Mitch bought his ticket and boarded the train. The train pulled out of the station.
As soon as Darley sat down his phone rang. It was Billy, who was setting in the lounge car.
Billy told Darley, "I saw you get on the train. I'm in the lounge car. After you have you ticket scanned and your seat check, come to the lounge car and bring it with you."
Heather gave the Artifact to Darley. Darley put it in his carryon and went to the lounge.
Mitch, who was still looking for a seat, noticed Darley as he walked in the next car. So, Mitch followed Darley.
As Darley entered the lounge car he saw Billy at the other end. He sat beside Billy. Mitch went to the middle of the car and sat where he could watch Darley and Billy. He watched as Darley and Billy exchanged the money and the Artifact. Billy put the Artifact into his backpack. Mitch left the car and went to the downstairs restroom area in the next car.
After waiting for a while he returned to the lounge car. Billy was still there and Darley was nowhere in sight. Billy had the backpack with the Artifact inside sitting on the floor beside him. Mitch kept an eye on Billy in hopes that he would leave the backpack even for a short time. Mitch thought it would be enough time to grab the Artifact.
Mitch followed Billy to a downstairs restroom. The narrow passageway was crowded. Mitch was right behind Billy. Billy sat the backpack on the floor. He opened a restroom door. Mitch grabbed at the backpack. He had his hand on it.
Billy grabbed Mitch's hand. Held it and said, "That's not yours, Bub. Hands off."
Billy flashed a grave look at Mitch. Mitch let go. Billy entered the restroom.
Mitch pushed his way out of the crowded passageway and went back upstairs.
He entered the lounge car. Not knowing what to do he stood and looked at the top of the stairs leading to the downstairs restrooms. He saw Heather and Darley enter the car and go down the steps. Mitch knew, he cannot let people walk off with a million and a half dollar museum Artifact. He went into the car and climbed down the steps to the passageway below.
As he arrived he saw no one in the passageway. Then he saw Darley and Heather through the widow of the door to the baggage area. To see what they were doing Mitch edged closer. Then he saw Billy with Heather's bag, taking the money and putting it into his backpack with his left hand. In his right hand he had a handgun pointed at Darley and Heather.
After filling his backpack with the cash, he threw the handbag at Heather. He opened the door. He rushed down the narrow passage way towards Mitch. Mitch rushed toward Billy and held him for a split second. Billy pushed Mitch to the floor. Billy pointed his gun at a spot an inch to the left of Mitch's nose.
Mitch heard a shot. Billy fell forward onto Mitch's legs. Mitch saw Heather as she stood in front of the door, and put her gun back into her hand bag.
Heather, "How stupid can that guy be. Giving my gun back, so I can shoot him. I never liked that guy."
At the next stop Mitch sat in the waiting room and watched as the ambulance took Billy away and the police car took, Darley and Heather, away.
Mitch looked at his watch, since he had a two hour wait for the next eastbound train to Rivertown, he closed his eyes to rest a while.
Trapped in the Barn
"Yes. Mary is here with me. We're in the barn. It's in the house." Kate whispers into the phone.
Kate listens to Stan say, "Stay by the back door. I'll come through the orchard."
Kate, "Hurry. I think it's hungry."
Kate watched out the back window of the barn and saw the Minters barn through the bare branches of the apple trees. Kate was relieved that they got only 6 inches of snow last night instead of the forecasted fifteen.
She saw Stan run out of the barn doors. He stayed behind their barn as he ran through the orchard, so it wouldn't see him from the house. As he approached the barn's back door, Kate noticed he had the 12 gauge shotgun. She hoped it was enough since their 16 gauge was in the house. And the rifles were locked in the basement. Stan reached the door and slipped in.
He asked, "Where is it?"
Kate replied, "It's in the kitchen. It's hungry."
Stan started toward the front barn door. Kate followed holding Mary. Stan slowly opened the top half of the door. They could see in the open back porch door. They saw and heard nothing. Then Stan opened the bottom of the barn door and walked, slowly and quietly, through the snow. Kate kept behind him holding Mary.
It was difficult to see in the open porch door. The single kitchen window above the sink could be easily seen threw. They both stopped and gazed into the kitchen through the four panes of the small window. They saw and heard nothing.
Kate whispered, "Maybe it left?"
Shan said nothing and walked forward. Something moved, in the kitchen. Stan stopped. They were, in the open, half way between the barn and the kitchen. Stan lifted the shotgun and kept it pointed at the window.
There was a low drawn-out raging growl. A crashing sound. A flash of black crossed the window. A loud thump. Then silence.
Stan still holding the shot gun at the window. There was no time to fire. He knew there would be only seconds to reload if he did fire. And that might be too long. If he had to shoot it, he needed to take one shot.
They slowly continued to the back porch and looked in through the open back door. It was large, black, and laying on the floor. Stan held the shotgun on it. It laid on the floor and didn't move.
Stan entered the kitchen and pushed its back with his boot. It did not move. No sign of life.
Bears had been on their farm before, looking for food. Normally they would lock themselves in the house. The bears would wander around outside until they decided to leave. Stan and Kate figured because of the storm last night this one was desperate for food. Since they have lived in the mountains of Colorado for seven years, this was easily understood by both Kate and Stan. But three month old Mary has still to learn about bears. Mary had been outside with Kate when she first saw the bear. There was no time to reach the house. So the barn was the only choice.
But this didn't explain why the bear was dead. There was no sign of injury. Then Kate looked at the remaining of the cake she had baked that morning. The cake sat on the kitchen counter half eaten. Stan looked at the half eaten cake on the kitchen counter.
Kate said, "That was a killer of a cake. I can never get the frosting right."
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Also by Don Fern
The Sea Explorer
Short Story Mixture
Images in Poems