Reb leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s going to be fine if you don’t freak out. You’re perfectly capable of driving this Jeep. Keep your eyes on the road and stop panicking.”
“We put a specialized combustion engine in this Jeep for worst-case scenarios. It won’t be hard at all to catch that train now,” Giles commented.
Back on the train, Claude hunted for an escape route. “We need to get out of here. Those bandits are going to take what they want, then kill us.”
“I think we need to cooperate. They have toxic darts and took control of the train. You can’t jump off the train without dying. Even our grafted bones won’t keep us safe from the impact. The train is moving way too fast,” Priscilla logically explained.
“Are they really going to kill us?” Parker asked, in a frightened tone.
Savannah reassured him, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. There’s going to be a solution to our problem.”
“Like what? It seems like we’re at the mercy of those bandits,” Flynn complained.
“Maybe we can take control of the conductor’s car. I’m sure there’s only one bandit driving the train. We should be able to outnumber him,” Gable recommended.
Claude was uneasy about the plan. “I don’t think that sounds very safe. He might shoot us with those toxic darts.”
Savannah sighed in frustration, then said, “Well, I don’t want to wait around forever. Percy is in trouble and I can’t help him if we’re just sitting in this passenger car.”
Dusty pushed Percy deeper in the train. They passed through several cars while the Steampunks stayed in their seats to avoid more fatalities.
“Walk to the back. One of my pickup trucks will take us to my hideout,” Dusty said, still pointing the gun at Percy.
The computer mogul kept walking. “Tell me why you’re attacking the train. Nothing makes any sense. I’ve heard about bandits robbing trains for money and valuables, but I’m just one person. You could have kidnapped me back in San Francisco.”
“Truthfully, I wasn’t targeting you specifically. I just needed to find the right type of person who could help me. You’re a famous man. I recognized you right away,” Dusty responded.
“What are you plotting?” Percy asked.
Dusty shoved Percy forward. “Stop asking questions. I’ll explain more when we reach a safe place.”
Reb’s Jeep caught up to the train.
“This is our destination. Get really close to the train because Reb and I need to jump aboard,” Giles directed.
“Is that safe?” Malcolm asked, perplexed.
Reb tried to prevent her hat from being blown away. “Of course not. This is crazy even for Steampunks. We just don’t have a lot of options. People will die if we wait for the police.”
Beauregard carefully steered closer to the train. “How are you going to jump on the train? One of your legs is messed up.”
“My other leg works just fine. Besides, Steampunks are excellent jumpers. It’s part of our enhancements,” Reb replied.
Malcolm clutched his pump-action shotgun. “I’ll keep those bandits away from you guys. Be careful and find the others.”
Nicklaus immediately saw the rescuers from his perch in the passenger seat of his Jeep. “We have intruders! That Jeep is full of Steampunks! We don’t want to them screw up our plans! Drive behind them so I can get a clear shot!”
The driver responded, “You got it!”
They moved closer to Reb’s Jeep, and Nicklaus fired several darts. The Steampunks saw the darts zip past them. One of the darts plunked on the floor near Giles’ feet. He picked up the dart and looked at it.
“What’s this?” Giles wondered out loud.
Reb took the dart from him. “It’s a dart. That doesn’t seem like a very effective weapon against Steampunks.”
Malcolm had an idea. “Maybe they’re filled with poison or something else. Bullets are useless against our species. Our enemies need to find other ways to defeat us.”
“You’re probably right about the darts. This mission just got a lot worse. Don’t let the bandits shoot you. We don’t want to find out if these darts are lethal,” Giles stated.
A bandit on a motorcycle waved a lasso through the air and tossed it at the Steampunk Jeep. He harnessed Reb and tried to yank her out of the vehicle. Giles grabbed Reb and kept her inside their Jeep.
“Apparently, they also brought back lassos from the Wild West!” Reb said through gritted teeth.
Giles pulled out his knife. “It’s just rope! I can cut it away!”
