Episode 26: Betrayal on the Rails
The freight train thundered through the North Korean mountains, shaking violently as it picked up speed. Nathan gripped the steering wheel of the battered van like a madman.
"Hold on!" he shouted.
He floored the accelerator and launched the van off a steep embankment, soaring through the air before crashing down onto the flatbed cars of the moving train with a bone-rattling impact. The vehicle skidded wildly, sparks flying.
One by one they jumped out:
Koa landed in a crouch, still in partial beast form. Ferrum's heavy iron body slammed onto the train roof. Tiago rolled gracefully, clutching his shotgun. Nathan leaped clear at the last second.
Derek was the last. His foot slipped on the edge of the van. "Shit—!"
He plummeted toward the blurring tracks below. Ferrum's iron arm shot out and grabbed Derek's wrist in a vice grip, yanking him to safety.
"I've got you, spark plug!" Ferrum growled.
They barely had time to breathe when Araya Chailai launched herself from a pursuing vehicle, landing gracefully on the train behind Koa. With a savage cry, she unleashed a devastating Bicycle Spin Kick, her spinning legs slamming into Koa's back like a helicopter blade.
Koa was hurled forward, nearly flying off the side of the train. At the last moment, he shifted into Komodo Dragon form and dug his razor claws deep into the metal roof, stopping his slide inches from death.
"You're persistent," Araya snarled, already spinning into another attack.
Nathan saw the opening. He sprinted forward and — in a shocking move — grabbed Araya and pulled her into a deep, distracting kiss. For a split second, she froze in surprise.
Tiago seized the moment. He lunged and pressed his hand firmly against Araya's arm, activating Past Sight.
Flashes flooded his mind: A young Araya watching her father gunned down by R. Dogder's men. The warlord standing over the body, offering the orphaned girl a choice — die with her father or serve him. She had chosen survival.
"You're not his loyal soldier," Tiago whispered as he pulled away. "You're his prisoner."
Araya's eyes widened in rage and pain. "Shut up!"
Derek stepped forward, electricity crackling across his entire body. "Time to end this." He unleashed a powerful point-blank lightning surge. Araya convulsed violently as the electricity coursed through her, knocking her unconscious. She collapsed onto the train roof.
Nathan wiped his mouth. "Had to distract her somehow."
R. Dogder watched the entire scene from The Blank through hidden satellite cameras, his face twisted in fury. "Traitorous bitch…"
The Blank – Secret Chamber
Deep in the facility, Gillan Dahmer and Garcia Fernandez met in a shadowed corner.
"This has gone too far," Gillan hissed. "Dogder is burning through us like kindling. First Laughter, now replacing everyone. We should turn on him before he destroys everything."
Garcia flexed his razor claws, still furious about Laughter's execution. "I'm with you. We take him down from the inside. Use the cult connections—"
A flaming neck stump appeared in the doorway. Headless Dullahan stood there, holding his burning head like a lantern, having overheard everything.
"Interesting conversation," the severed head spoke with a chilling smile. "The master will be very disappointed."
Garcia and Gillan tensed, ready for a fight.
Moving Train
Nathan and the others secured the unconscious Araya as the train continued its journey toward their destination. They were closer than ever to finding Ri Kwon Jae, but the cost of this war was rising with every passing mile.
To Be Continued…