The Empire Builder

Mr. Grey was a six-foot nine-inch power forward who began his career in his home town of Detroit with the Pistons. He was soon traded to the Lakers and then Golden State, He ended up at the Brooklyn Nets. Leroy was a bad boy whose antics off the court overshadowed his twenty-point a game average. Still, in Brooklyn, he was a star and a favorite of the New York tabloids.

Leroy's taste in women ran to cute, white, and married and not necessarily in that order. His bad-boy antics led to the need for a substantial legal representation.

Enter Tate and McKenzie and their top Junior Partner Elizabeth Loftis (aka Beth Bishop.) She had all the requisites Leroy sought plus a place in the society pages. It was a new experience for Leroy and an ego boost for the thirty-five-year-old Beth, snagging a twenty-something star athlete.

Unfortunately, it was a relationship played out for the world to see in the pages of the New York Post. However much, Liz enjoyed the notoriety; the effect on her marriage was as harsh as it was unexpected. After all, it was only a bit of fun.

It wasn't intended to be a serious relationship. For God's sake she was a married woman with children, and he made his living as a ballplayer. Still, JB took his humiliation seriously. She expected a clash or two. A few harsh words while the thing played out and then a reconciliation. She didn't expect to be locked out of her own bedroom permanently.

Liz had spent two years trying to make amends and reconcile. But her hardheaded Irishman of a husband was having none of it. Leroy had long since moved on to another relationship, while Liz was stuck in purgatory with no clear path to redemption. She had to move out of the Carol Garden's townhouse to a hotel room. She was allowed back only when the kids were home from boarding school, or Jason was out of town.

The Kids school was another point of contention. Jason thought that sending them away to school was wrong. Beth saw it as giving them every advantage. Taking them to France was her idea. She didn't expect the schools to close and to be stuck with three pre-teens in a Paris hotel room. Now to add to her misery, Jason was planning the divorce that she had so skillfully blocked to date. She needed to get to New York and now.

*****

It was the cold-hearted breach of trust that had rocked him to his core. It's one thing to discover your wife has been lured into infidelity by some high-flying Romeo. It's another thing to discover that she had systematically and with malice aforethought done everything she could do to disrespect and ruin him.

Bishop wouldn't do that to his worst enemy, let alone somebody he had promised to love for a lifetime. But there it was. He saw it every time he looked at the irrefutable evidence.

He wondered what the way forward would look like. There would be no trusting any female ever. That was for sure. He also had some plans for the rest of her family. It wouldn't be pretty.

Jason Bishop was a complicated man. He valued reasonableness and common sense above all things. But his ethics were situational. Perhaps it was his intense rationality that made him the way he was. He didn't make judgments unless he had analyzed the situation from all sides, and he truly believed in the logic of his conclusions. So more often than not, he swam upstream when it came to the usual rules of profit above all else.

That also applied in cases where there was no guiding precedent. Some of the things he'd done would be wrong through a conventional lens. But in actuality, there was no plausible reason why he shouldn't have done them. They hurt nobody, and they benefitted his client. It was the reason why Big Bob respected him so highly.

Jason Bishop was hard to beat because he understood every angle. Consequently, once his eyes were opened, he had seen through Elizabeth to the bottom of her narcissistic soul. He would have merely hated her. But now, the fact that Bishop had remained her husband and lover for all those years made him question his own judgment. How had he not seen through Liz from the start??!!

That was the thought that Bishop was wrestling with as he slid open the door to his roomette. He did it as quietly as he could because he didn't want to deal with the woman across the aisle. She raised far too many troubling concerns.

First and foremost, he was drawn to her like he had never been attracted to any woman before. She was the whole package, beautiful face, hot body, and she just radiated carnal delight. The problem was that, even with all the gossip he had actually been faithful to Elizabeth the entire marriage.

There were some near misses. Women threw themselves at him. But Bishop knew that he would be condemned to a lifetime of perdition if he stepped over that invisible line. That wasn't because trite morality was guiding him. It was because Jason Bishop knew it was the wrong thing to do.

His entire self-concept was built on a personal code that demanded that he do the right thing. And so, he wasn't about to spend a lifetime of self-loathing because he gave in to weakness. That simply wasn't who he was. Then this new woman came along.

