“Understood.”
Cassidy sighed and looked about the building. “Assuming that there are scouts outside the building, there are probably scouts at my house and the main avenues out of the city. How do you plan on getting past them?”
“We'd go for the station under cover of dark. It's a new moon.”
Cassidy furrowed her brow in frustration. “Oh come on, that never works.”
“Then we'll simply drive horses hard to the next city. Keep ahead of anyone trying to follow.”
“They have those machine carriages. They'll just kidnap them on the road.”
Jebediah thought for a moment. “I could get twenty-five agents here in less than two days. We would simply overcome any attempts with sheer numbers. I have many options.”
Cassidy pursed her lips slightly in thought. “I have a better idea.”
---
The carriage pulled right up to St. Claire manor's front door, followed by a second, then a third. Cassidy was the first to step out. She walked up to the front of the carriage and stepped up to speak to Sheng who leaned down to give her his ear.
“Did you see anyone?”
“None that I could make out. That doesn't mean there wasn't. The streets were busy and I had a hard time just navigating traffic.”
Cassidy nodded. “Ok... Ok. Just load up all of the luggage like we planned and get ready to go.”
Sheng nodded. “I'll be ready.”
Cassidy patted him on the shoulder and stepped down, walking into the house behind the group.
Inside, Margie and Amos were in the foyer greeting everyone. Margie was hugging Anna while Amos was looking annoyed. The group chatted while Cassidy walked over to George. “Did you two get everything you wanted?”
“Yep,” said George. “I mean, what we were able to fit.”
“That's all you'll need. If you want any food or anything, get it here. Margie, could you help him out?”
“Like you even have to ask,” said Margie with a smirk.
“Be ready to go in ten minutes.” George nodded. As the group in the foyer readied clothing and luggage, Cassidy walked into her office with Anna following her.
“How long will we be gone?” asked Anna.
“I don't know,” said Cassidy, grabbing a pair of binoculars from her desk and looking out the window.
“Will it be... a long time?”
The sad tone in Anna's voice broke through Cassidy's drive to finish the task at hand and she turned to look at Anna with a sympathetic gaze. “I hope not. I really don't. But you have to go.”
Anna nodded.
Cassidy put the binoculars on the window sill and reached out to give Anna a hug. “I promise you,” Cassidy said. “I promise you that this won't last long. Soon you'll be back, doing your work, living your life.”
“Will you visit?” asked Anna.
“I can't. I'm too recognizable. I'd give away your location. But Jebediah assures me that they will get messages through. So whatever time it takes, we will be in touch.”
“What are you going to do while we are gone?”
“Simple. I'm going to try to find out who is doing this. Maybe if I make enough noise, I can just scare them away. Everything is going to fine. I promise you.”
Joseph walked in, looking exhausted. “Cassy. I'm sorry. I have to go. I can't stay awake any longer.”
“Joe, just wait five more minutes. You can sleep in the carriage.”
Joseph grunted and moaned in disapproval. Cassidy held Anna by the shoulders and gave her a reassuring look in her eyes before turning back out into the foyer. “What time is it?” asked Cassidy.
“About three,” said Gideon.
“Ok. We had better hustle,” said Cassidy.
“I'm sorry to admit that I don't have absolute faith in our diversion,” said Jebediah. “What if they don't follow?”
“Oh that's only one part of the plan. I...” Cassidy said as she walked into the kitchen and dining area, “I have an ace in the hole.” Jebediah, Gideon, and Roger all followed. They walked past Margie and George who were by the stove. Margie was loading food into various containers.
“Margie, I don't need this much food. Good god.”
“Shut up. This is the government we're talking about. They can't manage a country. How can you expect them to handle a casserole.”
Cassidy walked past the table and into the door, entering a hallway with a multitude of paintings, decorations, and gas lights on the wall. Cassidy walked up to the opening from the dumb waiter and turned, waiting for the trio of agents to catch up. She reached up and grabbed an unlit lamp. “Voh-eye-luh,” she said, pulling the lamp down, and with a clank and rattle, a three-foot wide secret door opened in the wall.
