TCB Part 30: Chapter 10: Saturday Still.

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< Part 29

Chapter 10: Saturday Still

Jason Hawke felt like he was on the right track. He left Charlotte Avalon with the police. He had tried to ask her questions, but she passed out before he could get any information from her. All he had to go on at this point was the word Montebanque and the strange dark suit.

He looked up at the building in front of him. It was shabby, built in the austere style from the late 20^th century. Five stories in total, it was one of the smaller buildings on the mostly abandoned street. The area had once been a hotbed of technological innovation, and ground-zero for the city’s battle against the technologists. It now represented a sort of taboo for those living in the city. Most who remembered the war were not eager to find themselves in this neighborhood. Today, it played host to any number of inventors. The neighborhood kept its reputation as a center for innovation, now typically within bounds.

He knocked on the door and a friendly face came to open it. “Sorry Jay, guess I forgot to unlock the door this morning. Funny, you’re the first one to stop in.” the middle-aged man waved Hawke into the shop.

“How’s business, Erasmus?” Jason asked as he picked up a trinket from a nearby table. It was some kind of wristwatch device with a small brass nozzle under the wrist. He turned it around in his hand and couldn’t figure out what the purpose of the nozzle could be.

“That’s an auto-perfumiere. There is a tiny vial of perfume inside, you set a timer and it applies perfume to your wrist at the defined interval.” Erasmus pressed a button on the side of the watch and a small puff of musky cologne sprayed out. “It’s not terribly useful, I’ll admit. Probably why business is not good at all.”

“Clever though.” Jason set the watch back on the table. “I could use your help. I’ve got a client looking for someone, and I thought you might be able to help me get moving in the right direction. Does the word ‘Montebanque’ mean anything to you?”

Erasmus laughed and said with mock pomp, “Doctor Everton L. Montebanque.”

“So it’s a person.”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“And you know this person?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Let’s just say that he and I are in the same line of work. Difference is, I try to run my shop like a business. I try to make things people might be willing to buy. Ol’ Everton’s the type who makes stuff just for stuff’s sake. His shop is full of his ‘creations’ as he insists on calling them. Bunch of useless widgets if you ask me.” Erasmus’s voice told Jason that he’d hit a soft spot.

“I see. Would you say he’s the type of guy who would get involved with a criminal enterprise?”

“What, like the Digits? I wouldn’t be surprised at all. His trinkets fall awfully close to the technical demarcation line.”

“Interesting.”

“Something you’re not telling me, Jason?”

Erasmus seemed eager to hear that his competitor was in some kind of trouble. Sometimes, schadefreude was the best motivator of all. Jason wasn’t about to stop him from telling him more. He decided to show him the boot from the suit he’d found in the hotel room. He pulled it from his shoulder bag. “Know anything about this?”

Erasmus took the boot, turned it over in his hands. Inspected it a little closer. “Looks like something Montebanque would make. What’s it from?”

“Eh, I’m not at liberty to say, Erasmus. Sorry.”

“Yeah. You got your job, I got mine. I understand.”

Jason tried to learn a bit more. “I didn’t recognize that material; do you know what that is?”

“Yeah, it’s carbon fiber.”

“Huh, never heard of it.”

“Yeah, it’s not technically illegal, but it’s not exactly mainstream. It’s an old material made from woven carbon threads, which are then bonded with a material that makes them stiff. It can be done legally today, but it’s obscenely expensive to do with current machinery. I’ve heard that the Digits make the stuff all the time. Now see, this example uses some kind of glue to bond to the fibers, which means it was at least designed to look legal. Can’t say for sure, but I know who could tell you.” Erasmus got a boyish smile on his face. “Montebanque’s shop is just up the street, you can ask him yourself.”

“Thanks Erasmus, you’re invaluable as always.” Jason started to walk out of the shop and then stopped at the table by the door. He picked up the perfume watch. “I’d like to buy this watch.”

“Nah, you don’t have to do that, Jason. I’m happy to help regardless of whether you buy anything.”

“No, I really want the watch. I think it may come in handy.” Jason paid for the watch and left the shop. He stopped to wind the watch and fill the reservoir before heading down the street toward Dr. Everton L. Montebanque’s shop.

Part 31 >

TCB Part 29: Saturday (cont.)

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 28

Charlotte hadn’t realized that she’d fallen asleep until she was awoken by a loud knocking on the door. After getting her bearings, she jumped out of her chair and rushed to the door. She peered through the hole to see who was there. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, and wasn’t sure that she wanted any. She saw a man in a dark coat and black hat standing in the hall. He pounded on the door again.

The man in the hallway spoke through the closed door, “Charlotte Avalon. I need to speak with you.”

She didn’t like the way he said her name. She didn’t like that he knew her name. She had used a false name when checking into the hotel. She reasoned that the only reason he could have found her is if he was looking for her. The only reason he could be looking for her is in connection with the robbery. She decided that the last thing she wanted to do was to talk with him. She needed to get out of town, and she needed to do it fast.

“One moment, I’m not decent.” She said, trying not to sound guilty.

She looked around the room. She couldn’t stall forever, so she needed to figure something out. Pulling the dress off as quickly as possible, she donned her new riding suit. It was fairly comfortable and gave her freedom to move. She wasn’t sure why it cost so much more than her racing suit, but it served the same purpose. She scribbled a note on a piece of paper and threw it on the bed.

***

Outside the locked door, Jason Hawke continued knocking. “Charlotte, open the door. I just want to talk with you, nothing more.” He waited another minute, and decided it was time to bust in. Drawing his revolver, he stood back and kicked hard at the door. The frame splintered and the door slammed open.

Hawke carefully entered the room, gun at the ready. He checked every corner, every closet. There was no sign of Charlotte. The window was open, and the curtains danced on the light breeze. He’d missed her. He ran to the window and looked outside, but saw no sign of his target. He would have to catch up with her later. He’d studied her background and was fairly certain she wasn’t the ringleader. In fact, until she escaped out the window, he wasn’t even sure she had anything to do with the crime. He was going off a vague tip from a backwater farmer and a cocky cab driver. Not great evidence. But the innocent never climb out the window.

He saw a heap on the bed and examined it. Some kind of suit. He looked closer, but wasn’t familiar with the material. Whatever it was, it seemed to be a bit advanced for the current state of technology. He picked it up and saw a scrap of paper fall to the ground. Written on the paper was a single word: “Montebanque.”

That was something. He didn’t know what it meant, but it gave him something to investigate. The suit was stiff, so he wouldn’t be able to stash it in his bag. He’d have to carry it out as it was. With any luck, he could avoid notice. He wasn’t sure how much the bribe to the bellhop would buy him, but he didn’t expect his expense account to cover too many more bribes.

***

Charlotte managed to scurry along a ledge of her 8^th story window. She was near a corner of the building, so she went immediately to the corner and around the side of the structure. The exterior was mainly stone blocks and bricks, which gave her plenty of finger and toe holds. Her heavy boots were not ideal for this kind of climbing, and her injured wrist was not cooperating. Safely around the corner, she rested on a ledge for a moment to formulate a plan.

“This is some predicament you got yourself in, Charlie Avalon,” she muttered to herself. Why hadn’t she put on the wingsuit? She could have jumped from the building and soared to freedom. Sure, it had failed her the last time she used it, but it was better than climbing out on the exterior of a building. She looked up to the roof, 6 stories above. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to climb that far up with her hurt arm and inappropriate footwear.

