Raven’s Personal Log 16
I moved slowly from the land of the mansion. I needed to place time. In the green, time was everything. I had never understood what was meant by “In the fullness of time, you will know.” The land I came from had no measuring of the cycle but in the land of the green, everything had its time. I opened my phone, pressing the buttons. I listen to the ringing as it counted.
The ringing came to an end as a voice spoke to me, “Thorne!”
“When did we last see each other?” I questioned. I now was sounding, like those of the green, with a question upon my lips.
“Breakfast, yesterday, mom and pop place.” Thorne responded quickly.
“Good I need dinner and money. I am on the road to the old mansion pick me up.”
“Ten minutes.” He started as I closed the case and placed it back into my pocket.
There was no song left in my spirit but from the far distant, star guided me. I continued on the side of the road walking in the direction of Thorne’s office. Thorne was quicker than he spoke. He pulled up beside me in the 700 series BMW and popped the door open. I moved into the play as I slide in a single motion next to him securing the door close. I looked out the glass as he moved back into traffic and we headed on our way.
“Something new please.” I requested still looking at the road ahead, “and hot. I would actually like something that is not luke warm.”
“Hot spice or hot temperature?” he asked as he kept his eyes to himself.
“Both”
“Thai?”
“Will do.”
Thorne changed lanes smoothly. A traffic lighted stopped us and his eyes fell on me. I felt him looking but I looked to the road. From the corner of my eye I saw him raise an eyebrow. The light changed and he resumed his driving.
“Did you happen to get me some cash?” I asked him.
“Yes, a thousand enough?”
“It will do.” I paused letting a long silence hang in the air; “I took your advice.”
He drove for nearly half an hour. The path moved through areas that got progressively lapsed into a more depressed state.
“How’s that?” He asked without his eyes moving from the road.
“I no longer have him,left him to his happiness. Just like you suggested.”
“For his happiness…or his safety?”
“Yes.”
Thorne pulled up in front of a small storefront in a line of run down shops on a quiet side street.
I slightly looked toward him as I asked, “Is this the place?”
“Yes.’ He replied as he climbed out. I opened the door and slide to stand as he circled the car to my side. I pulled my cloak tight. He offer his arm and I took it. He escorted me into a steamy little place with plastic covered tables and old vinyl covered chairs.
I pointed into a corner table that viewed the door and window. “Can we sit there?” I requested.
“Any place you feel comfortable.” He pulled a chair out for me. I sat down with my back against the wall and stared at the door we entered. Thorne took the place next to me.
A stunning young Asian girl came from behind a bead curtain. She laid two menus on the table. “Tea?”
I briefly looked at all the dishes and turned my eyes to Thorne as I put the menu down, “I’ll have what ever you are. Or hotter. I moved my eyes back to the window and viewed the green. Thorne ordered without looking at the menu in an odd sing song language.
“So what is going on?” I started stating the info I knew, “I know the mayor, and the low numbers, and the trucks.” My eyes roamed around the half empty restaurant. I had to wonder where the tea was. Like magic the girl returned with a piping hot pot of tea and two beautiful China cups. “Find out who owns the trucks??”
“Rented.”
I drew a long drought of the tea. “By who?”
“Paid cash…big deposit…lots of insurance.”
“No name?” I thought aloud.
“Yeah…Marion Cur.”
I drained the cooling cup, pouring some more. Thorne tested his tea and barely sipped it.
“Any alias match?” I continued in thought. Thorne watched the girl return with a huge tray that almost dwarfs her. Gracefully she lifted plate after plate from the tray to the table. I spoke on; “I will need to be in the park to dance after we eat. I still have to get the pack.”
Thorne watched the girl and waited till after the girl left to speak, “‘Cur.. Is another name for a dog…”
“What was Lincoln’s mother’s name again?”
“Marion…”
I smiled at the connection I made.
Thorne used chopsticks to scoop up a mixture of vegetables and shrimp into his mouth.
“The thought had occurred to me…”
I placed the sticks in my hand and moved them with ease as I too joined in the eating of the feast before me. Thorne sipped his tea as his eyes watched my hand moved, the sticks in a dance from the plate to my mouth. “Okay, now to really piss the ass off.” I quoted a friend. Thorne looked at me over the cup.
