Capítulo 25: I Am The Highway Part 1
Morning came as the sun rise peered into the hideout. Wiyot had awoken, still in his human form. He was in a room that had what was once a window that was pointed out into the distance. Wiyot arose and gazed out of the window. He stared off past the immediate landscape as the grass was still saturated with the morning’s dew.
“Got in that beauty rest?” Takoda asked, in his human form as well.
Wiyot and Takoda went down to the common area which was downstairs which had three grey blocks to sit on. Calian and Halian, both in their human form were had already made their way there. The sun was shining bright as the rays entered the room and bounced off the back wall. Wiyot looked at Calian and nodded his head. Calian stood still before he returned the nod.
“These nights go by real fast”. Wiyot said.
“How about we try out this nocturnal thing again?” Calian said. “Works for a few other owls I heard”.
“C’om man!” Takoda said. “Too much of a risk”.
“Tch”.
“So, I guess we’re getting out of here?” Halian asked.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice”. Wiyot said. “After last night who know who else likes to come up here to do their “business transactions”.
“Then what’s the move chief?” Calian asked.
“Check this out”. Takoda said, holding up a bus schedule.
Wiyot, Calian, Takoda, and Halian had left the hideout and were now on a bus that was taking them to Seattle. The bus they boarded was a tour like bus that was rather crowded once they got on and continued to fill up as the ride went on. The bus drove through Tacoma as they passed by the lakes, pine trees before venturing into the changing lancscapes within city in between the skyscrapers.
“Dammit”. Takoda said. “Should have bought a rinky dinky kodak”.
“Watch that be what blows our cover”. Calian said.
“Hey, it’s not like owls have cell phone, do they?”
“Looks like were around where we started”. Halian said.
“Well, I guess that’s better than still going backwards”. Calian commented.
“We never went backwards”. Wiyot said. “Sometimes you have to go back take care of things that propels you forward”.
“And who told you that?” Calian asked. “The voice?”
“Perhaps”.
“Tch, whatever you say”.
“Wait, what are we going to do when we get off?” Halian asked.
“There should be a transfer that we can hop on”. Takoda said. “No big deal”.
After a few more stops the bus let Wiyot, Calian, Takoda, and Halian at King station. They stopped right outside of the station where groups of people rushed inside. There were about six other buses that were parked nearby, dropping off other riders as well. The asphalt was grey as the morning’s dew had already dried. Wiyot searched around and spotted a sign that said Amtrak. It was attached to a blue booth manned by no one. He took a pamphlet that was available in one of the shelves and decided to flip through it.
“Good read?” Calian asked.
“It’s $75 to get on”. Wiyot said.
“Seriously?” Halian asked.
“Of fucking course”. Calian said.
“No discounts?” Takoda said.
“Yeah, I’m sure they got 15% off for owls”. Calian said.
“I mean, you won’t know if you asked”. Takoda said.
“What are we going to do?” Halian asked.
“We have to find a way to get on”. Wiyot said.
“You do realize that this place is covered with security guards and cops right?” Calian pointed out. “There’s no way that we’re going to get by them”.
“If you have any better ideas than let me know”.
“Actually”. Takoda interjected. “I got one”.
The group found themselves a few blocks away on a sidewalk in front of a fenced in lot as Takoda took his thumb out and hailed for ride. Wiyot just stood and stared at Takoda. Cailan rolled his eyes and Halian was looked lost and confused. Takoda however was energetic with a smile on his face as the passing cars zipped by them.
“Hmm”. Calian let out as Wiyot yawned. “Are we doing this wrong or are people supposed to ignore us?”
“We just got to keep on keeping on man!” Takoda said. Eventually someone will feel bad for us!”
“Ah yes, pity. The root of all generosity”.
A pickup truck stopped six feet short of where Wiyot, Calian, Takoda, and Halian stood. Out of the tuck came is a white man who looked to be middle age who wore a flannel button up that was pushed out by his gut, faded blue jeans, brown boots, and a truck hat that read East Lions.
The trucker went to the back of his truck and began to pull out of tools from the trunk. Wiyot studied his movements as he became more and more intrigued by what he was doing. He then glanced at the pickup truck and it’s four extra seats.
“Takoda”. Wiyot said. “What about him?”
“The trucker dude? I mean hey, it’s worth a shot”.
“What about his spittoon?” Calian asked.
“That’s just a stereotype!” Takoda said. “Either way, we’ve got nothing to lose”.
“Super”.
“Excuse me sir!” Takoda cried out. This caught the trucker’s attention as he was now turned towards the tribe.
“You’re more than excused”. The trucked said.
“Hey I’m Takoda and…”
“Takoda?” The trucker asked. “Arnold. What kind of name is that?”
“The kind of name that your parents decided on a drunken whim while spending the night in a teepee”.
“Checks out”. Arnold said. “Anyway, how can I help you young men?”
“You on your way up north by any chance?” Takoda asked.
“What you guys got cooking?” Arnold asked in return.
“We are trying to get up to Vancouver, but we ran out of funds”. Wiyot said.
“Yeah”. Arnold said. “Gotta hate it when that happens”.
“So, you feel our pain?” Takoda asked.
“Too bad you guys couldn’t even cover gas money”. Arnold said.
“We’ll make it up to you”. Wiyot said.
“How?”
“Just trust us. Please”.
Wiyot and Arnold began a bit of eye staring contest. Neither one was flinching at first, however Arnold began to become uneasy with had striking and stark Wiyot’s level of eye contact was. So much so that he had to back away.
Wiyot, Calian, Takoda, and Halian found themselves inside Arnold’s pickup truck. Takoda was in the front passenger’s seat as Wiyot, Calian and Takoda and squished in the back. Arnold was driving down a two-lane freeway as there was nothing but green hills that surrounded each side of the truck. Wiyot tried to move around, but the cramp space left little room for any of that.
“Vancouver eh?” Arnold asked. “Why Vancouver”,
“Got a call to come up”. Takoda said.
“From who?”
“Who knows?” Calian said as Takoda nudged him in the side.
“I think you boys will like it up there. It’s nice. Way over priced for sure, but it’s a good place. A lot of different types of women for the four of you to soak your oaks in”.
“That sounds fantastic to me right now”. Takoda said.
“Please don’t ever talk again”. Calian said.
“Hmm, is this guy a cop?” Arnold asked as he looked in his review mirror. It was a 2022 grey Lexus. “He’s flashing his lights at me”.
“What did we do?” Halian asked.
“Calm down crybaby”. Calian said.
“Hey, I’m not a crybaby!” Halian said as Arnold stopped the car. After a moment passed footsteps marching towards the truck could be heard as Greg and Sheila stopped and faced Arnold on the driver’s side with Wiyot, Calian, Takoda, and Halian in the truck.
“Excuse us sir”. Greg said. “We’re on official government business”.
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