Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

41. Light of Day

Travis Goode watched the wind blow violently across the station as another train pulled into Angel Veil. He considered himself an old ghost these days with nothing more to do but watch the trains come in though they had become fewer. He checked his watch then he checked the clock inside the station building. The sisters should have been back by now.

He left their luggage out of the weather and stepped onto the platform. "Excuse me, Conductor but how soon to you depart?" he asked.

"We're well behind schedule and I don't see passengers." He put down a stool and let one passenger off. The man didn't seem to know where he was but Travis had no interest in him.

"Please sir," he said to the conductor. "I know for a fact that seven passengers are boarding this train. I have their luggage here you see." He pointed to the building behind them.

The conductor shot Travis a cold look. "We can't delay." He stepped back onto the train and used his lantern to signal the engineer.

Travis stepped back as the train gave a loud whistle then pulled out from Angel Veil station. He watched the smoke billow from the smoke stack then turned to see what had become of the passenger who had gotten off. The man was looking completely confused so he approached him.

"Might there be something I can help you with, sir?"

"What town is this?" the man said in a very demanding voice.

"This here is Angel Veil." Travis observed the man's nice clothes. "You looking for someone?"

"Fairchild," the man said. "Um..." He struggled for a name and Travis raised a brow thinking him a lunatic. "Taitiann, Astrid, the Fairchilds!"

"I might know them," Travis said and then next thing he knew the crazy man had grabbed him by the collar and raised him off the ground.

"Where are they?"

"All right," Travis said as he squirmed. "Calm down, sir. And if you don't mind putting me back on the ground." When he was back on the ground he shrugged his clothes back in order. "The name is Travis Goode sir." He held out his hand and with hesitation the man shook it.

"Jessop St. Cloud."

"St. Cloud?" Travis frowned. "I know some St. Clouds. They own a shoe store over in Old Town."

"You know Old Town?" Jessop grabbed him again but left him on the ground. "Listen, Trevor, I need you to take me to the Fairchild sisters. Tell me you know where they are."

Travis broke free and dusted his wet clothes. "I know where they are," he said. "They left me with their luggage and ran up to see their old house. There was no point in it though. Most the town was destroyed by thugs, including the shoe store."

"I don't give a darn about the shoe store!" Jessop blazed. "Those girls are in trouble and I need you to take them to me now!"

Travis still doubted. "What do you want with them for?"

Jessop tasted the rain on his lips. This young man was making him crazy. "Look, they are in very real danger...and I care because...they are my friends and I can't stand for anything bad to happen to them. If you care about them even half as much as I do then I ask you...please take me to them."

Travis stared into the man's brown eyes and rebuked himself for his own arrogance. "I'll get my mule," he said. "I'll have us to Old Town in no time."