The obvious incongruity between the character she was playing and the person she actually was disturbed him. Bishop had looked her up on the internet the minute he had gotten back in the compartment. The archived clips of her on the local Chicago station were stimulating, to say the least.

She was clearly up there to be a sexy showpiece. She had a body to die for. The people at Fox knew it, and the camera angles were aimed at showing it off. But her morning segments were more like a classroom than a stripper's pole. Her voice was controlled. Her face and eyes were clever and focused. It was like she was a real meteorologist. This was a dauntingly intelligent woman.

The moment he slid the door open, she materialized in front of him. It was obvious she had been waiting to ambush him. He was disturbed by how pleased he was to see her. She looked gorgeous.

He gave her a disgusted look, and she came right back with a happy puppy smile. But then, she must have read his face because she said, "Want to talk about it?" Her interest in him and her compassion was genuine. He needed somebody to unburden himself to. Why not her?

*****

The Empire Builder was short staffed due to the emergency. Hence, there was only one quick breakfast serving. The dining car was full when they got there. So, they had to sit side-by-side rather than across from each other.

It was like putting two magnets on the same bench. The sexual tension was off the charts. They were seated across from an old couple who must have gotten on in North Dakota because Ellie'd never met anybody who actually called himself Zeke. They were visiting a son in Spokane.

The two old folks were both typical god-fearing denizens of a State whose entire population would fit comfortably in a couple of big football stadiums. They were mid-sixties, kindly, and they immediately assumed that Bishop, or "John," as she called him, and Ellie were married.

Ellie had to admit that they were an impressive couple. John wasn't a movie star. But he radiated power and control. And she supposed she could play a movie star on TV.

Zeke started right in with, "We're from Devils Lake. Where're you-all from?" John said quickly before she could open her mouth, "Chicago." That's funny. Last night it was Durham.

He nudged her with his leg. He was telling her to regale these yokels with a few stories about the Windy City. His nudge gave both of them an electric shock. He crept farther toward the aisle, and she plastered herself against the wall as she said, "Have you been there?"

Ida said, "Gosh, no! That's too much city for us. But we HAVE been to Winnipeg." To her credit, Ellie didn't laugh out loud. She said, "Chicago's a beautiful city with the lake at your feet and the big impressive buildings. We have some really excellent museums and sports year-round."

Ida said proudly, "We're the perch capital of the world, and our ice fishing is legendary." Zeke was nodding enthusiastically. Ellie said, "Well, that sounds pleasant." It sounded hideous. But she had to be polite.

Then without thinking, she added, "Jason and I ought to visit there some time." He gave a start and almost fell out of the booth.

Zeke looked puzzled and said, "I thought your name was John?" Oh shit!! But Jason was a cool customer. He said, "That's my middle name. Ellie thinks it sounds more dignified." Zeke looked approving as he said, "Having one of Jesus follower's as a name is always preferable to a heathen name like Jason."

The conversation went on along those lines for an excruciating period. Apparently, there isn't much to do besides fish for perch in Devils Lake, because the two old people talked-on-and-on. At the end of an hour, Ellie knew more about their internecine family politics than she wanted to, and Jason was bouncing up and down in his seat in frustration.

That was a new wrinkle. Jason had always seemed so controlled. But of course, Ellie had just shit in her own Wheaties. At least she could get down to the task of interviewing him sooner-than-later.

Ellie offered Jason a smile and a sigh of relief as Zeke and Ida wandered off to bore somebody else to death. Jason said curtly, "Observation car," got up without any further word, and stalked off toward the front of the train where the observation car was located.

The observation deck was necessarily on the second level of the train, above a walk-in café. When Ellie got up there, Jason was seated in one of the comfortable outward facing seats staring out at the Montana scenery. He had made sure there was plenty of space around them, and it wasn't because he was social distancing.

Ellie slid into the chair next to him. He turned and said, stressed, "How long have you known. This is important."

She gave him her most disarming smile and said, "It was impossible to miss. I really AM on this train to do a simple travel piece. I'm a reporter, and I was browsing the gossip sites just to keep my feelers out. It's something we newsies have to do. Your story was on the front page, we'd just met, so your face was fresh in my mind."