“What's that,” asked Gideon.
“An elevator. It takes you down to a subterranean passageway that dumps you out three blocks to the west. My parents installed tons of wonderful things in this house. Also, my dad was a bit paranoid.”
Jebediah looked on in surprise before smiling a broad smile and letting a out quiet laugh. “Wonderful indeed.”
Cassidy walked back out into the kitchen. “George, you ready?” she asked.
“As ready as Margie can manage to make me,” he said.
“Good,” Cassidy said as she then walked back out into the foyer. “Anna? You set?” she asked as she emerged into the room.
“Yes. I am,” Anna replied.
“Alright Joe, head out into the carriage with Amos.”
Amos sighed. “I pray that I get shot.”
“Don't worry, Amos. Only the good die young,” Cassidy replied in a flat tone that belied her snarky comment.
“How long do you want us to stay by the boats?” asked Joseph, nearly asleep.
“A few hours, maybe. The train will be gone by four, so I think you can safely leave by four-thirty. Actually, no. Wait until I come to get you.”
“Ugh,” said Amos.
“Ok. Well, we'll get moving, then,” Joseph said with a yawn. “Margie! You ready?”
Margie came hurrying out of the kitchen, putting on a coat. “Yep. I certainly am. Abigail, Rebecca?” Responding to the call, Abigail the cook and Rebecca the maid, both wearing street clothes and looking even younger than their already young early twenties, came down from the upstairs.
“Ok! Everybody out!” Cassidy yelled.
The great, wooden door opened and Joseph, Levi, Margie, Amos, Rebecca, and Abigail all stepped into the two carriages. Cassidy stood visibly in the doorway, alone, as the carriages pulled away. As they cleared the archway leading into the front path and turned onto the street, Cassidy closed the door.
“And now for step two,” she said with a smile.
Inside the house, Cassidy, George, Anna, and the three agents all stood by the entrance to the elevator. Cassidy pulled the lamp, with a thunk and rattle, the door opened, and she turned her head to slightly face the others. “The elevator can only handle two people at a time, so everyone pick a buddy.”
The first two were George and Anna, who stepped onto the elevator with their three bags. The metal gate closed, the lift went down, and then a minute later, came back up. Next were Jebediah and Roger who went through the same process. Then Cassidy and Gideon stepped on, closed the gate, and with a clunk, the lift went down, with Cassidy's face disappearing beneath the floor. With the lift gone, a thunk and the click click click of a gear and chain signaled the slow closing of the secret door, and the returning of the hallway to its original state.
---
The basement was quiet. Gas lights cast a warm glow on the field stone foundation and the racks of wine bottles. The silence was broken by a resounding metal clunking followed by part of the wall of field stones scraping over the floor as it was pushed open. Emerging from the dimly-lit corridor was Cassidy, followed by her wards.
“Just head right up the stairs in front of you,” Cassidy said to those behind her. She then headed up a simple wooden stairwell, fo
llowed by the others in a line.
“What about the door,” asked Anna.
“Don't worry about it,” Cassidy yelled from upstairs.
Upstairs, the quaint, well-appointed cottage was brightly lit by sun streaming in from the various windows. The white and blue color scheme was friendly and inviting. Cassidy walked over to some large windows facing the main road and looked out as people walked by. She turned just as Anna was coming out of the basement.
“Well, I think we can assume as safely as possible that our locations are a complete secret,” Cassidy said to the group.
“This is more than I could have ever hoped for,” said Jebediah. “We will have George and Anna in China by the time anyone realizes we've even left your house.”
“We can revel in our own genius some other time. You have less than thirty minutes to get to the station, so you better move,” responded Cassidy. She then turned to George and Anna. “I'm sorry that this had to happen. I'm sure that I'm somehow to blame in all of this, but to make it up to you, I'll have your warehouse cleaned while you're away.”
