He worked his way between parked trucks, dodged a couple of moving ones, accepted the salute of two soldiers who noticed the stars on the collar of his BDUs, and passed two Bull Terriers sniffing for trouble before entering the building that smelled like a barn.
Shep paid forty "Continentals" for a one-way ticket to Wilkes-Barre (that price doubled in the last three weeks), then relaxed on a makeshift bench made of barrels and wooden planks.
His train idled outside and was scheduled to leave at 3 p.m., a half-hour ago. Those who traveled on The Empire's rails knew to add at least one full hour to any scheduled departure.
Shep tried to relax but could not. His concern for Trevor and sense of guilt over the botched mission would not allow it. He tried to divert his attention by people-watching.
He saw an elderly woman and a young boy walk hand-in-hand between the ticket counter and schedule postings. He did not need a sixth sense to know that the older woman was the caretaker of a soldier’s child.
Nearby, a middle aged man argued with an attendant over a schedule. Shep knew the man was not actually angry over a schedule. He was afraid; afraid for whomever it was he had come to visit at the camp.
He saw a group of adults and kids bustle in with carts full of luggage, and he saw a pregnant girl crying in a corner.
At last, a couple of familiar faces. Nina and Denise crossed the station and exited out onto the loading platform. He wanted to run to them, but first he had to prepare for questioning.
Like clockwork, Nina asked Shepherd about the year of her missing memories every six months. Each time he danced, dodged, and outright lied to keep his vow of never speaking of that relationship. He anticipated a need to dance yet again, but struggled to build a good defense. Exactly how could he explain to her that Trevor Stone-the Emperor-left behind his palace and body guards and grand plans to seek out little old Nina Forest?
Shepherd let loose a long sigh before grabbing his bag and strolling across the busy lobby and outside. A slanted roof covered most of the platform; the freezing rain fell in sheets from the lip of that roof. Some of the flood pitter-patted against the edge of the concrete landing.
He spotted Nina and Denise hovering at the far end of the crowded platform. Nina carried a duffel bag of personal gear and Denise a backpack. Odin-Nina’s faithful Norwegian Elkhound-sat near the two women.
The General walked alongside the train as he made his way toward them. That train consisted of an eclectic collection of cars starting with several 1930’s vintage coaches, a glimmering silver Amtrak diner, a couple of old mail cars, and even a red caboose. He spotted all manner of modifications to the couplings, the undercarriages, and the wheels of the cars. Like everything else in the new world, transportation worked by modifying leftovers.
A monster of a Mallet-type steam locomotive led the caravan, sitting and rumbling like a steel dragon waiting to take flight. Its coal tender proudly proclaimed "Norfolk and Western."
Denise spotted him first. She ran over and gave her 'Pop' a big hug.
He asked Nina, "How are you feeling?"
"I’m good. Especially since I’ve got two weeks back home. They’re transferring my unit to the south. Probably going to heat up down there soon."
"All aboard!"
The Conductor’s shout elicited a murmur of relief from the crowd followed by the sound of feet shuffling toward the coaches.
They boarded the musty old cars with Odin trotting along behind. Nina had spent the extra thirty Continentals on a sleeper car for the sake of Denise who was exhausted, even if she would not admit it. While Shep traveled to Wilkes-Barre, Nina and her daughter would remain on board all the way to Annapolis, meaning they would spend the night on the train.
Nina opened the door to the old-style sleeper and hustled Denise in. The window there looked out on the train station platform. Soon enough it would offer a view of rolling Ohio countryside, then Pennsylvania farmland, then mountains, and more.
Shepherd asked, "So what's your plan?"
Denise stared out at the masses queued on the landing. Streaks of snowy rain raced along the glass.
"First we’ll get settled. Then we’re going to the dining car. I’m starved and I don’t think Denise has had much more than hot chocolate in a couple of days."
"Some chow sounds right fine by me," Shepherd had not realized his hunger until she mentioned food.
"Then Denise is going nap. I think she’s had even less sleep than she’s had food."
"Sounds like you’ve got a pretty good plan lined up."
Nina faced him head on and, with the same friendly tone, said, "And after I get her tucked in, you and I are going to sit down and you’re going to tell me why the Emperor came all this way just to find me."
Nina left him standing at the doorway as she entered the compartment to stow her bag.
General Jerry Shepherd lost his appetite.
– The rectangular Railscout's electronic motor whirred as it buzzed along the tracks on metal wheels with sensors and cameras measuring the landscape from a small dome on the center of its suitcase-sized frame.
Information transmitted miles back to its host engine affirmed that the tracks remained in good condition, the icy rain had stopped, and, so far, no sign of any threats from the woods, plains, or empty villages surrounding the railway.
– Jerry Shepherd waited in the dining car, his heart thumped and sweat greased his brow.
How exactly am I going to get out of this one?
Nina approached along the aisle swaying side to side in abeyance of the wobbling car then sat across from him.
"You want a coffee?"
She ignored the gesture and started right off, "Why did Trevor Stone come to find me? I’m just one of a hundred thousand soldiers. There has to be hundreds of soldiers missing all over this war and he takes the time to go after me. Why?"
"I don’t like your tone there, Captain Forest. I think you need to remember who it is you’re talking to."
"Listen, don’t pull that with me, Shep. You’re not allowed to. You’ve never fallen back on rank before so you can't do it now. I won’t fall for it. I want answers."
He slowly sipped his mug of coffee. Another delaying tactic.
She was right, of course. He had never — never- pulled rank on her. To do so now only made him look more guilty. Instead, he grabbed for another tactic.
"My oh my, you sure got one bloated noggin' on those shoulders. Listen to you; ‘why did Trevor Stone come out here looking for me?’ Do you hear yourself?"
"So, what? He came out looking for Odin?"
Shepherd almost laughed because Nina did not know that Odin had originally been Trevor’s personal pet. He wondered how intense her questions would become if she found out that little nugget of information.
"Now you listen to me, because I’m a right bit tired of getting interrogated every six months by you. The Emperor came to Ohio to surprise the troops. I came along because I heard you had gone missing and I wanted to find you. Maybe you don’t recall, but there was a time way back in the beginning when there weren’t many people other than Trev, Brewer, Johnny, and yeah, Nina Forest. So when I told Trevor I was going looking for you, he decided to take charge of the whole thing himself. You ask me, I think he was just tired of sitting behind a desk."
He then nonchalantly sipped his coffee. To his surprise, he saw her eyes waver. Hitting at her ego-or suggesting her ego got the better of her-helped. She seemed off-balance. Unsure whether to proceed.
"General Shepherd?" The interruption came from the Conductor, a man who appeared to have lost all color in his cheeks and spoke through trembling lips. "I’m sorry, Sir, but I heard you were on board and, well, we have a problem, Sir."