He looked relieved and said, "Then it was just coincidence, right?" She nodded and said, "Pure chance." He said, "I'll tell you my entire story. I've wanted to tell somebody anyhow. But you have to promise to keep it confidential until we get to Seattle."

Ellie said matter-of-fact, "I'm going to Portland." He smiled and said, "Okay, Portland. But you get the point. What I'm about to tell you could get both of us killed."

He then proceeded to recount a tale of ruthlessness, skullduggery, and cold-hearted betrayal that hadn't been equaled since the court of Tiberius. His wife's name was Elizabeth. She was one of the Seattle Loftis's. Her father was Big Bob, who was a major supplier of parts for Boeing. There was a brother called Little Bob who, besides being a shiftless and amoral little shit, was a world-class snake in the grass.

The two children who were born of the manor had done absolutely zero to keep the family's fortune afloat. While Jason, the son-in-law, had been wheeling and dealing in a way that multiplied Big Bob's wealth by billions. The problem was that Big Bob was dead, leaving Bishop in control of the company.

Most people would have been happy to live off the hard work of somebody else. But the two children had embarked on a campaign of dirty dealing and backstabbing along with the Russian mob, aimed at taking control of Loftis-Bishop's assets. At the same time, Bishop's whore wife was hell-bent in rubbing his nose in her many infidelities.

This was all aided by the shadowy presence of the Bratva. Fortunately for Bishop, he had grown up with a group of Italian-Americans who had their own little organization ending in an "a." So, the battle lines were drawn between two mobs and success hinged on Bishop getting to Seattle alive.

Once he got there, he could legally divest himself of a deceitful spouse, who by any reasonable measure was the Queen of Slutvania, and move ahead with his life. That was the situation as it stood right this very second.

But of course, there were a bunch of guys with broken noses and big guns who were turning over every mode of transportation between the Big Apple and the coast, with kidnapping, or worse, in mind. So, as the scenery of Glacier National Park passed by outside the window -- Bishop was getting very nervous.

He said, "At first, I thought that a train was the last place they would look for me, especially in the middle of a pandemic. But those two old folks back in the dining car reminded me that the people who still want to go somewhere just do it. And anybody can get on this thing, anywhere, even Devil's Lake.

If I'd flown, I would have been at SeaTac by now. So, I'm guessing that the Russians are prioritizing busses and trains over air travel."

Bishop looked at Ellie, and she was looking back at him with concern. She said, "You're really in deep shit, aren't you?" He gave her a sardonic laugh and said, "No, duh!!! And if they DO catch up to me, they aren't going to discriminate between me and any witnesses."

Ellie Andrews prided herself on her toughness. She excelled in life because she faced things head-on. So, rather than excusing herself to hide out in her roomette for the rest of the trip, she gazed off at the gorgeous panoply of the passing Rockies and said decisively, "You've gotta take me with you. I've gotta get this story!!"

Bishop smiled and said, "So no sister in Portland?" She looked at him like he was an idiot and said dismissively, "Never was." He stared intently into her unwavering green eyes and saw a strong woman. He said, "Okay, it's a deal. But I'm dumping you the minute I hear you whine."

She said confidently, "You won't hear me whine unless we move our relationship up a notch. I make a lot of noise during sex." Bishop nearly fell out of his chair. He couldn't help comparing this beautiful, and daring woman with the slut he was fleeing from, even if they DID seem to have the same general attitude about fucking.

The day passed without excitement if you didn't count the slowly building fire in both of their loins. They sat in the observation car and talked about little things in their lives. Bishop told her about his growing up in a part of Brooklyn where the weak were killed and eaten. It was how he picked up his finely honed survival skills.

She told him about growing up in a privileged part of Winnetka. She added ironically, "That's where I discovered how trivial most of life is. It was a survival skill of sorts."

She added impassively, "I knew that I was smarter than most of my peers. But you had to keep that hidden unless you wanted to be torn apart by the savage pack of bitches I was forced to run with. I didn't worry about attracting boys. All I worried about was my batting average, which I might add was .422 throughout high school. Point being, I've just drifted my entire life. You're a man who gets things done. This is a chance to live a little."