He sawed the lasso until it broke away. The rest of the lasso flopped on the ground while the terrorist tried to recover it.
“Darn it!” the villain complained, as his lasso got tangled.
He lost control of the motorcycle and fell to the ground, tumbling helplessly across the dirt as his motorcycle fell over.
Reb said from the backseat, “As usual, we’ll have to fight for our happy ending. That won’t be a problem. It would be boring if everything was easy.”
Malcolm looked toward the backseat. “Are you okay?”
“Wonderful. I just want to rescue my family,” Reb answered.
Beauregard felt apprehensive as he drove. “I hope you guys have a great plan. This batch of terrorists is going to be tough.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less. We’re in a constant battle for cultural dominance. Those bandits will learn to fear us soon enough,” Giles promised.
They zipped through the prairie at breakneck speed as they tried to keep up with the locomotive, and prepared to storm the train.
Chapter 11
The Nelsons, along with Flynn, Claude, and Parker remained stuck in the first passenger car.
Priscilla looked at Gable. “If you want to ambush the creep who’s driving the train, I’ll be glad to help. Somebody needs to get rid of these bandits.”
“I appreciate it. Keep your fan handy. We’ll probably need it,” Gable recommended.
Flynn shook his head. “Leave me out of your plan. I don’t want those bandits to kill me out of retaliation.”
The couple got out of their seats and gingerly walked down the aisle.
Savannah grabbed Gable’s arm. “Be careful. You have children back home.”
“I know. Stay here with Parker,” Gable replied.
When they reached the door that was connected to the conductor’s car, Gable grabbed the handle and looked at Priscilla.
She pulled out her fan. “Ready?”
Gable nodded his head. “We should be able to get him. Let’s go!”
They slammed through the door and surprised the terrorist. He quickly pulled out his gun and fired poisonous darts at them. Priscilla used her metal fan as a shield. Gable didn’t have a defensive weapon, but one of the darts got stuck in his sleeve’s metal mesh.
He pulled out the dart and assaulted the bandit. “I should give you a dose of this poison! How would you like that?”
Gable tackled the bandit and easily wrestled him to the floor.
“Get off me! You’re ruining our plans!” the thug complained as he struggled.
Before Priscilla could seize control of the engine, another bandit drove next to the conductor’s car on an ATV. He tossed a smoke bomb in the window and disoriented the two Steampunks. Gable and Priscilla coughed as smoke filled the car.
“Never mind! Let’s go back to the passenger car!” Gable commanded.
Priscilla agreed with him. “I’m out of here!”
They reentered the first passenger car and slammed the door shut.
“Did it work?” Parker asked.
Gable cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, those bandits are protecting the controls. We apprehended the driver, but another jerk drove by and threw a smoke bomb at us.”
“We can’t beat those bandits. The only solution is to jump out of the train. I know it’s dangerous, but we don’t have any other choice,” Claude insisted.
/> The Nelsons were hesitant about Claude’s suggestion.
Outside of the train, Beauregard sped across the terrain in Reb’s Jeep. One of the motorcycle thugs activated a grenade.
“Suck on this, Steampunks!” the bandit hollered, as he threw a live grenade at Reb’s Jeep.
Beauregard immediately swerved out of the way and the grenade exploded on the dirt.
Reb hung onto her hat and baton. “Nice move! You’re turning into a pretty good driver!”
“I expect one of you to drive this contraption next time! This stunt driving is too adventurous for my taste!” Beauregard griped.
Dusty and Percy heard the explosion as they walked through the train.
“What was that?” Percy wondered out loud.
Dusty groaned. “Grenades. Somebody must be trying to save the train. Hurry up! We need to move faster!”
“You don’t have to push me. I’ll cooperate,” Percy said, trying to calm the man down.
“Don’t worry. I have a very important task for you to complete. That means I won’t kill you at the moment. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t kill civilians along the way. Just keep that in mind,” Dusty growled.
