Alban was the first one to spot the billowing smoke and steam from the locomotive chimney in the distance. The train was long. He couldn’t tell exactly, but it looked like there were about three or four passenger cars along with a dining car, then an extended line of freight cars. It seemed to be charging over a distant hill, rushing toward them. He actually wondered if it might be moving too fast for their planned maneuver.
Nate motioned for the others to follow him down the ridge and the four took off in a gallop toward the tracks. Nate couldn’t really tell by the distance, but he guessed they had just a few minutes before the train came rushing by.
His heart pounded as they moved, the thrill of a heist energizing him, exhilarating him. It had been too long since he’d been on a job. Retiring or not, Nate was in his element here and he knew it.
He could hear the train wheels gliding steadily along the metal tracks as they came nearer. Nate led them to the base of a small hill that would keep them out of sight until the front of the train passed.
He told them that in order to catch up to the train, they would need to get a running start toward it, but it would have to be at just the right time in order to avoid curious eyes.
“There’s no guarantee Kellen won’t see us out the window,” Nate said, “but if we don’t run beside the train first, we won’t have enough speed to board.”
“And what if Kellen sees us?” Rachel asked.
Nate shrugged. “Then I guess we’ll have a more interesting fight on our hands.”
The four of them waited with great anticipation as the train rounded a hill a short distance to the right of them. Nate looked at the others and then back at the train, knowing that they had to get this right. He wouldn’t be able to slow down for any of them. If someone fell off trying to get onto the back of the train, he wouldn’t be able to help. They had a mission, and Nate couldn’t afford to fail it.
“Get ready,” Nate said, leaning forward, preparing his legs to give his horse a sharp kick. “We’re gonna have to go at a full sprint.” The train was going too fast. Were their horses prepared for this sort of thing? What about Alban’s? Wasn’t it a work horse? “Ready…” He held an arm in the air like an official who was about to start a race. This was a race—the winners being those who could reach the train at all. If they failed, the book would be gone from them, and they might not get another chance. “Ready…” The train was close. So close he could feel it shaking the ground. “Go! Go! Go!”
He kicked the sides of his horse with vigor, using the reins to slap the sides over and over. The train was in full view now, moving a lot faster than Nate had anticipated which gave him all the more reason to speed up.
The engine passed by them, then the passenger cars. He knew that all Kellen had to do was look out the window and he would see them charging after the train. But perhaps the Sentinel was seated on the other side. Or maybe he was asleep. Or maybe he’d seen them and was getting his ravagers ready to attack.
Several freight cars moved past him, his horse sprinting as fast as it possibly could. Nate dared to glance behind him and saw his three companions running steadily in a line, waiting for him to make the first move.
The last car was coming up and Nate reached a hand out to steady himself. Jumping onto a moving train was a leap of faith. One misstep and it could all be over—the mission, his life—done.
He kicked the horse one last time to give it a jolt of energy and for a brief moment, he seemed to be moving at the same pace as the train. The back of the train was right in front of him, and the item he’d been waiting to see was within reach: a ladder. He took a deep breath and tried to grab a hold of it with his hand, missing on the first try, nearly causing him to fumble onto the ground. He reached out a second time and then his fingers touched metal. He clasped his hand around the handle and slid his legs off the saddle, holding on for dear life as they dangled in the air. Finally, his legs swung to the ladder and his entire body slammed against it, sending a wave of pain and relief through him at the same time.
Below the ladder there was a small platform where a worker might stand at the back, and Nate thought it might be enough for at least two people to stand.
He waved his hands inward, motioning for the others to pick up their speed. Marum was the next in line, and she handled the jump with far more grace than Nate could have ever managed. She set both feet in her saddle and leaped into the air, landing directly onto the ladder. She didn’t even look down to see Nate’s stunned reaction before climbing up to the roof of the train car.
