CHAPTER 19

(Figure It Out)

 

Ashley sat on the helicopter with a nervous look on her face. She knew that a lot was riding on if she succeeded or failed and in her mind failing wasn’t an option. “We’re coming up on the train now!” the pilot announced. He too wore a nervous look on his face. Ashley took a deep breath as she took a second to mentally prepare herself for what was going to come next. After saying a quick prayer, Ashley connected the cord to a strap on her waist, and then turned towards the pilot. “Keep it steady!” She yelled as she snatched open the door and looked down at the moving train down below. Ashley slowly began to lower herself down from the helicopter. Ashley lowered herself half way down when she looked up and saw that the train was headed into a tunnel, which meant she had to move fast. “Shit!” Ashley cursed as she lowered herself down even quicker. As she was lowering herself down onto the train, Ashley looked up and saw a news helicopter flying in the air filming the entire thing. Ashley continued to lower herself down when her cord stopped. “What the hell?” Ashley said to herself with a confused look on her face as she fumbled around with the cord. The cord jammed leaving, Ashley suspended twenty feet above the train. Ashley looked up and saw the first cart of the train had already entered the tunnel. “Shit!” Ashley cursed as she removed a knife from the small of her back and cut herself free from the cord. Ashley dropped twenty feet down onto the top of the train just as it went completely underground. If she had missed her jump by one second, she would have been dead. Ashley hung onto the top of the train for dear life as the coach moved around sixty miles an hour. Ashley laid face down on top of the moving train for a few seconds so she could get comfortable with the train’s movements. On a silent count of three, Ashley slowly slid down in between the train carts, and peeked through the window and saw that the cart window that she was looking through was empty. Ashley slid the door open and boarded the train with a two handed grip on her Five-Seven pistol with a silencer attached to the barrel. She slowly made her way from cart to cart until she reached the cart before the last one. Ashley moved at a low crunch until she made her way to the door, she slowly peeked her head up and spotted several gunmen holding the hostages at gunpoint. Ashley quickly snatched open the door leading to the next cart catching everyone off guard. By the time the gunmen looked up and knew what was going on it was too late Ashley had already rewarded them all with headshots. “Everyone remain calm and shortly I’ll get you all to safety!” Ashley announced to the hostages. While, Ashley was talking a brave strong, muscular passenger called himself trying to save the day, he quickly grabbed, Ashley from behind in a bear hug then violently slammed her face first down to the floor. Ashley wiggled out of the big man’s grip and landed a combination of blows to the man’s head and throat area she then finished him off with a roundhouse to the temple that put the big man on his back. Ashley went to reach for her gun when the big man swept her legs from under her. The big man then roughly snatched, Ashley up to her feet and rushed her back into the door. The force was so hard that, Ashley’s head went straight through the small window. Having no other choice, Ashley bit down on the big man’s finger forcing him to release his grip on her, she then landed a series of blows to the man’s head, then tackled him violently down to the floor where she finished him off by grabbing the man’s ankle and giving it a deadly twist. The loud sound of the man’s bone snapping followed by a loud scream filled the train. “Anyone else what some?” Ashley asked looking around at the hostages. “I’m here to save y’all now let me do my job!” She barked. Ashley picked her gun up from off the floor. “I need all of you to stay put and don’t move until this train comes to a complete stop!” she ordered as he exited the cart and headed towards the front of the train.

* * *

Scar sat in the conductor’s booth when he heard a loud scream. “What the hell?” he said to himself as he pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to radio his soldiers. After a few times of not getting a response, Scar decided to take matters into his own hands. Scar grabbed his A.K. 47, exited the conductor’s booth, and headed towards the last cart where the hostages were held. Scar sensed that something was wrong so he kept a strong two-handed grip on his weapon as he moved from cart to cart with caution. As, Scar reached the last cart, he came to a stop when he noticed blood smeared on the window. Scar leaned his head to the right to get a better look inside the cart. Immediately, he saw the look of fear on the hostages faces. Scar took a step forward when he felt the barrel of a gun being pressed into the back of his skull.

“Drop the weapon...now!” Ashley growled with venom dripping from her tone.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Scar said as he dropped his weapon, placing his hands in the air. “I’m willing to die today. Are you?”

“Shut the fuck up!” 

“Two choices sweetie,” Scar said as he slowly spun around. Ashley’s gun was now placed at his forehead. “One, you can turn and get the hell out of here, or two we can both die today. The choice is yours.”

“I think I’m going to have to take choice number two,” was, Ashley’s response. Without warning, Scar swept his hand across the gun, moving his head in the opposite direction at the same instant, the gun discharged into the ceiling. As, Scar struggled to rip the gun out of Ashley’s hands, the gun fired over and over again. Ashley managed to slip her leg behind, Scar’s leg and took him down to the floor with ease the fall caused both of them to lose possession of the gun.

Scar quickly bounced back to his feet, removed a sharp hunting knife from the small of his back, and charged, Ashley like an attack dog. Without thinking twice, Ashley flicked open the blade on her knife and charged at Scar. Scar tried to stab, Ashley short range, but, Ashley used her good footwork to get out of striking distance barely making it out of stabbing range. She grabbed, Scar’s wrist and sliced him across the face forcing him to drop his knife. Ashley went to stab Scar in the chest but he landed a rabbit punch to, Ashley’s temple the blow stunned her, caused her legs to wobble, but the next blow put, Ashley flat on her back. Ashley shook the blow off and climbed back up to her feet just in time to see Scar crossing from one cart to the next.

Scar exit the next cart and climbed up the small ladder that led to the outside of the train. He quickly crawled to the roof of the train and laid flat on his stomach while the train moved at a fast speed underground. Having no other choice, he had to find an escape plan now that, the Lion’s plan had been compromised. Once the train came from underground, Scar stood to his feet, he looked up and saw a helicopter hovering over above him. Scar looked down and saw nothing but water beneath him. There was no doubt in his mind he was going to jump for it and take his chances.

“Put your hands up or else we will open fire!” the announcement came from the helicopter. Scar ignored the announcement and got ready to jump off the moving train, but just as he was about to take that leap, Ashley tackled him down on the roof of the train. Down on his back, Scar fought for his life, he reached up and wrapped his hands around, Ashley’s throat and tried to strangle her to death.

“You have ten seconds to surrender or else we will open fire!” the second announcement came from the helicopter.

Ashley dug her fingers into, Scar’s eyes, forcing him to release his grip from around her neck. Ashley quickly made it back to her feet, spun, Scar around, and threw him in a choke hold when the sound of loud machine gunfire ripped through the air. Several bullets ripped through, Scar’s chest and stomach area riddling him with bullets. Having no other choice, Ashley tossed, Scar’s lifeless body off the train, and then dived head first off the top of the train just as the helicopter opened fire again. It seemed as if she was floating through the air in slow motion before finally landing in the water making a loud splash.