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“It gets better. This line would have been the first branch line past McNaughton. And I know there’s a forked stream and a waterfall near there, and an ancient cemetery. I’m willing to bet there’s a big rock.Thisis where we look for the treasure.”
“Holy shit!” Caleb murmured. “MacDuff is going to love this. I can’t wait to—”
A sudden crash shook the train!
“What’s that?” Jane said. “It came from behind!”
“Rodland is trying to see what—”
“Never mind.” Jane looked up as she heard a series of thumps on the roof of the car. “Caleb, I think we have company. Footsteps on the roof, heading your way.”
“I’m on it. Stay down!”
Chapter
17
Caleb pocketed the phone and pulled out his semiautomatic. “We’re about to get some company.”
Rodland’s eyes were still glued to his laptop screen. “I’m afraid I can’t be much help to you there. I need to switch to the main line, and if this software doesn’t cooperate, it’s going to be an extremely short trip.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it.”
Caleb ducked outside and moved along the side platform. He looked up as cold winds whipped against his face. If Jane was right, someone would be appearing above him at any—
BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!
Caleb fired at the two figures that appeared on the roof of the railcar above. One tried to fire back, but Caleb fired twice more to finish him off. One of the men fell from the train, the other onto the platform next to Caleb.
Caleb kicked him over the side.
The train lurched as they switched tracks and headed north on the main line. They picked up speed.
Caleb ducked back into the engineering compartment. “Didyoudo that?”
Rodland nodded. “Yes. With this software, I can control the switch tracks, traffic lights, and pretty much everything else we run across.”
“Excellent.”
“Shit,” Rodland said in disgust.
“What is it?”
Rodland nodded toward one of three monitors mounted above the main console. It showed a rear-camera view of the train, where an open-bed truck was speeding alongside. One by one, half a dozen men in paramilitary fatigues jumped from the truck to the rear train car.
Caleb cursed. “Bohdan’s mercenaries.”
“Who else?” Rodland increased the train speed again. “I’ll do what I can to make things uncomfortable for them.”
Caleb replaced his gun’s ammo clip. “So will I.”
***
Jane backed away from the rear door. She could hear men’s voices, shouting and talking just outside that door. She had no idea how many there were or where they were located. One of them sounded as if he was talking to someone on the roof. Then someone was pounding against the door, splintering the mahogany frame.
Shit!
She had to get out of here. But she couldn’t go out that door. And she knew that someone had been on the roof heading toward Caleb only a little while ago. They could still be there. Think. Where else could she go?