Rachel was next. She kicked and kicked, her thin dress and coat flapping in the wind, the look on her face determined. Nate held onto the railing but leaned outward, stretching his hand to her. The horse kept up with the train well enough for the moment, but she wasn’t close enough yet.
“Get closer!” Nate yelled.
Rachel did as she was told, leaning in with an outstretched hand, trying to grab on to anything that would help her. Nate leaned out farther, and finally, their fingers met and Nate pulled. Rachel came off the side of the horse, only holding onto Nate. Her body hit hard into the side of the train, but she never let go. Nate pulled up with all his might, and finally she grabbed hold of the ladder and clambered onto the platform next to Nate.
He held her close for a brief second and looked down at her face. “You all right?”
She nodded curtly and started up the ladder.
When Nate looked out toward Alban, his heart sank. The man’s workhorse wasn’t ready for this kind of thing, and it felt like the train was moving faster now that it had reached more open terrain.
“Come on!” Nate yelled out. “Just a few more feet!”
Alban kicked and screamed, and the horse did all it could, gaining just a little, inch-by-inch.
Nate leaned forward again with an outstretched hand. Alban grimaced as his horse charged forward, shouting encouragement, slapping the reins on either side.
The horse was so close now Nate could almost touch its head. Just another foot and he could grab hold of Alban. “Come on!” he shouted again.
The horse spat and snorted, pushing with every last bit of energy. Alban’s fingers grazed against Nate’s and Nate dared to lean out just a little more. Finally, the two clasped hands and Nate pulled.
The weight of Alban nearly made both of them tumble off the back, but Nate caught himself with his other hand and Alban scrambled to climb onto the platform.
Once the old man was next to him, Nate collapsed onto his rear and let out a deep breath, watching as the horses veered away from the tracks and slowed to a stop.
He turned his head to look at Alban who was wiping a bead of sweat from his brow despite the freezing air rushing past them. He looked at Nate seriously for a moment, then a short chuckle escaped his lips when he truly realized what they had just done.
“Is this what you feel like every day?” Alban said.
“Just about,” Nate answered. He stood to his feet and offered a hand to Alban who took it and stood with a grunt.
“Hey!” The voice came from above them. Rachel peered over the side, her hair floating above her head, whipping in the wind wildly. “Our approach wasn’t so subtle.”
“What is it?” Alban said.
“Ravagers.”
Nate felt his insides drop. He hadn’t come face to face with one of these things, but he’d heard plenty about them.
Alban swore as he climbed up the ladder and Nate followed closely behind. The cold wind hit his face and chest leaving him breathless for a moment. The four of them hunkered down on the roof, staring ahead at figures crawling on the cars ahead.
Nate watched them carefully. There were four of them. He couldn’t make out any features from this distance, but each of them wore what seemed to be a flowing black cloak that whipped in the wind as they moved. He couldn’t see the whiteness of their hair and skin as had been described to him.
The four ravagers moved quickly toward them abou
t twenty or so cars ahead.
“Guess we gotta take them on,” Nate said as he pulled out his pistol.
The others did the same and each of them walked in a crouch, almost as if to allow the wind to pass over them. Nate led the way, unafraid of the dark figures approaching them. With one hand he held the top of his hat and with the other he gripped his pistol. Alban would have made mention of a ravager’s magical ability if they had one. There was nothing about them to suggest that they were immune to bullets. Hardly anything was. The only thing Nate feared was their complete disregard to pain. Alban had told him about this a few weeks ago when Nate kept asking questions about them. Now, he supposed he was about to see it in action.
Nate pushed ahead with great anticipation, his gun set firmly in his palm. His eyes didn’t leave the oncoming ravagers who were now at the first of the freight cars. Then, to Nate’s surprise, all four figures dropped down between a set of cars, probably fifteen ahead.
“Oh no,” Nate said.
“What?”
“They’re disconnecting the cars!”