“I just got quoted calling him a no good redneck, half breed, that hasn’t a clue in his pea brain. ” I paused, shaking my head, “but I might piss off more than him. Got any thing that I can say to really get him but not get the people mad?”
“What can you tell me about Moondog?” he asked me.
“He is a victim of circumstance.” I thought of the docks as I held him to my command.
“Why do you say that?” Thorne brought me back to the now.
“You think he wanted to be a were wolf?”
Thorne continued to eat every bite. “That what I thought you said…werewolf… I ran across a weird report about werewolves.”
“I don’t think Scott really has a choice in what he does.” I wondered why I didn’t give his real name. What was it about the furry one? I finished my plate and rubbed my tummy as I pulled my cloak tight around me. “This was very good,”
“There was a report that came in about a werewolf at a train station down in Portland.” He spoke as he scooped more food to his mouth.
“Really.” I asked, “on the train?”
He shook his, as he swallowed quickly, “at the station…”
“Anything else interesting about trains?”
Thorne sat back sipping tea. “Didn’t SPD pick up a group of Colombian and Jamaican drug thugs at the station here a few hours ago?”
“Don’t know I was not around. Think they are picking there next city or about to set up business?”
Thorne pulled the phone from his pocket. “I just had a thought.” He punched a series of numbers
“I think a look see and a visit with my mind to the cop shop. Team to check the trains?” I was sure something was to happen.
“Helen…do me a favor.. Check the location of those trucks picked up in NO, were they any where near a train station?” Thorne waited, his hand covering the phone. “Might be a good idea.”
I pulled my phone and dialed. The phone rang on.
“I’ll get a schedule of trains from Portland to here.” Thorne returned to the phone “thanks Helen…now check on any scheduled trains between Portland and here.”
Simmon picked up his phone and whispered, “Hi.”
“Cat we need the team at the train station to check out for possible pack movement. Thorne is getting a schedule Moondog might have been spotted in Portland. He would be on his way back. Who’s around?”
Simmon spoke quietly over the phone, “Ok, When?”
Thorne watched my every movement as he waited for Helen’s info “Thanks Helen.” He flipped his phone closed.
I looked at Thorne, “When? Cat needs to know.”
“There is a train heading this way now.. It is the last until 10 am tomorrow morning. It should arrive here in about two hours.”
I returned to the phone, “Cat from now till it arrives in two hours
“Ok, I’m on my way.” Cat piped in.
“Cat get every one you can and get William. He has a radio.”
Simmon radioed, “Is their anyone out there?”
The parade of voices rose and fell as Cat assembled the few that where around. Hawkins, William and Cat headed to the station. I closed the phone and spoke again to Thorne; “You’re the driver, train or cop shop? I secured my radio on.
“Your choice.” He replied as he finished his food quickly.
“I guess it is the Trains. Please excuse me. I need to duck in the refresh room,”
Thorne stood, “I’ll be outside.”
I changed into the clothes of my duty and walked out of the building tossing my cloak on at the last minute with staff in hand
“Lets go.” I said as I slide into the car and straightened my boot. Thorne drove on.
He pulled into the parking lot of the depot and parked in a No Parking Zone, dropping the sun visor with the FBI logo displayed.
Thorne asked, “How do you want to do this?”
I jumped out with my bag hidden on my back “We secure the area and find likely hidey-holes
Thorne shrugged and followed Raven
Cat bounded up to us, “Hi. We want to scout the place out and go in as quite and course as little fuss as we can?”
“Make sure his buddies are not here already.” I suggested strongly, “If you see one call for back up. One is better than none.”
The traffic at the station was very light, only a dozen cars or so. Thorne entered the station and stood in the entrance scanning the area. There were only six people in sight, three bums sleeping on benches. The others were a ticket seller, a transit cop and a very bored Red Cap. I scanned the minds of the bums. The first was a dis-barred lawyer caught up in a sex scandal, the second is a Vietnam vet, winner of a Silver Star, now forgotten by the people he fought to defend. The third is a cheap hustler, waiting for the lambs that wander off the train with stars in their eyes and a willingness to do ANYTHING to get into movies…his mind was of sex and drugs. I opened my mind and found the fear from the third. He was a sadistic bastard and the thing he feared most was being tied and subjected to all he had visited upon others.
I reopened to his mind and spoke, *Hey sugar! Want to have some fun later* I placed the ones he had tortured into his head and let them play with him for a minute of green time.