*****

It was after nine o'clock when the Empire Builder pulled into Whitefish Montana. The sun had set a couple of hours earlier, but the station itself was brightly lit, and the platform was a beehive of activity.

Ellie was surprised. They'd been traveling through rough mountain terrain all afternoon, and suddenly, there was this little town with a big depot attached. Even stranger, the depot was a colossal Tudor monstrosity more appropriate to Stratford on Avon than western Montana.

Ellie's window was twelve feet about the platform. So, she was looking down on the people waiting to board. There was the usual collection of local residents, no doubt visiting relatives up the line toward Seattle. But what caught her eye were the two obviously Eastern European travelers who looked like extras from a 1960s James Bond movie.

Ellie took another closer look and said under her breath, "This is it!!" She grabbed her things, stuffed them in her backpack, and hastily slid her door open. Bishop was sitting in his roomette with his door already open. He looked at her inquiringly, and she said, "We have to get off this train NOW!!"

Bishop didn't hesitate. His survival skills were too perfected to NOT understand what Ellie was saying. He grabbed a little satchel, stuffed his electronic gear into it and said, "Where are they boarding?" Ellie said, "In the coach section, four cars further up the train," and she nodded toward the front.

Bishop moved quickly but calmly toward the stairs at the rear of the car. Ellie followed, and they stepped onto the platform as the two thugs were stepping onto the train. Bishop walked rapidly, but in a way that wouldn't attract attention, down the little cement walkway between the platform and the station. They entered through the grey double doors.

Inside the station was large and well lit. It felt like they'd fallen through a time-warp into the 1950s. The floor was green checkerboard tile, and the seating was uncomfortable slatted benches. There was a large stuffed mountain goat in the middle of the room, which was either the mascot for the Great Northern Railway or one of the local pets. More importantly, though, there was a Hertz rental counter.

Bishop turned to her. He looked hesitant for the first time since she'd met him. He said, "Do you have a credit card? They're going to be tracking mine." She said. "Sure," and produced a Visa. He said, "Then can you rent us a car?" Ellie smiled at the irony that a multi-billionaire was depending on her to finance their escape. He added sheepishly, "I can pay you back when I get to Seattle."

The ancient cowboy at the rental desk had a Hertz badge on his checkered shirt. No black Hertz polos were in sight. He checked her out with lust in his eyes. There were probably ten women in the State of Montana who looked like Ellie Andrews. Finally, he said, "What can I do-you-for little Missy."

Normally that would have gotten him a smart-ass remark... at a minimum. But Ellie was tired. So, she gave him an irresistible smile and said, "I need a one-way rental to Seattle." He looked like he didn't want to do it. Since he knew he'd never see the car again. But Hertz WAS a national chain. So, he pecked around in the computer for a couple of minutes and said, "Nothing tonight. But I have one coming in tomorrow morning."

Ellie said, "Sold and slapped her Visa down on the counter. There was more pecking around, and the printer spit out a rental agreement. The ranch-hand-who-was-passing-as-a-Hertz employee said, "Yep - It's due in tomorrow at nine-o'clock AM."

She gave him an alluring glance and said, "Are there any places to stay until then?" He practically melted right in front of her. He was about to offer her the prospect of staying with him when he realized that she was with Bishop and he was huge. He was standing ten feet behind her, trying to look unobtrusive, and not succeeding.

The cowboy said, "The Firebrand is right over there." He pointed out the front of the station across a little park. "That's where all the tourists stay." The word tourist was said with a bad taste in his mouth. Ellie gave him another one of her hot smiles and a sway of her hips as she walked over to Bishop. She said, "All set. But we're going to have to stay here tonight. The car won't be ready until 9:00."

*****

Bishop hated the fact that he needed Ellie to negotiate for the two of them until he could get to his people. But that was the way it was, and Bishop was an eminently practical man.

He was watching her wrap the old fellow manning the Hertz counter around her little finger. He couldn't take his eyes off her round hips as they shifted impatiently back and forth while she did it. Bent forward the way she was, her shapely buns and superb legs were giving him a hard-on.