Another train was arriving today and Jillian was determined to be on the platform handing out tracks when the people disembarked. No passengers yet. Still just replacement troops, workers and those who had business in town. When the group arrived in town Karl went over to his office which was set up in an abandoned convenience store across from the post. Greg pulled the truck into the alley across the street and facing the post. He opened the tailgate and sat down facing the street and the post beyond. He set his rifle beside him and pulled out a thermos of hot coffee. He settled in with a good view of the immediate area. This was the same spot he and Zeb sat during the attack on the post just days before. A soldier came out and told Jillian to move down away from the post entrance. He told her she couldn’t hand out tracks in front of the post for security reasons. She moved down a few feet in front of an abandoned store front. Greg’s instinct was to go ask the soldier what authority he has to make such demands and explain that in this still free country she could hand out tracks wherever she wanted to. He stopped himself. He knew that was a fight he couldn’t win.
Besides he liked her in front of the abandoned store better anyway. If the need should arise to shoot at her position he liked having the vacant storefront as a back drop instead of the busy post. Roger was assigned to the post for the day to unload and reload the train and to help out with repairing the damage done in the attack the other day. He didn’t mind this detail because there was more hustle and bustle in town then there was working out on the rail line. As he walked along the platform toward the post Jillian approached him to give him a gospel track. She greeted him with a smile and asked if she could give him something to read. It was brief she promised. Roger took the track not wanting to be rude and stuck it in his pocket.
She also invited him to church the following Sunday and explained that we would have a bus here to pick up anyone wanting to go. When she handed him the track she cupped his hand in both of her hands and with a smile said, “We would really love to have you come”. His eyes made contact with hers for a long moment. He could see seemingly right down into her soul. It was warm and gentle and kind. He managed a smile and told her the roof would cave in if he ever stepped inside a church. Her smile went away for an instant as she said “Time may be running out sir, don’t delay. The Lord wants to save you. All you have to do is ask him”. Roger continued his stare into her eyes and she could see into his soul as well. It was dark and filled with pain, and despair and loneliness. He just said "thank you" and continued on his way. Although they only made eye contact for a few brief moments, they made a connection. Jillian could not stop thinking about this man. The pain and despair she saw in his eyes must be awful to live with she thought. Roger could not get Jillian out of his mind. This kind young woman. Standing alone in the midst of all this chaos, trying to reach out to help others. What was in it for her he wondered?
When the train came to a stop by the platform several replacement troops, as well as two officers got off the train. Also were two civilian men who claimed to have business with the Board of Governors. Maj. Stillman himself had Okayed the passage for them. Secreted away in a box car in the rear was three men. They were sent by Buddy Tanner. They were members of the same MC that Roger was. They were instructed by Buddy not to show club colors. He had cautioned Roger about this as well, but he knew Roger would never take off his “cut”. The others, though didn’t have a choice. They would do as Buddy ordered. Buddy told them if they saw Roger to ignore him. “walk past and don’t acknowledge him in any way. He was up there on club business and needed to maintain his cover”, Buddy explained. Roger was unloading cargo from the next car down and saw the men sneak off the train. He recognized two of them, and wondered what they were doing here. In fact, they were tracking a man who had done business previously with the club and who had cheated and stolen from them. They tracked him to this town. He was now working with the railroad and living in the same camp as Roger. Buddy had consider sending orders for Roger to do the job, but didn’t want to risk his current mission in there. He was completely unaware of this situation, but knew that the presence of the three fellow club members could not be good.
After work that afternoon as Roger walked through the alley that led from the main road out to the back street where the illegal bar was tucked away he heard a commotion. He looked over to see the three men from the MC standing around a fourth man who was backed up against an alley wall. Two of the men were holding him in place and the third man stepped forward and stabbed him several times in the stomach. He then held the knife up against his cheek and told him that when he decided to steal from them, that was the last bad decision he would ever make. Then he cut his cheek from below his right eye down to his chin. The man was bleeding badly from his stomach and keeled over. The two men let him drop to the ground. The men heard a child cry and turned to see Jillian and her two youngest children standing at the end of the alley. They had walked around the corner just in time to witness the murder. Two of the club members quickly ran over and grabbed her and the kids as she stood frozen in terror. They brought her back to where the murder took place just out of sight of the road. Now she stood in almost the same spot the dead man was standing in moments ago. He lay on the ground just feet from her. She had one hand over each child’s eyes trying to shroud them from the horrible sight. The man holding the knife told her that it was unfortunate that she had come around the corner when she did. That now she too must die.
“We can’t go leaving any witnesses “he said. Then he looked down at the kids. He paused briefly, but she knew what he meant to do. Jillian pleaded for their lives. The three men talked amongst themselves briefly. One of the men was uncomfortable with the idea have having to kill the children. The man with the knife, the leader apparently, assured them there was no other way. Roger watching from across the alley stepped out so the men could see him. Startled, they turned to look at him. He knew two of the men well. The third was new. A prospect. This was his first real job with the club. Roger addressed the leader. “Big Mike, what’s going on here”? Big mike explained to Roger that they were here on club business. That he had seen him the other day when they got off the train but was under orders not to make contact. Roger just shook his head and said, “Young lady, why don’t you and the children just run along” As Jillian started to go Big Mike put his arm out in front of her to stop her. “I don’t know how long you were standing there R but certain events took place that now prevent us from allowing her to go”. In his early days with the club Roger had earned the nickname Armageddon. Most of the men that knew him enough to be familiar with him called him R for short. Buddy was the first to use the one letter handle years ago. Since his name started with an R and his nickname was Armageddon, it fit and just kind of stuck to him. The younger or new members addressed him as Sarge or just called him sir. “So what then Mike, you’re going to kill her”? Roger asked. Mike replied “what do you suppose Buddy would do if we went back home and told him we let her walk away”? Roger knew that they must, in fact kill Jillian. Even more disturbing was the fact that he knew they had to kill the kids as well.
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