She looked across the alley at the building opposite her. The alley was at least ten feet across. She could jump that distance, but probably not without falling three or four stories in the process. Even still, what would she aim for? Where would she land?

With any luck, the guy at the door would see her note and follow that clue. She wouldn’t normally have thrown a friend under the train, but it was all she could think of at short notice. He wasn’t really a friend anyway. It was his suit that caused such issues. If she hadn’t been so clever lighting that rocket, she never would have caught the train. She might well be dead. He was just a very clever guy who made a very clever device.

She decided she was best to find her way down to the ground level. She returned to the corner of the building, where the stones were more jagged and provided better holds. She slowly inched her way down, foot by foot. Her injured wrist was useless, but she was able to wedge her arm against the side of the stones and shimmy her way down the corner. She was at the fifth story when she heard the first voice from below.

“What is she doing?”

“Who is that?”

So much for being inconspicuous. Well, at this point, she might as well make a show of it. She waved her injured arm at the crowd and they erupted in cheers. She continued her way down. She made a couple of fake moves at pretending to fall, and delighted at the gasps and screams from below. When she finally made it to the ground, the crowd all cheered. She heard a few people call out her name. There were disadvantages of being a semi-celebrity.

She waved to the crowd, who were starting to close in on her. “The lock was jammed.” She smiled and shrugged comically. She made her way through the crowd toward the street. It was time to make her getaway.

She had just stepped off the curb to cross the street when she heard another shout. “Hey, it’s you!”

She looked and saw the cab driver from earlier. She turned and ran. Her body was in no condition to run. She was aching from her injuries and tired from her climb. She was two blocks away in a hurry, but wasn’t sure how far she could keep it up. She turned to look over her shoulder to see if anybody was in pursuit. The cabby was heading her direction, but she was faster than he was.

She turned her head back in front of her just in time to see the steamer delivery truck slam into her. She could feel her femur snap in the impact. She rolled up onto the hood of the vehicle, and could feel the heat of the steam boiler below the thin layer of sheet metal. The rubber tires squealed to a halt and she rolled off the hood onto the street.

So much for the chase. She lay in the street and moaned from exhaustion and pain. She felt a drip of blood run down her cheek and stared up at the dark and stormy sky. A face filled her field of vision. It was a man in a black coat and hat. So that was it. She closed her eyes and let herself pass out from the agony.

Part 30 >

TCB Part 28: Chapter 9: Saturday

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 27

Chapter 9: Saturday

For the second time, Charlotte woke in a strange place. It was dark, except for a flickering light at the other end of a long room. She was disoriented and her head throbbed with pain. She tried to remember where she was, focused on the light. It was an oil lamp. She was in the safehouse.

Her dreams had been strange last night. She had been running from something, or someone. It seemed that all of her friends were against her. They all wanted to see her caught. It was frightening to her to have so many people out to get her. She was no stranger to the occasional fight; in fact she enjoyed the occasional fight. But this was different. It was paranoia, and that was something she was not used to.

She thought back to the previous night. The heist ended without fanfare. She hobbled her way into the safehouse and the team immediately began to fight. It’s amazing what money and greed will do to a person. After they divided everything, the team went their separate ways. Except Charlotte had nowhere to go. She hadn’t had anywhere to go in a long time.

She sat against a wall in the abandoned subway station and pulled her knees up to her chest. She remembered where she’d come from. She remembered the orphanage that had been her only real home. She remembered the way the teachers had abused her and the other kids. She remembered escaping from her room in the middle of the night. She hopped the fence and just ran.

Her outlook on life had been different since then. She loved life, but was never afraid to lose it. There was nobody who cared for her, no family, no true friends. She’d found a group of people where she fit in, racing airbikes and taking risks. It felt great to put her life on the line every day for a thrill. As she got better at racing, she lost that thrill. She supposed that was why she accepted this job; it was a new thrill.

Now that she had money, she wasn’t sure where she would get her thrills. She could buy any machine she wanted. She could have the best airbike. She could even buy a wingsuit from old Dr. Monty. That reminded her that she’d left the wingsuit in the tunnel. She would have to do something about that. Eventually, someone would go snooping around that tunnel and find the suit. They might tie it to her.

She stood up and was instantly reminded of the crash from the prior day. Her back ached in several places. Her wrist was throbbing and swollen. It was probably broken. She stretched her arms into the air and the blood rushed from her head, leaving her dizzy and light headed. She leaned against the wall to regain her balance. She hopped onto the tracks and went to the boxcar. Her things were all still there. She grabbed a few handfuls of gold coins and shoved them in her pockets. Other things would have to wait.

She climbed the stairs to the surface of the city. Today was not as clear as the day before. Dark clouds were overhead and it smelled like rain. The rain would be a relief from the smog that sat thick in the valley. The streets in this part of town were abandoned as usual. As she walked toward the population center, she saw more and more people. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head to avoid attracting any attention.

She walked past a newsstand as she entered the fashion district. Plastered across the front of every paper was a bold-faced headline: LESTER TRAIN ROBBED! Her heart skipped a beat. Of course it would be in the news. It was the biggest theft in recent memory. She dug in her pocket for a coin, and realized that every coin she had was hundreds of times more than the price of the paper. She turned around and saw a clothing boutique and opted for a change of apparel.

 The looks she received upon entering the boutique were more than a little dirty. She could only imagine what they were thinking when she walked in. She soon found out what they were thinking when a polite saleswoman approached to tell her that they did not sell men’s clothing.

Charlotte laughed and pulled her hood back, “Lady, you don’t know how many times I’ve wanted men to see me as their equal. Yet it took walking into a dress shop to have it happen.”

She threw a couple of gold coins on the counter and asked what that would get her. The saleswoman nearly choked on her tongue, then apologized profusely. Half an hour later, Charlotte walked out of the store with a new dress and the latest fashion in ladies riding apparel. They were both completely impractical and totally uncomfortable. But for the first time, she would fit in.

She now had small change for the paper, and bought one on her way out of the shop. She crossed the street to the Hotel Paladium, where she again threw down a coin and asked for a room. Her first shower in days felt incredible. She scrubbed the dust and dirt and filth from her skin and hair. Looking in the mirror afterward, she realized that she looked like a battered wife.

She rang for service and had the hotel send her a makeup kit and a giant breakfast. The meal was more than satisfying. It was the first thing she’d eaten in a day. She was beginning to feel more human after a shower and a meal. She opened the paper to read about herself in the lead story. She was amazed at how many words the reporter wrote in order to say nothing. She learned from the story that they’d done a thorough job, and left not much evidence. She also learned that Montgomery Lester had hired a private investigator to get to the bottom of it.

After an hour of struggling with the kit, she had finally produced something that looked like a normal woman. She put on her new fancy dress and winked at herself in the mirror. “Charlotte Avalon, you’re quite a looker.”

Thinking about the news story again, she decided that she needed to move that suit as soon as possible. She wasn’t worried about the useless city cops finding it anytime soon, but if he’s got a PI on the job, it won’t take much to find that. She laced up a new pair of thick black boots. At the last minute, she decided to bring the dress bag along with her as well. She locked the door and headed out.

It was amazing how things change with just a little makeup and fabric. She had men opening doors for her, tipping their hats in the street. She suddenly felt like she was a part of the society that had left her by the wayside. It was unfair that the way she looked could have that effect, and yet it was really nice too. She smiled at everyone who passed.