Meanwhile, Giles pulled out his pistol and aimed it at one of the ATVs. He fired the weapon and punctured one of the front tires. The bandit swerved along the dirt until his tire went completely flat.
He angrily waved his fist at the Steampunks. “Screw you!”
Nicklaus’ Jeep approached the foursome again. He armed a grenade and said, “This should take care of those white knights!”
The villain chucked the grenade at them, but Beauregard maneuvered out of harm’s way again. Nicklaus grimaced when the grenade blow up one of the bandit’s pickup trucks. The explosion blasted the vehicle into the air. Reb’s group shielded themselves from the metal debris.
“It’s a good thing these bandits are their own worst enemies!” Giles remarked.
A bandit’s severed arm suddenly landed on the hood of Reb’s Jeep.
“Seriously? That’s just gross!” Beauregard muttered.
Malcolm snatched the charcoaled arm. “That gives me an idea! I think this belongs to you guys!”
He threw the arm at Nicklaus’ Jeep. It landed in between him and the driver. Nicklaus’ companion screamed at the sight of the burned limb laying next to him.
“You blew up our guys instead!” the driver complained.
Nicklaus lost his temper. “I know that! These Steampunks are giving me a hard time! Just keep your mouth shut and drive!”
He tossed the arm out of his vehicle and while keeping his eye on the Steampunks.
As the chase continued, Claude grabbed the windowsill and attempted to climb out.
“Sorry, but I’m not staying here!” the cowardly man declared.
Another bandit on an ATV drove next to the train’s passenger car and shot Claude’s left eyeball. He immediately died and fell to the floor. The sight disturbed the other passengers.
Parker hurried into Savannah’s arms. “I don’t want anyone else to die!”
She stroked the boy’s hair. “It’s too bad that you have to see this, but we live in a rough environment. You’re going to survive.”
Flynn struggled to maintain his composure. “Can’t we do something? There must be a way to escape from this train!”
Gable shrugged. “I can’t figure out anything.”
Priscilla rested her head on Gable’s shoulder. “We’ll just have to wait for the police. This is going to be a really long train ride.”
They sat in despair while the locomotive sped across the landscape.
Chapter 12
Beauregard followed the train across the prairie while Giles formed a plan.
“Move closer to the train! We need to hop onboard!” Giles commanded.
Beauregard steered to the left. “Okay, but you’re facing a lot of danger! Those thugs have serious artillery!”
“We’ll take our chances!” Reb shouted.
When the Jeep moved close enough to the train, Giles stood up and then leaped toward the speeding locomotive. He successfully grabbed one of the windowsills and dangled precariously from the train. Due to the speed, and shaking from the train, it was difficult for Giles to hang on. He finally crawled inside the train car, it was crowded with Steampunks. Several of the surprised passengers pulled out their weapons and aimed them at Giles.
The attorney held his arms up in the air. “Put your weapons away! I’m a Steampunk, just like you! Right now, I’m trying to find my family! Does anybody know what the bandits want?”
One of the passengers responded, “No. They just started attacking us. Be really careful if you’re going to face them. The bandits have guns that are loaded with toxic darts. They’re lethal within moments.”
Giles wasn’t thrilled with the information. “Wonderful. These terrorists really know how to cause trouble.”
A female Steampunk added a strange detail. “Wait! I just remembered something. They didn’t steal our wallets or purses. I don’t think the bandits are here for money.”
“That’s really weird. Money is usually important to bandits. I want you guys to take cover until the situation is under control. Nobody else needs to die today,” Giles instructed.
He hurried through that car and entered another one.
Outside in the Jeep, Beauregard struggled to stay away from a terrorist riding an ATV.
“Quit swerving around! I need to jump on the train!” Reb hollered.
“We’re being followed by another bandit!” Beauregard protested.
Malcolm hung onto his seat. “Lose him! We don’t want him to fire those darts at us!”
