“Are we really going to Salt lake?”
“Yes, only not to that facility. We will catch another train to Apple Valley Utah, if we get that far.”
“We’ll get there safely I think.”
“Well, we are sure going to try. Here comes the train, now stand up.”
The train came to a stop, and they entered the car. There was only a young couple on the train who were more taken with each other than they were with anything else that was going on.
After two minutes, the train began to move. The train was an automated train of four cars, and when the sensors were clear, the train moved out. The train stopped twice at other quads, but there was no one to board, so it moved on toward D.C. picking up speed as it went. The couple in the other seat talked in low tones, but paid them no mind the whole trip. They stepped off the train, and then walked through the quad a half block to the speed train quad, and sat down in the comfortable chairs for the hour wait.
There were two families also waiting for the western speed train to Denver. One was a girl about Kristen’s age who stared at her. The girl’s mother elbowed her; whispered something to her, and she looked away. The staring didn’t bother Trevor, and he thought they looked plenty official as Kristen was sitting between an armed guard, and another man in a suit.
Soon the long low stream lined train pulled in, and rolled to a stop, and they boarded without incident. They had seats by themselves, and Trevor felt free to talk. He reached up into the overhead compartment, and took down his bag. He opened it, and brought out sandwiches. He handed Kristen a sandwich, and a bottle of juice.
“Thank you.” She said, and began devouring the sandwich, “Try to eat slower; you don’t want to cramp up.”
She began to eat slower, “I haven’t had anything to eat except a little thin soup.”
“I know. How did you make it in there, and stay sane?”
“I had my Bible.”
“I didn’t see any Bible. Where is it?”
“Jesus brought the scriptures to my mind, just like he said he would do.”
“You mean you remembered things you read? We all do that you know.”
“This was different; it was like one of those news tapes you see on the viewer. He was showing me the scriptures across my mind.”
Gerald sat and listened to the conversation, but said nothing as the two continued.
“The human mind has a great capacity to make us see things you know.” Trevor said as he looked out the window at the blurred landscape.
“I had a waking dream that I was in a beautiful valley with mountains on each side. There was horse's grazing in the pasture in front of the house, there was a dark-skinned lady there. I believe that is where we are going.”
He looked at her sharply, “A dark-skinned lady? Don’t you think it was just a dream? Do dreams have to have meaning?”
“Don’t you believe in Jesus, and aren’t you a fundamentalist?”
“No.”
“Then why are you trying to make me safe from the government?”
“She’s got you there Trevor.” Gerald laughed; he leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. He was content with just living. He didn’t need to pry into the minds of fifteen-year-old girls, or anyone else’s mind for that matter. It would be nice to believe in a Jesus, or at least something. His mind went back to the old man in the Bronx who had committed suicide when he left.
He imagined the old man laying in his bed as dead as a Mackerel, and stinking up the place, the government officials complaining about the extra fumigation work. Gerald slept with a smile playing about his lips as the miles past under the train.
The train began to slow about twenty-five miles out from Denver. It would take an hour to go the twenty-five miles due to the train losing momentum on its rails.
Trevor reached across, and shook Gerald awake. “Time to wake up Gerald, we are almost into Denver, and I want you wide awake when we have to change trains.”
“Ok, I’m awake; I gotta use the bathroom a little, be right back.”
He returned a few minutes later with his hair neatly combed. He sat straight up in the seat, placing his guard cap squarely on his head, “How do I look?”
“You look official enough, by the way; I forgot to ask, is that a real gun, or a trainer?”
“Its real, but it's not loaded; the magazine is in my back pocket.”
“Good, if you shoot somebody we’ll never make it to Salt Lake.”
“I’d worry about the fake papers more than me shooting somebody.”
“Yeah, that too, let’s hope we don’t have to test the waters on them.”
When Kristen looked at them, she had tears in her eyes, “What’s the matter Kristen?” Trevor took her hands in his.
“I wish I could see my parents, and my sister; we are so close.”
“Look, if we make it to Salt Lake I’ll see what I can do to notify them, ok?”
“Ok…sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, only get straight, we don’t want to draw more attention that’s necessary when we change trains.”
The train came to a stop, and they walked down the steps with Kristen between them, and walked for a block to the North West train. As they were mounting the steps a couple in brown government uniforms hailed them from the quad, “You there! Just a minute.” The couple came toward them. Trevor looked at Gerald, and whispered, “If they try to take me into custody, use your weapon to slow them down until the train starts.”
“We would need to see your papers, and ask you some questions.” The man announced as they approached them.