“Don't you dare touch our workshop,” said George, wagging his finger. “It took us a long time to build up that hovel.” The three smiled at each other briefly before embracing in a tight hug. Cassidy then released them and stepped back slightly. “As I told Anna, Jebediah assures me that they will be able to get messages through, so we will be in touch. For now, just stay safe.”
The white door opened under the vine-covered overhang. A black carriage sat underneath with horse and driver waiting. George and Anna were the first to get in, then Roger. Jebediah paused with his foot on the step and then turned to Cassidy. “This is good. Better than I could have hoped. I want to thank you one last time. I can't describe how... how.... good it is to come out here and within a forty-eight hour period, leave with the hottest lead that I have yet had.”
Cassidy nodded. “And what about your continuing investigations here, with me?”
“For me, George and Anna are our prime leads. I'm leaving Atwater here to manage the investigation. He's already been fully instructed so any further questions you have can be answered by him. For all intents and purposes, he now represents the full force and authority of the U.S. Government.”
Gideon looked surprised. “Sir?”
Jebediah smiled. “Your good work has not been ignored, Atwater. If all goes well, I'll be back out here within the month to wrap up anything that needs wrapping up. So, other than that, are you set?”
“Yessir.”
“Good. Good luck, Mr. Atwater.”
Gideon nodded and smiled. “Godspeed, sir.”
Jebediah then turned back to Cassidy. “That's that, I think. No worries. They're in good hands.”
“I hope so,” replied Cassidy. Jebediah smiled and nodded, then ducked into the carriage and Cassidy shut the door. Cassidy and Gideon then watched as the carriage pulled out onto the street, turned right, and clopped and rolled away. Cassidy turned to Gideon with her hands in her pockets. “So. You any good at poker?”
---
The black carriage pulled right up next to the tracks and the second-to-last car. It was an unadorned red and black passenger car with the shades drawn in every window. The door on the car opened and George and Anna made one fluid motion from out of the carriage to inside the train car. Their bags were then tossed in by Roger who, followed by Jebediah, got into the train as well.
The inside of the car was spartan. Simple metal and wood mixed with leather to give an impression of reserved quality. The car was dim with sharp blades of light beaming in from beneath the thick curtains. George and Anna stood next to each other, in between two leather-bound chairs, looking about the car. Roger squeezed past them and opened a panel on the wall, opening a hidden valve. He then went around the car lighting the gas lamps. Jebediah walked up behind George and Anna and placed his hands on their shoulders.
“Make yourselves at home. You are now guests of the United States government.”
“Where are we going?” asked George.
“Los Angeles. The trip will take about fifteen hours,” responded Jebediah, sitting in one of the comfy chairs.
“Los Angeles? Isn't that kind of a nothing city?” replied George.
“Well, it's not nothing. It is somewhat small, though. San Francisco is big. Why do you think there were enemies around every corner up here? It is far and away the biggest city on the coast. If we want to avoid detection, we need to get out of here. Los Angeles is small but not too small, and as such we can maintain quiet operations there. It's the perfect place to keep you safe.”
George and Anna stayed standing, with George even not placing his bag down.
“Please. Sit. Relax,” said Jebediah. “We're going to be together for some time. And besides, food will be delivered very soon. You don't want your stomach in a knot when that happens.”
George and Anna looked at one another, then George finally dropped his bag and sat in the chair opposite Jebediah as a porter walked in.
“Good afternoon,” the porter said. “Will you be dining here or in the dining car this evening?”
“We'll be dining here,” replied Jebediah.
“Very good. I have brought menu cards for you to fill out. Feel free to write down any special requests.”
“Thank you,” said Jebediah. Everyone else nodded as the porter handed out the small cards with pencils. George and Anna quietly took their cards and began to inspect the menu. Jebediah did the same while requesting a cart of fresh water. The porter left with a bow. Jebediah sat down on a couch that ran along the wall to Jebediah's right. Roger was sitting on the far end, selecting his food.
