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Only rolling his eyes slightly at Eddy's hung-over state, Dan lets John and Eddy into the express car to check the location and the security of the crate. "They're just checking on Mr Grainger's cargo, Lew" Dan says to Lewis, the other guard on duty in the express car. Lewis nods and points to the crate. "Go 'head. But once we're ready to go, everyone's gotta ride in the passenger car." He's armed with a rifle too and though his demeanor is pleasant enough, he keeps careful watch over Eddy and John to ensure they don't mess with anything else in the express car.

This car is where the valuables are stored. It currently has the mail for Odessa, Bailey Grainger's crate, a large safe, some boxes, and several barrels of coffee (it smells real good in here).

There is a window in the door on either end of the car and 2 windows on each of the long sides.

"Mr Grainger?" Dan says when John inquires about him. "Yeah, just one other guy with him, didn't catch his name. They brought the crate up on a wagon. Lew and I helped 'em get it loaded in here. Bet that sucker weighs over 300 pounds."

The wooden crate is 5ft long, 3ft wide, and 3ft deep and is locked with a padlock. It is completely devoid of any shipping marks or labels.

On the platform, a few passengers are beginning to board the passenger car. "Bang, bang, bang," a boy of about 7 is running back and forth on the platform, pretending to shoot at folks with his wooden toy gun.

"Boy, stop that this instant," scolds an older woman who obviously does not appreciate his foolishness. But the lad completely ignores her and "shoots" at the train conductor, who is busy greeting folks. "Oh! Got me!" he grins, clutching his chest and mocks almost falling over before a quick recovery. "Best get up on the train now lad."

Meg stands near the back of the platform and watches both John and Eddy approach the train. She releases a soft sigh at Eddy's current disposition.

The cries of a young boy catch her attention, and she allows the tiniest of smiles to crease her face as the conductor plays along with the boy's antics. She worries for a moment that the child's upbringing is not unlike her own, but the seeming joviality of his play would indicate otherwise.

Still, it's best to be cautious, and she glances about the platform for any suspicious people, cargo, or actions before heading toward the train herself.

There are no shipping marks on the crate. But Mr Grainger said it had been shipped from New York. So where are the New York shipping marks?
John Wade wonders if maybe he is over-analysing this. The mining equipment could have been re-packed into a new crate. Then whilst generally shipping marks are inked into the wood, maybe they used paper marks which could have been removed - John Wade doesn't know enough about the shipping industry to know if that would have been possible. Then Mr Grainger transported the crate from its home to the station by himself, with one helper. That doesn't necessarily mean anything. He seemed defensive about giving a list of contents. By maybe if the crate contains sophisticated mining equipment, Mr Grainger doesn't know the names or identities of all the parts, and was embarrassed to admit that. It could all be innocent.
Then even if Mr Grainger is transporting something other than mining equipment, John Wade reflects, it's hard to see how it affects them.
Nevertheless, he plucks a hair from his head, and ties it round the shackle of the padlock. If anyone removes the lock, with any luck, it will fall off, and the tampering will be evident. Just a little precaution.

((How far are we from the civil war? Is the little boy going to antagonise Union soldiers?))

((Probably somewhere around 1870... though don't hold me to too much historical accuracy! I try... And nice idea about the hair!))


As Meg scans the folks boarding the train, she sees that the boy with the toy gun doesn't seem to be accompanied by any adults.

A rough, unshaven man spits out his wad of chew on the ground before heading toward the train. He pushes his way past a well dressed man, who scrunches up his face in disgust at the other man's smell. "Barbaric," he says, to no one in particular.

"A seat away from that one, please," the well dressed gentlemen says to the conductor. "We'll find you a nice window seat, Mr. Charles," the friendly conductor replies, helping the man with his bag.

Besides the middle-aged woman who scolded the boy, there's another woman, younger and not unattractive, who holds a baby girl in her arms, rocking it gently.

