“So that’s where he got all his kills?” Sam muttered from the stairs on the other side of the cab.
“Naw, Sarge refused to take credit for any of them because so many of our guys had nearly died. They tried to give him all kinds of medals, including the Distinguished Medal of Honor…and he told the military to ‘shove it’ and give it to the men that survived…then quit when his enlistment was up.” Wes grinned “And I implied that he needed to watch out for himself and hadn’t thought of covering the air around us…”
Red chuckled and slapped his old friend on the back as Wes looked at the conductor and engineer as Red winked at his conductor.
“Of course Wes won’t talk about how many times he saved my ass or those of our squad, while I was with him. Then he gets so pissed at the young fuckin’ lieutenants giving us piss poor orders, he goes to OCS and becomes one. My time was up and I left for home. Wes here asks to go back to Afghanistan so there will be one less ‘ninety day wonder’ giving bad orders.”
Sam asked “Ninety day…”
Wes snorted “That’s how long it takes to become a second lieutenant in OCS.” He climbed down the stairs and jumped onto the ashen ground with a puff of blackened ash and a few glowing embers and looked over his shoulder.
“Didn’t make any difference, too many idiots at the top.” And with that the discussion was over and the repairs began.
However in his mind Red was positive, if he ever had to choose men that he’d be stuck here with, Wes and Sarge were the ones.
Red climbed up on the side of the huge steam engine, tied himself off and looked down at the guys. Wes had moved around toward the front to make sure nothing snuck up on them from that direction, Jack had moved to the top of the gondola to watch everywhere else, and Sam was standing there to hand Red whatever he needed.
They had the train between them and the burning prairie and he was between the train and the tall rock and brush covered bluffs. There was nothing big enough to hide a dinosaur, there was one tree that seemed to grow out of the bluff’s base and it covered him with a much welcomed shade.
Now if he could just fix the train before something decided to check them out.
As he looked over the engine and over the areas that had burnt, there was little to hide them from seeing eyes on the hills about five miles away once the smoke cleared.
Red began to hurry about removing the length of piping, and then sighed deeply as he realized there was nowhere for them to go and had what was said earlier was still ringing in his ears.
“We can’t keep running up and down this set of tracks forever.”
Chapter 6.
The engine still apart where the dino had crushed the main pressure control pipe against the side of the engine, darkness began to fall and fearing light might attract any of the beasts from the past, the group ate a cold dinner. Even the sounds of Red working on the pipe had to stop so they all settled into their spots for the night.
Sarge, Jack and one of his men stood watch in the caboose and used the cupola, but used only one of their two pairs of night vision goggles sparingly; they had only one extra battery along and Wes had summed it up neatly when he stated that there ‘wasn’t a corner store to run down to if the batteries ran out.
Two men stood watch in the engine’s cab, the rest sat on the cool floor of the nearly century old passenger car and settled in for the night.
In the brilliant silvery moon light Wes sat by himself at the rear of the passenger car and pulled out his pen as he began to write in the journal he had been jotting down events that had happened to him since joining the military. Even though he was now out of the military, this was a definite event. He paused only for a moment, clicked the pen and began to write.
“Funny how life changes, not so much day by day, but I mean in any given time frame… For instance; a year and a half ago, I was fighting for my life in Afghanistan. A month ago, I had enough killing and came home when my enlistment was up. A few days ago I was enjoying riding on a train, an old steam engine, on a trip to Louisiana, and then Texas.
Yesterday I watched as a pack of about a dozen Velociraptors chased our train and devoured…”
“I guess I should start at the beginning if I intend to keep a journal about this crap that happened to us. (Ha-ha, I amuse myself) As I keep a journal that no doubt will ever be read.”
“I guess it all started with my squad mate, who became my best friend. You see he and I ate the same dust for two years, saved each other’s lives a few times, and watched others die…it was war, and I’m so fucking tired of seeing people die…or be the one doing the killing.
Now Red, who I’ve mentioned in my other journals always seemed to be so much like myself, but he left after his first enlistment. Somehow he wound up back in the mid-west where he grew up around trains.
As I said, he got out after his enlistment was up. Me? Aw hell, I signed up for OCS. (Officer’s Candidate School) That meant four more years!
Well after that four I’d seen enough killing and returned home, and found there were no jobs. Contacting my old friend to see what he’d been up to, he mentioned he had become an engineer like his daddy, and had a potential job interview for me…’coal tosser’, or commonly known as ‘a firemen’ on an old steam locomotive that had been restored and was headed down toward Louisiana.
Hell, I didn’t have to do a thing other than show up when Red told me to. I tossed him my single suitcase, everything I have in the world, and climbed on board.
The Conductor came up to the engine’s cab and introduced himself and went back to the single passenger car we have to welcome the VIPs. Red had told me there were two guys that paid big bucks for this train and to have it refitted.
Behind the passenger car were two old time boxcars that were made in the twenties I hear. Then there are the two tanker cars. Red said the owners told him they would help foot the bill for the return trip. After the tankers are two flatcars that carried an old steam engine driven steam roller, and a steam derrick that used to be used to lift derailed cars back on the tracks, back when steam was the engine of choice.
