Meeting King
It was dark by the time they got off of the train in Domazlice. So far, they hadn’t seen any of Rome’s father’s men again after the incident on the train earlier in the day, but Ella wasn’t about to let her guard down now, even though it seemed very unlikely that they would’ve followed the party here without picking them up at all of the other stops they’d made that day.
“King is here, waiting for us in the parking lot,” Gus said, looking at his phone.
“He answered you, then?” Mary asked, leaning over to look at Gus’s phone as they were walking behind Ella and Rome on the way to get their baggage.
“Yes, he emailed me and said he would pick us up in his truck.”
Ella turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Would they all fit in his truck? What kind of a truck would it be? It didn’t matter so much, as long as he would take them someplace safe so they could figure out what to do next.
Once they had all of their bags, Gus led the way to the parking lot. Ella kept her head busy, looking around for anyone suspicious. So she didn’t see where they were headed until they were almost there.
King’s truck had to be at least fifty years old if not older. He was standing outside of it. A large man, wearing thick work pants and a flannel shirt with a jacket over it. The weather was substantially colder here than it had been in France and Italy, but Ella was too nervous to feel it.
Gus said something to the man in a language Ella didn’t understand, and they shook hands before the giant man engulfed him in a huge hug that almost made Gus disappear. Their new friend laughed and then, turning to them, said, “Toss the bags in the back. Rome and I can ride back there so the girls will be safer in the cab.
Ella didn’t like the idea of Rome riding in the back of the truck for several reasons, not the least of which was that he could be spotted and recognized. He did still have on his wig and mustache. But what if he fell out or was hit by debris?
Seeing the uneasiness in her eyes, Rome leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be all right,” he said.
She nodded, hoping he was right. She also realized she just didn’t want to let go of him.
But she did. Ella released Rome and went around with Mary to get in the front of the truck. It was a tight squeeze, and she found herself in the middle. King got into the cab and she had even less room as the burly old man filled the space. He smelled like tobacco and leather, but he flashed them a friendly smile. Once the men were in the back, he started the truck, and they headed out.
“You girls all right?” he asked in broken English. She had assumed he would be Italian since he had been Gus’s neighbor when he was younger, but his accent sounded more Slavic or Russian to her. She wanted to ask him where he was from but also didn’t want to pry.
“We’re good.” Mary answered for both of them as Ella tried to calm her mind and get her bearings. They were headed out of town now, which should’ve made her feel better, but she was nervous about this man driving the truck. He was so muscular, and she had trouble trusting anyone she didn’t know.
“Good, good,” he said. “I am happy to meet the both of you. I will do my best to help you. Gus is a good friend of mine.”
“Yes, he’s great,” Mary agreed, and Ella hid a smile, thinking there was more to that statement than King would be able to decipher. “Is King your first name or your last name?” Mary asked.
“It is nickname,” he said. “I like to think of myself as king of my world, so everyone calls me that,” he said with a shrug. “Out at my place, no one bothers me. It’s just me and my dog. I am the king of my own world.” A rich, deep chuckle emanated from deep inside of his throat.
“So there aren’t any neighbors or anything?” Mary asked. Ella was glad her friend was relaxed enough to ask the important questions and be polite. She couldn’t think clearly enough to come up with anything to say.
“No. You will be perfectly safe at my place. It is like compound. No one comes in or out without me knowing.”
That did make Ella feel better. Perhaps they could stay there for a while, if they ended up liking it.
The truck hit a big bump, and Ella spun around the best she could to make sure that Rome and Gus were okay. They were laughing, so she figured they must be. Rome waved at her, and she waved back, starting to relax a little bit. King might be a big guy, but he seemed to be a good one, and she felt like he could keep them safe. That didn’t mean they were out of danger, but at least she could stop peering into the darkness for a while and let her lungs fill completely with oxygen, something she hadn’t done in days.
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