There's also a few men up near the engine and tender car, smoking and shootin' the breeze while they're waiting for the passengers to board and get settled. One of them obviously works the tender car as he is nearly covered in soot.

A few shady characters are always to be expected, but still it's good to take note of them beforehand.

Meg picks up her small bag and makes her way across the platform toward the train. She notes that Mr. Wade and Mr. Vermissa still have not exited the express car. She heads toward the stairs at the front of the passenger car in hopes of sneaking a quick glance and at least learning the location of Mr. Grainger's shipment in the express car. There seems to be little point in drawing any more attention to it by actively seeking it out.

"Is he travelling alone?" John Wade asks the woman who scolded the little boy. "Meg and I can keep an eye on him for you, if that would help you out." He doesn't mention that Eddie is of their party.

He takes his place in the passenger car. He tries to sit in the seat above or below Mr Charles, assuming one of the two to be free.

Eddy pushed his was into the Express car, stumbling towards the box they were meant to guard. He took one step too many and ended up slamming his leg into the box. He leaned on it for a long while biting his lip to suppress a yelp. "Yep... looks like everythin's in order..." He patted the box several times and checked to see it was still properly nailed shut after the kick. Satisfied he stood up straight again with some effort.

His breathes were long and deep as he fought back the pain with each step into the passenger car. These long breathes only enhanced the booze fumes flying from his mouth. A big smile crept across his face as he spotted Mr. Charles and he decided to sit right beside him (or behind him depending on how many seats on each side of the aisle). He gave the man a poke in the shoulder and nodded. "Nice to see someone else with class on the ol' land boat." It would seem that inebriation had not been completely wiped out by the onset of his hangover.

Lewis keeps a close eye on Eddy. "That Grainger fellow knows how to pick 'em..." he mutters quietly.

Meg can catch a glimpse of Eddy still in the express car, along with the guard stationed there.

Even drunk, Eddy can tell the box is heavy... at least a couple hundred pounds. And must have some extra packing material to keep the contents from rolling around as there's not much sound from inside. Though he does just make out one little clink that sounded like something metal hitting something else metal.

"I certainly don't know," the woman who scolded the boy says as they climb up the steps into the passenger car. "A child that age should surely be supervised." She heaves an over-exaggerated sigh as now the boy is halfway hiding behind one of the seats, pretending to shoot each person as they board. "I am going to be a teacher in Odessa. I hope he is not to be one of my students."

Aboard, they see the unshaven man has taken a seat near the front of the car and there's another dirty and slightly smelly man near the middle. So Mr. Charles has slid into one of the padded wooden seats toward the back. The one right in front of him is available for John Wade to take.

The woman with the baby moves toward the front, though sits on the opposite side of the aisle from the dirty man. Thankfully, her baby seems to be asleep.


As Eddy slides into the seat right beside him, Mr Charles looks down at Eddy's hand that had just poked him. "Please do keep your hands to yourself... sir," he said the last word almost as a reminder of polite society. As he catches the whiff of alcohol on Eddy's breath, his nose crinkles and he shakes his head, glancing about at some of the other empty seats as if he is already considering moving. "Good God man, it is barely noon."


Percy arrives a few minutes later, nodding to his partners in this job as he takes a seat in front of John.

"We'll be ready in a few minutes, folks," says the smiling conductor. "Right at 12:10, I think. I'm William, feel free to ask me if you need anything."

So the woman who scolded the boy was not his mother, but another passenger. John Wade is a bit surprised. One thing to send a young lad on such a long journey alone, another not to even see him off at the station. He just hopes the lad won't get into any trouble.

"You going all the way to Odessa?" John Wade asks Mr Charles, by way of an ice breaker. "Don't worry about him" He gestures to Eddy, "Some people drink too much."

There doesn't seem to be much going on, so he relaxes and prepares to enjoy the journey.