From what I heard, it seems like we have a butt load of cash riding these rails in antiques train crap.
Aw, hell, things were going great, we hit a long stretch of barely used track about midnight a day ago and up to then I was having a great time. Then Red said he saw a faint glow on the tracks ahead. At first I didn’t see squat and thought he was up to his old tricks and pranking me again…boy was I wrong!
I finally saw what Red was talking about, it was a weird looking ‘cloud’ for lack of a better word. This cloud looked like it was flat, kind of a purple that glowed around the outside of it. Christ I wish I could describe it better…
(note: wish I would have brought another pen this is running out)
That damned cloud looked like it was moving toward us at a high rate of speed and behind it we could see nothing, it was as if the cloud blocked out all light, but then again it was night so we figured it was just marsh gas…boy were we wrong! (Lately I’ve been wrong a lot)”
Wes stopped and ran the pen in circles hoping to get the partially dried pen to write again.
“The damned thing wasn’t much bigger than looking at a large auto sideways, but Red slammed on the brakes and tried to stop the train. If anyone ever gets to read this, here’s what happened… When our light hit that cloud, it didn’t shine through it, and the damned cloud seemed to grow, spread out as if to enclose itself around the light and…well, how to say this? We slowed, but it just kept coming and the next thing I knew we were inside that cloud…I think. I mean it grew and enveloped the engine. I thought I was going to hurl, Red did I think, although he won’t admit to it as he was leaning out the window watching events unfold.
When he fell back in I tried to catch him, and the last thing I remember was the cab seemed to be spinning…but there was no sound, nothing but silence that was so quiet, it hurt my ears. And then I blacked out�
�don’t remember hitting the steel floor, don’t remember a damned thing, until we woke up with the sun glaring down on us and ‘Old Smokey” as Red calls her, was chugging’ merrily along at about five miles an hour where Red had slowed it to.
Not sure how long we were out, but couldn’t have been…”
A shadow moved to the side of him and the faint scent of perfume filled his senses. Without looking up from his journal he muttered softly as the seat gently moved.
“Evening Missy.” he looked over to the gorgeous blonde that was wearing an evening gown that looked more like a dressing gown from the thirties. Even in the faint light of the moon, it was obvious that she wore no bra and Wes made sure she knew it.
“You should put on a sweater or something.”
“Too hot.” she looked at her watch and as she positioned it so she could read the dial she sighed softly “My God, eleven o’clock and it still has to be at least ninety.”
“So you’re hot and bored…and you’ve come back here because?”
Missy gave Wes a look that could kill, had he even been looking in her direction. She quickly got to her feet, paused, and then sat back down.
“God damn it, you’re not dismissing me that easily!” she snorted, which she didn’t have to do too loudly as the seats in the back of the car were smaller.
“Look, ok…I know you don’t like me in the least.”
Wes stopped writing and looked at her, she was very lovely even mad.
“It’s not that I don’t like you, I don’t like your kind. Red said he heard John and Bryce talking about you and your sister before I got to the station. I know the two of you have used up most of your inheritance and go where ever there is a party or some event going on. Also, neither of you have ever worked a day of your lives according to Bryce. He told his brother that one of your so-called friends informed him that you two would pretty much do anything to get into social events to meet rich guys…and they in turn were going to take advantage of that fact.”
She looked at him for a brief moment, gave a soft sigh “It’s true.” she looked Wes in the eyes “A life time of partying and when the pot started running dry, we began looking for rich husbands who liked to party as much as we do…” Missy looked past Wes and out the window as she sighed again; this time more deeply.
“…and you see where it got us.” She looked at Wes again with a much softer look this time “Mary and I have become…well…ashamed of what we were…have become. We met John at a party and he told us of the train and invited us along. And yes, we knew they expected us to put out, but…” her gaze drifted out the window onto the dark burnt prairie once again as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“Don’t you see Wes, this was our chance.” she looked at him again as she wiped her cheek “We’ve become a couple of rich sluts that just aren’t rich anymore. This was our chance…this was going to be it. They were rich, good looking, loved to party…” her voice softened to a whisper “and they were both married we quickly found out.” A faint smile crossed her lips as she slid off the seat to stand.
“I guess we’re the only ones here that deserve all this. God is calling his due on the lives Mary and I have lived…I’m just sorry that all of you are along for the ride…” again she smiled “Well, maybe not those two bastards up there.”
She turned to go back to the others, but Wes’s hand shot out and gently pulled her back to her seat beside him.
“Look Missy, I can feel you’re trying to be honest with yourself, but for one thing, this isn’t God trying to get even with you, so stop trying to blame someone…hell, even trying to make sense out of this. The second thing is, don’t fool yourself, final chance my ass. You two haven’t changed your ways, you were looking for a way to continue your life style, even though you said you two were thinking about how bad it was.” Wes smiled warmly “Don’t go telling people that you wanted to change, when you just wanted to continue on the same way you two had been going all along. Now if you really want change…here’s a good place to start.”