As rain began to fall, she rushed to a steamer cab, arriving at the same time as a young man about her age. “After you, miss.”

Charlotte smiled, “Oh, thanks buddy. I mean, thank you sir.”

He smiled sheepishly as he shut the door behind her and hailed the next cab.

How odd, she thought. A guy who would stand in the rain a few extra seconds so she could get this cab. None of the guys at the track were polite like that. She was lucky if they’d let her borrow a hammer. She directed the cabby to drive her out of the city toward the spot where the tunnel was.

Once in the country, she asked the cab to wait for her. She borrowed an umbrella from the driver and stepped out into the morning drizzle. The dress made it hard to walk across the uneven surface, but she made it. Ducking into the tunnel, she found the suit. Memories of the previous day’s adventure flooded her mind.

She shoved the rocket suit into the ample dress bag and made her way back to the waiting cab. Safely inside, she asked to be taken back to the hotel. The driver, who had been silent to this point, spoke up. “You reckon this is where that robbery happened?”

“Robbery? Oh, the train thing? Well, I suppose it is. I hadn’t thought about it.” She was hoping that was nonchalant enough, but she wasn’t very good at this game.

“Yeah. I heard it was on that very rail line there. I wonder how they did it; pretty impressive bit of villainy that is.”

Charlotte had an urge to tell the cabby that it was her and tell him just how impressive it was. She wanted to take his praise and own it. Instead she had to internalize it, and pretend to be disinterested. “I suspect they were very clever villains.”

“You can say that again. What I wouldn’t give to meet them.” The cabby half turned his head to look back at Charlotte. “I mean, just to find out how they did it. I’d never do anything like that m’self.”

“Of course not.” Charlotte couldn’t muster a polite smile.

“Say, if you don’t mind my asking, what was it you came out here for?”

Charlotte thought about telling him it wasn’t his business and leaving it at that. But since he was so keyed in on the robbery, she didn’t think it wise to give him reason to suspect. “Oh, I work for the railroad. Tunnel maintenance. I forgot a dirty worksuit here this week and I wanted to get it laundered.” She held up the dress bag for him to see.

He nodded in the mirror. “You don’t look like a railworker, if you don’t mind my saying. Rail workers aren’t usually so pretty.”

That made Charlotte smile. “Most of my gentleman friends tell me that I clean up well on the weekends.” She winked at the cabby, who blushed and went back to his driving. She hoped that would be enough to keep his mind off the heist. For once, she wished she had Anabelle’s charms to disarm this simple cab driver.

When they arrived back at the hotel, she paid the driver and gave him a generous tip. “That’s to keep you out of trouble.” She winked again, though she was screaming inside at how out of character she was acting. She blamed it on the confounded dress.

The driver smiled back at her. “Say, if you’re not busy tonight. I get off at eight if you want to catch a bite or something.” His face turned bright red.

“Tonight’s not good. Maybe another time.” Charlotte patted his hand and got out of the car. She headed straight for her room. She tossed the wingsuit on the bed and collapsed into a chair. Who knew that being a lady could be so exhausting?

Part 29 >

TCB Part 27: Archives: A Spark

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 26

Archives: A spark

When the revolution came, we stood up and volunteered. We believed in the cause, believed in its ability to heal our broken world. We served on the front lines in the battles against the Technologists. We arrested, imprisoned, and killed our fellow men because we were told that it would bring about a new era of peace and prosperity. We did all these things because we believed that humanity’s best days were yet to come.

Now where do we stand? While the opposition fell, our cities were being remade. Our skyscrapers condemned to stand as shells filled with memories and history of a world that once was and now will never be. Our factories were retooled to produce the machines of tomorrow: the machines of days gone by. New machines were forged in the image of history’s lumbering steamships and majestic trains. Again, we volunteered. We worked in the factories, served on construction and destruction crews. We evacuated those skyscrapers and moved into new homes. When we were asked to change our lives for the sake of society, we said yes. We believed it was right.

We smiled and gladly went to work each day, laboring as cogs in the machine that built a new America. We stamped out products labeled with “Lester” and “Carthage” on the sides. We were proud to say that we served in the factories that built our new society. We drank in pubs and celebrated in our homes. A new day was dawning for us. There was hope that the days of hate were behind us. We could be prosperous, and one day maybe become the factory owner instead of just a worker.

But that opportunity never came. We never received pay raises, even when the company was more and more profitable. We never got promotions, forced to work for an endless string of nephews and friends of the owners. We couldn’t save for the future as rent prices rose higher and higher and quality fell lower and lower. We didn’t ask for more than we’d earned, but we asked for our fair share.

When we tried to organize the workers, we were arrested, charged as traitors. No risk to the regime could be seen as patriotic. We only were called names, labeled as sympathizers, and shamed. We asked for so little, but were punished so much.

We didn’t see the peace. We didn’t see the prosperity. We didn’t see all the good things we were told were coming. We were merely cogs in a machine much bigger than ourselves. So we live one day at a time. We collect our meager wages and hand them right back to the hand that paid them. We live in squalor and poverty with no hope to emerge. It was patriotism that wrought this society, patriotism in an idea that there could be a society where we didn’t divide ourselves.

We fought patriotically, worked patriotically, slaved every day to move our nation forward. We did our duty to our country because we believed in the cause. We did what we were told and didn’t ask questions, because we wanted a better world.

Where did we go wrong?

-Anonymous

Part 28 >

TCB Part 26: Chapter 8: Friday Evening.

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 25

Chapter 8: Friday Evening

The team sat silently in the safehouse. Higgs was more than a little nervous about the heist. Things had gone well, but not exactly as planned. There was a witness, the guard at the bank. Phineas had to ride the train all the way into the city. Charlotte crashed her wingsuit when they weren’t able to lift off in the airship. And on top of all that, the train had been moving faster than expected, so the take was not as big. Not that the size of the take really mattered. No take was big enough to take a risk with his life. Higgs wanted the money, but he wanted to be a free man more.

They were surprised to find Phineas already waiting for them when they arrived at the safehouse. Higgs hadn’t expected him to be there and pulled a gun when he saw someone in their hideout. Thankfully, Kostas stopped him from firing. He was too jumpy, too nervous about the outcome. He just wanted to settle matters with the team and get on with life. Where could he go now? The thought of leaving the city was too much for him, yet staying here was too much of a risk.

Higgs paced impatiently along the platform. Each pass, he couldn’t resist looking down the tunnel to assure that the boxcar was still there. Where would it go? It couldn’t go anywhere without them noticing. He was paranoid, what’s worse, he knew it and it didn’t help. Just then, something happened which did not help his paranoia. One of the warning lamps lit up indicating someone was coming down the rail tunnel.

Higgs drew his weapon, a small 8-shot revolver. Kostas pulled a knife out of his boot and went to stand next to Higgs. Phineas was too blasé about the whole thing, not even bothering to stand and defend their fortress. They heard the footsteps coming down the tunnel, uneven and slow. Kostas jumped onto the tracks, lit a flashlight and ran down the tunnel with his knife.

A moment later, his accented voice came echoing back, “Is ok! Is Charlotte.”

Kostas led Charlotte into the safehouse. She was battered and bruised and held one arm gingerly in front of her. She walked with a strong limp and her smile, usually broad and brazen, was tempered with pain. Kostas and Higgs helped her up onto the platform.

Anabelle jumped from her seat and rushed to Charlotte. She embraced her in a hug and brushed her short curls away from her face. “Are you alright, Charlie? You look like you’ve been through the war.”

