The Lost Angel by Adam C. Mitchell Read Free Book Online Page B

into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. She made everything he was going through worth it.
    The fading yellow cab turned into the station and stopped “Three bucks, pal.”
    For a moment, Eddy froze to the spot. He continued staring into Kim’s eyes, never wanting the moment to end.
    “Hey, Jerk! Three bucks is three bucks I ain’t got all day for, you know.”
    Eddy didn’t take his eyes off Kim.  “So take another trip around the block.”
    The driver slammed the car into gear and drove off. The Chinese cabbie’s, passengers making out like love struck juvies on a prom night. 
    Eddy wanted more. His hand slipped up Kim’s thigh, his fingers drawing closer to what Eddy thought would be heaven. The cab pulled into the station a bit sharper than expected. ” Hey!   I gave you a solid, now do me one. Five buck’s and I ain't got all day about it. I got a wife and mouths to feed, you get my drift?”
    The cabbie’s Chinese-American accent and madly waving arms made him sound and look more animated than Kim would have liked, but like Eddy, she ignored it. The moment was gone. Eddy pushed ten dollars into the cabbie’s hand, grabbed his leather bag and Kim’s hand and headed for the busy platforms. As they descended the rusting iron stairs onto platform twelve, Eddy spotted the other members of the tour. They stood against the regular commuters, and handfuls of soldiers milling about the platforms, hoping to get lucky on leave. Of the twelve fighters, there were two Eddy didn’t recognise. One beefy guy had a face like a pizza and no neck. He went by the name of Sam. The other was a man mountain, with a black eye and a bum chin, who Eddy thought was called Moses.
    Sam greeted Eddy and Kim briefly but warmly. Moses did little more than nod. They all lit up for a smoke.
    “Hey, Sam, why’s the tribe still here. Don’t you know the livestock carriage doesn’t board here.”
    Sam laughed. “Ha-ha, Eddy. We would have been in Frisco if the now sober Moses hadn’t decided to use two patrolling coppers as a game of whack-a-mole, buying himself a night in the clink.”
    Eddy looked up at the mountainous Moses. “Hey, Moses, why?” Eddy was by no means small in stature, but looking up at this giant made him feel like an ant, more so when Moses’ booming voice replied.
    “Those two gumshoes looked at me funny, saying my sort didn’t belong in their town. So I decided to show them what my sort felt about them and their city.”
    Eddy and Sam were in hysterics when Kim put her hand on Eddy’s shoulder.
    Kim went and bought tickets for her and Eddy. When their train stopped at the platform, the random assortment of warriors piled in.
    “Hey, Eddy. Where’s Paddy at?”
    Eddy thought quickly. “Oh, he’s gone ahead to set things up. Told us to hook up with you guys.”
    A boxer with a heavily broken nose looked at Eddy with caution. Being Paddy’s charity case hadn’t helped Eddy get along with some of the band.
    “Cool, my friend, the next place had best be better than that dive in Chicago. By the way, the name’s Brian Banner. We didn’t get a chance to be introduced before I floored you. Sorry about that by the way.” Eddy shook his hand.
    Brian pointed to the boxer giving a conductor a dirty look and then introduced him to three other men. Mac had a black eye and two missing teeth, next to him was a whisper of a man called Thompson. And sat on a duffle bag, drinking beer, was a Canadian by the name of Logan.
    The reliable Lionel train gave a jolt, pulling out of the station, and filled the air with smoke. Thick black ash dusted the platform, sending ladies running for cover. It was actually quite funny.  The great train lurched like a beast as he travelled along the track.  A piercing whistle blew as they entered a tunnel that cut through a hill, then disappeared in a cloud of thick smoke.
    ***
    A hundred miles and a change of clothes later, Jack stepped onto the sidewalk outside the telegraph office.