Her tears flowed as Wes spoke, but she never tried to leave. When he finished she looked at him as she leaned toward him and whispered…
“You’re a real bastard you know.”
Wes nodded in the moonlight “I know! But let me tell you something lady, you need to face reality…both you and your sister.” he leaned against the window and pulled the pen from his pocket “Once you two get it through your head, the only two guys around this train that can be played, are those two guys you came with…” he looked up from his journal “The rest of us are worried about keeping everyone alive, not whether or not we’re liked. So don’t try to cozy up to those of us that are trying to save all our asses, we have enough on our minds.”
Missy started to leave but as her hand went to her cheek to wipe away the tears, Wes’s hand once again grasped hers.
“Look, don’t get me wrong, I like a big hard nipple as much as the next guy, but tomorrow when I wake up, I want you and your sister to be in jeans, shorts, anything you can run in should you have to. If you don’t have anything but those Stilettoes, I’ll break the heels off so you can run or at least hike.”
“Break the heels off two thousand dollar shoes? Not likely asshole!” she started to stomp down the aisle, but stopped and slowly walked back.
“You are right about one thing, I am a bitch and for that I do apologize. All you and the rest have done is save us over and over…I guess for that I should thank you.”
Wes looked back down at his journal “You’re welcome…and tomorrow when there is light, I want the two of you to go out near the cliffs, find some of that dusty soil and rub it all over your selves…maybe even some of the soot from the ash.”
“That’s simply out of the question!” Missy snorted “I’ll not have you degrade us just because…”
One of Sarge’s men walked up beside her as he was making his rounds.
“Rolling in the dust will removed some of that God-awful perfume you two are wearing. It will also keep the goddamned mosquitoes and flies away.” he winked at Wes as he walked past Missy “And if they are right about this being back in prehistoric times, I hear the mosquitoes are the size of seagulls.” He turned, looked out each window and proceeded back toward the front of the car leaving Missy standing there, mouth agape.
“Uhhhh…guess I owe you another apology.”
Without looking up Wes nodded “Yup!”
“You know you are one nasty bastard.”
“Yup!” he put his pen to paper and wrote…
“Ok journal, I’m going to have to tell you about this gal with the fine set of nipples, not much in the boob department, but those nipples, dammmm...
Just wish she had an inkling what the hell we seemed to have dropped into…
Now where was I? Aw, don’t matter, getting too sleepy, will have a nasty day tomorrow no doubt.”
Wes slowly closed his book and looked out over the vast ashen plain. In the distance he could see a few huge four legged dinosaurs he believed to be brachiosaurus meandering parallel to the hills. He couldn’t help but wonder at how bright the moon was…and huge! Wes had been all over the world and had never seen a moon this big. It was the Earth’s moon, so they were on Earth. He sighed and muttered under his breath…
“So we are on Earth, now the next question is…where?” he sighed “Better yet…when?”
Chapter 7.
Morning came around and the hot glaring sun blasted through the window as its heat caused Wes to awaken almost instantly. Looking at the front of the car he could see everyone was either up and awake or outside.
The guard walked down the aisle and grinned.
“Shit boss, thought you’d died…but no dead man snores like that.”
“I’m not your boss and…”
“Sarge said we follow your orders without question…boss.” And with that he looked out both windows and started back toward the front.
“Sarge trained you all wel
l, that guard last night did the same thing.”
“We’re all military and Sarge keeps us training all the time. Thing is…” he grinned “we’re just getting too damned old to be running all around the world, so we took this job where we could be in one place.”
Wes groaned as he stood and winked at the guard.
“One place eh? Well pal, it looks like you got your wish.”
“’fraid so.” Sarge replied as Wes nearly jumped out of his skin.
“See ya haven’t lost your edge.” he chuckled.
“One of the remnants of being in a war zone I guess.” Wes grinned “Once I got stateside I never jumped at a thing…now after yesterday, hell, I’m surprised I actually slept as hard as I did.”
As the two men walked toward the front exit of the passenger car, Sarge nodded out the window to a small herd of dinosaurs strolling along the slightly burnt hill on the other side of the plain they had set fire to.
“They keep coming back in small groups and leave again. Been afraid of what we think were rexes, but even those things only gave us a glance…I mean we are about five miles away.” he chuckled softly “Looks like everyone’s learning about freezing and not attracting their attention. Other than our lookouts, we’ve stayed pretty much between the train and the bluffs, they have offered us some nice protection.” he chuckled “Too steep even for rexes to come down.”
Wes nodded as they disembarked on the left side of the train.
“Damned bluffs ran the entire length of the rails which is to our advantage.” He looked at the front face of the bluff that at this point was barely twenty yards from the train. Thankfully it was a good seventy feet high with scattered brush in between them and the train at this point.
“Too high for anything big to get down to us…” he nodded toward the large tree that sat directly in front of the end of the track, and the beginnings of what looked like a forest behind it. “…and those redwood-sized trees are too close together for any of those big bastards to get between.”
Last Train to Pangea: Death by Dinosaur Page 4