( i'm so friggin sorry guys life's been crazy, but i'm gonna check this thing daily now lol. thanks for carrying me, Juls! )


The train was relatively crowded and Percy, with his hulking frame, made his way through rather uncomfortably. He muttered "'Scuse me" and "Sorry" each time he inevitably bumped someone, most simply waving him off and a few scowling at him from below. He ignored any reaction, thinking it polite enough to apologize.

He didn't quite smell like a drunk, only a lingering hint of whiskey and stale tobacco. He noticed the boy with the toy gun, as he 'shot' him, and couldn't help a smile. A natural, he thought dully.

He arrived to the familiar faces and tipped his hat before he sat in an empty seat, noting Eddy's odor and smiling again. It wasn't unusual for himself to abuse the amber every once in a while, though the time for it seemed wrong. Percy was dutifully loyal and made a note to look out for the man until the fog fully cleared. The group may have been newly formed, but it was still his.

Once he situated himself and his belongings, he proceeded to stare down at John, his eyes unnerving in their stillness and primal lack of social skills. He was looming, but not in a menacing way, or at least not intentionally, but in a studious one. As if he had never seen a man so small.

He would look at him until the sound of the conductor pulled his attention away and made him think if he had a question.

"Everything right for delivery?" He asked around the small crew, his voice all bass in his chest.

He hadn't bothered looking anything over, as late as he was, and assumed someone else had made sure their payday was all set and ready to go.

Eddy winked at the Mr. Charles, "Right you are, sir! Far too early to be up..." He snuggled down into his seat and pulled down his hat, only barely glancing up at John's words. "I drank the right amount to sleep through this try ride. You're the one who didn't drink enough. Now you're stuck with a kid the whole ride." His hand reached into his vest pocket and produced a deck of cards. Without looking up he tossed them backwards over the seat in John's general direction. "Those might keep him distracted for a few minutes. 'Course I can understand if you're a little skittish after yesterday." A mischievous smile formed in the shadow of his hat.

With that Eddy stretched and curled in on himself as best he could trying to maximize his comfort. His breathing would become heavy, just below a light snore.

((Am I correct in assuming that the seats are arranged so that two face each other? Or do they all face toward the front?))

Meg raises an eyebrow at John's offer that the two of them keep an eye on the child. She smiles sweetly at the boy but shoots John a quick, disapproving look. "Well, young 'un, you may sit by me if you'd like, but I certainly have no intention of making you do so," she tells the child.

She seats herself in the same area as John and so that she can keep an eye on the forward door of the passenger car.

((I was envisioning something like this, just with some cushions on the seats since the trip is fairly long (about 9 hours) : ))



"All aboard!" called the conductor and one final man hurried to get on the train. He sported mutton chops overdue for a trim and his clothes were dusty, a strong whiff of both cow and horse emanating from him. He glanced around the passenger car at the various people before finding an empty seat.

"Indeed," Mr. Charles answered John Wade, turning away from Eddy in an obvious attempt to ignore the drunken man. "I intend to open a saloon and smoke parlor there to cater to a..." his eyes found the latest man to board the train, his nose again wrinkling up in distaste "... higher class of clientele."

With the invitation from Meg, the boy immediately looks like he's considering it before shaking his head. "Good! Cause you can't make me if I don't want to," he said with a disrespectful tone and crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

Despite that, he moved into the seat just across the aisle to make continual gun sounds as he continued his game, now "shooting" anyone he saw on the platform as the train whistle sounded and it started moving slowly.

"What takes you to Odessa?" the woman who'd scolded the boy earlier asked the group.

( oh, i thought the seats were facing each other in separate cubes, Harry Potter style. whoops.

was there a spot in front of John and Meg for Percy to sit? he could've just sat in front of them and turned around, being even more of a weirdo lol )

Percival was sitting with his torso turned and his head cocked to be somewhat apart of his ragtag team of deliverers, now looking back and forth between John and the man he spoke to. Eddy and had curled up like a cat and Meg seemed preoccupied with the 'gun' slinging boy, none had heard him speak or perhaps they simply didn't want to acknowledge him.

