drugged…'
Maggie closed the door and leaned on it. 'I'm afraid he's becoming a bit irrational. He's always been afraid of enclosed spaces. I have an idea — let him know that you've sent for medical help. I'll be right back.' Without waiting for a reply, she trotted off into the next cars, looking for a familiar, elderly couple.
She found them three cars down, holding hands and gazing out at the scenery. Maggie cleared her throat. 'Excuse me…'
'Yes? Oh look, Joseph, it's that nice young woman that helped me in the buffet car. What is it, dear?'
'I'm so sorry to bother you. I'm afraid that my fiance has become a bit agitated during the trip. While I was collecting your medicine bottles, I happened to notice that you have some Valium. I wouldn't normally ask this of a perfect stranger, but he's growing increasingly restless, and I'm worried about trying to calm him down.'
The woman was already rummaging through her cavernous purse. 'Of course, my dear, I understand completely…Now let me see, where did I put that?'
'He's usually so calm, but something about this trip has just brought out the worst in him. It would just be to settle his nerves. I would be very grateful.'
The woman dug out the plastic container, and laboriously unscrewed the cap, her wrinkled fingers trembling with the effort. 'All right, I think one should do, don't you?'
'Well, he's a big man, so I'm not really sure.' Maggie said.
The woman's lips pursed. 'Be careful, dearie, too many at once might knock him right out.'
Maggie leaned down, her face a mask of weary exasperation. 'At this point, that might not be such a bad thing.'
The woman discreetly pressed a few pills into her palm. 'I understand completely. These should settle him down soon enough, and then you two will have a better trip afterward.'
'I'm sure we will.' Maggie held the pills loosely in her hand, stopped to get a bottle of water from the buffet car and headed back to the bathroom. Along the way, she checked the pills. They were round and blue, with a line scored through the middle for breaking them in half. Nothing identified the type of medication.
Back at the restroom, she held out her hand to the conductor. 'Here, a doctor suggested that we give these to him. It's an antidiarrhea medication. He needs to take all three at once.'
The conductor examined the pills briefly, and Maggie's heart almost skipped a beat when she thought he might recognize what they were. She cracked the water bottle open. 'Don't worry, he doesn't have any allergies. These should take care of the problem.'
'All right — if the doctor suggested it.' The conductor cracked the door open again, leaning away from the new stench wave that rolled out. 'Sir, we've consulted with a physician, and he has suggested that you take these pills for your — condition.'
Although clearly in pain, Carlos was also suspicious. 'Does — did she have anything to do with this?'
The conductor glanced at Maggie in surprise, and she twirled a finger near her temple in the universal 'crazy' sign, then shook her head.
'It's better if I'm not involved,' she whispered.
The conductor leaned in again. 'Ah, no, one of our other staff located this person.'
'All right…all right.'
'I'll pass the bottle of water in to you first, then the pills, okay?'
The conductor passed the water into the restroom, then followed it up with the medication. Maggie held her breath, hoping that in the dim light and because of his condition Carlos wouldn't look at the pills too closely. She tried to detect what might be going on inside, but heard only silence.
'All right, I've taken all of them. When will they begin to work?'
The conductor looked back at Maggie, who whispered, 'Twenty minutes.'
'They should take effect in about twenty minutes. Perhaps…perhaps you should remain in there until they have taken hold, so to speak.'
'That's…probably a good idea…'
Maggie wasn't sure, but his voice sounded less steady, as if the pills were already affecting him. Probably just wishful thinking on my part, she thought.
'Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid that I will have to ask you all to return to your seats, as we are going to arrive at the Gare du Nord station in just a few minutes. Miss, I will have to ask you to return to your seat, as well. I'm sure your fiance will be fine, and there is a hospital right next to the station, in case you would like to have him examined. You will see the signs as you walk onto the platform.'
'Thank you, sir, I think we will do just that. You've been most kind and helpful, and I appreciate everything you've done.'
'It was my pleasure, miss, and I hope that your fiance is feeling better soon.'
'I'm sure he'll be just fine. If you don't mind, I'll just sit here near the lavatory, to keep an eye on him.'
'Very well, miss.' The conductor hurried off and Maggie sank into the nearest seat, across from two scruffy, backpacking students who were fast asleep, their heads resting next to each other, oblivious to the commotion only a few yards away. Envying their carefree freedom, Maggie leaned back in the seat, but dared not close her eyes, waiting for the second those doors opened, and she could get the hell off the train.
22
It was a feat of driving and navigation that Anthony would never be able to duplicate for the rest of his life.
After they had barely caught the high-speed ferry that was minutes from heading out of port — which cost Anthony an extra fifty pounds to ensure they got on — they had docked at Calais fifty-seven minutes later, and he had driven the SUV onto the broad expressway that would take them right into Paris. Even though the posted speed limit was 100 miles per hour, with the updated GPS speed camera detector and radar detector, they were able to drive an average of 125 miles per hour, weaving in and out of the traffic like madmen. They had hit the outskirts of Paris in ninety minutes, rather than the two and a half hours the distance would normally take.
Anthony had been behind the wheel the entire time, deftly guiding the vehicle across the lanes, slowing only when they detected a speed camera or hidden police officer. It was just as well they hadn't been pulled over; given Anthony's mood, he would have been just as likely to shoot the officer and damn the consequences. However, the heavier traffic as they plunged into Paris proper had slowed them to a crawl, and even now he wasn't sure they were going to make it to the station on time. He stared straight ahead, as if he could make the traffic part by sheer force of will. 'Come on, come on!'
The other three men remained silent, all aware that it would be best to let Anthony concentrate. They were crawling south on Barbes Boulevard, waiting for when it turned into the Boulevard de la Magenta, which ran right past the train station. At last, they found themselves outside a large hospital complex, and then they saw the large, neoclassical face of the Gare du Nord train station.
'Time.'
Liam checked his watch. 'Eleven fifty-three. If the train was running on time, it arrived three minutes ago.'
'Well, let's hope they weren't.'
'Do you think the tracker might help us here?' Carl asked from the backseat.
'Sure, if you want to carry it so I can read the damn thing while we walk through the station — that won't be conspicuous at all. Besides, there's too much interference in a place like that. It would be too hard to ensure I was receiving the right signal.'
Liam rolled his eyes. 'According to my street map, there's parking on this side street. Take the next right.'
Anthony turned onto the small avenue, and sure enough, there was a small, multilevel parking structure on his left. 'Probably packed full of commuters and damn tourists,' he muttered. But their luck held. A Volkswagen hatchback was just pulling out of a space in the lowest level, right near the exit. Anthony claimed the space as soon as it was empty, cutting in front of a sedan loaded with what looked like students who had been waiting for it. They pulled up, looking ready to complain, but one look at the four hard-faced, grim-eyed men who got out and simply stared at them, and the students slunk away to find another space.
