𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.

fifty three.

   "Well there's like a thousand trains here."

   Pope nods, "we know it's car 750x on the track to Raleigh."

   I look over all the trains beneath us, "so now we've just gotta find it."

   "News flash," Kie glares at us, "we're not getting out of here unnoticed with a giant cross."

   "We won't have to, we can nab it somewhere further in the country," Pope sighs, "just gotta figure out how to stop the train."

   JJ grins, "leave that to me."

   I give him a wary look, "how're you gonna do that?"

   His smirk grows, "I got an uncle up in New Bern, right? When he got tipsy, he'd just throw an old chain across the tracks, just for shits and giggles. And that old little chain would stop all the train traffic."

   "A chain?" Kie doesn't believe him.

   "He's actually right," Pope sighs and I know it pains him to say those words, "there's a low-voltage current that runs across all rail tracks. Throw a chain on it, you close that circuit. Crossing lights come down. Science is actually pretty sound."

   "Science," JJ muses, "I know my science."

   I narrow my eyes at him, "well we don't have a chain."

   Sarah shakes her head, "but I bet- I bet Topper's dad has jumper cables in the truck. Would that work?"

   "Yo what's going on?"

   I turn over my shoulder, looking down at where Topper is standing beside his truck, his arms in the air. He looks impatient, "are we doing this or what?"

   Cleo smiles, "alright you guys wait here, me and Pope will go look for it, send a signal when we find it."

   "Do we actually have a plan right now?" Sarah grins.

   I bite back my own smile, "maybe."

   "I think we do," JJ chimes.

   "That's impressive."

   "Let's not jinx it."

   "Come on!"

* * *

   "Is that?"

   They found it.

   Pope flashes his flashlight over to us from where he is, a few rows over and a couple of cars back. JJ sticks his thumbs up, letting our friend know we saw him.

   "That's it we're green," Sarah smiles.

   At the sound of rattling, I hold up my hand and shush my friends. The sound grows louder and I turn back to where Pope is, "do you guys hear that?"

   Pope stumbles and the train lurches forward.

   Shit.

   "Train's moving, train's moving!"

   "We gotta go!"

   I run after JJ and Kie as we hop down from the car we're on. My friends slow behind me and I make my way to Topper and his truck.

  "Do you have jumper cables?"

  "Oh hey Cat! Here I am, involved in illegal-"

   I shrug, "not that illegal."

   "By the way I'm not even close to okay with this," he expresses, waving his hands around. I grab the jumper cables from the backseat as Topper continues his panic attack.