“Where are you going? Is this a prisoner?”
“Yes sir, we are taking her to the psychiatric facility in Salt Lake.”
“Let me see your transportation papers please.”
Trevor removed the papers from his locked brief case, and handed them to the man. “I am agent Sanders, and this is agent Paulson. He said as he took the papers, “Please step over here for a minute.”
They stepped to the spot indicated, and waited as the man studied the papers closely.
“We have to go quickly, or we will miss our train.”
“The Greenbrier resort huh? You guys have it made; I was there once.”
“Yes, it's really nice; we like it there.”
“It says here you are a psychiatrist?”
“That’s right; this is my patient. “, indicating Kristen.
“Well, we won’t hold you up, have a good trip.”
“Thanks. Maybe you can visit us in D.C. sometime.”
“Perhaps.”
The two walked on, and they hurriedly boarded the train. This time the train was full. The train began to pick up speed, and when they sat down Trevor wiped his hand across his forehead, and it came away wet.
“Looks like your papers done the trick Doc.” Gerald said, although he wasn’t sweating.
“I almost pissed my pants.”
“Why? I believed in you.” Gerald grinned at him.
“Me too.” Kristen said.
“We are not there yet.”
“Have a little faith Doc.” Gerald laughed.
“That’s not funny Gerald.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
“Don’t tell me she has got you believing in this God stuff!”
“Maybe, but even if I do, I’ve got you to bail me out.”
“Cram it Gerald. I didn’t have to tie your hands to get you to come on this trip.”
“Can we eat now?” Kristen interrupted them.
“Sure…Gerald, reach up in the bin, and get the food; we don’t want to risk traipsing up to the dining cars; we want to stay in our seat except for trips to the bathroom.”
They were all quiet as they ate the sandwiches, and washed them down with juice.
“How are you making it Kristen?” Gerald asked her.
“I’m hurting all over. My bones ache, and there are raw places on my skin, but the soft clothi
ng helps.” She put on a brave face, but Trevor saw her wince as she moved in the seat.
“Hand me my brown-bag Gerald.”
Gerald reached up into the overhead bin, and bought out a small brown bag.
Trevor rummaged around in it for a bit, and brought out a small packet that contained a syringe, and some alcohol swabs.
“I can give you a shot of this stuff, it is really strong, but it will stop the pain for about six hours. Here give me your arm.”
“Keep an eye out Gerald; we don’t want anyone thinking we are dopers.”
“Ok.”
Trevor smacked her arm with his fingers to find the vein, and then slowly pushed the plunger.
“Instant fly high my dear.”
In less than a minute, Kristen began smiling, “It’s been so long since I didn’t hurt. Thank you so much.”
“Hey, drinks are on the house kid. Have a good trip.”
“Nothing for me Doc?”
“I’m thinking you’ll make it Gerald.”
The train rolled on across the plains; Kristen was sound asleep between them, and soon they both began to nod off as the scenery flashed by in a blur of browns, and blacks.
Trevor awoke, and realized he had been sleeping soundly; the train was losing speed, and he heard the people murmuring, as they became awake. The air had taken on a chill in the night sky, and people were clambering to put on jackets in preparation to depart the train in Salt Lake.
Eventually, the train stopped, and people began to get off. They waited until the Isles were clear before departing the train.
“I’m not sure which train we are to take from here.”
“I know the way, come on,” Gerald began walking. He led the way to a small quad, “This train goes to Apple Valley, and the reservation is not far from there.”
A small automated train was resting on the rails at the quad, and Gerald mounted the steps. Trevor and Kristen followed, and then sat down in one of the seats. There was only one other person on the train, and he sat with the collar to his coat pulled up around his neck. The coat was made of sheep skin. His skin was fairly dark.
“Is that an Indian Gerald?” Trevor asked.
“Yes, he’ll probably get off at Apple Valley too; the reservation is only a half-mile from there, and we will have to walk on to the reservation.”
The little train started with a jerk, and began picking up speed as it passed house after house, and then there was only mountains as it rushed up the valley. After an hour it began to slow, and then it stopped at a quad in a small village.
“Time to get off and walk. We made it.”
They followed the man off the train, and across a small village that looked fresh out of the 19th century, complete with an old Buick that sat in a yard on blocks.
The sky was getting rosy in the east, as a prerequisite to the arrival of the sun; the trees were taking shape also as they left the one street behind, and walked down a graveled road. It was like they had stepped off onto another planet.