Charlotte nodded, “I feel like it too.”

Higgs looked down at his feet. He felt ashamed for leaving her. “I’m sorry we didn’t circle back to get you, that was pretty rotten.”

“Shut up.” Charlotte replied, proving that she was the same Charlotte. “That would’ve been stupid. You had to get the loot to safety. You did get the loot to safety?”

Phineas joined the conversation, “Yeah, they got the loot to safety. Hey Higgs, you didn’t apologize for leaving me behind.”

Higgs shook his head, “No Phineas. But you were in your element. Charlotte was hurt and helpless. I felt the same about you that I did about Anabelle. I felt comfortable leaving either of you on the train.”

“Yeah, the valuables were secured, so why worry about a member of the team. If I’m caught that’s fewer hands to divide between.” Phineas spoke with more than a little sarcasm.

“You say that as if you wouldn’t have done the same for me, Phineas.” Higgs scolded.

“I wouldn’t. The whole reason I was on that train into the city was that I went back to take care of Anabelle. So don’t tell me I wouldn’t have come for you too.” Phineas was getting angry now. If he was a fighter, this would be the point that he would have thrown a punch.

“And yet, Anabelle was fine on her own.” Higgs said calmly.

“He’s right, Finn, I was ok on my own. It’s sweet that you came to my rescue, but I didn’t need rescuing.” Anabelle smiled and touched Phineas’s arm.

He shook his head. “What happened to you on the train anyway, Belle?”

“Oh, I ran into an old…friend. And a guard was watching me. I couldn’t exactly go back through the door the way I’d come. So I told my friend I had to use the ladies’ room, and then I climbed onto the roof of the train. Nothing too clever about that I suppose.”

Phineas laughed sardonically. “You’re some lady, you know that, Belle?”

Anabelle just smiled coyly and took Phineas by the arm. “We’re all ok in the end, so what’s the point in fighting. Let’s divide the things and go our separate ways.”

“Agreed.” Dr. Montebanque, quiet until this moment, stood and joined the conversation. “I have important things to attend to, so I would like to divide my part and go.”

“Well, this is where it gets tough.” Higgs replied. “Dividing the goods is easy enough, but moving them is hard. Unless you plan to walk down the streets with a wheelbarrow full of gold bars, we need to do this in pieces. I propose that we keep the boxcar stashed here, with our individual items separated into six groups. Feel free to move your goods as you see fit.”

“And how do we know we can trust the others to not run off with our goods.” Phineas asked, suspiciously.

“We are all people of honor, are we not?” Dr. Montebanque replied.

“Ha! People of honor.” Charlotte laughed. “We just robbed a train, Monty, I think that disqualifies us.”

“I give you all my word, I will not touch your portion.” Anabelle smiled genuinely.

“Me too.” Kostas replied.

“Yes, of course.” Dr. Montebanque huffed.

“I ain’t gonna steal your stuff.” Charlotte replied.

“Naturally, you have my word as well.” Higgs nodded. “But I suspect that Phineas needs more than that.”

“No, your word will do. I mistrust all of you equally, as I’m sure you do me. So I assume that our mutual distrust is deterrent enough.” Phineas chuckled.

The team boarded the boxcar and agreed upon an equitable division of the loot. They outlined six sections of the train, one for each person, and divided the goods accordingly. With that settled, they all shook hands, filled their pockets and bags, and left the safehouse their separate ways.

***

When Montgomery Lester got wind of the robbery, he was livid. He paced his board room glaring at each person seated at the table. He had called each member of the railroad group that had any kind of connection to this train.

“How could it happen?” He asked to nobody in particular. “How could someone steal millions from our armored car, on our high speed train, and get away without anybody noticing?”

He continued to pace the room. He waited in vain for a response to his question. But the response was written all over each person’s face. Nobody knew how it was possible. In fact, nobody knew how it had even happened. All that anybody knew, or at least all they were telling him, was a simple statement of obvious fact. The train arrived in the city. The armored car was mostly empty. The rear door had been damaged and opened. His clients had been robbed on his train.

“We need to get to the bottom of this. Since none of you seem capable of doing your jobs, I will be enlisting the help of an investigator. I expect that you will all cooperate fully with him.”

Montgomery left the room and went to his office. The investigator was waiting for him when he got there. He was an average sized man wearing a gray suit and black overcoat. He held a black hat on his lap. Lester sat behind his desk and addressed the other man. “Hello Mr. Hawke. I will cut to the chase. One of my trains was robbed this morning and I want you to catch whoever did it.”

“I can do that.” The investigator nodded and wrote a note in a small notebook. “Just a few questions if you don’t mind. Can you tell me when and where it was robbed?”

“It was this morning, somewhere south of the city. The train was on its way to the city at the time.”

“And what was stolen?”

“There was an armored car on the back of the train. A great deal of valuable items were stolen. I can have my secretary supply you a list of the items that have been reported missing.”

“Very well.” Hawke wrote down a few more notes, “One last question. Any leads? Do you have any enemies, anybody you suspect?”

Lester stopped for a moment in thought, deciding how much he wanted to share with this stranger. “No, nobody specific.”

“Do you think it could have been an inside job? Someone on your team?”

“Possible.” Lester shook his head slowly, “Though I do not think it is likely. If that is all you need from me, I have some damage control to get to. I look forward to your periodic reports.”

“Thank you sir.” Hawke stood and shook Lester’s hand. He put his hat on his head and tipped it to the secretary on his way out.

Montgomery had told the truth to Hawke when he said he had damage control. He had a mountain of damage control. This could ruin the railroad division if he didn’t catch these thieves.

“Sir, the reporters are here.” His secretary said quietly.

“Very well, let them in.”

A handful of reporters from every paper in the city rushed into the room. They all started shouting their questions at once. The instant cacophony was too much. Montgomery wanted to just shut them out and be to himself. No, he had to speak with them.

“Quiet please. I have a statement to make. This morning, one of my trains was robbed on its way into the city. At this point, it is too early to say exactly what happened and who is responsible. We have several strong leads and we are investigating every possible suspect. Rest assured we will find those who committed this crime. There will be a reward for anybody who comes forward with evidence that leads to the arrest of these thieves.

“To those who did this, I want you to know, You did not rob me today. You robbed innocent clients of mine. The people you robbed were just ordinary people who trusted in the safety of my company. I assured them of that safety, and I was wrong. I will not make the same mistake twice. You will pay the price for your crime, and I will not rest until every last one of you has been brought to justice.

“Thank you, that is all.”

Two large men came into the room and began to shuffle the reporters out. They continued to shout questions for Montgomery, but he ignored them all. He hoped that his statement would buy him some time to let Inspector Hawke work. In the meantime, he had a company to run, and he couldn’t let a failure in one division take his attention away from the rest.

Part 27 >

TCB Part 25: Friday Still. (cont.)

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 24

Charlotte woke, groggy. She couldn’t remember falling asleep in the first place.

Where was she?

Outside.

More specific?

On the ground.

She looked around her at the surroundings: blue sky, grass, sheep, or were those clouds. It was hard to tell where the ground ended and the sky began. She rolled over and felt a sharp pain in her left wrist. What had happened to her wrist?

And why couldn’t she move her legs? She tried to look at her feet, but her vision was very blurry. Sounds were muffled too. She realized she was wearing a helmet. She reached up to take it off and remembered the hurt wrist again. Helmet off, the world began to make more sense. There were definitely sheep, also clouds.

