This story was originally posted in chapters. With the exception of the missing Chapter 12, here it is, in it’s entirety. I think you’ll find it interesting and amusing, even if you don’t recognize some of the names…
Chapter One:
It was raining hard that night, and as I looked out on the streets below, the streetlamps cast an eerie glow over everything. I watched closely as a battered Nash pulled up. It coughed to a halt. I took the last drag from my cigarette and crushed it out in the overflowing ashtray. I saw her get out, look around and dart across the street. I sensed trouble. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk, the sound of worn Cherry wood making that unmistakable sliding noise as I tugged open the sticky old drawer, and pulled the half bottle of scotch from it. It wasn’t my favorite brand, but times had been tough and it was what I had. An old Colt .45 laid next to the bottle, with shiny spots where the bluing was worn down to the metal. Then came the knock on the door.
Great twist ending! Thank you for re-posting this.
I’m going to have to read it several more times to fully absorb every little inside joke and detail. By the time I’m done I’ll probably have absorbed a full week’s dose of caffeine and nicotine by osmosis.
Larry, I found Chapter 12. If you’d like, please feel free to insert it. A bit of minor editing was done.
The boat ride to Ensenada was uneventful. The passengers pretty much all kept to themselves. There was a rich older couple and another lady that had airs about her. She seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. The other passenger was a cutie. A real down home, girl next door type from the mid-west. We arrived in Ensenada and tied up at the pier. The passengers got off to do some sightseeing in town, what little of it there was. As I walked down the pier, a man in his late thirties probably came down the pier towards the boat. The captain called him “professor” or something. He must have been going to make the return trip to San Dog with them. Professor…there didn’t seem to be a whole lot to teach or learn in this sleepy little town. In my experience, the best place I’ve found to learn anything was a bar, so I ducked into a local cantina, Murphy’s Irish Pub.
Murphy’s was small and dark. A few customers sat at the table but the bar itself was empty. As I sat down Murphy, I presume–the only guy in the bar with red hair–came over. “What’ll it be?” he asked.
“Scotch,” I replied.
“Only Irish whiskey here,” he said.
“Okay, Irish whiskey then.” As he poured I looked at the photos that adorned the bar. Scenes from Old Ireland, group photos of men with guns and flags and one picture of a smiling blue locomotive.
Thanks. Google search operators and knowing terms works well. I’m fairly certain the original thread is now gone, though.
Two things that struck me about reading the forum of that era: first, there were weekly threads about post-9/11 railfan harassment by authorities. I’m glad we’re no longer living in that climate. Second, today’s largely self-moderated forum is more civil than the moderated one of 2004, though it is a good deal quieter.
Just add a note from out here in the middle of the cuntry! AMEN!
{I am copying the followinng post from 2004: See if others can pick out some who are not listed…and some who are missed…Ed B and Mookie; for starts[angel] }
Posted by dharmon on Thursday, December 9, 2004 1:03 PM
It’s that time again, to recognize the members of the forum that make this such an …uhh…an…interesting place to be. The awards will be held at the Depot DIner and Coffee shop. Please wear something nice or else everyone will make fun of you and gossip behind your back when you walk the red carpet.
All righty then…at the end of Day 3, the nominations so far…(I had to alter a few but tried to keep the intent). To minimize space I will post this at the top of the thread. Categories and nominations are open to all…
And I corrected the Cheesie to Chessie…sorry
Most popular thread (non-fiction)…- dgwicks for “The MIlwaukee Road”
talbanese for “Why did the Penn Central fail?”
Tracy15 for “Coal Mines”
Randy Stahl for Smoke, Sparks, and Scary Noises
Most popular thread (fiction)…
detective_cinderdick for “Don’t worry detective_cinderdick is here”
YEP! [bow] Model Car(Quinten), I hear from on FB from time to time;He and family, seem to be doing ok.
Cherokee Woman, and Locomutt(Walt): The former, no word on how she is; Locomutt, Occasionally, on FB.
Goes without saying, I miss Mookie, and Ed B. (Ed’s daughter used to make some FB updates,but lately, I have been very poor in responding on FB; but that’s another tale.[:^)]
[I posted that long list of Posters, past and present;because, I was reminded of different times on this FORUM. There were many names who are still posting, and some I enjoyed, as well, who have fallen silent, for whatever reasons. ]
It kind of scares me to think, I have folleowed this FORUM, for 20+ years (1998). Like many, who have been through various I.T. up-grades, our screen names, and start dates, have been washed away in some of those [alien] upgrades.
Boy Larry, you really dug deep for this one. If memory serves Dan Harmon wrote that back in 2005. I remember reading it the first time around. I miss Dan as well as many others mentioned above, some that sadly are no longer with us [sigh] and some that just quit coming in here [:(]
We sure did have a lot more fun in here back then[swg] Thanks for the flashback Larry.