Nate didn’t think to yell for the others to follow him, he just sprinted ahead. He ignored Alban’s calls for caution. He didn’t care how dangerous the ravagers were. If they disconnected the cars, it would all be over.
Nate was confident in his steps, jumping from car to car without so much as a thought. In the back of his mind he knew that all it took was one misstep and he would go tumbling over the side—or worse, he might fall through the opening between the cars and somehow find himself cut in half by the train wheels. He didn’t let these thoughts consume him. He had to push forward.
He finally reached the passenger cars and looked down at the gangways with his pistol ready. Had he not gone far enough? He thought this was where the ravagers had dropped. Where could they have gone?
Nate looked up to see Marum running toward him, followed by Alban and Rachel. The three of them stopped a few cars away when Nate held out his hands and shook his head, showing that he had no idea where the ravagers went. But there was something strange in his companions’ eyes when they looked at him. They went wide with fear, as though they knew something he didn’t. But they weren’t looking at him.
“Nate look out!” Alban screamed out.
Nate turned quickly, but it was too late. One of the ravagers jumped up from the side of the train and landed squarely on top of Nate, flattening him to the roof. Nate tried to bring his gun up to shoot the creature in the head, but it grabbed at his wrist, flailing and screaming.
Though his hands fought with the creature, Nate’s eyes remained fixed on its face. The black hood and cloak concealed it mostly, but what Alban had told him about the terrifying ravagers was true. It snarled at him, bit in the open air at him. It’s nose was a crevice in the middle of it’s face, it’s teeth were like sharpened blades of sulfur rock—the smell of death permeating from it.
Several loud bursts rang out through the air and the ravager flinched backward only an inch or two, though its blood flowed freely from fresh wounds. Another loud boom and a bullet cracked through its shoulder, freeing Nate’s hand from its grip. He lifted his pistol in the air, pressed the barrel under the ravager’s chin and pulled the trigger.
The revolting creature fell limply over the side of the train as Nate pushed it off. He rose to his feet, not daring to turn back to his friends with a nod of thanks. Instead, he kept his eyes ahead, knowing there had been three more ravagers on top of the train.
The third passenger car, the one with Kellen inside it, was only one car ahead. Nate’s companions stood close to him now, poised with their guns ready. Nate edged closer to the end of the car and looked down. He instantly saw two ravagers struggling with the coupling that connected car number three with the rest of the train. Nate didn’t hesitate. He pulled back on the hammer and unloaded on the two ravagers. Blood flew out in spurts, and as Nate popped open the cylinder on his pistol to refill it with bullets, one of the ravagers was already climbing up toward him. Nate started to back away, loading as he went, but the ravager was too fast.
Nate slapped the cylinder close, opting to holster the pistol and sling his lever-action rifle into his hands. He pumped once and didn’t bother to aim, shooting from the hip. The bullet burned through the ravager’s chest, throwing it onto its back.
A brawl was happening behind Nate, and when he turned, he saw the fourth ravager on top of Alban’s back, scraping at him, doing everything it could to rip out the man’s throat. But Marum already had her knife in hand, stabbing the ravager repeatedly in the back, careful not to accidentally hit Alban in the process. The ravager screamed in protest, letting go of Alban in order to turn on Marum, but Rachel was ready with her pistol and she aimed at the ravager’s head and fired. The ghastly creature fell limp to the roof and Marum kicked at it until it slid off the side lifelessly.
Nate turned back toward the third car to see the ravager he’d shot with his rifle struggling to get to its knees. He pumped the lever once and aimed down the sight at the ravager’s head and fired.
The fourth ravager was still struggling to unhinge the third passenger car from the rest of the train when Nate peered over the edge. Blood dripped from its shoulder and chest from Nate’s earlier attack. But the ravager seemed undeterred by the wounds, as if it couldn’t feel pain so long as it had a mission to accomplish. Nate aimed for the ravager’s head, and in the brief second before he pulled the trigger, the creature looked up at him with wide, blood-shot eyes, it’s sharp yellow teeth chomping like a feral demon.
