The Business of Time Travel Tourism

Chapter 10: The Journey By A Train

Then they argued for a long while until a compromise was reached involving best parts of their plans. The hour of the walk went by in no time and soon they found themselves inside the Milltown's train station.

When George went to get the tickets he left Sally by a coffee machine and gave her instructions on how two cups should be bought, but when he returned the time police girl was nowhere to be found. He asked around, but no one had seen or noticed where his friend had disappeared. While he wandered around the station searching, he was greeted by a large man wearing black glasses and a black suit. The man glanced into the picture he held in his hand, then to George.

He said, "Mr. Bottlemore I presume?"

"Yes. Who's asking?"

"My friends call me Tango." The mysterious man pointed at a shiny silver pin with the word 'Tango' attached to the left side of his chest. "Now, Sir, if you'd just follow me. There are many things we have to discuss."

"Follow you where?"

"Just round the corner. Over there." The man pointed to a corridor, which, George knew, led to a dark place.

George had a feeling on how this was going to end. He had seen many movies and action series. Even though this was real life, he found no problem to apply his theoretical knowledge to this particular situation. That particular moment he did not feel threatened, he was still in a dreamy state similar to the one he entered playing the computer. Oblivious to danger, he said, "Of course if you'd just show me the way, please."

"Here."

The man in black walked first, and George followed in such a way that he stayed out of the brute's field of vision the whole time. The corridors they passed got darker and darker. Silently he took out a thing or two out of the backpack and slid them into his pockets. Surprise awaits you, mister, George talked to himself and grinned. But it was him whom a small surprise awaited first.

With hands cuffed in front of her, head bent down, Sally stood in the far corner of the dim lit room. Another man, almost identical to the one that led George to this place, pointed a pistol to the ground and stood beside her, his face straight serious.

"Well done, Papa," said Tango. He then slid his hand inside the jacket and turned to George, but was frozen the moment he was about to take out the gun. He only managed to take a glimpse of the weird pencil-like thing George pointed at him. Tango fell to the ground in agony and began to jerk, the ago-nizing pain showed up in his face. He spoke with what appeared to be an incredible force of will, "This.... Was.... not... supppppposed.... to... 'apppppen!"

Papa pointed his gun at Sally. He whispered to her, "Nothing personal, it's just my job." then looked at George and spoke to him. "Leave my associate alone. Or she gets it," he wiggled the weapon.

"Damn it," George walked to Tango keeping his voice cool. Now that the fog of surreality from his eyes had disappeared and adrenaline had kicked in, his hands began to shake. He took the gun out of Tango's hand and pointing the pencil at Papa asked, "What do you want?"

"We want you to go back and forget it all. Forget Alfonso, forget meeting us, and forget you ever wanted to leave this city. Or else,—" Papa shrugged once, shrugged twice. "Ha." Shrugged for the third time and laughed very seriously, "Ha, ha, ha. It tickles... Hahaha!"

Sally giggled too, in her girlish "Ke, ke, ke..." Tears came to her eyes, she squeezed her belly and fell down. The closer George walked to them, the more Sally cried, the louder her attacker laughed.

He took Papa's gun, lifted Sally by the elbow and led her out of the room, leaving the two attackers behind, one in agonizing pain, another in an intense state of happiness. He threw the guns into the first recycle bin on the way towards the train platform. The strange thing he noticed about the guns was that there was something off about them. They did not appear to be as threatening as the one Alfonso carried. The cuffs on Sally's hands proved to be only a little nuisance. Using a pin from her hair, she easily freed herself. Then she straightened her already stained suit and fixed her hair.