DisPLACEd: The Iron Horse

Chapter Fifteen

"I heard Dodge's dead," the words slurred as they came out of the man's mouth. His face was red, either from being out in the sun all day, or the copious amounts of liquor he had ingested since quitting-time.

"No he ain't, ya idjit! He's unconscionable," another hiccuped and slammed his now-empty cup on the bar.

"D'you mean unconscious?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

Jonathan shook his head as he stepped up to their sides. He knew their faces but couldn't remember their names - if he had ever known them. "Can I get a sarsaparilla?" He ordered.

"They don't serve that here," the man beside him said. "Only cold hard liquor. Come back when ya can shave Five Strikes." The group laughed, their hearty guffaws deafening.

The girl behind the bar slid him his drink, giving a weak smile of sympathy. He turned and ventured back into the main throng. He spotted Ryan and some of his friends and made his way over to them, only to stop and move behind a pillar when he heard them talking in hushed whispers.

"Aadita said Dodge is doing OK and this won't affect him down the line," Reb told them.

"Good. The last thing we need is for someone to make a mistake and the railroad, not to mention America itself, could be affected." Jake took a sip of his drink.

"Yeah well we still have to make it to the shift before we are definite we haven't changed anything." Ryan's chair lurched forward as a horde stumbled past. "I've been trying to get close to Eli to make sure he doesn't cause trouble, but the guy's a loose cannon."

Jonathan's drink had been long forgotten. He had trusted these newcomers, but was beginning to think that had been a mistake. He shook his head and headed for the back door.

Ryan groaned as his chair was bumped once again, this time by Harley, who carried a tray of drinks and snacks. His neck revealed smears of dirt where he had missed when washing. He rotated his shoulders, wincing. "Being a Prince was so much better than this."

"Nnnnawwww," Harley said, moving behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging his sore muscles.

Jake looked away, distracting himself with his drink.

"Yeah 'cause this is so fun for us," Reb quipped.

"You know what I mean." Ryan gave a satisfied groan.

"Sure we do. You have the hardest job." Harley started to massage down his biceps. "But that's because you're so strong." She reached lower. "And masculine." Lower. "And..." Ryan was almost a puddle. Harley reached down until her lips were right against his ear. "Gullible."

"Huh?" Ryan spun around.

Harley stood up straight, proudly displaying the money sack she had managed to swipe from his pocket. Reb rolled her eyes while the others at the table laughed heartily.

"Hey!" Ryan reached for it, but Harley danced back.

"A little trick Kate taught me." She smiled and winked at him, heading for the bar.

"Harley!" Ryan yelled to her.

She laughed and threw the sack over the top of her head, landing right in his lap.

The rain had begun to fall not quite an hour after they arrived at the survey site. Eric laid inside the tent he shared with Rourke. Sleep was hard to find, but he knew he would need his strength for the journey home in the morning. Rourke had tried to stay up writing notes, but the paltry light from their lanterns had ruined those plans.