The ATV bandit pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the Steampunk Jeep. “Come on! Hold still, so I can get a good shot!”
He fired the pistol, but his plan went awry when the dart struck one of the motorcycle bandits. The driver died and fell off his motorcycle. As a result, the motorcycle fell on its side and then it tumbled backward toward the ATV. The thug screamed before the motorcycle slammed into his vehicle. Both of the vehicles were destroyed and they were left behind, as the train and the Jeep sped along the prairie. Reb looked back at the wreckage and watched the ATV’s combustion engine explode.
“Two bandits at the same time. That definitely helps us,” Reb commented.
Beauregard took a deep breath. “I’m going to drive closer to the train again! Good luck!”
When the Jeep moved close enough to the train, Reb cautiously stood up. She struggled to remain balanced while her Jeep bounced along the landscape. The lawyer jumped toward the train and used her baton’s handle to hook a windowsill. A female Steampunk saw her against the window and released an ear-piercing scream.
“Shut your stupid face! I’m one of the good guys! Don’t tip the bandits off to me!” Reb scolded.
The female Steampunk was perplexed when she saw Reb hoist herself on top of the speeding train. One of the bandits from inside the train heard someone walking on top of the car he was in. The villain opened the passenger car’s door and climbed up a side ladder. Reb held her baton in a defensive stance when she saw the bandit. He drew a pistol and shot at her. Reb quickly stepped out of the way while the dart zipped past her.
“You have fast reflexes!” the thug stated, obviously surprised.
Reb held up her baton again. “That’s one of the perks of being a Steampunk!”
She leapt toward the bandit and smacked him with her baton. The impact caused him to fall on his back. Two bandits who were riding in a Jeep witnessed Reb assault their friend.
“One of those Steampunks is trying to be a hero! Let’s get her!” the driver declared.
The bandit in the passenger seat armed a grenade. “This should work!”
“Don’t use an explosive! You’ll hurt our guy too!” the driver protested.
“Too late! I need to get rid of this grenade because it’s armed!” the other bandit said, as he threw a g
renade at the roof of the train’s car.
Reb saw the explosive coming so she leaped to the next passenger car. The grenade exploded against the train and rattled a few of the passenger cars. Savannah and her companions were jarred from the explosion.
“Parker, run to the caboose and hide! I think we’re being attacked! Head to the back!” Savannah yelled.
“You’ve got it!” the boy said, before he fled from the passenger car.
Flynn followed suit. “I’m not sticking around to see if those bandits are going to kill us! Sorry, but I need to save myself!”
Gable held Priscilla as Flynn ran away.
“We shouldn’t have taken this train ride,” Gable grumbled.
Priscilla justified the trip. “It seemed perfectly safe at the time. We can’t live in fear. Sometimes bad things are going to happen. I just want you to stay with me.”
The rooftop bandit tried to stand up, but he became unbalanced and fell off the train. He promptly landed on top of the Jeep that was driven by his grenade-wielding friends.
“Get off! You’re blocking my view!” the driver yelled, but the fallen bandit was stuck on the Jeep’s hood.
“I can’t go anywhere else!” the fallen thug complained.
The bandit in the passenger seat braced himself for impact. “Watch out!”
They smashed into the train’s side. The crash flipped their vehicle over and caused it to tumble across the terrain. All three of the bandits were killed in the accident.
Dusty heard the mayhem that occurred outside of the train and yelled at his hostage, “We’re almost there! Move faster! We need to get out of here before the FBI catches us!”
Percy obeyed his captor. “Fine! But I still don’t think it’s going to end well for you!”
“Steampunks think they rule the world! You’re going to learn that other people have plenty of power! We just have to find creative ways to counter your splicing! Now, keep walking before I decide that you’re not useful anymore!” Dusty threatened.
Chapter 13
Nicklaus made sure his belt was secure. “Drive closer to the train! I’m going onboard to help Dusty!”
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution Page 29