Now to the mystery of her legs. She looked at her legs, and realized that they were in some kind of stiff pants. She flipped a lever next to the knee of each leg and she could again bend her knees. That was a relief. Now to make sense of how she got here.

She blinked a few times and then noticed the railroad tracks. Suddenly, the day’s events came rushing back to her in a moment. She had to move, quickly. If she was caught here, she’d be toast.

First things first. She took off the wingsuit. She limped into the rail tunnel and found a niche near the entrance. She stashed the suit there. She would deal with it later. She couldn’t very well walk into the city with a carrying a suit made from illegal materials. Worse yet, she had been wearing it.

Ok, now to figure out what to do. She looked at the city, and guessed it was a good five miles to the center of the metropolis. Her legs seemed ok, but she was sore everywhere. Her back ached, her legs were tired, and she was pretty sure she’d done some serious damage to her wrist. She saw a country road ahead and began to hobble toward the city.

After only a few minutes of walking, she heard the telltale clip clop of hooves behind her. She turned and saw a man driving a small horsecart. On the back of the cart were piled sacks of what she could only guess were corn, carrots, potatoes. She had to admit that she was feeling a bit hungry. She wasn’t sure what time of day it was, but she hadn’t eaten since the previous night. She waved at the cart and the driver stopped.

“Going to the city?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure am, miss. Need a lift?” The middle aged man seemed nice enough. He wore farmers’ coveralls and a tattered stetson. He smoked a pipe and somehow he managed to talk without removing it.

“If you don’t mind.”

The farmer motioned with his head and Charlotte hopped into the cart next to the farmer. He looked at her with a sideways look. She had no idea what she looked like right now.

“Don’t have any things?” the farmer asked.

“No, nothing. Just me.” Charlotte replied as the cart began moving again. “Name’s Charlotte Avalon. I’m an airbike racer, so you may have heard of me.”

“I ain’t got time for no airbike races. Waste of time if you ask me.”

“Suppose it is.” Charlotte replied. “Well, I don’t think I’ll be racing much longer anyway.”

“You need a good job, you do.”

“Nah, I don’t think I’d like working. Racing’s a lot of fun, but it gets boring, you know? I just don’t think working for a living would be any more exciting.”

“Well, you won’t catch no pity from me when you end up living in the streets, if you don’t mind my saying.”

“Oh, I won’t be in the streets. I’ve got enough money I never have to work again.”

The farmer cocked one eyebrow and looked sideways as Charlotte and shook his head. “So what were you doing out in the country? You look awful beat up to have just been out for a walk.”

Charlotte’s heart beat faster as she realized that she hadn’t thought of a good alibi yet. She jumped into a stranger’s farm cart and basically spilled her guts to him. Now she won’t have a good excuse for why she was out there. She might as well just tell him that she robbed a train and jumped off. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea.

“Ever hear of train surfing?”

The farmer laughed and shook his head.

“Well, you stand next to the tracks with a big parachute. When the train goes by, the wind catches in the ‘chute and it lifts you up into the air. If you time it right, you get pulled along with the train for a while.”

“Idiot thing to do if you ask me.”

“Nah, it’s fun. Well, I was out surfing the southern line and this train was faster than any other I’ve seen. The initial blast of wind that hit me knocked me over. My ‘chute caught on the train and I was dragged along with it for a few seconds before I could unclip the harness.”

The farmer shook his head in disbelief. “And how exactly did you expect to get back to the city?”

“Oh, I figured I’d just hitch a ride with a kindly farmer.” She smiled and jabbed the farmer with an elbow. “When I didn’t see any, I decided you would have to do.”

The farmer looked at her with a frown. He lowered his eybrows and grabbed his pipe with his free hand. Slowly a smile crept at the corners of his mouth and he threw his head back in laughter. He slapped Charlotte on the back and she winced from the pain. She joined his laughing as they rode into the city.

Part 26 >

TCB Part 24: Friday Still. (cont.)

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 23

Phineas tucked his new watch into his pocket and walked into the dining car authoritatively. He looked around the cabin for any sign of Anabelle, but couldn’t find her. He knew the team was waiting on the roof, but he didn’t know how long. He would have to find her in a hurry if they were going to leave with the others. Glancing around the room, there were people of all stripes in the car. In one area, he saw a man in a tattered suit and plain hat, sipping a glass of beer. This was probably the only train ride he would afford all year. Still others were dressed to the nines, many of whom, no doubt, were accompanying their considerable valuables to the banks in the city.

He would have felt some degree of guilt looking at all the suckers he’d stolen from today, but Phineas didn’t have the capacity for pity. He certainly couldn’t pity the rich Vickies who benefitted tremendously from the society they’d bought with their Traditionalist revolution. He could never feel guilty for robbing the rich of their ill-gotten wealth. The only guilt he felt was that every person on this train would have to go through needless interrogation when it was discovered how much was missing. He felt bad for the poor man in the corner.

He glanced at himself in the mirror and decided his look was close enough to a conductor to make a go at it. “Alright, everyone, we’re nearly at the station, so if you’ll kindly return to your seats.” He spoke loudly so everyone would hear him. He glanced at his watch as the room began to clear. The hands were not moving. Probably hadn’t been wound in years.

He walked past the poor man in the tattered suit. He smiled at him. “Can I help you find your seat sir?”

“Oh, no, I’m ok. Just finishing my drink.” He took the last swig of his drink and stood up.

Phineas put a hand on the man’s elbow as he stood to leave. He subtly slipped a gold coin into the man’s jacket pocket. That would be the most exciting thing to happen to this man in years. It was probably worth several years’ wages to him. Once again feeling good about himself, Phineas followed the man through the doors into the next car.

It was a regular coach, seats on either side of a narrow aisle. An elderly woman in the second to last row grabbed his sleeve as he passed. He stopped at her seat. She turned and looked at him, “Will we arrive on time?”

“Yes, of course, ma’am. A Lester train is never late.” He smiled broadly at the gray-haired woman as he recited the slogan plastered at every station in the city.

She returned the smile, “Oh, thank you. My granddaughter is meeting me at the station and I don’t want her to wait too long.”

“No worries, dear.” He leaned down and said conspiratorially, “You might even beat her there.” He used the opportunity to glance out the window, just in time to see the train entering the tunnel. The car went dark.

“Pardon me, madam.”

The oil lamps in the car provided only a small amount of light. He certainly would not find Anabelle now. He would need to just hope that she gets out alright. She was resourceful, he was certain she would find her way out. Now he needed to worry about himself. He looked around and spotted an open seat at the back of the car.

His seat was directly next to the door, which would allow him to slip off the train quickly at the station. He didn’t know the city’s tunnels as well as Higgs, so he didn’t think he would be able to find his way to the safehouse without going to the surface. He would have to take his chances. If that meant running into someone he knew, so be it. He wasn’t guilty of anything, as far as they knew.

The train slowed as it approached the city’s central station. Phineas jumped out of his seat and into the doorway. He opened the door and hopped onto the platform before the train had come to a complete stop. He hurried without looking like he was in a hurry. Up the stairs and into the light he went. He breathed the air and was disappointed to find that it was not as sweet as the country air had been only a few minutes ago. He reached into his pocket for his pollution mask and his hand brushed against the coins he’d dropped in there on his way out of the armored car. He smiled a little wider as he put on the mask.

