Free Trapped on the D.C. Train! by Ron Roy Page A

harness and leash. The man carried a satchel with a large book poking out the top.
    “And I’ll bet that’s a Braille book he’s carrying,” KC added.
    A tall conductor helped the blind man and his dog up the steps of the train car just ahead of the vice president’s specialcar. Once the man and dog were safely aboard, the conductor pulled a red bandana from his back pocket and wiped sweat from his bald head.

    He smiled at KC. “Hot,” he said. “But the whole train is cool inside.”
    Robert assisted the vice president up into their car. KC went next, followed by Marshall. Janet came aboard last.
    KC took a deep breath of the cool air. She yanked her baseball cap off. Her red hair tumbled down to her shoulders.
    “Wow!” Marshall said, taking in the car. “This is fancy!” The wide seats were soft and covered in dark blue leather. Each one had its own window and a small folding table. Above the seats were racks for luggage.
    KC dropped her backpack on one ofthe seats. “You want the window or aisle?” she asked Marshall.
    “Window,” Marshall said. “Then we can switch later.” He reached over to raise the shade.
    “I think we should keep them down until we leave the station,” KC whispered. “The vice president doesn’t want anyone to see who’s in this car.”
    Mary Kincaid chose the seats farthest from the front of the car. She sat facing the door and kept her dark glasses and scarf in place. The two agents sat side by side in front of her.
    KC turned around. “Ms. Kin … I mean Auntie Kitty, how far is it to your farm in Pennsylvania?”
    KC and Marshall had been instructed not to call Mary Kincaid by her real namewhile they were on the train. So for the trip, she was Aunt Kitty, and the two agents were Kitty’s sister and her husband. KC had also been told not to mention to any strangers that her stepfather was the President of the United States.
    “A little more than an hour and a half,” Mary Kincaid said. “Plenty of time to relax or snooze!”
    “Are we stopping anywhere?” KC asked.
    “No, this is an express train,” Mary Kincaid said. “It goes straight through.”
    Just then the door to the car opened. A whoosh of air blew in. A man wearing dark blue uniform pants and a short-sleeved white shirt stepped into the car. He had curly hair and a wide mustache. KC figured that he was a conductor.
    “Everyone settled?” he asked.
    “Yes, thank you,” the vice president said. “We’re very comfortable. How much longer before we leave?”
    “Just a few minutes,” the man said. “But we’ve …”
    Suddenly the lights went out in the little car.
    KC heard the vice president gasp.
    She also heard the two agents leap to their feet. KC knew they were standing in front of Mary Kincaid to protect her.
    Someone grabbed KC’s arm.

2
Train Troubles
    “What happened?” Janet asked.
    It was totally dark. The station platform was well lit, but no light came through the heavy window shades in their car. KC felt goose bumps tickle her arms.
    “I was just about to tell you,” the conductor said. “We have a small electrical problem but …”
    The lights came on.
    “… it’s nothing to worry about, just a short circuit somewhere,” he continued. “It’s happened a couple of times today. We have a technician looking at it.”
    “Thank you,” the vice president said.
    “If the lights go out while we’re moving,stay seated,” the conductor went on. “The engineer will probably slow or stop the train for a few minutes.”
    KC glanced at Marshall. “Hey, Marsh, can I have my arm back?” she asked.
    Marshall grinned. “I was protecting you,” he said, removing his hand.
    KC rolled her eyes. She turned to look behind her. The vice president was calmly listening to the conductor. She had removed her dark glasses. Janet and Robert were standing in front of her.
    The conductor nodded at everyone. “Have a good trip,” he said, and closed the door.
    A moment later, the