel pulled into the small car park. Meat Loaf lumbered over as Bruno and Karl got out of the car. They talked for a couple of minutes then Bruno left, leaving Karl to keep Meat Loaf company. Joe ate one of the bread rolls and watched Meat Loaf return to the shelter of the building. He didn’t go inside but just continued to watch people arriving at the station to wait for a bus. Karl strolled around the perimeter of the bus station car park, watching everybody and everything that moved. Then he went and stood by the main entrance to the ticket office, watching people come and go. Nobody could take either a bus or a train without being seen by Karl or Meat Loaf.
Joe sat for another hour and saw the next Salzburg bus come and go. He had wrapped the rug around himself and was well sheltered from the cold air. What had he learned? The station was under close surveillance. The Salzburg bus ran once an hour and left at twenty minutes past the hour. Trains were not very frequent and seemed to pass through the station every thirty minutes or so. He ate the second roll slowly.
Chapter 23
Joe had seen enough. He had a plan. He gathered up the rug, rolled it tightly and forced it into the plastic bag. Then he crawled back up the slope to the hotel drive, hurried down the drive and turned back towards the town. He kept his head down and hoped he wouldn’t run into Bruno. He didn’t. He crossed the bridge when he reached it and walked past the hotel where he had spent a restless few hours on the Mercedes bonnet. He saw no sign of the irate man who had evicted him. As he trudged along, he heard a train pass by on the track beyond the houses that faced the river. He considered exploring somebody’s back garden to see if he could gain access to the track but thought better of it. After nearly half a mile the road forked left. Joe followed the left fork and within fifty yards he found what he wanted. A level crossing that provided easy access to the track. Joe stepped forward but instead of completing the crossing, he turned left and hurried along the track in the direction of the railway station. To his left were houses, to the right of the track was a grassy expanse that ran uphill to more houses almost a hundred yards away.
He had walked most of the way back to the station when he heard a train approaching from ahead. He jumped off the track and ran to a garden fence. He leaned against the fence trying to look like he belonged to the place. The train driver hardly glanced at him as the train passed slowly by. Joe stepped back onto the track and carried on towards the station. He reckoned he had another thirty minutes before another train would come. More than enough time.
As he got close to the station, Joe crouched down and covered the last hundred yards that way, keeping out of sight below the station platform. He looked at his watch. The next bus for Salzburg would leave in about twenty minutes. Just a few minutes before the next train was due.
Joe crawled forward until he was directly opposite the back of the station building. The platform was quiet. A train was not due for a while and any passengers would most likely be in the waiting rooms away from the biting cold. He stepped off the track so that it separated him from the platform. Then he lay the blanket on the ground and settled behind a brittle looking bush. His eyes constantly darted backwards and forwards scanning the platform across the track. If he got it wrong now he would be finished. Bruno and his boys were concentrating on people arriving at the station via the more conventional approach at the front entrance. They hadn’t considered the back door method that Joe had in mind. Joe knew that every Salzburg bus would be under close scrutiny as passengers boarded, so he had given up on that idea. His plan was to wait for the approach of the next train then scramble across the track, climb up onto the platform and board the train. He wouldn’t have a ticket but that was a minor detail. He would get off at the next station wherever that might be. With any luck he would be able to get a taxi to Salzburg Airport.
One or two people wandered onto the station platform as Joe crouched behind the bush. There was no sign of Bruno. Joe heard several buses come and go, although he couldn’t see them from his hiding place.
Joe heard a train in the distance. He glanced at his watch. It was a few minutes earlier than he had expected. No matter, the sooner he could get out of Eichl, the better. The train was approaching from the direction of the level crossing. Although he couldn’t see it yet, he eased himself into a kneeling position ready to run across the track. The noise of the train grew louder. He looked to his left and saw it rounding the slight bend. He stood up and moved towards the track, leaving his rug and plastic bags behind. People on the platform looked at Joe in surprise but he ignored them. His eyes were on the train but something wasn’t right. The train wasn’t slowing down. It was maintaining speed and was going to pass through the station without stopping. Joe stared down the track and realised it was a goods train pulling open trucks. He stopped where he was, uncertain what to do. He had broken cover and couldn’t go back.
As Joe stood transfixed, Bruno appeared around the corner of the building to watch the approaching train and check out the people on the platform. He let out a startled shout when he saw Joe across the track. Bruno called something over his shoulder as Joe snapped out of his trance and started to run up the track in the same direction as the approaching train. Bruno broke into an uncertain run on the platform. The train was too close for him to cross in front of it but he obviously wanted to stay as close to Joe as possible.
As soon as the train passed between Joe and Bruno on the station platform, Joe changed direction and started to run back towards the level crossing. He had thought he was done with running. He wasn’t sure how much more of a pummelling his lungs or legs could take. Even as he staggered forward he knew he had little strength left and no more places to hide. His chances of escape were slim. He could save himself a lot of grief and surrender. But desperation drove him on.
The train was pulling something like twenty trucks. Joe looked back towards the station platform as the last truck trundled past him. Bruno and Karl were running the other way, following the direction of the train.
Joe turned and pushed himself harder. He heard a shout and looked back. The train had passed through the station leaving Bruno and Karl momentarily confused, staring at the open space across the track until they saw Joe running in the opposite direction. Joe had maybe a hundred yards start on them. He saw Bruno talking urgently into his mobile phone then follow Karl down onto the track in pursuit of him.
Bruno and Karl were
gaining fast as Joe saw the level crossing come into view ahead. The road to the left of the level crossing rose steeply towards what looked like a wooded area. Joe didn’t feel in the mood for running up hills. He decided his best hope was to get back towards the town centre so he turned right as he reached the level crossing and ran towards the river.
He saw the footbridge that he had passed by the night before. There seemed to be more activity across the river so he decided to cross the bridge this time. He scrambled on all fours up the concrete steps leading to the bridge. When he looked back Bruno and Karl were about twenty yards behind. If he could just reach the other side of the bridge before they caught him, maybe he might have some kind of a chance.
Joe’s feet thumped heavily on the wooden planks of the footbridge. He was nearly halfway across when he looked back and saw Bruno and Karl hurrying up the steps to the bridge. Even they were finding it hard going in the cold air and were both breathing heavily. Joe knew he couldn’t run much further. Neither his ailing lungs nor his leaden legs would allow it. Every bone in his body ached. He had still not fully thawed out from the previous night. His whole being was chilled to the core. His breath was coming in short painful rasps. His pace was slowing. He was light headed after his latest flight. Only some primeval survival instinct kept him going but they would have him soon enough, he knew that. He was vaguely aware that several people on both sides of the river had stopped to watch the chase. Maybe a miracle might happen and one of them might offer to help. Maybe not. Ahead of him, a young largish man appeared at the far end of the bridge. His eyes were on Joe and he was smiling as he approached slowly in the middle of the walkway. There would be no getting past him. He was obviously another one of Braun’s boys and was blocking Joe’s only chance of escape. As the new man got closer Joe realised he was the Meat Loaf lookalike. Joe stopped running. Behind him, Bruno and Karl were walking slowly towards him. Breathless but smiling. No need to run now. They had their man.