He was a few miles from the safehouse, but he decided to go by foot anyway. He didn’t feel like talking to a cab driver or really anybody else. He walked along, intentionally failing to see anybody else on the road. He was about halfway there when he heard a voice call his name. “Mr. Derbyshire, is that you?”

He turned to see who was addressing him. He instantly recognized one of his clients. He politely removed the pollution mask, smiling at the man whom he probably owed a great deal of money. “Hello Mr. Finley. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Finley’s smile turned quickly to a frown. “Look, I will be straight with you, Phineas. I would very much appreciate swift payment of my winnings.”

“Yes, absolutely sir. I can do that for you.”

“When, Phineas? I have heard that before.”

Phineas smiled. For the first time, he could do something about this sort of conversation. “I don’t have my books on me, so I don’t know how much I owe you. You could follow me back to my office—No. That would be a waste of your time. I’ll tell you what.” He pulled three gold coins out of his pocket and handed them to the other man. “Take this as a deposit. If it is not enough to cover the bet, I will send the rest tomorrow. If it’s more than I owe you, keep the change. Consider it interest on a payment that was far too late.”

The other man nodded and shook Phineas’s hand. “That’s not like you, Derbyshire. You’ve never been so forthcoming with cash. Business has been good then?”

“It has. It has indeed.” Phineas tipped his hat and kept walking. If only Finley knew just how good it had been. For all Phineas knew, he’d stolen from Finley today, which would make it all so much sweeter if he had. He walked the rest of the way to the safehouse with an extra spring in his step.

Part 25 >

TCB Part 23: Friday Still (cont.)

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 22

Higgs and Kostas climbed to the roof and handed their bags into the cabin of the airship. Kostas expertly climbed his way into the ship and extended an arm to Higgs. Inside the ship, they looked around at all the things they’d taken. There were dozens of sacks of valuables and stack after stack of gold bars lining the walls of the cabin. Higgs was satisfied with what they had. Not as much as it could have been, but good.

“Where are Phineas and Anabelle?” Dr. Montebanque asked.

“I sent Anabelle to be lookout, Phineas went after her. We wait only as long as we’re able.”

Dr. Montebanque nodded and went to his Winch, prepared to release it at Higgs’s command. They watched out the door as Charlotte began to untie the mooring ropes at the rear of the ship.

Just then, they saw Anabelle climbing up onto the roof of the car two in front of theirs. The ruffles of her dress flapped in the wind as she climbed on her hands and knees, keeping one hand gripped on the rail at the edge of the car. She bridged the gap to the next car and continued to work her way along.

Charlotte had finished with the cables and Kostas and Higgs reached down to pull her up into the ship. “No, wait.” Charlotte shouted over the rushing wind. She kept herself tied to the car and shouted to Anabelle. “Just a little further! You’re almost there!”

Anabelle continued to slowly make her way to the back. One more gap. When she was just about over the last gap, the train entered a curve and Anabelle was thrown to the side. She hung on with all her strength with both hands. The railing was the only thing keeping her from flying off the train and hitting the ground at 100 mph. Her legs were dangling off the edge of the train, and she was trying her hardest to pull herself up.

Dr. Montebanque shouted to Higgs. “I have to cut the cable. The tunnel is just ahead.”

“Hold on one minute!” Higgs shouted.

Anabelle looked up and saw Charlotte inching her way along the rail toward her. She reached the spot where Anabelle was hanging. Charlotte laid her body flat on the train car and clicked her magnetic heels onto the metal of the car. They stuck there firmly, and she extended both arms down to grab Anabelle’s arms. Charlotte pulled Anabelle onto the roof and together, they found their way back to the airship. After helping Anabelle onto the ship, Charlotte grabbed the ship’s runner with both hands.

“Go!” Higgs Shouted to Dr. Montebanque, and then reached down to grab Charlotte’s arm while Kostas grabbed the other.

Dr. Montebanque pulled the cable that unlatched the end of the cable from the railcar. The airship broke free of the train. Instantly, air resistance slowed it down rapidly. Higgs and Kostas Struggled to hold on to Charlotte. The airship was moving slower now, but still careening toward the point where the train entered a tunnel in the side of a hill.

“We can’t pull up. We’re too heavy.” Dr. Montebanque said, turning his head briefly toward Higgs before turning back and trying to steer the ship.

“Release more ballast!” Higgs shouted.

“The ballast is all gone.” Montebanque shouted.

“Release me.” Charlotte cried to Higgs and Kostsas.

“Ok.” Kostas said without hesitation, releasing Charlotte’s arm, leaving her to dangle in Higgs’s grasp.

“I’ll remind you that if we crash, the hydrogen in this ship is likely to explode!” Dr. Montebanque warned; the urgency in his voice was clear.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got the rocketsuit.” She winked to Higgs.

He shook his head sadly and released her arm. She extended the wings and began to glide. The ship instantly began to lift upward over the hill. Higgs watched as Charlotte glided and crashed into the entrance of the tunnel. She fell in a heap next to the tracks.

“She crashed, we have to go back.” Higgs shouted to Dr. Montebanque.

“She must fend for herself.” Anabelle said, putting a hand on Higgs’s shoulder. “She’s tough, if she survived that crash, she’ll be better on her own than if we tried to get her. Beside, we can’t risk our own lives for her.”

Higgs nodded, accepting Anabelle’s logic, but still rattled that he’d just dropped a girl, possibly to her death. He knew it was for the best, but he hoped that she was ok. “To the airport, Everton.” He said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Dr. Montebanque piloted the ship to the airport, and for the moment, it appeared that their camouflage dye-job was successful in keeping them hidden from sight. As the ship lowered to the ground next to the boxcar, Kostas jumped out and tied the mooring ropes. The team unloaded the ship and filled the boxcar.

“What about the ship?” Anabelle asked. “We’ve got to do something about it.”

“Kostas?” Higgs looked to the burglar. “Can you make sure that there is no sign of this ship ever existing?”

“Okay, boss. It is my pleasure.” Kostas had a disturbing smile on his face. He jumped onto the ship, and went to work. He climbed onto the outside of the cabin, and attached a device to the side of the balloon. Five minutes later, he jumped to the ground with a satisfied look on his face. “It is ready.”

The team untied the mooring ropes and watched the ship drift into the air. It caught in the wind and drifted to the East, away from the city. Higgs remarked at how well camouflaged it was, almost disappearing from sight in a matter of minutes. The ship had served them well, and it was time to say goodbye.

Suddenly, the tiny spec in the sky became a fireball. Streamers of black smoke shot outward from the sides of the ship and smoke and flames billowed up from the explosion of the massive balloon. Kostas was nothing if not thorough. Surely, there would be nothing left of the ship.

The foursome climbed onto the train and began working the lever that propelled the train down the tracks toward a tunnel. A few hours of time, and they would have their take safely stashed in the safehouse subway station. As the car freely rolled down a slope and under the city, Higgs wanted to celebrate a successful heist, but somehow he couldn’t. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to his friends. For now, they would need to wait in the safehouse and hope to see Phineas and Charlotte again soon.

Part 24 >

TCB Part 22: Chapter 7: Friday Still.

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 21

Chapter 7: Friday Still.

The airship was now flying only a foot above the roof of the armored car. The winch cable was tugging at the ship, which was jockeying back and forth in the sheering winds. Charlotte was on top of the car, and grabbed the mooring ropes from either side of the ship. She tied them to the rear of the car and the ship stabilized over the top of the reinforced train car. From the cabin, Higgs could just see the hazy outline of the city’s skyline. They would have to work fast.

