Once more I found myself stalked by the unrelenting inquisitor. Like an apex predator, he found his prey, though like a fool, he’d lose her again, I thought. He stood on the rooftops from which our bridge had been placed, his foot on the support. I glared into his manufactured dead eyed gaze, and scowled.

“Wouldn’t this be the perfect end? The famed train robber crushed by a speeding train, ironic no?” He cackled, “honestly you’ve made this too easy.”

“Then do it bastard!” I challenged him, “kick it right now you limp dick shitlicker!”

“Please don’t give him any ideas, miss Shana,” little Reli whimpered.

Salem laughed more, then calmed himself, “no,” he said with a growling hatred in his almost somber tone, “no that would be TOO EASY, I’d much rather kill you with my own two hands,” he stepped onto the bridge, and without any hesitation crossed, coming closer and closer to the witches he hunted.

“Dumb ass,” I sneered. Without any warning I wrapped my arms around Reli and leapt from the platform, a mighty gust of wind striking the flimsy structure sending the inquisitor to the tracks below. The two of us soared, our descent slightly being slowed by Gabby’s magic wind, “Reli do your thing!” I shouted.

“Right!,” the young witch sprouted her leaf-like wings, which coupled with the updraft sent us gliding in the air. In only a matter of seconds the train came rushing by, I instructed Reli to undo her wings. With little more than a tumble we landed on the hot metal surface of the racing train.

“Nice kid, I give you an eight for technique, but a five for landing,” I joked, helping Reli stand. 

“That was crazy miss Shana, we could have died!” She screamed over the roar of the galloping train. 

“But we didn’t,” I argued, “aaaand he did,” I made a gun with my fingers and pretended to pull the trigger, “good riddance uncle sociopath.”

“Was that really him this time? Didn’t you say he was using fake inquisitors or something?”

I smacked my head, then shrugged a second later, “guess that’s future me’s problem,” I crouched low so as to not lose balance on the dangerously expedient train, “present me’s problem is getting inside this train.”

“We’re on top of the third car,” Reli explained, “I’d guess it’s the first class cabins.”

“Why would they need those to transport a weapon?”

“It draws less attention pretending to be a charter train than a freight train maybe?” She guessed.

“So how do we get in?” I asked, practically clinging to the roof, Gabby redirecting the wind around us.

Reli crawled closer, “There’s usually a hatch to access the roof incase of an emergency,” she pointed to a raised platform ahead, “there!”

I groaned and began to shimmy my body across the metal death trap, my companion close behind, till we reached the escape hatch. I grabbed hold of the lever and pulled, my scrawny arms unable to budge it.

“Let me try,” Reli volunteered. 

“You sure?” I yelled back, but was quickly reminded of the little witch’s power as two vines extended, and practically tore the hatch off its hinge, “oh right,” my ever blushing cheeks got even redder, and I slipped in through the newly opened roof. 

Dropping to the floor below, there was an immeasurable sense of relief, only to instantly remember where we were as an inquisitor stared in shock.

“Wi...witch!” He yelled, drawing a diminutive handgun. His arms shook as he held it out, barely managing to point it at me, “dddd, don’t you move!” He ordered with the most pitiful stutter.

“The hell kind of inquisitor are you?” I almost felt sorry for the unmasked witch hunter.

“Inquisitors? D...don’t be absurd, I’m a, I’m a scientist,” his voice quacked with an odd fusion of terror and offense, “now you put, put your hands up!”

“Okay, okay, no need to shout, buddy,” I raised my arms, “see, I’m a good girl.”

“Filthy wi wi witch, give me one good reason not to shoot you right now?”

“Because you don’t have a mask on,” I said loudly.

“What has that got to do with anything?” He managed to ask before his head was impaled by a sharp vine.

Dropping down beside me, Reli landed with a terrified look of disgust painted over her face, “I killed him!”

“Nah it’s just his brain, he’ll be fine,” I pried his diminutive handgun from his now lifeless fingers and handed it to Reli, “don’t get cold feet now kiddo, cause there’s probably going to be many more bodies where that came from.” She looked at the gun, then pulled the one the gun shop owner provided out. “Oh, right...” Yeah, that was the better one. Still in shock, she followed me, “didn’t you kill people before?”

“Not directly, the truck just kind of fell on him.” Yeah and you made it fall on him. I rolled my eyes.

“We’re on board, you hear?” I said over the radio.

“Girl, can you say ‘over’ when you’re done speaking?” Naomi complained.

“Oh whatever, just tell me where you are? Oooverr.”  I dragged out my words.

“Delun Vox and I are on the train, we landed right after the butt of the train, over,” 

“It’s called a caboose genius,” I corrected her.

“Yeah and it’s called don’t try me girl,” she bickered back.

“Children, silence,” Kara chastised us, “Josie and I are in position, convene on the central car and disconnect it.”

“Roger that Kaykay, over,”

“Yeah I got it,” I confirmed. 

“Good, send the signal when you’re ready and we’ll handle the rest,” Kara instructed us.

“So, what’s between us and that central car?” My voice was as shaky as my hands. 

“You’re worried about the tank aren’t you?” Gabby asked.

“Well of course I am!” I slammed my fist against the door, “how many cars till we reach the tank?”

Reli scrunched her nose and furrowed her brows, “I don’t think I saw it while we were falling,” she answered, “but if I had to guess I’d say there’s another two passenger cars and possibly a private car before we reach it.”

I gulped, forced a smile and looked my friend in the eyes, “so how confident are you about disabling it?”

Reli slammed her fist into her hand, and boldly declared with a tough facade, 

“If I can get inside, I can do some damage!”

sighing, my trembling hand moved to the door handle, and slowly pulled the door open. Don’t fail me kiddo, I thought as I stepped out onto the connecting train platform. The speed of the train seemed to be picking up as we drew closer to the city’s edge, before long we’d be clear of the gate and in the wastes. Time was of the essence, I eyed the coupling and silently wished I could disconnect here and call it a day, but our plan was precise, success hinged on doing things right. I stretched my shoulders, the weight of responsibility felt as if it was manifesting on my back, with another gulp and a silent prayer to no one in particular, I pressed on to the next car.

Pulling open the door, I stopped dead in my tracks, only to find no one present. As the two of us walked through the car, the floor creaked with each step taken, even over the chug of the train wheels, and howl of its whistle. Sweat dripped from my brow, while I tried to ignore flashbacks of my first “heist” with Reli. The air in the car felt stale, a musty odor lingering. My heart thumped almost in unison with the train’s galloping roar. As I peered down each velvet lined seat, I expected an inquisitor to pop out from cover, and yet the car was empty.

“Nothing,” I whispered to myself, “and here I thought this train was heavily guarded,” I mused, sliding open the door and stepping onto the next car.

“Do you think we were duped?” Reli questioned, leaping over to the platform behind me.

“Better not have, or I’m kicking Delun's ass!” I said, hand on the door, while glancing over at my young companion, “seriously this better not turn out to be a bust.” Just then, the radio went off, Naomi and the others sounded like they were locked in battle with Inquisitors. My hopes that things would be safe and easy dashed.  I opened the door, and as soon as I turned to step in, my eyes met the gaze of a violet skinned woman in a nun’s outfit.

“Oh shit…”