The boy, now in their custody it seemed, had looked him right in the eyes when he pretended to shoot him, so he knew he did exist. He shrugged to himself and turned around in his seat, assuming everything was fine and ready with the load. When the woman asked what their business in Odessa was, he left it up to someone else to answer as he wasn't sure how safe it would be to spread their task around. He relaxed against his seat back and stared out the window with content eyes, listening to the conversations behind him.

Eddy grumpily pushed his hat up, squinting at the boy who would not shut up. "So, you won't be catering to actual men? Interesting idea." He smirked, not even looking at Mr. Charles. His eyes caught Percival and he tipped his hat slightly. He got to his feet slowly, staggering over to kneel beside the boy. "Hey kiddo. You playing cops and robbers or somethin'?" He asked in a not unfriendly tone. "'Cause if you are I may have a suggestion or two. Or actually... Well, you probably wouldn't want to hear them. It's not something little boys understand. Big kids get it though." He stood up slowly, getting ready to walk away.

Meg sighs internally as the woman directs her question to the lot of them. She believes it would have been better for the group not to be known as acquaintances on the train. But, at least a few of the others would have no reason for thinking through such things.

She smiles at the lady and caresses John's hand in her own.

"We've heard there's rather good land for growing, haven't we, Dear?" She glances coquettishly at John and continues, "So, we're going to set up as homesteaders, along with your friends, of course, Dear." Meg glances round from John to Percy to Eddy and back to John.

"He's scaring the boy, Love," she adds in a whisper toward John about Eddy's interaction with the child across the way.

The nosey woman smiled at Meg and John. "Oh, how wonderful! Odessa really seems to be an up and coming town, don't you agree? I'm going to be a school teacher, myself. Are you two newlyweds then?"

She looks immediately to Meg's left hand and then to John's left hand and her smile falters at the lack of wedding bands. How improper! Her train of thought plainly written across her face.

"Are you going there to be wed?" she asks, as if trying her best to assume the best of them.



The boy stood up on the seat and took another "shot" at Eddy just for good measure as he came across the aisle toward him. "I'm plenty big 'nuff!" he announced, looking excited that someone might willing to play with him. "Stick 'em up!"



Meanwhile, the last man onto the train, who's sitting across from Percival, gives a sideways glance over to the larger man, as if just sizing him up then looks ahead again, gazing out the window as the train starts picking up some speed.

Meg's own smile never falters but does become slightly more haughty as the woman becomes a bit judgmental.

"Newlyweds," she responds. She catches the woman's glances and continues, "We opted to save money toward our homestead."

A rather judgmental "Easterners..." passes through her head but remains unspoken.

She leans in closely and whispers a quick "sorry" into John's ear.

Eddy's back was to the child when he spoke. "Now why would I stick 'em up when..." He spun around, somewhat faster than a drunk should be able to, and said, "Bang! I already got you." He made a show of blowing imaginary smoke from the finger gun he had slid from his pocket. "Now you wanna learn how us big guys really play cops and robbers or would you prefer to just keep playing pretend like a baby?" His tired looking eyes quirked a brow conspiratorially at the boy. "Because I don't play games with babies." He said, sitting down beside the kid.

"You see real cops and robbers don't go blasting each other with guns all they time. They're sneaky. They're clever." He said waving his one hand around before pointing it at his head and holding the boy's eye contact. His free hand would attempt to slip his own pocket watch into the pocket of the child without him noticing. If he succeeded in the sleight of hand he would say, "Now, is it time to play real cops and robbers? Check your watch." He would nod towards the boys formerly empty pocket. Meanwhile, if he failed in his attempt to give the boy the pocket watch he would grin. "Well, look at you. Nothing slips passed you, eh? Looks like you're ready to play."