Heather, "At the Waterfront Hotel."

Mitch , "They just open that last spring. Been quitea few more tourists after they opened. More people working now. Areyou staying just the weekend?"

Heather, "We,re leaving on the 7:30 train Sundaymorning."

Mitch, "More people seem to be riding the train nowthat use to. It helps the tourism to have a train stop here."

They walked to the storage room. Mitch stopped andwatched as the truck backed up to the storage room.

He looked at his watch, Mitch said "There it is, juston time."

He waited till the truck stopped, while Heather, andDarley stood beside him. The driver got out of the front door witha box.

Mitch opened the storage room door for him, "Just sitit on the table. It'll be ok. Nobody comes back here."

Darley saw the air-conditioner in the windowopening.

The driver got back into the truck and the truckdrove off.

Mitch closed and locked the door, "Glad that's here.They hirer special guards to watch it tomorrow while it's ondisplay. Then Sunday morning at three they'll pick it up."

Heather in astonishment, "Was that the Artifact worthone and a half million dollars?"

Mitch, "Yep."

Heather, "Well don't they have someone to guardit?"

Mitch, "Don't need any guards since no one knowswhere it is. It'll be ok. Come around to the front. I'll show youthe new restaurant that we opened at the beginning of summer."

At 8:30 am Saturday the two special hired guards tookthe Artifact to its display case. After the museum closed the twospecial guards, took the Artifact back to the storage room.

Mitch arrived at work and went to the storage room.He saw the Artifact was there. Everything was ok, so the two guardsleft the museum. Mitch went to the guard room. He looked at hiswatch, since he had nothing to do till three, he closed his eyes torest a while.

Twenty minutes later Darley and Heather tied theirboat to the dock and walked to the storage room. Darley pried theair-conditioner out of the window opening. Heather slipped in andstuck the Artifact into her handbag.

The next morning at 7:20, Darley and Heather boardedthe westbound train.

Mitch walked into the waiting room with the museummanager.

The manager said, "You should let the police takecare of this."

Mitch, "Ralph. I don't even know they took it. Butthey're the only people, who I showed where it was. There's a goodchance they did. I been a security guard for 17 years now.Something like this has never happen before. Need to find out whatis going on."

Mitch bought his ticket and boarded the train. Thetrain pulled out of the station.

As soon as Darley sat down his phone rang. It wasBilly, who was setting in the lounge car.

Billy told Darley, "I saw you get on the train. I'min the lounge car. After you have you ticket scanned and your seatcheck, come to the lounge car and bring it with you."

Heather gave the Artifact to Darley. Darley put it inhis carryon and went to the lounge.

Mitch, who was still looking for a seat, noticedDarley as he walked in the next car. So, Mitch followed Darley.

As Darley entered the lounge car he saw Billy at theother end. He sat beside Billy. Mitch went to the middle of the carand sat where he could watch Darley and Billy. He watched as Darleyand Billy exchanged the money and the Artifact. Billy put theArtifact into his backpack. Mitch left the car and went to thedownstairs restroom area in the next car.

After waiting for a while he returned to the loungecar. Billy was still there and Darley was nowhere in sight. Billyhad the backpack with the Artifact inside sitting on the floorbeside him. Mitch kept an eye on Billy in hopes that he would leavethe backpack even for a short time. Mitch thought it would beenough time to grab the Artifact.

Mitch followed Billy to a downstairs restroom. Thenarrow passageway was crowded. Mitch was right behind Billy. Billysat the backpack on the floor. He opened a restroom door. Mitchgrabbed at the backpack. He had his hand on it.

Billy grabbed Mitch's hand. Held it and said, "That'snot yours, Bub. Hands off."

Billy flashed a grave look at Mitch. Mitch let go.Billy entered the restroom.

Mitch pushed his way out of the crowded passagewayand went back upstairs.

He entered the lounge car. Not knowing what to do hestood and looked at the top of the stairs leading to the downstairsrestrooms. He saw Heather and Darley enter the car and go down thesteps. Mitch knew, he cannot let people walk off with a million anda half dollar museum Artifact. He went into the car and climbeddown the steps to the passageway below.

As he arrived he saw no one in the passageway. Thenhe saw Darley and Heather through the widow of the door to thebaggage area. To see what they were doing Mitch edged closer. Thenhe saw Billy with Heather's bag, taking the money and putting itinto his backpack with his left hand. In his right hand he had ahandgun pointed at Darley and Heather.

After filling his backpack with the cash, he threwthe handbag at Heather. He opened the door. He rushed down thenarrow passage way towards Mitch. Mitch rushed toward Billy andheld him for a split second. Billy pushed Mitch to the floor. Billypointed his gun at a spot an inch to the left of Mitch's nose.

Mitch heard a shot. Billy fell forward onto Mitch'slegs. Mitch saw Heather as she stood in front of the door, and puther gun back into her hand bag.

Heather, "How stupid can that guy be. Giving my gunback, so I can shoot him. I never liked that guy."

At the next stop Mitch sat in the waiting room andwatched as the ambulance took Billy away and the police car took,Darley and Heather, away.

Mitch looked at his watch, since he had a two hourwait for the next eastbound train to Rivertown, he closed his eyesto rest a while.

Trapped in the Barn

"Yes. Mary is here with me. We're in the barn. It'sin the house." Kate whispers into the phone.

Kate listens to Stan say, "Stay by the back door.I'll come through the orchard."

Kate, "Hurry. I think it's hungry."

Kate watched out the back window of the barn and sawthe Minters barn through the bare branches of the apple trees. Katewas relieved that they got only 6 inches of snow last night insteadof the forecasted fifteen.

She saw Stan run out of the barn doors. He stayedbehind their barn as he ran through the orchard, so it wouldn't seehim from the house. As he approached the barn's back door, Katenoticed he had the 12 gauge shotgun. She hoped it was enough sincetheir 16 gauge was in the house. And the rifles were locked in thebasement. Stan reached the door and slipped in.

He asked, "Where is it?"

Kate replied, "It's in the kitchen. It's hungry."

Stan started toward the front barn door. Katefollowed holding Mary. Stan slowly opened the top half of the door.They could see in the open back porch door. They saw and heardnothing. Then Stan opened the bottom of the barn door and walked,slowly and quietly, through the snow. Kate kept behind him holdingMary.

It was difficult to see in the open porch door. Thesingle kitchen window above the sink could be easily seen threw.They both stopped and gazed into the kitchen through the four panesof the small window. They saw and heard nothing.

Kate whispered, "Maybe it left?"

Shan said nothing and walked forward. Somethingmoved, in the kitchen. Stan stopped. They were, in the open, halfway between the barn and the kitchen. Stan lifted the shotgun andkept it pointed at the window.