Chip Hunt had been with Amtrak for 17 years, with the LSL for just 5 years. As conductor jobs go, it was among the best in the northeast. Steady schedule, nice scenery, relaxed passengers. He had jobbed around the east coast with Amtrak before he got to the front of the waiting list for the Lake Shore Limited and now he was living the dream. Those crazy Boston-New York-Philly commuters gave him a headache.

He watched a couple walk between cars toward the rear of the train as he moved forward. They were not typical passengers, they were middle aged but she was heavily made up and he was strange looking for a businessman. Scruffy.

As he moved between cars a greasy lump in the coupling caught his eye. He knelt carefully in the rocking vestibule and looked closely. He saw a blinking light under the grease. Chip's blood ran cold. Chip took his radio off his belt and hit the Emergency Call Button. The US Marshall answered immediately. With-in 15 seconds the train was decelerating.

State police and the Buffalo office of the FBI greeted the train as it pulled to a stop on a spur headed toward the sleepy town of Mayville, NY.