“We evacuate when we hit the river bridge. No exceptions. Now go.”

Kostas was already inside the car. One by one, Phineas, Anabelle, and Higgs lowered themselves to the roof of the car. Dr. Montebanque remained inside the airship, ready to grab everything that was handed up to him. Charlotte remained on the roof, where she’d attached several cables allowing her to stand easily on the moving train. Kostas came out of the car. He would be positioned on the rear platform. The others would be inside the car. They would hand the items out to Kostas while he handed them up to Charlotte, who would pass them to Dr. Montebanque.

“Holy Buckets!” Phineas exclaimed as he walked into the armored car. “You weren’t kidding, Higgs, this is huge.”

“Get a move on, Phineas. Take nothing collectible or identifiable. Stick to gold, jewels, things like that.”

The entire car was lined with drawers, each drawer contained one customer’s goods. In the center of the car were crates filled with more things. It was clear that the manifest was more full than usual, and there was not much room to move. The other end of the car had a door similar to the one at the rear. Higgs stared at that door, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that it could open any minute and an armed guard could walk through.

Anabelle was at the back of the car, filling a sack with jewelry from the drawers. Satisfied that she couldn’t lift any more, she handed the bag through the door to Kostas. Grabbing another bag, she continued on the next drawer. She guessed that she had already loaded more value into that one bag than she would otherwise have ever come into contact with. She began to feel a slight greed come over her. She was giddy for the new life she could lead in her newfound freedom.

Phineas went straight for the gold bars. There was a crate on wheels filled to the top with gold. He removed the straps that kept it in place and rolled it to the back of the car. Two by two, he handed the 100 ounce bars to Kostas. He emptied the crate and went in search of another. Higgs walked past with two bags full of things that he handed out the door.

Higgs stopped. “I’m worried. I keep feeling like someone is going to come through those doors any second.”

“Nonsense.” Phineas grunted, lifting another pair of bars to Kostas’s waiting hands.

“No, I’m really worried.” He looked to Anabelle. “Belle, do you think you can help me out here?”

“If you say so, Higgs.” She smiled

“Can you go into the main train and just get a feel for whether there are any guards in there?”

“Are you nuts?” Phineas chided. “What if she’s seen?”

“She is the one of us most likely to have a legitimate reason to be on this train.” Higgs snapped back at Phineas.

“Phineas, shut up. I’ll do it.” Anabelle handed her sack to Higgs and stalked to the front of the car. She peered through the hole in the door, and then gave the wheel a spin. She stepped out of the car and shut the door behind her.

She entered the next car, which was a cargo car. It was carrying various staples: flour, sugar, dried beans. She worked her way past the rows of goods and through to the next car. That was when she encountered her first group of people. It was a dining car, filled with people enjoying a drink or a snack. They seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that the train was being robbed at this very minute.

She peered around the room and caught sight of an armed guard, positioned at the bar. He was engrossed in conversation with the bartender and didn’t seem to be watching the door. She spun around and began to walk back through the door when she heard the guard’s clear voice call out to her.

“Miss! You can’t go in there.”

She turned around to face the guard. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought my seat was that way. I get so disoriented in these trains. I am so sorry.”

“It’s no trouble, miss. If you can just show me your ticket, I will direct you to your seat.”

She had a small coin purse buttoned to the waist of her dress, and she made a show of digging through it to try to find her ticket. She was trying to think of how to get out of it. “I seem to have left…”

“Anabelle?” She heard a drunken voice call out from across the car. “Anabelle Devereaux, is that you?”

She looked up and smiled out of instinct, though it was far from the expression she wanted to give. She tried to place a name of the man walking toward her. She was sure that she had seen him before. It was not long ago, it was likely someone she met at a party, flirted with in passing and instantly forgot him. When he was just about to reach her, it snapped into her mind. “Jameson, I have been looking everywhere for you.”

The drunk man beamed, “You have? How delightful.”

The guard looked at Jameson, “Is this lady with you, sir?”

“Of course I am.” Anabelle jumped in. She grabbed Jameson’s arm by the elbow and linked hers through his.

“Yes, of course she is!” Jameson was clearly too drunk to know whether or not she was.

“I couldn’t find you anywhere on the train. I was about to find my way back to the seats, but this guard helpfully pointed out that I was going the wrong way.”

“I should keep better track of you, I’m sure.” Jameson laughed. “A drink to toast our reunion!”

Anabelle smiled to the guard and followed her drunk companion to the bar for the celebratory drink. She tipped back what tasted like an old-fashioned and made small talk with the man who seemed determined to keep her by his side. She had no idea how she would get herself back to that armored car. She might need to resort to drastic measures.

***

Higgs and Phineas continued to feverishly hand things to Kostas. Phineas continued with the gold bars that he had been handing off for a solid 20 minutes now. Higgs began searching the car to see if there was anything particularly valuable that should not be missed. He was pulling open every drawer. Each time he found something worthwhile, he threw it in his bag. Some of the boxes were not worth digging through. They were filled with papers and photographs, even if there were a few gold coins in the bottom of the drawer, it wasn’t worth finding.

He decided it was time to hold up his end of the bargain for his strange benefactor. He walked to a set of crates marked “ARCHIVES.” He knew that this was where the book would be kept. He had an archival number to work from. He started pulling book after book out of the top crate, but each one was not the right one. He didn’t stop to see what the books were; he just checked the archival number and threw it over his shoulder.

He pulled the top crate off the stack and popped open the second one. This one was filled with non-matching books as well. He was beginning to doubt if it was really here. He cracked open the third and final crate and started to pull out books. Finally, he found the book with the correct number on the spine. He pulled it out and tucked it into his waistband. He looked up and saw Phineas staring at him.

“What is it?” Phineas asked.

“What do you mean?”

“What’s in your waistband? Something you’re keeping back from the rest of us?” Phineas had a hint of mistrust in his voice.

“It’s a book, nothing more.” Higgs pulled it out and showed it to him.

“Why take a book, Higgs? What’s so valuable about that book?” Phineas grabbed a few more gold bars and handed them to Kostas.

“It’s for someone I know.”

“A friend?”

“Not really. It’s the guy who tipped this heist.” Higgs decided it wasn’t worth it to keep the secret.

“What else is he getting?” Higgs could tell that Phineas was doing the math in his head as to whether he could stand to split it a 7^th way.

“Nothing, just the book.”

“Wait, you’re trusting our identities to a guy who wants nothing but a book? He could blow this whole thing up.” Phineas was now visibly upset.

“Back off, Phineas, I think we’re safe with this guy. Besides, he only knows my name. The rest of you are fine. I’m the only one at risk here.”

“Yeah, well, I hope you’re right.” Phineas continued to hand his loot out the door to Kostas.

Just then, they heard the train click over the bridge. Higgs emptied a few more drawers into his sack and went to the door. “Let’s go, Phineas.”

“What about Anabelle?” Phineas asked.

“She’ll be ok. She’s a big girl.” Higgs motioned for Phineas to come with him.

“No, I’m not going to leave her behind.” Phineas picked up a pocket watch from the floor of the armored car and clipped it to the vest of his black suit. He grabbed a handful of gold coins and shoved them into his pockets. He gave Higgs a suspicious look and then put on his coachman and walked out the door at the front of the armored car.

Part 23 >

TCB Part 21: Friday Morning (cont.)

