The Devil_s Workshop

FT W/DGNO, GV KCS, MERIDIAN NS ROANOKE

"Some kind of code?"

"It's a track warrant. It marks a train route. It means Fort Worth on the Dallas, Garland and Northeastern line, transfer in Grandview to KCS, which is the Kansas City Southern Line. It heads up into central Kansas. Then change in Meridian to Norfolk Southern, then to Roanoke, Virginia."

"It's a road map," she said, smiling. "Where'd you find it?"

"In the bottom of the boat, floating in an inch of water."

Buddy looked at the paper. "You know what the oldest cliche in movies is?" he said. "It's the fucking matchbook cover left at the scene of the crime. This is bullshit."

Cris considered this. Maybe Buddy was right. He was also hungry, exhausted, and longing for a drink. So he thought of Kennidi, for strength and resolve; he remembered the horrible headaches, caused by the clusters of tumors that grew in her sinuses and bulged her skull.

"We've got one thing going for us," Cris finally said. "These guys aren't exactly invisible. Forty guys with tattoos, guns, and Bibles are gonna be hard to miss. We could ask around in the jungles."

"Jungles?" Buddy looked puzzled.

"Hobo encampments. Hobos live in a narrow world. It covers the entire United States, but it's only as wide as the tracks. People congregate and talk. I think we should drive to Fort Worth, try and get there ahead of this train."

"Then what?" Buddy said.

"Then, if we don't see them, we pick up the trail and go on the rails after them. We ask around, try and run them down."

"Riding a freight," Buddy said, chagrined. "You can't be serious?"

"We won't find them any other way," Cris said.

"And we don't have time to talk each other out of it. I'm game if you guys are," Stacy said, and hurried back to the car.

"When we get to Fort Worth, I'll send these bio-containers to Wendell."

Buddy got in the passenger seat and Cris climbed into the back as Stacy got behind the wheel. She took off fast, heading back to the main highway, trying to catch up to Fannon Kincaid and his band of murderous train riders.