Ted grabbed a phone that was sitting on the coffee table and called the hotel's reception. "Get me the Eurostar office in Paris please." He looked at Adam. "I honestly don't know what to do with you, but at the moment I need your help."
Gesturing towards the laptop he added. "Find the address for the Eurostar office in Paris and find where it is in relation to us, hurry."
The phone clicked as reception put the line through to the Eurostar office.
"Press one for English; two for French; three for..."
Ted pressed one.
"Welcome to the Eurostar office. Your call is important to us so please stay on the line. All our customer service representatives are busy at present..."
"Damn! I thought this would happen."
"Hey Farrell, I think the SNCF is a better bet and they have an office just a couple of blocks away near Gare Montparnasse." Adam scribbled the address on a piece of hotel stationery.
"The what?"
"The SNCF, they are the French National Railway Corporation. They are responsible for all the rail network and infrastructure across France."
Ted slammed down the phone tired from waiting. He looked at his watch again. "We haven't got long 'til the train is due in Paris. How far away is this office again?"
"Oh, about a quarter of a mile I'd say."
"Come on, it will be quicker to run."
They dashed down the stairs, through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk.
"Which way?" Ted panted.
"Ah...hang on," Adam orientated a map which he had taken from his room and they both turned inwards to study it.
They were completely unaware of a black Mercedes Sedan parked by the curb just near where they were standing. As they dwelled over the map two burley men in black suits and dark sunglasses jumped out and grabbed them.
"What is this...what the hell...!"
They were pulled towards the car and jammed into the back seat with one of the men pushing in behind them. The other jumped into the drivers' seat immediately pulling the car away from the curb and merging with the passing traffic. Against Ted was a tall thin man dressed in a blue suit and another older bulkier man sat in the front passengers' seat. He reminded Ted of an ageing Colonel Sanders with his thick framed glasses and dirty-white goatee beard. He wore a cream colored jacket unbuttoned to reveal a crumpled white shirt. Once they were moving the man turned with considerable effort to look at them.
"What the hell is this? Are you guys' nuts?" Ted protested at him.
"Far from it," he replied in a deep gravelly voice. He reached up and stroked his goatee. "We are looking for someone and I think you know where he is."
"Who?" Ted queried?
The man nodded towards Adam. "And how are you my good man?"
"What do you care?" Adam lashed back.
"Well, well here he is. An Australian, just as I thought." The man indulged himself with a chuckle.
The car reached an intersection and turned left on a green light onto the Avenue de Maine.
"What the hell...turn right you idiots," Ted screamed, "we need to get to the SNCF office. One of their trains could be in trouble. Hundreds of people could lose their lives."
YOU ARE READING
The Mind Man
Mystery / ThrillerDo your thoughts affect other people? What if those people end up dead? The unthinkable is happening. People are dying inexplicably. Just one man appears responsible. He is either a deranged monster, or a tortured soul; consumed by revenge, and unkn...