Go to the Beginning of the story

< Part 20

Chapter 6: Friday Morning (cont)

Charlotte threw herself out of the door of the airship with a yell and extended her hands out to her sides. She felt a gentle tug on her shoulders as the wingsuit harness  pulled her body upward under the lift of the wings. She could see the train in the distance, emerging from a mountain valley. The locomotive looked brand new, the morning sun gleaming off the polished chrome of the giant, streamlined engine. It was moving faster than any train she’d seen.

She tested her control of the wingsuit. Tilting to the left and giving a twitch of the feet, she swooped to the left. Back to the right and she swooped back. Her adrenaline began to kick in as she felt how responsive the suit was. She tilted the wings back and pointed her head down, feeling the rush of acceleration as she sped toward the railroad tracks below.

“WOOO HOOO!!!” she shouted inside her helmet. Nobody would be able to hear her, but she couldn’t resist a yell. This felt amazing.

She was now parallel to the track and speeding downward. Easing her body upward, she leveled out and continued to glide. She felt the rocket ignition button under her left thumb. Here goes nothing. She pressed the ignition and heard nothing. A bum rocket? For Pete’s sake! Now what? She pressed the ignition two more times, still nothing. What would she do in a race?

She remembered that she had a few of Kostas’s tools on her belt. One of them was a cutting torch. She locked the left wing into the full forward glide position and grabbed the cutting torch from her belt. She clicked the piezo and the torch blazed to life. It was an awkward position, but she was able to reach her arm back far enough to clear the rocket. She pulled the throttle with her right thumb and heard the rocket release fuel into the combustion chamber. The fuel caught on the torch flame and the rocket sprung to life.

Instantly she was accelerated forward. She felt the acceleration pushing on her body. She watched the world spinning around her and realized that she was in a barrel roll. The rocket thrust was not as forgiving as the gliding had been. She tried to pull her left arm forward, but was struggling against the acceleration. She dropped the torch and pulled as hard as she could on her arm. She released the throttle and unclicked her heels, doing everything she could to slow down without stalling the rocket.

She finally pulled her left arm into the wing, and felt herself stabilize in the face-down position. Satisfied, and full of adrenaline, she clicked her heels together again and pressed the throttle fully. She was thrown forward faster than she’d ever been before. When she piloted an airbike, it was always hampered by the balloon’s drag. This suit was streamlined and aerodynamic. She sliced through the air unlike anything she’d felt before. She got her bearings and saw the train below about 500 feet and overtaking her.

She pushed the wings backward and dove, full throttle toward the train. The suit felt like it was at its limits. She felt like she was going 120 or more. She’d never gone this fast on an airbike. She positioned herself over the train and slowed down to match its speed. Slowly, she lowered herself until she was only a few feet over the top of the train. The armored car was the last car on the train, and she lowered herself into position at the back of the car.

She carefully locked the suit’s wings and slowly moved her right arm out of the wing. Carefully, she grabbed a railing on the roof of the car. There was a carabiner on her wrist that she clipped to the rail. She cut off the rocket and pulled her left arm out of the wing. Tucking the wings back into the suit, she pulled herself onto the top of the car. She unhooked the cable from her shoulders and clipped it onto the railing. She gave a wave up to the airship where she knew someone was watching through the spyglass.

***

“She’s in position.” Phineas shouted, watching through the spyglass.

“Hang on to something.” Dr. Montebanque warned the others.

They all grabbed onto a rail or chair, and Dr. Montebanque slowly applied the brake to the winch. As the cable slowed its unraveling, the airship suddenly accelerated. The crew were thrown from their positions, hand-holds being useless against the rapid acceleration.

“I told you to hang on.” Dr. Montebanque shouted. He flipped a switch and began turning the giant wheel of his power winch. Higgs and Phineas both gave him a hand reeling the winch with the assistance of a massive spring. The ship was now keeping pace with the train, moving much faster than it was ever designed for. The crew could hear the balloon tugging at its struts and stays, fighting the resistance of the wind against the massive object. Higgs was waiting for the balloon to give way and feel the entire ship plummeting toward the earth and certain death. But that feeling never came.

The ship was still a few thousand feet away from the train, rapidly making up that distance. Kostas grabbed his backpack, preparing for his job. He wrapped a towel around the back of his neck, and tucked the other ends into his vest. “No time to spare.” Kostas shouted to the others. He grabbed a hook-shaped tool of some sort from his bag and walked to the airship door. Edging himself out onto the runners of the ship, he worked his way around to where the power winch cable exited the craft. He looped a length of rope around the hook and fastened it to his wrist. He hooked the cable and jumped.

“OPAAAAA!” He shouted as he zipped down the cable toward the train car. The wind rushed past his face, and sent his hair flying behind him in the breeze. When he got close to the train, he turned his body so that the hook rubbed harder against the cable, creating friction. Sparks flew from the cable and he felt himself slow down. He released one hand and pulled the towel from around his neck. He wrapped that towel around the cable and held on tight, slowing himself down more. The train was approaching quickly. He turned his feet toward the train, and allowed them to take the brunt of the impact.

When Charlotte saw him collide with the train car, she shouted, “You’re crazy, man!”

“Is not crazy, at least I was attached to cable. You flew like bird.” The two embraced briefly and Kostas went to work to break into the car.

“I had to drop the torch.” Charlotte shouted, her voice barely heard over the rushing wind.

“Is okay. There is always more than one way in.” Kostas replied. He wrapped a strap around his shoulders and chest and clipped it to the train to keep himself stable. He looked through his bag to find the tools he needed.

The train car was built from two-inch steel. The doors were reinforced and locked with several double-keyed locks. They were difficult, but not impossible to pick. There were no windows on the car, and seemingly no weak points. Kostas decided that the rear door was his best option. He worked his way off the roof and onto the back ledge of the train. He looked up toward the airship, which was getting closer by the second. The rails below rushed by at a dizzying speed.

He began to pick the first of a series of locks. It was a model he hadn’t worked with before. He pulled his autopick out of his bag. It was a slim device that would simulate a key. Once in place, the autopick moved the lock’s pins in sequence until it found the right combination that would turn the lock. He began to dial the clockwork gears that adjusted the pins. It was taking too long. He wouldn’t have the door open by the time they arrived in the city.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. He pulled a flask of gunpowder from his bag, and loaded it into a tiny bellows device. Inserting that into the first lock, he pumped the small blower, filling the lock with gunpowder. He did the same with the three other lock cores. Stepping to the side, he proceeded to smash each lock with an exploding cap. Each one resulted in a loud explosion.

He looked into each lock. They were all hollowed out and he could see through into the car. A final lock was still engaged, controlled from the inside by a wheel. From the outside, the wheel could be turned only by the simultaneous turning of all four of the keyed locks. Since he’d blown those locks, he wouldn’t be able to turn the mechanism. He pulled a series of slim rods out of his bag and clipped them together one by one.

He stuck a slim mirror through one of the holes and fished the other series of rods through another hole. He could hear the airship approaching. It would only be another minute. He wanted to have the door open by the time they were here. He gave the rod a twist, and a joint bent itself toward the wheel. He worked a dial at the base of the rod and a small grasping device emerged from the tip of the rod. He maneuvered it into place on the wheel, and began to turn the wheel with the rod. After one full turn, he heard the door click open. He pulled out the rod and stuffed it back into his bag.

Kostas opened the door and saw the most incredible thing he’d ever set eyes on.

Part 22 >