At the Train Station

When I make it to the train station and find the right platform, I see Aunt Janelle before she seems to see me. I say “seems” because she’s the type of person who is ultra-aware of everything around her, so the fact that she’s scowling at the pleasant-looking gentlemen who just tipped his expensive-looking hat to her rather than looking my way says nothing. The man smiles widely at my aunt’s disdain and I find myself a little envious she’s the one who’s caught his attention. It makes sense though; she’s gorgeous and athletic and not fifteen years old. And, of course, she would have an undeniable air of bad-assery around her even if her mechanical hand wasn’t gripping the chain of a Warden’s Beast, so what man wouldn’t be more drawn to her? And why would I want a man with that little sense, anyway?

It’s the Beast that reacts to me first, his hyena eyes landing on me from several meters away. Despite all his training, he lets out a happy yip, sending a trail of drool flying through the air. Around me, people freeze up in alarm before realizing the creature isn’t launching an attack, and I rush forward to keep him from making more noise.

“Bailar!” I greet the animal as Janelle moves her attention to me. I have a treat in my pocket for him, but his muzzle it tight enough I’ll have to wait until it’s removed.

“You’ll spoil him,” Janelle tells me, her voice full of fondness.

I scratch behind Bailar’s ears and grin at my aunt, but she’s still watching the dapper man. He’s moved on from flirting with her and is striding confidently up the train platform. Keeping half an eye on the man, Janelle pulls her image-viewer from her belt and clicks through the faces of the kingdom’s most wanted criminals. She stops on an image and curses.

“He’s wanted?” I hazard to guess.

“Oh, yeah.” Putting the viewer back into its holster, she tells me, “Watch him,” and starts to cast her eyes around the station. The train has been here long enough that most of the incoming passengers have drifted off and it’s not leaving soon, so new passengers haven’t shown up yet. So, what, I wonder, is the man doing here?

“Don’t wanted people usually try to be more subtle?” I ask.

“Usually” she says tersely. “See that couple he’s heading toward?”

“Yeah…” I’m not sure what she’s picking up on that I’m not. “They’re heading toward that train.” My eyes widen. “But it’s still cooling down, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. So why are they here so early, and without any baggage or servants?”

“Exactly.” Janelle rubs a fleshy finger along the hilt of her pistol, something I’ve noticed her doing while deep in thought before. “And I’d be willing to bet that if they turned around, I’d be able to find a match for them in the wanted scrolls, too.”

At the end of the platform, the station clock strikes the hour. We only have twenty minutes to get to my grandmother’s house in time for my cousin’s bridal dinner, and I don’t think we’re going to make it. Aunt Janelle is never off duty and I could never resist following her for as long as she’ll let me. But it’s just a bridal dinner. We’ll probably make the actual wedding tomorrow. Probably.

“So what’s our plan?” I ask as Janelle taps something on the little radio transmitter all Wardens have on their person at all times.

My aunt raises her eyebrows at me. “My plan is to stay here making sure they don’t anywhere until the Portsland police get here. I’ve already alerted them and I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

I blink. “You mean we’re not going after the criminals?”

“I plan not to.” She grins. Then she leans over and slips off Bailar’s muzzle. He’s too well trained to go anywhere, but he can run now if he needs to. “But with luck, things won’t go according to plan.”

My eyes track up the platform, where the suave man has stopped paces from the couple and shifted his cane in a way that makes it clear it’s a weapon. “Would that man pointing his cane at someone change things if we thought that the cane was actually a gun?”

As Janelle looks up, her grin widens and she lets out a chuckle. “That it would. Bailar! Gun!”

The hyena yips once, sharply, then sprints toward the gunman. His target doesn’t even glance over, instead firing straight at the woman’s back. Turns out the cane wasn’t a gun, though. Instead of bullets, it sends out pulses of energy that leave gaping holes in people. I try not to look at the hole in the place the woman’s back should be.

The woman cumples to the ground as the man with her draws his gun.

“Stop!” Janelle calls, having rushed closer but then stopped to take aim. “Kingdom Warden! Drop your weapons!”

Neither man pays the slightest bit of attention. One has already let out a second pulse of energy and the other is busy collapsing.

Even as Bailar bunches up to leap on the man, the he tips his hat towards us and vanishes into thin air.

Bailar stumbles to a stop as Janelle curses. And I couldn’t agree more; using sorcery is just unfair. Somehow, I don’t think Aunt Janelle’s seen the last of this guy. And I can only hope that when she sees him again, the cane won’t be turned to her.

This weeks prompt is Steampunk Witch-Doctor by Angelique Shelley.

It was offered in my Wording Wednesday group on MeWe.