“Is that what I think it is Linda?”
“Probably.” She said as she strode over to it. She lifted one corner of the dust cover and pulled it up and over to reveal a Jeep Cherokee.
“It’s over fifteen years old but it’s almost like new.”
Ed did a low whistle as he gave the tough off-roader a quick look over. The deep amethyst blue paint had lost none of its lustre and the chunky aluminium wheels glistened in the half-light. The SUV had obviously been well maintained. Linda walked back from pushing open the other door and blipped the remote central locking. “It was Ben’s pride and joy. He could’ve bought a sexy sports car but he had always wanted a Jeep since he was a little boy, he couldn’t find an affordable world war two jeep so he bought this XJ instead. It was almost new when he bought it; somehow I just couldn’t part with it.”
“It looks in great shape.” Ed agreed.
“I keep it washed and polished and take it into town every once in a while to get gassed up.”
Now with both barn doors open, there was much more light coming in. Ed bent down near the back of the Jeep.
“This thing has parabolic leaf springs on it”
“Yep!” replied Linda, “It also has a 2inch lift kit and protection plates for the engine and transmission. The winch on the front and the snorkel are extras too.” She said with pride.
“Sounds like you know what you are talking about.” Ed said, impressed.
“Not really, but Ben went on about it so much when he got things done to it, it must have stuck in my head.”
She jumped in and put the key in the ignition. The Jeep started on the first turn. She wound the electric window down on the passenger side and asked over the noise of the burbling 4litre high-output engine if Ed could close the doors after she had driven out. Ed saluted his agreement and followed behind the car as Linda slipped the T-bar selector of the auto box into drive, let out the parking brake and crept forwards. As Ed followed the off-roader he noticed a whole set of tools hanging over a workbench to the side. He selected a spade from its hook, leaving a painted shadow on the wall where the tool belonged.
Ed closed the big barn doors, set the latch then opened the rear door and put the spade with the flashlight on the floor behind the front passenger seat. He caught Linda’s enquiring look over her shoulder. “Just in case.” He replied to the unspoken question. She nodded knowingly as he jumped into the right-hand side. The soft grey leather seats were cool to the touch and a welcome from the late afternoon heat from outside. He gave her back her cell-phone which she plugged into a hands-free unit mounted on the dash.
“Okay, it’s a bit of a drive but I know roughly where we are going.” They both put on their seatbelts, Ed set the aircon to cool then Linda headed for the main road. The curtain from the front room window fell back in place as Josh let it go, turning away from the dust cloud left by the Jeep, and headed for his room.
EIGHTEEN
The journey took them north-east towards the Allegheny range. The sprawling conurbation lay behind them with just an occasional shack or turning for a farm. Even to Ed’s untrained eye, he could see that the crops were struggling as the once rich earth turned to dust. In the distance, he could hear the plaintive sound of a railroad locomotive sounding its horn. Looking left across the flatlands he could make out the distinct shape of the train coming closer. Linda looked ahead at the crossing coming up; it was still some way off.
“Train coming.” Ed said
“I know but I don’t think we are going to get to the crossing before it arrives, this is no Ferrari!”
They arrived at the track crossing just as the huge EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotive thundered through. The locomotive carried the livery of the Indiana & Ohio Railroad with its main red body and black upper paintwork set against the white writing. The train was heading from west to east with what looked like over a hundred grain trucks being pulled, Ed guessed the locomotive was heading for the Grain Elevator at Thackery. As the sound of the horn died away all that could be heard now was the clickety-clack of the trucks rolling across the track ties.
“I might as well turn the motor off, we are going to be here some time.”
Ed made no reply. She looked across to her passenger, “Ed, are you okay, Ed?”
“Oh no!” was all he managed to murmur as the headache returned with full force. He cried out, arching his back against the seat, his head going over the head restraint, his hands digging into the armrests. As the pain increased his world went white…… then completely black.
No Particular Place To Go.
Ed came too with a groan but thankfully no pain. Looking out of the windshield the train was rumbling into the distance, the noise now just a gentle ticking. As it curled away he could see it wasn’t the same train, this one was all black and looked much older, and it only pulled a dozen freight cars.
“How long was I out for this time?” he asked.
There was no reply, as there was no one else in the car.
“Linda?”
He looked around quickly and realised immediately that he was still out. He was having a flashback and was sitting behind the big white steering wheel of the 1959 DeSoto again. The chrome encrusted radio was blaring out Chuck Berry so Ed leaned over and turned the volume down to a more bearable level. Now used to the flashbacks he wondered what he was doing here, he knew that there must be a purpose. The day had grown longer, the sun was almost gone. Looking up ahead, the red jewels of stop lights twinkled in the far distance from the back of another vehicle. He was much too far away to tell what the vehicle was, but instinctively he felt he must find out. The big V8 engine was already running so he pushed the D button on the dash, released the big chrome T-bar parking brake and rolled across the rail tracks. Once over the tracks and back on the blacktop, he put his foot down hard on the gas pedal. The mighty engine and Torqueflite three-speed transmission punched the car forwards, the acceleration pushing Ed into the back of the bench seat.
“Wow, I don’t remember my old DeSoto going this fast.” he thought to himself. By the time Chuck had finished singing Ed had got to the intersection where he had seen the stop lights on the other vehicle, but now there was nothing to be seen, two intersecting country roads that seemed to lead nowhere. He looked to his left, nothing for miles but flat land and the setting sun. He looked to his right and at the low hills and trees just a few miles away. No contest, he turned right and hit the gas.
The cultivated land looked healthier; the crops seemed to be thriving in the fertile earth. The rows of wheat and corn soon gave way to the forest as the terrain began to rise. Way ahead he could just make out the twin spots of red on the other vehicle; he was gaining on it he felt sure. There was nothing else around, no traffic, no buildings, nothing. He pushed the big-finned car faster, the speedometer creeping up to 95.
“You’re listening to the Bill Randle Show at W.E.R.E coming at you on 1300 kilohertz AM. That was Chuck Berry, and this is Fred Harris and the Manhattans singing… Crazy ’bout you”.
The slow melodic strains of the Doo-Wop group rose from the radio speakers set in the parcel shelf and behind the dash as they started harmonising. Ed could now make out what the vehicle in front was, an old red pick-up truck. He could feel his anger rise with the terrain; he closed the gap on the slower pick-up. It was now almost completely dark but he kept the quad headlamps turned off. If the dream or flashback or whatever the hell it was happening to him would let him, he intended to follow the driver, not confront him, see where he was going with the girl. If she was still alive, then he would attack the would-be killer. Could he save her, change history? God only knew, but he would try his damnedest. The road started to twist and turn some, the pick-up now had its lights on as it climbed higher into the hills. Ed stayed a few bends back so he couldn’t be seen by the driver but he was taken by surprise when the brake lights came on and the truck quickly slowed then swerved violently to the left taking a narrower road. Trying not to illuminate his own brake lights, Ed came off the gas and let the weight of the car against the hill slow him down. He took the left turn just a little too fast and the DeSoto fishtailed but he got it back under control and drove on. The smaller road was little more than a dirt track but the pick-up was now creating a dust cloud behind it that showed the way and hid Ed from the driver. The trees covered the dark sky so there was little in the way of moon or starlight to guide Ed forwards, so reluctantly he slowed. Killing himself wouldn’t help anyone, but then again, could he get killed at all if this was just a dream?! More questions than answers so far, but it wasn’t a question he wanted to find the answer to anytime soon.