Felicity – Six

Felicity – Six
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“If we keep to the plan, nothing will go wrong.” Gideon announced as we all sat waiting at the hold up point. I was armed with only my pistols strapped to my hip and my backup knife. We had all gathered at the hold up point and were awaiting the train.
Solomon and Matthias were up on the cliff face down the track, they would be jumping on the train and holding up the driver from the front while we loaded onto the train and robbed it.
The hold up point was set up by the time it would take the train to stop when the explosion took hold of the front. Oh yes, we had dynamite set and ready to blow. A few of the others were further down the track guarding John as he set the dynamite.
We had been waiting here an hour or so, readying the dynamite meant a steady hand and John was apparently our best with explosives, bar our in-house Gunslinger.
Solomon was however the most settled man in our group so he and Matthias were going to board the train the hard way.
Checking his pocket watch, Gideon kept his eye out while Levi listened out for the train, his ear to the metal track.
“It should be about now.” Gideon spoke and less than a second later Levi waved to us from his position on the track. “Just right on time.” Gideon chuckled and brought his hand up in the air, spinning it around to gather the gang. Making our way over, we gathered up ready for the train. The sound of the train began to get louder and louder.
“I see the train!” Clyde called out and I could see it coming too. The steam thrown into the air by the trains boiler rising up past the tunnel’s top some distance away. The sound of the trains chugging changed to a duller tone, it had entered the tunnel.
Looking at his pocket watch, Gideon looked sourly. “The Det’s haven’t gone off.” He sighed. “They should have gone off before it hit the tunnel, the train would slide to a stop!” Clicking the cover of his pocket watch down and slipping it away into his waistcoat pocket, Gideon looked at the others as he pulled up his bandanna. “Get the horses!”
Rushing for our horses, we quickly began to mount up just as the train roared past us at full speed. I had just got settled into my saddle when the train past by and my eyes caught two figures on standing up on one of the rear carriages. “Solo and Matthias have got aboard!” I yelled to Gideon.
Our leader turned and squinted into the sun, nodding to the others. “We can still do this! Hya!” Ushering his horse into a full gallop the rest of the gang, myself included, began to race after the train. The reason we had chosen this spot was because of the tunnel, the cliff and the fact the train had to slow down to make the turn before the tunnel. The long straight track after was perfect for the train to come to a slow halt without derailing on a bend.
Now the train was pushing itself faster and faster; this was not good, the straight gave it the advantage and we would never catch it if it Solomon and Matthias did not manage to stop the train.
Riding as hard as we could, I kept at the front of the gang, my horse was young but it was strong and fast. Only Gideon and Solomon’s horse could ride faster than mine unheeded.
The one odd thing I did notice was Solomon and Matthias’ horses. The pair ran alongside each other and kept into formation with the rest of us without even having to be called upon; the two almost acting independently and as if part of the gang.
Admirable that the steeds were as loyal to the gang as the riders.
The sound of the train was ringing ahead of us but there was another sound in the air too, gunshots. Someone was shooting on the train.
There was nothing we could do about that out here, we were too far away and it took everything we had to just keep up with the train as it began to accelerate.
For a few minutes we pushed our horses, I did not know how long we could last this. It was then that the train ahead of us was engulfed in a bright firelight and shards of metal few from the train. Had they blown the boiler? No, the train and the boiler were fine, it was the carriage attached to the train, a metal box.
Looking up I could see a figure stood upon it, aiming two hands down inside the curled open metal, something had burst out from the inside, like a larva inside the husk of an insect.
Bright arch’s of lightning, fire and ice shot out from the hole, the figure on top dancing around the train as he continued to fire inside. Solomon was giving whoever was in there a damn fight for their lives.
Another figure joined him on the roof and ran across. I almost thought they were some gunmen come to defend the train when I saw the figure jump into the place where the hole would be. It must have been Matthias, either one of them were that crazy.
A second later the figure on the roof jumped down too and I lost sight of them both.
Our horses were beginning to tire, it wouldn’t be long before we had to stop or kill the horses. A few of the riders had slowed down behind us and were trailing back while Gideon and I were keeping up, it seemed that Solomon and Matthias’ horses were keeping up too.
A loud bang brought my attention up and I saw chunks of metal kick out from the side of the train. A loud grinding noise rang through the valley and I knew it.
They’d done it! They’d stopped the train.
Reaching the back carriage of the train, I dived across from the saddle and managed to stand up while Gideon stepped out of his saddle and out onto the slowing train.
Looking back, the other stragglers managed to catch up and get aboard.
“Go go! Secure the train, forget about the civvies and just take the goods!” He ordered as everyone made sure their masks were in pace.
Rushing down the carriages, I was right beside Gideon as we pushed up through the carriages, stepping over the bodies left behind by Matthias and Solomon.
Passing through the passenger carriages we rushed by the panicking civvies, we pushed onto the prize.
The train was finally coming to a stop and we managed to surround the carriage, the target.
“We have it now boys!” Gideon yelled.