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CHAPTER 5: CHARLES BRIDGE
 By Jim Caple |
Previously at 24 College Avenue: Josh Williams took a summer job as a guide on a
“Europe in a Backpack’’ bus tour. Unfortunately, his first tour has taken a
disastrous turn in Prague when his passengers get him drunk one night, leave him
on the streets of Prague and steal the company bus. . . .
Magdalena brought two deep golden beers back to the table and sat down next to
Josh. “Prost,’’ she said, clinking her mug against his and giving him a light kiss
on the cheek. She grinned and turned her focus to the Charles Bridge just yards
away from the riverside café.
“So now what do we do?’’ Josh asked.
“Now we wait, please, yes?’’
Josh reached for his beer and nodded reluctantly. This is never going to work, he
thought.
He had met Magdalena in a panic early in the morning when he rushed to Prague’s
tourist information office in a desperate, pathetic hope that they might know
where his tour group had taken his bus. Magdalena was one of the women working the
counter and she assured him it was going to turn out all right. He explained the
entire story to her – how he was leading a tour group of World Cup cities, how he
grew suspicious when he noticed all the passengers knew each other even though
they were listed as being from different countries, how they met in secret and
went silent whenever Josh came up unexpectedly. And how he suspected they might be
terrorists.
Magdalena calmed him, telling him he was overreacting and that she could help. She
made a number of phone calls and told Josh to come back to the office at the end
of the day. After fretting his way around the streets of Prague, Josh returned in
the late afternoon and Magdalena told him she had good news.
“My friend, Marcus?’’ she said. “He used to smuggle items over the border before
the velvet revolution. He still has connections in the underworld. He is making
calls, yes? Do not worry. He will find out where to they have took your bus.’’
That sounded highly unlikely but Josh figured he didn’t have much choice. If he
reported the bus theft to the police, his bosses back in State College would
undoubtedly find out about it and fire him on the spot. They might be so upset
they could refuse to pay for his return flight. Magdalena also convinced Josh that
it would be a mistake to report his suspicions that the tour group was a bunch of
terrorists. Either the police wouldn’t take him seriously and he’d be wasting his
time, or they would overreact and possibly detain him for transporting terrorists
into the country.
“It is not so long ago that we were a dictatorship country,’’ she warned. “Some
police miss good old days, yes?’’
Either way, she added, the bus theft would be reported to his bosses and then
where would Josh be?
What finally convinced him to go along with Magdalena’s plan was Magdalena
herself. She wore a navy “Prague Is For Lovers’’ t-shirt and Josh hoped this was
the case. She had blue eyes out of a Van Gogh sky, blonde hair out of a Grace
Kelly movie and a figure out of a Betty and Veronica comic book. Her adorable
accent made Josh want to renounce his American citizenship. She was the first
woman who made him forget Nicollette, or at least not think about her quite so
often.
Better yet, Magdalena appeared to be interested in Josh, which is much more than
could be said of Nicollette. She even paid for his dinner since Josh kept most of
his money locked in the bus’s secret safe.
He and Magdalena sat along by the river late into the evening, drinking beer as
the sky darkened and the lights of Prague came on. They waited.
“There is signal,’’ Magdalena said suddenly when a light flashed on and off from
the opposite side of the river. “Now we meet Marcus, please.’’
She took Josh by the hand and led him toward the bridge.
“St. Charles Bridge is most beautiful in all Europe,’’ Magdalena said. “Built
nearly 700 years ago. Last cleaned nearly 700 years ago. Is joke, yes? Notice
please the many beautiful baroque statues posted along the bridge, please? These
are important Czech heroes.’’ She saw that she was wasting this information on
Josh, who was distracted with worry. “I am sorry, please? Is difficult not to be
the tour guide when you have done it so long, yes?’’
Josh nodded though he didn’t really know what she meant. He had only been a tour
guide two weeks. And even at that, he was a poor one. He hadn’t been to any of the
cities his group had visited. He had gotten by reading the guidebooks the night
before arriving in a city. Even then, he got most everything wrong, not that his
passengers (or terrorists?) seemed to notice. Hell, he couldn’t even find his own
bus.
Still, he had to admit, the bridge was breathtaking in the moonlight. Maybe if he
had taken the group here instead of the city’s seedier bars, he might still have
the bus.
When they reached midspan, a tall, slender man suddenly stepped from beside a
statue. “Marcus!’’ Magdalena cried. “You almost scared me!’’
“Wouldn’t want to do that, my delicious girl,’’ Marcus replied in a thick South
African accent. “You are looking exceptionally lovely, tonight. When are you going
to marry me? I don’t know much but I do know this – we will make a beautiful
couple someday.’’
Marcus leaned down and kissed Magdalena on the cheeks, European style. When she
kissed him back, Josh felt a pang of jealousy.
“Ahem,’’ Josh said.
Marcus looked and turned his attention to Josh. Marcus was about 6 foot 4, weighed
a little over 180 pounds and wore a blue cotton sweater and olive traveler pants.
His hair was just beginning to show signs of gray and wrinkles lined his eyes.
They were friendly eyes but they had also seen the world.
“You must be the one who lost his bus,’’ Marcus said, extending his hand. “Awfully
big item to lose, isn’t it? Have you looked everywhere, brother? Checked your
pockets? Had a little peek under the bed? Maybe Magdalena is hiding it in her
brassiere. She’s got something in there. ’’
“Uhhhhhh ,’’ Josh stammered, embarrassed. “It’s just gone.’’
“Not to worry, my brother. I’ve put out the word. And I’ve got good news. I think
I know where your bus is.’’
“Really? Where?’’
“Right this moment? I couldn’t tell you. Somewhere past Dresden I imagine. But it
will be in Berlin by tomorrow morning. And so will we. You’re in luck. I need to
make a run into Berlin and there’s room for you in my Land Rover.’’
“Are you sure? How do you know the bus is going to be there?’’
“Can’t tell you that, my brother. Trade secrets and all. But the information is
solid -- you can trust me on that. So, are we a go or not?’’
Josh didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, he was desperate to get the bus
back and relieved to hear someone knew where it might be. On the other hand, could
he trust a smuggler he just met? And did he really want to get into a car with him
when he was making a run? Josh could wind up in even worse trouble. Maybe he
should go to the police. His boss probably was going to find out eventually
anyway.
“If you want my help, brother, I’m happy to lend an experienced hand. If you
don’t, I’ve got my own business to take care of,’’ Marcus said. “I don’t know
much, but I do know this. You’re not going to find your bus drinking beer by the
Charles Bridge.’’
“Yes, Josh, we must go,’’ Magdalena said.
“We?’’
“But of course. I cannot send you alone without a good tour guide, yes?’’
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe just the two of us could go, darling,’’ he
said, slipping his arm around Magdalena’s waist and giving Josh a playful grin.
“Actually, it might work better if Josh stays here and sets up a proper command
post.’’
“No, I’m going. We’re all going,’’ Josh said rapidly, his mind made up. He grabbed
Magdalena’s hand and gently pulled her a step nearer. “So where’s the Land Rover,
brother? We need to get to Berlin.’’
Next: “Who’s Your Daddy?’’
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