The road rose, and then fell into dips as they crossed small hills, “I have to stop and rest; I can’t go any further." Kristen said.
The man ahead of them looked back, and saw them stopped in the road, and he turned around, and walked back toward them. When he got close enough he asked, “Why are you here?” His face was dark, and wrinkled from the sun.
Trevor decided to tell him the truth, “The government had this girl locked up; they were starving her. We are looking for a safe place for her.”
The man stood and thought for a few seconds, “I can’t help you, but there is a woman who lives in Hidden Valley, a few miles to the north. She may be able to help you.”
“Does she have a ranch in a Valley with mountains on each side?” Kristen asked.
“Yes, you know this place?”
“No, but she will help us, of that I am sure.”
“You are one of those that know the future?”
“No, but I belong to a God who does.”
“Ok, I will show you where to turn off the road…that road will take you to her place.”
“Wait.” Trevor took the small case out of his bag, and extracted another syringe.
“This is the last of the medicine, but it will be enough. Hold out your arm.” He found her vein, and pushed the plunger on the syringe. “She’ll be ok to walk in a few minutes.”
The pain medicine coursed though her veins, “Ok; I'm ready, thank you.”
“Its because of the starvation she needs the medicine.”
“The white people have grown cruel, haven’t they?”
“No, just indifferent enough to allow the government to kill them without any resistance.”
“That is why we Indians will fight to the death for our land.”
The Indian walked fairly fast, but they were able to keep up as they went deeper, and deeper into the mountains. Trevor ran to catch up with him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Randy Whitecloud, but it is best you know no names here. I tell you mine because I know you are a kind person, but coming here can bring us to harm."”
“Well Mr. Whitecloud, I will try not to betray you in any way, but answer me this. What do we do with her God if we don’t come here for help from your people? Her God knows even where we are going, and I promise you, neither of us has ever been to this place, and yet she already knows it?”
Whitecloud stopped suddenly in the road, and stared at Trevor, and then he looked around at the cedar dotted slopes. “This woman you are going to, she has the same God as the girl, I for one wouldn’t want to face this God beyond the clouds; I will take you every bit of the way there. I was just going to point out the way, but that would not do.”
“As you wish.”
They followed the road for another mile before they came to a smaller road that cut back into the trees. The road cut along the side of the mountain for quite a way, before it began to angle down, and then suddenly they came onto the beautiful valley, and the house was just as she had seen. A log house nestled among the trees on the side of a hill, the valley spread out before it in a panorama. The snow capped mountains on each side rose up from the valley floor like great monuments.
Several horses grazed in the pasture below the house, spotted, reds and white. It was the most beautiful scene Kristen had ever laid eyes on. She dropped to her knees, and worshiped lifting her arms, and eyes to the azure sky above.
Trevor, Randy and Gerald stood awkwardly by, not know what to do with themselves. A dark-skinned woman in long braids came out of the house, and walked toward them.
“I have been expecting you. I did not know you would be so beautiful.” She said, taking Kristen’s hands in hers.
“We have come a long way, but I have seen you before. “ Kristen said to her.
“And I you daughter, I am Linda Birdwing, come into the house and eat.”
They entered the spacious living room with its Indian rugs on the walls, and the floors. A couch and chairs that had skin covers adorned the floors.
“Sit, and I will bring the food to you as I know you all are very tired.”
As they ate Trevor explained why they had come there, and all that had taken place at Greenbrier.
Linda listened carefully, and then said, “I suspect that there are other places around the country that are the same. We can talk more tomorrow, but for today, rest is in order.”
Kristen’s eyes were already closing involuntarily, as she struggled to concentrate on what was being said.
“Come child I will take you to your bedroom.”
“Thank you.” She got up and limped after her.
She slept all the rest of that day, and the night, awakening the next morning at dawn. She struggled to pull herself out of bed; her muscles felt so painful she could barely walk into the bathroom. She luxuriated in the hot shower, letting the water stream over her tired body.
Linda had washed her clothes, and had laid them out on the foot of the
bed. The thick log walls of the house seemed so strange, and she felt the walls with her hand.
She walked out onto the porch, and saw the panorama stretching out before her afresh, and it was like living in a waking dream.
She sat down on the steps in the early morning light, and a large German Shepard dog came up and put his head up to her to be petted. At first she was afraid, but the dog showed no animosity. She had never petted a dog, and she loved the feel of his fur. One of the horses came up to the pastor fence, and hung his head over the fence, whinnying in the hopes of some treat. She giggled, and walked to the pasture fence to pet the horse.