Red West II.

Chapter sixteen - Unexpected

All windows of the express train to Chicago were stained with heavy drops of rain. The iron track in front of the puffing machine was wet with water and the day was more grey than bright. Five gunslingers sat in the corner of the last wagon, huddling in their warm coats. The heating stopped working shortly after they set off from Cincinnati and the air inside the wagon was quite chilly. None of them talked, the young men were sitting there, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Leo's face was once again half-bandaged with some cloth. He was not very happy about that, and he kept scratching his nose. Jin deliberately settled on the seat next to his brother. He was in no mood to deal with Kazuya's closeness more than was necessary and he avoided even looking at the younger one, who sat on the opposite side by the window, next to clingy Koki. Somehow, Jin managed to persuade himself that he didn't mind the blonde Rider's extraordinary behavior, although he had to repeat to himself many times there was absolutely no reason for him to be upset.

Apart from that, you're unreasonably jealous; his inner voice reminded him gleefully.

Ryo, sitting beside Jin, was playing with their train tickets thoughtfully. The black-haired one was uncommonly silent since they had parted with Oswald and his sister and even the blonde noisy Rider restrained himself from the usual funny remarks.

It was a long and gloomy journey. Nobody said it aloud, but all of them hoped to get over it already and be back in Denver as soon as possible. But before that, there was not a very pleasant delay awaiting them in Chicago...

***

"Why do you keep checking the newspapers?" the curious voice spoke right in Kame's ear, as the blonde Rider peeked from behind the younger's shoulder at the 'Chicago Tribune' in his hands.

"It seems strange to me there's absolutely no wanted poster regarding Leo around," Kame replied, as he kept scanning one page after another.

"That's good news though," Koki didn't understand his concern about that.

"It depends... Jin's brother is wanted nationwide, that means in all states belonging to the US. There should be at least a mention of it. What would be the point of those posters otherwise?"

"Maybe they ran out of paper," the Rider chuckled. "Or they care more about different news... You see? The biggest building in the city... A newest saloon at Margaret.... Visit the most luxurious hotel in the state..." Koki read some of the headlines, as Kame turned the pages.

"Maybe you're right," Kame admitted unwillingly, turning to the last page without interest already.

"Ah, here we go!" the blonde one was the first to notice and tapped at the sheet, which was filled with many small, mostly hand-drawn, pictures of faces. There was around fifteen of them.

The eyes of both young men ran across the page hastily, until they reached the picture of a well-known face at the end of the middle line.

"It'd be too nice if they forgot about our dear leader... Satisfied now?" Koki asked Kame somewhat mockingly.

"At least we know we were not careful for nothing now," the younger one murmured in response and just out of the habit to finish what he started, he looked through the rest of pictures as well.

"Those are some pretty ugly fellows," Koki evaluated the rest of criminals critically. "Our Leo is like a princess among them," he stated amused, when Kame suddenly stiffened seeing the very last mini-poster.

"What is it?" Koki asked, when he noticed the younger one staring without a single move.

"There's Grenet as well," Kame replied in an uptight voice.