This is a work of fiction, using characters from the film, “3:10 to Yuma”.  No insult or invasion of privacy or infringement of copyright is intended.

The Station

©06/2009 by: Layne

PART ONE

He'd been in town for three days now, sizing up the situation.  How many men did the Marshal have?  How long would it take to round them up and get them out to the site of a coach robbery?  How far out of town would he and his boys have to be to hit the coach and be sure of a clean escape?

The information had taken Ben Wade a little while to gather, but he was now satisfied that he knew enough to solidify his plan.  The planning stage was his favorite part of a robbery, the phase where he could actually use his brain and his cunning.  And,  in the meantime, he'd enjoyed the local saloons and all they had to offer--the whiskey, the cards, the women. 

All in all, it had been a pleasant few days.  He was on his way to the livery now to get his horse and ride out to meet Charlie and the rest of the gang.  A little farther on, he was forced to detour.  Just in front of the hardware store, a section of the board sidewalk had been torn up.  The men working on it appeared to be replacing boards that had been broken.

Crossing to the other side of the street and continuing on his way, Wade found himself looking in the windows of some of the businesses.  He was getting ready to cross the street again, to the livery which was at the very end on the other side, when he saw something that made him pause.  Through the window at the very last building on this side of the street, he saw a small boy of maybe six or seven.  The kid was sitting on a bench looking around.

Just looking at the boy sent a chill through Ben.  He stood there staring at the kid for a few minutes, feeling lost.  Feeling something run through his subconscious that was foreign, yet somehow familiar.

Taking a couple of steps back, he looked at the window of the business.  Saw two words that put his chill firmly into perspective for him.  "Train Station."  Funny how he hadn't noticed where he was going.  Wade avoided these places like the plague.  Hadn't been anywhere near one since he was eight years old, and-

The boy on the bench inside moved then, pulling Wade out of the dark thoughts into which he'd been sinking.  Ben watched the child stand up, walk slowly over to a corner where a low bench held a water bucket and dipper. 

As he walked, the boy looked all around him, as though he were watching for someone.  Ben saw him gulp a full dipper of water.  It was a hot day and the kid was bound to be thirsty.  Again swiveling his eyes in all directions as he walked, the boy returned to the bench and lowered himself slowly and reluctantly onto it again.

Pushing aside all thoughts and feelings, Ben Wade turned and stepped off the sidewalk, heading across the street to the stables.  He needed to meet his boys and finalize the plan for this robbery.  The coach would be approaching town tomorrow afternoon.  There wasn't a lot of time.

He'd taken no more than two steps away from the gray boards of the sidewalk before he stopped, turned around.  Something was leading him straight to the doorway of the train station.  Something else seemed to be trying very hard to pull him away, but the force from the station--whatever it was--appeared to be stronger.

Ben stood in the doorway for a moment, eyeing the single large room spread out before him.  As though in a nightmare, his usually cold, hard eyes took everything in--the counter at one end where schedules could be seen and tickets bought.  Tickets.  He'd never in his life held a train ticket in his hand.  Had no desire to do so.

The area by the door to the platform, where the bags waited for the train, was almost empty.  Two bags--one small, one large--waited there.  The low bench which held the water bucket was beside the ticket counter. 

It was just past midday and, with the sun just about overhead, the large room was full of shadows.  Nooks and crannies that couldn't easily be seen into, which suited Wade fine.  He didn't want to see them.  Didn't want to see any of the place at all.  Brought back too many bad memories that he almost never allowed to surface.  So, what the hell was he doing here?

Finally he turned to his left and glanced at the row of hard, wooden benches.  The waiting area where those meeting passengers coming in watched out for the train bringing their loved ones.  Where outgoing passengers awaited the train taking them to a new place.

"...back East to start over..."

For a second, Ben heard those words.  Heard his mama's voice speaking them in his ear as surely as if she were standing right next to him.  Heard them so clearly that he quickly turned his head to see her.  Saw only the flyers and notices tacked up on the wall above the water bucket.

Startled, he returned his gaze to the benches.  The boy was sitting there on the third bench back, tucked into the corner of it behind a large carpetbag, as though he were attempting to be invisible.  

The kid's hair appeared to be an unruly mop of dark brown, although it was difficult to see under the round hat he wore.  Although his face was doused in shadow from the brim of the hat, it looked pale and a little peaked, the eyes very large and bright.  He looked scared.

Watching him, Wade was seized with the urge to turn and flee.  It was the strangest feeling he could remember experiencing in his adult life.  Ben Wade didn't run.  He stood his ground and faced whatever came his way.  Always had.  Right now though, fighting that urge was taking a toll on him.

Telling himself to move, Ben finally stepped completely into the train station.  The force that had brought him inside was now taking him toward the benches, even though he had no real desire to go.  He was approaching the boy and the kid looked even more scared, if that were possible.

Forcing a smile to his face, Wade stopped in front of the child and said, "Hi, kid.  Hot day ain't it?"

Chapter Two