“Could I open the shade?” asked Anna.
Jebediah looked up and thought for a moment. “Um, yes. Not the ones near you. Here. Let me.” Jebediah placed his menu on the couch and walked over to the back end of the car, opening the various shades, flooding the car with bright light. He squinted as he looked out the window. He turned to Roger and held his left hand out. “Roger, the small bag to your right — could you get my glasses out of the front pocket?” Roger nodded and reached into the front pocket, producing the spectacles and stretching out his right hand to Jebediah while he continued to fill out his menu with his left.
“Do you see something?” asked George.
“No,” replied Jebediah. “Nothing in particular. Just generally suspicious. I don't know how much Miss St. Claire told you, but our ability to keep things secret has been severely compromised of late. I'm just being careful.”
“Why the hell are we so valuable? We don't have educations. We just mess around in our labs,” said George, letting how upset he was show through slightly.
“As I told Miss. St. Claire, I don't know. We don't know anything. We have nothing but the vaguest profile for those who will be kidnapped. But, on our trip and during our time together, I hope to get to know both of you well enough to maybe ascertain a reason for this. You are our key to better understanding an enemy about whom we know maddeningly little.”
“No pressure, though,” interjected Roger.
Jebediah smiled. “Yes. The onus for all of this is not on you. It is my job to discover these things while keeping you safe and secret. So, for whatever it's worth, I think that you should just relax, and see where the road takes us.”
George and Anna looked at each other, then looked at Jebediah as the sound of the train whistle screamed in the distance.
---
The tea kettle whistled and spit on the gas stove. Cassidy laid sprawled out on the fancy, lady-like couch. Across the low table sat Gideon in an equally pretty chair. Dim sunlight still washed into the room. Cassidy was just staring at the ceiling; Gideon had nodded off to sleep.
“Huh! What?” Gideon said, startled awake by the tea kettle.
“It's the kettle,” said Cassidy, getting up.
“Huh... oh,” Gideon mumbled, wiping his eyes.
“What time is it?” a
sked Cassidy.
Gideon inhaled loudly as he attempted to awaken and leaned up. “What?”
“What time is it?” Cassidy asked again from the kitchen.
“Oh. Um,” Gideon pulled out a pocketwatch. “Seven-thirteen.”
“Oh good. I figured we'd leave at seven-thirty. I think that's enough time to put so much space between them and here that even if they find us, it won't do them any good.”
“Indeed,” said Gideon, obviously still groggy.
“Tea?” asked Cassidy.
“Um.... yes. Please. I could use a pick-me-up.” Cassidy brought the tray over to the table and placed it down.
“How often have you worked with Jebediah?” asked Cassidy.
“Um, how do you mean worked with?”
“As in, how often have you been with him, on a job, achieving some end together?”
“Well, uh, never. I've worked for him for the past two years though.”
“Really? Never once did you two go on a trip to do something?”
“No. Mr. Ames is an incredibly important person. In fact, I don't think that his almost casual appearance out here was truly representative of his status. It's... a big deal that he is here.”
“You say that like you're implying that you are unimportant, and as such, someone of importance would never work with you,” Cassidy said, turning her head to its side to look at Gideon.
“Well, that's not really an exaggeration.”
“Yes it is. It doesn't matter how important someone is. When something needs to get done, people get together and do it.”
Gideon chuckled and smiled. “I, uh, I guess government doesn't work that way.”
“No wonder they don't want women voting,” said Cassidy, turning her attention back to the ceiling. “If women voted, shit would get done. Women don't have time to muck around. We need to get a job done so we can get home and feed some children.”
“Most people in Washington think the opposite,” said Gideon, sheepishly.
“Of course they do!” replied Cassidy, annoyed. “That's how they keep their jobs. Worthless sacks of dung. They can't get shit done. If anyone who actually gets shit done showed up, their worthlessness would be revealed for all to see. It would be glorious.”
Cassidy St. Claire and The Fountain of Youth Parts I, II, & III Page 20
