A Christmas Journey

Chapter 3

 The next day, Polly drove Sherri to the bus depot. After a few minutes, the announcement was made that the bus was boarding.

"It looks like I'm ready." Sherri said calmly.

With a compassionate smile, Polly replied, "Yep. And I'll hopefully be there before Christmas as well. I just want to help your dad out here, but you should be with him. I'll be okay."

"Thanks. I know he appreciates it. I'll see you in a few days."

Walking a few feet forward, Sherri paused, turned, and went back to hug her aunt one more time. Then, she boarded the bus and was off to North Dakota.

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The scene now shifts to an elaborate mansion in an upper-class neighborhood of Minot, where a European sports car is driving up to the large garage. The chauffeur opened the door for a young man who mumbled, "Thank you, Watson." as he walks into the house. A few minutes later, this man and two others, each about 20, were sitting around a table in a large mansion.

"Richard, is everything all set?" Tall, dark William asked his brother.

"Yes." Richard replied. A sinister look crossed his cold, gray eyes. "The men will be waiting at the bus depot in Nashville, where Sherri's bus will stop for a while. They'll catch her and make sure she has a little accident and doesn't finish her journey."

"Yes," Rodney, the third brother, who had the same dark hair and cold eyes as the others, said, "and then there won't be anyone else to expose our enterprises. As minor as our early ventures were when she caught us, it would bring more scrutiny to our larger affairs."

Richard then added, "The plan is for them to make it look like an accident, if possible. Of course," he smiled, "these men have been known to be quick to fire but even then no one should be able to trace it to us."

"Excellent." William commented, before looking at his watch. "Her bus should have departed a few minutes ago."

"What if she somehow makes it here after all?" Richard asked.

"Don't worry." William reassured him, "That won't happen. But if it does..." he paused while patting a small pistol contained in a shoulder holster, "...we'll be ready."

They talked a few more minutes before a servant came in and asked, "What would everyone like for lunch?"

The trio had ceased their conversation immediately when the door opened. After the young woman had finished talking, William snapped, "How dare you burst in here like that! We will tell you when we are ready to eat!"

"I-I am Sorry, Master William-" she hastily apologized before being interrupted.

"You are to only speak when spoken to!" William shouted.

"Yes, Master William." the shaken girl replied. "I'm sorry. I will remember that next time." The servant said as she walked out the door, tears coming to her eyes after she had turned her back.

"See that you do." William sneered.

As the young woman walked back toward the kitchen, another female servant, an older woman in her 50s who had heard the commotion, came over to comfort the poor girl.

"Shhhh. It's all right." the older servant said gently as she held the younger one in her arms. Old enough to be her mother, this woman had begun treating the younger one as a daughter, which many times helped both to cope with their situation.

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Elsewhere in the city, in a mid-sized house just outside of Minot, Ben Turner was sitting in the living room, concerned about his daughter and still mourning over his wife.