8:23 AM.
They're late.
I hear the distant whining of a train in the distance, and feel my heart rate rising. I sneak a glance at Newt, who seems more on edge than most of us. However I can see anticipation brimming from his body. He twitches nervously, or excitedly; I can't tell.
I peer out from over the boulder. It is small and barely covers both me and Newt, but it's better than nothing. I see the train approaching from around the mountain in the distance, just a small moving speck against the sandy mountains. I squint harder, and then I see it.
"They're there! I see the car!" I exclaim. "It's right behind the train!"
The train's moving fast. It nears us, getting so much closer with each second. As it comes into clearer view, I can see people moving on the top of it. Two people on one side, eight on the other. With guns.
I bite my lip as I watch the train get closer, as I watch the bullets fly through the air. The two figures disappear, and I know that it will be Thomas and Vince working on disconnecting the carriages so we can release WICKED's hostages and rescue Minho.
Me and Newt prepare to make a quick run, squatting up onto our feet. He puts his hand on my knee, nodding to me with a serious expression.
"Stick to the plan," he says, his lips tugging into a smile. "And we can leave WICKED behind forever."
I'm about to speak when I hear a loud explosion coming from the train, which is just about to pass us. I see the last few carriages of the train disconnect from the others, slowing down to a halt, while Thomas and Vince run onto the train track. They whistle over to us, waving us over. Me and Newt share a look of exhilaration, agitation.
"Alright, come on!" Newt shouts over to the two boys crouched behind another boulder behind us. We all sprint over to the train carriage, Newt pulling his goggles and tools out of his bag. Thomas hammers on the side of the carriage, yelling Minho's name. Muffled screams and shouts come from inside. We all strain to listen, trying to hear Minho's loud, deep voice call out for us.
"This one," Thomas nods. Newt begins to use one of his tools to break the lock of the carriage, with a blue flame slicing through the metal.
Me, Thomas and Vince look out to the rest of the train, which has stopped a little further down the tracks. I see WICKED guards running along with guns, slowly but steadily getting closer. The harsh wind blows sand into the air, creating a cloud of dust surrounding us. My hair whips into my face, so I scrape it back into a messy ponytail.
"It's gonna be a close one," Vince sighs, putting his hands on his hips. "Where are those other boys?"
"Guarding the door at the back," I reply, glancing around to look back at Newt, still working on the lock.
"We need to get started on securing the rope," Thomas states, walking to the carriage again. I run behind him, grabbing one end of a massive, sturdy rope with a hook on the back. I climb up the ladder on the side of the train, and hook it onto a thick metal hoop on top of the roof, pulling on it to make sure it's properly attached. I see Thomas clambering up the ladder after me with another rope, fastening it to another metal hoop.
I feel my heard pounding against my chest. A surge of adrenaline rushes through my veins while I look out to the oncoming soldiers, halfway across the tracks from us. Sand blows into my eyes, causing them to water, but I continue anyway.
"Newt, how you doing?" Thomas shouts down to him.
"Don't rush me!" Newt calls back sharply. I climb back down the ladder to get another rope, catching a glimpse at the two boys near the back door. One of them holds a rifle and is aiming it towards the guards, getting ready for a fight. I reach the top of the ladder just as the bullets begin to fire. They ricochet off the metal side of the carriage, almost hitting me a few times.
"(y/n), get down!" Vince yells, worry in his eyes.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" I shout back over the fire of the bullets, getting onto my stomach while I attach the rope to the top of the train. Thomas and Vince are holding guns, firing bullets at the guards. I do a final check of the ropes - four secured on each corner of the carriage, all pulled together by a metal harness in the centre - before climbing back down the ladder to get a gun off one of the boys.
"Thanks," I say briefly as the boy passes me a shotgun. I look around. "Where's your friend?"
The boy shrugs.
"(y/n), the guards are coming!" Thomas shouts. I scramble back up the ladder and lie near the front, aiming my gun at the guards. I look down the gun through one eye, aim, and shoot. I hit one guard in his shoulder. Another in his leg.
"Newt, get up here!" Thomas calls urgently.
"Almost there!"
Vince jumps down from the top and onto the gravelled tracks, me and Thomas still firing from the top. The guards are so close.
"Newt?!" I shout, panic rising in my voice.
"Done!"
I see his blond head appear up the ladder, and pass him a pistol from my backpack, then we all shoot at the guards. One gets hit in the leg, but continues to limp along the tracks, his blood staining the sand beneath him. The guards now surround the train carriage, shouting commands at each other while shooting.
"Where the hell are the others?" Newt asks angrily.
"I don't know!" Thomas replies, still shooting. I see the boy from before climb up the ladder, shock on his face. I'm about to speak when I hear a loud, rumbling noise coming from above me. A Berg.
My heart rate quickens. I pray it's Jorge and the others, not WICKED. That was their job; to take over the Berg. Whether they succeeded or not is all coming down to this. The hatch opens, and a long, metallic claw drops down. We all grin to each other in relief. It's them. The claw lowers down, and Thomas jumps for it and drags it down to the harness in the middle, connecting all the ropes together.
"GO! GO!" he shouts up to them.
"Grab onto something!" Newt exclaims to me. I get a firm grip on one of the ropes, crouching down for stability. I look around in alarm.
"Where's Vince? And that other boy?" I scream over the noise of the Berg.
"Vince! Get up here, now!" Newt yells. I feel a tremble beneath me as the carriage lifts into the air, swaying precariously from side to side, and feel my stomach churn.
"He - he's not here!" I breathe. A minute later the boy appears from the ladder, sweating and panting as he struggles to get to the top, Vince following in tow. I let out a brief sigh of relief, though I still feel on edge. The boy manages to get onto the roof, however the carriage is rocking back and forth so much as Vince struggles to get onto the top, each movement more exaggerated than the last. His face is bright red, teeth gritted in concentration. I quickly move to the edge of the carriage, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him up onto the roof.
The carriage jolts to the side. I let out a scream as my body is thrown forward, my arms flying through the air.
"(Y/N)!" Newt screams.
I feel a pair of strong hands grasp onto mine. I look up, disorientated, as I see Thomas looking back at me with terror. My sweaty hands are sliding out of his own, and I let out a yell of pain as my torso whacks against the side of the carriage. I look to the ground below, and we must be at least fifty metres up.
"HOLD ON!" Thomas shouts, grunting as he pulls me up. I urge my upper arm muscles to pull me up, but they feel weaker from helping Vince before. Newt moves to the edge as well, grabbing my lower arm and lifting me closer to the roof.
My feet stumble to find the ladder, slipping a few times. The carriage stops swaying as much, and I finally get stable footing just as the boys hoist me up. I collapse on the roof, coughing as I get my breath back.
"Are you okay?" Newt asks frantically. "For a second there I thought..." He shudders. He rubs my back supportively, and after I stop coughing, I turn around to smile weakly at him.
"Me too," I reply shakily. "But we did it." I laugh in disbelief, a massive grin breaking out across my face.
Newt and Thomas laugh, high-fiving each other while Vince watches with a satisfied grin. I see the two boys - who's names I still don't know - talking amongst themselves. One of them looks at me and attempts a brief smile, to which I smile back. We've done it. We've rescued Minho.