With a squeeze of a trigger, Nate sent the creature back to hell.
He spent the next couple of seconds reloading his guns. When the others came up behind him, he looked at them briefly and nodded toward the front of the train. “You three stay up top. I’m going down inside the train.”
“You think that’s wise?” Alban said, clutching his arm to keep a deep gash closed. Blood dripped down between his fingers.
“Yeah,” Nate said. “If anything comes up that doesn’t look like me, shoot it.” He looked at Alban. “You okay?”
“I’ll survive.”
“I hope that’s true for all of us,” Nate said. He set his fully-loaded rifle back in the pouch at his back and readied his pistol. With it in hand, he started down to the gangway between the cars.
There were six more ravagers, he knew. Then there was Kellen. Nate understood that putting himself into an enclosed space was dangerous, but it also provided a benefit. The ravagers wouldn’t be able to overwhelm him from all sides. He’d be able to keep his enemies in front of him. All he had to do was shoot straight.
Once on the platform, he looked through the glass in the doorway ahead of him only to find that the car was empty. There were no ravagers. No Kellen.
A surge of panic jolted his heart as he opened the door and walked in. The only person other than Nate was a dead body on the floor with a gaping hole in the neck. The man had been dead for hours. Maybe even a day. He turned his eyes forward as he walked steadily toward the next car.
Once in, he saw a few passengers, maybe twenty. Men. Elves. Dwarves. A couple of gnomes. All of them had been passengers on this train for some reason or another. None of them knew it was a train of death until moments ago.
Nate saw blood pooled on the floor. It was fresher than the blood in the last car. He looked at the faces of those who looked up at him. They were etched with terror. Nate said nothing as he charged ahead. Through the glass of the next door, he could see a commotion in the first passenger car.
He made his way onto the platform outside the car, the cold air cutting at his exposed skin. He could see ahead that the ravagers were gathered at the end of the car, having left behind a trail of blood and scared victims cowering away in their seats.
Then he saw it. The Book of Life. It had to be the one. It was held tightly in the firm grip of Sentinel Kellen. Six ravagers surrounded him, protecting him like a shield against anyone who might come a
fter him. Kellen and Nate locked eyes momentarily. It was clear, if Nate wanted the book, he was going to have to kill the Sentinel.
Someone above Nate called out his name. When he looked up, he saw Rachel peering down at him. “Where is he?”
Nate looked back at the Sentinel who no longer watched Nate. Instead, he had The Book of Life open in his hands, staring at the pages. He, along with the ravagers next to him, were pulled into the book in a flash, vanishing into thin air. The book dropped on the floor as if no one had been holding it.
He knew what Kellen had done. Nate had experienced the same phenomenon over a month and a half ago, ending up in this strange land called Galamore.
Nate looked up at Rachel and swallowed. “He’s in the book.”
He moved forward, gun still in hand. The passengers cowered in his presence. Soon, Rachel, Alban, and Marum followed Nate into the car. Nate walked to the book and picked it up off the floor, closing it firmly in his hands.
“What are you going to do with it?” Rachel asked.
“I’m gonna go in.”
“Nate, that’s suicide,” Alban said. “You can’t forget that no man has ever entered the book and ever come back.”
“Ain’t that why we’re after it? We could spend years standing here waiting for Kellen to come back with the relic key. You think our chances are better if we do that?” He shook his head. “Way I see it, I might as well go in after him. I gotta do it anyway.”
The others watched him, no longer offering protest. Nate was right and they knew it. There was no other way. If he truly was to be this Keeper of the books, then this was the moment to prove to himself—to the world.
His eyes went up from the book to Marum and Alban. “Disconnect the cars from the engine,” he said. “Droman and his men are still after this thing. Stopping the train will at least give us some time.”
The Outlaw's Quest (Keeper of the Books, Book 2) Page 27