Thorne approached the ticket counter and spoke softly with the middle-aged woman. He turned and watched one of the bums twitch and squirm on the bench, the man never made a sound more then a moan and it almost appeared his arms and legs were strapped to the bench. Thorne shook his head slightly and turned his attention back to the woman.
I brought froth my power to lift and slipped a $100 in the vets pocket
Hawkins checked the exterior. William walked down the length of the station and checked out the bathrooms, both men’s and women’s. Cat was standing near in the main station trying to check out the area. Thorne looked around the station, an anxious expression covering his features. I moved back to Thorne.
“Damnit,” cursed Thorne
I slipped my arm in his staying one unto the air, “Why so tense?”
Thorne jumped slightly. “The ticket agent has just gotten a call for a switching station down the line. She told me that the train was reported passing that point nearly an hour ahead of schedule. The linesman estimates the train is traveling at nearly two hundred mile per hour. The tracks are only rated at one hundred. Up until this station the track is straight as an arrow…then it turns into this station.”
Raven radioed all the information to everyone asking, “Idea for the train crash?”
Thorne looked across to the agent waving a hand at him frantically. He pulled me with him, not wanting to lose track of me. “What is it?”
William radioed ” I don’t know how to drive a train and how would you get on a speeding train?”
The Agent spoke, “I just called the Station Master, he’s on his way in.”
“How long before he arrives?” asked Thorne
“He is about ten minutes from here on a normal day, I am betting he makes it here in under five.”
Cat asked, “Thorne, how far away is the train?”
“Did you find anything?” Thorne asked
“No, I didn’t see any of the pack.” Cat answered.
Thorne looked at the ticket agent “How far from the station?”
“At that speed they could be as close as 50 miles. That will put them here in 15 minutes…
I whispered in his ear, “Any people on the train?”
Thorne glanced back at the agent “How many people on the train?”
Cat radioed, “Hawkins, can you get on the train? It’s 50 miles south of here.”
The Agent punched a few keys on the computer. “One hundred fifty four.”
The plan formed quickly. Hawkins scoop cat up and flew off to the speeding train. William and I went about clearing the street of people and lining up a cushion of cars in case the other two failed to stop the train before the curve. The thought accrued to me that the police station with all the lovely drug dealers would be prime to attack for more of the pack’s mischief. I called the station to warn them.
I heard the sound of dragons and the faint voice of Little sister. I radioed “Kara get to the train depot we have a run away train.”
Chameleon radioed, “On my way. Talk to me tell me where to find them?”
I radioed, “Down the tracks.”
Thorne informed me, “If she can get into the cab, there is a handle with a thing that looks like a bicycle break handle. That has to be held close for the train to run. It’s usually red and if she can get that opened the train will stop on its own.”
Chameleon succeeded to land on the train. Through the radio we heard the battle. Little Sister went down. Moondog’s voice rang over the radio, “Send more heroes, that one was a nice appetizer.” He smacked his lips.
I radioed,” Seeker here. I am waiting for you Scott.” The radio went crunch!
Hawkins pushed him self-trying to carry cat to her. I could wait no more I started down the tracks. I felt useless waiting for the crash. Cat and Hawkins finally reached the train. Some how Cat made it to the engine and pried the metal from around the handle. The train started to slow. The engine now in site I opened my mind and pushed against it’s mass. Hawkins flew above grabbing part of the train and flew against the speed. The train slowed more but was still upon us. I jumped to the passing train and entered trying to find the big puppy but he was gone. The curve came up fast. The train squealed around the corner and the cars tipped heavy but the train had slowed enough to make it. The end of the line was coming next I pushed against the wall we where still heading toward. The train finally slowed to a stop as the engine tapped the wall. The people started to unload.I pulled my gun on them, making them freeze.
“No one leaves till I scan you.” I ordered. I quickly scanned all the passengers as they departed. Once sure that none of the pack was on board I ran back down the tracks. Ten miles from the station was an empty car and tire tracks. They had escaped me once more. Little brother had taken Little sister to the sands to heal. I prayed to the flame that Mystic had returned and would care for her.
I am alone in the cold and green. The pain fills me but still I cry for my love, for my life lost. I feel the wakening in me and try and hold the new power it brings. The ones who I call friends are in danger to. I must hold myself and walk this path that the mark of greatness demands. If I succeed I might yet regain what I have lost.